Liar Liar
Island in the Mediterranean- 2000
Whack
“Harder.”
Whack!
“Faster.”
Thud!
“Widen your stance.”
Grant huffs in annoyance as he pulled his spear back from the dummy. Driving the weapon into the ground as he tried to catch his breath. They had been training for hours, it was still night when they started, now the sun was blazing down onto him. Making the sweat drip down the back of his shirt and into more.... Uncomfortable places.
“I didn’t say stop.” The voice came from behind him. Grant grunted and spined around to see Ares sitting on a nearby rock, the god holding his own spear in his hands. The god made Grant look like a twig, clad in his gym outfit that consisted of a black tank top, the fabric looking to be stretched on the edge due to his large shoulders and black sweatpants. He no longer wore his everyday sunglasses, instead showing his unnatural eyes. The irises a bloody red with the rest of the eyes a pitch black. The sight of them was terrifying to say the least.
“No, you’re just saying everything else!” Grant snapped at him. The god of war just threw him an unimpressed look. Standing up from the spot and walked towards him. The god’s shadow casting itself over Grant as he did, Grant was one of the tallest boys in his class back in school, but Ares towered him like a skyscraper, the god was nearly as tall as the trees that surrounded them.
“I repeat myself, widen your stance.” He reprimanded, tapping the flat sides of his spear head against the insides of both of Grant’s legs lightly. “A warrior must stand firm, when in combat. Also, balance your shoulders, you look like an idiot, the way you’re standing.”
“Oh, thanks ‘Dad’.” Grant muttered sarcastically. “Real comforting advice.”
Ares lowly growled under his breath. “I ain’t here to hold your hand, kid. One day, you’re going to be face to face with a bad son of a bitch.” Ares chastised, pushing his finger in Grant’s face as he did as he was told. “And I won’t always be there to save your scrawny ass.”
“I didn’t need saving!” Grant protested, but Ares simply snorted.
“You were flat on the dirt and the cyclops was ready to rip you a new one.”
“Oh, sorry!” Grant exclaimed in mock apology, stabbing his spear into the dummy once again with a powerful strike. “I’m sorry I couldn’t kill a man twice my size.” He gritted out, drawing the spear from the dummy again.
Ares scoffed. “Well in any case, until I figure out your abilities, we’re sticking to basic training.”
That sentence made Grant stop his attack on the dummy. “Abilities? You think I have superpowers? Like what? Can I fly? Shoot fire out of my hands?” He really started to hope for the second one, that would be badass.
Ares chuckled, putting the spear across both of his shoulders, the shaft looking on the end of breaking. “Flying is much more of my father’s things; fire hands are my brother’s. No, my kids are warriors, their abilities kick in mostly in combat.”
“So, my powers help me with fighting?” Grant rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I’m kind of trying to avoid that.”
“You can’t avoid it, Grant. No matter how hard you try.” That sentence made Grant grunt in annoyance.
“Why the fuck not?” He snapped. Ares snapped his head to Grant, his face containing a warning to stand down.
The two remained in tense silence. Until The god sighed to himself and took a seat on a fallen log and patted the space next to him for Grant to sit down. Grant reluctantly did so, falling ungracefully onto the log.
Ares put a hand through his hair, a trait Grant had noticed the god does, whenever he’s tired.
“There’s something you should know, kid. Since, the first demigod walked the earth. Blood has followed after blood. Zeus’s kids have been kings, generals, leaders. Apollo’s runts are doctors and poets. Hermes’ had the greatest thieves known to man for his brood.... But my children. My children are soldiers, they fight with every inch of their beings, the strength and speed of a thousand men fuelled their veins in the heat of battle to the point they were the closest thing to gods. It was soon enough, this power, this rage that fuelled them allowed my children to take on entire armies by themselves.” He explained. “It wasn’t long before there was a word for it to go with the legend, it’s called Menis.”
Grant listened to every word of it, taking moments to stare down at his hands and wonder if he had that ability, Menis. Ares had called it. That something that totally beat Fire hands!
“Do I have it? Menis, I mean.” Grant asked, Ares nodded his head gravely.
