Spite is the Mind Killer (So Leave It on the Ground)

It will be worse...

"I mean, did you see them? They must be mind readers for sure, that was amazing," Fanboy seemed to be torn between mortified that he and Payback had been shot down in thirteen seconds and incredibly amazed by the fact that the pilots that had shot him and Payback down in thirteen seconds were admiral Kazansky and captain Mitchell.

"They were just going this, and then Maverick went like that so Iceman could go over him, it was so cool, man," Fanboy rambled on while reenacting the fight with his hands (poorly). Natasha, Hangman, Bob, Payback and Rooster looked at him and almost unanimously rolled their eyes.

"We know, Fanboy. It's not that you've not told us a dozen times already," Payback sighed, but he was smiling nonetheless. They were all in aw by the flying of the two older pilots (even Hangman, who still had to admit it publicly) and even Rooster had to admit he had been wrong before. He had something to learn from them, but he would do that, and beat them next time.

"You know what, Bradshaw? If the sun was not in the way I would have gotten them easily." Everyone (even Omaha and Halo who had been throwing darts before but had joined the group at the round table that was placed in the corner of the Hard Deck) raised their eyebrows, but Rooster decided not to take the bait and just wait to hear what Bagman really wanted to say.

"But you would have gotten them too,"

"You are giving me a compliment?" Rooster started skeptically, but Hangman hadn't heard it or ignored it at least.

"If you just had gotten a little bit faster."

"And there went the potential compliment," Rooster murmured. Only Nat seemed to have heard it and she smiled softly to him, which made him feel a little better (inside, because on the outside his muscles screamed from the ordeal he had put them to in the sky).

"The potential was there, right when you were in the canyon with Maverick after Iceman had veered off after absolutely decimating Payback and Fanboy over there." He flashed a grin to Fanboy, who tried to look offended, but was clearly still picturing the hop in his head so his grin broke through.

"I will note it for the next hop, Bagman. Right next to leaving your wingmen," Bradley sneered and he heard Bob chuckle. He readied himself for the inevitable comeback from Hangman, but it never came and Rooster sent a surprised glance to the other pilot. Hangman looked genuinely disappointed for a moment and Rooster wondered why, but the expression left Hangman's face too quickly to really ponder about it more.

"They didn't need me, did ya, Phoenix?" Hangman said with the sweetest voice. Natasha opened her mouth to toss something back, but realized she couldn't do that without either complimenting Hangman or lying and she closed it again, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"You wouldn't have made a difference even if you were there, Bagman," Bob added before sipping his apple juice like he hadn't just fixed that dilemma and burned someone (expertly) in the same sentence.

"I sure would have." Hangman said, but was that a slight hint of uncertainty there?

"We couldn't even see Iceman on the radar before it was too late, so you wouldn't have either," Bob said.

"Sorry, you did not see who now?" Fanboy piped in, interest written clearly on his face and dripping from his eager voice. He wasn't the only one interested though, since every pilot present at the table leaned in a bit closer towards the stealth pilot. Bob put down his apple juice and started explaining it with his hands (doing a much better job than Fanboy had).

"While Hangman was enjoying the sunshine somewhere far away, Phoenix and I were just barely keeping Maverick off our tail," he said while "flying" his two hands above the table.