Set & Match

SET AND MATCH by Terry Winder

Disclaimer: I don't own them and my life would be so different if I did.

Synopsis: Another Steel and Vixen story. "You smiled and then the spell was cast."

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This was all Terrific's fault.

Mari was sure that J'onn would have assigned Green Lantern to this type of mission with her, but not this new guy, Mister Terrific. She felt she was assigned with Steel because she and Green Lantern were no longer a couple. Well, maybe that wasn't the only reason for this pairing, but it sure seemed suspicious to her.

"What? Did the Green Lantern tell you not to assign me to his missions?" she complained to Terrific, when he informed her of the assignment. She'd cornered him at the command console on the Watchtower and he didn't look happy about defending his decision. She was determined she wasn't going to make it easy for him either. She folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot while waiting for an answer.

"None of the founding members influence my decisions regarding assignments," he answered flatly. "None!" He glared at her as he continued. "Nor does the love life of any member sway assignments. The only thing I look at is whether or not the powers of the team members compliment each other enough to make the mission a success. It's foolish to use a nuclear bomb to kill a fly. It's foolish to use more power than necessary to get the job done."

She stopped her foot tapping, but didn't say anything. Her eyes narrowed when he added, "Frankly, I think you were misapplied in some previous assignments and I think this assignment corrects that."

"Misapplied?" she snapped. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Since you asked, I'll tell you. But it is clear to me that you didn't read the after-action reports of your previous missions, otherwise you'd know," he smirked. "None of the reports, except one, show that you made any significant contribution to the success of the mission. That doesn't mean you didn't help, but it means others on your team were able to do what you did and they often did it as well as you."

"So I'm useless? Is that what you're saying?" she huffed.

Mister Terrific arched an eyebrow then narrowed his eyes. "Don't look for fire where there is no smoke. It simply means that you should be part of a two-man team or work by yourself. And that's the way I will assign you in the future." He folded his arms across his chest before adding, "Unless you prefer to continue to work as somebody's sidekick."

"Sidekick!! You...You..." She didn't finish, but instead growled and stormed off.

Sidekick! What nerve of this jerk. I'm nobody's damn sidekick and I don't need this crap.

She didn't want to take this out on Steel, but she didn't need any of them. She knew she would have no problem working with him and on many levels looked forward to this assignment. After all, John Irons was a good man; a very good man and they'd recently become close, not intimate, but very, very close. This first mission with Steel had her on edge and the edge was never a good place for Mari to be.

Still, Steel wasn't John Stewart and she missed knowing Stewart was at her side. She missed others knowing that he was there with her. It might seem shallow, but she really liked being seen with the Green Lantern and she missed that. Wait. Isn't that the very definition of a sidekick? Maybe I've been delegated to sidekick status by J'onn and didn't know it. Did John know? Dammit! Doesn't matter!

She was going to prove Terrific wrong. She was no one's 'junior partner.' This was a routine robbery at a computer chip storage warehouse down by the docks in Metropolis. She could do this one on her own. She didn't need help and she'd show all of them in the League just that. Sidekick, my ass!

xxxxxxx

The silent alarms in the facility had already gone off. The police were outside waiting for the criminals to exit, but after they'd discovered that Shade and Colonel Computron were inside, the police had requested the help of the League.

Mari and Steel materialized next to the warehouse within sight of the police. There was a window in the front of the building and a closed bay door large enough to drive a small truck through. Next to the bay door was a regular sized door. She and Steel positioned themselves beside the window where they could not be seen from inside. Mari pressed her totem and channeled the ability of a reptile to sense heat. She placed her hand on the warehouse window.

"There are five inside. One is on the floor, not moving, probably the guard," she whispered to Steel. "That means Shade, Computron and maybe two thugs."

Steel nodded. "There's a skylight on the roof. I'll go in first through the skylight and you come in through the front door. We'll take them out quick, okay?"

She shook her head. "I should go in first and you back me up." I'm not a sidekick.

"Look," he said. "I don't want to argue about this, but we both know that plan makes no sense. I'm the one who's almost invulnerable. I'll draw their fire, you finish them up."

She frowned and said nothing.

"I'm coming in through the skylight in fifteen seconds. Start counting," he said before he rose skyward toward the roof.

Mari quickly moved around to the front of the warehouse and pressed her totem again to assume the strength of an elephant. She'd silently been counting. When she reached ten, she barged in through the front door with a loud crash.

One of the two toadies inside the warehouse opened up on her with a hail of machine gun fire.

