[ Chapter Two ]

An Angel's Smile Is What You Sell

Kate had stayed up all night to finish fixing her red C10 truck. She stood outside, sitting off to the side as she watched everyone arrive at the TOPGUN base.

"Captain Maxwell." Pete greeted. He was one of few who arrived a bit earlier.

"Lieutenant Mitchell." Kate greeted in return. Upon getting the greeting, Pete grinned.

Once everyone started arriving, Kate took her seat on the stool. Viper had recommended her being at the front where Jester was in case assistance was required. Even though her back was facing the sun, she put her aviator sunglasses on.

"Now, you'll also be trained and evaluated by a few civilian specialists. The civilians are here because they are our very best source of information on enemy aircraft." Jester explained right away.

Kate looked up and everything started to make more and more sense. Now she knew how Charlotte knew about Viper bringing her there. "One of the most qualified is our TAGREP, callsign: Charlie. She has a Ph.D in astrophysics, and she's also a civilian contractor, so you do not salute her." Jester took a breath before continuing. "But you better listen to her, because the Pentagon listens to her about your proficiency."

"It's all yours, Charlie." Jester told her.

"Thank you." And Charlotte turned around. She looked at Kate briefly before looking at the rest of them.

"Hello. We will be dealing with F-5s and A-4s as our MiG simulators. Now, then, as most of you know, the F-5 doesn't have the thrust-to-weight ratio the MiG-28 has. And it doesn't bleed energy below 300 knots, like the MiG-28. However, the MiG-28 does have a problem with its inverted flight tanks. It won't do a negative-G pushover." Charlotte started to explain.

Kate saw Pete and Nick whispering something to each other. Her eyes darted from them to Charlotte. She was waiting for her to say something.

"The latest intelligence tells us that the most it will do is one negative- excuse me, lieutenant. Is there something wrong?" Charlotte stopped in her tracks while looking directly at Pete.

"Yes, ma'am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate." He answered. A small smile appeared on his face.

"How's that lieutenant?" Charlotte asked.

Pete took off his sunglasses and answered. "Well, I just happened to see a MiG-28 do-"

"We, we." Nick added.

"Sorry, Goose. We happened to see a MiG-28 do a four-G negative dive." Pete corrected.

"Where did you see this?" Charlotte asked.

Kate took a sip of her coffee. "That's classified." Pete responded. She had to use all of her strength to not laugh.

"It's what?" Charlotte said in disbelief.

"It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Pete told her. As soon as he said that, Kate had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Lieutenant, I have top-secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you." Charlotte sounded really unimpressed.

"Well, ma'am, it doesn't seem so in this case, now, does it?" He replied.

Pete quickly glanced at Kate to see her hiding part of her face behind the coffee cup.

"So, lieutenant... where exactly were you?" Charlotte asked once again.

Pete looked at Nick, "well, we..."

"Thank you." Nick thanked.

"... Started up on his 6 when he pulled through the clouds, and then I moved in above him." Pete continued.

Charlotte smiled. "Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?" She questioned.

Pete positioned his arms & hands before responding. "Because I was inverted."

"Bullshit." Tom coughed out. Everyone else let out a small laugh.

"No, he really was, man. It was a really great move." Nick defended.

"You were in a four-G inverted dive with a MiG-28?" Charlotte reiterated. She didn't believe it, or at least Charlotte didn't want to.

"Yes, ma'am."

"At what range?" Charlotte asked.

"About two metres." Pete answered.

"It was actually about one and a half, I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great Polaroid of it." Nick told her.

"It was a nice picture."

"Lieutenant. What were you doing up there?" This felt like an interrogation.

"Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. I was... you know, giving him the bird." Pete answered.

Kate snickered. Charlotte gave the same exhausted look to Kate as she did with Pete.

"You know, the finger." Nick explained, holding up his right middle finger.

"Yes, I know the finger, Goose." Charlotte said with a blank stare.

"I'm sorry, I hate it when it does that. I'm sorry." Nick apologised.

Charlotte looked at Kate. "Don't encourage this." She advised.

Kate sighed. "Sorry, ma'am." She said.

Charlotte looked back at Pete with a blank stare on her face. "So you're the one."

"Yes, ma'am." He replied.

"Alright, gentlemen, we have a hop to take. The hard deck on this hop will be 10,000 feet. There'll be no engagement below that." Jester told them.

They all hurried off inside, Kate ignored the quick talk between Charlotte and Pete. She walked up the stairs and found Tom standing there. They stood in silence, he looked at her.

"You've seen the records, so... who's the better pilot, me or Maverick?" He asked.

Kate sighed before looking at him. "This is supposed to be a nice moment, let's not ruin it." She smiled.

Tom sat on the railing as Pete came up the stairs. "Maverick... I'm curious. Who was covering Cougar while you were showboating with this MiG?" Tom questioned.

"Cougar was doing just fine." Pete said, giving one last look to Tom before walking off.

Kate followed suit, finding her way beside him. "Admit it, you think I'm funny." Pete tried.

She scoffed, "no."

"Come on... you like having me around." A smirk plastered on his face.

"Nope." But both of them knew that was a lie.

Kate requires caffeine to have sanity.

Honestly, same.

Okay, bye!