𝐈𝐍𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
you go girl

SKYE jerked awake, her vision blurry and shaky. "Hey." She turned her head, her vision focusing as her brown eyes landed on Gordon. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Gordon, where am I?" The female McCall asked, starting to freak out.

"This is the place I told you about."

She looked around her, still confused. "How long have I been here?"

"Two days."

"Two days!?" She exclaimed, trying to sit up but quickly realized she couldn't move. "Ow, why can't I move?" She started breathing heavily. "What are you doing to me?"

"We're healing you." Skye jerked her head to the side to see an attractive blonde male walk into the room. "Leaving now wouldn't exactly be..." He chuckled. "You ever made microwave popcorn? Leave it in too long, and it's charcoal. Take it out too soon, and it's a bag of kernels." He paused and shook his head. "That might be the worst analogy ever." He looked to Gordon. "Gordo, help me out here."

Gordon chuckled as Skye looked between both men. "You are on your own with this one." He turned to her, "I have to go now." Dee gulped, not sure if she wanted to be left alone with someone she didn't know. "You're in very good hands." He leaned down and whispered, "He's smarter than he looks."

"How do you know that?" The boy gave Gordon a look, a breathless chuckle leaving him.

As Gordon left, Skye looked down at her body, sighed, and plopped her head back down.

The boy then walked towards a dresser that was against the wall in front of the bed she was currently on. "He's been by your side since the moment you got here."

"Who are you?" Skye questioned rather rudely.

"Sorry," He apologized. "I thought..." She gave him a look. "I'm Lincoln, your transitioner." She furrowed her eyebrows at his wording. "Right. I-I keep forgetting you're new to this." He walked towarda her. "Everyone who goes through terrigenesis has, uh, a transitioner to help them."

"Please cut to the chase," she told him, looking down at the needles that stuck out of her body in multiple places.

Lincoln nodded, "Right, yeah." He grabbed a chair and sat beside the bed. "Let me start from the top. Imagine a thousand years of evolution taking place instantaneously. T-that's what happened to you after the mist."

"Mist?" Skye questioned. "I didn't go through this so called "mist" I just went out into the woods, trying to find a half a dead body with my best friend and brother."

"Then you must've somehow touched it," He told her, furrowing his eyebrows. "Anyway, these treatments... we're helping your body adjust properly to the change, transitioning you quickly and painlessly, I hope. We usually like to start the process right after the mist, but as—"

"How long?" She asked him impatiently. "When can I get out of this?"

"You got places to be, people to see?"

Skye paused upon realizing that she was the one that decided to leave so she looked him in the eyes, and shook her head, sighing. "I don't," she admitted.

"HOW are you feeling?" Lincoln questioned as he walked into the room.

She was rubbing her hands and wrists, no longer feeling any pain. "Kind of normal," she admitted, smiling at him.

He chuckled. "Normal's good."

"Yeah." Skye nodded, putting on her jacket.

"We flushed your lymphatic and circulatory systems, so you'll be weak for a few days, but—"

"I need to give a message to my friends... and family," Skye interrupted him, talking about the team, and Melissa, Scott, and Stiles. The last time she talked to her family was when they saw her in the hospital, almost dying.

"Gordon's the only one who can make contact with the outside world," Lincoln told her, his hands on his hips. "We can talk to him when he gets back."

Skye looked around her at the room we were in. "Where exactly are we?"

"No one really knows," Lincoln admitted, walking towards the door. "Uh, the official name is Chinese, I think...Lai Shi... doesn't exactly translate." He opened the doors and she gasped at the beauty of it. "So we just call it "Afterlife"."

"You say the name of this place is Chinese," She stated as they started walking. "Are we in China?"

"No idea," Lincoln told her which made her even more confused than she already was. "Gordon's the only one who knows where we are, and he's the only way in or out." She looked around her at the people as they continued to walk. "It keeps us secret and safe from the outside world."

"Or it keeps us prisoners," she stated, pursing her lips.

