Part 6- "Mission Accomplished"

The Finale. This part features cameos from some memorable characters from the original "Top Gun" as well as a small spoiler for "Top Gun: Maverick"

Over the next few weeks, Miguel helped Cayden get ready for the final regular game of the season, as well as prepare for finals and try and narrow down his college choices. At the same time, Miguel started his new job as the commanding officer at the new recruitment center in Angel Grove.

One afternoon, Miguel stopped by the dojo to talk to Tommy. Tommy saw him and smiled.

"Hey, Miguel, how are you doing?"

"Doing good, I've been keeping busy. Been seeing a whole bunch of prospective recruits. But I have to admit, they don't all have what it takes to be a Marine."

"Not everybody does. You remember when the rangers joined you on deployment? We didn't bring Cayden because he wasn't ready yet. So I know how you feel. Speaking of Cayden, has he decided where he's going to college yet?"

"Not yet. But he's gotten it narrowed down to UCLA, California State, and Miami."

Tommy nodded. "I hope he stays in California."

The final few weeks went amazing for the Angel Grove football team. The team blew through the state playoffs, and with Miguel and his parents in the stands, Cayden led his team to a state championship. After the game, Miguel hugged his little bro.

Cayden spent the rest of the semester focusing on his classes, with Miguel helping him where needed. He also helped Mark with swimming, as well as his classes.

One afternoon, Miguel went to the dojo to see Tommy. He headed towards the office and saw Tommy on the phone. Tommy waved him in.

"Yeah, thanks, Lieutenant. I'll tell him. Bye." Tommy hung up the phone. Miguel looked at him, concerned.

"Who was that?"

"Just a guy from the Navy I know. So what can I do for you, Miguel?"

"Well, you know, Graduation's just a month away."

Tommy nodded. "It's coming up too quick." he picked up a photo of him next to Kat in the hospital bed holding the newborn Cayden. He fought back tears.

"You know, he's a really special kid. I mean, think about it. How many superheroes get to pass the torch to their own children?"

Tommy smiled, again fighting back tears. "You're right."

"Tommy, the main reason I came down here was because I have an idea I want to throw at you for the graduation ceremony, but we also need to pitch it to the school's principal."

"I don't see a problem with that. How can I help?"

Miguel smiled.

A couple weeks later, Miguel and Tommy were at a hangar at the airport. Miguel was in his tan formal uniform while Tommy had a smart dress shirt on. They waited for a specific plane to arrive. The plane was carrying three of Miguel's best friends who were pilots in the Navy. Tommy looked at his watch.

"They should be here any minute."

Miguel smiled. "Yep."

Suddenly, the plane they were waiting for landed. Miguel tried hard to contain his excitement as it slowly made its way into the hangar. As soon as it stopped and the stairs were pushed up, the door opened and three guys, also in tan formal uniforms, raced down the stairs and rushed towards Miguel. The group had a huge embrace. Tommy waited until they calmed down a little, and then stepped forward.

"Miguel..."

Miguel turned around.

"Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? Guys, this is Dr. Tommy Oliver, Cayden's father. Tommy, these are three of my best friends, even though they're in the Navy and I'm in the Marines." He went down the line and introduced them by their call signs-Merlin, Hollywood, and Wolfman. Tommy shook each of their hands.

"Well guys, how about we go to my place for dinner? My wife is making some awesome lasagna tonight."

The four soldiers agreed. Soon the group arrived back home. Kat got to meet the three pilots, and Wolfman played with JJ. Suddenly, Cayden arrived home.

"Hey, mom and dad, I..." he stopped short when he saw the three new arrivals.

Miguel stepped forward. "Cayden, these are three of my best friends." He introduced Cayden to the 3 guys. Cayden nodded.

"Nice to meet you guys." Tommy and Kat entered the living room. Kat stepped forward.

"Cayden, was there something you were going to tell us?"

