There's no crying in the JLA! (Ollie)

[marvelous]

Metropolis. Home to countless thousands that streamed it's sidewalks, streets, buses and subway system several times daily, a great metropolitan newspaper and one man of steel that was faster than a speeding bullet. None of the above brought Mary Bromfield to town today. Thanks to one of her friends and teammates in the government organization, Mary had gotten a great deal on a brand spanking new, dark red, cranberry colored, really, Camaro and with the money she was pulling in now as an agent it was not much of a problem to find the room in her budget. It was more a necessity than a luxury anyway. In her line of work, many varying duties and tasks were involved, among them were the possibility of high speed chases in the name of the law and her old clunker was no longer capable of cutting the mustard, if it ever was.

Dressed in a blouse and matching skirt looking like she was fresher than a daisy, that wasn't the case much earlier this morning however. Haggard looking after 4 nights in a row over pulling overnight shifts on her employers oversized, floating vessel, she had found the time for not nearly enough shuteye during the day and had been on her last legs when her head hit the pillow at approximately 7 A.M. this morning.

Now it was quarter till 4 in the afternoon. A little over an hour before this car manufacturing company closed for the day and she was cutting it close considering how much time it would take to go through the paperwork, get the deal finalized, check the car out and get it out into the street. She'd be lucky to get it done before their scheduled closing time but there's no way they would turn her away at the risk of losing her business. She would think so anyway.

45 minutes she was in and out, the proud owner of a bouncing baby buggy. It was hers and she adored it. Perfect color and plenty of horsepower. The keys were in hand and the salesman had dismissed himself to let her unlock the driver's side door and cut out when the oddly familiar feeling one gets when they are being watched made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her hand slowly reached for the gun she had hidden in her purse but instead of alarm, mild surprise that turned to a look of relief was in her eyes when she turn around in astonishment.

"You!"

[aems]

The majority of the day had passed uneventfully, the man taking everything in stride. The memories of the previous night still lingered, causing Mr.Queen to pace anxiously in the confines of his home wishing lazily for some form of equal excitement to crash through his window. Nightfall wasn't coming fast enough, and his hand already itched towards the hiding place of the green weapons that called his name. Picking up his practice bow, he aimed once, twice, three times, smiling as the thud resonated through him as the arrows pounded into the target board and sliced into each other on the bulls eye. But practicing wasn't quite good enough. He needed excitement. And he needed it to be out of his bloody apartment.

Frustration pouring through him, he snatched a leather jacket off the kitchen table and threw it over his shoulders, leaving the room in a half run, unable to stay still for any longer. Unarmed, but deathly, he entered the streets, slowing his pace as the fresh air entered his lungs and worked its calming magic. Winding through the streets, he sighed, the echoes of emergency vehicles and the buzz of conversation aggravating to the man who wished for the hush of darkness. Turning away from the sirens, he made his way down a less common street, looking up at the dealership symbol above him without breaking stride.

Until he saw her. Blouse and skirt waved in the breeze, and had his attention almost immediately. Squinting at the back of her head, he grinned as he realized exactly what car the woman was headed towards. Nice lookin lady who knows her cars... you dont see that often... His stride broke, and he crossed towards her, following silently and coming to rest against a light post a few meters behind her as she unlocked the door and paused. He grinned. She knew he was here. "Tell me, did someone pick that fine car out for you, or did you pick it out yourself? After all, a fine lady needs a fine vehicle."

She turned, and he found himself looking into familiar eyes. Shit he thought, unable to believe he had just tried to pick up a woman who already knew him. "Me?" he asked, slight guilt penetrating his voice before he got over his own shock. He squinted at the hand that receded from her purse, and his eyes narrowed. "Were you gonna shoot me or something?? Hello to you too."

[marvelous]

The footsteps were made by feet that made big strides and touched down upon the asphalt parking lot none too gently. In this form, without the wisdom of Solomon and other gods counsel to guide her, she wouldn't have been able to identify the person behind her under any circumstances. They were friends and former teammates. The voice was another subject. A dead giveaway the moment he began to flirt with her. Her hand was not only reaching for the pistol but her identification as well. Neither of them saw the light of day though it would have served him right for sneaking up on her if they had.

It was precious really, the sight of Oliver Queen standing there in shock. Open up mouth, insert foot. Yeah, that was Oliver Queen. Eternal flirt. Mary had a grin, a shit eating grin on her lips as she fought off the ripple of laughter that nearly ensued; Purse falling down by her side and dangling from her shoulder once more after she released the grip,

"Don't be silly, Ollie. I'd have just found a new place to stick it is all." She laughed and joked, her smile growing more innocent looking as she stood by her new set of fancy looking wheels. She had always considered Ollie not just a friend but a mentor when she was with the League and now that she was 21 and they could look at each other on more level ground, it just felt great to catch up again for the first time since she resigned from the JLA.

"It's great to see you although surprising. What are you doing back in Metropolis?" She asked then decided to break the ice a little further. "Do you want to go grab something to eat and catch up?"

[aems]

He always seemed to get himself into a little trouble over women. It was not entirely his fault really, the girls had their siren-like beckoning that made most of them irresistible, even at expense of a little humiliation. At one time though he had considered this woman a pupil and counseled her in many ways of how to stay out of certain trouble, and how to jump right in the middle of others. He had taught her a good deal of what he had known at that time, and while his knowledge had grown since then, she had grown in other ways.
She allowed her purse to drop to her side, and he smiled as she visibly relaxed as she understood it was him. Pity really that he hadn't realized who he was before he had sputtered out ridiculous words. A grin grew on her face though, and he couldn't help but absently stare, shamelessly wondering how those pretty little lips would taste. He knew better than to find out though. This woman was a previous member of the Justice League, a woman who knew enough defense to counter his offense. And her threat to 'stick it' somewhere else was a threat he took to heart.

