Previously: Skye, Lincoln and Hunter met Priya, an Inhuman who turns anyone around her lustful.
Lincoln had stood up and taken himself as far away from Skye as possible. She hugged herself in the corner and he was doing nearly the same. He was so much more… uncomfortable now than he had been when inadvertently touching Skye. It was as though he hadn't noticed it before, but in the absence of her…. Well, he noticed it a lot.
"I'm sorry about that! Hopefully you two are a couple," said Priya. "If you're only showing signs of wanting one another that means you're probably attracted to each other anyway."
"This is why you were taken away?" Lincoln breathed harshly. "Because people would come after you?"
Priya nodded. "If I am the only person around to take."
This girl needed to stop talking about this so offhandedly. It was as though it were engrained into her brain, as though it were normal and perfectly fine to… to assault someone!
"Priya," Skye asked delicately, though her voice shook. "H-how long were you gone?"
She blinked innocently at Skye, smiling as though in a daze. "Since I was eleven. That is when I went through the mists, and it didn't take long to figure out my power was no blessing."
"You haven't seen your family since you were eleven?" Hunter asked, his voice cracking with more emotion than he usually cared to showcase.
"It was ok," she said. "I had animals! We had tea parties and played game… it was fun. But now I have you guys!"
She was so hopeful at the prospect of being with other humans, for a moment Lincoln truly did want to stay in this room with her forever. But he knew they couldn't.
"I'm sorry Priya," Lincoln told her. "We have to go. We have more friends to help…. We can't stay here."
She frowned. Momentarily. Then a half-hearted smile came back. "That's alright, I suppose. Mr. Kane just made it seem more permanent."
"Of course he did," scoffed Skye to herself. She then took in the girl. "Never listen to him. He enjoys making people feel bad."
"He let me pick out my room!" she insisted.
"He's using you," said Hunter, to which Priya looked confused. "People are nice when they're trying to get people to do things for them."
"Oh," she said sadly. "Well, I'm not trying to do that to you! I really just wanted cookies… and…"
"It's ok," Skye said in a rush, clearly feeling the effects still. "We know you didn't mean to. But, do you know how long it lasts?"
Priya beamed at the opportunity to fill Skye in on something she knew. "I do! For… forever!"
"What?" all three agents exclaimed.
"I mean it goes away a little bit once you give into it… but I guess you always feel it?" She giggled. "I'm not sure. That's just what I've been told!"
"Well… is there an antidote?" asked Lincoln desperately. He was already clammy and dizzy with want. He could not imagine feeling like this for the rest of his life.
She put a hand to her lips. "Mmm, I didn't think so… But Kane told me if I die it might reverse the effects!" she exclaimed, quickly becoming still. Scared, for the first time. "Oh. Maybe… maybe that's why he thought people would want to hurt me…"
"We won't," Skye assured. Ok, was it just Lincoln or was she creeping closer to him?
He hoped she was. That would be nice.
"Speak for yourself," hissed Hunter quietly so Priya was out of earshot. "I think one girl's life is worth the three of us not assaulting everyone we set our eyes on!"
"Three of us?" Skye asked. "Do you… do you feel any urges?"
Hunter contemplated. "Actually… no."
"No?" asked Priya, her mouth wide in shock. She moved forward and without warning latched a hand onto Hunter's chin, inspecting his eyes. "You don't want to make out with anyone in here?"
"Erm, no?"
A smile that could rival the sun in brightness burst onto her face. "That's amazing! How are you doing that?" she asked, circling him as though there would be some sort of sign hanging from his back.
"I don't know! It's not like I've got any pow- oh."
"Oh?" mirrored Priya curiously.
"Maybe his powers are to not be affected by other powers," guessed Lincoln when Hunter didn't finish. He was doubled over now, his body felt tickly and warm and just wrong.
"How bloody lame…" Hunter muttered.
"Are you kidding?" asked Skye. "That could be so helpful!"
