Chapter Text
"How do you catch Deckard Shaw?"
A voice said. It somehow sounded familiar, to Luke's blood-lost state of mind, he tried hard to open his eyes and see who was talking. Did he know that voice?
"Your ribs are definitely broken, you're 100 percent concussed, it's a miracle if you remember any of this,"
The voice said, and Luke's head was swimming, it was going back and forth, back and forth. Why was he lying on the floor? Why was the floor so cold?
There was a black smoke spread around the sky in the ceiling. Oh, the ceiling was also gone.
White snow was falling from the sky, and a snowflake touched Luke's cheek. Somehow, it wasn't cold as he thought it would be.
"But either way, this is going to be a world of pain for you."
The voice was blurred like there was a wall of water between them, and Luke couldn't tell if he was laughing at him or pitying him. Suddenly there were voices shouting everywhere, and before he felt himself being lifted up- was that a stretcher?- there was a brief moment where Luke finally managed to open his eyes.
A pair of eyes were looking down at him. What was that color? Luke narrowed his eyes, it was like his brain was trying to mess with him, he couldn't tell what those colors were even when he was staring at them. Somehow those colors were familiar, those were-- those were---
"Now it's time for you to go."
The voice said from his right side, and before he could turn his head to see whose voice that was, he passed out.
***
"Glad to see you back, big guy."
Roman said when Luke shrugged. He was on his hospital bed(again) and Sam was perched on the side of the bed. She was expertly peeling an apple with a knife, and she glanced at him every now and then, as if worried her dad would disappear if she looked away too long.
"You can't get rid of me that easily."
Luke said, laughing despite the fact it hurt his ribs. His body looked and felt like he was run over by a 1-ton truck. Blood loss, broken ribs, swollen ankle, and extensive bruises all over, but he still managed to survive from whatever hit him that day. It hurt like hell even with the drugs they were giving him at the hospital, and Luke wondered if this was what the voice said about the world of pain. If he was, he was way underestimating the pain of patching up 7 broken ribs.
"So who was it?"
Hobbs asked, drinking orange juice on the table. If he wasn't mistaken, everybody flinched a little at that moment.
"What?"
Roman said, suddenly looking suspiciously interested in what was going on on the little television in the hospital room. He couldn't be that interested in national geographic of praying mantis.
Hobb slowly looked around.
"... The one who put me in the hospital. The last voice I heard. I guess by now you've found out who it was, am I right?"
Curiously, everybody in the room somehow found interest in the dust on their shoes or spot on the ceiling as Hobbs tried to meet them in the eyes. Even Samantha blinked rapidly and shut her mouth. Hobbs blinked. What the hell was going on?
"You don't remember?"
Letty said, her voice careful. Hobbs blinked.
"I don't,"
Hobbs said, also carefully.
"You were-"
Letty said, and she paused. For the last few years that Luke had become to know the woman, Letty Ortiz hadn't wavered in the most daring situations. But now she looked hesitant, lost for words.
"You were blown up by Shaw."
Little Nobody said when the silence in the room couldn't stretch any longer. Hobbs blinked.
"No,"
Hobbs said,
"I was blown up by Shaw last year, remember? When he was still the bad guy. Fighting all of you, remember?"
Luke said, and somehow the look Letty and the others were giving to him made Luke's throat close. He felt agitated, tension rising underneath his skin.
"Yeah, that we remember, but we're talking about the last time he blew you up, two days ago."
Roman said, and Luke stared at him. He stared, because what the hell was he talking about?
"Is this some sort of joke?"
Hobbs said, laughter escaping from his lips, and looked around. If this was a joke, it was a hell of a score.
"Now tell me where that Irish elf is, did he put you up for this?"
Letty and Ramsey exchanged quick looks. Then Letty turned to Dom, and the man who had been standing behind with his arm crossed the whole time, finally stepped forward and met Luke's eyes.
"He admitted it on the message that Eteon sent us."
