BOOK 3 of the ORPHIC Series
CHURLISH
/ˈCHərliSH/
marked by a lack of civility.
~~~~~
Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker finds herself in the 21 century sporting the title of Aunt while lugging along h...
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"The worst thing is watching someone drown and not being able to convince them that they can save themselves by standing up."
Wakanda, East Africa July, 2016
LUCY'S HANDS MOVED RAPIDLY across a holographic keyboard, her eyes flicking to the one way window ever so often. The Wakandans despised their idea, but both the T'Challa and Shuri were willing to give them a space in which they could try and attempt to reverse his conditioning. She could faintly hear Steve arguing with James on the door to her left.
She tried to keep her focus on the keys and the screen which stared back at her–Arnim, who stared at her with an analytical look she was all too used to. Her eyes flicked from him, to the door, then back down at her hands.
Lucy bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something snarky. She breathed in through her nose, taking a few seconds to calm the anger that burst in her chest.
"Leaving HYDRA." She started slowly. "Henry being in jail for a few months. Klause being a good friend. James being with me. I don't know, freedom? Being treated like a human being?"
Arnim's eyes narrowed.
Lucy looked away.
"Yes, well, Peggy Carter did that for you." He frowned. "I wonder what was different this time."
Lucy pursed her lips, clenching her jaw as she ignored him. She stiffly stopped typing, glancing at the two camera's directed in the room. They were connected and now in place. All she had to do now was step out of the room and wait for James to walk inside.
But she wasn't so sure if she wanted to leave him with the devil.
"I had. . .people." She swallowed hard. "I guess. . .this time, there were HYDRA agents who helped me."
She looked up at Arnim.
"I didn't have that before." She admitted. "But, I also had Natasha, Clint–people who knew what it felt like to be a weapon. To be used as. . .a tool. Peggy tried her best, but it's different."
She let out a long breath, staring up at him.
"I won't ever forgive you, Arnim." She said quietly. "Nor Henry. But if I don't move on, if I don't look at you in the eyes and say this, then what else will I do but burn the world down for every last HYDRA agent?"
