Project 43: Healing

Sounds fun

Moving day. The thing Elias had been dreading. Moving into the compound had become like a line he had drawn for himself. In his mind, if he crossed it, he couldn't come back. It would be the same as admitting that he was one of them, which he wasn't and didn't want to be. He didn't want to be an Avenger, just fighting for another cause. He didn't wasn't to be a soldier anymore.

Elias stood in his closet. He still hadn't been able to spend any time in the huge bedroom, only selling himself into the closet where he felt he was at least somewhat safe. His sad little duffle bag which had been half empty when he arrived was refusing to close. Elias had stuffed most of his new clothes into a box, sealed it off, and left it standing in the corner of the room.

He never had much possessions. For the past ten years, Elias had been able to survive with just the clothes on his back, his savings, and the notebook he had on his person at all times. He didn't want to be dependent on things, they'd only slow him down.

"Are you ready?" Steve asked from the other side of the door. He didn't dare to come into any space Elias was in without permission from his brother.

The tower was practically empty already. Some things would be moved after the people, but almost everything had been hauled over to the new Avengers compound the previous day.

Elias walked over to the quinjet he had arrived in just a few days earlier. Everyone else was already sitting there, talking amongst each other, smiling. They were happy to have more space, bigger training facilities, space to take their jogs, and a room that was made for them rather than the guest bedrooms changed into permanent bedrooms when they moved in. Elias on the other hand was still petrified. Still, he knew his options were very limited so he got in and watched the ram slowly rise up before the jet took off.

New York flashed by and Elias took in every last piece of it before the skyscrapers disappeared behind them. He felt like he had just gotten up to breathe after spending months underwater. The tension that hadn't left his body since the quin had landed in New York a week earlier, slowly lifted off like a weighted blanket.

Elias followed everyone out of the jet and took a deep breath. The compound was weird. The huge area had multiple big modern buildings that looked like repurposed warehouses which they most likely were. The main building, resting up against the Hudson River, was decorated with the letter A almost the size of four floors.

Elias didn't like the feeling sinking in his stomach. The soldiers and scientists walking around, talking amongst themselves, and exchanging information from various clipboards reminded Elias too much of Hydra. It was yet another facility he couldn't truly leave. Elias understood that the compound was mainly to house a huge research facility so there would be a lot of soldiers and scientists. Still, it didn't help ease his nerves. Tony had explained that there would be a lot of weapons research and military training going on aside from the scientific research which had sent Elias deep into his memories.

Elias followed the others into the big building that looked like an overly expensive office space. On his left, Elias saw the beautiful landscape opening through the wall-sized windows. The area was surrounded by thick woods which comforted Elias. He could always hide in the branches if he needed to. On his right, the space opened up to a white hall with moving boxes lining up one of the walls. It was clearly the entrance to the research facility.

Elias didn't like it. He would hear his careful footsteps echoing off of the white walls. It was cold, sterilized, empty, and too big. Elias wasn't in control of the humongous room, he was just another speck of dust. Hydra had been cold, but the rooms weren't big. It was a different kind of unsettling, but Elias wasn't sure which one was worse.