Come Back To Me // Top Gun: Maverick

The Hard Deck

Dad and I walk off to the nearby bar, Hard Deck. While dad went to sit by the bar and text Ice, I saw a few familiar faces and decided I would say hello. Also, dad may not know it, but Penny, my mum, is actually the owner of this bar so it will be funny to see his reaction when he sees her. 

"Well look at who we have here." I say loud enough to make myself known to the two boys standing by the pool table. 

Hangman turns around to see me and smiles slightly. He was with another guy who I saw on the screen back at base but I couldn't recognise who he was. 

"As I live and breathe. Little Miss Flash." Hangman says giving a small hug. We had known each other for a while now. Maybe 6 years. "You on the mission with us?" 

"Looks like it." I lie. I wanted to surprise everyone tomorrow and let them know I was going to be their teacher tomorrow. I mean I will have more of an advisor than anything else. "Who's this?" I ask nodding to Hangman's friend. 

"Coyote. You?"

Hangman knocks in a stripe ball letting me know that is the one he was going for so I hold my hand out for his pool stick.

"You really haven't heard of her? That would be Flash. The fastest girl around." Hangman says passing me his pool stick. 

"Damn right." I say while knocking in a stripe ball. 

We hear a bell ring and I hear people cheering. The bell means that a round of drinks was on someone. No doubt it would be on dad. 

"Oh, come on!" Coyote says annoyed as Hangman and I high five. 

"What do we have here?" Hangman says looking behind me. I turn around to see 3 others walk in. "If it ain't Phoenix! And here I thought we were special. Turns out the invite went to anyone."

"Fellas, this here's Bagman." Pheonix says. I knew her, just not the two boys behind her.

"Hangman." He corrects her. 

"Whatever. You're looking at a naval aviator on active duty with a confirmed air-to-air kill."

"Stop."

"Mind you, the other guy was in a museum piece from the Korean war." 

        

"Cold war." Coyote corrected her.

"Different wars, same century." One of the guys said. 

"Not this one." The other said. 

Pheonix then looks over at me and smiles.

"And this would be Lieutenant Commander Mitchell. Callsign Flash. Now she also has a confirmed air-to-air kill." 

"Who are your friends?" I then ask. 

"Payback." One says.  

"Fanboy." The other than says. 

"Hey, Coyote." Pheonix says to Coyote.  

"Hey." The two clearly liked each other but lets just ignore that for now. 

"Who's he?"    

"Who's who?" Coyote asks. Pheonix looks at a boy in glasses who sat by the bar. "When did you get in?"

"Oh, I've been here the whole time." He says. 

"The man's a stealth pilot." Hangman jokes placing a hand around my shoulders.