Reuben had finally reached the house he was staying at for his time during this mission.

Unpacking the few things he brought, he checked his phone, seeing a message from his friend and WSO Mickey Garcia, call sign Fanboy.

Hey, a bunch of us are meeting at Hard Deck to scope out who else was recalled. You in?

Reuben smiled, shaking his head as he responded to his friend. Let me settle in first, and I'll be there.

Shutting off his phone, he finished giving himself a little tour of the house. It was the perfect size for his needs, not too big or small. And if Jia was able to join him, there was enough space for her as well.

Speaking of his fiance, Reuben grabbed his phone from the charger and pulled up her contact.

The picture always made him chuckle. Jia had, as she always did, been raising his blood pressure by doing something entirely sketchy. This one he happened to catch on camera.

Jia had decided to do a series of monkey bars while blindfolded, having never done this particular set before. She was high enough off the ground that it would hurt if she fell, but she wouldn't break anything.

The picture he was referring to, however, was her celebration after she had completed the set. She had ripped off her blindfold, holding it above her head in celebration as she yelled in happiness. Her smile was infectious, and her eyes had a spark that could be seen even through a phone.

After he had finished reminiscing, he finally clicked on the call button. It rang for a few moments before being picked up.

"Hey Reu, you finally make it to North Island?"

Jia Mancini had been on a movie set for two weeks now, shooting a series of fight scenes and car chases.

Reuben nodded despite the fact that she couldn't see him. "Yeah, the house is pretty nice. Think you'll be able to join me soon?"

Jia hummed. "I should be able to. The shoot location isn't too far from your base, no reason I can't make the commute."

He smiled, glad he would be able to spend time with her. They didn't know what this mission entailed just yet, but it couldn't have been good.

"Good. That's good. By the way, I got a text from Mickey."

Jia perked up at that. "Oh yeah? What'd he say?"

Jia absolutely loved Mickey Garcia. He was always there to nerd out with her on whatever her current project was and a support she could lean on if needed.

"He said some people were meeting up at one of the local bars. I'm headed there in a bit once I actually eat some dinner."

Jia, on the other side of the phone, got a signal from one of the assistants on set. "Well, tell him I said hi. I'm getting told to wrap this up for another take, so I'll hopefully see you soon."

Reuben smiled. "I'll be sure to tell him. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye, my love."

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

"What do they call you?" Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace asks. A man had been quietly sitting in the corner the entire time they had been talking to Hangman.

"Bob," he says, looking down quickly. He was cleaning off some peanut dust from his pants.

"No, your call sign," Payback corrects

"Uh, Bob," he says after a moment's hesitation. Well, that wasn't going to be hard to remember.

"Bob Floyd. You're my new back seater?" Phoenix questions. "From Lemore?"

"Looks like it, yeah," Bob answers. (Reuben knew Jia would love him, just on the past minute alone.)

"9 ball Bob, rack 'em," Phoenix says, while handing Bob the pool stick. Reuben and Mickey grabbed two other cues, getting ready for their own shots.

Bob gets up. “Okay.” He makes quick work setting the table up.

Phoenix notices the entrance of someone in a truly atrocious Hawaiian shirt. "Bradshaw! Is that you?" She calls out.

The man, obviously this ‘Bradshaw’ makes his way over to the woman. But she isn't letting him off easy.

"Is this how I find out you're stateside?" Phoenix asks, slightly offended, while lining up her shot.

Bradshaw takes off his shades. Shrugging, he replies, "Yea, I just thought I'd surprise you.”

Unfortunately for him, Phoenix had just  lined up her shot and nailed him in the gut with the back of her pool stick, coincidently also making her shot.

"Guess I surprised you back," Phoenix says smugly, straightening up and smiling down at Rooster.

"It's good to see you," Rooster says while still hunched over but smiling.

"It's good to see you too," Phoenix smiles back. It was good to see her friend again.

Unfortunately, their good time was broken up by a very unwelcome voice.