“All of my children do, but it is something I hope you never have to experience. Ever.” Ares’s tone was cold as ice, a tone that made Grant’s bones shiver.
“Why not?” Who wouldn’t want to have super strength? That would be awesome in Grant’s opinion.
Ares’s eyes snapped up to meet Grant, his furious fames, that replaced his eyes collided with his icy expression. Grant wondered, if there was a time when his father’s eyes weren’t always blood red, maybe they were once brown like his.
"Because, when the battle is done, the blood on your hands will be so heavy, no amount of time will ever cleanse it from your skin."
The Bus- Present day
“Why’d you do it, Ward?”
Grant sat in the cage, his head hanging in shame as Coulson kept questioning him. His thoughts blocked all other noises outside of himself.
“Agent Ward.” Grant’s head snapped up to see Coulson staring back at him. A concerned look in his eye as he examined the younger man who sat before him.
“Agent Ward, I ask again. Why did you shoot Thomas Nash?” Coulson asked him. Grant put his head down again, looking at his hands as he remembered the feel of the gun in his hand, still fresh in his palm. The pull of the trigger still itching in his finger, the recoil of the gun going off as he aimed the gun at Thomas Nash. Why did Grant shoot him? He couldn’t even remember him drawing his pistol, one moment he was listening to Thomas Nash, him talking his mouth off about Skye and.... The shooting and the next thing he knew, he had a freshly shot gun in his hands as Nash laid dead in his seat.
He had killed before. Other operations that called for assassinations or gun fights. Grant had grown used to it, over time. It takes so much of him, to take a life, but when he took the life of Thomas Nash, it felt so much...... Easier. Like he was just pushing a button, like someone else had taken Grant’s arms and helped him pull the trigger.
“I don’t know what happened.” Grant muttered, just loud enough for Coulson to hear.
“What do you mean, Ward? You shot him. All we can know is why.” Coulson pointed out.
“I— I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!” Grant became agitated by the constant questioning, slamming his hand down on the table, making Coulson jump.
Grant put his head in his hands as he bit back tears that wanted to escape from his eyes, forcing them back as he felt his mind break into two. Replaying the image in his head, the sight of Thomas Nash, hearing him threaten Skye.... His Skye.
Coulson looked hesitant for a moment, still cautious of Grant and his temper. He then leaned in closer to the younger agent. “Is it because of what he said about Skye? Did you want to kill him because he threatened her?”
Grant stiffened at the question. “I just wanted him to shut up, I couldn’t take what he was saying.... What he said about Skye. I couldn’t fucking take it.” He gritted out through his teeth.
Coulson looks at him for a moment with an examining stare and sighed. He then slowly begins to nod his head, rising from his chair and walking to the door. “I’ll tell one of the team to come down, bring you a sandwich or something.” He promised him.
Grant nodded his head in appreciation as he watched Coulson about to open the door.
“Sir?” Coulson stopped in his tracks at the sound of grant’s voice, reclining his head to the left to show he was listening.
“What’s going to happen now?” Grant asked him.
Coulson stood silent for a moment before looking back at him. “The council will confer and decide what course of action to take, until then. You stay under lock and key. Understood?” Coulson’s eyes bore into his.
Grant gulped at the thought of whatever punishment awaited him. “Yes sir.” He answered. Coulson then left, locking the door behind him.
Line break
Hours passed as Grant sat in the cage, he hated enclosed spaces, he preferred being out in nature, sleeping beneath the stars. It was one of the only things he liked about living on that island his father brought him to, that and the sunny weather that came with it.
The door opened and Skye walked in with a bottle of water in his hand. Grant breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her, glad it wasn’t Coulson or May coming in with more questions.
“Thought you were Coulson.” Grant said to her as he thanked her and took the bottle of water from her hands. The two went quiet as Skye just stared at him like she was seeing him in a new light. Grant just stared at the floor in shame.
“Why’d you do it?” Skye asked him and Grant scoffed, looking up at Skye and taking in her beautiful brown eyes, eyes he could just get lost in.
