Previously: Lincoln and Skye were rescued by the team. They have begun telling SHIELD what happened eight months ago when they were kidnapped by people collecting gifteds to make them fight.
Present Day
"What's going on?" Lincoln asked, eyes widened with fear.
"The plane's landing," May explained gently.
Though it was a fairly obvious happening, she didn't hold any cheek or incredulity in the answer. Hunter sympathized with the woman, really. Both of them were her rookies. Really, Lincoln had only been around SHIELD for the team Coulson and Skye were building, but… he needed an SO figure. And May seemed to adopt him right along with Skye.
"Oh yeah, right."
He swallowed and clutched Skye closer. If Hunter didn't know any better, he'd say there couldn't be a more obvious set of lovebirds on the planet.
But Hunter did know better. Or at least, he knew enough to realize it didn't necessarily mean they were into each other in like that. Eight months with only one person to turn to for comfort would certainly make you pretty snug with one another no matter what.
He observed them as he sat off to the side, arms crossed in interest.
To be honest, after Bobbi's incident he was prepared for them to be in a much worse condition. At least they seemed alright… physically.
"Alright, I've got a good outlook on what we can do about the implants," Fitz said, coming up to them with a tablet in hand. "We can set up outside once we're safe on the ground."
"Outside?" asked Lincoln. "Not back at the lab?"
"They're trackers Lincoln," said Skye in explanation. "It would be a bad idea to make it back to base before we get rid of them, I'm guessing."
"Right," Lincoln scoffed. "I don't know what I was thinking…"
"Not a problem mate," Hunter chirped, trying to lighten to the currently quite dismal mood. "I had to think about it as well."
"Not exactly helping my case," Lincoln said. With a smirk.
Oh, it was an insult.
"Oi!" Hunter exclaimed. "I'm not exactly stupid."
Lance may have been offended, usually, but he was just happy to see the boy's sense of humor was still in place. Someone had to check up on him as well as Skye.
Because that had always been how people worded this predicament. 'We need to find Skye,' or 'Skye's missing.' Even May, and she clearly had a closest bond with him next to Skye.
Hunter understood. Lincoln was the new kid on the block and Skye was like a surrogate daughter to Coulson or something, but the other Inhuman was a person too. Or… if Inhumans could be considered people, which they should… in any case, just as important as Skye!
So Hunter had silently assured himself that while the rest of them would coddle over the ever-important Skye, he'd make sure Sparky was alright as well.
To be fair, on cursory observances Skye seemed worse off. Clinging to Lincoln more than him to her. But over the couple months that Lance had gotten to know him, he'd taken notice that the boy tended to step up when others were in peril.
Actually a pretty common trait in these parts (maybe it was a SHIELD thing), but all the more reason to keep an eye on him.
The plane touched down with a thud and the scientists got to work setting up their haphazard camp once again.
"Where are we, Bob?" Lance asked as he walked out of the jet. More shrubs. Didn't look too different from the place they'd just left, truthfully.
"Northeast Colorado. Should be a good enough distance."
Hunter nodded. To be honest, he didn't really get why they weren't just doing it in the plane. Keep on the move.
"Simmons, Fitz, you'll have to make it fast," Bobbi explained. "We don't have too much time."
"It's brain surgery, Agent Morse," Simmons said as she hurriedly got out equipment. "In the middle of the jungle. You can't exactly rush it!"
Ah. That was… most likely why they weren't still in the air. Turbulence and brain surgery could probably get messy.
Skye's was chewing fairly determinedly on her index finger while Lincoln appeared to be in an unbreakable stare, looking over the scientists preparing the area.
Simmons caught their appearance. "Not that anything's going to go wrong, of course!" she assured. Then she beamed. Nudged Fitz.
"Oh, yeah," he muttered quietly. "Of course not."
"Alright, it would appear that we're ready," Simmons said a few moments later.
Skye was shaking her head. "I can't do this."
"It's ok, I'm going first," Lincoln assured her. Though he didn't sound exactly… sure himself. Still, he stepped forwards towards the tent they'd just pitched. Hunter didn't miss the way May eyed Skye, gauging how she'd react to Lincoln leaving her. She seemed alright.
Him on the other had, not so much.
Subtly, quite so as his hands were balled up in fists at an attempt to stop the motion, Lincoln's hands were shaking at his sides.
Hunter grabbed him and pulled him a bit away. "Mind if I have word with Sparkles for a moment?"
"Hunter," Bobbi scolded. "We don't exactly have a moment?"
"Just a second," he said, giving her a look he was sure she'd comprehend. They'd acquired that sort of secret and silent language people seemed to get when they knew each other very well.
As expected, her eyes lit up with understanding immediately and she backed off, assuring May it wouldn't take long.
"You alright?" Hunter asked Lincoln after being certain they were out of Skye's eye line.
"Not really," he admitted.
"Right, dumb question. What I mean is: are you ok with… what they're about to do?"
"I'm just not a big fan of being knocked out," he said, his eyes avoiding Hunter.
"Well, who is? Eh, I guess I can be, sometimes, when decent drugs are involved… maybe Simmons will give you-"
"No." Lincoln closed his eyes and shook his head, as though trying to rid himself of a thought. "Whatever she gives me better just make me dead to the world."
Hunter's eyes grew a bit wide.
Just over an hour ago when they'd first picked him up, Lincoln had been saying that they'd made him see some pretty weird stuff. And since he'd been asleep… maybe it only happened in a dream state, hence his hesitancy.
"You sure you can go first?" asked Hunter. Though to be honest, if he did say no, Lance was fairly sure Skye wouldn't be too keen on the idea either. Then where would they be?
Lincoln's face focused, like he was completely in the moment once again. Determined. "Skye's had her fair share of firsts. It can be my turn now."
"You don't have to be strong just for her, you know. Every little thing you do doesn't have to affect Skye."
"You're wrong," Lincoln said. "That's exactly what it does. That's exactly what we were… taught."
The wording sent a chill up Hunter's spine. He waited, in case Lincoln had more to divulge. He hoped they had a minute.
"I couldn't do it for her," Lincoln said, dejected. "Not at first. Not at the start with Raina…"
"Raina," Hunter muttered, almost forgetting about her.
"Yeah," he said. "She's not dead like we thought, she's-"
"At the base," Hunter informed him, prompting a shocked look from the kid. He hadn't known. "She showed up about a month after we lost you two."
There was silence for a few moments. Hunter was tempted to fill it, but he managed to hold off. A small feat for him.
"Let's get this over with," Lincoln said finally. "It needs to be done. And while I'm… out, don't tell Skye Raina's around."
"What? Why?"
"Just wait. She doesn't need to think about her while she's so nervous about this."
"Hey," Hunter said, catching the boy's shoulder. "It's not necessary that you grin and bear everything. I mean you'll have to bear this stuff, seeing we need to get the trackers out… but you don't have to constantly hold it together."
Lincoln stared for a moment as though contemplating. Even opened his mouth to perhaps say something.
Then, the kid shoved Hunter's friendly hand away.
Kept on walking.
Didn't say another word.
Yeah, Hunter thought. Definitely need to keep an eye on that one.
Author's Note:
Lincoln hasn't been seen very much in the show so I'll be adding my own dimensions to him. Just as well, in this story Lincoln had been training at SHIELD for Skye's group of gifteds for a couple months before they got kidnapped. Therefore he had time to bond with the team, and I'm going to explore that bit.
Thank you for reviews! SOOOO appreciated :D
