Summary
Skye is Inhuman.
Ward is Inhuman, too.
And this fact opens a whole new world of opportunities!
Comments are greatly appreciated: please, let me know what you think!
Chapter
At that Skye didn't know how to retort, so she preferred to let her curiosity get the better of her:
"Ok, ok… I got the point.
But now you must absolutely tell me what happened when you transformed: all the circumstances, your sensations when you were inside the cocoon, your fears, your difficulties, and your pain…
…by the way… I don't even know if there was actually a cocoon…
You know: when I transformed it had been really tough…
On the contrary… you seem so well adjusted and so well mastering your new powers!"
"It all simply came from the habit to a strict discipline, strong willpower and great self-control" Ward said flatly.
"Are you sure?
To me it seems your powers came naturally to you!"
"Do you think all that came naturally to me?" he asked, astonished. And continued:
"No, Skye, unless you are implying that pain and suffering is, sort of, a second nature to me."
He stopped, like seriously pondering on his last words.
"It could be…
Anyway, when I transformed, I came out from months of tortures and, even now, I feel burning and scorching anytime I am engulfed in fire, so I don't desire using my powers, because they hurt.
A lot.
But sometimes it is really unavoidable… like this evening… or when I destroyed the drug market… or when I killed Hive…
It's not pleasurable, I guarantee you.
And sometimes I need also to vent my powers out anyway, in the absence of any risk or danger to be faced, because otherwise I feel like I could explode!"
Skye was looking at him almost incredulous…
"I'm sorry for that…
When I use my powers it doesn't usually hurt… but if I use them too much my hands and arms start getting damaged…"
And, at his interrogative stare, she elaborated:
"Micro-fractures.
So I must be careful and use shockwaves and earthquakes sparingly…"
She kept quiet for an instant, and then she couldn't restrain herself, and burst out with awe:
"Oh, I still can't believe this!
You are one of us!"
At those words, Ward felt a pang in his heart.
He was one of hers.
He belonged to her family!
The two of them shared a common ground, like she didn't with Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Mack…
The two of them were of the same kind!
And this made him special for her…
Special like Lincoln…
Now, at last, he could fight on equal terms with Blondie…
Oh, he didn't want to admit that, but he was deadly jealous of that guy!
Ward continued with his story:
"As I already explained to you, Hive possessed me, so I remained trapped in my own body for months.
In the meanwhile I could perceive all Its thoughts, and feel all Its tactile sensations and emotions, together with lots of pain…
I suspect It inflicted pain to my body to keep the adrenaline high, to have me always ready to combat… not caring about the deleterious consequences on my muscular structure nor about the prostration It was inflicting to me… It didn't care about that, because, when my body would have been completely exhausted, he could have changed host at will, dropping me in the trash.
It really wore me out…
But, you know, it wasn't even Its fault: It was convinced I was really dead!
In addition to all that pain, when somebody hurt It, Hive didn't feel the pain, while I felt all of it.
But I accepted that, because I felt I deserved it to purge all my sins.
It was being applied on me a sort of retaliation law: everything I inflicted on others was returning to me, with interests."
At that Skye said, with a low voice, thinking about their fight:
"I'm so sorry for having inflicted so much additional pain on you…"
"You didn't know…
You were furious.
And I deserved that for having stabbed you in the back..."
She said:
"I was desperate.
I was suffering.
And I didn't want Hive to die: I wanted It to suffer!
What I thought it was real love, on my behalf, turned in an instant in hatred!"
"This was possible only because it wasn't real love, but only an obsession, an illusion…
If it's love, it doesn't end, and, much less, it transforms in hate!"
"Sister Bertha said the same thing…"
"She's very wise…
I had a couple of occasions to talk with her… and I liked her very much.
She's a rare person."
"Yeah… she had been a kind of surrogate mother, for me…
But, please, go on with the story: I'm curious!"
"Hive was mad at Shield for rescuing you, and wanted Its revenge: first tainted your sleep with horrible nightmares, to deprive you of the much needed rest, then It entered the Playground."
"Oh, yes! I remember those nightmares!
You were accusing me of having abandoned you, that all you did wrong was my fault…
Oh, it was horrible!
But, on second thought, I think Hive was not so mistaken in suggesting me that…"
"Skye, you are not responsible for my actions!
What I did was under my responsibility!"
"Yes.
But I'm sure things could have gone differently, if I tried to understand you, to help you, instead of behaving like a stonehearted bitch.
When I thought you were dead, you have no idea of the remorse I felt…"
"... only remorse?" he timidly let slip out.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing… nothing…" he recoiled, then continued:
"Once penetrated into the Playground, Hive took complete control on all your minds and put each of you against the other. With an extreme effort, I managed to create a mind connection with Simmons, asking her if there was some Terrigenesis Crystal left, so she could use it to pulverize my body."
"You really wanted to die?" Skye tone was incredulous.
"Do you think that was a life worth living?
It was nothing more than suffering torture continuously and assisting to evil actions without the possibility to intervene to stop them! I could not wait to die!
Thankfully, Simmons had one Crystal left in the lab, for experimentation, and she threw it at my feet."
"But how was it possible that Hive did not anticipate her move reading her thoughts, so preventing her from doing that?"
"Because I was protecting her, interfering with Hive's brain waves."
Skye raised her eyebrows in admiration.
"When I saw that the cocoon finally was forming around me, I breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon after I began to feel my body heat up, catching fire and burning like I was in an oven, while Hive was squirming inside of me, probably because It felt It could no longer remain bound to another Inhuman, and alive, too!
Once I emerged from the cocoon, my DNA had changed and Hive couldn't bear to be inside of me anymore, so It gathered all Its parasites and exited from me, tearing my belly apart.
Just imagine the pleasure!"
Skye gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.
Ward continued:
"But apparently that forced cohabitation wasn't for nothing, because I inherited from It also Its healing powers and after a while I was whole again.
Then I managed to fight against It, bring It with me in a containment module and finally burn It to ashes."
Skye remained speechless for a while…
"So, now, you are a fire throwing telepath indestructible Inhuman!
That's impressive!"
"It seams so…
Even if I don't know if these powers are temporary or permanent."
"Once you undergo Terrigenesis the process is irreversible."
"For the fire power ok. I meant the other powers…"
"We'll see.
Do you think you are immortal, too, with your healing powers and all?"
"No.
I'm sure that, if someone shot me in the head, I'd die just like any other human being."
And Skye shivered, thinking about that time when she put the barrel of a gun against his head…