[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."
Bavaria, Germany November, 1939
LUCY'S HAIR WAS GOLD, tied in a taut ponytail. Strands of it hung loosely at the sides of her head, brushing gently against her jaw. Her pupils were dilated, a vibrant sapphire hue which swirled with the currents of the ocean. The storm of emotions brewing in her gaze was carefully concealed, eyes fixated on her opponent.
She wore a white tank top with black shorts, socks pulled right beneath her ankles accompanied by a pair of low-ankle combat boots. Her back was as straight as a board, shoulder's poised eloquently, reminiscent of a soldier. She shifted her feet so they were about a foot apart, head level with her opponent's gaze. If she were to put a ruler beneath her nose, it'd be flawlessly horizontal to the ground.
She was in a windowless room, dull, with an unreachable ceiling that glowed vibrantly with lights, air vents too high to reach. She had tried to break the walls months ago, when escape was a feasible thought, but the metal was made of titanium, and it proved to be a formidable force.
Her fingers curled tightly into clenched fists, facing Subject 015.
She has a name, Lucy knows this, but they are tagged like animals groomed for slaughter and Subject 015 will remain a number until she is deprived of oxygen, denied the permission to exist. Her name before HYDRA does not matter, and the number she is given will remain so unless she reaches the highest rank. She will be worth a name, then, and they will give her one.
It is a privilege, they say, but Lucy knows her name and it will be the last thing she loses.
Subject 015 had been ignorant, and believed HYDRA was worth fighting for. She had volunteered, and Lucy vaguely pitied her stupidity.
You do not volunteer for HYDRA, HYDRA takes what it wants, when it wants.
They do not know consent and they never will- Lucy had learned that the hard way.
The universe did not thrust a warning in her face when she'd been snatched off the street like prey wandering mindlessly in the wilderness. She didn't have the best of luck, but she also didn't have the worst of it either, so she never suspected abduction would be on her list of untimely demises. It wasn't a thought she pondered on, especially when she'd awoken to a picture perfect morning, catching sight of a sunrise worthy of films. That day she'd cooked a fine egg, sunny side up with yolk running off the sides of her buttery toast.
