Half an hour later

(Key’s Office)

“Well, I am glad to welcome you to the ship, hopefully you will enjoy flying in our squadron. You have been placed in Squadron 17, one of our fighter squadrons. In this squadron, you have been placed in ‘Black Wings’, which is the F-16 sector of the squadron. Do you have any questions?” Key stood up from his desk, watching the face of the young pilot opposite him. Lee Seungri, age 24, fresh out of fighter pilot school and looking cocky as hell. Key smiled knowingly, Taeyang, Jiyong, TOP, Daesung, Bom and Dara would take this rookie down a notch.

“Oh, almost forgot to mention. I believe you know that this is a mixed squadron.” Seungri nodded, this was Key’s favourite part of briefing newbies. “IF I EVER HEAR OR SEE OF ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES MY MANY RULES I WILL HAVE YOU DISHONARUBLEY DISCHARGED AND THE ENTIRE SQUADRON DISBANDED! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? IF NOT GET THE HELL OFF MY SHIP AND YOU WILL NEVER SET FOOT ON A CARRIER AGAIN!” Seungri leaned right back in his chair, trying to get as far away from the wrath of Key.

“MY RULES INCLUDE ANY HARRASMENT OR ‘UNDERCOVERS’ ACTIVITY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” Key was still blasting away; it took some serious yelling to get it through to these ‘hotshot’ pilots. Key finished his lecture and hoped it would at least be a week before this guy turned up in the squad room sporting a broken nose, courtesy of Dara, Bom or Jiyong. It was a regular occurrence that Key ignored after a while, as a mixed squadron they had slightly more leniency than any other squadron on the ship. But not too much.

“Taeyang, I believe you can come in now and remove your earplugs, I have finished yelling.”

Taeyang opened thee door and walked into Key’s office, “Hi, I’m Taeyang, your squadron leader. It’s always good to have fresh wings on the team. Your planes in garage 2, we’ll have it put on the flight deck later. But first, do you want to meet the rest of your squad?” It was a rhetorical question but Seungri gave Taeyang a look that said Taeyang should be honoured that he had even considered answering Taeyang’s question.

“That might be a good idea, it’s always nice to see who I need to beat, to up my ranking.” Seungri stood and sighed, “Are we going to get on with it any time soon?” Taeyang clicked his jaw to relieve his anger and threw a very fake smile on his face.

“Let’s get on our way then, if you’d just like to step outside while I confer with Key about some details regarding your plane.” Seungri stepped outside and Taeyang shut the door.

“Do not tell me knew this kid was a , because honestly I don’t think any of us have done anything bad enough to warrant a rookie like this. Including Jiyong or Dara or any of us!” Taeyang ran his hands through his mohawk, “Damn it Key, I can’t deal with that,” He pointed at the door which Seungri was standing behind. “For more than a couple of weeks, and you know I’m the most patient one in the whole squad. Hell Dara’s gonna break hi…  I mean yell at him.”

“Don’t worry, I know your squad’s reputation for idiots who push MY rules. He is a complete who ignored my lecture and doesn’t respect authority in the slightest, hell even Jiyong respects my rank, and yours.”

The smirk that grew on Taeyang’s face said he knew exactly what to do. “Let’s introduce him to the squad. Promise no action if he complains to you. Tell him its initiation.”  Key looked at Taeyang and nodded.

“Agreed.” Key now also sported a smirk.

Taeyang walked to the door and opened it to reveal a bored looking Seungri playing on an iPod. “Let’s go see the squad, I believe they are in the downstairs.” Taeyang couldn’t hide his smirk as Seungri rolled his eyes and muttered. “Finally.”

The pair headed downstairs, Taeyang trying to make small talk but nothing could coerce Seungri to talk apart from monosyllabic answers of ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘yeah’. Taeyang gave up after two staircases and they continued on in silence.

“Welcome to the Squadron 17’s fighter pilot only room.” Taeyang opened the door, which was covered with the symbols of the two halves of the squadron, a pair of black angels wings and a large poster of a ‘Hell Cats’ cheerleader (football team). The inside of the door had recently been personalised by Dara and Bom during a rest day, pictures of the Black Wings posing in-front of their planes, pulling aegyo faces on a shore leave and a photo of the whole squadron posing, dressed up, at a bar to celebrate Daesung joining the squad. Seungri ran his eyes over all this and looked back at Taeyang with a raised eyebrow.

“Dara and Bom get bored easy, and since they both thrashed me and Jiyong at Call of Duty we figured they could do something more productive that didn’t impact on Ji’s and my pride.” Taeyang looked at the picture covered door and smiled.

“I am shocked that they even let girls join fighter pilot school, after all, females can’t handle the level of training or have the same endurance as males.” This was the first time Taeyang had heard Seungri actually attempt conversation and it wasn’t looking good at all.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind when you meet ours.” The shock on Taeyang’s face was easily recognisable and Seungri replied with a derisive snort.

“Taeyang is that you? What did Key say, did we get our ’s kicked or did you cover us?” TOP’s deep voice called over the conversation that had been occurring between the squad.

