As I watched my brother Jake walk out of the hospital, finally free from the clutches of Hydra, my heart swelled with joy. It had been a tough few weeks, watching him struggle to recover from the trauma he had suffered as an unwilling test subject for the space division of Hydra.
But now, as he smiled and laughed with us, cracking jokes and enjoying the simple pleasures of life, I could see a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was no longer beholden to the demands of his captors, forced to comply with their every command.
The news that space division of Hydra had been shut down had come as a great relief to us all. It meant that Jake, and countless others like him, would no longer be subjected to the horrors of being an unwilling test subject.
Jake could now be himself, free to live his life on his own terms. And for that, I was grateful.
The Guardians of the Galaxy welcomed him back with open arms, happy to have their team member home and safe. They had fought hard to bring Hydra down, and this was a small victory in that ongoing battle.
For me, seeing my adopted brother happy and free was all that mattered. We had overcome great adversity, but together we had emerged stronger, and more determined than ever to fight for justice in the universe.