Songbird & Rooster

TWO

"Y'all better not have expected me to stay in uniform all day." Delilah laughs as she walks up to the Hard Deck, immediately spotting her best friend, Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace.

"What, you don't wanna match us?" Phoenix questions, laughing at Delilah's comment. Delilah sporting a t-shit and jeans, a flannel shirt wrapped around her waist.

"Please! You guys spend everyday in your flight suits! I have spent nearly all day every day for the last 10 years in that terrible uniform, give me this one night." Delilah laughs, giving Phoenix a hug. "Oh I've missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Phoenix returns the hug. "Alright let's get in there." Phoenix pulls Delilah into the bar, two men who she recognizes as Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch and Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia from the roster follow behind them.

"Oh come on!" Delilah immediately recognizes Lieutenant Javy "Coyote" Machado's voice from across the bar. She looks around and spots him and Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin by the pool tables,

"What do we have here?" Hangman shouts smugly. "If it ain't Phoenix and Songbird!" Hangman leans against the pool table as the girls walk up to him. "And here I thought we were special, Coyote. Turns out the invite went to anyone."

"Fellas, this here's Bagman." Phoenix introduces his to the boys behind her.

"Hangman."

"Whatever." Phoenix smiles sarcastically. "You're looking at one of two naval aviators on active duty with a confirmed air-to-air kill."

"Stop." Hangman acts humbled, causing Delilah to laugh.

"Mind you, the other guy was in a museum piece from the Korean War." Phoenix smirks.

"Cold War." Coyote corrects.

"Different wars, same century." Payback chuckles

"Not this one." Delilah chuckles, Jake's face dropping his usual smirk in annoyance.

"Who are your friends?" Coyote asks.

"Payback."

"Fanboy." There's a brief pause before he looks to Delilah and asks, "And who are you?" 

"Lieutenant Commander Delilah "Songbird" Mitchell, 4 confirmed air-to-air kills, not against a museum piece." Delilah snarks, staring eye to eye with Hangman, causing him to chuckle. "I also hold the highest Top Gun score since '86."

"No way." Fanboy gasps, looking at Payback who is just as shocked.

"Hey Songbird."

"Hangman." Delilah nods at him. "Hey Coyote."

"Hey."

"Who's he?" Phoenix asks.

"Who's who?" Coyote questions before the attention is turned to the man sitting in the barstool nearby. "When did you get in?" 

"Oh, I've been here the whole time." The man in glasses answers.

"Man's a stealth pilot." Hangman says to Phoenix and Delilah.

"Literally." Coyote chimes in.

"Weapons system officer, actually."

"With no sense of humor." Hangman sighs, handing Phoenix his pool cue, walking to the bar.

"What do they call you? Delilah questions.

"Bob."

"No your callsign." Payback asks.

"Bob."

"Bob Floyd? You're my new backseater? From Lemoore?"

"Looks like it. Yeah." Bob nods.