The Bradshaws: A TopGun Maverick Story

~FIVE~

The beach was alive with energy as the squad spilled onto the sand, a speaker blasting rock music while Maverick stood off to the side, arms folded, watching his pilots loosen up. The ocean waves crashed steady behind them, the sunlight glinting off the water in shimmering streaks of gold.

All at once, the Bradshaw triplets made their entrance. Rooster trudged forward in his usual easy-going swagger, aviators perched low on his nose. On one side was Danny, jaw set and eyes lit up with that competitive spark, already bouncing on his heels like he couldn't wait to show off. On the other side was Brandy, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, gaze scanning the setup with a mixture of excitement and determination.

"Bradshaws incoming," Payback muttered to Fanboy with a grin.

"Triple trouble," Fanboy replied.

Phoenix spotted them first. Her grin widened the moment her eyes locked on Brandy. With most of the squad made up of guys, there was an instant connection—unspoken, natural, and immediate. Brandy jogged the last few steps to meet her, and Phoenix tossed her a football without warning. Brandy caught it easily, spinning it once in her hand before firing it back with a tight spiral.

"Guess we're sticking together?" Brandy asked.

"Damn right," Phoenix smirked. "Somebody's gotta shut these idiots up."

"Let's make 'em eat sand," Brandy grinned, and the two of them bumped fists.

Behind them, Danny smirked at his brother. "Hope you stretched, Roo. I'm not taking it easy this time."

Rooster rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. "You've never taken it easy."

"Yeah, and who usually won?" Danny fired back.

"Me," Brandy called over her shoulder without missing a beat, earning laughter from Phoenix and groans from both brothers.

Maverick explained the rules—"dogfight football," offense and defense at the same time, two balls in play, no breaks, pure chaos. As soon as the whistle blew, it was on.

First Play:
Hangman caught the first toss and took off down the beach, but Brandy cut across like lightning. Phoenix shouted, "Switch left!" and the two women boxed him in, forcing him toward the surf. Brandy lunged, knocking the ball from his grip, and Phoenix scooped it up clean. Together, they bolted down the sand, Phoenix tossing it back to Brandy just before Danny lunged at her. Brandy juked, splashing through the shallows, and dove across the "goal line."

"Touchdown!" Phoenix yelled, high-fiving Brandy as Hangman scowled.

Rooster clapped sarcastically. "Nice play, sis. Don't get cocky."

"Don't worry, you're cocky enough for all three of us," Brandy shot back.

Middle of the Game – Sibling Rivalry:
Rooster and Danny couldn't resist going head-to-head. Every snap turned into a contest between them—Danny stiff-arming Rooster into the sand, Rooster dragging Danny down by his shirt, both laughing even as they shoved each other back up.

"Still slow as hell, Roo!" Danny barked after breaking free for a score.

"Still talking more than you play!" Rooster yelled back, yanking him into a headlock before the next snap.

The rest of the squad just watched, amused. "Do they ever stop fighting?" Payback muttered.

"Not a chance," Brandy called as she sprinted past, dragging Phoenix with her for another score.

Chaos in the Sand:
With two footballs flying, it turned into total mayhem. Rooster and Danny crashed into each other more often than the other team. Brandy launched herself into tackles, never hesitating to hit her brothers harder than anyone else. Phoenix kept laughing, pointing out, "You don't go that hard against anyone but them."