They Call Me the Coroner | Top Gun: Maverick

Piano and Thunder

I don't like bars. Controversial maybe, but I don't like them. I don't drink and the atmosphere is chaotic. Too many people out of their wits. I like small quiet places where I can curl up and hang out with just me, myself, and I.

I wouldn't have come, but this is where everyone is meeting so I figured I might as well.

I stand next to the pool table watching Jake throw a few darts at the board. He's still got it. Never missed one even with his eyes covered. I smirk as he and the other Navyman with him cheer for his success.

"If it isn't the skeleton herself. How's life in the graveyard, Bones?"

I glance around and spy the dark hair heading my way. Phoenix pops up with two others (Fanboy and Payback) from the graduating class trailing behind her. I smile and she holds her arms out for a hug. I reach around her  as Hangman makes his way over, a smirk on his face.

"I heard she's got a new name now." He eyes me, that pretty white smile glimmering in question.

"What is it?" Fanboy perks up behind Phoenix.

"Probably something ironic like 'sunshine' or 'daisy.'" Hangman smirks. They chuckle.

I let them calm down for a second. "It's Coroner now."

"And here I was thinking it was going to be warm and fuzzy." Phoenix laughs. "Never heard of a call sign change. How'd that happen?"

Before I try to find an excuse not to answer, Hangman puts an arm around me and pulls me close. I raise a brow as he scoffs.

"Doesn't really matter, does it? After all, she's still the same girl we all know and love." He pecks me on the temple. Eyes lazily scanning my face.

There's no way he could know. No one knows about why my name changed. At least...no one from here. But if somehow he-crap. I'm getting paranoid. I try my hardest to shrug off the suspicious feeling. Jake is just being Jake. Nothing else.

I roll my eyes and push away from him with a playful nudge. His eyes dart behind me and scan up and down. I look to find-

"Rooster! As I live and breathe." Hangman puts his arm around me again. Leaning on the pool table behind him, he pulls me back a little. Bradley raises a brow at us. I push away and lean against the wall next to Bob who introduced himself to me a little earlier.

Bradley's eyes squint a little with a sarcastic smirk.

"Hangman...you look good." He draws his lips into a line for a second.

"I am good, Rooster." He hits the cue ball without looking and winks at me. "I'm very good. I'm too good to be true."

"Bones, how have you been?" Bradley smiles over at me after greeting Phoenix.

I cross my arms and shrug. A smirk playing over my teeth when he glances down at the floor awkwardly.

I've always been good at making moments awkward.

"Well, I've been great. Thanks for asking." He bites his lip.

"They call her Coroner now." Hangman raises his brows. "Say what's your kill count now, babe? Three? Four?" He lazily looks me up and down.

"They call me Coroner for a reason, Bagman. Don't call me babe." I death glare him and his smile freezes. I glared harder than I'd meant to. "And kill count is about...11."

They all stare at me in shock.

"Well...you've been busy." Hangman scratches the back of his neck.

"Well, I don't sit around and wait for things to fall into my lap." I smirk.