CHAPTER 6 — QB1 PRESSURE
The first full week as QB1 hit Jaden Alexander Brooks like a freight train. Gone were the days of low pressure reps or the comfort of second team practice. Now every eye was on him. Coaches, teammates, rivals, media, even parents in the stands whispering about the Ironheart phenomenon.
The serum hummed faintly in his veins. A constant reminder that he was no longer just Jaden. He was QB1. The leader. The face of the offense. The target every defender wanted to break.
Morning Film Session
Coach Daniels clicked through clips on the projector.
"Brooks, you are brilliant, no doubt. But brilliance is not enough when every team game plans specifically for you."
Jaden leaned forward, scanning his throws, his reads, footwork, every microsecond of hesitation or miscalculation.
"Opponents will pressure you. They will blitz. They will bait you into mistakes. They know you can throw deep. They know you can read coverage. Now they want to see if you can handle being QB1."
"I have got this, Coach," Jaden said calmly.
Coach gave a skeptical smile.
"Confidence is great. Pressure is different."
First Day of Real QB1 Practice
On the field, the defense showed no mercy. Every linebacker, safety, and cornerback attacked like it was a playoff game. Blitzes came from angles Jaden had never considered.
The first snap. He stepped back. Scanned the field. Fired a tight pass. A defender tipped it at the line. Interception.
The offense groaned. Jaden bit his lip. Mistakes. That was the lesson of pressure.
Coach Daniels blew the whistle.
"Reset. Focus. QB1 is not perfect. QB1 adapts."
Jaden inhaled. Steeled his shoulders. Jogged back into position.
Pressure Builds
The rest of practice became a gauntlet. Every throw tested him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Blitzes disguised as misdirection plays.Deep balls under perfect coverage.Short throws with no margin for error.Sideline reads with defenders in his face.
The serum kicked in subtly. Coordination sharpened. Reflexes accelerated. Mental awareness nudged forward. But Jaden still had to think, not just react.
By the fiftieth snap, sweat soaked his uniform. Muscles burned. Every fiber of his body screamed. Yet he delivered pass after pass, adjusting mid flight to defenders' hands, anticipating receivers, threading balls through impossibly small windows.
The Breakthrough
Late in practice, on third and long, Jaden faced a perfect blitz. Two linebackers barreled toward him. Corners shaded every receiver.
Time slowed. Vision widened. Serum enhanced coordination synced with his body.
Footwork flawless.Arm mechanics perfect.Mind calculating options faster than humanly possible.
He rolled right. Pump faked. Launched a forty yard strike to Malik in stride. A defender lunged. The ball remained untouched. First down.
The sideline erupted. Darius, the linebacker from practice, shook his head.
"That was insane."
Even Coach Daniels, clipboard raised, had to acknowledge.
"This kid handles QB1 pressure like it is nothing. Like he is made for it."
Nightfall Reflection
That evening, Jaden sat alone in the empty locker room. His hands still tingled from practice. He stared at the serum injector, glowing faintly. Next upgrade unlocked at fifteen percent: mental awareness and decision making.
QB1 pressure was more than arm strength or coordination. It was vision. Poise. Timing. Handling expectation.
He clenched his fists.
"Ironheart," he whispered. "If being QB1 means pressure, I will make it my ally."
A faint glow pulsed in his veins. Heartbeat synced with it. Strength, focus, coordination, all growing slowly, deliberately.
Jaden smiled. The legend was not starting. It was forging itself under fire.