"Dammit," Mari said as she dived behind one of the nearby crates. I'm not going to hear the end of this.

Just then, Steel crashed through the skylight and the other thug opened fire on him. Steel fired his laser cannon at the feet of the shooter who had Mari pinned down. The blast bowled the crook over; he fired in the air as he fell down. The rounds bounced off of Steel as he focused his attention on Shade.

Mari, using the speed of a cheetah, raced up to the thug still firing at Steel and with one punch knocked the man down. Then assuming the strength of a gorilla, she grabbed him by the shirt collar and with one slap, rendered the frightened man unconscious. The other crook got up and started to flee toward the front door. She gave chase.

"Duck!" Steel screamed at her.

"I got this one," Mari hollered back. "You get that snake."

Steel yelled, "I said duck! Now!!"

She'd caught up with the fleeing crook and threw him and herself to the floor just as Steel's hammer whizzed above her head and struck Colonel Computron in the chest, denting his armor. Computron fell backwards as the blow of the hammer rendered him unconscious. It was then that she realized that Computron had gotten behind her when she came in through the front door, and that the fleeing crook was actually leading her into an ambush. Colonel Computron had a clear shot at her and had he fired, she'd be dead now.

She was silent for a moment as she contemplated what could have happened and then remembered the crook at her at her feet. She swiftly knocked him out and looked back at Steel.

Shade had enveloped Steel in shadow darkness. Pressing her totem, she channeled the echolocation senses of a fruit bat and ran right up to Shade through the darkness and broke his cane.

Shade ran for the door. As the darkness quickly dissipated, Steel flew after Shade, picked him up by the back of his coat, and flew the squirming man through the door Mari had broken down. Steel dropped the terrified Shade off in the arms of the waiting police. Then Steel swooped down to retrieve his hammer and landed near Mari.

Mari lowered her head to avoid Steel's gaze as she picked up the two toadies and carried them outside to the police. Steel carried the still unconscious Colonel Computron outside and deposited him inside a waiting paddy wagon.

Mari sighed. Yeah they'd caught the bad guys as Lantern would say, but this hadn't been a good outing. She could have gotten killed or worse gotten Steel injured because she wanted to prove that she could work alone. Now she worried that Steel probably wouldn't want to work with her again.

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They'd returned to the Metro Tower in silence. Irons knew he had to say something to her before she got herself killed.

Upon entering the building, they accessed a computer terminal and contacted Mr. Terrific in the Watchtower.

"How'd it go?" Terrific asked looking at Vixen on the vu-screen. She glanced at Irons, but before she could speak, Irons spoke.

"It went very well. Easy mission," Irons said. He looked at Mari who looked stunned. "Vixen," Irons continued. "I know you said you wanted to do the report, but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to do it. I need the practice."

Mari frowned. Irons smiled at her and then turned back to the video image. "I'm glad you put us together," Irons said to Terrific. "I don't know how Vixen feels about it, but I'd like for you to consider teaming us up again in the future. I thought we worked great together."

Vixen's jaw dropped.

Terrific didn't say anything, but continued to look at Vixen suspiciously. Irons gently tapped her shoulder. "Vixen," he said. "Can I get a moment of your time before you go? I need some info on that takedown you did on Shade for the report. Why don't we use one of the conference rooms here?"

Irons then turned back to the screen and said, "I'll have the report ready in the morning. Thanks again. Steel out." He terminated the transmission. At that moment, he was glad that Terrific couldn't read minds like the Martian.

Irons stepped forward and then looked back at Vixen. She reluctantly followed him to the nearest meeting room.

She said nothing until they got inside the room.

The room was empty and that suited Irons just fine. He locked the door behind them.

"Sit down!" he said. His tone was direct and pointed. She's going to hear this whether she likes it or not.

She glared at him, but eventually sat down. He sat down next to her.

"Look," he said sharply. "I don't know what you were trying to prove back there, but you don't have to prove anything to me. Do you understand that? Now listen up. When I say 'duck,' it means 'get down now!'"

"Look, Steel," she said flatly. "I don't need you to look out for me. I don't need someone to hover over me. I had that guy. "

Hmmm. Steel, not John, huh? And which guy did you have? The crook? Or are you referring to John Stewart hovering over you? Okay, Irons. If it's going to go bad, then it goes bad now.

He took his helmet off and set it on the table in front of him, then leaned toward her.

"Yeah, I know you had one," he said softly. "But I was trying to get the one I saw maneuver behind you when I came in through the skylight. You know, like they taught you in Justice League 101, trust your team mates and that kind of stuff."

