Chapter 84: Internship Begins!!!

[Third Person's PoV] 

Cathleen Bate stood inside a plane hangar, wearing a black tank top with a green military jacket tied around her waist. She was chatting with a pilot, smiling, when her radio buzzed urgently at her side.

"Cathleen, we have a situation, over. I repeat, we have a situation! It's deemed urgent; please respond, over."

Cathleen frowned in confusion, picking up the radio to respond. "This is Cathleen. What's the situation?"

"We've detected two unidentified flying objects heading your way at an alarming speed. They're clocking in at Mach 10… Mach 15… Mach 16, Mach 17… it keeps rising! They'll be on top of you in a few seconds!" The voice on the other end was a mix of terror and amazement. "Do we engage?"

'Two unidentified flying objects…?' Cathleen's eyes widened in realization. "Hahaha, no, let them through! I know who they are!" she said, rushing outside.

Curiosity piqued, those around her followed suit, just in time to see two shining stars streaking across the distant sky. In the next second, they were already overhead, creating a massive shockwave that rippled through the area due to their immense speed.

Most had to brace themselves, planting their feet firmly on the ground to avoid being knocked over. They then watched as the two objects descended rapidly from the sky, creating a large dust cloud as they landed, their figures barely visible through the swirling debris. 

Through the haze, they could make out two figures kneeling with fists planted in the ground. Slowly, they stood and began to walk out of the dust cloud, revealing their slick red and purple suits of armor. As they stepped forward, their suits retracted, folding back into the arc reactors on Tony's and Melissa's chests. 

Tony casually reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of sunglasses as he walked toward Cathleen, while Melissa confidently tied her hair into a ponytail beside him.

Standing before Cathleen, Tony gave a lazy two-finger salute, a smirk playing on his lips. "Your interns reporting for duty," he quipped.

Meanwhile, Melissa stood with her chest puffed out, giving a full salute and a beaming smile.

Cathleen laughed, her face lighting up with happiness as she patted their shoulders enthusiastically. "Wow! Look at how much you two have grown! I almost couldn't believe it when I saw you during the sports festival!"

One of the pilots behind Cathleen peered over, his expression straight. "Did you really have to destroy our runway for your grand entrance?"

"Yes… Yes I did," Tony replied shamelessly with a proud nod.

There was a brief silence before Tony cleared his throat. "How much to fix it?"

Cathleen chuckled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it; I'll take care of it later. Now, there's one thing left to make this internship worthwhile… FIGHT ME!"

"Eh?" 

"Eh?" 

Both Tony and Melissa responded in unison, surprised.

Cathleen crossed her arms and smiled at them. "To truly understand what you're capable of and what I can teach you during this internship, I want both of you to fight me!" she declared.

"Now?" Tony asked.

"After I change into my costume, we'll take it to the air to avoid collateral damage," Cathleen said, turning and walking away.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Tony smirked.

Melissa nodded in agreement, her smile widening.

…

Stars and Stripes stood atop a jet, her American flag cape fluttering in the air alongside her hair, a large smile spread across her face.

Tony hovered nearby in his red and gold nanobot suit, small stabilizer wings extended from his back. Despite the suit, he maintained a stance of confidence.

Next to him floated Melissa in her own nanobot suit, colored purple and gold with matching wings. She hovered confidently, her repulsors glowing with power.

"Tell me, you two, what are your hero names? State them nice and proud!" Stars and Stripes called out, still smiling.

"You can refer to me as Iron Man," Tony said.

"And you may call me The Iron Maiden," Melissa added.

"Hahaha! I like it! Are you two ready?" Stars and Stripes asked.

They both nodded, and Cathleen, without further warning, launched the first attack.

Stars and Stripes lunged forward, her cape billowing like a banner of freedom, the sheer force of her movement creating a sonic boom. She clenched her fist, her quirk "New Order" ready to impose its will on the battlefield.

Tony's HUD flared with warnings, but his confidence remained unshaken.

Stars and Stripes aimed a powerful punch toward Tony, but he zipped upward, the stabilizer wings on his suit allowing him to dance through the air with unmatched agility. At the same time, Melissa darted to the right, firing a barrage of repulsor blasts that streaked toward Stars and Stripes like a rain of light.

With a swift motion, Stars and Stripes spun in mid-air, evading the blasts with ease. "You're going to have to do better than that!" she called out, her grin widening.

Tony's voice came through Melissa's comms. "Keep her busy. I've got a plan."

Melissa nodded, her suit's AI feeding her real-time trajectory data. She continued her assault, pushing Stars and Stripes to maintain her evasive maneuvers. As they exchanged blows, Star and Stripes' grin never faded, her love for battle evident in every move.

Tony, meanwhile, was preparing something bigger. His suit's nanobots reconfigured, shifting into an arm cannon that began to hum with energy.

Tony unleashed a concentrated beam of pure energy, aiming directly at Stars and Stripes. The force of the blast tore through the air, leaving a trail of crackling power in its wake.

Stars and Stripes didn't hesitate. She stretched out her hand, her quirk taking hold. "☆New Order: The air in front of me is an impenetrable shield!☆" The energy beam slammed into the invisible barrier she created, dispersing harmlessly around her. "Nice try, but you'll have to hit harder!"