"Listen, if you haven't noticed, we don't need another defensive player. You two are our only offence and you're powers are deactivated! I suppose Mack could be helpful… but who the hell knows what use his-"
Hunter was cut off, quite literally, as Priya planted her face on his mouth.
Lincoln looked over at Skye to gauge her reaction. It wasn't shock as he assumed to find. In fact, there wasn't much of a reaction at all. She was just standing there; eyes dilated, mouth wide and panting.
He wanted to do something about that.
He ran forward and kissed her hungrily. She returned it with equal eagerness and ran her hands all over his body, quickly going for his shirt.
"No no no. Hell to the no!"
Lincoln was ripped away from Skye, though he was putting up such a fight that Hunter had to throw him to the ground to harness enough force to get him off of her. Skye whimpered at the loss of contact.
"No kissing! This is a no snogging zone!" Hunter insisted. He turned to Priya. "And you. What the hell was that?"
"I was curious! Thought maybe the contact would start something…" she said, smiling from beneath her eyelashes. "Did it?"
"No! I do not want to kiss you or anything in the like." He paused, his face paling. "You… you're eighteen right? I didn't just kiss a minor…"
"I'm pretty sure I'm twenty-two," she chirped.
"Pretty sure? How is that something you don't just know?"
"Nah, I understand," Skye agreed as she shrugged in Hunter's grip. He'd kept hold of her arm for good measure. "I thought I was twenty-five until a couple months ago…"
"Ok fair point, I suppose… still think it's a bit messed up."
"Hah. That's what I said when I found out."
She was almost in a daze, drugged up. But he supposed that was normal for someone on aphrodisiacs. He certainly didn't feel right when they were dosing him for those…
Those dreams.
"Holy crap," Lincoln breathed suddenly, clutching his head.
"What is it?" Skye asked and rushed forward, but stopped herself before she got too close.
"This is a hallucination."
"Oh no, Lincoln… No, it's not."
Her face played worry, concern, pity, nervousness…
Which would make sense in their current predicament, wouldn't it? She would be scared to think her friend was going off his rocker in this situation.
But was it real, or not?
Lincoln strode up to Priya and Skye grabbed his hand, stopping him in case he was going to hurt the girl. The sparks her touch sent through him were instantaneous.
Hunter broke through them once again. "No. No touching! Bad inhumans; nobody touch!"
"Why wouldn't he use you before?" Lincoln heaved, ignoring the Brit completely. "Why wouldn't he use you when they were trying to get Skye and I to sleep together in the first place?"
Priya shrugged, and played with the drawstrings on her dress coyly. "I don't know… I was in hiding. I don't know why he found me when he did."
"So you've just met Kane not too long ago?"
She nodded happily. "Yes! He contacted me through a screen and used robots to pick me up. Said he could take me to a place where I could be with other people. People like me."
Skye rubbed her face in her hands. "This is horrible. If anyone else gets affected and decides they don't want to feel this way forever, they could kill her."
Priya giggled. "I told you, you're just feeling really bad now because you haven't given in to it yet. Just keep a boy around to use a few times a day-"
Lincoln shook his head. "Please stop talking."
"Well this is normal, isn't it?" Priya asked. "My father always said that these things just weren't meant for children. But we're adults. Feel free to sleep with each other if you want!"
Every time the poor misguided girl suggested these things it only made Lincoln want to tug Skye closer. Normally the thought of being out in the open would be disgusting. He knew that, knew it in the back of his mind… but it just wasn't registering.
"Oh good lord," Hunter said, grabbing the girl by the shoulder so she faced him fully. "Birds and the bees speed round: one, it is certainly not normal to do that in front of other people. Number two, yeah adults may talk about sex… but not seriously. Not personally. Three, three…. hmm, well maybe I covered it."
Skye perked up. "Um, how about it's good to actually want to be with a person as opposed to a love spell?"
"Ah yeah, good one," Hunter agreed. "That's number three."
Priya was giving him the look of someone who'd just been told pigs could fly. "What does any of that have to do with the birds and the bees?" she asked.
