The muffled music and boisterous sound of voices increased as the doors to the Hard Deck opened up. He made quick work of entering, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. He noticed Maverick almost immediately, sitting alone at the bar with civvies. He wondered if he should have worn the same before reluctantly deciding to join his superior.

"Sir," He greeted as soon as he made it to stand at the unoccupied stool beside the captain. Maverick turned his head away from his beer, returning the sentiment with a nod and a small smile.

"Church, hey!" Penny called from behind the bar, moving toward the two. She wiped her hands on a hand towel before pointing at the taps and bottles behind her.
"Your usual?" She made a sly smile in Maverick's direction with a meaning behind it that Dane was unsure of.

Church nodded, a polite smile on his face. His eyes moved to the door, spotting a few service uniforms making their way to the pool table. His gaze followed their destination to find Hangman and Coyote. He felt the urge to greet them, but stiffened, looking to Maverick.

"Are you planning on waiting till the introduction tomorrow?" He asked, leaning against the side of the bar. Maverick followed the younger's gaze, nodding his head slowly.

"Yeah." The captain confirmed. "But don't let me hold you back." He gestured a hand to the group that occupied the pool table. Penny finished pouring Dane's drink, sliding the rock glass of whiskey gently his way. He grabbed it, giving a small and nod of thanks in her direction as well as Maverick's before turning to make his way toward a few familiar faces.

"Who's your friends?" He noticed Coyote gesture to a duo of men in regards to the woman in front of them with his pool cue.

"Payback." One greeted before the shorter of the two spoke. "Fanboy."

"Hey, Coyote." The woman greeted.

"Hey," Coyote raised his brows slightly, ghost of a smile on his face.

Dane shuffled into view from behind his two acquaintances, causing confusion to color the three strangers' faces. He darted his eyes to a man previously made unknown to him from beside a wooden beam. He watched him for a moment before his thoughts were interrupted by a shout of greeting.

"Hey!" Hangman's surprise laced his voice as he sat up a little straighter from the edge of the pool table. "Glad I found you, buddy." He immediately waved Dane over.
The commander tipped his head, taking the invitation to move to stand with the group.

"Would've been an easy win if I didn't have you as my competition." Hangman smiled, cocky grin plastered on his face.
Dane scoffed good-naturedly at the comment, raising the glass in his hands to take a sip. He nodded to Coyote after. "Hey, man."

"Sir," Coyote smiled in reply, his greeting respectful, which Dane always appreciated.

"Gonna introduce us, or..." Fanboy spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You don't know this guy?" Hangman pointed a thumb toward the man beside him. "Church and me were on a squadron together a couple years back. He's the only pilot almost as good as me."
Church said nothing in reply, unwilling to take the bait.

"Oh, Church! Yeah, I've heard of you, man." Payback's eyes dawned in recognition, nodding his head quickly. "You on the detachment mission too?"

The commander shrugged his shoulders. "Something like that."

The woman who Dane now remembered as Phoenix—based off of the records he previously studied up on—nodded before looking to the stranger seated against the beam.
"Who's he?"

"Who's who?" Coyote furrowed his brow. She tilted her head to the side, causing the entire group to look at the glasses clad man. He was brushing a few peanut shells off of his lap, before looking up, growing seemingly uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gazes.

"When did you get in?" Coyote asked incredulously, waving a hand toward him.

"Oh, I've—I've been here the whole time." The man sheepishly smiled. Dane let out a breathy laugh at the fact.

"The man's a stealth pilot." Hangman announced, deadpan.

"Literally." Coyote agreed.

"Weapons systems officer, actually." The man supplied.

"With no sense of humor." Hangman tilted his head down, causing Coyote to chuckle quietly. He moved to stand, handing his cue to Phoenix before walking off toward the bar.

"What do they call you?" Phoenix turned to the man.

"Bob." He spoke after a moment, a polite smile on his face.

"No, your call sign." Payback explained, amused.

"Uh..." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "Bob." He said finally.

"Bob Floyd." Phoenix realized. "You're my new backseater? From Lemoore?" She pointed a finger at him.

"Looks like it. Yeah." He affirmed. Dane could tell he was nervous.

