A couple of days had passed since they'd rescued Simmons.
She seemed to be getting better.
"Simmons didn't have to go through quarantine, which is good, all things considered." Coulson informed the group.
Mack, Bobbi, Wanda, and Fitz stood around the lab talking with Coulson.
"What exactly are these 'things' that we're 'considering'?" Mack asked.
"Everything that comes with being on another planet for months." Bobbi replied.
"Different atmosphere, different levels of oxygenation, different microgravity. Every system in her body is out of whack." Fitz added. "Cardiovascular, inner ear, respiratory, all got used to being.. not here."
"Labs indicate oxidative stress, vitamin D deficiency, upper respiratory irritation." Bobbi included.
"Any mention of life, intelligent or otherwise?" Coulson asked.
"Some flora. No fauna." Bobbi replied.
"She said she was being hunted." Fitz mumbled.
"What?" Mack asked. "Hunted by what?"
"She didn't say. I don't know if she even knows." Fitz replied.
"My God." Coulson muttered. "Imagine her having to go through all that alone, for that long.."
"Well thanks to Fitz, she doesn't have to anymore." Wanda stated.
Fitz glanced down slightly as Coulson turned to him.
"Monitor her physical health." Coulson instructed. "I've got to call in to Dr. Garner. Her mental health is just as important."
Dr. Garner had left since he taught psych at a college and unfortunately couldn't stay for more than a night. And after doing his assessment with Joey, he didn't know how long he'd be needed so he left again.
Daisy walked into the room as Coulson talked.
"But don't push her." He added. "She'll open up when she's ready."
Coulson glanced to Wanda and she nodded, turning away from the group so she could walk down to where Daisy stood, along with Coulson.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asked.
"Lincoln's in trouble." Daisy said.
Coulson began to exit the room, gesturing for Daisy to give the explanation while Wanda walked along side.
"The ATCU issued a nation-wide BOLO. FBI, Homeland Security, local police, all notified. Sent them Lincoln's resume and headshot." Daisy informed them.
"Sound's like the ATCU's getting desperate." Coulson retorted.
"What are they gonna do when they find him?" Daisy asked, handing Coulson a tablet. "I'm guessing it won't be awesome. He needs help."
The three came to a stop in the main room as Coulson reviewed the information on the screen in front of him.
"Well we've gone to Lincoln more than once. He doesn't want our help." Wanda stated.
"It doesn't mean he deserves to be hunted like a fugitive. Not to mention there's a giant with a grudge looking to kill him." Daisy argued.
"Which is why we need to bring him in." Coulson agreed. "Now."
"That would be the plan if we knew where to find him, but he's not messaging me back and I-" Daisy stopped herself when she saw the look that Coulson was giving to Wanda. "What?"
"You wanna say?" Wanda asked. "It was your idea."
"Say what? What are y'all not saying?" Daisy asked.
Coulson turned his glance from Wanda, back to Daisy.
"We know where to find him." Coulson answered.
.
The three wound up in Coulson's office, Daisy pacing back and forth as she put her phone to her ear.
Wanda had been assigned to putting a tracker on Lincoln a while back. It was one of the things she did the first time they tried to talk to Lincoln.
It allowed them to connect to his devices and location at any and all time. Wanda was assigned to putting it on him because she could hide it on him with her magic, which she did.
"Lincoln, it's me." Daisy said finally, talking into the phone.
"Daisy? How the hell did you get this number?"
"That's not important. What's important right now is that you get somewhere safe." Daisy replied.
"I just bought this phone."
"Yes, I know, 35 minutes ago at a liquor store at 71st and Binford."
"You know where I am?" Lincoln's voice echoed through the phone even though it wasn't on speaker.
"Yes. And I convinced them to let me talk to you before-"
"I can't believe you would do this."
"Just- Lincoln, just hear me out. Okay? The ATCU has released your picture to law enforcement. Everywhere. Calling for your arrest. We're gonna come get you." Daisy paused. "Lincoln?"
"Hang up?" Wanda asked.
"Yeah." Daisy muttered, setting the phone down.
The three looked up at the map on Coulson's screen, showing Lincoln's location based on the tracker. It only took a moment for Lincoln to find the tracker hidden on him though, because the screen flashed a red color.
Guess inside his shoulder wasn't the best place to hide. Oh well.
"He must've blown his tracker." Coulson spoke as if the other two didn't realize.
"Yeah, because he's creeped out that you put a tracker in him." Daisy replied.
"Yeah, and if you didn't give him a heads up, we could've used it to bring him in." Wanda argued.
