Chapter 102: Actual Combat
Thor remarked that it was the first time he had ever heard Stark call him "Uncle" so earnestly.
Indeed, when faced with a life-threatening crisis, all sense of dignity and morals can evaporate. Someone might even resort to calling "Daddy" in desperation...
"Boom—"
The steel battle armor crashed heavily onto the lawn of the manor. Stark, who had just landed, urgently called out to Thor, "Quick, I can't handle that guy!"
Thor was calmly instructing Kayla...
"This move is called hitting!"
He demonstrated with a punch.
Kayla: "?"
Then he held his fists up defensively: "This move is called defense!"
Kayla: "???"
Stark could no longer contain his frustration: "Hey, could you change the timing of the training? Obadiah is about to break in!"
Just then, the sound of heavy armor landing outside was followed by Obadiah's maniacal laughter: "Hahaha, where did you think you were going... Come out, I don't want to see you die in the ruins!"
In the yard, Thor patted Kayla on the shoulder: "Alright, now that you've learned the basic combat skills, it's time for some real-world practice. Go out and defeat that metal monster outside!"
"!!!"
Although surprised, she ran outside without hesitation...
Stark's eyes nearly popped out: "Are you... sure you're not sending her to her death? Obadiah won't go easy just because she's a little girl!"
Thor couldn't help but laugh: "Don't worry, Kayla might be stronger than you right now! Besides, you're my nephew, she's my sister's child—so you should call her 'Auntie'."
Stark: "..."
"By the way, if you defeat this guy, his inheritance will belong to me!"
"Got it, you bastard!"
Indeed, Kayla was significantly stronger than Stark's newly developed Mark II armor, despite having only been exposed to Earth's sun for less than half a month...
When she arrived on Earth, her improvement was rapid during the initial days of solar exposure, followed by a gradual adaptation and enhancement of her abilities until she resembled a superhuman like Superman.
With her current strength, dismantling a mech was not too difficult. What she lacked was experience, but with some help to manage the firepower...
"What are you looking at me for?"
Stark stared in amazement at the ten-year-old girl who was maneuvering around the massive Ironmonger, striking its steel plates with her small fists, causing a cacophony of "Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The Iron Monger's firepower was indeed formidable, but it had sacrificed agility for strength. While it could handle larger targets, it struggled against a nimble child.
Unlike Clark, who grew up on a farm, Kayla had received basic training on Krypton. However, she clearly lacked experience in battling mechs like the Iron monger, and was somewhat at a loss.
What a fierce little warrior!
Stark watched in astonishment and then noticed Thor looking at him with a knowing expression, which puzzled him.
"I just wanted to give you something to do."
Thor pressed a finger against the reactor on Stark's chest.
"What are you doing... Poof..."
Stark was caught off guard as a strong electric shock surged through him, making his hair stand on end.
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s urgent voice came through: "Mr. Stark, the energy overload is at 300%! Please address the issue immediately or the reactor may short-circuit!"
"Ugh!"
Stark panicked; the reactor was crucial to his survival!
He raised his hands and unleashed a powerful energy blast, which continued for over half a minute.
"Boom..."
The Ironmonger, which was pursuing Kayla, was struck by the blast, propelled hundreds of meters backward before crashing to the ground.
A terrifying crack appeared in the mech's neck, emitting sparks.
After the blast, Stark's Mark II was severely damaged; plates of steel fell off, and J.A.R.V.I.S. struggled to maintain the reactor's stability.
Obadiah, recovering from the disorienting impact, was about to rise when a small figure suddenly appeared before him. She gripped the crack in the battle armor and pried it open.
She grabbed him by the neck and yanked him out of the suit, feeling as if every bone in his body was about to be torn apart.
Obadiah was horrified; the strength of this girl was terrifying—she was tearing apart steel plates with her bare hands?
"Who are you?"
"I'm—Kara Supergirl."