Teachers pet (COMPLETE)

Chapter 22: The Best Internships Ever

The first day of my internship felt like the beginning of something intense. Mirko had a reputation—an overwhelming, almost unstoppable force of nature—and I knew she wasn’t going to go easy on me. Standing in front of her agency, the sun glaring down, I could feel a bead of sweat trickling down my back. The thought of what lay ahead both excited and terrified me.

As I entered the building, my heart pounded in anticipation. The training with Mirko would push me to the limit, and I wasn’t about to shy away. But just as I steeled my nerves, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Oi, Starforce, ready to get your butt kicked by the bunny?" Tokoyami’s deadpan delivery made me snort, and I turned to see him standing there with his usual calm expression, though his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement.

"I’m ready to prove I can keep up," I replied, flashing a grin. "And what about you? Hawks seems a bit more... laid back."

Tokoyami rolled his eyes. "Laid back? Try impossible to read. He's either messing with me or throwing me into the deep end. No in-between."

Just then, the door swung open, and there she was—Mirko, with her wild hair and fierce eyes, looking every bit the powerhouse I’d imagined. She took one look at me, sizing me up with a smirk.

"You're Mailin, right? The telekinetic powerhouse?" Mirko’s voice was as bold as her presence.

I nodded, trying not to let my nerves show.

"Good. We're not going to waste time. Let’s see what you’ve got." She cracked her knuckles and motioned for me to follow her outside. "This isn’t about just flexing your quirk. You’ve got to be fast, strong, and smart. We’ll work on the rest."

Mirko didn’t give me a moment to catch my breath. We went right into drills, and they were no joke. Sprints, dodging, using my quirk to move obstacles out of the way while running—it was all a whirlwind of motion and focus. Every time I thought I’d gotten a handle on the task, Mirko upped the difficulty.

"Don’t rely on just your quirk!" she barked as I used my telekinesis to lift a boulder out of the path. "Your brain’s not the only thing that needs to be sharp. Get those legs moving!"

I gritted my teeth, sweat pouring down my face, but I kept pushing. This was Mirko’s way of breaking me down to build me back up, and I was determined to prove myself.

After what felt like hours, we finally took a short break, and I could barely feel my legs. As I collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, I noticed Tokoyami nearby with Hawks. They were running some sort of flight maneuver drills, Hawks laughing while Tokoyami followed his lead, looking both exasperated and determined.

It wasn’t long before Hawks and Mirko called us over.

"Looks like you two are making progress," Hawks said with a mischievous grin. "But you’re gonna need to up your game if you want to keep up with us pros."

Mirko smirked, crossing her arms. "Hawks here might be a bit more chill, but don’t let that fool you. He’s got some tricks up his sleeve. Right, bird boy?"

Tokoyami’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything, just gave a respectful nod to Mirko.

"You should see how hard Dark Shadow can hit when we work together," I teased Tokoyami, nudging him. "Don’t let the cool exterior fool you, he's a beast."

Mirko and Hawks exchanged amused glances before Hawks spoke up. "How about a little challenge then? Let’s see if the interns can keep up with their mentors."

My heart leaped at the idea. A challenge between us and the pros? The adrenaline surged through me. Tokoyami and I exchanged a look, both of us nodding in agreement. There was no way we were backing down.

The challenge was simple: a tag-team style combat drill, with both of us working together to face off against Mirko and Hawks. It was like a dream come true and a nightmare all at once.

We stood opposite them, ready to begin. Mirko’s smirk turned predatory, and Hawks just gave a lazy wave, as if this was going to be a walk in the park for them. But Tokoyami and I had trained hard—there was no way we were going down without a fight.

"Ready, Starforce?" Tokoyami asked, his voice calm but serious.

"Always," I replied, taking a deep breath.

The battle was fierce. Hawks was fast—too fast for me to catch with my telekinesis—but Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow was an excellent counter to his speed, allowing me to focus on Mirko. She was strong, incredibly so, but with my quirk, I could keep her at a distance, using debris and obstacles to block her relentless attacks.

"Come on, Mailin! You’re holding back!" Mirko taunted, dodging another boulder I threw her way. She leaped into the air, ready to land a kick, but I anticipated her move, flinging a nearby tree branch towards her to throw her off balance.

Meanwhile, Hawks and Tokoyami were locked in an aerial dance of shadow and feathers. Hawks’ laughter echoed through the air as he zipped past Tokoyami, but Dark Shadow’s long reach kept him from getting too close. It was a balance of speed and power, and the tension between us four grew with each passing second.

Finally, the pros decided to call it off. "Not bad, not bad," Hawks said, landing gracefully. "You two might just survive this internship."

"Definitely not bad," Mirko added with a proud grin. "You’ve got guts, Starforce. Keep up the hard work."

As we stood there catching our breath, I couldn’t help but smile. This was only the beginning, but if this was what it meant to be a hero, then I was ready for whatever came next.