When Lucy opened her eyes she recognized the heaviness in her limbs for what it was - she was exhausted from cleansing. She'd become far too familiar with this feeling after the mission disaster, and even with the concussion making her eyes take longer to focus than usual and the headache beating on her eyes like a drum - she knew she had cleansed until she'd passed out.

Her disdain for this city, the General, and the doctor had only grown after watching them use shock sticks on the mutant in that cage. She wasn't sure if they did it to all mutants or just ones that were like that tiger - clearly mutated for a least a couple of years, disfigured, and more terrifying than a freshly mutated hybrid.

And she didn't care.

I hate them, she seethed as she sat up and waited for the dizziness to subside before making her way to the bathroom.

She stopped by her door on the way and locked it for good measure. She'd learned, obviously, that they had a key to open it, but she was making a point and had no intention of stopping any time soon.

As she showered she tried to think through exactly what she was going to do, though her mind wasn't working any better now than the day she arrived.

The men downstairs didn't sign up for this, and they don't deserve to be mistreated, she thought as she took her time to wash, But I don't have to be friends with them either. If I leave the room they'll follow me around, and probably security too if I had to guess. It'll make work for everyone if they have to clean up after me, but I'll be damned if I contribute to this household like I do at home.

She froze, furrowing her brow as she looked at her arm where two bruises were forming under a set of small scratches. She didn't remember getting those... the tiger couldn't have done something so small.

Then she saw it, and she felt her face pale as she reached out to the shower wall for balance.

The small red dot over her vein that meant they had likely taken blood.

Those bastards! They had me cleanse until I passed out on purpose!

She felt the nausea spike but pushed it down, determined to learn from her mistake yesterday as she finished up. She got herself put together just like she always did - partially out of habit and partially to simply feel like she had control over something in her life at the moment.

By the time she was done, though, she was struggling with her fatigue. She made her way to the window seat and leaned heavily against the window frame while looking out over the city.

The weather was rainy today and the city way grey and dreary... it felt appropriate.

A small knock... a pause... then someone tried to open the door. Finding it locked they would know she was awake.

"Mrs. Morgan?" Anderson called, relieved she had finally woken up.

She didn't respond, of course, and he wasn't surprised. He unlocked the door and entered, peeking around to find her at the window seat. He frowned instantly at the sight of her, noting the dark circles under her eyes and how pale she was - it was clear she was still recovering from cleansing the mutant.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Morgan," he said softly, carrying the tray in and placing it on the table in front of the couch, "How are you feeling?"

No response.

"The doctor is here to check on you," he explained carefully, "he's been waiting for you to wake up."

She didn't respond.

He sighed and nodded, leaving the room quietly to fetch the doctor. Lucy stood casually and walked to the bathroom, closing the door and locking it before sliding down and leaning against it just like she had that first day.

"Mrs. Morgan?" Dr. Demir's voice could be heard on the other side of the door, clearly surprised to find the room empty after Anderson had just said she was ready.

Anderson paused in the doorway for a moment before his eyes traveled to the bathroom door, and he suspected he knew where she was.

"I believe she has decided not to see you today, doctor," Anderson admitted, his eyes trained on the bathroom door.

"She hasn't eaten," the doctor said, gesturing at the tray, "I'll simply wait until she's ready."

Anderson raised an eyebrow as the doctor settled in on the couch, and he had a feeling she wasn't the one that would give in first. He didn't know her well, admittedly, but it hadn't taken him long to put together that she wasn't your usual primary.

She didn't care about the luxury clothes, brand-name handbags, or top-of-the-line cosmetics that had been stocked in this room for her use. She didn't eat the food made from the freshest ingredients or explored the enormous mansion with rooms upon rooms filled with everything she could possibly enjoy. She hadn't walked outside to discover this property had a proper garden - almost unheard of inside walled cities - or to the basement where she'd have found an indoor pool.

She wasn't rude or hateful, she didn't scream or throw things, and she didn't attack anyone like everyone had expected she would when she first arrived. She wasn't even swayed by the impressive matches that were given to her despite breaking several key laws to do so.

No, she knew what she wanted and so far there was absolutely no indication that short of torturing some random mutant or talking poorly about her matches she would even speak to them. He had no doubt that it would be the doctor that gave in first.

Anderson called for Zachary, asking him to work from Lucy's room for the day since he had to go to work but was uncomfortable leaving the doctor behind alone. Zachary didn't hesitate to agree, moving quickly from where he'd set up camp in the primary sitting room up to Lucy's room and settling in quickly.

Zachary had been working from home for years before this - writing movie scripts and songs didn't require that he go into an office - but he was still adapting to the new location. He'd had a routine for a long time now, and it was difficult for him to adjust without the atmosphere he was used to.