"Bradshaw, as I live and breathe." Hangman comes back to the group, taking the pool stick from Bob just as he's about to take his shot. Mickey rolls his eyes as Reuben gives Bob his own cue.

"Hangman, you look," he hesitates slightly, "good," Rooster says reluctantly.

"Oh, I am good, Rooster," Hangman boasts, lining up for his shot, "I'm very good," he says while taking his shot, looking directly at Rooster.

"In fact, I am too good to be true," he continues. Rooster, Phoenix, and Payback all look at each other, shaking their heads. Just as arrogant as ever, this one.

"So anybody know what this special detachment is all about?" Reuben asks the group. Just the question they all want to know.

Hangman shrugs. "A mission’s a mission," he says. "What I want to know is who's gonna be team leader? And which one of you has what it takes to follow me?" He looks directly at Rooster as he makes that last statement.

"Hangman, the only place you'll be leading anyone is an early grave," Rooster says matter of factly.

"Ooohh," Fanboy exclaims. He exchanged looks with Reuben, who could only smirk. Now, this was getting entertaining.

Hangman stands up from his hunched stance at the pool table, walking past Phoenix and goes straight for Rooster. The two men glare at each other so fiercely that you would need a chainsaw to cut the tension. 

"Well any man who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel, but that's just your aim Rooster, you're stuck on that perch, waiting for just the right moment that never comes," he says, getting right up in Rooster’s face.

Nothing is said for a few moments. Everyone tensed up, ready to either join or stop any fight that could break out.

Luckily, the jukebox changes songs. “I love this song," Hangman says with a smile as he hears the new tune.

"Well, he hasn't changed," Phoenix says, walking up to Rooster.

"Nope, sure hasn't," Bradley replies

"Check it out," Fanboy says. "More badges."

"That's Harvard, Yale, Omaha, shit that's Fritz," Reuben names them all. They were newer graduates for Top Gun, but that group had put up some of the best scores in recent memory. 

"What kind of mission is this?" Fanboy questions, wondering why so many of the top graduates had been called back.

"That's not the question we should be asking,'' Phoenix tells them. "Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they gonna get to teach us?"

The conversation slowly broke apart, Mickey looking towards Reuben. “So how’s Jia? She gonna be joining us anytime soon?”

Reuben smiles at the thought of his girlfriend. “Yea, she's got a shoot not far from here. Should be in by tomorrow morning. Though, we'll be on base when she gets here.”

Mickey takes his shot at the dart board. “What's this new shoot for? Movie or show?”

Reuben throws his own dart. “This one's a movie. She'll be in California for a few more weeks before they head to Spain to finish filming.”

Mickey groans. “Can she take me? I'd love to see Spain.”

Reuben only laughs. “If she's taking anyone, it's gonna be me, idiot.”

Before Mickey can respond, the jukebox stops playing. Everyone groans, but it's quickly replaced by the piano keys ringing out. The two look over to see Rooster sitting on the stool, preparing for the performance of a lifetime.

As they walk over, Penny rings the bell. A chant of “overboard” starts going through the crowd. So Hangman, Coyote, and Payback all go over to find the offending person.

They pick up the man, who Penny can only shrug at. Throwing the man out of the bar, they can only laugh.

"Thanks for the beers, come back anytime," Hangman says, while mockingly saluting the man.

None of them know that man is about to change their lives.

Making his way back to his friends, Rooster plays out his favorite song, much to the pleasure of the entire bar.

Everyone joins in, singing out the lines, practically screaming them.

It was one of the last nights of pure happiness and pleasure this group would have for a long time.

✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈

Word count: 1,511

And we have officially started!!! Jia will be joining soon, but she does have her own job to attend to. (Badass status must be continued.)

But we get a little insight on perhaps one of my most adorable couples to date. And their friendship with Fanboy, which I find to be one of my favorite relationships to write in this story!!

So be sure to check out the next chapter. Bye guys!!

(Gif by me)