#Slider: So Ice tell me you adopted an entire class of TG graduates

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TOP GUN COUNTRY AU! PT.2: COUNTRY BOOGALOO

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*The class of 86’ got to witness young Mav’s toss-ability at the O Club, so it’s only fair that, as their successors, the baby pilots get to see it too at the Hard Deck."

Let’s just say Slider did NOT make a good first impression on his new nieces and nephews 😅.

It started as a typical night of drinking at the Hard Deck. It’s been about a week or so since the Uranium Mission, and the kids are hanging around the pool tables. Every pilot called back to TOP GUN is still there as the higher-ups haven’t decided what to do with them yet.

(And they are afraid to bring up the topic to Admiral Kazansky again after he sent that 2 star-admiral running away from his office with his tail tucked between his legs and looking one second away from shitting himself. *it was not Cyclone and Warlock)

So, for now, the baby pilots are enjoying their leave by drinking some good-ass beer and enjoying each other’s company.

They all are a fond sight around the base for everyone who works there. It’s rare for someone on staff to see Captain Mitchell walking around and not be accompanied by one to two of his students trailing behind him like ducklings. Warlock almost burst out laughing once when a visiting Admiral had to do a double take when he saw a giant moving mass of 12 Naval Pilots on the Tarmac and then saw the tiny 5’7 figure of Maverick somewhere in the middle before disappearing from view because he’s shorter than most of them. It was all thanks to a well placed elbow nudge in the side from Beau that saved his career.

So yeah, just a funky lil old pilot and his 12 adopted naval pilots.

While the Daggers are chatting, a tall man (6’2) walks in wearing aviator sunglasses and a leather G-1 Jacket. He’s wearing a lot of patches, but it’s hard to determine what each of them is.

The jacket catches Bob’s eyes, and he points out the guy to the rest of the squad, who turns to look at him. They all watch as he looks around the room and before his eyes land on  Maverick who’s sitting at the bar, chatting with Penny. He starts walking towards Mav slowly, looking like he’s trying to sneak up on Mav. Fanboy, with narrowed eyes, quietly says the guy looks like a lion stalking its prey. Now, normally, a comment like that would get a laugh out of some of the pilots, but they’ve all got a bit too much alcohol in their systems. Instead, they all tense, and now everyone is watching this guy like a hawk.

The kids watch as the guy lunges at their Mavdad from behind and gets him in a bear hug. Then he drags Mav off the stool, who lets out a startled cry, and suddenly, the entire squadron is on their feet.

But they all relax but don't stop watching when the man starts spinning him around in a circle, laughing.

They all have the same thought running through their heads.

"Aight, cool, this guy must be a friend of Captain dad. I wonder how long it's been since they've seen each - OH MY GOD!” – and then proceed to go into smoke in the air panic mode as the unknown man fucking launches Mav HIGH into the air. Like this man almost touches the mug display on the ceiling.

The kids go into full-on – frothing at the mouth – protective mode and are already making their way over with Phoenix and Hangman leading the charge.  The guy catches Mav easily, and the kids breathe a sigh of relief. But then they see this guy is winding up for another pitch and are like – “I think the fuck NOT!”. They’ve got this MF’s ass in a radar lock.

No, this was no man.

This was a boogie - an ENEMY - and they’ve got tone.

The Guy and Mav turn to see the approaching Daggers, and the guy puts Mav down but keeps his hands on Mav’s hips. Mav lights up at the sight of his students and opens his mouth.

“Hey, guys! I’ve got someone I want you to me-”

But his kids don’t hear a word he is saying. They are all gone; they’ve gone completely raptor feral.

Phoenix is the first to land an attack. She jumps on the guy’s back and latches on to him like a spider monkey. She gets her forearm against the front of his neck and pulls hard; Penny says later that he sounded like a dying horse, even if Slider disagrees.

She gets the Boogie to let go of Mav’s hips, and Coyote quickly picks him up and cradles the old aviator in his arms while Bob and Fritz check him for injuries. With Mav safely out of harm’s way, the rest of the kids go in for the kill.

Hangman dives in for the tackle, grappling the man around his waist and pushing overboard out the front door of the Hard Deck. Rooster runs to the door and holds it open allowing the screaming trio out onto the sand, the rest of the kids follow closely behind screaming bloody murder.

Phoenix and Hangman try to wrestle the man down on the ground, but he isn’t giving up and fights back with all he’s got. He’s thrashing around, kicking up sand, and prying Phoenix off his back. She looks like she’s riding a raging mechanical bull. He’s not ready for the full force of a flying Rooster tackling him, and the Tree of a man goes down.

