You and Me, Kid

○ Chapter 07 ○

Waking up the next morning felt weird for the brunette pilot. It had been so long since he had been on the carrier, in the carrier rooms, and it just reminding him painfully of how much time has passed and how everything had changed. His good friend Nick "Goose" Bradshaw was dead and had been for at least thirty-something years now, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky was dead, he hadn't spoken to his old RIO Sam "Merlin" Wells in years, Rom "Slider" Kerner had been based elsewhere and hadn't spoken to them since being sent off, Mike "Viper" Metcalf still lived in the same area, but no one really heard from him anymore, Rick "Jester" Heatherly was no longer with them; the man having passed about twenty or twenty-one years ago. Yeah a lot had changed.

"I need to get back into contact with Merlin and Slider," he mumbled to himself as he sat down at breakfast, lips pursed as he just stared at his plate, lost in thought. Quickly pulling out his phone, he hesitated on the contact titled "Slider". Tom had given it to him a while back, but he had never one reached out to his old friend. Better now than never, right? He'd want to meet Nick's granddaughter.

Mav
Hey, it's Maverick, from our days at Top Gun

Slider
The great Pete Maverick Mitchell?
It's been a while, how have you been?

Mav
Been better
Had a mission a few months back and Goose's kid was with us

Slider
Didn't make it?

Mav
No

Slider
Dang, I'm sorry, Mav
Hey, I'm gonna be at Top Gun next week, Viper wanted to meet up and discuss things
You coming?

Mav
I'll be there
You'll want to meet Goose's granddaughter, won't ya?

Slider
I'm sorry, did you say granddaughter?!
Rooster settled down did he?

Maverick chuckled, shaking his head as he grinned.

Mav
Yep, settled down with a woman named Lauren but she doesn't think she can raise Autumn anymore so said for me to raise her

Slider
Dude, I'll help!
I'll call Merlin up and see if he can join us, how's that sound?

Mav
Awesome
See you at TG next week then

Slider
See ya, Maverick!
Oh, don't get into anymore trouble, m'kay?
I heard about that stunt you pulled

Mav
You know me

Slider
Yeah, never been one for rules, have ya?

Mav
You know me so well

Slider
Got to go, I'll see ya later, Maverick

Mav
See ya Slider

Shutting off his phone, he huffed and shook his head. "Dick," he mumbled before digging into his breakfast, scrolling through his emails as he ate. Even if he wasn't too keen on rules, he was still a captain of a team. It was important for him to stay on top of his emails just in case.

"What's got you smiling all of a sudden? Hell freeze over?" Javy joked, tongue running across the crowns of his teeth. Pete raised an eyebrow before shaking his head, chuckling.

"No," he started. "Just got in contact with one of my old wingmen, he and my old RIO might be coming up to Top Gun to meet up with our old instructor Viper. Said I'd join them, let them meet Autumn and all."

"Are they nice?" Pete tilted his head at that, confused as to why Javy was asking such an odd question.

"Of course they are, Coyote," he replied, eyes squinting in confusion. "Why wouldn't they be?"

"You said Viper, right? Isn't he the dick?" Javy just so happened to say this as Pete was taking a drink, the man doing a spit take at that, laughing and coughing. "What? What did I say?"

"Viper..." Pete just shook his head, holding the mug to his lips. "Oh, you crack me up, Coyote." He took a quick sip, setting his mug down again. "No, Viper is the nice one I told you about. You're thinking of Jester, he was a bit harsh, kind of like Cyclone. But, um, he died about twenty, maybe twenty-one years ago now? I think it's closer to twenty-one this coming month."

Nodding sheepishly, Javy fell silent. Pete looked at him and snorted, looking away as he hid his face in his arm and his shoulders shook. Natasha sat down, flashing a concerned look Javy's way, only for the pilot to pointedly ignore her. "Is everything okay?" She asked cautiously, looking between the two as the others joined them.

"Peachy," Pete nodded, a few more chuckles escaping his lips as he tried to compose himself. "Just a funny mix up, that's all."

"How was it funny? I thought he was the dick one!" That sent Pete over the edge, the man turning to the side as he bent over, wheezing. "Rude."

"I'm just imagining Viper as Jester and... Oh my god," Pete began laughing again, eyes filling with tears as he doubled over, head resting on the table as his shoulders shook. Javy glanced at the state his captain was in before cracking a smirk at the others, the group immediately realising what he was up to. "Oh, mix ups are funny."

"Maverick!"

"Yes, sir?" For once, the man didn't tense up or anything around a higher up, the admiral also relaxing almost immediately.

"Your planes are ready to take you lot home. Be safe!" He called over his shoulder before leaving, Pete nodding as he and his team finished up their breakfast and headed to the landing zone where they climbed into their F-18s, ready to head home.

"But I am curious..." Bob started after a while of just silent flying except for the occasional check in to make sure there were no enemy planes in the area, "was Viper a dick at times?" Pete wheezed, struggling to control his jet as his shoulders shook. One for me, Bob thought victoriously. So in total that's... one for Hangman, one for Coyote, and one for me. "Hey, Phoenix, Payback, Fanboy?"

"Yeah, Bob?" Reuben asked.

"Four words: step up your game." Jake and Javy – both getting at what Bob means – grinned. The others groaned while the captain had completely ignored their interaction in favour of trying to calm down from the laughing spree he had suffered from that morning. God, I am not used to laughing so much anymore, he groaned, hand going to rub his hurting sides. "Everything alright, Mav?"

"Yea, just not used to laughing so much," he replied, finally having calmed down completely. "Now let's just focus on getting home, we have a kid to spoil." Cheers and sounds of agreement were heard over the radio as the planes sped up, heading in the direction of Top Gun Academy.