H_NGM_N

Chapter 14

In the plane. The familiar scent, seat, everything she held near and dear to her heart. And she was going into an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar territory. As they soared over, she kept her head clear, not letting shit get to her. No, she wasn't going to let what was happening in the real world affect the mission. It was a mission like any other.

They got through the first track easily. It was like everything they'd practiced. And as her, Phoenix and Bob soared down, Bob gave the target and Elise was quick to fire, hitting the bullseye perfectly. She had barely any time to celebrate as she quickly flipped herself 90 degrees and climbed the large overhead. With barely any registration, she heard the celebration of her other two partners hitting their target as well. 

As they all peaked over the edge, they heard the missiles roaring. They knew this was going to happen--of course it was going to happen, and yet Elise's heart was beating out of her chest.

As they fended them off, Elise's head was dizzy. She could barely register her surroundings, only the missiles and the fire and the noise of it all. It wasn't until she was finally out of it that she heard the voices over the intercom. 

Maverick was down. And, out of all idiocracy, Rooster was going after him. 

"Cyclone, can I go after him?" Elise's voice was taught and hurt. She didn't want to leave them there, but she knew his answer before she heard it.

"No, Legs. Get back here now. I'm not loosing more than two of you tonight."

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath. 

As she landed, she had to fight the tears from flowing. She was going to lose them. Her best mentor and her best friend. It was her fault. If she had just focused more on the other planes around her, she'd--

Hondo was running up to her. "Legs, Hangman went out after them."

"What?" was all she could muster.

"We tried to tell him not to, but he just wouldn't listen. I'm so sorry, Elise."

Everything in Elise's body started to crumble. She couldn't hold herself up as she finally got out of the plane and ran to Hondo, wrapping her arms around him, letting herself loose into him. And he held her close, rubbing her back slightly.

"They'll make it out, Legs, I promise."

They sat in the radio room. Elise's leg was bouncing up and down as she waited. Waited for something and not just Hangman's annoying egotistic tone as he tried to keep the tension down while he was in the air. 

She thought she could explode in that moment, but somehow her body was still intact. And, after what felt like, minutes, hours, years later, a dot finally registered. An old ass fucking plane registered and Elise knew exactly who it was. 

"Shit, they're alive?" She heard Cyclone mutter, mostly to himself she thought, but she still heard it and her heart skipped yet another beat.

Her heart beat, when beating, was beating as fast as humanly possible. She watched as yet another white dot registered behind them. It was an enemy airship and it wasn't letting them go. It was chasing them, not leaving them alone, pinning them. The sounds coming through the radio were crackly, but the words were still heart breaking.

"Ro-oster. I-f I- If I tel-l y-ou to ej-ect, I ne-ed you to reach up and-"

And they cut out. There was complete silence. She could hear the sound of her tear running down her cheek as she tried to ignore the warning her body was sending her. Everything in her wanted to scream, rip the place apart, because she had just lost the two people closest to her. They were gone and she was going to have to go on living without them. Let alone, she hadn't heard a word from Hangman since. Until...

"Ladies and gentleman, please put your tray tables and seat backs up as we prepare for landing." It was his goddman annoying, egotistical voice. He spoke quieter next, as if just for her to hear. "They're safe. I promise."

Elise's smile was way too large as her tears continued to fall. She couldn't stop them. 

As they landed, Elise was the first one on the tarmack. When Maverick and Rooster got out of their plane, she ran up to them, enveloping them both in a hug. "Fuck you both for making me so scared."

They laughed into shoulders as they hugged her back. "I'm sorry." Rooster replied and she could hear the genuine tone he was using. 

"Me too." Maverick added. "But, there's another person we know you want to see, so go see him, hmm?" 

When she pulled away, she looked at him oddly. It was as if she didn't want to believe him, even though it was quite obvious. When Maverick nodded behind, she turned around and saw Hangman standing there.

"Oh, thank god," she muttered and ran to him, kissing him roughly and wrapping her arms around his neck, never wanting to let go. "I hate you so much, Seresin."

"I feel like you just said you really liked me earlier, Miss. Legs. What's that about."

"Shut up and just kiss me."

And that's exactly what he did. Until it felt like the sun went down and the world ended, they held each other and never let go.