Disclaimer: You guys know the drill…I own naught save for Dagger… (Chrissie) and Panther (Jess) everything else belongs to the writers and director of Top Gun...
This chapter is dedicated to RockOn44, my first reviewer!
Chapter 2: A Flicker of the Past…
"You are the best of the best, the elite…We'll make you better." A man named Viper said walking around the room. Maverick turned his head to look behind him and then turned to look at his side again. Panther nudged him a little and asked what he was doing.
"I'm just wondering, who's the best." Maverick whispered.
"Incase you wonder, who the best is…"Viper said as though reading Maverick's thoughts, "They're up here, the best driver in his class along with his rear are put on this…Do you think you're name is going to be up there?" Viper asked walking to the front of the room. Panther glared silently as he said 'him.'
"Yes sir." Maverick and Panther answered at the same time, their rears looked at them as though they were crazy but Panther and Maverick only grinned to them.
"That's pretty arrogant considering the people around you." Viper muttered.
The two paused for a moment and then answered "Yes sir." At the same time.
"I like that in a pilot…Just remember, in the end, you're all on the same team." He then paused for a moment, as though to let it all sink in, and then added, "There are no points for second place." He looked as if he were about to add 'gentlemen' at the end, but refrained when he saw Panther and Dagger. There was silence as everyone started to rise from their seats to the exits.
"Incase you're wondering, the plaque for the seconds is in the ladies room." A boy said, Goose started laughing hysterically at this, but Panthers bright blue eyes shone with an unwavering fury.
"You would know wouldn't you Ice?" She said, leaving everyone sniggering. Goose had stopped laughing and was watching the showdown between the two.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jesse 'Panther' Coretli? How've ya been Coretli?" Ice said in a cold tone.
"Fine Kazinski, thanks for asking…" She bit back in the same cold tone.
"Don't you think you should go home? Bake your little cakes, and let the big guys do the flying?" Ice said in a cold tone.
"Ice, since when do I bake cakes? And, since when are you…a big guy?" She said with a smirk, as she was a few inches taller than him.
Ice Man left the room glaring at her and Panther was left there seething, she never liked Ice, this only proved to increase her disliking for him.
Best of the Best---Best of the Best---Best of the Best---Best of the Best---
"Dagger, I just don't like that guy okay!" Panther answered Dagger's question as to why she didn't like Ice. Maverick, Goose, Dagger and Panther were all in a bar, clad in their white naval uniforms, the four were all sitting at a table; just talking, though mostly about the undefined animosity between Panther and Ice Man.
"Why though, I mean what has he done to you to make you hate him." Maverick asked, curiosity getting the best of him, he had always tried to keep out of Panther's personal business, if you didn't, you could end up on the bad end of her temper, and she had one to rival even the reddest of red-heads.
Goose had stayed quiet during the whole discussion as to why Jess hated Ice Man, he knew why though, it happened in flight school. The three of them had gone to flight school together, that was before Goose had known Pete wanted to be a pilot, so they had gone to different schools, it had been Ice Man and a rear named North, and Panther and Goose had been together, that was before Jess had met Chris anyway. And then, it happened, something went wrong on a mission one day, it didn't end to pretty, actually, it ended with Panther and Goose having to bail out of their plane, and what would've been their death, had Panther not been able to reach the ejection handle. Most everyone in the school, even most of the instructors had thought she would quit, but she didn't, she had proven everyone wrong, the first of many times that had happened actually, she and 2 others had been the only girls at that flight school, Panther being the only pilot, and she had proven everyone wrong by being the best, and now, she had another chance to prove everyone, including Kazinski wrong.
"That is none of your business." Panther said trying to control her temper. She sent Goose a look that no one but him noticed, Goose taking it as a sign to end it quickly said:
"Just lay off her guys okay, if the lady says she doesn't wanna talk about it, then she doesn't wanna talk about it."
"But I mean come on, from what I've heard Ice is one of the best pilots in the navy, as are you, so it's pretty obvious that you and Ice are going to be neck and neck these next few weeks, why not try to get along?" Maverick said in a reasoning tone.
