[ 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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"There are people who bring you down by just being them."
Washington D.C., United States June, 2014
THE WEAPON STARTLED BADLY WHEN the locks to their cell started clicking. She jolted out of her thousand yard stare and scrambled into the corner of the room, curling into a ball on the ground as if she could disappear. The Asset watched her movements with a look of peculiarity, as if he couldn't understand why she was so jumpy. The steel door slid open and the Weapon ducked her head beneath her arm, squeezing her eyes shut.
The Weapon did not know anyone but the Asset and those who created it, but the Weapon knew the witness. She knew Steve. She knew Steve and Steve recognized her and Sasha would know because he always knew and she didn't want to get punished again but she didn't have wants. Sasha would make everything hurt so much and he'd have to have heard the mission report, so they must've known Stevie was a witness.
She heard his familiar footsteps clicking against the ground and a low whimper escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her entire body trembled, pulling herself tighter together to the point it was uncomfortable to breathe. She didn't mean to see the witness or listen to him talk but Sasha didn't care. He didn't care and he would bring her back to the lab and break every bone in her body until he was thoroughly satisfied.
She felt his stare, heard him crouch on the floor. His hand gently pressed against her head and she released a loud whine. She clamped a hand over her mask as if it would shut her up. But the mask and her hand wasn't enough to keep her quiet and she could feel herself starting to panic because she didn't need them to cut her tongue this time since it hurt when it grew back and everything just hurt—
She felt Sasha wrap his arm around her waist and pull her gently into his lap. He was always gentle, even when the technicians broke the bones in her fingers; even when he pushed down on the fractures. She couldn't stop shaking and she knew that was what he wanted but she was. . .she was scared.
He shushed her softly, brushing his hand through her hair.
"I know you saw Rogers," he said softly, "you're not in trouble. Actually, I'm very proud of you."
The shaking in her limbs stopped. She lifted her head, disbelief in her gaze as she looked into his eyes. She quickly dropped eye contact, swallowing thickly as her eyes darted side to side.
Sasha cupped her cheek, lifting her head slightly. He was so warm, so warm. And the hand wasn't hurting which meant that was good—she was good.