"Its great to see you too Mary, though of all people, I didn't know you still stuck around here. I figured these streets might need some cleaning up in the old home." He tilted his head, curiosity filling his face. "Though I wouldn't exactly call it surprising. It seems I always return here eventually. I live here again now."

He stepped closer to the car, turning his face away from her for a moment in order to admire the lady's new wheels. Running a soft hand against the unchipped pain he grinned. "Well I happened to walk here. So you'll have to be a kind lady and show me how your new wheels drive, or else give me time to return to my own." He grinned back at her, slinking around to the side of the car.

"However, if you dont know all the good places, I am a fair director." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Take your pick."

[marvelous]

Mary Bromfield was disciplined enough not to show it but she was a little disappointed that Oliver Queen didn't know it was her before he started spreading the cow manure and flirting with her. What would Oliver Queen say? What would he say if he could read her mind right no9w and discover the long time crush Mary had harbored for the archer. Even back when she was at an age where it would have been inappropriate to act upon it some 3-4 years ago. Back when it all began, when he was one of her many mentors and she was alot less experienced with a cape. Now however things were different. She had grown up, turned the age of legal; adulthood the legal drinking age to boot and Ollie was still Ollie as hot as ever and just as flirtatious. But no, Mary was forced to push those thoughts slowly starting to creep up on her back the way they came in because, correct her if she was wrong, but wasn't he married the last time she saw him? A small part of the back of her mind almost wished he wasn't but if he was then that was off limits. He would surely not be interested in she'd already taken something that didn't belong to her not long ago. The last thing Mary Bromfield wanted was a repeat of the disaster her encounter with Wade4 turned into. Still though. The eyes were burning a hole through her. The eyes....

She gave her head a subtle shake to make it look like she was answering no to his question but really it was more a way to snap herself out of the mounting daydream before she spoke again. "I'm not staying in Metropolis right now, only passing through to get the car. A friend from work helped me get this, told me how to get a great deal so here I am. New York City is where I'm holed up these days."

Don't do this. You should not be doing thiiiis. A sing-songy voice in the back representing her conscience in the case of Bromfield vs the people cried out, pleading for justice. Mary heard the voice but brushed it off like a snowflake from her shoulder, popping the lock open to her side and pushing a button to allow Mr. Queen into the passenger side. It's just a friendly dinner between old friends right? Ah the lies we sometimes convince ourselves of. The 21 year old with the fragile and slightly naive heart was off and rolling again. Engine humming and ready to burn rubber. Oh yeah, the car was started now too.

"My chariot is your chariot, Mr. Green Jeans." She smiled with a twinkle in her eye. You know Metropolis better than I do so I'll allow you to pick out a decent restaurant as long as it's Italian. Pasta sounds good right now." She suggested before they took off. "What have you been up to?"

[aems]

Oliver Queen was the devil, not always known for his keen sense of noticing anything about people... mostly because he had none. He admitted it, he had an ego and this ego kept him from realizing a lot about his surroundings. But he wasn't always blind. Mary had always taken a liking to him, when he had once been her mentor she had seemed to pay more attention to him than the others, though he couldn't say she had any particular talent with a bow he watched her train in other ways, taking his tips to heart and seeing as she stepped up in the world of capes and masks. She had always been a different girl, wanting so much to be independent and yet sucking up all the advice and mentorship she could get. He admitted, she had been one of his favorite pupils. But he did not think her as a student now.

He frowned as she said she was not staying. "Well are you only here for tonight, or how long are you staying?" He asked, wondering how something full of chance and luck could end so briefly. "New York is a while away."

He grinned as she unlocked the car and set it to a soft rumble, the sound causing him to chuckle as he slid himself into the car. "Why thank you my dear." He responded in a huffed up tone, joking around a bit with her and seeing if she would still take it. It would be a shame if she had lost her sense of fun over the years.

"Well im not exactly in a suit and tie, but you look fancy enough, maybe that will count for both of us." He chuckled, knowing in all honesty the green in his pocket would count enough for the two of them where he was about to take them. "Turn right." He instructed, guiding them through the crazy streets.

He told her to stop, pulling into a high end balcony restaurant that normally either took black suit and ties or pay offs. He hopped out of the vehicle and ran around to her side, opening the door for her with a sly grin. "We have arrived." He offered her an arm, and lead her towards the entrance, slipping the man a few green bills as they passed and exchanged a few whispered words so Mary could not hear. They were escorted upstairs, and to a corner of a balcony onlooking the city, the scents of Italy in the air. He pulled out a seat for her, and allowed her to sit, nodding to the man to set the table for two before them. Menus were placed, and the man quickly disappeared, leaving them to get the waiter, leaving them alone.

"This good enough for you miss Mary?" he asked, not sure which last name to use, so playing it safe. At one point she had switched, and to this day Oliver remained confused. "To answer your earlier question that I am sorry to say I temporarily ignored, I have been up to my usual mischief and chaos among the city, not leaving a lot of room for much else. But you... You seem to have been moving around, and moving up in the world. Id be much more interested to hear what you have been up to."