"Oh yeah! I finally made up my mind what college I'm going to." he opened up his backpack and handed an envelope to Tommy. Tommy read it aloud.

"Dear Mr. Oliver, it is our pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted to The University of California at Los Angeles. We are also pleased to inform you that all of your academic expenses will be covered by an athletic scholarship to play for the UCLA Bruins. Again, congratulations and we look forward to hearing from you soon." Tommy handed the letter over to Kat and hugged his son tight.

"Congratulations, son."

"Thanks, dad."

Miguel came forward and hugged his little bro. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Miguel."

Over the next couple weeks, the three Navy guys helped out at Tommy's dojo while the regular instructors took a vacation.

One day, a few weeks before graduation, Cayden sat in the bleachers at Angel Grove High School's football stadium and watched Tommy, Zach and Jason play a game of football along with Merlin, Hollywood, and Wolfman.

Miguel walked up and sat down next to him.

"How come you're not down there with them?"

"I just wanted to sit here and think. So much has happened over the last few years."

Miguel pat his little bro on the shoulder. Suddenly, Tommy spotted some unwelcome guests in the far end zone. He yelled up to Cayden.

"Cayden, putties!"

Cayden jumped down the stairs and onto the field next to his dad.

The three pilots turned around. Wolfman stepped back.

"What are those things?"

Tommy stood next to him. "They're trouble."

Jason got an idea. "Quick huddle guys!"

The group huddled up real quick. Jason looked at each person.

"Okay. Let's show these guys what teamwork is all about!"

After formulating a plan of attack, the group lined up next to each other. Tommy started the lineup, followed by Cayden, then Miguel, Zack, then Jason, Merlin, Hollywood, and finally Wolfman.

"Let's do it guys! Remember, stay with your wingman!" Jason shouted as he and Merlin led the charge. Merlin's tall 6'3 frame made it easy for him to pull off high jumps and kicks. Tommy and Cayden quickly took out several putties, while Miguel and Zack pulled off incredible footwork.

Meanwhile, Hollywood and Wolfman ran circles around a group of putties, leading them away from the pack and towards another endzone. Once they got there, the turned around and pulled off some high flying moves, finally finishing off the gray intruders.

Tommy looked at the 3 pilots. "Man, you guys are pretty good fighters."

Hollywood smiled. "Well, us military guys can get pretty competitive, but then we also care about our friends and family."

"Tell ya what guys, let's go out to dinner tonight. My treat."

The group agreed.

A couple weeks later, it was graduation week at Angel Grove high school. Instead of just having one graduation day, the school had arranged a special event for Cayden and some of the other senior football players who had declared where they were going to play at for college. Tommy, Kat, and Miguel were in the stands. Each senior was wearing a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. As the group went down the line, each head coach handed each senior a jersey with the senior's last name on it. After it was over, the crowd looked upwards to see three F-18s flying over. One was flown by Taylor and Merlin, one by Hollywood and Wolfman, and the other was flown by 2 other pilots.

Later that night, Cayden and Miguel sat at the fire ring behind Tommy's house. It was the night before graduation day. Miguel looked at his young friend.

"I'm really proud of you, Cayden."

"Thanks, Miguel."

"You know, I'm gonna plan on coming to your games. LA isn't too far from here you know."

"I'd like that."

"You've got such a bright future ahead. I know you're gonna rock it."

Cayden smiled. The two stood up, and embraced each other. Cayden spoke first.

"I love you, Miguel."

"I love you too."

The next day was graduation day. Tommy was trying to hold back his emotions. As he was getting ready to head to his seat, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Tommy!"

Tommy looked up and saw Miguel approach, wearing his Marine dress uniform. Behind him, Taylor was in her Air Force dress uniform and Hollywood and Wolfman were in their Navy Dress uniforms. Tommy smiled.

"You guys look great. Let's go."

