Once, in the early days of the Planeteers, Linka and Kwame rescued three sun bears from captivity. They'd been in Malaysia, and the bears had been part of an illegal animal shipment to China. What the Chinese had planned to do with them, Linka had no idea. But given the shipment had come from Greedly, probably nothing very good, she imagined. She and Kwame had intercepted the convoy the bears had been travelling in, taking their van and driving it to an animal shelter in the south of the country. During the trip, the bears hadn't made a single sound, and Linka had been half-convinced by the time they arrived that they were already dead.
But no. They weren't dead. Not physically, anyway. When Kwame gently opened the doors, three pairs of eyes, glassy and soulless, looked up to meet theirs. Looking back, it made Linka shudder to remember the blank look in their small faces. They'd been caged so long their spirits had been broken, and that night, Linka cried many tears over the lifeless, lost look they'd given her.
Wheeler, the fire Planeteer she hardly knew and mostly disliked, had tried to comfort her.
'They'll be okay now, babe,' he'd said, wiping a tear from her cheek. 'They're in the right place.'
But Linka had thrown his hand away with an impatient cry of exasperation. 'It does not feel like it,' she'd told him, feeling a small degree of pleasure at the stung look that crossed his face. 'And do not call me that.'
'What?' he'd asked, and though his voice was light, Linka noticed he stepped away from her.
'Babe,' she'd returned, glaring at him. 'I do not like it.'
Wheeler had nodded at that, crossing his arms and meeting her gaze, completely unafraid. 'You don't like it?' he queried her. 'Or is that you don't like the fact that you actually do?'
'Do not put words in my mouth, Yankee,' she'd warned, and a dark look crossed Wheeler's eyes. 'What?' Linka snapped.
'Nah, it's just-' abruptly, he shrugged. 'I was just thinkin' of other things I'd like to put in your mouth, is all.'
At that, Linka's mouth had dropped open, and her cheeks flamed red. 'You... you would not... how can you be so... so bald, Wheeler.'
A look of disgust flashed in his eyes. 'It's fuckin' bold, Linka, and fuck you. I didn't mean my... I didn't mean that, of course not. Actually, I was thinkin' more of kind words, and polite chitchat. You don't like me, I get that,' he shook his head at her. 'But it wouldn't kill you to be nicer to me, once in a while. I try with you, Linka, I try all the fuckin' time, and you -'
'You try too much,' Linka interjected, and all the anger seemed to drop from Wheeler's face. He gazed at her sadly, and he reached out, stroking just one finger down the length of her arm.
'I'm always gonna try with you,' he told her quietly, before pulling his hand away. 'But you could try with me too. Once, every so often, you could try with me too.'
Linka stared at him, trying to formulate a response. But for once, words wouldn't come, and so she stood on the spot, flustered and upset, her hands clenched. Wheeler continued to gaze at her, his eyes soft and almost understanding.
'You're upset about those bears,' he told her. 'You're upset about that look in their eyes. How did you describe it? Soulless? Blank?'
Wordlessly, Linka nodded.
Wheeler sighed. 'Sometimes, when I look at you, I see that look in your eyes too. But it's not because your spirit's been broken, Lin. It's because you're leashin' your spirit back. Holdin' it and everyone else at a distance. Let it go sometime, hey?'
'For you?' Linka asked, before she could help herself, and she watched as a slow smile spread across the American's face.
'Not for me, no. For you, Babe.'
Linka stared at him, feeling all the fight within her suddenly dissipate at his words. He gave her another understanding smile, a smile so full of overtures of friendliness and camaraderie that she abruptly found intolerable.
'I can be nice,' she said hurriedly, before he could turn to leave.
'Can you?' he raised an eyebrow at her. 'I ain't seen that yet, to be honest.'
She took a deep breath. 'You have nice hair,' she offered, and he laughed, a deep, throaty sound that warmed Linka's skin.
'What?' he grinned.
