annabel 'angel' mitchell is called back to top gun for a special training assignment after almost getting her father and herself discharged for good.
she knows he will be there, but she isn't ready to face him. after what rooster did to her, she ha...
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annabel "morning. welcome to your special training detachment. be seated."
annabel was, in fact, not late. but she wasn't early either. she had wanted to see her dad but there wasn't any time. she headed straight for the makeshift classroom and took the open seat next to phoenix.
she knew she looked like shit. her eyes were no doubt still puffy, as makeup could only cover up the redness around the rims. so far, phoenix hadn't seemed to notice so she decided to bury it.
"i'm admiral bates, NAWDC commander. you're all top gun graduates. the elite. the best of the best. that was yesterday. the enemy's new fifth generation fighter has leveled the playing field. details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box. half of you will make the cut. one of you will be named mission leader. the other half will remain in reserve. your instructor is a top gun graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. his exploits are legendary. and he's considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. what he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death. i give you captain pete mitchell. call sign: maverick." everyone but annabel turned to gawk at him. she smiled to herself a little.
she noticed rooster turned to glare at him for a moment before turning around. she knew the history between the two and she knew it wasn't good. rooster had never taken any of it out on her though, and they were always as close as they could be.
she did everything she could not to pick sides. she knew that bradley's mother had made maverick promise not to let him fly but maverick kept that from him.
pete hadn't wanted bradley to hate his mom for any reason so he allowed himself to take all of the blame.
she was jolted out of her thoughts as her father threw one of the many manuals she had memorized into the nearest trash can. the loud noise reverberated through the hangar and the group of pilots glanced uneasily at one another.
her father briefed everyone on today's task: dogfighting. she was excited. dogfighting was one of the first things she learned and she was ready to prove herself to her father and her peers.
"angel!" rooster called after her. she didn't turn around. she kept walking, making her way towards her beautiful jet. since she had decided to bury the events of last night deep inside her, she had been ignoring bradley and his glares. all morning, she had been able to feel his eyes on her, raking over the side of her face but she refused to look at him.
"rooster!" she heard her father call from a few yards behind her.
"bradley!" he called again. annabel was now at her jet, inspecting every inch before she allowed herself into the cockpit. out of her peripheral vision, she noticed that he didn't stop. she shook her head to herself and kept working.
"lieutenant bradshaw!" her father called loudly. finally, rooster stopped short with an annoyed look on his face.
"yes, sir." bradley answered, his large frame towering above her father's smaller one. she could feel the tension between the two of them.
"let's not do it like this." her father was regretful. she knew how much seeing rooster fly hurt him.
"you gunna wash me out?" annabel bit her tongue to prevent her from lashing out at rooster. she desperately wanted to make rooster see that her dad did what he had to but she knew it wasn't her place.
"that'll be up to you, not me." her father replied.
"am i dismissed?" rooster's tone was flat. her father nodded and then glanced at her. they made eye contact for a brief moment. he shook his head, silently telling her not to worry.
after most of the groups had already gone, it was finally annabel's turn. her wingman was coyote with payback in her backseat and she was feeling good.
so far, nobody had succeeded in taking her father down and she'd be damned if she was going to do 200 push ups like it had been agreed upon by her peers.
"i don't see him. where the hell is he?" coyote called over at her. her father was nowhere on her radar but she knew his games.
"he's behind or below. stay calm, he'll show himself eventually."
and he did.
suddenly, he flew right between the two of them. coyote jumped but annabel knew it was coming sooner or later. she had anticipated his move and rolled herself under the pair. she hoped her dad hadn't caught her. if he hadn't, if he had momentarily been distracted with chasing coyote, she had him.
it was a big if.
"coyote, break back right." annabel commanded. he followed her direction and so did her father who was hot on his tail. annabel dropped down and slid into position right behind him.
"that's a kill, maverick." annabel spoke, poking fun at her father. he groaned as she smirked. coyote cheered and payback congratulated her.
back on deck, she counted her father's push ups.
"maybe it's time you tell him what's up, dad. why you did what you did. down."
maverick dipped down and did a few more push ups before he decided to answer.
"can't do that. it would only make it worse."
"160. down. you don't know that." thunder rumbled in the distance. a storm was rolling in off the ocean. annabel breathed in the scent of the inevitable rain, reminding herself to leave her window open tonight.
"i can't have him resent his mother too. it's better if it's just me." maverick replied through gritted teeth.
"he'd never resent his mother. but it might make things a little better between the two of you."
"i promised her, annabel."
"you promised her that you'd stop him. not that you wouldn't tell him why. don't you think he at least deserves to know?" annabel felt her heart beating faster at her elevated tone.
"drop it. he doesn't need to know. what am i at?"
"i lost count." annabel replied through gritted teeth. she stood up from her seated spot on the ground and stalked off, towards the building.
opening the door to the changing room, she noticed she was the only one there. she silently prayed a thank you and shrugged out of her flight suit.
rooster was leaning against the side of her car as she approached, wanting nothing more than to be able to go home. sleeping for less than two hours last night had caught up to her and she was dragging. the wind had picked up outside and the temperature had definitively dropped a few degrees. dark clouds loomed in the distance, staring down at annabel as she approached rooster.
"not in the mood, rooster." he didn't budge. he was leaning against the driver's door and he made no effort to move. she slowed and rolled her eyes at him.
"well get in the mood, angel." he shot back at her. she scoffed and glanced away from his angry eyes.
he was always one to keep her pace. he matched her stride for stride, no matter what.