"He's already scared, paranoid. Ambushing him out of nowhere would have made things way worse."
"And we could've talked it out here. We could've gotten him secured here, then let him let out whatever anger he had boiling up."
"Alright, alright." Coulson cut them off. "Everybody just relax. We'll figure this out."
The three stood in silence for a moment, watching the map with the dead tracker. It was useless now, sure they had his last known location but he knew they had it so he was mostly on his way as far away as possible.
"Turn on the news." Wanda suggested. "Might as well see if the media is aware of anything while we hope they don't."
Coulson nodded in agreement, turning around to move over to his desk. He quickly switched the screen over to the news while Daisy shot a glare at Wanda.
"It was Coulson's idea." Wanda mumbled.
"I bet it was." Daisy replied.
"The suspect is considered dangerous and is wanted by both federal authorities and the ATCU." The newsman spoke.
Lincoln's headshot was displayed on the screen, causing Daisy to grit her teeth behind her lips.
Coulson made his way back between the girls before saying, "This just went from bad to really, really bad."
"When I said see if the media knew anything, I didn't mean I wanted them to know everything." Wanda muttered.
"If you do see this man, do not engage." The newsman continued. "In other news, the suspect was last seen in the Cincinnati Hospital Alien Terrorist Attack that left three dead, many more injured. If you have any information about the man pictured here, be sure to contact the authorities."
Coulson walked back to his desk and clicked off the news, gesturing for the women to follow him out.
"Daisy, I need you to monitor all law enforcement near Lincoln's last known location." He instructed.
"How about we take a team and go look for ourselves?" Daisy replied.
"Can't. The ATCU is on a hunt for powered people." Wanda replied.
"I'm not afraid of them. You shouldn't be either." Daisy stated.
"I'm not." Wanda agreed. "Doesn't mean we should throw ourselves in the way of their bus though."
"Agreed. Plus their terrified of you, which makes them dangerous. Until we know where he is, neither of y'all are going out there." Coulson told them.
"Permission to speak freely?" Daisy requested.
"Do I have a choice?" Coulson replied.
"I could have talked him in if you didn't put an unsolicited tracker under his skin." Daisy stated.
"It you didn't call to alert him, we could've-"
"Why wasn't I told?" Daisy cut Wanda off.
"We thought you were a little close to the situation." Coulson replied.
"Of course I'm close to the situation. You asked me to assemble a team and I accepted. Frankly, Wanda is just as close as I am." Daisy argued.
"I'm not as close to Lincoln as you are." Wanda raised an eye brow.
"I didn't expect to be undermined-"
"You know what I didn't expect?" Coulson cut Daisy off. "A global outbreak. The ATCU. Their Inhuman manhunt. I didn't see all that coming, to be honest. I wanted to assemble a team to get ahead of the problem, but that didn't happen. So Daisy?"
Daisy sighed.
"I'll scan law enforcement channels." She agreed.
"Thank you." Coulson replied as Daisy turned around to go to her computers. "Wanda, what spells do you know that could potentially help us find Lincoln?"
The two continued walking down the hall as Wanda thought.
"I need to check my book but I have a ritual written down." Wanda said. "It won't give me an exact place but I'll be able to track the energy systems in a given area. If Lincoln's there, he'll stick out like a sore thumb."
"Good, work on that." Coulson then gave a slightly confused look. "You have a book?"
"Yeah. Can't really find spell books on your day to day shopping spree. I got a pretty journal and started making my own. Dr. Garner said it was a good idea to write down my thoughts."
"I don't think a spell book is what he had in mind. Maybe a diary?" Coulson replied jokingly.
"How about you give him a call and ask him."
"Are there any materials you need?" Coulson asked.
"From what I can remember from it, a physical map, three brown candles, and..... That's it." Wanda answered.
"I don't know about the candles but I can get you the map."
"That's fine, I have candles." Wanda replied.
Coulson raised an eyebrow.
"You sent me on a lot of missions ever since I became an agent. I had time to shop in cool places." Wanda shrugged.
"Great. Find Lincoln for us."
"You got it."
.
Wanda sat in her and Daisy's room criss crossed. A map of the city that Lincoln's last location was in sat in front of her. Her right arm was outstretched, red magic twirling between her fingers.
The candles were lit in a triangle shape around her, and she allowed herself to become absorbed in the energy surrounding her.
Her eyes were focused on the map in front of her. The red magic around her fingers trinkled off of her hand, falling onto the paper. She watched as the red magic slowly absorbed into the paper as Wanda mumbled words in Latin.