'Your hair, Yankee, it is very nice. In my country, my people...' she frowned. 'Red hair, it is not popular. Not an ideal colour to have, but you... your hair... I like it and it is very nice and -' she stopped, suddenly aware that he was watching her carefully. She coloured, before looking down at the ground.
'Go on,' he said, his voice low, and using every ounce of her bravery, Linka looked back up.
'In one part of Russia,' she began. 'This place, it is called Udmurtia, it is in the Urals... well, they believe that people with red hair are the children of the sun, that they have the love of God. Maybe you have the love of God, Yankee.'
For a moment he stared at her, before he stepped forward, running his thumb under her chin and bringing her face up to the light.
'There it is,' he whispered. 'That little bit of spirit, shinin' through,' he stared into her eyes, inhaling deeply. 'Thought it would look good on you, but I had no idea...'
She coloured again, and he smiled, before dropping his hand and stepping away from her. He started to walk towards the shelter, shaking his head, and Linka felt a sudden surge of affection for him go through her.
'Hey, babe,' he suddenly turned around, grinning at her. She looked up and met his gaze. 'I take it back. You can be nice. But I gotta tell you; it's not the love of God I'm after here.'
He grinned again, before turning away from her. Linka laughed, the noise so strange and unfamiliar to her ears that she stopped, taking a moment.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed. Really laughed.
'Yankee,' she called out, and he turned.
'Yeah?'
She smiled at him. 'Do not stop trying with me.'
Linka doesn't know why she thinks of those sun-bears when she sees the blank, glassy look in Ma-Ti's eyes, but she does. He's trying to focus, his pupils dilating, and she cannot help but wonder how he feels - if he feels - and what he must be thinking. At one point, his eyes slowly look over her, and she feels a knot of grief within her threaten to spill over, so that she has to look away, ducking her head against Wheeler's chest.
'Hey, little buddy,' she hears Wheeler say, the vibration of his voice reassuring against her cheek. 'Hey,' he says again. 'Good to see you.'
But Ma-Ti makes no response, and Linka feels Wheeler's body stiffen.
'Well,' in the room, the sharp voice of Barbara Blight interrupts, and Linka feels a sickly bolt of fear run through her. Once again, she can feel the cold press of Blight's pistol to her stomach, and instinctively she runs a hand along the slight curve of her belly. Wheeler's arm tightens over her shoulder, and she breathes deeply.
They're all okay. Wheeler's real, and here, and they're all okay.
'Put his ring on him,' Blight orders, and Linka looks up, seeing Gi stumble as she walks towards Ma-Ti.
'He needs time,' Kwame suddenly says, his voice indignant. 'You cannot expect him to call Captain Planet... not right now... not when he has only just awoken...'
But Blight gives a bored sigh. 'I don't give a fuck about him. I want Captain Planet. Call him. Right now.'
'You can't do this -' Kwame begins to argue, but Gi talks over him.
'Is the containment facility ready?' she asks, staring at Ma-Ti. Linka sees Ma-Ti stare back at Gi, his eyes still blank, sitting up but still unmoving.
'Yes,' Blight replies. She pats her hip. 'Got a sharp shock of toxic waste ready to shoot into his system, and then we'll put him in the facility. Call him. Right now.'
'No, we must not, this is madness -' Linka watches Kwame take a frustrated breath. 'Linka, Wheeler, we must not do this,' Kwame tries. 'You know we cannot.'
'Kwame - ' Linka begins, but Wheeler squeezes her arm.
'We do have to do this,' he suddenly says, his voice firm, and Linka sees Kwame's mouth open in shock.
'Wheeler,' he exhales.
'I don't like it either,' Wheeler says. 'But I got priorities now, Kwame. And Captain Planet... he's not it.'
A stunned silence falls over the room.
'Wheeler,' Kwame says again, before his voice trails off into nothing.
