The days after their mission to Knowhere had passed in a blur of urgency. The Avengers' pursuit of the remaining stones was relentless, and with every step closer to their goal, the pressure mounted. But while the stakes of their mission grew higher, Jordan's inner battle continued to intensify. The temptation to wield his powers recklessly, to reshape reality itself, tugged at him like an invisible force. He had to face the truth—he was walking a dangerous line, and if he didn't learn to control the power he'd inherited, he might lose himself in the process.
---
**Setting: The Avengers Compound - Late Night**
It was late, and the Compound was quiet, the only sounds being the distant hum of machines and the occasional creak of the building settling. Jordan stood in the training room, alone, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The *Reality Stone* was still in his possession, tucked safely in a secure compartment on the belt of his suit. But its presence felt suffocating, a constant reminder of the power he could wield, the power that could change the world—if only he knew how to control it.
Jordan's fingers brushed the stone, and an overwhelming sense of energy coursed through him, like a wildfire igniting inside. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. He could feel the universe bending around him, his thoughts creating ripples in reality. But he didn't want to bend reality to his will. Not yet, at least. He had to find a way to master the storm inside of him first.
It wasn't just the stone's power—it was his own abilities. The superhuman strength, the speed, the heat vision. These powers were not his own; they had been thrust upon him, and every time he used them, it felt like they were changing him.
*Focus,* he told himself. *Control. You have to control it.*
Jordan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had tried meditating before, but it had never worked. The voices in his head—the constant pull of his powers—had always drowned out his attempts at calm. But tonight, he was determined to succeed.
He began to center his mind, pushing away the thoughts of Thanos and the mission for just a moment. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to focus only on the present—the moment, the sensations in his body, the power inside of him.
He focused on his breathing. In and out. Slowly. Calmly.
---
**A Moment of Clarity - The First Step**
Jordan could feel the heat that simmered just beneath his skin, the power of *Homelander* that surged in his veins. He reached inward, searching for the source of that power, trying to understand it. It was like a fire that he couldn't fully contain, but also one that he could not ignore. He had to learn how to harness it, to bend it to his will rather than let it bend him.
As he meditated, the room around him seemed to fade away. His mind sharpened, and he could feel his connection to the stone growing stronger. But this time, instead of letting the stone's energy take control, he tried to direct it. He visualized the stone as an object, something external that he could manipulate, something that could obey his commands.
For a brief, fleeting moment, Jordan felt his grip on the stone tighten—not physically, but mentally. He could feel the energy within it, like an ocean of power that he could surf rather than drown in.
His eyes snapped open, and the room returned to him in full color, but something had changed. He could feel the power of the stone inside him, yet it didn't consume him. He hadn't mastered it, but for the first time, he'd felt in control.
---
**Setting: The Avengers Compound - Training Room**
The next day, Jordan stood in front of the training dummies. Steve and Natasha were nearby, observing as Jordan prepared for another round of training. This time, though, Jordan wasn't just going through the motions—he was testing his control over his powers. He had to see if his small victory in meditation could translate into real-world application.
"You ready, kid?" Steve called out, his usual calm demeanor still present but with an undercurrent of concern.
Jordan nodded, his eyes fixed on the dummies in front of him. His breath was steady, and his mind was focused. He wasn't just fighting the dummies—he was fighting himself, battling the temptation to use his power recklessly.
He raised his hand, aiming at the nearest dummy. Heat vision pulsed from his eyes, and the dummy erupted into flames. But Jordan quickly snapped his gaze away, the flames extinguishing as quickly as they had ignited. He wasn't trying to destroy the room; he was trying to test his precision.
He took a deep breath and tried again, this time with more control. He raised his hand, and instead of unleashing a wild burst of heat vision, he focused it into a thin beam, narrowly missing the target's head. The dummy's head was singed, but it didn't crumble into ash. Jordan had done it. He had controlled the blast.
Steve and Natasha exchanged a look of approval, but there was a tension in the air. "You're getting better," Natasha said, her voice sharp. "But you can't just rely on your powers. You need to control them *when it counts*."
Jordan nodded. "I know. But this... this is the hardest part. I feel like I'm constantly on the edge of losing it. I'm afraid that one day I'll just... snap. That I'll turn into something I can't control."
Steve stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone in this, Jordan. We're all here to help you. You don't have to face this on your own."
Jordan gave a tight smile. It was comforting to know that the team was behind him, but deep down, he knew that the real fight was one he had to face alone. The power inside him wasn't something he could pass off to someone else. It was his, and he needed to learn how to wield it.
---
**Confronting the Darkness - A Test of Limits**
As the days passed, Jordan's training intensified. He pushed himself harder, practicing control over every aspect of his abilities. He tested his strength, lifting massive objects with ease and then gently placing them down without leaving a dent. He practiced flight, trying to keep his movements precise, steady, and in control. He trained his heat vision, honing his ability to focus it into controlled bursts rather than uncontrolled blasts.
But the deeper he dove into his training, the more he realized that his biggest struggle wasn't physical. It was mental. The power inside him was always there, lurking just beneath the surface. It was easy to tap into it when he was focused, but there were moments—dark moments—when the temptation to unleash everything would almost overwhelm him.
There were times when he wanted to use his powers to fix everything—to *make* the world the way he thought it should be. To reshape reality in his image. But he had seen what happened to people who thought like that. Thanos. Homelander. The power to change the universe wasn't a gift—it was a curse, and he had to learn how to wield it responsibly.
---
**The Moment of Choice - A Step Forward**
One night, after another long day of training, Jordan found himself standing on the roof of the Avengers Compound. The city lights below looked peaceful, distant. But his mind was anything but peaceful. The *Reality Stone* was pulsing again, and he could feel its power beckoning him.
He took a deep breath, standing at the edge of the roof. The wind rustled around him, but he remained still, focusing on his breathing. He had to control it. He *had* to. He had come too far to lose himself now.
With a single thought, he activated his heat vision. This time, he controlled it with complete precision, creating a small, concentrated beam that danced across the sky before vanishing into the night.
He did it. For the first time, it didn't feel like he was at war with himself. It felt like he was in control.
But as he stood there, looking out at the world below, he knew this was just the beginning. Mastery of his powers wasn't a single moment—it was a lifelong struggle. And the hardest part was yet to come.
---