Dagger Squad

Chapter 1

"Do you two know each other?"

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "No, Coyote and I just met a few minutes ago."

He nodded. "Well I don't know him. I just walked in here wondering what they were doing talking to a pretty lady like yourself, when this guy came up to me like we're best friends."

Coyote laughed, shaking his head. "We went to the naval academy together. Also went to boot camp at the same time." He revealed.

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, I gathered something like that."

Seresin shook his head. "Jokes are supposed to make people like you laugh."

"Luckily I'm not who you think I am."

Coyote chuckled.

"Natasha Trace. 'Phoenix'." She held out her hand.

He shook it. "Jake Seresin. I don't have a callsign."

"So are you a young guy?" Phoenix asked, brows furrowed.

He shook his head. "No, it's just that none of them stick. The only one that kinda did was 'ego', but that didn't work."

"That's surprising." Phoenix murmured.

Jake wasn't pleased with the comment.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get one after we see how terrible you fly." Phoenix said, walking over to sit back down in her previous spot.

"Bold of you to assume I'm a pilot." He said as he turned around to look at her.

Phoenix took the bottle off her lips as she watched Yale take a shot at the eight ball. "Well I know you're too egotistical and free to be a WSO."

Although, with what she had read with her new WSO, she wasn't too sure about that. But even without him, she knew that backseaters can be just as larger than life. She had seen and met plenty of them.

Jake shook his head with a laugh. "Right you are. Lucky for you, I'm a great flyer. So I'm sure my callsign won't end up being terrible."

Phoenix shook her head, never breaking eye contact with the game of pool. "We'll see about that."

The two males walked off to the bar as she turned around, looking to see more aviators and WSOs walk into the bar. Every one of them were in tan uniforms. Every one except one who walked in with a Hawaiian shirt on.

She snorted, knowing exactly who he was.

"Bradshaw." She murmured, shaking her head.

She turned back around with a sigh as he walked up to stand by her.

"Nice to see you here." He said.

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah."

"What? No other reply to that?"

She finally looked away from the game, looking up at him. "Nope." She said with a smile.

"Unbelievable." He commented as he walked over to the bar.

"Great to see you, Bradley."

"So, Phoenix." The man playing pool finally said. Natasha wasn't amused with the way he said her callsign, saying it like he was better than everyone else, like it was a forbidden thing to say.

"Yes?" She reluctantly replied.

She didn't want to end up having to give him all just to get him to communicate with her, but if it would help form a partnership, she would try her best.

"How'd ya land that one?"

"Funny with how you worded that," She chuckled. "Landed my plane with my tail on fire."