[ COMPLETED ]
BOOK 2 of the ORPHIC series
MONACHOPSIS
/ˈmənˌāˌkōpˌsis/
the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.
~~~~~
Lucille "Lucy" Opal Baker might be the unluckiest person...
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"Running away from your problems is a race you'll never win."
???, Pacific Ocean April, 2012
SHE COULD HEAR DIRECTOR Fury speaking. He was standing at the head of the meeting table within the control room, his voice humming inside her mind as she sat in silence. Henry was seated beside her, staring boredly at his phone.
Steve and Tony were on the other side of the table. Lucy still had blood splattered on her combat suit, the red clashing terribly with the white. The blood on her face was gone, her face marginally expressionless. She remained stock-still, back straightened.
But she was feeling now.
She was feeling all the bad, all at once. She wanted to shrivel up in a corner and rot. She couldn't do that though, so she stayed where she was. She was stuck in between something that was Verfall and herself. She could use her name. She would. Because she should be. She should be feeling upset about Agent Coulson's death.
But she felt nothing because everything else was already too much. Or maybe she was trying to push it all down still.
Director Fury tossed a stack of cards onto the table, blood staining the screen. She stared at it—a vintage set, Agent Coulson had said. She tilted her head, eyes flicking to Dr—to Henry. He noticed her stare and glanced at her.
"Go ahead." He paused as Lucy reached for one of the cards. "Clean your hands though."
She felt Tony stiffen beside her, his jaw clenching at Henry's careless voice. She didn't say anything, just touched the card, tracing her old face, her uniform. She drew back sharply, letting the card drop from her hand.
Director Fury watched her.
"No." She blurted. "Not now. Can't."
Tony and Steve looked at her.
"Lucy." Henry sighed as he looked up from his phone.
"No." She snapped, turning to Director Fury. "Put me back where you found me. I was in a cryostasis chamber, right? Put me back."
Director Fury didn't reply and Lucy moved to her feet.
"I want to go back!" She cried. "Put me back. Put me back. I'm a weapon, not a person. Put. Me. Back!"
Henry slammed the heel of his palm on the table. Lucy stopped, eyes flicking to him. She was hysterical, she knew that, but what could she do? She couldn't control herself. Everything was too fucking much.
