cryptid
/cryp·tid/
noun
an animal that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist
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The investigation of cryptid creatures from the general public sparked interest within SHIELD's Enh...
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"Pain is a part of growing up. It is how we learn."
Washington D.C. December, 2010
VAY couldn't help but feel a little confused when Uncle Pierce allowed her to be out and about the house when other agents were visiting his home. He told her it was a special day but Vay didn't really understand why. It was her birthday, but she hadn't celebrated it for a long time– well, at least, ever since she stopped living with the Commander. She guessed that wasn't a very long time, really.
Uncle Pierce had quickly fixed her attitude within the past two years and Vay was now better at not talking. She kept to herself and remained quiet– like she didn't exist– most of the time.
She spent her nights behind Uncle Pierce's closet where the cage was and remained hidden from his family. She'd heard his grandchildren running around and his daughter's voice as she looked for something in her father's closet. But Vay didn't say a word nor did she have a reason to– she was supposed to stay hidden for her own safety, Uncle Pierce had said pointedly.
So today, when she was allowed to come outside, she wondered if Uncle Pierce had sent his family away so that the HYDRA agents could come for an annual dinner of some sort. Vay hadn't been invited to the dinner because Uncle Pierce had said she wasn't old enough.
Now she was, she guessed.
Since she was turning fourteen, anyway.
"Here." Uncle Pierce handed her a long piece of clothing that didn't really have a back. She looked at it, tilting her head. It was silky and felt very soft between her fingertips. There were little chains for straps. "It's a banquet of sorts. Think of it like a gathering with a lot of people in dresses and suits. So, you need to be dressed well."
Vay nodded her head silently.
She grasped the dress and brought it to her chest. The fabric was dark, black without light and red with light. It shimmered and Vay couldn't help but stare at it for a long time. It was so pretty she didn't think she would ever want to take it off if she put it on.
Her eyes moved from the dress, to Uncle Pierce, then to the dress.
"Mine?" She whispered.
Uncle Pierce blinked.
He smiled softly as he sat down next to the bed she was seated on. He placed a hand on her shoulder and Vay turned her head to look at him. He wrapped his hand around hers, so it was wrapped softly around the fabric of her new clothing,
