Shadows {Book one in the Coriana Johnson series}

Gone

No. No, no, no. This can't be happening. No. Why can't this be a freaking dream!?!?!

  I watched as Daisy talked to Lincoln over the comms. I couldn't believe this was happening. Lincoln, who was practically my brother, was going to die.

I bit my lip as I realized the feeling must be worse for Daisy, after all, she knew him for the longest, plus he was her boyfriend! 

I looked down, tears filling my eyes as I listened to the two of them talk. 

It was happening again. Someone I cared about was going to die. Why? Why do such good people have to die so soon?

I clenched my fists. Lincoln didn't deserve this. Daisy didn't deserve this. But it was still happening, and here I was, again, unable to do anything about it. 

 "This is not how it's supposed to be," I heard Daisy say. "It should be me to fix the damage to my friends, to you. You can't just die for me like this, it...it's wrong!" 

"I don't know. Saving the girl that I love and the world at the same time? Feels pretty right to me," Lincoln replied.

I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder, and I glanced over to see Coulson standing next to me, a concerned and saddened expression on his face. 

I broke in to tears and collapsed into his arms.

  "No," I sobbed. "He can't die. Why does he have to die?!?!" Coulson held onto me tightly, and I closed my eyes, wanting it all to be a bad dream. 

   "Lincoln, I can't take it if you... you can't do this," Daisy was saying.  

"I wouldn't have thought so, either, but here I am," he replied.

   "No, you ca... you ca... you can't do this. Not like this. I can't just ... I can't just say goodbye. I- I have too much I want to say."

"Me, too. Come to think of it, I just did. I mean, I tried, and we didn't even realize it. Realize what? A moment ago. The first time I said I lo-"

 "No," I whispered as the communication cut out. I pulled myself out of the embrace, and turned to look at Daisy.

"Turn it back," she sobbed. "Turn it back!" 

 I looked down. I knew we couldn't- and shouldn't- turn it back, but a large part of me wished we could. I wanted him back, not just because for me, but for Daisy. I hated seeing her like this.

  "We can't. Remote access is offline," Coulson replied. 

"You have to, you have to. Help me, Coulson!"

     I looked over at the rest of the team. All of them looked sad, even normally expressionless May. Simmons looked as if she might cry as well.

"Even then, the Qunjet's not designed to maneuver in space, Daisy," Fitz said. I looked down at the floor. 

 "No. We have to at least try, Coul-" 

"He wouldn't want us to," I cut in, accepting that there was nothing any of us could do. Lincoln had sacrificed his life for us. No matter how much we wanted to, we couldn't bring him back.

  Daisy and I looked at each other.

  "H- he's paying for my mistakes," she whispered.

"He's paying for all our mistakes," Coulson replied, and I watched the screen which showed the blip that represented the Quinjet. I watched as it climbed higher and higher, then-

It was gone.

 I took a deep, shaky breath. 

So that's it then. He's gone.

Everyone was silent for a bit. No one knew what to do, or what to say. I looked over at Daisy, and  the heartbroken look on her face made me even sadder. I stood up, and ran over to her, wrapping her in a hug, but she didn't hug back. 

After a few moments, I let go of her, realizing maybe she just wanted to be left alone.

"So what now?" I heard Simmons ask, and I looked down.

That was the question no one had answers to.

*********

So, this book is almost done. Yay!!!! I will be writing a second book, the first chapter should actually be up pretty quickly. 

Thank you to all of my readers! You all are amazing!