Red Bull

two

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"WHO'S PICKING ON COYOTE NOW?" [Enter Hangman.]

"Fellas, this right here is Bagman." Phoenix introduced, and I look up to see a blond man towering over me.

"Hangman." He corrects without missing a beat, surveying every pilot in our group.

"You already know Coyote. This is Payback and this is Fanboy." Natasha says to him, but she doesn't introduce me, which I don't mind since I just barely met her.

"And who's this?" Now this question is directed towards me.

"I'm Red Bull." I answer, I don't want to give him any more information about me, I don't like his body language or the way he acts. It had only been 30 seconds, I didn't trust him at all.

"Red Bull, huh?" Hangman asks. "I'm Jake Seresin."

I roll my eyes, and walk away, my eyes fixing for the bar.

By the way his friends are oohing at him, I doubt he's be shot down many times in the past.

I ask for a beer, and by the time I came back, the conversation had already moved on.

Phoenix wipes her mouth after tipping back her beer. "We're looking at the only naval aviator on active duty with a confirmed air to air craft." She says, saving me from Hangman's gaze.

Maybe I liked her better than I thought.

Hangman smirked, but didn't say anything, so I assumed it was true. But he was cocky, probably one of the most self absorbed people I have ever met.

I hated him right off the bat.

"But the other guy was in a museum piece from the Korean War." Fanboy says, clapping Payback on the back.

"Cold War." Hangman corrects.

Payback explains, "Different war, same century."

"Not this one." Coyote adds, and I fist bump him for his great comeback. Overall, I stay quiet, because I had never heard of Hangman, and I didn't want to open my mouth and look like a fool.

So I settled for looking around the bar, to distract myself.

My breath hitched when I hadn't noticed him sitting right there, next to where I was standing.

Robert 'Bob' Floyd.

After all this time... I haven't seen him since the naval academy. Which had been six years ago...

Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice his strange appearance.

"When did you get in?" Coyote asks the clueless looking pilot.

The blonde with glasses nervously explained, as everyone's attention was now on him, "I've been here the entire time."

"He's a stealth pilot." Hangman jokes.

My face scrunches up in displeasure when Hangman opens his mouth.

"I'm actually a weapons system officer." Bob explains.

"Are you the one flying with Phoenix?" Payback interrogated him.

He nods at the comment.

My heart turns over in jealousy, even though I know it should've have. Back at the naval academy, I had the fattest crush on him. He was nice and sweet, and everything that the other pilots weren't.