So, it didn't matter if he was in Lucy's room or not since it was all equally foreign.

He was also livid after Liam recounted what happened yesterday, and he wasn't the only one. Everything from the setup to taking samples they knew she'd have never consented for them to take had all five of the men furious.

They may not know Lucy and the arrangement of this unit might be very, very unusual - but she was their primary, and her safety was their responsibility. Everything about what had happened was unacceptable.

Not to mention very illegal.

Everett and Wyatt blamed Liam in part for not stopping them, though Liam had looked at them impatiently and simply asked "what, exactly, should I have done with six security guards, four medical staff, and the General all stopping me?"

It hadn't made them less furious, but they'd begrudgingly acknowledged he hadn't exactly been in a position to protect her. Yet, what did that make them if they were over-ridden as her matches, and her word as a primary meant nothing either?

They knew the answer, just like Lucy did - sitting on the floor and dozing in and out as the fog in her mind kept her from focusing on any one thing. They were prisoners, and their rights had been stripped away.

"This is ridiculous," Dr. Demir grumbled, glaring at the door, "She is being completely unreasonable!"

His patience had worn thin after the first hour had passed, and now that they were nearing on the second hour mark he had finally lost his composure entirely.

"You took her from her happy life, dropped her here to live in a gilded cage with no means of communication or freedom or any of the things that matter to her, and then mistreated her so you could run experiments on her," Zachary said darkly, the pen in his hand freezing above the paper, "How would you react if someone did it to you?"

The doctor looked at the man impatiently, waving his hand dismissively, "you're being dramatic. Her life here would be far superior to what she had before if she stopped with this tantrum. Better matches, better house, access to everything she could ever want. The job is the same, more or less, as what she was already doing before. Things are only better here."

"She clearly disagrees," Zachary stated simply, "Just because it would be better for you doesn't mean she approves."

"What are you doing to make her happy then?" the doctor challenged, "That's your responsibility! If she's unhappy here, that's entirely your fault. So, fix it."

"How do you propose I do that, exactly?" Zachary asked, taking notes to the side in a notebook as he found himself inspired to write a new script, "What would you do if you were pulled from your current unit, reassigned without warning, and dumped in a house that was very nice but basically a prison for a primary that would rather starve herself to death than even speak to you?"

The doctor blinked, looking down at the food tray that remained untouched.

"Is she refusing to eat?" he asked hesitantly, calculating the impact that would have on his research.

"She is eating now, though not much," Zachary explained, "She agreed to only after we explained that her old matches were still bound to her."

He paused and looked up to hold the doctor's confused gaze, emphasizing his words.

"The only reason she isn't attempting to starve herself to death is to keep her previous matches alive."

"Why is she so obsessed with those matches?" the doctor asked exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in frustration, "They aren't impressive at all! Basic species, basic jobs, basic skillsets... none of them are anything special!"

"They are special to her," Zachary shrugged, returning to his notes, "and they are the only thing she wants or cares about."

He was still coming to terms with it himself, but he was convinced that it was true after hearing Anderson explain his conversation with her. She wouldn't be convinced with jewelry and a fancy pool because she didn't care about those things like most primaries did.

Unfortunately, that only irritated the doctor more. He tapped the implanted device in his hand and called the General, insisting that he come and remove the woman from her bathroom so he could perform his examinations. He needed the data for his notes and to know when she could return to the lab - her refusal to open the door was unacceptable.

The General pinched the bridge of his nose on the other side of the call and agreed to come, bringing the same six men he brought yesterday in an attempt to intimidate the woman.

Though... he didn't think they had quite the impact that he'd originally hoped for...

Half an hour later the General arrived to find the doctor pacing in the room and grumbling loudly about how unreasonable the woman was being. He had tried everything - coaxing, bribery, mild threats - and nothing had managed to get so much as a word out of the woman.

"Break the door down," the General sighed, nodding at the two men in the front of their respective lines.

The same man that had held Lucy back yesterday hesitated, his opinions on their treatment of this primary even more conflicted after seeing the woman's reactions to a mutant's abuse.

"If she's close to the door we might injure her, General."

"And whose fault would that be?!" Dr. Demir snapped, "She's the one being unreasonable!"

"Is she?" Zachary asked from the couch dismissively, "She hasn't screamed, insulted anyone, or even thrown anything... she has been calm and collected, though firm in her desires and boundaries from the beginning. It seems the ones that are willing to break down her bathroom door because her refusing to cooperate as your experimental lab rat is inconvenient are far more unreasonable."

"That's enough, Zachary," the General barked, "The matches and luxury she's been given come at a price. This is a perfectly reasonable exchange of services."

