Fight's On (Top Gun: Maverick)

The Mission.

They had boarded the carrier and were waiting for Captain Mitchell to inform them of who would be flying with him on the mission. He knew his daughter was grounded but he didn't know why, the Admiral allowed her to board the carrier with them though. "It has been an honour flying with you. Each one of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission. My choice is a reflection of that and nothing more." Maverick told the group of fighter pilots. "Choose your two foxtrot teams." Admiral Simpson told the Captain. "Payback and Fanboy. Phoenix and Bob." Maverick said. "And your wingman." Cyclone stated. "Rooster." Maverick said as he looked at the young man stood next to his daughter. "The rest of you will standby on the carrier for any reserve role that's required. Except for you Lieutenant Mitchell, you have been grounded until you are medically cleared. Dismissed." Warlock told them. They all moved to their respected bunks and settled in for the night. After a restless sleep, Olivia stood with the rest of her team as they were briefed on the mission once again. "Your target is a clear and present threat. A secret uranium enrichment site under rogue state control. It's an underground bunker, tucked between these two mountains. Your route of ingress is heavily defended by surface-to-air missiles backed up by fifth generation fighters. Once your F18 strike team crosses the border, tomahawk missiles from the USS Leyte Gulf will launch a synchronised strike on the enemy's airfield, here. This will knock out their runway. But you'll have to contend with any planes already in the air. The moment those tomahawks hit; the enemy will know you're coming. Your time to target will be two minutes and thirty seconds. Any longer than that, and you will be exposed to any aircraft the tomahawks may have missed." Warlock explained. "This is what you've all been training for. Come home safely." Cyclone stated before dismissing them to their aircrafts. Olivia walked hand in hand with Bradley as they moved towards his F18, only to be stopped by Hangman. "You give 'em hell." He shouted over the jet engines. Bradley nodded at the man before walking towards his wingman. "Sir. Sir?" Rooster called as they walked up behind him, making him turn around. "I...I just want to say..." Bradley started only for Maverick to interrupt. "We'll talk when we get back." Maverick said before Bradley began to walk away after nodding. "Hey, Bradley! Bradley! Hey. You got this." Maverick called to the young man before he left to get in his aircraft. Olivia stayed where she was and looked at her father. "Tell me one thing. Why did you do what you did back then?" She called out to him. "I did it to protect you both. I didn't think you were ready. I was wrong." He stated before she walked away. Olivia moved to Bradley's side and grabbed the collar of his flight suit, pulling him in for a soft sweet kiss. "You come home to me... to us, Lieutenant Bradshaw." She said softly to him as they separated. "I'll always come home to you, Liv." He replied, giving her another kiss before climbing up into his F18 as she walked away to where Jake was doing flight checks on his aircraft. "So, the docs grounded you?" He asked her. "Yeah." She replied as she stayed near the nose of the F18 super hornet. "You care to tell me why they grounded you after you had to eject, cause that isn't a cause to ground a pilot unless you broke something, which you clearly haven't." Jake rambled as he climbed up the ladders into the plane. "Look on you instruments, Jake." She called out to him with a smile on her face as she climbed up the ladder after him. He glanced at her from the copy of the picture she had placed in his cockpit with writing on the bottom. "We can't wait to meet you, Uncle Hangman." He read with a smile on his face. "You are shitting me, darlin?" Jake asked his best friend. "Nope. The Bradshaw family will have two new additions in roughly six months' time." She smiled at him. Jake stood from his seat and engulfed the girl in a hug. "Promise me something?" Olivia asked as they separated. "Anything, Olly." Jake told her. "If they need help. You back them up." She said looking him directly in the eyes. "I'll bring them home, Olly." He stated, hugging her once more before she was told she had to leave. Bradley watched the interaction from his cockpit and nodding to Jake silently conveying to him to look after her if they didn't make it back.