Then out of nowhere, a volley of pool noodles starts raining down on the Boogie.

Somehow, the other pilots had each found a pool noodle lying around and were now wielding them like baseball bats.

The Boogie gives up on trying to phoenix off him and brings his hands up to defend him. He’s able to rip Fanboy’s pool noodle out of his hands and whacking them back.

Fanboy runs off because he spots something out of the corner of his eye. When he comes running back into view, he’s holding a giant Eagle Floaty high above his head and screaming like Tarzan.

The Boogie’s eyes go wide, and he tries to escape harder, but it is hard for him when he keeps getting whacked in the head with a pool noodle.

They’ve got this guy on the ropes, and the guy is basically beaten into the ground.  He’s pinned down by the combined strength of Rooster, Hangman, and Phoenix. Fanboy stands over their downed foe, ready to deliver the final blow via plastic eagle.

“Lieutenants, stand down!”

And everyone freezes in mid-motion, the direct order from a commander officer unable to be ignored.

Phoenix still has the guy in a headlock. Hangman’s got his arms wrapped around the guys legs, holding him down.

Rooster’s half lying on top and half holding down the man’s torso.

Payback, Omaha, Halo, Harvard, and Yale all have paused mid-swing of their pool noodles.

Fanboy has the giant eagle float high above his head, ready to dive bomb straight into the man’s face.

At the entrance of the Hard Deck, stands Maverick, looking at all of them in shock. Behind him are Coyote, Fritz, and Bob who try to drag Mav back into the bar so they can fuss over him.

Hangman: Pops, go back inside; we’ve got this motherfucker handled.”

(-What! Who’re you calling a motherfucker-)

Maverick: While I do agree he is a fucker (-HEY-), he’s a fucker I would like intact and without a concussion.

Mav turns to look at the beaten man and says, “You okay, Slider?”

The Man glares at Mav - “Just fucking peachy, Pete.”

Mav winces at the use of his first name.

The rest of the pilots ready their noodles for another swing cause no one talks to their Mavdad like that!

Then Rooster just stops and stares at the guy. Mav called him Slider, which definitely sounds like a callsign. And it sounds familiar. Why does he feel like he should recognize that name?

…………..

“Oh Shit, Uncle Slider?!???”

And the rest was history.

———————-

Needlessly to say, Mav was apologizing for the rest of the night while holding an ice pack against the side of Slider’s head while he nursed a free beer, courtesy of Penny.

The baby pilots all apologize too, and to Mav, they sounded sincere, but Slider can see them all glaring at him over Mav’s shoulder, though Rooster’s is less heated. It doesn’t help his case when he glares right back. It also doesn’t help when he slides his arm around Mav’s waist and pulls him flush against his side.

Mav just snuggles into his friend’s side, completely unaware his kids are plotting out Slider’s death using hand gestures so his friend can see precisely how they’ll do it.

Mav does eventually explain what the tossing was able and Rooster’s all like, “Oh yeah! I forgot all about that.” Slider just throws his hands up in the background.

Slider is peeved that he got attacked by Mav’s adopted horde, but Mav gives him a …..proper apology…….if you catch my drift, later that night.

And that’s the story of Slider first met and almost died by the hands and pool noodles of his new nieces and nephews. Sufficient to say, the retired RIO was immediately placed squarely in the category of Favorite Uncle the Daggers like to fuck with. It’s done with love tho.

An artist's (Fritz's) rendition of the climactic battle:

*Slider was not amused*

#Slider had called Mav to tell him he was going to be in town #and Mav was ecstatic. #He’s missed his tall friend and Mav’s been vibing with the need to show off his kids like a proud father. #He seems like the type of dad to have a photo of every one of his kids in his wallet proudly displayed in one of those chain plastics. #Slider: So Ice tell me you adopted an entire class of TG graduates #Mav: And so? #Slider: ………You’re so fucking spoiled. #Slider thinks Ice is whipped for his reckless husband even though Ice denies it. #Slider: Get your fucking pilots bitch! #Mav: They don’t bite. #Slider: *with three pairs of teeth latched onto his skin* YES #pete maverick mitchell #implied Icemav #ron slider kerner #penny benjamin #bradley rooster bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #jake hangman seresin #top gun maverick #and the rest of the baby aviators cause I'm too lazy to put all their names #top gun headcanons #top gun shitpost #country boy i love you au!