Lt. Wren 'Atlas' Donahue is returning to Top Gun to train for an elite mission. Rivalries from her time at the academy and a certain distracting pilot are sure to make the mission more interesting. (Bradley Bradshaw x oc) -Completed
Wren Donahue approached the doors to the familiar bar that had been something of a second home during her initial training at Top Gun. It had been years since she had last been here but she was happy to see that the bar hadn't changed much in her time away. The walls were still covered with stickers, cards, and photos, making it almost impossible to distinguish anything among the masses, but Wren was able to pick out a polaroid of her Top Gun class stuck up near the door.
She ran her hand over the picture, smiling fondly. This picture had been taken on their first night at school after they had gotten their team assignments. Wren was standing next to a fellow WSO officer Pint, and the Aviator she had worked with for the duration of the program.
"Look what the cat dragged in, Atlas is that you?"
Speak of the devil. Wren turned to face Hangman who had noticed her from where he was playing pool. Cursing under her breath she started towards where the Top Gun trainees seemed to have gathered. As she approached Hangman he turned to the rest of the group.
"Everyone meet my sidekick from back in the day, Atlas," he said indicating Wren. She scoffed in return.
"More like the only reason you managed to finish the academy in the first place."
"Oh Atlas, I seem to remember you finishing first sometimes..." he said with a smirk. Wren chose to ignore his less than subtle hint to their confusing history and introduced herself to the rest of the trainees. Phoenix looked at her with a raised eyebrow but introduced herself with a smile anyways. After introductions were done, Wren made a point of conversing with Fanboy and Bob, knowing that they were WSOs as well.
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A few beers and a couple of games of pool later, a bell rang out causing everyone in the bar to cheer. Wren raised her beer in salute to the older man groaning at the bar clearly just realizing he had been roped into buying everyone a round of drinks.
Wren was leaning up against the bar trying to grab another beer when she felt warm breath on the back of her neck, and saw a muscled arm appear on either side of her encroaching on her space.
"You're looking good Atlas," Hangman said leaning in ever so slightly so he was whispering in her ear.
"Wish I could say the same about you."
"Come on Atlas, don't be like that. I was just teasing before. It really is good to see you. How about we get out of here and catch up?" His hand moved slowly from resting on the bar, fingers ghosting across her back until he reached her hip, pushing her gently until she was turned to face him.
"Catch up huh?" Wren said leaning in closer to Hangman. He licked his lips in anticipation looking down hungrily at her. "Not a mistake I plan on making again," she said using one had to push his arm off her waist and the other to grab his newly opened beer bottle before pushing past him back to the rest of the team. Phoenix and Payback were laughing at Hangman standing dumbstruck as Atlas walked away returning to a small round of cheers.
"I'd pay to see that look on Hangman's face any day," a voice Wren was unfamiliar with said after the laughter died down.
Looking past Phoenix, Wren saw a man tucking his aviators into the neck of the white t-shirt poking out from beneath his Hawaiian print shirt. Wren looked him up and down slowly. He wasn't dressed in the Navy's day uniform like the rest of them but the dog tags sticking out from his collar, and the ease at which he had joined the group, were a dead give away that he was another member of the recalled Top Gun team. He reached his hand out and Wren returned the hand shake while the man leaned in so that he could be heard over the sound of the bar patrons.
"Name's Rooster," he said. Wren knew right away who he was. She had never worked with him before but he was known widely for his skill as a pilot. Everyone here was come to think of it. The conversation turned to speculation about what the mission ahead would entail.
"Screw that, we're the best of the best, who are they going to get to train us?" Phoenix chimed in. Rooster eyebrows furrowed slightly but within seconds it had passed and he leaned in to Wren again so that she could hear him.
"This is starting to sound entirely too much like work. Let's save that crap for tomorrow. Watch this." Wren watched as he crossed the bar to the jukebox, reaching behind it to unplug the machine. The crowd let out a simultaneous groan but Rooster ignored them, moving instead to the piano set up near the bar. He turned and winked at the team before he ran his hands down the length of the keys and started playing 'Great Balls of Fire.' Wren couldn't lie to herself, Rooster was hot, so when she followed the rest of the team to crowd around the piano she unapologetically took the seat next to him on the bench and started singing loudly along with him.
