SCU 3: Tera Howe & Tony Stark (Lady Soulstrifer & Alexander Tau)

[Soulstrifer]

Tera's face is set hard when she looks at Tony. She points to him and then draws a line across her throat. Her features are grim as ever. She is sweating and she wipes at her forehead with the back of her arm. She gives a small grunt of discomfort and with a frustrated huff she simply tugs the top over her head and throws it onto the bench as she passes it.

'Thank you Natalie for packing a sports bra...' she thinks as she reties her hair higher up on her head to keep it off her neck. Her toned body glistens a bit in the light and she drops into a rather driven... determined stance.

The ball is put in play and she is racing down the court with her team. Shaq has the ball. She drops her knees and slides under her defense coming up on the other side. Hands over her head she states, " Ball!" A quick pass and shes got it in her hands. She brushes past Michael squeezing under his out stretched arm and throws the ball at the top left corner of the white square on the back board. It bounces right into the net.

She trots back across to her side of the court. She realizes she might actually loose this game and she is starting to get serious. She props herself on her knees and waits. Eyes honed on the ball and muscles coiling she waits for one of the others to move. Kobe twitches forward and Tera is flying. Muscles surging under her tanned skin, she sails out. Leaping over an outstretched foot she slams the ball out of the opposing persons hand. It flies skyward and she plants her feet and flips around.

Shaq easily catches it out of the air and throws it to Kobe who lays it out for another two.

||Iron Man: 39 -=- Oracle: 30||

[Alexander Tau]

Tony does display a bit of shock as Tera strips down a bit. His eyes dart to the crowd of mostly women and alot of children. But then he realizes she is not exactly naked so oh well.

She does look better this way. As every male and most of the adult females notice.

The game however goes on anyway.

It is starting to look a little one sided though. Tony and Tera are shooting fairly well but Team Iron Man keeps coming up with more points.

At one point both Tony and Tera just stand and watch one of the most amazing sights in sports. Michael Jordan running the ball all the way down the court. One defender tries to get in his way and Jordan reverses, does a spin, and is past him still at speed.

The second defender does not try to close and Jordan just charges past and leaps.... man that guy can leap. The ball drops through the hoop.

Tony takes a moment when nobody is close to him. A discreet touch behind his ear masked with a scratch activates his comms implant. He covers his mouth as he speaks.

"I want the physically biggest guy on my security detail standing in front of my bench as soon as he can CALMLY get there. Wait for my signal and then..."

He explains rapidly but clearly before running down the court.

||Iron Man: 45 -=- Oracle: 30||

[Soulstrifer]

Tera is panting. She is trying to figure something out. Some way for them to get ahead. Of course he would win this... it was his game. It made her mad.
'Your not good enough,' she hissed at herself in her head.

Her eyes narrowed darkly. She sprints across the court sailing along with Kobe though she has to work twice as hard as they do to keep up. She puts herself between the ball and the defender trying to get to him as they work the floor.
"Left left!" She moves left and Kobe catches it. He dives right and goes in for the layup. A player knocks him back a little and he lands off balance his feet not catching the floor and he skids across the wood a little on his back.

A foul is called. He sinks the shot like the pro he is. Tera is already back and ready.

This time Shaq catches the ball and throws it out to her. She over hands it from a little past half court, her little yell almost drown out by the sound of the players scrambling to get the rebound. Kobe follows it, jumping up and giving the ball a little tap just for safe measure it goes through.

She backs up again. Tony tries for a shot and she catches his rebound, tossing it out to an open team mate. Halfway down the court another foul is called. She is pleased when the free throw sinks again.

||Iron Man: 45 -=- Oracle: 35||

[Alexander Tau]

The next couple of back and forths produce no points at all.

By the time those two exchanges are done a rather large man in a black suit is standing at attention in front of the Iron Man bench.

As Team Oracle brings the ball back into play there is a secret signal from the leader of Team Iron Man. The large man in black walks forward onto the court. By the time the guard from TO reaches the center circle the man is waiting.

He holds up a hand. The man with the ball stops and continues a slow dribble.

"May I?" the man in black asks indicating the ball.

