[center][color=FF3D0D][h1]Avery Hillcrest[/h1][/color]

[img]http://65.media.tumblr.com/bd4b5d6b3500d39a3ef2700d4d6be7a7/tumblr_inline_mhrlfeyrg31qz4rgp.gif[/img]

[u]Location:[/u] SHIELD Atrium
[u]Interactions:[/u] N/A
[hr][hr][/center]

Avery’s jaw was set strongly as she walked - or, more accurately, [i]stalked[/i] - into the Atrium of the Academy. It was the first day that she would meet her peers, the first time since high school that she’d be forced into learning with strangers. The feeling was strange. Last time she’d been in a situation like this, she’d left her parents’ car and waved at them. This time, she’d had a couple of words with Bruce a few days before they were due to arrive here. The man had helped her incredibly, perhaps more than he’d ever know. She didn’t know where she would be right now, if it hadn’t been for him. Probably being thrown out of a shelter, or looking over her shoulder to see if she’d been followed. Although the SHIELD facility was all hard lines and harder faces, at least she knew that she was safe here. Relatively. 

However, there were a few more people than she would have liked in the room. As she entered, her shoulders tensed and jaw clenched, eyes widening slightly as she took them in. Avery was better with crowded spaces than she had been a few weeks ago, but they still made her feel like there wasn’t enough air to go around. Maybe because there literally hadn’t been enough air for her family, or the fact that chloroform had been pressed to her mouth one too many times before. It was irrational, no-one was out to hurt her here, but old habits died hard. 

SHIELD (or perhaps, Bruce Banner wanting to appear modest) had given her a small allowance to tide her over before coming here. Quite a bit had gone on basic clothing, seeing as she’d had very little. The feeling of tight black trousers was still unfamiliar to her, and the way her bra actually fit was heavenly. However, her eyes still touched upon the people in the room, wondering if she was dressed alright. It seemed so. The majority of them were men, she realised, a small chill of fear trickling down her spine. Avery knew that she should have thought of this sooner, but now it was happening. There were some women interspersed, and maybe they weren’t all loud and rambunctious, but she found it difficult to relax around guys. But hell, she wasn’t taking any drugs prescribed by some crackpot fool who thought she had issues with anxiety. There was nothing wrong with her, except for some natural fear. And if she took those pills, then [i]they[/i] won.

Avery gave the men a wide berth, moving to the back corner on the quieter side of the room. Her back was protected, but she still didn’t relax. They were supers, like her, and therefore unpredictable. Her posture was straight, arms coming to cross across her chest defensively and hands forming fists. She was ready to put up a fight if she had to, she was ready to hold her ground and defend her place. She wasn’t here to make friends, she was here to learn to control her powers and maybe make something of herself instead of walking the streets. And maybe, just a little bit, she was also here to make Bruce proud.

Eventually, she felt obliged to take her seat, and did so. However, as introductions began, she stayed silent.