He paused and leaned back in his seat. "I know you don't like being on teams, but when you go out on a mission with me, I want you to know I have your back." And I don't need a power ring to make sure you're safe.

There was anger in her voice as she answered him. "Yeah. I'll remember that the next time." She leaned back in the chair and folded her arms across her chest.

He shook his head. "No! You remember that now! I have your back because I know you can do the job, not because I fear you can't. The next time you might get hurt and I wouldn't want...."

He stopped. This is wrong and it's not registering with her. John Irons, you are such a rock.

He looked her in the eyes. His tone softened. "Is there something wrong? I mean, did something distract you out there today? You know, if this is about the other night, I'm sorry. I've never cooked with white pepper before and I know I put too much on the eggs. I can bring a can of black pepper the next time I come over." He smiled at her. "Assuming there is a next time."

She didn't return the smile. "It's not about the other night." She lowered her head and then looked back into his eyes. "Well, yes, maybe it is."

"I knew it," he grinned. That's not it, but now maybe she'll talk.

She flashed a quick smile then frowned. "No, you didn't. The eggs were fine, spicy, but okay. No, that's not it." She paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Everybody around here tells me they know me. They tell me they know what's best for me, that they're only thinking about my best interests." Her frown got deeper as she shook her head. "None of these people here know anything about me. Not a single thing!"

I know Green Lantern did a hat dance on your heart and you won't trust anyone for a long time.

Irons nodded slowly and held her hand. He was relieved that she didn't yank it away. He gazed into her eyes. "Here's what I know. I know that I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I know I miss the sound of your voice when I don't hear it. I know that I want to partner with you on assignments." He paused before adding. "I know you're not over the Green Lantern and that you're afraid that I won't treat you any better than he did; so you don't want to get serious because you don't want to get hurt."

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing. He held her hand a little tighter.

"I know I'm not in competition with him for your heart," he said softly. "He doesn't want it and I do. You're not some trophy to me. I don't need to be seen with you. I need to be with you. I know the difference and you should too. I know you're someone I care about. A lot."

There was a wisp of a smile on her face. Go for broke, man. "Mari, I know the brand of cat food you feed your kitten. I know that you graduated in the top twenty percent of your class. I know that you've been hurt by family and that you had to hurt family in order to do the right thing. I know I won't ever be afraid to tell you how I really feel about you when you're ready to hear it." His smile broadened. "Is there anything else you think I should know about you?"

She wet her lips, shook her head and suddenly broke out into a laugh. She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "Wow," she grinned. "You know the cat food brand, huh? So who are you really? The Question or Batman?"

He resisted the urge to laugh and instead concentrated on flattening his expression. "Just someone who is really interested in you. The real you."

She removed her hand from his and cleared her throat. "John, I...I don't know what to say."

He wasn't going to let her finish that thought. "Then don't say anything," he said. "Except that you want to trust me. Then give me a chance to earn that trust. Completely."

She smiled again and he realized how much he liked her smile. "Okay," she said. "You know, they make a wonderful egg dish that's almost like a Denver omelet in La Paz, Mexico. We could be there tonight." Her voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper and for a moment, for very brief moment, Irons wanted to hear that voice ardently speak his name, speak his name in a moment of passion.

He stood and shook his head at her. "Nope."

She stood and looked at him curiously. "Huh? I'm talking about spending the night in Mexico."

He grabbed his helmet and placed it under his arm. He smirked at her. "Mari, I'm not stupid. I read you and I know what you're saying, what you're offering, but you'll never trust me if you don't know me. You're no trophy to me and I won't be one for you."

Her jaw dropped.

"Here's what I'm thinking for this evening," he said quietly. "There's this small place off of Broaden Street in Metropolis with great atmosphere that sells the best food concoction I've ever had. It's a combination of chopped spaghetti, spicy chili, onions, shredded cheese and oyster crackers, all tossed together and served in a cup. Throw in a cold beer and it's absolutely great! The owner plays real easy jazz from CDs over his sound system. When I come in, he plays Etta James just for me." He grinned at her. "She's one of my favorites and now you know something about me."

Mari's eyes brightened, as she stood a little closer to him. "Etta James? Do you think he has her CD 'At Last'?"

Irons laughed. "You mean the song that says: 'At last my love has come along.'"

Mari just grinned, but said nothing.

He put his helmet back on and escorted her out of the conference room. "I'm sure," Irons said, "he's got it and he'll play it as often as you want."

And as often as we both need to hear it.

END