I'm backkkkk.
Probably not for long. This one-shot just kind of happened and I figured I'd left you guys without a dose of Mariana Hadley for a little too long. I'll try to make more time for this series again.
Also, M because of slightly suggestive themes just to be safe.
Like I said, this kind of just happened. I'm not even entirely sure what's going on. Enjoy guys!
Part of the 'Hero' series.
. . .
Both The Avengers and The Fantastic Four were well aware of the fact that two of their team members did not get along. Mariana Hadley and Johnny Storm hated each other. That much they all knew. Hell, half the world probably knew that by now with how many of the pair's post-battle arguments got caught on camera. What they didn't know was why.
The teams worked together regularly and with a little healthy competition being sparked between Richards and Stark that Bruce, Jane, and Sue had all been dragged into the teams spent a lot of time together even when they weren't fighting aliens or stopping plots of world domination together.
But no matter how much time the teams spent together, the heated bickering between The Human Torch and Quantum was guaranteed.
. . .
The first time the teams worked together and the first time Mariana met Johnny he had, of course, tried to flirt with her. The woman had taken it in her stride, brushed off the comments with a patient smile and a good-humoured rolling of the eyes. As she paused to drop off more arrows to Clint though he could see the mischievous glint her eyes held. He smirked to himself, knowing that she would find a way to get back at Storm in her own way.
When Steve and Bucky saw that same glint a few moments later as she joined them in their fight for a few seconds after yet another comment on how good she looked in her tactical suit, one of them felt wary of the war he could feel brewing between the two heroes. The other however merely smirked and got back to fighting, more than prepared to get back at Storm on their little sister's behalf if she did not.
Sue and Reed both half-heartedly told him to stop, knowing t would, in reality, do no good what-so-ever. Ben had very kindly threatened to pummel Johnny to ashes if he didn't stop tormenting the 'little lady' and get the hell back to work.
Mariana merely waited until the fight was over and everyone was gathering up to head to the tower for a debriefing. Usually, at this point, Mariana would check in so they could see she wasn't injured and teleport herself to the tower right away. That time she had waited around, though.
She waited around and when Johnny finally landed and de-flamed beside her she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. He grinned at her but they were both silent for a few moments before his smile faltered fractionally at the silence.
"What?" He asked. "Something on my face?"
"Oh, no," Mariana replied easily, "I just wanted to see if you had the balls to follow through on anything you'd found it so important to say over comms in person." She bumped his shoulder with her own as she brushed past him, getting closer than necessary to whisper to him as she went. "Guess you're all talk"
With that, the teleporter disappeared with a whoosh of air.
Not ten minutes later was Twitter inundated with images of a flustered Johnny Storm whirling round to face the direction the young woman had gone, completely unsure of himself for once in the eyes of the public.
The backlash Mariana had received from his die-hard fans was worth it.
His retaliation probably wasn't.
. . .
"Does that cute little butt of yours ever get jealous of the amount of shit coming out of your mouth?"
"Do you ever think up your own insults? I've heard that one before."
"You're not worth the effort."
"That's right. I forgot actually thinking is probably an alien concept to you, right?"
"Ouch. That one actually hurt, Quantum."
"I'm just saying, it's one thing to let everyone think you're stupid but it's all the more entertaining when you open your mouth and prove it."
"Ohh, does somebody have an oral fixation?"
"I'd certainly like to punch you in the teeth if that counts.
"Why are you so violent?"
"Violent? I'm just a passionate person."
Johnny smirked. "Passion. Now who doesn't like that in a woman?" The words were less flirtatious than usual, his tone bordering too close to lewd for any of the observing heroes to be comfortable with.
It hadn't escaped anyone's attention that with every word the two had been getting closer until he and Mariana stood toe-to-toe, facing off in the middle of the victory party thrown by Tony after their next big fight. The eyes of everyone present were on the two young heroes and every ear was tuned into the words they spat viciously at each other. But they all trusted Mariana to handle herself.
Mariana rolled her eyes. "Is horny just your default setting or are you making a special effort for little old me?"
"You should probably learn to appreciate the attention I waste on you darlin'."
Mariana bit the inside of her cheek for a second, attempting to keep her anger in check. "If you really think it's such a waste then why don't you go ahead and fuck off?"
"I was kind of invited."
"Consider your invitation hereby revoked."
"Funny."
"I wasn't kidding."
"I meant funny that you actually think I listen when you speak."
"Well, that's obvious since you're still here. Didn't I tell you to leave?"
"Not happening darlin'."
"Oh, I think it is."
Johnny stepped even closer to the teleporter and twirled a strand of her hair around his index finger as he leered down at her. "Why don't you make me? Huh?"
"Y'know, I would. But I have this thing about touching trash."
Something flashed in Johnny's eyes at the teleporter's condescending tone and he smirked before allowing his index finger with her hair wrapped around it be enveloped in flames. Mariana noticed instantly and with wide eyes she teleported away.
Storm was still smirking when Sue surged forward and clapped him on the back of the head.
But before he could exclaim in indignation or she could reprimand him or any of The Avengers could throttle him, Mariana re-appeared, face like thunder and hair smoldering as she lunged, grabbing the collar of Johnny's shirt and teleporting the two of them away.