“You know why I did it.” He answered.
“Coulson said the mission was to capture, not kill.” Skye tried to remind him.
“He threatened you.” He stated. “He ordered Quinn to shoot you, he experimented on people like Mike Peterson, he kidnapped Coulson. Hope the bastard rots in Hades.”
“So, what happens now?” Skye asked him after a tense silence.
“I face a Shield review board. Coulson will have no choice, but to reveal my parentage and I’ll probably end up going to the Fridge.” Grant explained, grimacing at the last part. Let’s hope the actual place isn’t as cold as the name makes it out to be
“Can’t anything be done. Agent Hand was your SO, can’t she do anything to help?” Skye said, trying to think of a plan.
“No!” Grant quickly stopped her. “I am not dragging Victoria into this, not after all she’s done for me.” Vic bailed him out of jail, helped him get into Shield. She was like family to him.
Skye looked hesitant before offering another option. “What about your dad?”
Grant stiffened. “What about him?” He muttered, just loud enough for Skye to hear him.
“Artemis said, your grandfather has granted you asylum on Olympus. You could reach out, ask for safety.” Skye reasoned.
“I am not going to go pleading to Ares, not after all these years.” Grant stated.
“Ward.” Skye snapped, grabbing his hand, a scolding expression on her face, the look in her eyes just making her look even more adorable in Grant’s eyes.
“This isn’t you getting dish cleaning duty like on the Bus. You could go to prison! Never to be seen again! I— The team couldn’t handle that; I couldn’t handle that! So please, put your pride aside and choose the smart option.” She begged him.
Grant looked at her, his heart calling out to listen to her, but he couldn’t. There was too much bad blood between him and his father. Enough to make a river run red.
“I’m sorry, Skye. I can’t.” He said, letting his head fall in guilt.
Skye looked at him in anger and frustration, leaping up from her chair and marched to the front door.
“Skye—.” Grant tried to talk to her, but she cut him off.
“I’m not going to let you waste your life away. Even if I must save you from you being an idiot.” She snapped, slamming the door behind her. Grant sighed as he reclined back in his seat.
‘Oh, sweet Hades.’ The two words repeating in his mind as he watched the door Skye stormed out of.
Another hour goes by when suddenly, the door opened and in came Coulson storming into the cell, accusing him of being a double agent. Grant couldn’t believe what he was hearing and kept preaching his innocence. The sound of a gunshot interrupted the two and then Coulson walked out. Ten minutes later, Coulson and Fitz come in, carrying a unconscious May in their arms, setting her on the floor. Grant’s eyes widened at the sight, his mind screaming about how she pissed she was going to be and was going to kill the both of them when she woke up.
“What happened?” Grant tried to stay neutral, but in reality he was so close to shitting himself.
“She’s a sleeper.” Coulson explained. Grant’s eyes turn to saucers at the proclamation.
“She’s been gathering intel on us.” Without another word, the two walk out again, locking the door behind them, leaving Grant with May.
Grant just watched as May slept, looking at her as he digested the information. Melinda May, the Cavalry... A traitor. Grant glared at her, how long had she been spying on all of them, on him? Since they first stepped foot on the bus?
Grant then sees May start to stir awake, groaning to herself as she sat herself up.
“Coulson says you’re an informant.” He growls. “Want to elaborate on that?”
May groans again, grabbing her forehead in pain. “No, I don’t. Damn ICER, my head’s killing me.” She moans.
“I deserve to know.” Grant insists she tells him the truth, after all they had been through together.
May let out a sigh. “Don’t start with that, we do our jobs, end of story.”
Grant lets out a scoff, shaking his head as he stares at May. “You’re good, I mean I always heard you were good, but playing us? Conning me, Coulson?”
May clenches her jaw. “I wasn’t playing anyone.” May then tilts her head and shows a small, smug smile. “Which is more than what I can say for you.”
Grant’s smile drops as May’s grows. “What is that supposed to mean?”