The group got to their seats. Wolfman was looking through the program. He found Cayden's name, but then he saw something else that caught his eye. He saw the student commencement speaker, but then he also saw that there was also a special guest speaker, but there was no name next to it. He turned to Hollywood.

"Must be somebody extra special if they didn't put their name on the program."

The graduation went on as usual, and finally it was time for the special guest speaker. Ms. Appleby stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we now will have an address by a very special guest speaker. He is a well known member of the United States Navy, and an instructor at a military training facility in California. Please give a special welcome to Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell."

Maverick took the stage and shook Ms. Appleby's hand. At the same time, the military group with Tommy stood up. Maverick saw them and smiled, realizing he was going to make a last minute change. He looked up and started his speech.

"Thank you, Ms. Appleby. Ladies and Gentlemen, before I begin, I would like to acknowledge a very special group that is here with us today. First off, joining us from the US Air Force is Lieutenant Commander Taylor Earhart."

Taylor stood up.

"Second, from the US Marine Corps, Staff Sergeant Miguel Ortega."

Miguel stood up.

"And finally, two very close friends of mine. Commander Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe, and Commander Rick "Hollywood" Neven, both fellow pilots from the US Navy."

Hollywood and Wolfman stood up.

"And since I'm recognizing them, I might as well acknowledge any other active duty, reserve, or retired members of the military here today. Please stand and be recognized."

20 people in the audience stood up, and one of the seniors stood up. The crowd applauded all of them. Maverick was taken by surprise at the student who stood up.

"Wow. Thank you all."

He looked down briefly.

"Now that that's out of the way..." he smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to be here today to address the Angel Grove High School class of 2022. A little over 30 years ago, I was training at an elite school for the best Navy fighter pilots. You all know this place as Top Gun. While we competed against each other, we all had the same goal- to become even better than we already were. Among the things we learned at Top Gun was the value and importance of teamwork. We relied on our teammates to keep us safe and watch our backs." he paused and collected his thoughts. "One of those teammates was an exceptional pilot named Tom Iceman Kazansky. At first, he and I were totally at odds. However, during an intense battle against enemy aircraft, we pulled together and won the day. And after we returned to the aircraft carrier, he told me I could be his wingman any time. And in reply, I told him he could be mine. We stayed the best friends ever since. However..." he stopped and fought back tears. "Just a few months ago, he passed away from Cancer. We had a meeting just a few days before he passed away. And he reminded me of the value of teamwork. Now you might be wondering, what does this have to do with graduation and the future? Well, in life, you will always have a wingman. Make sure you never ever leave your wingman, because he or she will always have your back whenever you need them. Thank you."

Maverick stepped away from the podium as the crowd applauded. He took a seat next to Ms. Appleby.

After a few more speeches, the moment the group had been waiting for had arrived. One by one, the seniors stepped forward to receive their diplomas. While Cayden was lining up, Miguel slipped from his seat and went to the steps leading up to the stage. Ms. Appleby stopped reading the names. Then nodded at Miguel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are doing something special for our next graduate. He is being presented his diploma by his close friend Staff Sergeant Miguel Ortega. It is my pleasure to introduce Cayden Oliver."

Cayden stepped forward and accepted a hug from Ms. Appleby, followed by Miguel handing him his diploma. Miguel then hugged his little bro.

"Congratulations, Cayden. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks."

After they broke the hug, Miguel raised Cayden's hand like a winning fighter. After this display was finished, Cayden went over and exchanged a handshake and salute with Maverick.

That night, the group went to the Animarium for Cayden's graduation party. Maverick, Merlin, Hollywood, and Wolfman joined them. The pilots played with the animals. As the sun set, Cayden stood at the top of Red's hill with Maverick.

Maverick looked down at the field, and then back at Cayden.

"Cayden, don't ever forget that Miguel will always have your back. He's your wingman, and you always stick with him."

Cayden nodded as Miguel walked up. As Maverick watched smiling, the two wingmen embraced, their bond deepened even more.