The two reappeared a few minutes later, Johnny with a black eye and both glaring harshly at each other before he spun on his heel, heading for the balcony and taking off in flames. Sue let her head hang in exasperation before approaching Mariana with an apologetic smile. Reed apologized to everyone for Johnny's behavior while Sue continued to assure Mariana that she would be talking to Johnny about what he did. Ben again offered to pummel the guy and Mariana was beginning to think the guy was just looking for an excuse.
Mariana snorted. "Forget it, could use a haircut anyway. Besides, we both said things and I doubt he'll be going out in public for a while with that shiner."
Sue laughed, Ben grunted in agreement and Reed sighed. "You have no idea." He shook his head at the ground.
"Is his image that damn important to him? I was aiming to knock him off his pedestal the other week, not start a war."
"Mariana, I promise you that he will leave you alone."
"It's okay Sue. We're adults, we can sort out our differences. Besides, I'm not afraid of a little trench warfare. The Torch has no idea what he's started."
"Oh no," Tony groaned dramatically. "I'm not his biggest fan but if you're out for blood then I pity the poor fool."
"Just," Steve sighed. "Just don't let it go too far."
. . .
The Avengers watched over then next month as Johnny discovered he had started something with the wrong person yet still managed to give about as good as he got. With Richards, Stark and Banner working on some super secret project the Fantastic Four spent more time around the tower so Johnny had just as many opportunities to get Mariana back for whatever pranks she pulled on him.
Frankly, Mariana was quite proud of herself for the air horn behind the door, the aerosol grenade and the clingfilm wrapping of Storm's entire bedroom. However, she had to admit that his oreo toothpaste, upside-down water glass, and silly string ambush were well executed.
Eventually, though, Johnny had to acknowledge that Mariana's abilities gave her much more leeway in the stealth department and her pranks were often difficult to live up to.
It wasn't long before the two were instead trading verbal blows once more.
It never got as heated as it had at the party – pun intended. In fact, ore often than not their attacks consisted of sarcastic or scathing remarks as they passed in hallways. They didn't seem to actively seek each other out and neither did they actively avoid each other.
It was a strange arrangement.
. . .
Needless to say, it was a little bit of a shock when Sam called her to ask her if she would be home in time for the team dinner a few weeks later and she replied asking if Johnny Storm could join.
Having heard the question, both Steve and Bucky had stopped, glanced at each other, then looked to Sam for an explanation. The man had managed to get out an affirmative answer without asking the question he so badly wanted to ask. Why?
No one had the chance to ask that though as the two appeared as everyone except Thor who was off-world was taking their seats around the table of food. They were bickering quietly as they walked in, taking seats across from each other without a word about it other than to give a general greeting.
"Smells great. You make the meatballs Steve?"
"Yeah…"
"Ohh homemade meatballs. Now I'm excited."
Mariana snorted. "You're always excited. Like an untrained puppy. I'm half expecting you to piss on the carpet half the time." She scooped some peas onto her plate before passing the bowl off to Bruce on her left who just kind of stared along with everyone else.
Johnny shrugged as he scooped some rice onto his own plate and set the bowl down in the middle considering everyone seemed to have already taken their share. "I could if you want but something tells me Stark would make you clean it up. Pass the mash?"
"I'll pass the mash if you pass the gravy."
Johnny took the bowl out of her hands with his left hand while chewing on some food already in his mouth and nudging the gravy boat away from Mariana by about an inch with his right hand.
She glared daggers at the blond. "Bite me."
"Aw, but then you would have to put me down."
Mariana stretched to reach the gravy and smirked as she sank back into her seat. "Exactly."
Johnny pouted. "Come on, you love me really."
"Sure," Mariana drawled with a grin.
"Okay hold up!" Tony exclaimed as he continued to watch the two of them. He motioned between the two with a finger. "What is going on with you two? This is my tower I demand to know. I thought you hated each other."
The two young heroes looked up at the billionaire at the same time. Johnny wrinkled his brow and Mariana tilted her head. "No, we don't."
"Yes," Clint started, "you do. Or at least you did. Now you're getting on like wildfire."
"It is slightly confusing," Bruce stated awkwardly.
Mariana snorted and returned her attention to her food.
Johnny laughed. "She's, like, one of my best friends."
"One of?" Mariana exclaimed from behind a hand covering her mouthful of food.
"Oops?" Johnny grinned in a way that suggested he was not at all sorry.
"Asshole," Mariana muttered.
Clint leaned over to Tony. "You're seeing this too, right?"
"We're all seeing it, Birdbrain."
"It's the believing I think people are struggling with," Natasha stated.
. . .
After that, The Avengers and the Fantastic Four noticed that the scathing remarks they had been witnessing exchanged between the young man and woman were less biting than they had been thinking. In fact, the two seemed to be teasing each other more than anything.
So maybe they were wrong.
Maybe Mariana and Johnny didn't hate each other. But none of them entirely understood the friendship the two shared but didn't exactly flaunt. The two never seemed to fight anymore and the other heroes had to wonder if maybe they had ever been fighting in the first place.
Maybe that's just how they were.
Maybe the others weren't meant to understand.
But maybe that was okay.