Head in the Clouds

Team Lead

It was almost an hour later when Cyclone and Maverick returned. Everyone fell silent as they walked to the front of the room, trying to decipher from the looks on their faces what was happening. Cyclone entered himself in front of the team, he opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and simply held his hand out offering the spot up to Maverick.  

"It's been an honour flying with you," Maverick said taking the time to look each of us in the eye. "Each one of you represents the best of the best, this is a very specific mission. My choices are a reflection of that and nothing more."

This meant that Maverick was the team lead. Wren gently squeezed Hangman's hand beside her knowing he would be upset with the news. The admiral spoke up from the side of the room as if to hurry Maverick along.

"Choose your team."  Wren felt Hangman's hand squeeze hers back as they waited. Time seemed to slow as they stood watching Maverick contemplate his options like he was doing mental math.

"Payback and Fanboy," with a quick look to the pair, Wren could see them break out in a smile, "and Phoenix and Bob."

Wren couldn't help but be happy for her friends. They were damn good pilots and she had faith they could pull this off, but that only left one position left. 

"My wingman will be... Rooster."

Rooster looked confused at Maverick's statement but Wren couldn't focus for long as she realized with Rooster's name being spoken, there went the last spot on the mission. Her and Hangman hadn't been chosen.

Warlock stepped forward to address the group, "the rest of you will be on stand by on the carrier for any reserve role that's required. Dismissed," and with that the admirals and the captain swept out of the room, leaving the pilots to deal with the bombshell they had just dropped. 

Hangman left the room quickly and Wren promised herself that she would find him later. She was upset but she was also a grown-up, she needed to congratulate her teammates.

She pulled Payback and Fanboy into a group hug before moving onto Phoenix and Bob. She grabbed Bob by his face, turning his head so that he faced her. She tilted his head down slightly and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," she said. Bob used the back of his hand to wipe his forehead but wrapped his arms around Wren anyways. As she went to pull away she felt his grip tighten so she leaned back in and whispered, "you've got this. You're going to kick ass," in his ear. 

Moving out of the crowd of people she saw that Rooster had also left the room. She added him to the list of people she would have to track down, but for now she joined the team in lifting the four pilots onto their shoulders and parading them around the room.

Back at the dorm houses Wren saw that Rooster's jeep wasn't in the driveway so she headed up to the room next to her own. A knock on the door followed by a faint 'it's open' led Wren to be sitting next to Hangman leaning against the headboard of his bed. He passed her a package of twizzlers, a guilty pleasure of theirs from back in their original Top Gun days. Wren happily grabbed a couple before passing the candy back.

"So we didn't get it," Wren started.

"Looks like," he replied sinking further down into his bed. They stayed like that for a minute, the only sound in the room was the chewing of twizzlers. "This feels so juvenile but I really wanted that spot on the mission. I still think we deserve that spot. I'm a damn good pilot and you're a damn good WSO."

"Yeah you are and yeah I am but that doesn't mean we deserved a spot. We can't just be handed things because we're good." Wren immediately tensed up knowing that she had brought up a sore spot with Hangman. His father worked for Top Gun when they first did their training there. A few of the other pilots accused him of using his influence to get in after they had a bad first day. It pissed Hangman off more than anything else. Those comments are what sparked Hangman's deep desire to prove he was the best.

"That's a low blow from you Atlas," he said somewhat defeated.

"I didn't mean it like that. I know more than anyone how hard you've worked to be where you are. Trust me I am not one to sugar coat things just to make you feel better either. I just meant that even though we're great, doesn't mean this mission is great for us." 

"ya know, that almost makes me feel better."

"Yeah it's a hard pill to swallow, let's sit and be bitter for a while. Pass me the twizzlers." 

Wren didn't leave Hangman's room until late, taking a moment to look outside, she still didn't see Rooster's jeep in the driveway. She would have to catch him tomorrow before they shipped out.