"Raptor One copies. Rolling."
The twin F-22 Raptor fighters surged forward down the runway almost immediately, their Pratt & Whitney F119 engines roaring louder as thrust increased. Heat distortion rippled violently behind them, the force of the exhaust kicking dust and loose debris across the tarmac.
Inside the cockpit, the pilot kept one hand steady on the throttle while the other rested lightly on the stick. The canopy reflected the runway lights as speed climbed rapidly.
One hundred knots.
One fifty.
Two hundred.
"Rotate."
The nose lifted smoothly.
The aircraft left the ground like it had been pulled upward by force alone, landing gear retracting almost instantly as the jet climbed into the night sky at an aggressive angle.
Raptor Two followed seconds behind.
Both aircraft ascended fast, pushing north toward the ongoing engagement above Metro Manila.
Back in the airspace near the city, Falcon One rolled sharply to avoid another incoming flyer.
