Danger Zone: TOP GUN MAVERICK

2. Target Rich Enviroment

     "Attention on deck!" A voice calls out the next morning as Neo and the other lieutenants stood at attention as Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone'' Simpson and Rear Admiral Solomon "Warlock" Bates arrive. "I'm Admiral Bates, NAWDC Commander. Welcome to your special training detachment. You're all Top Gun graduates, the elite, best of the best. That was yesterday. You've all spent your careers flying close air support for troops on the ground with little to no air-to-air threat." Warlock announces as the lieutenants including Neo sit down.

"The enemy's new fifth generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box. This mission requires two F-18 Echo solo pilots and two Foxtrot dualseat teams. Half of you will make the cut, half will remain in reserve... One of you will be named Mission leader," Warlock pauses as he scans the room, eyes every pilot in attendance before continuing.

"Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary and he is considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. I give you Captain Pete Mitchell. Callsign Maverick." Warlock finishes his speech as Maverick arrives at the podium.

Neo notes the faces of his fellow lieutenants. Reuben, Javy, and Jake look surprised as they realize that they had thrown their captain overboard the previous night at the Hard Deck. "Good morning. The F-18 NATOPS. I expect you all know this book well." Maverick says as there were choruses of "Damn straights." and "Hell yeas." Neo meanwhile just humbly nodded. The next second Maverick throws the NATOPS into the trash. "And we're off." Hondo says as Cyclone sighs. "Today we'll take it easy on you. Today's exercise is dog fighting, no missiles, guns only." Maverick says. "Dismissed to the ready room. First pair, Fanboy, Payback with Rooster." Maverick says as everyone heads to the ready room.

Once there Callie and Neil sat on the couch, Brigham and Logan played Foosball. Javy and Jake sit across from Callie and Neil. Natasha, Neo and Robert sit at the bar near the radio. "As briefed, today's exercise is dogfighting no missiles." Maverick says as Robert, Natasha and Neo look at each other. "If I shoot either of you down you both lose." Mav adds and Jake plays with a model jet.

"This guy needs an ego check." He says as Neo counters. "Says the one who actually needs an ego check." The rest chuckle at Neo's jab. "Whoever gets shot down has to do two hundred pushups." Reuben says as Pete chuckled. "That's a lot of pushups." Pete says as Mickey piped up. "They don't call it exercise for nothing sir."

"Fights on gentlemen." Mav says as Neo watches Natasha's movements out of curiosity. "What are you looking at Matrix?" Natasha asked as Neo slightly blushed in embarrassment of being caught. "Sorry Nix," he says as Maverick comes back over the comms. "Go see Hondo about your pushups." He says as Mickey and Reuben came in from their flight. "Harvard, Yale and Fritz you're up." Maverick says as the three walk out to do their training.

Soon three by three everyone was called then it was Neo's turn. "Matrix, Omaha and Halo." Maverick's voice called through the radio. "Good luck, Matrix." Robert says as Neo, Neil and Callie made their ways to their jets. Once in the air Neo looked out for Maverick. "Omaha and Halo, do you guys see him?" Neo asked. "Nothing yet, Matrix." Halo says as Maverick flew between the two jets. "Woah!" Both Neo and Neil say at the same time as Neo kept an eye on Omaha and Halo as he was their wingman.

It wasn't even two minutes in when Neo saw Maverick. "Tally Maverick on your six, Omaha!" Neo says as he adds. "Break right!" Neo added as Omaha breaks right as Neo follows trying to get Maverick. The next few seconds go by in a blur as Maverick gets lock on Neo. "You're out Matrix." Maverick says as Neo nodded. "Copy, kill." Neo says as Maverick got the kill on Omaha and Halo. Neo landed as he unclipped from the harness and got down on the ground and waited for Omaha and Halo to land to begin the push ups. It was a grueling ten minutes of two hundred pushups. "Dammit Payback." Neo mumbled as the three did their pushups.

The push ups were grueling on the hot pavement of the tarmac. Neo saw Jake land with Natasha and Robert close behind in what Neo believed that they too were shot down by Maverick. "Let me guess, Hangman left you out to dry?" Neo asked Natasha as she was getting ready for her set of two hundred pushups. "Left us as bait to get Maverick but he got shot down too." Natasha says as she begins her pushups with Robert and Jake.

Neo slightly wished he was paired with Natasha and Robert due to Jake leaving them out to dry. But training was training and he couldn't pick who he was teamed with. He knew he wasn't exactly team leader material and felt like Jake wasn't either. It wasn't that he and Jake didn't get along, it was that Jake would leave his wingman hanging that always pissed Neo off to no end.

Once finished with their pushups Neo, Neil, Callie, Robert, Jake and Natasha head back to the ready room when Maverick comes back in on the radio calling Jake and Bradley to come out for the final hop for the day.