“Key said nothing about what any of you were doing, which I assume was checking out bars? Guys I’d like you to meet our new squad member, Lee Seungri.” Taeyang and Seungri had now moved into the centre of the room and were surrounding by the other squad members of Black Wings.

“Hi, I’m Seunghyun but call me TOP, my call sign is Sea Eagle. It’s good to have a newbie on the squad, Daesung can stop cleaning up the squad room now.” TOP offered his hand that Seungri shook.

“Daesung, call sign Free Fall. Nice to meet you.” Hands were offered and shook.

“Jiyong but call me G.Dragon. First time on a carrier?” Jiyong offered his hand and Taeyang; standing behind Seungri shook his head. Jiyong had an incredible amount of hand muscle, coming from 11 years of martial arts. Jiyong offered back an almost imperceptible nod. He wouldn’t test Seungri, not yet anyway.

“Yeah, looks like it’s gonna be some fun, landing on a deck like that.” Seungri smiled, finally coming out his shell, surrounded by welcoming faces and fellow pilots.

“Dara, call sign Angel. I’m not by the way. Always good to have fresh blood on the team. “ She offered her hand and surprisingly, Seungri shook it. None of his previous speech appeared in the way he did it either. Taeyang looked suspicious, something was off. Until, in the true spirit of Joey Tribiani from ‘Friends’, Seungri replied,

“How you doin’?”

“Taeyang,” Jiyong almost growled the name.

“Key says all bets are off, he and I are both turning a blind eye. Feel free.” Taeyang actually wanted to see this kid’s nose broken but he wandered over and began to look at a poster he’d seen a thousand times before.

The smile on Bom’s face was fake, very much so, but she ignored Seungri’s previous statement and offered her hand. “Hi, I’m Bom. The umma of this lil’ team. My call sign’s Wild Cat. Lovely to meet you.” Seungri ignored the proffered hand and ran his eyes up and down Bom. Then his bottom lip.

Bad idea.

“That’s it, we’re heading outside Taeyang, be back shortly.” Jiyong spoke the words with anger in his voice. No one talked to his girls like that on this ship. No one.

He nodded at TOP and they each grabbed under Seungri’s arms, lifted him and walked out the door. He was then slammed against a nearby wall in a deserted corridor. TOP and Jiyong held him down.

“Speak to me like that again and I’ll rip off your balls and shove them down your throat.” Dara was almost spitting on Seungri’s face she was so close. Bom placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Hey, let’s all calm down a bit ok. I’m sure Seungri wanted to see just how far he could push us. Right Seungri?” Bom was giving him a way out but Seungri blatantly ignored the escape option.

“No. Girls can’t be fighter pilots, they’re too weak, and silly, and can’t be trained properly. it up you two, quit and you could married and have some nice bloke’s babies.” He switched his gaze from Dara to Bom. “Maybe, if I feel real nice, mine.”

The normally calm Bom snapped. “Get this idiot away from me. Get him off this ship, or I’ll kill him I swear.” Bom had her hand ready to throw a punch, and a damn heavy one at that.

“That’s it. Jiyong, I believe you Daesung and I need to have a chat with our new squad member. In the gym. Now.” TOP looked like he was prepared to throw this guy into the jet wash of his plane.

“Girls, back down. We’ll handle it from here.” Jiyong looked like he was ready to make this guy mincemeat.

“Break his nose for me,” Dara whispered to Jiyong. Then with a look at Seungri, just to screw with his head. “Babe.”

Jiyong shot her a questioning look then smiled. “Sure darling, I’ll see you later.” He then winked suggestively while watching for Seungri’s reaction. The rookie was shocked, after all the yelling he’d got from Key, these lot were screwing around behind his back.

“Gym, we’ll be back later.” TOP, still carrying Seungri sauntered off in the direction of in the direction of the gym. Jiyong followed carrying Seungri’s other shoulder.

Twenty minutes later an aggravated, bruised and broken nosed Seungri staggered into Key’s office. “I was assaulted by Jiyong, TOP and Daesung. Also Jiyong and that Dara are sleeping around, against your clearly pointed out rules. I want them off this ship and in-front of a court.”

“No, this is you learning your place. If you ever speak to me like that again I will have you court marshalled for disobedience. Your squad has put you in your place. Get out of my office and always, always FOLLOW MY RULES!” Key was yelling again, face a furious red and pointing at Seungri then at the door.

The still damaged Seungri bolted out Key’s office with Key standing at the door yelling after him, “I never want to see you in here again.”

Back in the squad room Seungri looked shaken, “Been ripped out by Key, hey?” Jiyong leaned on the wall beside Seungri who nodded. “We all have, at some point or another. You got beat cause you’re like me. Resents authority, thinks you’re a hotshot, can pull any girl you like and has ‘Key’ issues.” Jiyong offered his fist; Seungri fist bumped it with his own. “I think we’re gonna get along just fine. But keep your eyes off Bom and your hands off both of them. We’re protective of our girls. Oh, and Dara and I were playing you earlier, we wouldn’t push Key’s rules, not that far anyway.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna get along fine.” Seungri smiled.

“Welcome to the Black Wings.” The rest of the squadron appeared and one by one clapped the rookie on the back.