Blight's laughter, high-pitched and grating, filled the laboratory. 'Oh, I gave you a real scare, didn't I Firebug? Messing with your little Russian princess here. Well, well, well, good to know you've decided to play ball at last,' she gave Wheeler a smile that made Linka's skin creep. 'Right then, enough of this. Put the ring on the jungle kid and get a move on. I want Captain Planet. Now.'
From the corner of her eye, Linka watches as Blight brings her wrist up to her mouth. She whispers something lightly, something undetectable to Linka's ear, but still, something in Linka's mind whirs.
A distraction.
The room is quiet as Gi brings the Heart ring from out of her pocket. Instantly, it glows rose pink in the room, and Gi starts to cry, another stream of happy tears gushing down her face.
'Oh my God,' Gi cries. 'It hasn't... it hasn't glowed like this - not this bright, not this warm - for weeks now. Oh my God. Ma-Ti.'
As she stares at the Heart ring, something deep inside Linka starts to warm. It's like a small ball of hope, a pull on an invisible string, and a wave of contentment washes over her. She looks up, right into Ma-Ti's eyes, and they're blank but not glassy, as though a spirit within has been tightly leashed and -
'I'll do it,' she suddenly says, stepping forward and out of Wheeler's arms.
'Babe - '
'Let me put his ring on him,' Linka carries on, her voice clearer. 'It is an honour. Let me be the one.'
Gi gives her a gentle hug. 'I knew when you saw, you would understand,' she says tearfully, and Linka nods. 'Let me have the ring,' she says. 'Let me put it on him.'
She's aware that every pair of eyes in the room is on her as Gi slides the Heart ring into her palm. Linka closes her eyes as another wave of contentment, of pure and unadulterated happiness, steals into her blood. The ring sparks and flashes in her hand, and she closes her palm around it so that neither Blight nor Gi can see.
Slowly, she steps towards Ma-Ti, who stares at her with wide eyes.
'I understand now,' she says, in Russian. 'I understand now.'
She walks to Ma-Ti's side, reaching out for his hand and holding it in her own. From behind her, inexplicably, she can feel concern and worry pulsing from Wheeler in one continuous movement, and she feels another warm tug from within.
'Do not worry, moya lyubov,' she says clearly. 'I am alright. It is only Ma-Ti.'
She bends towards the former Heart Planeteer, holding his palm against her stomach.
'Can you feel that?' she whispers to him in Russian. 'Can you? Do you understand, friend?'
More waves of contentment follow, and it's like being on a drug, like being on Bliss again, and Linka sighs happily. 'Yes, you know. You understand. You always understood.' She sighs, stroking the hair away from his face.
He is still just a boy, after all.
'Did it always feel this way, for you?' she asks him. 'Did it always feel so wonderful? It is no wonder you loved it so. No wonder you were always so calm. So at peace.'
Behind her, Linka feels panic flare within Gi. The water planeteer steps forward.
'Linka, what are you doing? What are you talking about with him -?'
But cutting above her is a flare of annoyance from Blight. Annoyance, with a small creeping hint of uncertainty.
'Get a fucking move on,' Blight snaps. 'Put the ring on the kid and call Captain Planet.'
Linka nods as Ma-Ti's eyes meet hers once more. 'Yes,' she tells him. 'Yes, I know. One more time and then we can all go home.'
This time, the wave is an actual image passing before her eyes, and Linka closes them, concentrating on it.
Children. Laughter. A small house on a large lot of land. Mountains behind them. The air is crisp and cool, and a man with red hair carries a small boy on his shoulders. The boy wears a ring, and it glows rose-gold in the sunshine.
When she opens her eyes again, Linka finds that her cheeks are wet. She brushes Ma-Ti's forehead once more. 'Thank you. Thank you, little friend. I will tell him. I promise.'
She slips the ring onto Ma-Ti's finger, and with a final press of her lips to his head, she steps back, walking into Wheeler's arms.
'Babe,' he whispers, his voice pained, looking at the tear stains on her face.
'Yankee,' she says, as another wave of contentment washes over her. 'It is time for a distraction.'