Puzzled looks break out on more than one face. But with a shrug the ball is passed over. With a smooth overhand throw the ball is launched down court.

Right into Tony Stark's hands. He takes 2 steps and the ball goes in.

"YOU ARE SUCH A CHEATER!" Tera screams from mid-court.

Tony does a little bow first to her and then to the crowd.

Oracle's bunch head down court only to have their shot slapped away. Jordan. Again. He does this a lot. He is down the court feeding it to Magic for the score.

Next time Tony's side has it he hands the ball over to Magic who is at the top of the key.

"Let's see some of that pro stuff." he taunts.

Magic Johnson shows he still has a move or two as he bypasses a defender to gain a good shooting position. Shaq almost gets a hand on it but just cannot quite get there.

Things are looking bad for Team Oracle.

||Iron Man: 48 -=- Oracle: 35||

[Soulstrifer]

Tera is fuming. She pauses to whisper to Kobe. He grins at her and nods. The word is passed on through the team. She leads the team down and keeps herself back as Shaq checks it to a team mate. She bounces under a clean pass to Kobe. He is blocked out even though Tera is trying her hardest to make room.

It's back to Shaq who sets up a three pointer from half court. She bounces back and gets ready for their next play. Formation is broken as Team Ironman comes thundering down the court. The ball is stolen, its taken back. Tera leaps for it. She glances at Kobe out of the corner of her eye.

Roughly she drops her knee onto the floor as a player passes her and she crashes. It looks bad but she is careful to avoid too much damage. She skids to a stop on her side, one leg twisted a bit up under her and what most would see as an odd angle.
Kobe, who has the ball in hand stops suddenly, the ball still bouncing. The other players also stop. The guy she had crashed down next to is looking a bit frantic.

Shaq plays it up kneeling down next to her. She groans and holds her ankle. When he touches it she screams bloody murder. Careful not to cuss she hisses , " DON'T TOUCH!"
By now every one is kind of focused on her. When Tony comes to check on her she takes a huge breath. The pain on her face vanishes and it is replaced by a grin, " RUN MAN RUN!" Everyone jerks around to find Kobe already screaming down the court laughing. The ball goes up and another two points are added. Shaq helps Tera up... or tosses her to her feet rather. She blows Tony a kiss, " It would seem your cheating is contagious."

||Iron Man: 45 -=- Oracle: 40||

[Alexander Tau]

Tony gets close to the rather intense Tera. But not too close.

"Ok. Ok. That was my last trick. If you can come up with one more go for it. From now on just b-ball. And I gotta say your side may be losing. But nobody thinks you suck. And in this place babe that ain't bad." he says with a subdued smile.

True to his word the next time they go down the court the play is normal street style basketball. Shots are taken and many are blocked or just miss. The Pros are taking the hardest ones they can try. When they drop one of those everybody is impressed.

The score shifts more to Team Iron Man.

||Iron Man: 56 -=- Oracle: 40||

[Soulstrifer]

Tera huffs at him her mouth pursed to the side a bit as she trots after her team. She had never really been any good at losing. This was for fun. She had to remember that. All for fun. She felt like she was letting someone down. She catches the smiles on the faces of the guys.

They were having a good time... it probably didn't happen often that they just got to screw around. She passes the ball and its switched back and forth across the court as they make their advance on the defenders. A foul gets called when she gets bumped back a bit and has to fight to catch herself. In the process she had dropped the ball.

She steps up to the free throw line and pauses.

"How about a trick shot?" she tilts her head.

"It's all for fun anyway," a player states.

"Alright... Wanna make a bet I can sink this shot?" She smirks. Her hands dribble the ball as she throws the question down.

"What are you going to do?" Kobe asks.

"Flip out," she smiles.

"And make it? No way," an opponent stated.

"Lay it down boys," she shrugged.

Most bets were against it. She didn't listen really. She was busy trying to calculate the exact moment of release. She shrugged and backed up a little. A few bouncing steps and she coils herself and tucks into a forward rotation in mid air. As she straightens out to slow the rotation she throws the ball. It bounces... multiple times and she has enough time to straighten up and watch it.

