Dani sat next to Bradley. They had been each other's wingman since the beginning of TOPGUN. They always sat next to each other. "Attention on deck!" Warlock called. Everyone stood up and at attention. "Morning. Welcome to your special training detachment." Warlock said. "Be seated." Everyone sat down. "I'm admiral Bates, NAWDC commander. You're all top gun graduates. The elite. The best of the best." From the corner of her eye she could see Hangman smirk. "That was yesterday" Hangman's face fell. "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." Bradley looked over to Dani for a second. He wondered what was going through her head. "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." Dani was basically at the edge of her seat. "I give you captain Pete Mitchell." Dani stiffened. Bradley caught this. "Call sign: "Maverick."" Maverick walked down the aisle between the desks. "Good morning." Maverick looked at the pilots. He saw Dani and Bradley. He looked at his hands "The f-18 natops." He looked back at the class. "It contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft. I'm assuming you know the book inside and out." Maverick said. "Damn right. Damn straight. You got it." Some of the pilots said. Maverick smirked. "So does your enemy. But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits. I intend to find them, test them, push beyond. Today we'll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you're made of." Maverick said looking at Dani and Bradley. "You know who you work with. Let's go." Everyone got up and walked to their jets. "Rebel!" Maverick called for her. Dani kept walking with Bradley. "Lieutenant MITCHELL!" He called louder. Dani stopped. Bradley did to, to make sure she was alright. Dani turned to Maverick. Everyone was out of the hanger. "I don't want there to be a problem with us." Maverick said. "Well you should have never told mom to pull me out. Am I dismissed?" She asked. "Dani. I'm sorry okay. It was a mutual agreement. She didn't want to see you hurt." Maverick informed. "Well it did hurt. Am I dismissed?" She asked again. Maverick nodded. Dani walked out of the hanger. There stood Bradley. "You good?" He asked. Dani only nodded.

Dani and Bradley got their gear and were walking to the jets. "Rooster." Maverick called but the two kept walking. "Bradley." He called again. "Lieutenant Bradshaw!" He yelled. Bradley turned around. Dani stopped and looked at her dad. "Yes, sir." Bradley spoke. "Let's not do it like this." Maverick said. "You gonna wash me out?" Bradley asked. "That'll be up to you, not me." Maverick answered. "Am I dismissed?" Bradley continued.

Bradley and Dani continued the walk. Dani smiled. "I feel the need..." she started while looking to Bradley. "The need for speed!" They said together. They high-fived before getting in their jets.



First up was team 1. That was Payback, Fanboy, Rebel, and Rooster. Each F18 B had two or one F18 A with them in the air.

Dani was ready for this. She looked out for Maverick while she fixed her mask. On the other hand Bradley seem tense, not knowing what Maverick was going to do. "Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking." Maverick spoke. "Welcome to basic fighter maneuvers. As briefed, today's exercise is dog fighting. Guns only, no missiles." Maverick informed. Bradley fixed his helmet and mask. "We do not go below the hard deck of 5,000 feet. Working as a team, you have to shoot me down, or else." Maverick continued. "Or else what, sir? Payback asked. "Or else I shoot back."Dani rolled her eyes. "If I shoot either one of you down, you all lose." Maverick said.

On the base the rest of the team is listening in. "This guy needs an ego check. We'll see to that." Hangman said.

In the air, they waited for Mave to show up. "What say we put some skin in the game? " Payback asked. "What do you have in mind?" Maverick asked. "Whoever gets shot down first has to do 200 push-ups." Payback said smiling. "Guys. That's a lot of push-ups." Maverick said. "They don't call it an exercise for nothing, sir." Fanboy chuckled. "You got yourself a deal." Maverick said. "Fight's on. Let's turn and burn." "Fanboy, you see him?" Bradley asked. "Nothing on radar up ahead." Fanboy answered. "He must be somewhere behind us." Bradley spoke. Dani searched and searched. She dropped down. There he was. "More like under." Dani said. Maverick smirked listening to his daughter. "What 'Bel?" Bradley asked but Dani could answer. Maverick flew between Rooster and Payback. "Damn it! What the hell?" Payback said. "Shit!" Bradley said. "Haha let's have fun huh?"Dani said following her dad.

