I Was ✨Inverted✨
The viewers looked on in interest at Pete's top gun class in a hangar, looking forward intently at a chalk board before them, Jester adressing them all.
"Wow...a chalk board," Natasha drawled.
Pete could only sigh, the younger aviators once again reminding him how old he was.
"Now," Jester spoke, "You'll also be trained by a few civilian specialists."
Pete slouched down further in his seat, trying to ignore what was about to happen.
"The civilians are here because they are our very best source of information on enemy aircraft."
"Wait, why is that?" Jake wondered.
"Back then we didn't have drones or other information gathering objects, all we had were neurodivergents with hyperfixations on aircrafts who learned all they could about those aircrafts."
"...I can't believe the word 'neurodivergent' is in your dictionary," Bernie deadpanned.
Pete blanched, gawking at the man, "Why's that so surprising? I'm neurodivergent too!"
"You are?" Everyone looked to him in surprise but Pete didn't have time to elaborate as his movie continued to play.
The angle switched from Jester to Goose and Mav. Goose was wearing his shades while Mav was not.
"One of the most qualified is our TAGREP," Jester spoke, someone walking by at the top of the screen, "Callsign Charlie," The screen showed the back of a woman walking down the walkway between the aviators.
"Wait a damn minute..." Jake leaned forward, eyes intently glued to the screen.
"She has a PHD in astrophysics," Jester continued, "And she's a civilian contractor so you do not salute her," The angle cut to Pete, turning to look at her as Jester continued to speak, "But you better listen to her because the Pentagon listens to her about your proficiency."
The camera stayed on Pete's face as his gaze followed her move to the front of the class before cutting back to Jester.
"It's all yours, Charlie," He gave her some space, a now familiar blonde woman stepping into frame.
"Thank you," She said softly to Jester, turning to face the naval aviators.
"No way!" Mickey choked out a laugh.
"You're her coded!" Callie gaped.
"Huh?" Pete looked to Callie in confusion.
"Your dramatic entrance! With us you were totally channeling her energy!" The woman hissed giddily.
"I mean, maybe a little," Pete grinned.
"Hello," Charlie greeted everyone as the angle switched to Goose and Mav.
Chipper pulled his glasses down a bit, looking through his brow at the woman, gaze intense. Goose pulled off his glasses completely, looking to her in utter bewilderment. Mav let out a silent groan, closing his eyes, seemingly wishing this situation away as he put on his own shades.
"Why'd you and my dad do that?" Bradley couldn't help but wonder.
"Well when Charlie saw Goose she mostly saw him with his shades on and when she saw me they were off so...we kinda didn't want to get recognized?"
"How'd that work out?" Reuben snickered.
"Not great," Pete winced, smiling sheepishly.
"We will be dealing with F-5s and A-4s as our MiG simulators," Charlie continued, "Now, then, as most of you know the F-5 doesn't have the thrust-to-weight ratio that the MiG-28 has," The angle switched back to Mav as he was listening to her speed, "And it doesn't bleed energy below 300 knots like the MiG-28," Behind Mav, Chipper could be seen yawning, everyone snickering at that as the angle cut back to Charlie, "However, the MiG-28 does have a problem with its inverted flight tanks," The angle switched to a view over Charlie's shoulder, directed on Mav and Goose, "It won't do a negative-G pushover."
At her words Goose's brows furrowed and he leaned down, getting closer to Mav.
"Are you gonna tell her?" Goose whispered as Charlie continued to speak.
"No," Mav whispered back.
"Excuse me, lieutenant," Charlie said curtly, "Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, ma'am," Mav disregarded his previous insistence not to say anything and instead said, "The data on the MiG is inaccurate."
The angle cut to the other side of the class, Ice, Slider, Wolf and Hollywood giving their undivided attention to Mav.
"Cowboy hat!" Jake exclaimed giddily when he spotted Wolf wearing one.
"How's that, lieutenant?" Charlie inquired.
"Well, I," Mav spoke, camera on him as he pulled off his shades, "Just happened to see a MiG-28-"
"We," Goose cut in, "We."
"Sorry, Goose," Mav said earnestly, "We," Mav corrected himself, Goose smilin a goofy, pleased smile, "Happened to see a MiG-28 do a 4G negative dive."
"Where did you see this?"
"It's classified," Mav admitted.
"It's what?" Charlie faltered.
"It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," He joked.
"References!" Mickey cheered.
"Wow, really livin' up to your callsign, aye, Fanboy?" Natasha smirked.
"I have top secret clearance," Charlie continued, voice cool, staring down Mav, "The pentagon sees to it that I know more than you."
"Well, ma'am it doesn't seem so in this case, now does it?" Mav rose a brow.
"So, lieutenant, where exactly were you?"
"Well, we," Mav glanced to Goose.
"Thank you," His friend thanked him for the acknowledgement.
Bradley let out a short, fond snort, looking at the interactions between Pete and his father with a small smile.
"Started up on his six when he pulled through the clouds and then I moved in above him."
"Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?" Charlie had an amused hint in her voice.
"Because I was inverted," Mav demonstrated with his hands.
"Bullshit!" Ice coughed out, snickers falling past the lips of their fellow aviators.
"Mood," Jake commented.
"No, he was man, it was a really great move," Goose said immediately, "He was inverted."
"You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28?" Charlie questioned dubiously.
"Yes ma'am."
"At what range?"
"Oh, about two meters?" Mav looked to Goose.
"It was actually about one and a half, I think," Goose said, "It was one and a half. I've got a great polaroid of it. He's right there it must have been one and a half."
Soft laughter rang out from the onlookers.
"It was a nice picture," Mav told Goose.
"Thanks, I liked it."
"Lieutenant," Charlie cut in, "What were you doing there?"
"Communicating," Goose said after clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Communicating," Mav repeated assuredly.
More soft laughter escaped the naval aviators.
"Keeping up foreign relations," Mav continued, "I was, you know, giving him the bird."
Understanding with a hint of annoyance crossed Charlie's features.
"You know, the finger," Goose held up his middle finger.
Bradley let out a startled wheeze.
"Yes, I know the finger, Goose," She said dryly.
"I-I'm sorry," Goose used his other hand to lower his finger, "I hate it when it does that, I'm sorry."
Everyone chuckled softly.
The rest of their class giggled and snickered, Goose not quite able to hide his grin.
"So you're the one," Charlie looked to Mav.
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right, gentlemen," Jester cut in, "We have a hop to take. The hard deck on this hop will be 10,000 feet. There'll be no engagement below that."
"Bet Mav breaks the hard deck," Natasha hissed not so quietly, the man in question rolling his eyes fondly.
"Let's move it!" Jester called out.