It was cliche, yes, but it worked.
The paper remained dim for a moment, and Wanda continued repeating the words she had written down. Pretty soon, a specific house lit up on the map in a shiny red color.
Wanda watched it for a moment, making sure it was Lincoln. The red began flashing, making Wanda assume he was using his power. She then watched as the red magic shifted away from the house, moving down the line on the map until it stopped at another specific location.
Huh, apparently she was wrong when she said the spell wouldn't give her the exact place.
Great.
Wanda watched the paper for another minute, and when the magic didn't move, she figured it was where Lincoln was staying.
So Wanda grabbed the map and got up to tell the others.
.
"He's hiding." Wanda finished her statement. "I know he said he didn't want us a bit ago, but based on the news, hes gonna want us now."
"We need to bring him in." Coulson stated as the three of them walked into the jet hangar. "Preferably without the ATCU knowing."
"You're sure he's there?" Daisy asked.
"Positive. I have the map if you want to see." Wanda replied.
"I do. But we can wait till we're on the plane." Daisy said.
Coulson turned to them.
"It'll be safer if Wanda handles the extraction. She's not an inhuman so it's less likely that the ATCU can find her." He told Daisy.
"I know, but he won't go with Wanda alone." Daisy replied.
"Yeah, he doesn't like me." Wanda added.
"Your call." Coulson nodded.
He turned around and began out of the jet hangar, leaving the two girls in front of the Quinjet.
"Where are you going?" Wanda asked.
Coulson turned his head for a moment.
"To the beach." He said as if that made sense to them.
Daisy gave a confused look to Wanda, and Wanda shrugged.
.
The flight team was designed and trained specifically for non-combat duty. They were only taught basic combat 101 and all the steps of flying nearly any ship that could be flown.
That flight team got Wanda and Daisy safely to the building that Lincoln was hiding out at, but then made the two slide out of the plane while it was in the air since landing would give away their position.
But Wanda and Daisy landed safely, and they went to take up the positions they talked about over the flight. The jet left them, waiting for further directions
The building was a large square apartment with a yard in the center. Wanda focused her magic to find the precise room that Lincoln was in, and soon enough she had it.
It was difficult for a moment since the ATCU had their black ops patrol also searching, but the ATCU didn't have powered people. So Wanda and Daisy were able to sneak by.
They moved through the long hallway quickly until they came across a specific door.
"He's in here." Wanda stated, her voice in a whisper.
Daisy opened the door slowly, making sure it didn't make any noise. She and Wanda slipped inside and she shut the door quietly too.
"Lincoln, it's me." Daisy said, talking loud enough that the room could hear her, but the people outside wouldn't.
It took a moment, but Lincoln's peered around a corner in the room, and he did look relieved to see them.
"How'd you find me?" He asked.
"Depends, are you happy to see us or not?" Daisy asked.
"I'm not upset to see you."
"Then don't worry about it. The important thing is we're here and we're gonna get you out." Daisy replied.
"I.. I killed a man." Lincoln said.
Daisy hesitated.
"What?"
"A friend. John, he uh, he saved my life. More than once. He tried to help me but he saw the news and..." Lincoln trailed off. "He had a heart attack. I couldn't save him."
Wanda bit the inside of her cheek while Daisy stepped closer to him.
"I really am the monster they keep calling me." He muttered.
"Yeah." Daisy nodded. "They're right. You're dangerous. Inhumans are dangerous. But that's not who you are. You-"
"You're wrong." Lincoln cut her off.
"I know the real you, Lincoln, and you-"
"You don't."
Daisy stopped and she watched Lincoln step out behind the corner with a pained look in his face.
"The man who killed his only friend, who had to be saved from himself over and over, that's the real me. That's who I really am." Lincoln stated.
"Not when I met you." Daisy replied.
Wanda glanced to the door as the two began talking a conversation that would probably result in a lovers quarrel. She honestly didn't care to listen to it. She tried to focus on the senses of the ATCU guards going through the halls.
She exited the room quietly, allowing her mind to shift in accordance to her magic. The men didn't know where to go, thankfully, so Wanda wasn't too worried. She put her hand on her earpiece that would allow her to contact the plane.
Before she could though, her phone buzzed in her pocket. A touch worried, she pulled it out to see it was from none other than her Coulson.
She pulled it out, pressing the phone to her ear.
"How's the beach?" She asked, her voice quiet but trying to joke.
"Where's Daisy and Lincoln?" He asked.
"In the room next to me. Is something wrong?" Wanda asked.
"You have to turn Lincoln over to the ATCU."