There is a moment when it tips like it might fall out and then by some sheer luck if goes in. She smirks and trots back across the court, " thank you martial arts and boredom."

Theres multiple missed or blocked shots that go down and then she is given the ball. She takes it down court and She spots Shaq and Kobe holding their hands out like a step ladder. She smiles. Races forward spinning around a guard and takes two giant steps onto their hands. They boost her.

"Michael Jordan Eat your heart out!" She cries as she flies and dunks it before dropping down.
"If we go down we go down with style," she smiles at the guys as they cheer her. It makes her feel a bit better.

||Iron Man: 56 -=- Oracle: 43||

[Alexander Tau]

The game is nearing it's end. 60 points was the agreed goal.

Tony has the ball and is just past the center of the court. The ball bounces against his hand. He is sweating. He has been banged around a bit and one knee is starting to complain a bit.

He feels great.

Time slows down...

He sees Tera. She hates to lose but even she is caught up in the moment. The guys around them are not sweating all that much but they too look like they are enjoying themselves.

The audience is a sea of faces. So many of them are directly connected to those on the court that this feels more like a local Gym game than LA Stadium. But it is that hallowed place. Tony has been here many times. He has shot baskets here all by himself one night when life seemed too annoying to face.

The slap of the ball against the polished wood is a complimentary beat to his heart. He wishes he could just stay here, locked in this moment, for longer. Not forever but longer would be nice.

Time speeds back up as he starts to drive forward. Tera is not the only one with martial arts training and he is going to go for it. His guys do their best to clear the path and he drives forward into a short range jump shot.

Score!

||Iron Man: 58 -=- Oracle: 43||

[Soulstrifer]

Tera snorts as she gets back on her side of the court. " Oh yeah well..." On her side of the half court line she does a little jig. Her team mates laugh at her. She throws her hand down and bounces back to stand with the others. She laughs when one of the guys mimics her.

Its a bit contagious, the laughter and the little bits of messing around. She gets the ball first this time and she struts it along the court, bouncing it between her legs. She checks it to Kobe, who checks it to Shaq. The shot goes up but gets knocked back.

She races after Tony as he speeds the ball down the court. She pounces right as the ball leaves his hand. They land on the floor and she is scrambling to get to her feet. The shot misses and the others stand back as she and Tony push at each other. She goes to take a step and Tony grabs her ankle and she falls. He gets up and she sweeps him, yelping when he lands partially on her. They are scrambling again. Shes laughing a little.

"HELP HELP I'M BEING REPRESSED!" she quotes and reaches out to her team. Tony manages to get up and the game is set in motion again as she is again tossed to her feet. She lands and tries to block the pass to Tony but he goes up for it anyway.

As the buzzer sounds she is hoisted off her feet and she clings to the person lifting her.
"GAH!" Its a somewhat startled sound as she is being carried around the court. She pulls the rubber band from her hair and shoots Tony in the butt as they pass him by. It hits with a hard snap and she chuckles and then yelps as she is tossed to another player.

" I am most certainly not a basket ball!" She states as she is again passed off.

They laugh.

"I can not see how you find this amusing!" The last bit is a squeal.

||Iron Man: 60 -=- Oracle: 43||

[Alexander Tau]

The MC speaks and thanks everyone for their participation. Tony and Tera are also thanked for showing up.

Tony is taking the chance to thank the guys on his team and to banter with the losers. He watches Tera but does not feel any need to get in the way. The guys have too much respect for him, and her, to get out of line.

Besides all their wives and girlfriends were watching. They would be good as gold.

He grinned at that thought.

With the even officially over more people feel free to come out onto the court. Tony sticks close to the mass of players and looks for a chance to get Tera so they could leave.

Happy is sitting in their abandoned seats with a coke in his hand. He raises the can in a salute to his boss. Tony lets Tera have her moment with the guys. This is a good memory and there might come a time when she will need all of those she can get.

And just that fast he goes from Tony the playboy to Iron Man. He will bury it for the rest of the evening. Tera will not see it. For Tony though this was the time to relax and just be human for a while. That time is over.

The car will take them home. They will drink a little more and the evening will be complete. Not what he used to do on a night out but it will have to serve for now.