"Because, it's not much competition if you're buddies, is it? I mean me and Cougar were like the best of friends since flight school, and we didn't exactly have a rivalry, we both knew what the other was capable of, and we had a healthy competition. That isn't going to happen between me and Kazinski, no, this is an all out war." Panther said with a fire burning in her eyes.
"I'm just saying you should try to get along." Dagger said.
"No, I think I'll just continue to despise him." Panther said cheerfully.
"You're hopeless you know that Pan?" Maverick muttered.
"Shut up Mav, this is really getting annoying, and anyway, you wanted to know who the best is, that's him…Ice Man, well it's probably a tie between Ice or Panther and you I guess…though we will find out soon enough right?" Goose said with a slight grin.
"I still want to know why." Maverick muttered, and then added a little loudly, "Goose, why are you sticking up for her? Don't you want to know why?"
"Not really Mav, it's her personal business, not mine, nor yours or Daggers." He said glaring pointedly at the two.
"If you didn't have a wife, I'd say you liked her…" Maverick muttered incoherently.
"Just lay off Maverick alright; you're not going to find out." It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, she was just too ashamed, well, no actually, she just didn't want to tell them...
…Flashback…
"How many bogey's do we got Goose?" Panther asked as they were flying up.
"1 pair of bogeys, closing in at 140 knots." Goose said to her as well as Ice Man and Cougar.
"That's it? Why the hell are there three of us then?" Jess asked.
"I don't know, just go Panther." Goose muttered.
"Okay, Cougar, Ice, I've got the Northern bogey."
"Roger Pan, I got the Southern guy." Cougar said.
"Shit Guys! There isn't one pair, but two pairs I repeat two pairs!" North shouted.
"Ice, grab a bogey and let's party!" Panther said with a laugh.
"Panther, watch out there's a bogey coming up to you're left." Ice said.
"Roger that, crap, I'm too close, I'm switching to guns." Jess said switching to guns and getting a lock, she shot and grinned as a few bullets made contact.
"Shit, Panther get this bogey off my tail!" Cougar shouted.
"I'm coming Coug, hang on." Panther said flying over to Cougar.
"Merlin, how fast are they closing in?'' Panther asked.
"155 knots." Merlin said.
"Alright, just give me a few seconds!" she said while trying to get a lock, she grinned as the target turned red and beeped.
She shot down his bogey without a problem.
"Ice, you alright?" Panther asked as she engaged with her bogey.
"Yeah, Cougar, grab the Northern bogey of the second pair." Ice said trying to outrun a bogey.
"Ice break left on three…three, two, one, BREAK LEFT!" Cougar shouted.
Ice broke left on three just as a bogey was about to fire his guns at Ice's spot.
"Damn it, what's this? Kill Cougar day? Panther get him off me…" Cougar said in an annoyed tone as a bogey got on his tail.
"You're a pilot Cougar…so like, yeah, they are obviously trying to kill you!" Panther said in a voice as though talking to a four-year old.
"Shut up…" She grinned as she heard him mutter "pilot" and "girls shouldn't fly" and "to smart for her own good" or "kill her one day, I swear"
"Panther, there's a bogey coming off on your tail." Ice said turning his plane to get a shot.
"Coug, I'm gonna try to get this guy off ya, okay?" Panther said referring to the bogey on his tail.
"Roger Panther." Cougar said as Merlin turned around to try to get a better look at their bogey.
"I've got a lock!" Ice said suddenly as he got a lock on the bogey going on Panther's tail. He shot the missile but the bogey went out of the way, Panther, who's only concentration was on the bogey ahead of her didn't see as the missile came zooming to her tail.
"PANTHER! GOOSE!" came the 4 voices belonging to Merlin, Cougar, North, and Ice Man. Goose turned around just as the missile hit their wing. It occurred in slow motion, Panther was just about to get a lock on the bogey in front of her when she heard the guys scream her and goose's name, she turned at the same time is Goose did, just to see a missile, the same one aimed by Ice, hit their left wing.
