Jordan's first day as an unofficial member of the Avengers started with a bang—literally. A morning alarm was replaced by the thunderous roar of an explosion on the Avengers Compound training grounds. When he jolted awake, heart pounding, it wasn't his alarm clock making the noise but Tony Stark testing a new gadget.
"Wake up, rookie!" Tony's voice echoed through the hallway outside Jordan's room.
Jordan groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. The past few days had been a whirlwind—fighting a giant robot, being dragged into a world filled with superheroes, and discovering powers he couldn't control. Now, he was apparently living with Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
"Do superheroes even *sleep*?" he muttered, throwing the blanket aside.
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**The Compound's Training Arena**
The Avengers Compound was larger than Jordan had imagined, an architectural masterpiece with labs, living quarters, and a sprawling training area complete with holographic combat simulators. It was here that he found Captain America, Black Widow, and Sam Wilson—aka the Falcon—waiting for him.
"Glad you could join us," Sam said with a grin, tossing a towel over his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah," Jordan muttered, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What's with the 6 a.m. boot camp?"
Cap stepped forward, his serious expression softening slightly. "If you're going to be part of this team, you need to learn how to use your powers—safely. The last thing we need is for you to blow a hole in the side of a building."
"Hey, that was one time," Jordan protested.
"Sure," Sam teased, "but you almost took out half a Starbucks, too."
Jordan flushed, remembering the accidental blast of energy that had vaporized a coffee shop door during their escape from the robot.
"Let's get started," Cap said, gesturing to the training mats.
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**Testing His Strength**
The first part of training was simple: figuring out just how strong Jordan was. Cap tossed him a punching bag—one reinforced with vibranium, of course—and told him to take a swing.
Jordan hesitated, flexing his fingers. "What if I break it?"
"Then we know your limits," Cap replied.
Taking a deep breath, Jordan threw a punch. The bag flew off its chain, slamming into the far wall and embedding itself several inches deep into the concrete.
"Okay, not bad," Sam said, his eyebrows raised.
"Not bad?!" Jordan exclaimed. "I just destroyed a vibranium punching bag!"
"Better the bag than one of us," Black Widow quipped from the sidelines.
Cap stepped forward, a small smile on his face. "We're dealing with Homelander-level strength here. That's good to know. Now, let's see how fast you are."
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**Speed Training**
For this test, they set up an obstacle course. Jordan had to sprint through a series of holographic enemies while dodging incoming projectiles. At first, he stumbled, crashing through walls and knocking over holographic barriers.
"Focus, Jordan," Cap called from the sidelines. "Speed is nothing without control."
Jordan gritted his teeth, the power surging through his legs. On his next attempt, he pushed off with more precision, his movements becoming a blur. By the end, he was standing at the finish line, barely out of breath, while the others stared in stunned silence.
"That… was insane," Sam said, shaking his head.
"Not bad for a rookie," Cap agreed, a note of pride in his voice.
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**The Energy Problem**
The final test was the hardest: learning to control his energy blasts. So far, they only seemed to activate when Jordan was under extreme stress, but that wasn't reliable in a fight.
Tony had set up a series of targets in the training arena, each one programmed to move unpredictably.
"Alright, laser eyes," Tony said, crossing his arms. "Show us what you've got."
Jordan hesitated. He could feel the energy bubbling beneath the surface, but calling it out felt impossible.
"I don't think I can just… turn it on," he admitted.
Tony smirked. "Well, lucky for you, I've got a solution. JARVIS, crank it up."
Suddenly, the arena filled with flashing lights and blaring alarms. Holographic enemies sprang to life, surrounding Jordan on all sides.
"What the hell, Stark?!" Jordan shouted, his heart racing.
"Stress test," Tony replied casually. "You're welcome."
The panic ignited something inside Jordan. His vision blurred with a crimson hue, and the energy exploded from his eyes, blasting through the holograms in a wide arc. When it was over, the arena was scorched, the targets obliterated.
Jordan staggered, his chest heaving. "You could've warned me!"
Tony grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"
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**The Debrief**
After training, the team gathered in the lounge to discuss Jordan's progress.
"You've got raw power," Cap said, leaning against the table. "But power without control is dangerous—not just for your enemies, but for the people around you."
"I get it," Jordan said, though his voice was tinged with frustration. "It's just… a lot. I didn't ask for any of this."
"No one asks to be a hero," Black Widow said quietly. "But sometimes, the choice is made for you."
"Great pep talk, Natasha," Tony said with a smirk. "Really inspiring."
She rolled her eyes, but Jordan nodded, the weight of her words sinking in.
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**A New Mission**
Before the conversation could continue, an alarm blared through the compound.
"What now?" Sam muttered, heading for the control room.
The holographic display lit up with a map of the city. A red dot blinked ominously in the center.
"Looks like we've got company," Tony said, scanning the report. "Another rogue bot. Bigger this time."
Cap turned to Jordan, his expression serious. "You've trained enough for today. Sit this one out."
Jordan bristled. "What? No way. I can help!"
"You're not ready," Cap said firmly.
"But—"
"No arguments," Cap interrupted, already heading for the Quinjet.
As the team suited up and prepared to leave, Jordan stood in the hallway, his fists clenched. He knew they were trying to protect him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was meant to do more.
And as the jet's engines roared to life, Jordan made a decision.
"I'm not sitting this one out," he muttered, the energy in his chest sparking to life.
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