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...
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"So, where will you go now? What will you do with your life?"
Queens, New York April, 2025
LUCY SILENTLY PADDED ACROSS the floor, quiet as she hugged one of Angeliko's bigger plushies to her chest. It was of the Winter Soldier, and it brought great comfort to her even though she was an adult who'd been gifted the plushie by her own son. She bit the inside of her lip as she sat down on the couch across their TV.
Three months had passed since the incident with the 'Black Dome'. It had been all over the news, surveyed by the government and the Avengers alike. Lucy left the incident Scott free, the government sworn to silence due to their two sided plan in detaining the Weapon, not Lucy.
It didn't matter, since the Weapon and Verfall no longer existed.
Lucy still felt guilty about it all– she was grateful that the civilians living in their homes were marginally unaffected, though she did feel regretful towards the souls of the dead she'd dragged from the afterlife.
She didn't get to say goodbye to any of them– to Tony, to Peggy, to Henry. But, she guessed there was no reason to say goodbye to them a second time. She was burdened with the purpose to care for and make sure the dead would remain dead, so Lucy would stick to the law of it all. Since, well, she was still able to see the faces who'd passed– she had a privilege she wasn't going to take advantage of.
Again.
But, that didn't mean the nightmares didn't magically disappear. She couldn't help it– she was afraid of losing control, of doing something impulsively out of grief, anger, or any emotion in general. It made her nervous. Plus, it didn't help that Lucy kept receiving glimpses of multiversal lives.
At least, that's what she assumed it was.
It was strange, scary.
"Hey."
Lucy rubbed her eyes sleepily, lifting her head as she held tightly to the plushy in between her arms.
James gave her a soft look, cupping her cheek gently with one hand as he nudged her over. Lucy shifted, making room for him to sit.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing into him as she snuggled right against his arm.
"Everything okay?" He whispered.
Lucy hummed, looking up at him. His eyes were so blue, so oceanic, so like the innocence of the sky. She reached forward with a slender hand, placing a hand against his cheek.
