#Ethan’s mad dad lore that he drops every so often

[snapghoul]

If you spin it, then you get to see both sides

More of Bradley and his weird IMF uncle + the daggers.

Note: Decided to separate the Seresin twins au from this just this once. Do not fear the boys will return.

Warnings: none

Song: double life - Pharrell Williams

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“Rooster, why is Penny hugging Mav like she didn’t see him yesterday?” Halo asked, leaning around the pillar near the pool and dart board to catch a glimpse of Penny enveloping Mav in a tight embrace.

“Did something happen? Is he okay?” she continued, her tone protective. The other eleven Daggers turned their heads, confusion etched on their faces. Bradley raised an eyebrow, squinting.

No, that wasn’t Maverick. The plain, nondescript jacket was a dead giveaway, starkly different from Mav’s signature brown patch-bombed one. The hair was flatter, less spiky. This wasn’t his godfather—this was Ethan.

“That’s Ethan,” Bradley said, shrugging casually. He had become so accustomed to Ethan’s random appearances that he took pride in distinguishing between the two. “Mav will be here soon; wherever one is, the other usually follows.”

Just then, Mav appeared right beside his brother, and Bradley gestured dramatically, realizing he’d jinxed himself.

The Daggers all turned to Mav, bewilderment in their eyes. “Ethan?” Hangman drawled. “You’re telling me Pops has a twin?”

“Obviously, Bagman,” Harvard shot back with a smirk, earning a playful smack on the arm from Hangman, who just missed him. Laughter erupted around them.

“I thought Mav was an only child,” Payback said, leaning against the pool table next to Coyote. “But they seem pretty close, so I’m ruling out family drama.”

“It’s just him and Ethan. E travels a lot for work, but he’s around more than you’d think,” Bradley explained, tapping his pool cue on the floor as Hangman lined up his shot. “He’s like a ghost—one minute he’s there, the next he’s gone. It’s wild. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped by Mav’s and he’s just… sitting there.”

The group soaked up this new information eagerly. Learning anything about Mav was like candy to them; they relished the opportunity.

“What does he do?” Halo asked softly, and the Daggers scrambled to appear casual as the duo approached.

“I don’t know,” Bradley admitted, shaking his head. To this day, he had no clue what Ethan did.

Like a specter, Ethan materialized by the pool table, smiling, with Mav trailing behind carrying drinks. Ethan noticed the bewildered expressions on the squad’s faces and chuckled. “I see my brother hasn’t introduced me. I’m Ethan.”

Before anyone could respond, Ethan swiped Bradley’s pool cue with a mischievous grin and racked the balls with practiced precision, effectively sabotaging Hangman’s shot. Hangman threw his hands up in frustration, and Ethan smirked.

“You could’ve won the game two moves ago—snooze you lose,” he teased, causing the Daggers to gasp in mock outrage.

“Pops, I don’t like him,” Hangman declared with an exaggerated tone, but laughter bubbled up from everyone, the camaraderie warming the room.

Bonus:

“So, are you a pilot too?” Fanboy asked when he spotted Ethan at Mav’s summer cookout. He hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to him last time.

“Oh no, I was in the Army before I retired. Now I just do government work,” Ethan replied with a smile, feeling he could share more but kept the details to himself. He already had Pete worrying about him; he didn’t need to give them more to think about.

“Though I have flown a helicopter. It’s a lot easier than it looks,” he added, and Fanboy’s eyes lit up.

“So you have your license?”

“No.”

Fanboy blinked, caught off guard by the casual response. He opened and closed his mouth, struggling to formulate a reply. “But you said you flew a helicopter…”

“Yes, once.”