Hunter blinked. "Jesus! Did you not have internet?"
Priya shook her head with a happy grin. "Nope. Lots of books my father gave me though. Fabric for sewing…"
Hunter threw up his hands in exasperation. "She's bloody Snow White."
"Oh yes! That is one of the books I had."
Lincoln scoffed. "You hallucinations have to admit this is just a little too perfect for real life."
Hunter rolled his eyes. "You. Have. Electric. Powers. How is this any more wonky?"
He shrugged. "It's too good of a story."
"That's because Kane's creating it," Skye said. "Weaving this for entertainment. I'm sure of it."
"Well-" Lincoln started, but was cut off by a 'vwarp!'
Jemma turned around from facing the wall. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Couldn't get it to bloody work… Going down is clearly more difficult."
"Simmons!" Hunter exclaimed. "Thank god, you can get us out of here."
She hopped off of the pink bed she'd been standing on, happening to have landed there when materializing into the room. "Are you all alright?" She eyed Priya. "What's… going on?"
Skye waved her off. "Don't worry about her, she won't hurt us. Her name is Priya."
The girl gave a delicate wave.
"Well… how nice to meet you," Jemma said uncertainly. This is an interesting place…" she mumbled, glancing about. "Fitz isn't here, is he?"
Lincoln had sort of stepped out of the conversation to watch it unfold. He didn't feel like contributing until he was sure it was real.
"No," Skye said, nervously rubbing her own legs up and down. Lincoln realized he was doing the same, anxiety and other urges driving him. "Can you get us out of here?"
"Yeah, I think…" she mumbled in distraction. "Hunter, want to go first?"
Skye frowned. "You can't do it all at the same time?"
"Oh well, perhaps… But Hunter-"
"Is this because you want to kiss me?" he asked flatly.
Her eyes grew large. She scoffed, waved her hand dismissively. "What?" she squeaked. "No… no."
Hunter sighed. "So that's a big old yes."
"Oh damn," Skye muttered. "If we take Priya, she'll influence everyone!"
"Whoa! Red flag," exclaimed Hunter. "Who said we were bringing her?"
"You can't really expect us to leave her in a doorless room," Skye scoffed. "She could be killed!"
"You could be killed!" Hunter exclaimed. "How do you know your symptoms won't get worse? What if you… attack each other or whoever's trying to stop you from getting to one another?"
Skye inhaled, clearly at a loss. Lincoln didn't know what to say to her. CAMI's voice echoed through his mind about how they all wouldn't make it out.
Then CAMI's voice was literally echoing in the room.
"Contestants are taking too long at this stage. Game will be accelerated."
She'd blinked on and off in an instant, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"That doesn't sound good…" mumbled Lincoln. But honestly, what did lately?
The room began to shake. Loud and violently.
"Um… Skye?" Hunter asked hopefully.
She held up her hands in defense. "Not me. Gloves are definitely still on."
The walls began cracking. The pink wallpaper tore instantly, and Priya's belonings began falling to the ground.
"What… my bedroom!" Priya shrieked. "I just decorated it…"
"Bigger problems!" Hunter said. He grabbed her hand, and then Lincoln's, to haul them nearer Simmons and Skye. "Get us out of here!"
"I don't know if…" Jemma started, eyes glazing over as she looked at Hunter. Well, Lincoln thought. He honestly didn't keep that girl in his sights too long.
Skye was very close now.
He reached out to touch her and Hunter was there. Shouting, maybe. He was fairly certain the outburst was directed at Simmons. A great urgency to his tone.
Lincoln was definitely distracted by Skye's invigorating brown eyes and the way her hair sort of fluffed with static when she hadn't brushed it in a while, the way it vibrated in the shaking room, but Hunter's tone might have been because the room was falling apart around them.
"Simmons, NOW!" Hunter shouted.
Jemma closed her eyes and clamped her arms around all of them. He felt a tight squeeze, and heard the 'vwarp' sound once again.
Author's Notes: I update as fast as I can guys I promise! Thank you for reviews :)