Lincoln chuckled as he looked over at her, blue eyes meeting brown. "You're not very trusting, are you?"

Skye shook her head and chuckled. "I woke up naked on a table in a place no one can even point to on a map, so..." She trailed off. "Call me crazy."

"You weren't totally naked." She scoffed at him. "And you asked Gordon to bring you here." She looked down, biting her lip. "No one's gonna force you to stay. It's not a bad place. The night life's a little lacking."

"So you live here?" Skye asked him as they walked into the town's hotspot, well, that's what it looked like.

"No one lives here not permanently." She turned to him, her eyebrows furrowed. "It's more like a way station." He gestured to the place around them. "I'm from Cincinnati, trying to finish Med School. I'm brought here when I'm needed. Some people come here when they need a safe place to stay."

Skye noticed that everyone was staring at her, so she decided to speak up, "Why do I feel like the new kid in school right now? Everyone is staring at me."

"Gordon didn't explain?"

She stopped walking and stood in front of Lincoln, a little angry. "No, I thought you said that everyone here is like me and that this happens all the..." She paused as a man stopped to stare at her before continue walking, "Time."

Lincoln chuckled, staring down at her with excited eyes. "Are you kidding?" He chuckled again. "T-this has never happened. Things here have always been done a certain way." He glanced at the people around them. "These people are descendants, yes, but most of them are waiting to be chosen. They carry the genetic marker and have been brought here to be evaluated, cultured, and prepared for the change should they be selected, but that only happens to one person every few years."

"They actually want to be like me?" Skye questioned in disbelief.

Lincoln nodded. "This tradition has been passed down through countless generations."

"And I jumped the line," she realized, sighing.

"And not only did you go through without permission or prep, but you did it by just touching a rock - a stone - and didn't even realize it." She gave him a glare. "Uh, that hasn't happened for thousands of years. You can see why some of these people might be a little envious." He chuckled, again.

"I'd gladly change places with any of them," Skye told him honestly, throwing up her hand. "I didn't know about this, let alone want it. I've hurt people, I've destroyed things." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "All I wanted to do is be normal but it's certainly out of the equation now."

"I understand."

"WELL." Lincoln opened up doors to a building, revealing a room with a bed on it. "This is yours for as long as you want." Skye looked around the room, slowly walking in. "Gordon brought your bag from the cabin, so, you know, take some time, try to relax."

"Relax?" She scoffed. "In less than one night, my life was ruined and I became some freak. I was shot literally three days ago and now I've been magically healed, granted that I have a badass scar on my stomach, but still. Now, look where I am, a place I don't know surrounded by people I don't know." She sighed as she saw the look on his face. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Lincoln shook his head and held up the gloved Simmons and Fitz had made her. "The inhibitors these released seriously compromised the transition process." She bit her lip. "It's one of the reasons, uh, you were out for so long."

"My friend..." She trailed off. "She was just trying to help."

"I mean." Lincoln took a couple steps forward. "She thought she was dealing with human biology, but you graduated from that class." Skye crossed her arms and stared up at him. "I'm gonna take a closer look at these. Uh, meanwhile, try to get some rest. Tomorrow, maybe we'll see what gift you've been given."

He went to walk away but she spoke up, "It's more like a curse."

He turned around to stare at her. "A lot of us feel that way at first, but you'll learn to control it."

"I don't want to control it. I want to get rid of it," Skye stated, pursing her lips. "That's why I told Gordon to bring me here. I thought that he'd be able to fix me."

"I'm sorry. I-I thought you knew." Lincoln walked towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "The transition is irreversible." She took in a shaky breath, looking down at the floor as Lincoln took a step back. "You'll feel better in a few days... trust me."

Skye looked back up at him with unshed tears. Lincoln sighed. "At least, hang here until things calm down on the outside. See what happens. Plus, it's, uh, pizza night tomorrow night," He added which made them both chuckle. "Deep dish... Gordon brings them in from Chicago. Uh, you can't miss it."

