[ 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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"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't help, until they start to feel."
???, Pacific Ocean February, 2012
SHE HELD WINNIE CLOSE TO her chest in a protective gesture as her eyes flicked between the agents attempting to take the defenseless kitten away from her. There was Clint, Agent Murphy, some other woman she didn't recognize, and Natasha.
Lucy knew it was wrong to defy a handler of something she was trying to take away, but she didn't want Winnie gone. She didn't want them to kill Winnie like they always did if she got too attached to something.
But she also was aware enough to know Natasha would never hurt the kitten like that.
It was a mental tug of war as much as it was a physical one.
She'd slept on the floor overnight with Winnie snuggling into her side. Agent Murphy had pulled an all nighter trying to fix the programming in one of the components of the helicarrier- it's why he'd left Winnie with her, and now she didn't think it was necessary to give the kitten back.
She kept her grip soft around the little thing.
Agent Murphy was holding an orange tabby between his arms- Brock, she guessed. Agent Murphy was wide awake, an unsure smile on his lips. He didn't look angry that she was still holding onto Winnie, just a bit confused.
"Lucy," Natasha's voice was so soft, "it's okay. You'll be able to see Murphy's cat later."
Lucy clutched onto Winnie like her life depended on it.
"Please don't kill him." She pressed. "He didn't do anything wrong. It was- it wasn't his fault."
It wasn't like she knew what she did wrong- she just assumed because why else would they take the kitten away?
Natasha's gaze saddened for a second before she smiled and held her hand out, shaking her head. She opened her mouth to speak when Agent Murphy let out an animalistic noise of melancholy.
"We're not going to kill Winter, Lucy!" He exclaimed. "I just need to give him his kibble and his vitamin supplements and Brock misses him!"
He held up the orange cat who meowed lowly. As if to prove the agent's point, the cat held his arms out, reaching for Winnie who seemed to brighten with excitement.
Lucy's eyes flicked over Agent Murphy, then back down to Winnie who wiggled in her arms.