May shakes a head. “You weren’t just lying to us, when you didn’t tell what you were. You were lying to yourself!” May then got closer in Grant’s face “You know I was a law major back in college, but I audited a history class now and again. Thought it was interesting. This one professor had a lecture on Ancient Greece, told us that every god had their gifts. Zeus had the rain, Apollo gave us the sun, Athena offered wisdom. However, when it came to Ares... Nothing. War was all he had to offer, killing was all he was good at. It seems like father like son.” She added slyly.
Grant’s hand balled themselves into fists and a fire burned violently in his stomach as rage ran through his whole body. “I. Am. Nothing. Like. Him!” He voiced every voice out through his teeth.
“Thomas Nash might disagree with that one.” She commented slyly.
“I killed him to protect the team!” Grant said loudly.
May’s lips curled into a snarl. “No, you did it to protect her!” She retorted back. “Which, would’ve been okay if you hadn’t shot the wrong guy.” She added. The last bit making Grant furrow his brown in confusion.
Coulson then comes back in for maybe what is the hundredth time, staring at May. “Fitz repaired your direct line. If you wanna make up for what you’d done, now’s your chance.” He practically ordered her to come with him.
Grant starts to grow anxious as he thinks about what May just said. He had shot the wrong guy? Thomas Nash was the Clairvoyant.... Wasn’t he? Grant start to bounce his knee up and down anxiously.
BOOM!
Out of nowhere, a blast makes the plane shake, Grant holds on tightly to the table, in order to not fall over.
“What the fuck?” Grant swears out loud, running out of the cage to the lounge where Skye, Fitz and Garrett are waiting there, all of them looking angry or terrified.
“Sir, what the hell is going on?”
“A whole lot, kid!” Garrett said.
“Ward.” Grant turns to Skye, who looks at him with sympathy, her brown eyes echoing sadness for him
“We think Agent Hand is the Clairvoyant.” She says.
And with that, Grant’s whole world explodes.
Grant just stares at her with confusion and frustration.
“W-what?” Grant begins—
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Grant is then cut off by the sounds of gunshots and glass breaking as someone opens fire on them. Without hesitation, Grant quickly grabs Skye and Fitz shoving them to the ground for cover.
Grant quickly orders them to crawl on the floor to better cover, following closely behind them with Garrett. May and Coulson quickly meet up with them, May now sporting a shot arm.
“To the armoury, go!” Coulson orders and all of them run to the corner of the lab which holds their weapons.
“This is fucking insane.” Grant states as he straps on his bulletproof vest. “There’s no way Vic is the Clairvoyant. She can’t be!”
“Those are her men firing at us, not really hard to believe right now.” Garrett retorts.
“Ward, I know this is a lot to take in—” Skye begins.
“No, Skye!” Grant snaps at her. “It’s not hard to believe, because it isn’t true. Vic- Agent Hand got me out of juvie, she got me away from my family! She’s my only family I have left!” He rants, well the only family Grant chooses to acknowledge.
“Ward, this is a lot to deal with.” Coulson said to him as he returned from the infirmary with a now bandaged up May. “Agent Hand played us all, she had the whole of Shield fooled, but right we need your head in the game. Can you do that?” Coulson asks him.
All eyes are on Grant as he and Coulson look at each other. Grant thinks out his options and nods his head. “Yes sir.”
“Good, now they’ve stopped firing. A surgical strike team is next, so we need to get out of here with all the spec ops of every mission. The Asgardian tech, Donnie’s weather machine, the specs for weaponizing Gravitonium. We can’t let Hydra get their hands on it.” Coulson tells them. Grant perks up at that last part.
“Wait, Hydra? Like World War 2 Hydra? Like Red Skull Hydra?” When the fuck did this happen? He was only in the Cage for a couple of hours.
“We’ll explain later.” May shuts him off. Grant sneers at her, but keeps quiet regardless.
“What if we get rid of it?” Skye says. Coulson gives her a look for her to keep talking. “I can back it up on a hard drive and wipe the system.”
“Good idea, get to it.” He answers. Skye quickly gets out her laptop and starts to wipe the system.
“We’ll buy you time.” Garrett tells hers while holding a very large gun, Fitz following after him with a case of tech. Skye nods her head in thanks.