She took in a breath before speaking, "Nice to see his gifts aren't being wasted."

Lincoln nodded. "Seriously, rest. I'll see you in the morning." He closed the doors as he left.

"WHERE are we going?" Skye asked Lincoln as he was leading her somewhere.

"You'll see."

They walked up a small steep, made it to the top, and stared down at a beautiful scenery.

"This is it... best view in the house."

"It's beautiful," she breathed out.

Lincoln nodded his head in agreement. "Good place to clear your head, figure things out, smoke a little something." They both chuckled, staring into each other's eyes. "But today, we're here to figure out you. Tell me about your gift."

"Is that why you brought me up here?" Skye asked in amusement, raising a brow at him.

"Yeah, so you can let loose." She shook her head and stared out into the scenery. "Whatever it is, you don't have to be afraid of it."

"We were designed to be weapons," she stated.

"Take my hand." He held out his hand which made her raise her eyebrows. "I know it's so awkward, but you strike me as someone who's generally more curious than afraid."

Skye sighed but took his hand, and chuckled, "Whoa." The feeling of electricity went through her hand, tickling it. "Are you doing that?" She looked up at Lincoln, smiling.

"When I came out of the mist, every cell in my body had a different electrical charge. I felt like I was burning from the inside out," He told her honestly, staring into her brown eyes. "But I learned to manipulate them, concentrate them, even transfer them onto something else, like static electricity."

She let out a breathless laugh, looking at their combined hands. "I can feel it moving through my body. It's so weird." Abruptly, she looked up at him. "A good weird, though."

"It took awhile to get control. Uh, when I first got here, I almost burned the place down." He chuckled. "Literally." He then looked into her eyes. "But now... sky's the limit."

Her eyes widened as she started floating up a couple inches off the ground. She tightened her hold on his hand and let out a deep breath of amazement.

He chuckled. "No pun intended, I guess."

She narrowed her eyes at him as he walked in a circle, spinning her a little before he placed her back onto the ground.

"Our gifts don't have to be terrifying." She looked up at him. "They're a part of us. I felt lost before I came here, too." He chuckled lightly, "Looking for answers in the all the wrong places. But we're connected to something bigger and older than... than we could have ever imagined, something extraordinary."

He then added, "Don't walk away from it."

"HOW many of us are there?" Skye asked Lincoln excitedly.

"We don't know. Not every descendant is found, and not everyone who is chooses to come." She nodded at his words. "Gordon!" She crossed her arms as they approached Gordon. "I hope we're still on for pizza tonight. Truthfully, I think that's what sold her."

Chuckling, she nudged Lincoln with her elbow.

"Not tonight," Gordon spoke which made her happy mood go down. "I have to see to some pressing matters, but I'm glad you're feeling better, Skye."

She nodded and said, "I need you to give a message to my friends, let them know I'm okay."

"I can ask permission, but they'll advise against it." She furrowed her eyebrows. "It's better we stay quiet for the time being." He then walked away.

"What does he mean, "ask permission"?" Skye asked Lincoln as we watched Gordon walk away. "Ask permission from who?"

"The Elders." She looked to Lincoln, still confused. "You've made a lot of people afraid, Skye... afraid our secret won't be safe for much longer." She looked back to where Gordon walked away. "Come on."

Skye nodded and followed Lincoln.

"WELL, it's not pizza, but at least it's not kale." Skye threw a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "Which seems to be the only food they serve around here."

"Can you warm up food with your powers?" She asked him, grabbing a handful of popcorn. "Because that would be awesome."

"I have never tried, but I did warm up a small pool once," Lincoln informed her which made her laugh.

"Any five year old can warm up a pool," she told him, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

"What about you?" She swallowed thickly as Lincoln looked at her. "Come on. I showed you mine. Now you show me yours."

"And you'll teach me to control it?" Skye asked him.