Dom said, his voice calm and heavy, watching Luke's brows being furrowed as he heard the other man's words.
"It was him. With Brixton. They turned on you."
If Luke had been missing the feeling of punch in the gut, he was now feeling it. Little Nobody shook his head.
"He turned on us. Betrayed us on the last mission, left you out in the cold to bleed out to death. It was sheer luck we found you and got you back in time, otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting on this bed talking to us."
Hobbs stared at him. Samantha was picking the end of the blanket nervously, her little brows furrowed and chewing her lips, and Hobbs closed his eyes.
"Damn."
It was disappointing. There were no other words to explain how he felt. He thought Shaw had become his ally, friend even(though neither of them would admit it out loud), through all the shit they've come through together. They've fought on the same side during the war with Cypher and Brixton, he had trusted his back with the man and he trusted his with Luke. Shaw even trusted his sister's life on Luke's hand, and it was something, considering how much crazy he got over the wellbeings of his younger siblings.
"Well then, I can't say that I'm happy. But as soon as I get out of this bed, I'd better buck up and put him back into prison myself. Which would be the second time I'll do it, right?"
Hobbs smiled at Dom, and Dom had this weird look on his face. He was staring at Hobbs like he had grown two heads. Taken aback slightly, Hobbs looked around, and again everybody in the room was staring at Hobbs in that weird way again.
"What."
Hobbs said, feeling his patience wearing thin.
"Are you... really okay with this?"
Ramsey said, her voice careful.
"Of course I'm not happy about it, but what other choice do we have? He's a criminal, again, and dangerous, again. So what else is really left for us to do?"
Hobbs said, and he really started to feel agitated that everyone was looking at him like he was saying something crazy, that they expected him to blow up any second.
"But you were--"
Ramsey started to say, but Mr.Nobody quickly stepped forward. His piercing blue eyes smiled down at Hobbs kindly, but he knew better than to trust this man blindly.
"What do you remember last about Mr.Shaw, Mr.Hobbs?"
The man said, and Little Nobody blinked next to him.
"What do I- I remember fighting alongside him to fight Brixton."
Hobbs said,
"I remember Brixton running away, without the virus we managed to extract from Hattie or Shaw's life. I remember us parting at the Faleolo Airport, where he and his sister parted for London and I went back home."
"And?"
Mr.Nobody asked.
"What 'And'?"
Hobbs furrowed his brows.
"It happened only a week ago, right before that ungrateful elf in a three-piece suit decided to turn on us. So it means that it only took four goddamned days for him to decide, despite the fact that we've fought back to back in Samoa, he thought it better to stab me in the back."
Hobbs said, feeling his temper rising.
"So I'm really ready to put his sorry ass into prison, this time to never see the light of day again."
There was absolute silence that had fallen in the room.
"... Oo-kay."
Mr.Nobody said, and everybody's face paled. That definitely sparked a fire in Hobb's gut.
"What. Is going on? If somebody doesn't tell me right now--"
Hobbs started, sudden anger pitting in his stomach and Mr.Nobody raised both his hands.
"Nothing, nothing. We were just shocked."
"At what?"
Hobbs bit out, and the man turned around and exchanged looks with Dom. Dom who was watching Luke with concerned eyes met his gaze and slowly nodded. Mr.Nobody turned to face Hobbs again.
"It seems that you've suffered more than a concussion, Mr.Hobbs."
Hobbs stilled.
"What do you mean?"
"The fight in Samoa didn't happen a week ago. It was 9 months ago that you fought Brixton on that Island."
Mr.Nobody said slowly like he was afraid Hobbs' head would explode or something if he spoke too fast. Which Hobbs felt exactly like right now.
"What are you talking about?"
Letty was looking at him sympathetically.
"It means you've lost at least 9 months of memory, instead of just suffering from a bad concussion."
Letty said, and Luke knew exactly how he looked while blood drained from his face.
"What?"
Hobbs said.
Then he looked around his friend and said again.
"What?"