BOOK 4 of the ORPHIC Series
DISENTHRALL
/ˌdisənˈTHrôl/
set free.
~~~~~
When Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker starts adjusting to a world without Captain America and more government therapy sessions...
T H E F A L C O N A N D T H E W I N T E R S O L D I E R
25
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"We take our instincts for granted."
Riga, Latvia July, 2024
ALPINE GREETED THEM AT the door, meowing happily as she rubbed her head against Lucy's leg. She leaned down, picking up her feline daughter and holding her gently against her chest. She ran her hand through her fur as she stepped over to the couches.
James was trailing behind her with a look of veiled concern. He knew more than anyone that Lucy knew how painful it was to want a child and not have the ability to bear one. Her motherly instincts were there since the moment he saw her interact with Joseph Rumlow. And now, well, things were too complicated to have a kid in the crossfire– especially a young foreign kid.
The door shut behind them as Zemo sauntered forwards.
"Well, I got nothin'." James started. "No one's talkin' about Donya."
Lucy seated herself on the couch, placing Alpine in her lap. She was. . .admittedly distracted. That poor kid had probably survived all sorts of traumatic events. If he had been with HYDRA, then. . .it made her swallow hard. She didn't want to assume something so dauntingly horrifying.
"Yeah," Sam agreed, "it's because Karli is the only one fighting for them."
James sighed as he sat beside Lucy, letting his hand fall in Alpine's furry coat.
"And she's not wrong." Sam continued as he plopped down on the couch across from them.
James turned his head, looking at Sam with a frown.
"What do you mean?" He asked, voice laced with confusion.
"For five years people have been welcomed into countries that have kept them outside using barbed wire." Sam explained. "There were houses and jobs. Folks were happy to have people around to help them rebuild. It wasn't just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together."
Lucy pursed her lips at his words.
She supposed. . .she supposed he was right. The three of them were clueless to the world during the five years they missed. It was difficult for them to fully understand the weight of it all– they had been stuck in a different realm for merely five days, after all. Had things been better off without half of the population?
"And then, boom." Sam snapped his fingers. "Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be. To them at least Karli's doing something."