"Easy, Maverick. Let's try not to get fired on the first day." Maverick said to himself. "Tally, tally, tally! Maverick's coming in! Break left!" Fanboy yelled. "Breaking left." Payback said. "Payback, where's your wingmen?" Maverick asked. He could find Dani or Bradley. "Rooster, Rebel, where are you?" Payback asked. "I got your back." Rooster said. Dani was on Mave's tail. "I'm coming. Hang in there. Hang in there." Dani said. She worked on her aiming. "Hurry up, man! Hurry up!" Payback and Fanboy said. "Payback, break right." Bradley yelled. "Breaking right." Payback said. "Rooster just saved your life, fellas. But it's gonna cost him." Maverick said. "Not this time, old man." Dani spoke. "Don't let him get to you. Rooster." Dani yelled. "Rooster, you're too low! Pull up! You're hitting the hard deck!" "Oh, shit." Bradley said. Bradley lifted up. Maverick hit Bradley. At the same time Dani hit Maverick. "That's a kill." "That's a hit." Maverick and Dani said. They landed down. Everyone went in to do push-ups. Dani went to get down and do her set of 200. "What are you doing?" Maverick said to her. "Pulling my weight in the deal, Sir." She answered. "You hit me." Maverick said. "You won." "You said sir, that if you shoot and you hit one of us we all lose." She stated. "You hit Rooster. I do my share." Dani got back down to do the push ups by Bradley's side, leaving Maverick stunned. It truly surprised him how much she was like him.

Rooster and Hangman were in the sky. Now everyone was set in twos. Next it was going to be singles. Dani sat on base listening in on Bradley.

In the sky Rooster and Hangman flew. "So, rooster, mind if I ask you a personal question?" Hangman asked. "Would it matter if I did?" Rooster retorted. At base, Dani chuckled. "What's the story with you and Maverick? Seems Rebel has a problem to. It seems like he's got both of you rattled." Hangman stated. "That's none of your business." Rooster said. "Now where the hell is he?" Rooster asked more to himself than anything. Maverick flipped his jet so he was inverted over Rooster. "Been here the whole time." Maverick said looking down at Rooster. "Holy shit." Hangman said. "You see me now?" Maverick asked cockily. "Come on, let's get it over with." Said tauntingly at Rooster. "Fight's on!" Bradley yelled. They both dove down. "What is with these two?" Hangman asked. "All right, you put us here. How you gonna get yourself out?" Maverick asked. "You can bail out anytime." Bradley answered. They were still in the spiral dive. "How low you want to go, rooster?" Maverick asked "I can go as low as you, sir! And that's saying something." Bradley said. "What's past is past. For all of us." Maverick said. Bradley didn't understand the all but didn't bother to think. "You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?" Bradley asked. "Hard deck is 5,000 feet, fellas. You are running out of room." Hangman said. Dani got close to to radio. "Come on Rooster. Pull up." She whispered. Though Phoenix heard.

"Your strategy is about to run us into the ground." Maverick yelled. "What's your move?" Bradley asked. They both pulled up. Rooster was right on Maverick. "You got it. Don't think, just do." Maverick whispered. "Come on, rooster, you got him! Drop down and take the shot!" Hangman yelled. "It's too low." Rooster said "Too late. You had your chance." Maverick said before he pulled up into a cobra maneuver. Maverick had his target locked. "That's a kill. Knock it off." Maverick said. "Damn it!" Rooster and Dani said. "Same old rooster." Hang man said. "Go see hon after Rebel's match. Listen carefully." Maverick said before going in to land.

This time it was singles. Dani was placed against Maverick. Dani took a deep breath. "Talk to me, Rooster." She whispered. She tried to think of what he'd tell her in this moment. "Harder with out anyone huh?" Maverick asked. "I guess will see." Dani said not missing a beat. Dani stalled her jet making her drop down. "Shit! She stalled." Bradley head Maverick. Bradley was freaking out on the inside.

Dani started her engine and was under Maverick. She rolled her plane so she was inverted over him. Like he did to Bradley. "Scare ya?" Dani asked. Bradley released a breath he didn't know he held. "You got me kid. Now let's see what you really got." Dani rolled over going into a dive. She speeded up and did a cobra maneuver. Getting her behind Maverick. "Shit." Maverick whispered. She was on his tail. Maverick rolled right. Dani knew what he was up to so she rolled Left. She was still behind him. Dani's aim was perfect. "Hit!" Dani cheered. She pulled up next to her dad. "Better luck next time sir." Dani said making Bradley chuckle.

Bradley finished his push-ups. He got up, smiling seeing Dani walking up. "Hey 'Bel." Bradley said once she got closer. Once he saw her face it scared him to his core. She came at him with so much force, she pushed him. He fell flat on his ass. "Breaking the hard deck, insubordination. Are you trying to get kicked out?" Dani asked. "Don't worry about it." Bradley said. "Look, I'm going on this mission. But if you get kicked out, you leave us flying with Hangman." Dani said squatting down. "Yeah and stalling your plane and free falling was a good one." Bradley said sarcastically. "That's not the point." Dani said. Bradley looked in her eyes. They were soft now. "Talk to me, Rooster. What the hell was that?" She asked. "He pulled my papers." Bradley stated. "He pulled my application to the naval academy. Did it four years in a row."Bradley said. Her looked away. "I guess that gives a more in common than we thought." Dani chuckled. Bradley looked at her confused. "Him and my mom were good friends...." She lied.