"Except she doesn't want any of that, does she?" Zachary challenged, sitting back and looking at the General with open disdain, "You decided what she should value, then agreed that the cost of what you gave her was fair... but she doesn't want it. She hasn't touched a single thing of luxury you've given her - she barely even eats. If she doesn't take or use any of it, is the price still fair?"

"Break. It. Down," the General seethed, glaring at the shark in front of him and wanting nothing more than to take him in for a proper lashing.

The security guard walked to the door and, before executing on his orders said, "Mrs. Morgan, we're coming in now. Please step away from the door... I... I don't want to hurt you."

Lucy, having listened to every word spoken, calmly stood and walked over to sit on the far side of the room as she waited for them to break the door down. It didn't take long before the door splintered and gave way - a solid three hits was plenty when an elephant-hybrid decided to remove something in his path. He tried to prevent it from bursting in, though, keeping the hits controlled and focused near the doorknob rather than crashing through.

When the door had taken enough damage, he forced it forward and stepped in carefully - scanning the room for the woman he hoped desperately was unharmed. His shoulders sagged in relief when he saw her sitting on the far side, and he smiled ever so slightly when he saw she'd done as he'd asked.

She winked at him in thanks, smoothing her face quickly before the General stomped past the man and glared at the woman sitting casually and blank-faced on the floor.

"Mrs. Morgan!" he roared, "This behavior is pointless."

She turned her face to him slowly, holding his gaze as she said firmly yet calmly, "Yes. Yes it is."

His face turned red as he processed her meaning, and he picked her up roughly from the floor and carried her out without another word.

She didn't fight, but didn't help him - just like yesterday - and despite the fact that his hold was too tight and his movements jerky enough to make her dizziness flare right back up - she didn't make a sound.

He dropped her on the bed and glared at the clearly frustrated doctor.

"Do your exam. We will remain to ensure she behaves."

All of the security guards and Zachary looked at the woman uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with this blatant disrespect of a primary... especially one so calm. She may not be cooperating, but she wasn't doing anything to earn the way they were treating her either.

Dr. Demir didn't hesitate to walk over quickly and remove the wand, beginning with a basic scan. When he reached for her arm to take her pulse she flinched away, but he snatched it impatiently anyway and held it just a bit too tightly in his frustration. She paled, but otherwise didn't react.

"She's still moderately exhausted," the doctor finally said, dropping her wrist and turning to the General, "She won't be up for another session for at least another day. I'll come back tomorrow and scan her again - if she's ready, we can plan for our next session the day after that."

"I'd like to request to be assigned here as permanent security for Mrs. Morgan," the security guard that broke down the door suddenly said seriously, "and would like to understand, exactly, what her rights are."

"Excuse me, Officer Tibur?" the General asked, turning to face him with a mixture of impatience and confusion.

"She is a primary, but your doctor just bruised her wrist," the guard said, gesturing at the woman with a hard look, "Yet he's clearly not being arrested. You had me break down a door locked by a primary in her personal quarters of her personal residence when she was clearly not in danger. That's just today. This woman clearly needs protection because the people around her have no problem breaking the laws meant to protect primaries, and no one is holding them accountable."

"Your insubordination has been noted," the General seethed, glaring at the man, "and your request has been denied. Your punishment will-"

"I want him," Lucy spoke firmly, drawing all the eyes in the room to her - though she only had eyes for the General as she glared at him, "You said anything I want is mine. He's my security, effective immediately. You have no right to punish or harm anyone assigned to me, so there will be no punishment."

The doctor studied her, his frustration melting away to curiosity once again as he noted that she truly was as considerate and soft-hearted as the notes had said.

"Why are you so protective of a random hybrid, Mrs. Morgan?" the doctor asked with genuine curiosity, "You dove into a containment unit to protect a mutant - not even capable of proper cognitive processing - and now you're taking on a security guard you clearly want nothing to do with to spare him punishment. You don't even know what his punishment would have been. Why?"

"Because I'm human and I have a conscience," she said angrily, "Maybe you should try finding yours."

She calmly got out of the bed and moved to the window seat, ignoring everyone in the room as she sat and stared out over the dreary city. She knew everyone was staring at her, but she was lost in her thoughts of the men Rachel had abused and the way their faces had lit up when she treated them with the respect they'd always deserved.

Is Flynn working in the chef's program yet, she wondered, counting the buildings she'd already memorized, I wonder if Jasper has finally gotten back to that project they needed him for. Everything kept delaying him from going back, but he can't avoid it forever. I hope Erik isn't giving Marco a hard time, and that Evan isn't having any issues with nobbles still trying to crawl into his truck. I hope Rory doesn't blame himself... he carries so much responsibility already...

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