The Bradshaws: A TopGun Maverick Story

~ONE~

Brandy Bradshaw had lived her entire life under the weight of a name that carried as much glory as it did heartbreak. Bradshaw. To most, it meant "Goose"—Nick Bradshaw, Maverick's trusted backseater, the man who lit up a room with a laugh and never once turned his back on a friend. To Brandy, it meant a father she never really got to know, a story told in faded photographs and the ache in her mother's voice whenever his name slipped past her lips. She had been only two when his F-14 went down.

And then, years later, cancer stole her mother too. Carole had been her anchor, her fiercest cheerleader, and losing her felt like losing the last tether to the world she'd known as a child.

But Brandy wasn't built to crumble. She had two brothers who shared her blood and her fire, and she had the sky. The cockpit became her sanctuary, her battlefield, her stage. She earned the callsign "Daredevil" not because she was fearless, but because she danced on the edge of recklessness with a grin that drove her instructors insane. Where others calculated, she followed instinct. And most of the time—too many times—her instincts proved right.

Dogfighting was her specialty. She had a feel for it, like the fight was stitched into her DNA. If you pushed her too far, if you underestimated her because she wasn't her father or because she wasn't a man, she'd make you regret it at Mach speed. Still, her refusal to always play by the book had earned her more than one trip to the Admiral's office.

This morning, she expected another one of those trips.

Her boots echoed against the polished tile as she approached Rear Admiral Moore's office. The hour was early, the base still yawning into life, and her stomach carried that mix of nerves and defiance she always had when summoned. Adjusting her uniform, she checked the time and then knocked firmly on the door.

"Enter," came the voice from inside.

She squared her shoulders and stepped in. Admiral Moore sat behind a desk that looked like it had lost the war against paperwork years ago. He looked up, eyes sharp, expression unreadable.

"Admiral," she said crisply, giving him a nod before closing the door behind her. She stood tall until he motioned toward the chair. Only then did she sit, folding her hands neatly on her lap though her pulse was drumming faster than she let on.

"I never thought I'd be saying this, Daredevil," Moore began, leaning back in his chair, "but despite your... history, you've been provisionally selected for reassignment. Congratulations, Lieutenant Bradshaw."

Brandy blinked, her composure slipping for a fraction of a second. "May I ask where, sir?"

"Naval Air Station North Island." Moore's tone held weight, like he knew exactly how much the next words would hit her. "Admiral Kazansky personally selected you to return to Top Gun."

Her jaw nearly dropped. Iceman.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Kazansky—the legend, the man who had flown alongside her father—had picked her. Of all people, her.

"I... Top Gun?" she asked, almost as if she hadn't heard him right.

"You leave tomorrow morning," Moore said with finality. "You'll have the rest of today to pack. Dismissed."

She gave a crisp nod, stood, and exited with a speed that betrayed her rising excitement. Once the door shut behind her, she couldn't hold back the smile tugging at her lips. She was going home. Back to the school that made legends. Back to the place her father's ghost lingered in every hangar and briefing room.

And she had a hunch she wasn't going alone.

When she reached her dorm, her phone buzzed with a notification. The screen lit up with a message in the groupchat her brothers had made years ago.

TRIPLE THREAT

Ghost👻
You will not believe what just happened.

Rooster🐓
I might have an idea.

Daredevil😈
Does it have anything to do with a place called Lemoore, California?

Ghost👻
How'd you know?!

Rooster🐓
Danny... think for a minute.

Ghost👻
Ohhhhhh... got it now.

Daredevil😈
Well, boys, looks like it's going to be a Bradshaw reunion.

Ghost👻
Wait—are you serious? You got called too?!

Rooster🐓
Knew it. Triple Threat's about to terrorize Top Gun.

Daredevil😈
Correction: I'm going to terrorize Top Gun. You two are just here for moral support.

Ghost👻
Please. The only reason they want you is because they need someone reckless enough to scare the rookies into behaving.

Rooster🐓
Or someone loud enough to blow out the Admiral's eardrums.

Daredevil😈
Keep talking, boys. I'll make sure I dogfight both of you out of the sky first day back.

Ghost👻
You'd have to catch me first.

Rooster🐓
And you'd have to remember where the throttle is, Daredevil.

Daredevil😈
You two forget who beat you both in the sim runs last time. Don't make me dig up the footage.

Ghost👻
...delete that footage.

Rooster🐓
She definitely still has it.

Daredevil😈
Oh, I have it. And it's going on the group's Christmas montage this year.

Ghost👻
You're evil.

Daredevil😈
No. I'm prepared.

Rooster🐓
Guess this is it then. The Bradshaws are back.

Ghost👻
Triple Threat, reporting for duty.

Daredevil😈
Hope Top Gun's ready for us.

Brandy set her phone down, the grin refusing to fade. Whatever was waiting at North Island, she wouldn't be walking into it alone.