He nodded. "Once I know what we're dealing with, a guide will be selected to help you master it."

"How long does it take to learn?"

"That depends on the gift... how much you've physically changed." She nodded, looking away from him. "You're a piece of cake, compared to the other one... total physical transformation, and." He chuckled, "We still have no idea what her gift is."

"You told me I was the only one," she stated, looking at him, confused.

"What?"

"You said that I was the first person to transition here in a really long time," Skye stared at him in disbelief. "You lied to me." She abruptly stood up from the bed.

Lincoln stood up as well. "I said there's no one here who will harm you, and that's true."

"She's here," she blurted out as she realized who else was here. "Raina." She remembered when Coulson and the others told her about this so called Raina who had killed people to be an Inhuman.

"She's having a rough transition and deserves the same care," Lincoln defended her.

"People died because of her!" Skye shouted, storming out of her building. "Where is she?"

"Skye." Her shoulders were grabbed and she was turned to face Lincoln. "We need to protect her, the same way we protect you. She is one of us."

"I am not what she is," Skye spat. "I am not a killer." The earth underneath her feet started to rumble, and everything around them started to shake. She clenched her fists, trying to stop it. "Get out of my way, Lincoln. You know I can't control this." She stormed away from him, going to the 'abandoned' building she had saw on one their walks.

"Raina!" Skye shouted as she stormed into the building.

"Skye, isn't this interesting?" Skye paused, surprised that she knew her. "I had a feeling I might meet you."

Lincoln stormed in. "Skye, please, let's just go."

"Let her stay." They looked into the shadows, seeing the outline of Raina. "We have so much to talk about."

"What happened to you?"

"Destiny... Apparently," Raina spat. "I wanted to be set free, but now I can't even bear the light of day. I dread being awake, but my sleep is filled with such horrible nightmares." She breathed in. "Children are so afraid of monsters. They should know it's worse to be one."

"You got what you deserved," Skye spat. "I heard that you got a good agent killed in the so called "mist" and you've gotten countless others killed as well. People who didn't deserve to die!"

"I was the one who put that stone in the woods, Skye." Skye paused, breathing heavily as she heard her words. "I only did it because of your father." She breathed in deeply, "You needed to be changed because we're the same, Skye."

Skye shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes.

"We were the same before, and we're the same now. I am on the outside what you are on the inside." Raina walked out of the shadows, revealing her porcupine face.

"No!" Skye shouted; Raina started shaking.

"So that's what you are."

Skye glared at Raina and she grunted, falling to the ground, but she didn't care. Everything was blurry and all she could see was red. She couldn't even hear Lincoln as he tried to calm her down.

"Enough!" A voice shouted which made everything go back to normal.

Skye breathed out, turning to face the person behind her. It was a woman, late twenties, she had a scar on her face. Skye couldn't help but think she looked familiar.

Skye breathed in deeply, "Who are you?"

"My name is Jiaying." She stood straighter. "You're both guests in my house."

"You don't know her," Skye shakily told her. "You have no idea what she's capable of."

"She's capable of beauty and greatness, just as we all are."

"She can't be trusted. She killed people!" Skye shouted, clenching her jaw.

"From what Gordon tells me, you could have, as well." She sucked in a breath. "And from what I just saw, you're certainly capable of it."

"Why would you bring her here?" Skye asked, breathing in and out deeply, trying to control her rage.

"The same reason we brought you here; she's one of us."

"I am not anything like her," Skye spat, pointing at Raina.

"Whatever you two were in the past, that's not what you are now," Jiaying told Skye with a calmness to her voice.

Skye shook her head. "I can't stay... not if she's here."

"We'll leave that choice to you, but I have chosen to be your guide, should you remain with us." Skye bit her lip. "All I ask is for a few days. I'll look after you, train you, watch you grow. And if you don't feel a connection between us worth exploring, well... We never have to see each other again."

Skye took a shaky step back and Lincoln put his arm around her. "Let's get you to your room."