The vaguely noticed sound of the neon sign buzzing overhead caused the edges of Luke's mouth to upturn slightly.

He looked up to eye at the glaringly familiar sign of The Hard Deck with its reds and blues for a moment before nervously swiping the nonexistent dust off his chest and heading inside.

The smell of alcohol immediately hit his conscious and made him stiffen slightly before shrugging it off to head toward the pool tables where he eyed a familiar group of tan dress uniforms.

A set of narrowed eyes locked with his before he noticed a wide smile stretch across the other's face.

"Hey, Floyd." Luke murmured once he made it to the group, addressing the only friendly face in the room.

"Hey, man!" Robert "Bob" Floyd grinned, quickly pulling the other into a quick hug.

"Shit, they brought Pretty Boy in?" Coyote spoke up, his mischievous eyes locking onto the newcomer's. Luke easily matched his large smile. Coyote's eyes darted to Luke's side, making the other quickly side step and turn to face the new stranger.

"Bradshaw," Hangman sauntered toward the table. "As I live and breath." He grabbed at Bob's cue just as the man was about to shoot without taking his gaze off the other.

"Hangman," Rooster greeted. "You look," He paused tilting his head to the side before deciding on "good."

"Well," Hangman murmured, leaning down to line up his shot before looking back up at the man. "I am good, Rooster." He shot his play before standing up straight. "I'm very good."

Luke scoffed lightly at that, earning him a smirk from Phoenix.

"In fact," Hangman continued with a smile. "I am too good to be true."

"So," Payback cut in through the tension from his spot near the window, beer in hand. "Anybody know what this special detachment is all about?" He looked around the group.

"Well, a mission's a mission. They don't confront me." Hangman spoke up, eyeing the pool table as he did so. "What I want to know is," he leaned down again to take his shot before looking up.

"What the Admiral had to do to get sonny in with the big leagues." He smirked, gesturing with his pool cue toward Luke.

"Shut up, Hangman." Phoenix grunted out, eyeing the two.

"Your call sign precedes you, Pretty Boy. You don't do much except sit there." Hangman tilted his head in mock interest, earning a snort from Payback.

"What I want to know," Luke rested the palm of his hands at the edge of the table, leaning down to face Hangman eye to eye. "Is who'll be team leader. Call signs into consideration, it certainly won't be you." He bit out with a lop-sided smirk to match.

Hangman only scoffed. "No in all seriousness, what I really want to know." He raised one of his hands in the air in mock surrender. "Is which one of y'all has what it takes..." He smiled maliciously again. "To follow me."

Bradshaw furrowed his brows, looking down in thought for a moment. "Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." He looked up with raised brows and an almost sincere smile.

"Whew!" Coyote blew out in the awkward silence.

Hangman let his smirk drop for a moment before replacing it all the same, leaning up to walk around the table. He stood, eyeing Luke and then Phoenix for a moment before turning to do the same to Rooster.

"Hell, anyone who follows you is just gonna," He stopped to stand in front of Rooster, tilting his head. "Run out of fuel." He set the handle of his cue to rest on the floor as he leaned into the table. "We'll, that's just you ain't it, Rooster? You're just snug on that perch." He moved to stand, leaning closer to the other man.
"Waiting for just the right moment... That never comes." He raised his brows with a taunting smile quickly accompanying it.

He smirked again, turning his head to look at Luke who stood just a few feet beside them.
"Hey how 'bout it, Kazansky? Get Dear ol' dad to pull a few more strings and maybe you'll be the one calling the shots."

Luke's shoulders tightened reflexively as he glared at the other man.

"That's enough." Rooster demanded, the arms that lay crossed against his chest tensing minutely.

Hangman looked to Bradshaw for just a moment before speaking up again.

"I love this song." His smirk grew before he left for the dance floor.

Phoenix moved to stand beside Luke and Bradshaw, still looking at Hangman's retreating figure.
"Well, he hasn't changed." She mused.

"Nope. Sure hasn't." Rooster muttered before turning to look at Luke.

"Should pay for the shit he said to you." Luke grunted.

Bradley turned to face him with furrowed brows.
"Shit he said to me?" He chucked incredulously.

"Jesus, Pretty, he was a right asshole to you. Your hero complex is something else." Phoenix laughed, slapping her hand atop the man's shoulder, squeezing lightly before stalking off in the direction of the bar.

"Want a beer?" Bradshaw questioned with a small tilt of his head.

Luke was taken aback, already eyeing the crowd for the familiarity and solace he found in  befriending Bob all those years prior.

"Um, er—"

Rooster scoffed before grabbing the other man at the back of the neck, steering the duo toward a more secluded table, but not before waving two fingers in the air toward Penny.

"I've seen you on the sidelines long enough to know you're a non-asshole so," He slid a new beer toward Luke with a feigned stern expression.

Luke reluctantly took a sip before placing it down on the glossed wooden tabletop.
"A non-asshole?" He grunted, eyebrow quirking up at the term.

"Yep, whatever the opposite of Hangman is, you're it." He smiled.

"Thanks, I guess." Luke forced a smile that hopefully matched.

"You're welcome." Rooster laughed before leaning back in his seat. "So Phoenix knows you more than I do, but she's a good judge of character so I'm sure we'll get along fine."

"This sounds like a recruitment." Luke murmured, hands clasped together. "I think I'd like to know what I'm getting into."

"Oh, you only need a few warnings." The other man turned serious as he listed the hazards on his fingers.
"Possible maiming, definitive drunk ranting on my part, and a constant threat of unintended mental collapse is all you gotta worry about if you stick it with me." He said cheerily, offering up his right wand across the table. He wiggled his fingers in an attempt to entice the other pilot.

"Sounds too tempting not to refuse." Luke smirked, eyes shooting up to the ceiling in mock deliberation before meeting Rooster's hand with his own.

"I'm a sucker for formalities, Pretty Boy." He smiled, using his unoccupied hand to grab at the sunglasses hanging from his shirt and placing them atop the bridge of his nose.

They watched each other for a moment, matching smiles, before Rooster quickly let go of his hand to put an index finger to his mouth.

"Speaking of drunken ranting." He smirked before getting up to stand, tossing a thumb behind him. "Meet you at the piano."

It didn't take long for Luke's confusion to wear away into an amused smile. He hesitantly followed Phoenix's figure, stepping in alongside Bob as the group lined around the piano Rooster sat at, them all swaying drunkenly to the tune of "Great Balls of Fire".