They Call Me the Coroner | Top Gun: Maverick

Ending 1

As I walk the line, guns blare off. I push my safety glasses up a bit more and glare at each person as I pass them.

"What are you aiming at? The floor?" I bark at one sheepish woman who is very agitated with her lack of points on the board.

"The sighting must be off." She tugs off her earmuffs and I grab them from her.

"Listen here, it's not the gun, it's the shooter." I rephrase Mav's line to fit my work. "I sighted every one of these guns in. You want to tell me that because of the gun you can't hit a stuffing poster when everyone else's firearms are doing just fine?"

She purses her lips. "You must have messed my gun up."

"So, it's my fault now, huh?" I scoff and take the gun, handing her earmuffs back. I replace the clip with a new one and push the poster back a little further.

Aiming the handgun, I don't even bother putting my muffs back on as I fire the full clip and pull the poster back from the back of the wall. Two holes rest in the head where the eyes would be and the rest make a small circle in the chest. The woman blinks at me when I hand her gun back.

"Maybe you just need to learn to aim." I pat her shoulder. "Angle your toes forward and don't fight yourself. Point and shoot with not just the gun, but with your whole body."

She sighs and seems to take my advice.

"Captain! Check this out!"

I roll my eyes and come up to Liam's booth while he let's off a round. I glare at his posture and grimace when he turns to me.

"Ta...da?" He furrows his brows at my expression.

"Turn around." I sigh, flip the switch to bring his poster closer, and say boredly, "Fix your stance, man." I move behind him and help him out by kicking his ankles. "Spread your legs a bit, and move your dominate foot backward." Then I push his back. "Lean into your gun. Don't hold it like a bomb is going off in your hands. And try not to look so terrified. It's just a gun."

"Easy for you to say." He straightens and smiles at me. Light brown eyes glimmering. "You've been at this longer than I have. You're use to a gun."

I blink, a flash of an image protruding through the curtain I shut months ago. My hands out in front of me and a petrified Jasper behind the gun I pointed at his head.

I wonder what he's doing now. Probably charming some woman or making a new "me" for the government to suck every ounce of integrity out of.

Nah, probably not. Deep down he isn't a bad guy. After all, he did save my life.

If I'm honest, I really hope he found some way to get out of that mess.

I nod to Liam with a tight smile. "Let's take a look here."

It's a heart. The bullet holes are in the shape of a heart. Got to admit, he's got good aim.

I give him a tired look. "Come on, Liam. We've been over this. Twice actually."

"Just one date is all I'm asking."

"No."

"Seriously, just one."

"I said no, Liam." I say softly, checking his gun for any imperfections or smudges of powder.

"What? Am I really that ugly?"

I scoff at him and chuckle. "You're hideous."

His bright eyes laugh. He draws his lips into a line and folds his arms. "What if I promised to take you anywhere you wanted? Or to do anything you wanted? Would you go then?"