The First Lesson

The sterile hum of the training chamber echoed around Nia as she stood at the center of the room, feeling small despite the towering walls and the high-tech monitors that blinked silently in the background. Her heart pounded, and her palms tingled, as if the very air around her was electric with potential.

Tony stood off to the side, monitoring the data, his arms crossed, his expression focused yet anxious. Wanda stood across from Nia, calm as ever, her hands already beginning to glow faintly with red energy. The room was dim, only the soft pulse of the arc reactor above them providing any warmth to the atmosphere.

"Alright, kiddo," Tony said into the intercom, his voice a little more reassuring than usual. "Let's take it slow today. No explosions, okay?"

Nia gave him a tight smile, even though she felt anything but calm. "I'll try, but no promises," she muttered under her breath, eyes flicking to Wanda.

"Good attitude," Tony replied, almost as if he could hear her. "Now, let's see what we can do with that power of yours."

Wanda stepped forward, her expression warm but serious. "Nia, this is important," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "Your powers—they're not just about strength or control. It's about connection. You need to feel them, understand them. You can't rush it."

Nia nodded slowly, absorbing her words, though the unease in her chest still wouldn't quite fade. She wasn't used to this—feeling like she wasn't in control, like everything was just waiting to explode out of her at any moment. But she didn't want to disappoint them.

"First," Wanda continued, "let's start with your energy. The Tesseract gave you a lot of power, but it's volatile. You can't just force it. We need to learn to guide it, like water flowing through your fingers."

Nia's brow furrowed slightly. "I've tried, Wanda. It's like it doesn't listen to me."

Wanda smiled softly. "Exactly. That's the first part of the lesson. You can't demand control from it. You have to coax it, like you would coax a scared animal. You have to trust it—and trust yourself."

Nia took a deep breath, remembering the pain of her first outburst, the destructive chaos that had followed. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Tony, who had been quietly observing, walked over and knelt beside her, looking her in the eye. "I know it's hard, kid. But if you can just hold onto that calm—if you can take a moment to find your center—you can control it. But you have to be patient."

"I'm not sure how to do that," Nia admitted, glancing from Tony to Wanda. "Every time I try, it just… breaks out of me."

Wanda stepped forward, extending one hand toward her. "Then start small. Focus on your breath. Focus on the stillness in the center of you, and then feel the energy. Feel it in your hands, in your chest. It's a part of you."

Nia closed her eyes, trying to quiet the noise in her mind, to push aside the residual panic that always seemed to come with the power. Slowly, she reached out with her senses, as Wanda instructed. She focused on her heartbeat, the rhythmic pulse that made her feel grounded. Then, she turned her attention inward, to the energy that had always been just beneath the surface of her skin.

She felt it immediately. A low hum, almost like a vibration. It was there, just beneath her hands, swirling in subtle patterns. Her breath caught as she tried to connect with it. It was there, but it wasn't controlled, not yet. It pulsed, erratic, testing her.

"Good," Wanda encouraged softly. "Keep breathing. Feel it move with you."

Nia could feel it now—like threads of raw power lacing through her, curling in strange patterns. The power was like liquid fire, warm and burning under her skin. She felt it itching to escape, like it always had. It was familiar, but it was dangerous.

Her hands began to glow faintly, blue sparks flickering around her fingers. A wave of energy built in the room, but it wasn't the chaotic burst from before. It was controlled, focused, barely there—but it was something.

"That's it," Wanda whispered. "Hold it. Control the flow."

"Remember," Tony added, "you're the one in charge. The power doesn't get to control you. It's like building a foundation. You set the pace. If it gets too much, you slow it down. If it's not enough, you push it forward."

Nia focused harder. The light from her hands grew a little stronger, but it flickered. She fought to keep it contained, trying not to let it explode out of her.

Wanda stepped forward cautiously, holding out her hand. "Now, try to channel it toward me. Just a small pulse. Like sending a breath across the room."

Nia hesitated. "I'm not sure…"

"You've got this," Wanda said, her voice steady. "Trust yourself."

With a deep breath, Nia focused on the energy. Her hands began to glow brighter, but she fought against the urge to rush. Slowly, carefully, she pushed a small burst of energy forward. It shot out in a thin beam, crackling and swirling, and it hit Wanda's outstretched palm. The red energy surrounding Wanda's hand absorbed it, but for a moment, Nia could see a faint flash of blue as the powers met.

"Not bad," Tony said, clapping his hands. "That's progress."

Nia exhaled, her breath shaky. She opened her eyes, realizing she had been holding her breath for what felt like forever. "It's… not as bad as I thought."

Wanda smiled, a soft, approving look on her face. "That's right. But you're not done yet. The next step is learning how to control that burst, how to make it smaller or larger, and more directed."

"I think I can do that," Nia said, her voice a little more confident now, though still uncertain. "I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't," Wanda reassured her. "But that's why you need to learn control. Without it, the power will always be dangerous."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And that's why we're here. To make sure you understand what you're dealing with. To teach you how to handle it."

Nia glanced at both of them—at Wanda's calm, steady demeanor and Tony's concern. They weren't giving up on her. And for the first time in a long time, Nia felt like she might just be able to do this. She might just learn to control the power that had once controlled her.

"I'll keep trying," she said, meeting Tony's eyes. "I won't give up."

Tony gave a small grin. "That's what I like to hear."

As they continued the training, with Wanda and Tony offering more advice, Nia found herself more focused, more in tune with the energy that had once felt so alien to her. Slowly but surely, she was learning to trust herself—and to trust them.

It was just the beginning. But it was a start.