“Ward.” Coulson waited to call his name until, Garrett was out of hearing range.
“Sir?”
“That switchblade Ares gave you. What does it do?” He questions.
Grant stammers, he never actually opened it before, he was mostly too pissed off with Ares or too scared of what might happen if he did use it, to try.
“I don’t know, sir.” Grant answers.
Coulson gives a nod of acknowledgement. “Just keep it on you, something tells me we need all the help we can get.
Linebreak
‘Thank the Gods for Fitz and his genius brain.’
Grant thinks as they made their way out of the bus, thanks to a handy tool by Fitz that made a whole in the floor for them to escape out of, while the surgical team swept a now empty plane.
The group made their way down the hallways of the Hub, Grant stuck to Skye like glue. Not letting her out of his sight for one moment. He was not letting the Clairvoyant, (whoever they were) to harm her again.
“Here, you have it for now.” Skye tells him, before handing the back-up drive over to him. “It’s safer with you. We haven’t exactly covered ‘holding up under torture’ yet.”
“We’ll get to that, it’s real fun.” Grant jokes.
“Alright.” Coulson stops them. “This is where we split up. Skye and Ward to the Nerve Centre, disable their systems, most importantly their control of our plane.” Coulson tasks them.
“Copy that.” Skye confirms.
“Remember, these Agents are under orders, ICERs only.” He adds.
Grant gives him a look of scepticism. “Do you think they’re under similar orders, sir?” He asked sarcastically.
Coulson returns it with a look of warning. “Doesn’t matter, Hand is the one we want, not them.”
Grant grunts but complies, parting ways with Coulson. Him and Skye walk cautiously down the hall to the Nerve centre.
Victoria
Victoria watches the cameras of the control centre, looking for any sign of Coulson or his team. She already had Agent Simmons and Agent Triplett tested to see if they were Hydra. They passed with flying colours.
“Ma’am, there is no sign of Coulson or his team on the plane.” A soldier informed her stoically.
“And Agent Ward?” She asked.
“Negative, Ma’am.”
She nods shortly. “Check the tunnels, I want two guards posted at each corridor.” She demands. “Capture if you can, but use lethal force if necessary.”
The agent nods but stops for a moment. “What about Agent Ward, ma’am? Lethal force as well.”
Victoria smirks. “if you could kill Agent Ward before he kills you. I’d be mighty impressed of you, Jacobson.” She tells him, before dismissing him.
“You really think Ward’s Hydra as well?” Simmons asks from behind her, Victoria turns to see the bio- engineer looking at with fear in her eyes.
“I leave nothing to chance, but no. I don’t believe he is, but he’s convinced that Coulson isn’t Hydra as well it seems. The only reason I didn’t blow that plane out of the sky was because Grant was on it too.” She said logically.
“Are you mad? How can you say that?” Simmons asked her, the fear in her eyes turning to outrage.
“Hydra will not show mercy, so neither will we.” Victoria responds emotionless.
“Coulson isn’t Hydra! He’s a great man, a good friend to me!” Jemma tried to tell her.
“He was a great man!” Victoria cut her off. “He was a great man, before Fury tried to use his power and secrets to resurrect him from the dead. The man got Agent Blake in the ICU, he recruited known enemies of Shield, disobeyed direct orders, tried to rescue Professor Hall only for him to die by Coulson’s hand, he failed to report the crimes of his protégé Akela Amador, who’s own technology ended up on Mike Peterson! This whole thing has been Coulson’s doing and when I find him, he will meet justice! Dismissed, Agent Simmons.” She waved her off, before turning back to the screen.
“But—.” Jemma tried to speak, but Victoria cut her off.
“I said dismissed!”
Jemma deflates, retreating back to Tripp to watch the search from the walls of the room.
Victoria scans the screens, the cameras that showed every corner of the hub, still searching for any sign of her target or her protégé.
“Where are you, Grant?” She whispered.
They soon find armed agents roaming the halls, looking for them. Skye and him quickly hide in a janitor’s closet, Grant looks through the slightly opened door to find them outmanned and outgunned.