Melissa had anticipated this, charging in from behind as Stars and Stripes focused on Tony. Her suit's nanobots shifted, forming an energy blade that crackled with purple and gold light. She slashed downward, aiming for a clean hit.

Stars and Stripes reacted with lightning speed, pivoting to intercept. "☆New Order: The space around me restricts all movement!☆" Melissa's suit froze mid-strike, the powerful quirk holding her in place.

But it was the opening Tony had been waiting for. With Melissa distracting Star, Tony's suit reconfigured once more, launching a barrage of mini-missiles that rained down on Stars and Stripes. 

This time, the explosion was too close to dodge entirely. Star was forced to release Melissa to shield herself from the brunt of the attack. Smoke and debris filled the air as Tony and Melissa regrouped.

Emerging from the cloud of smoke, Stars and Stripes still stood tall, though her cape was tattered and her smile had become a determined smirk. "Impressive teamwork, but I'm not done yet!"

With a swift movement, she lifted her hands and shouted, "☆New Order: I'm surrounded by a cyclone of wind!☆" A powerful whirlwind erupted around her, pushing away the debris and creating a barrier of swirling air.

Tony and Melissa exchanged a quick glance, understanding the new challenge. Tony's suit recalibrated, deploying anti-wind stabilizers to counteract the cyclone's force, while Melissa prepared her suit's repulsors for a focused assault.

Stars and Stripes, still grinning, used the cyclone to launch herself towards Tony, moving faster than he could react. She aimed a series of rapid punches, each one powered by her quirk, forcing Tony to rely on his agility to evade.

Melissa, meanwhile, dove through the cyclone, using her suit's enhanced propulsion to navigate the turbulence. She activated her energy blade once more, aiming for a critical strike.

Stars and Stripes spotted Melissa's approach and responded with a fierce gust of wind. "☆New Order: The wind around me is a barrier that deflects all projectiles!☆" The wind shield deflected Melissa's energy blade, forcing her to retreat.

Tony, seizing the moment, recalibrated his suit's systems to deploy an EMP pulse. "Brace yourself!" he called out to Melissa.

The EMP pulse surged through the air, disrupting Stars and Stripes' quirk temporarily. The cyclone wavered, and her movements slowed just enough for Tony and Melissa to press their advantage.

Melissa launched a high-intensity repulsor blast aimed directly at Stars and Stripes. With the cyclone disrupted, the blast struck home, causing a massive explosion. Stars and Stripes was pushed back, her formidable stance faltering.

Yet even as the smoke cleared, Stars and Stripes stood firm, her eyes flashing with determination. "Is that all you've got?" she challenged, her voice cutting through the haze.

Tony and Melissa circled her, their suits glowing with accumulated energy. Tony's HUD was now tracking Stars and Stripes' every movement with pinpoint accuracy, while Melissa's suit recalibrated for precision strikes.

Stars and Stripes, brushing off the remnants of the blast, shouted, "☆New Order: Gravity around me is now increased tenfold!☆" Suddenly, the area around her became incredibly dense, causing Tony and Melissa to feel the gravitational pull increase dramatically.

Tony struggled to maintain his altitude as his suit's thrusters fought against the intensified gravity. "Hang on!" he warned Melissa. 

Melissa's suit adjusted to the new gravity, but her movements were slowed. She fired a series of concentrated repulsor blasts, but the increased gravity made them less effective. 

Stars and Stripes took advantage of the situation, using her enhanced strength to close the gap quickly. She hurled herself towards Tony with immense force, each punch creating shockwaves in the air.

Tony barely managed to dodge the onslaught, his suit's thrusters working overtime to keep him airborne. He retaliated with a rapid-fire pulse from his arm cannon, but Stars and Stripes' quirk allowed her to deflect the energy bursts with ease.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Melissa reconfigured her suit's nanobots into a high-density shield and rushed to Tony's aid. She intercepted Stars and Stripes' next attack, her shield absorbing the impact and protecting Tony from the brunt of the force.

Stars and Stripes, realizing her gravity manipulation was starting to wear thin, decided to shift tactics. "☆New Order: The space around me is now an impenetrable barrier!☆" She raised her hand, creating a force field that encased her in a protective dome.

Tony and Melissa regrouped, their suits quickly analyzing the new barrier. "We need to break through that shield," Tony said, his voice resolute. 

Melissa nodded, preparing a concentrated energy blast. Tony's suit adjusted, converting its energy into a high-intensity beam. Together, they launched their combined attack at the force field.

Stars and Stripes, inside her shield, braced for impact. The combined power of Tony's beam and Melissa's blast collided with the force field, causing it to ripple under the immense pressure.

The shield began to falter, cracks forming under the strain of the attack. Stars and Stripes gritted her teeth, her focus unwavering. She pushed her quirk to its limits, reinforcing the shield with all her remaining strength.

Despite her efforts, the combined assault proved too much. The force field shattered with a resounding crack, and Stars and Stripes was thrown back by the explosive force of the energy.

She landed gracefully, her cape fluttering as she regained her footing. "Not bad at all!" she exclaimed, her grin returning. 

"I've seen enough! You two surely are strong!" She said proudly. 

*********************************************

+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3