Fly With Me // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter Sixteen

"Choose your two fox-trot teams."

All of the recruits were gathered together in a room, awaiting to hear who would be flying with Maverick. They were all anxiously sitting on the edge of their sits. This was the moment they had all been waiting for.

"Phoenix and Bob. Razor and Rebound." Razor lets out the breath she had been holding. She squeezes onto Rebound's hand.

"And your wingman?"

Maverick waits a minute, looking down at the floor as if he was still making up his mind. He finally looks back up and looks straight ahead. "Rooster."

She glances behind her at the man. He looked completely shocked that Maverick just called his name. He had told her over and over again that there was no way he'd be going on this mission. Sophie had her doubts but continued to encourage him to train as hard as he could. It looks like she was right in the end. Everyone was dismissed and told to change into their flight gear and meet up for the final briefing in twenty minutes.

Razor looks at Rebound with a relieved smile. They had been restless all morning in anticipation of teams getting chosen. They hug each other, ecstatic that their hard work had paid off and Maverick had recognized that. They were the best of the best and now everyone knew it. However, they knew that getting picked for the mission was just the beginning. The real challenge would be flying and completing it successfully and then making it back home.

Hangman came up to Sophie with a smile. He was slightly disappointed to not be chosen as the wingman for the mission, but he was proud of her. Sophie and Mark worked hard to earn their spot and they deserved it. Besides, he was on standby, so he'd be there to come in if any backup was needed.

"Congratulations Soph," he pulls her into a quick hug. They didn't have long before they had to make their way to the final briefing, but he wanted her to know how happy he was for her. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," she squeezes him before letting go. This is the first time they'd been on a mission together, so it was difficult to say goodbye, not knowing how things would turn out. So instead, she just gave him a slight nod of her head. She knew he'd understand that it was her way of saying goodbye without actually having to say it.  Saying goodbye was too permanent for her liking.  Sophie was still anxious, but she'd seen Maverick do it. And she had put in the work. It can be done. Her confidence was at its peak right now and she couldn't imagine anything bringing her down. They were the best of the best. If anyone was getting this done, it was the six people chosen for the mission.

Hangman shakes Rebound's hand, "Keep her safe up there."

He nods his head. Mark would do everything in his power to keep her safe in the air and he knew that she'd do the same for him. They trusted each other completely.

Rooster stood in the back of the room, still shocked that he had been picked as Mav's wingman for the mission. A flood of emotions started swirling through his brain and he didn't have time to process any of it. The only two things he could focus on in his whirlwind of thoughts is that he needed to talk to Mav and he needed to see Sophie before they left.

He finally snapped out of his frozen state and made his way through the small crowd of people that was starting to head to different parts of the carrier. "Sophie," he called out, seeing the brunette walking with Phoenix and Bob. She turned her head and slowed up, waiting for the man to catch up with her. They didn't have much time but they needed to see each other.

"Hey." He's not exactly sure what to say. So much happened in the last twenty-four hours and now they were about to set off on an extremely dangerous mission. It was a lot for both of them to process. He decides to just pull her into a tight hug, hoping his actions will speak for themself. They both had so much they wanted to say, but no idea how to say it before leaving.

"Just come back to me, Bradley," Sophie finally speaks up. She pulls away but keeps his arms in her grasp so she can look up into his eyes. She recognized the nervousness and confusion. He was doubting himself. They were the only two left in the room, so she takes his hands into her own and rests her forehead against his. "You've got this. I believe in you and so does Maverick. Just don't think up there. Not about your speed, not about being too careful, and not about me."

"Sophie," he tries to protest, but she stops him.

"No," she interjects, "you cannot think about me. If something happens to me up there, you keep flying. You complete the mission and you get back home." She gives him a stern look, standing firm on her words.

Rooster stays quiet. He knows there's no use in trying to reason with her now. He refused to make her a promise that he knew he'd break without a second thought though. Sophie squeezes his hand one last time before heading to the locker rooms. "And maybe talk to Mav too."

After all the pilots have changed into their flight suits and the admirals deliver the final briefing, the aviators make their way up to the flight deck and toward their jets. They had a couple of final preparations and then it was go time. Hangman stops Rooster on the way to his own jet. Sophie notices and watches the interaction between the two, even though she can't hear a word they're saying.

"You give 'em hell," Jake pauses for a moment. He wanted to make peace with Rooster, for Sophie. Something told him that he'd be around a lot more after this was all over. "I don't know what Sophie made you promise her, but you bring her home. Watch out for her up there."

Rooster nods his head, a silent understanding passing between the two. They didn't really care what she wanted; she was coming home from this mission if it was the last thing he did.

After Rebound and Razor completed their preflight inspections, they both climbed into their jet. She flips a couple of switches, hearing the booming of the engine turning on. This is it. She puts on the blue and green helmet that says Razor across the top, taking a deep breath before reaching her hand in the back of the cockpit. Rebound grabs onto it, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"You're my eyes and ears," she says.

"And you're my leading woman."

It was their preflight ritual. Something they did to show how much they trusted one another. When they were in the air, it was only Razor and Rebound. It was them against the world. They would always look out for each other.

Sophie puts both of her hands on the throttle, ready to take off. She closes her eyes for a moment to clear her mind. No Rooster, no Jake, no anything. The mission was the only thing that was on her mind. She took another deep breath before opening her eyes. She was ready to go.

"Dagger one, up and ready," she finally hears through the comms system. It was time.

"Dagger spare, up and ready." Sophie looks over at Jake and gives him a thumbs up. It's reassuring to know that he'll be on standby to have her back if anything goes south. He gives her a two-finger salute back in her direction, confident as ever. He didn't let anything keep him down for too long, not even Bradshaw being chosen over him.

"Dagger three up and ready."

Razor looks back at Rebound to make sure everything is good to go on his end. He nods his head in confirmation. She puts her comms mask up to her mouth, "Dagger four, up and ready."

Rooster is the last one left to give his go-ahead. She looks through the line of jets to try and catch a glimpse of him, but it's impossible to see anything. "Dagger two, up and ready."

They got the confirmation from air control and one by one, they were taking off. This was it; this is what they had been training for.