“Damn.” Grant mumbles at the sight of the grand number of agents blocking them from the hallway.
“The processing centre is right across the hall.” Skye told him as she knelt on the ground, fiddling with the hammer of her ICER.
Grant grunts out in frustration, coming up with any sort of plan. Combing through what his father and Victoria taught him, only coming up with one possible plan that might not get Skye killed.
“Give me your ICER.” He requests, but she looked cautious, her eyebrows furrowing cutely.
“What are you gonna do?” Skye asked him.
“Pave the way for you.” He said casually.
“There’s like 100 guys out there.” She tries to tell him.
“Twelve.” He corrects her, cocking his ICER . “Level 5-foot soldiers, basic armour package and no other way through. The others are depending on us.”
“But it’s suicide.” Skye states, Grant shrugs.
“Not if I don’t die and if I do...”
“Woah, slow down.” Skye tries to calm him.
“Maybe, I deserve to.” He admits in shame. “I killed an innocent man, Skye.”
“You didn’t know.” Skye comforts him. “You thought you were doing the right thing. You thought he was going to—”
“To hurt you.” Grant then stares into her eyes, taking a mental picture of the last time he would ever see them. “besides, I know where I’m going if I do die. Just some quality time with Great- Uncle Hades.” He jokes, but Skye doesn’t smile, it maybe the first time she hasn’t laughed at a joke, her face looked like she just sucked a very sour lemon as she stands up
Grant then holds out his hand, looking for her Icer, which she reluctantly gives.
Grant sighs as he prepares for what could be walking to his death, and thinks if he died, this might be the only chance to shoot his shot.
“If... We do make it out of this. I don’t suppose you might want to grab a drink some time. You and me?” He asks her as he looks at that beautiful face of hers, those eyes, burning through his chest and into his very soul. Those gorgeous lips, partly opening in surprise.
“Are you—.”
“Remember that bar in Dublin, you offered to talk. I said no, like an idiot, I didn’t want to get close, I needed things compartmentalized.”
“Like with May?” She asked him rhetorically, a small smile on her lips.
Grant scoffs in disbelief. Of course she knew.
“I'm not an idiot, we live on the same plane for God’s sake.” She reminded him.
“I- I thought with her, I knew I had less chance of getting attached. With you, I didn’t want to risk it. I didn’t want you to see the real me, the one I try to hide.” Grant admits, he never wanted her to see the monster in him.
“I was offering to talk with you, Ward. Not have sex with you.” Skye tells him with a raised eyebrow.
Grant blushes at the insinuation. “I’m not saying that! I’m not! I- just wanted...” Grant kicks himself at how badly he’s screwing this up. “I just want to take you up on it. I know I’m not the guy you would want. I’m boring, I have issues, enough to keep me in therapy until I’m 80, but... I want to try.” He states, hopping for a similar answer from her. Skye only looked at him in what seemed like a new light and Grant thought that was all the answer he needed. ‘Of course, she wouldn’t want me.’
Sighing in disappointment. Grant waved her off. “Look, forget I said anything, that was stupid and—"
“WHEN, we make it through this.” Skye stopped him, put emphasis on the ‘when’. She smiled at him. “sure, let’s have that drink.”
Grant smiled, feeling a new sense of purpose to make it through this, readied to face the other agents down, when he was pulled back by the arm and in a hot second. Skye’s lips were on his, they were warm and soft, like nothing he had ever felt before.
It was over as soon as it started, Skye pulled back with a knowing smirk and Grant was dumbfounded.
“You said you were going to die so, what the hell.” She stated. Grant returned the smile and got ready to beat these guys with a wave of newfound energy.
“Lock the door behind me.” He ordered. Skye nodded, walking over to open the door and on the count of three he stepped out, aiming both ICERs and sending a wave of ICER bullets to the armed soldiers, counting them each time he pulled the trigger.
The soldiers fall like dominos, but one lands a hit to his face and backs him against the wall, digging another punch to his gut. Grant returns it, by grabbing the side of his helmet and throws his head against the wall, leaving him stunned for second. Grant uses this to send a flurry of punches to his enemy’s gut in return.