"Shit! Our left wing is totally gone! What the hell is wrong with you Ice? Jess, we've got to eject!" Goose said in an alarmingly angry yet worried tone. They were spinning out of control; her left wrist was searing in pain…that can't be good…Jess thought trying to reach the ejection handle.
"Goose, I can't reach the ejection handle, Goose, we're going to crash, grab the handle!" Jess said in a fruitless attempt to reach the handle. She turned to Goose; he was trying in vain to reach the handle. Finally coming to her senses she loosened the fastens holding her to her seat and reached up, she could feel it in her fingers she clasped her fingertips around it and they ejected, luckily. She watched in horror as the plane lowered at an alarmingly fast rate to the ground…About 10 seconds later she heard a crash, and knew it was her plane, she turned to goose, they had a couple seconds until they reached the ground, when they finally did, Jess fell forward as she came running into the ground, Goose, on the other hand, landed as smooth as possible in a parachute. Goose grinned slightly; she never was that good at bailing out.
"Goose, are you okay?" Jess asked jumping up.
"Fine Jess…a little shook up, but fine nonetheless." Goose said rubbing his left leg, Jess looked down and saw blood pouring out of it, she grimaced in horror, but looked up when he asked about her.
"Fine…" She muttered, and Goose looked at her oddly as the helicopter ladder dropped, Panther went first, and then helped Goose in, and they flew off to the base.
.End Flashback.
So, that was the story, Jess had ended up with a sprained wrist and a deep gash in her shoulder, doctors thought when they ejected she got snagged on the glass, but she survived, and was back in the plane as soon as the doctor allowed her. He had just got a large cut; it was pretty deep, though he got luckier. Goose grinned, remembering how Jess had argued with doctor to allow her to fly again…He would never forget it, just like Jess, she was fearless, not afraid to get back in the plane after that, it took him twice as long to go anywhere near one, but she had convinced him that nothing would happen, he trusted her, and nothing went wrong, he still wished he was flying with her, she may be unpredictable, but Mav was worse, at least with her, she wasn't dangerous, and knew not to do wicked stunts like Mav, that crash had taken the carefree part of Jess, she still had the spontaneous part of her, but she knew when to draw the line, Maverick didn't. Anyway, that was the reason why Jess hated Ice so much, a stupid mistake on both of their parts…They had already lost Cougar of the original group, that had included Cougar, Merlin, Goose, Panther, and Ice. With Cougar gone, and Merlin not at Top Gun, it consisted of only him, her, and Ice…not a very good group if you asked him…but nevertheless, they were the best of friends…He only hoped that Panther and Ice would use the opportunity to apologize to each other and get over it, I mean, he had, and now him and Ice weren't exactly enemies, though, he supposed it would be worse for her because she trusted him with her life, and then when that event happened, well, that trust kind of broke. But then again…Jess knew it wasn't his fault, she just had trouble getting over grudges, major trouble. He just wished they would get over it, before something happened, something worse this time, before one of them was lost for good, forever thinking that the other hated each other…Yep, Goose thought they aught to apologize, before something terrible happened.
"But WHY?" Maverick said annoyed.
"Maverick, read my lips, you won't ever know!" Panther said stalking off.
"Real slick Mav." Goose said.
''Shut up."
Goose just grinned and Maverick continued,
"Do you know why? I mean, you've known her like your whole life."
"It's not my spot to tell you."
"So you do know."
"Look Mav, yes, I do know, okay, but just leave it alone, when Jess wants you to know, trust me, you will know!" Goose said angrily and walked away.
There you have it! Chapter 2, I'm sorry this took so long to get up…Harry Potter was great, so that's why, I hope you like this chapter… Please Review!
-Sandy
Reviews:
RockOn44: I'm really glad you like this fic, you are my first…and only…reviewer. Please review again, I'd be really happy, since not many people read this fic. Thanks again!
-Sandy.