𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘 • ʳᵒᵇᵉʳᵗ ᶠˡᵒʸᵈ

chapter one !

"damn right." "damn straight." the men around the room responded. "only way we can get into that death wish." i mumbled. captain chuckled in response to my comment. then, he slammed the booklet into the trash can.

"so does your enemy."

i felt a shoe nudge at my right foot, and as i realized it was hangman's, i harshly kicked his foot away. "but what the enemy doesn't know your limits. i intend to find them, test them, push beyond." i crossed my arms, "sounds cozy." i heard bob scoff out a chuckle that was covered up as a coughing attack. i smirked, amused.

"today we'll start with what you only think you know. you show me what you're made of."

✯✯✯

dogfights.

now, those were my specialties. i used to make bets with my peers that if i could beat them in a dogfight, they would have to buy all my rounds.

i never paid for a single drink until i graduated.

i threw my helmet up in the air before catching it, throwing and catching, throwing and catching. my helmet was a golden yellow with bees all over, two white stripes from the right side all the way to the left and sharp black lightning bolts.

"this'll be no sweat for you." reuben joked, nudging me with his elbow. "what do you mean?" coyote questioned, looking down to me. surprisingly, bob spoke up. "she's never lost a dogfight. she was tipsy for most of naval academy from how many drinks people had to buy her."

i can't believe he remembered.

he looked at me with a cheeky smile, and i pointed to him with a laugh, "hey, hush your mouth !... at least, that's what you tell any authoritarian figure." the people around us laughed.

"you two went to naval academy together?" natasha raised an eyebrow. "yeah, we did. worst four years of my life with bobby here." i teased, shoving bob forward as my accent thickened just then. "yeah, could say the same." bob rolled his eyes at me with a sure smile.

i felt my cheeks heat up, my skin luckily too dark to tell. i looked at reuben instead, redirecting my attention.

...okay, i sorta, maybe, kinda had a crush on bob. okay, i totally did. but it's not like anyone knew... okay, maybe reuben did, but i made him pinky promise that that secret went to the grave with him. i had secretly liked him since we had first talked in naval academy, when i had found him in the corner of the bar on a random friday night in our freshman year. bob and i had always had a lot in common, and i just never had the nerve to bring it up to him.

so, i didn't, pushed those feelings down, and pretended i treated him like i would any other guy, like a friend.

"never lost a dogfight, huh?" coyote looked at me with a bold smirk. "from the first time i flew." i shrugged happily, my accent swiftly thinning back to it's normal american accent. "then i think it's time you lost." i cocked my head to the side, "first to fall covers the other's drinks for the night?" "deal." we strongly shook hands, and my body suddenly vibrated with even more adrenaline, like it was injected into my veins.

i wish i had had more honey.

as i started to turn on the plane, making sure everything was in check, i glanced over at brad, who was still conversing with captain, then over at natasha's plane. and instead of seeing natasha looking back at me, i saw bob staring at me. i slightly smiled and sent a small wave, but he quickly turned around before i could finish waving.