"Nine-ball, Bob." She smiled, holding out her cue to him. "Rack 'em."

"Okay." He chuckled, the wave of nerves seeming to dissipate almost immediately.

"You flew with Teapot, right?" Dane asked quietly, his southern accent a little heavier due to his inebriation, watching Bob's orderly way of racking the billiard balls. Bob looked up with another sheepish smile.

"Yes, sir." He murmured, grabbing at the triangle to place at a nearby table. "Uh, you know him?"

Church nodded. "A little." He admitted. "You must be a good wizzo if you had to deal with his flying."

Bob only chuckled in response, a shy smile on his face as he nodded in agreement.

"Penny, my dear."

Church looked up to watch the distant exchange between Hangman and Penny,

"I'll have four more on the old-timer."

The commander could hear the smile in Hangman's voice, shaking his head lowly. He was sure Hangman would regret his actions in the morning.

"Bradshaw!" Phoenix voiced loudly. "Is that you?"

Dane stiffened at the name, eyes darting up to eye Maverick's still form. His gaze followed Bradley Bradshaw as the man moved to join the group. The man raised his brows at the commander, vaguely recognizing him, Dane was sure.

"This is how I find out you're stateside?" Phoenix asked, narrowing her eyes,

"Yeah, I just thought I'd surprise you." Rooster explained, moving to hang his sunglasses from his t-shirt as he nodded at Church. They'd met a few times at the behest of Iceman during any given moment in time they were in the general vicinity of the other.
Phoenix leaned over the pool table, pulling her cue back to strike unforgivingly into Rooster's abdomen. He fastened an arm protectively around his torso, screwing his face up in a pained wince.
"I guess I surprised you back." She smiled.

"It's good to see you." He stood up straight again.

"Good to see you too." She smirked while he patted her shoulder fondly before moving further into the group.

"Sir," Bradley greeted.

"Haven't seen you in a minute." Dane murmured, nodding easily in greeting.

"Yeah," Bradley had quickly agreed, shoving a relaxed hand into the pocket of his jeans. "It's been a while."

"Bradshaw," Hangman called out, making his way back to the pool table. "As I live and breathe." He smiled, stealing the cue from the hands of an unsuspecting Bob. Church sighed into his drink, downing the rest of it with a grimace.

"Hangman," Rooster greeted. "You look..." He tilted his head. "Good."

"Well, I am good, Rooster." Hangman leaned across the table, taking his shot while looking up at the other lieutenant. "I'm very good." He stood up straight while Rooster shook his head in disbelief. "In fact, I am too good to be true."

"So," Payback dragged the word on, cutting through the tension. "Anybody know what this special detachment is all about?"

Church three a hand to the back of his neck, scratching at it nervously.

"No. Mission's a mission. They don't confront me." Hangman explained, leaning down to line up another shot. "What I want to know: Who's gonna be team leader?" He pocketed a ball before standing back up.
"And which one of y'all has what takes to follow me?" He smiled, cocky.

"That's enough, Hangman." Church muttered in warning. Hangman simply raised his hands in the air in mock surrender.

"Hangman," Rooster started, looking down for a moment before meeting the other pilot's eyes. "The only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave."

Hangman narrowed his eyes at Dane's reprimanding ones, a showing sign of defiance coloring his gaze before he moved to walk around the table to stand before Rooster.

"Well, anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel." Hangman began lowly. "But that's just you ain't it, Rooster?" His cocky smile returning. "You're snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment..." He led on, leaning further into the other man's space. "That never comes."

Rooster eyed him, a ghost of a smile on his face that betrayed his underlying dislike for the man.

"I love this song." Hangman smiled, in reference to Foghat's "Slow Ride" that played through the speakers of the bar's jukebox, before walking off.

"Well he hasn't changed." Phoenix murmured, eyeing the pilot's absence.

"Nope." Rooster replied. "Sure hasn't."

Dane huffed lowly at the sentiment, eyeing the empty tumbler in his hand before resting it at the edge of the pool table.
"I'm headed." He decided.

"How 'bout a song before you go?" Rooster suggested, moving a hand up to mime playing the keys of a piano.

"Got to get up early." The commander explained in reply, shaking his head. "I'd suggest you do the same. Big day tomorrow."