Marvel: Batman x Ironman

🎆🎆HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE🎉🎉

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Harley stood on one end, her stance relaxed yet brimming with an energy that seemed too chaotic to contain. Her twin mallets, newly enhanced to withstand her evolved strength, rested on her shoulders.

Morgan Stark, on the opposite side, held her hands out in front of her, palms glowing with swirling golden light. She had been learning to wield the infinity energy within her body under Hela's training. Her gaze flickered nervously to Hela, who stood nearby, arms crossed, exuding calm authority.

"Remember," Hela called out, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade, "this is not about power. This is about control. Harness your fear, your doubts, and your emotions. They are your tools, not your masters."

Morgan took a deep breath, nodding. Harley smirked, tapping one mallet against her palm. "Alright, kiddo. Let's see what you've got. Don't hold back, or you'll be picking yourself off the grass in no time."

Hela raised her hand, signaling the start of the match. "Begin."

Harley blurred into motion first, moving faster than Morgan's eyes could track. Her body left a faint sonic boom in its wake as she appeared in front of Morgan in an instant, swinging a mallet down in a crushing arc. Morgan reacted instinctively, raising her hands and creating a shimmering golden shield of energy just in time. The mallet struck the barrier with a thunderous crack, the impact sending ripples through the shield and knocking Morgan back several feet.

"Good reaction," Hela noted from the sidelines. "But stop reacting and start anticipating. Predict your opponent's movements."

Morgan steadied herself, narrowing her eyes as Harley came at her again. This time, she launched a blast of golden energy from her palms. Harley twisted midair, dodging the attack with an agility that defied physics, landing behind Morgan with a flourish.

"Too slow, kiddo!" Harley taunted, sweeping her leg out. The kick connected with Morgan's side, sending her sprawling. She didn't forget to hold back because, at her 100%, Morgan would probably suffer critical injuries or worse.

Morgan groaned, pushing herself up. Her hands glowed brighter, and this time, she focused on Harley's erratic movements. When Harley darted forward, Morgan anticipated the attack, creating a dome of energy around herself. Harley's mallet slammed into it and rebounded, the force momentarily disorienting her.

"Better," Hela said, nodding approvingly. "Now counter."

Morgan released the dome, sending a pulse of energy outward. Harley was thrown back but managed to flip midair, landing gracefully. She grinned. "Now we're talkin'!"

Morgan was starting to find her rhythm. Her blasts became more precise, forcing Harley to stay on the defensive. But Harley wasn't deterred; she used her super speed to close the distance again, swinging her mallets with a ferocity that made the air whistle.

Morgan ducked under one swing and leaped backward, her hands forming intricate symbols in the air. A burst of golden chains erupted from her fingertips, snaking toward Harley. The chains wrapped around Harley's mallets, yanking them from her grasp.

"Oh, come on!" Harley exclaimed, her tone more amused than frustrated. She cracked her knuckles. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."

Harley charged forward, her fists glowing faintly as she tapped into her Kryptonian strength. Morgan braced herself, summoning a golden sword to parry the incoming blows. Sparks flew as Harley's fists met the glowing blade, their impacts sending shockwaves across the training yard.

"Good," Hela encouraged. "Your constructs are strong, but they are only as resilient as your will. Do not falter."

Morgan gritted her teeth, holding her ground against Harley's relentless onslaught. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she poured more energy into her constructs, her sword morphing into a massive hammer. She swung it upward, catching Harley under the chin and sending her flying.

Harley landed hard but rolled to her feet, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip. Her grin widened. "You're gettin' better, kid. But let's see how you handle this."

She flew into the sky. From her vantage point, she scanned Morgan's position and dove at supersonic speed. Morgan reacted instinctively, creating a dome of energy around herself again, but Harley didn't aim directly at her this time. Instead, she slammed into the ground nearby, the impact creating a shockwave that destabilized Morgan's shield.

Morgan stumbled, her focus faltering, and Harley took advantage, delivering a powerful punch that sent her flying. Morgan hit the ground hard, her glowing hands dimming as she struggled to rise.

"Get up," Hela commanded, her voice sharp. "You are not defeated yet."

Morgan clenched her fists, her golden energy reigniting. This time, she didn't wait for Harley to make the next move. She thrust her hands forward, releasing a concentrated beam of energy that split the air with a deafening roar. Harley dodged, but the beam clipped her side, sending her spinning.

"You're learning," Hela remarked with a hint of approval. "But you're still letting your emotions guide you. Focus."

Morgan took a deep breath, steadying her shaking hands. Her gaze locked onto Harley, who was already charging at her again. Instead of panicking, Morgan shifted her stance, channeling her energy into the ground. Golden tendrils erupted from beneath Harley, wrapping around her legs and immobilizing her.

"Whoa!" Harley yelped, struggling against the glowing restraints. "Okay, okay, now that's clever. But..." She used her super strength to tear the restraints apart, breaking free and rushing toward Morgan. "Not clever enough!"

Harley swung her fist, but Morgan countered with a burst of energy, sending Harley staggering backward. Morgan took advantage of the brief opening, conjuring another blade and lunging forward with a fierce cry. The blade struck Harley's shoulder, but due to her invulnerability, it failed to penetrate her skin.

'So, she can stop infinity energy constructs. Interesting,' Bruce thought as he took a sip of coffee, watching the sparring match unfold.

