Stars - Iceman (Top Gun)

Two

Sarah and Jacob walked into the airport after landing in California. They stared at the base where they were sent to attend Top Gun.

"Wow..." Sarah finally spoke.

After getting briefed by the head Admiral, they walked in silence through the grounds until they reached the supposed lounge area. A few pilots were there, and Sarah took in the scene. Someone looked up and saw them standing near the doorway. He had dark hair and a wide smile.

"Hey, you must be the final two pilots. Welcome to TOPGUN. I'm Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick," Pete held out a hand and Sarah shook it. Jacob followed suit.

A man with blondish-brown hair and a nice mustache walked over.

"How's it goin'? I'm Nick Bradshaw, callsign Goose," He winked and put an arm around Pete. Sarah assumed they were best friends and most likely arrived here together.

Jacob spoke up. "It's going good, we just wanted to check out the grounds and get our bearings."

"Good idea, just watch the runways. This is not the place to get a haircut!" Nick said jokingly.

Sarah had other ideas in mind. "When are we able to get in the air?" She asked.

Pete looked at her curiously. "Are you a pilot? I don't mean to be rude; I was just... taken aback," He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I am a pilot. And you're fine, it's understandable that I'm a woman and men think I am just a toy."

Pete looked shocked for a second but recovered quickly. "Well, we have to get briefed as a group first, and then they will let us in the air."

Sarah nodded. She walked over to the other pilots.

One of them gave her a mock salute and held out a hand. He tilted his head a bit. Sarah shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah Woods, callsign Riser. And you are?"

He fixed his gaze upon her for a few more seconds and then replied, "I'm Hollywood."

Sarah took that as a sign to walk away, as he didn't seem like he wanted to talk. She nodded and headed back towards Jacob, Pete, and Nick.

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About an hour later, the pilots found themselves in a briefing room. Sarah looked around while waiting for the instructor to walk in. There were a couple new pilots she never met yet; a blonde haired one with frosted tips, one that looked very arrogant, and one who seemed nice.

She took a seat in between Pete and Nick, while Jacob sat in the row behind them. The blonde-haired pilot looked at her and winked. She turned away and Pete put an arm around her. In her peripheral vision, she saw a jealous look cross the other pilot's face. Sucks to suck, he can't come over here.

The instructor walked in two minutes later. His callsign is Viper. As he walked up the aisle, he said, "Gentlemen," He turned around and noticed Sarah. "...and lady." Sarah met his gaze, her face unreadable.

He continued, "You are the top one percent of all naval aviators. The elite. The best of the best."

Pete had a look on his face that showed he was concentrating.

Viper nodded. "We'll make you better," A pause. "Fly at least two combat missions a day, ten classes in between, and evaluations of your performance."

Sarah's mind jumped at the thought of doing all this. She was capable and wanted to strengthen her skills. She would show the boys that flying is not just a man's job. Pete's arm held her tighter as Viper continued.

"Now in each combat sequence, you are gonna meet a different challenge." Sarah's concentration slipped as she realized the reason why Pete held her closer. He was staring straight at the other pilot. He was staring back, twisting a silver pen between his fingers. Huh, how about that. Competition already.

Pete looked back, a smirk on his face. Something told her that he wanted to be better than that other pilot. Her concentration snapped back to Viper. "We don't make policy here, gentlemen... and lady," He walked to the other end of the room.

Pete followed him but his gaze landed on the other guy, who smirked. Pete tried to ignore him and turned to the other side.

Goose leaned in across Sarah and asked him, "What are you doing?"

Sarah cleared her throat slightly, as if to say, "I'm here too, ya know!"

"I just want to know, who's the best?" Pete answered.

Sarah looked at him hard. Of course he was in it for the competition. She saw the looks the two men gave each other during this whole speech. Goose leaned back to his spot.

"In case you were wondering who the best is..." Viper cut through, "They're up here on this plaque, on the wall." He signaled to a plaque with a plane on it.

Everyone turned to look at it. "The best driver and his RIO from each class has his name on it." A sound of a plane flying by could be heard. "And they have the option to come back here and be Top Gun instructors." Everyone turned back around.

"You think your name is gonna be on that plaque?" He asked.

"Yes, sir," Both Sarah and Pete said simultaneously. They looked at each other. The blonde pilot just smirked.

"That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're both in."

Sarah looked at Viper. "Yes, sir," she said, before Pete could answer. He just nodded.

"I like that in a pilot," Goose looked at her and grinned. "Remember, when we are out there, we are all on the same team. This school is about combat. There are no rules for second place." Pete smirked. "Dismissed."

Goose looked at Sarah and Pete. "Nice going." They all stood up and Jacob followed.

The blonde-haired pilot spoke up. "The... plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies' room." Sarah gave him an icy stare.

Goose laughed sarcastically. "Ah, you kill me, you really do." He pointed at the last spot on the plaque. "No, no, no, there's two O's in Goose, boys."

They walked out of the briefing room. The blonde pilot caught up to Sarah and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and a look of anger crossed her face. "What do you want?"

The man returned the look. "I just wanted to know why you were in there. This school is for men, and you don't look like a pilot." Sarah slapped him across the face and walked away.

He stood there, stunned. As he watched her walk away, he got the feeling that he wanted to get closer to her.

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A/N: My flying knowledge is limited, but there will be more one-on-one moments with Sarah and Ice!