"Why didn't you dodge?" Morgan pulled back. "That was dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah," She waved her off with a shrug. "It would've taken more than a scratch from an infinity energy blade to hurt me. Don't sweat it, kid." Morgan frowned, but Harley just laughed. "What? Did you think I came here to go easy on ya? You're supposed to be learning control, remember? Not worrying about hurting me. In battle, you gotta learn to control your power in a flicker of a moment or someone else will get hurt."

"That's enough. Both of you did well," Hela clapped her hands once, signaling the end of the match. She noticed Morgan's energy control increase at a rapid pace during this brief spar. But pushing her any more might be a bad idea. She needs to do it step by step. Besides, the destruction their spar caused was too much. There were holes and craters on the ground.

Harley stretched, shaking the golden energy off her legs as Morgan released the restraints. "Not bad, squirt," She said, ruffling Morgan's hair. "You've got some serious potential."

Morgan blushed, looking to Hela for validation. The Goddess of Death inclined her head slightly. "You're improving. But there's still much to learn. Discipline is not achieved in a single day."

Bruce and Selina descended from the balcony to join them. Bruce offered Morgan a small smile. "You did great. Your control is improving every day."

Morgan smiled shyly. "Thanks, Dad."

As the group made their way back to the house, Hela lingered for a moment, her gaze fixed on the golden energy that still lingered faintly in the air. For all her teachings about control and discipline, she couldn't help but marvel at the raw potential within Morgan. Perhaps, she thought, this mortal child might surpass even the gods one day.

...

[Evening]

Bruce was in a holographic meeting with Natasha, Clint, Jennifer, Mystique, and Susan Storm. They were discussing the new Avengers Initiative and how they are going to select members for it.

"Well, after the public announcement, many superhumans and mutants submitted their names and we did a basic test on their abilities," Natasha said. "There are too many applicants to choose from. I mean, most of them are not ready, but there are some who I think can be trained. Mystique and Susan are helping me sort out the names and all."

"With the number of applications pouring in daily... It would take a month or more to sort everything out," Jennifer added, looking a little tired. She had been helping Natasha and the others.

"And we also have to deal with the UN committee meeting to discuss the new law for superhumans. Although Natasha is controlling them from the shadows, we have to make some strict laws, or else another uprising might happen," Clint chimed in.

Bruce nodded, rubbing his temple. "I know, but we have no other choice. We need more heroes to defend our planet. We have to be prepared for Brainiac's next move."

"So, Nat. How many are you thinking of recruiting?" Jeniffer asked.

"Honestly, 10 or 20 at least. That's the minimum number of people I'm thinking of choosing, then we will put them through tests and trim the numbers down to 10. We need more hands on deck. It would be a good thing if we get more than 10 candidates, though."

"What about the rest? We can't just let them go."

Natasha sighed. "We can't let everyone in. This is the reason why we are doing the test. If they pass, they will get an opportunity, but that doesn't mean we will accept them into the Avengers. It depends on their performance and how much they've improved."

"How about a superhuman academy?" Bruce suggested, looking at everyone on the screen.

"An academy?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I think it would be a great idea. We can train more recruits, and the ones who prove to be more capable can join the Avengers," Bruce explained. "And we can establish our bases all over the world and the graduates from the academy will be appointed to different bases accordingly. That way, we would be able to cover more ground. Although the Avengers will be the main team, the rest will be considered reserve members."

"I like it," Clint nodded his head.

"Me too," Susan said. "We have a lot of work to do, but we can get it done. And establishing a superhuman academy is not a bad idea. If we have more heroes, we could defend the Earth from any future attacks."

Natasha hummed in thought.

"I agree too. That way, we mutants will get a new chance to prove ourselves," Mystique chimed in. "But what about those who want to go solo or don't want to join the academy?"

"That's where the strict superhuman law comes in," Natasha spoke. "We can't let them roam free just like that. Everyone with superhuman abilities, humans and mutants included will have to register their names in a database so we can keep track of them. It will also help us recruit them in the future if they wish to join the Avengers or become reserve members. We will only take those who are willing. And if someone causes trouble, they will be dealt with accordingly."

"That makes sense," Jeniffer said.

"Fair point. Considering the history... I guess, it's better to keep an eye on all of them," Mystique agreed.

Harley barged into the room, "I heard ya all tryin' to recruit heroes for your team. How come you didn't tell me about it?" She pouted, crossing her arms.

Bruce chuckled. "You got enhanced hearing, you already know everything."

"Hey!" Harley pointed a finger at him. "I don't have super hearing. It's just that when you all talk, I can hear it even from the other room."

"That's super hearing," Clint chuckled.

"Definitely super hearing," Jennifer teased.

"Yeah, whatever." Harley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I was thinking... Why not have a big tournament? Ya know, like in the movies. That way, you can see who is stronger and choose the best ones and the public will get a new source of entertainment and your future academy students will train hard for it, so they get into your team or maybe win a big prize or something like that. It could be a win-win situation."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, looking at her skeptically. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, dead serious," Harley replied, winking at him.

"You have to admit, it's not a bad idea," Clint said. "If we do the tournament, it will show the world how strong our heroes are and they might look up to them and stop doubting us. And everyone will get a chance to show their power without hiding in fear."

"And I'm sure everyone will get excited about it," Natasha added.

Bruce was quiet, thinking about their words. Then he sighed, "I think you're all insane. But fine. We'll have this tournament of yours. Now... Sniff! Snif!" He noticed a burning smell. "Uumm... Harley, I think something is burning."

Harley sniffed the air and then her eyes widened in panic. "Oh, no! My popcorn!" She turned around and ran out of the room.

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