Two other soldiers come his way and start opening fire, Grant uses the stunned soldier as a shield to get closer, before roundhouse kicking one in the face and grabbing his rifle and beating the other one in the face with the butt of the gun.
Two other soldiers come his way. Grant, thinking fast on his feet, grabs an overhead pipe on the roof and uses it to swing kick a soldier in face, launching him to the ground.
The other one lands a few good punches to Grant when he lands. Throwing him face first into a fire alarm, his face breaking through the glass protecting it. Grant hisses in pain as the glass cuts at his skin, grabbing a shard of the glass and slashing the guy’s face with a mighty swing, and beating the guy’s head against the wall.
A few more soldiers start to swarm him, pushing him to the floor and start to kick at him. There seems to be much more than what he counted. Some even rising from the ground to kick at him lying on the ground. Grant’s rage grows as he sees his switchblade lying on the ground, must’ve fallen out of his pocket in the fight.
Seeing no other option, Grant reaches for the small knife to no avail and prays that this is something special.
“Dad.... hgh” Grant says quietly, groaning through the pain as he feels another kick to his stomach. “Please... Help...”
Like it moved on its own, the blade moved across the floor and into Grant’s hand. Without a second thought, Grant pressed the button to release the blade and the minute he touched it. Grant felt rage like never before. It was explosive, it was like fire burned through his blood, filling him with a blazing anger.
Grant let out a great roar as he pushed his hand into one of the soldiers, he then went flying into the wall. The rest backed away from him in caution and fear. Grant stood to face them, looking down in his hand, not to find a switchblade, but a long, mighty sword.
It was long and narrow, the two-side coming to a sharp point, the dark steel shined as the lights hit the metal. The guard was curved down to his fist, which clenched the black leather of the hilt. It felt deadly in his hands.
It felt good....
“You guys are so fucked!” Grant says through his clenched teeth as he showed a cruel, bloodthirsty grin.
He moves with what feels like supernatural speed, slashing through the soldiers like butter, slicing and thrusting his way through them. He relishes in their screams of pain as he cuts them down. It isn’t long before they are all dead and bloody on the floor of the hub. Grant feels the strength of the rage fuel him more, he can feel the sword hunger for more.
Grant quickly drops it like its lava, the sword’s blade clatters on the ground and as Grant slowly starts to back away from it. The sword begins to retreat inside itself back into the form of a closed switchblade.
Shocked by what he had just done and still coming down from the wave of power he had just felt, Grant quickly picked up and pocketed the knife and went to retrieve Skye. Opening the door to find her looking him up and down due to the amount of blood on him.
“You should really look up the word boring in your dictionary.” Skye stated. Grant chuckled and waved her on.
“You ready to hack the system?” Grant asked her.
Skye shoots him a sly grin, opening her backpack to see a bomb inside. “Who said anything about hacking?”
Grant smiled as he looked at the proud look on Skye’s face.
‘That’s my girl.’ He thought
Line break- 3 hours later.
It was over.
Garrett was the Clairvoyant.
He tried to murder Coulson and May; he was going to brainwash Fitz.
Grant wanted to kill him. How dare he try to hurt his team! He’s going to burn in hell for what he did!
Victoria and Coulson were talking about what to do next, especially with Garrett. While, he just stood there, thinking about he wanted to murder the man, the blade burning in his pocket. He should really think of a name for it, lots of heroes name their weapons, right? Hellfire sounds good or Wrath’s Edge? Grant’s thoughts about went back to that hallway with those shield soldiers. The power he had suddenly felt rush through him as soon as he opened the blade. It was incredible. Grant thought back to the conversation he had with Ares all those years ago. Was that it? Menis? Grant finally understood what Ares was talking about. This power was legendary, he felt as if he could do anything in that moment.
“I’ll make sure Agent Garrett sits in the coldest, darkest cell in the Icebox.” Victoria promises., Grant turns back to the conversation, growing giddy at the thought of Garrett getting locked up.
“I’d like to be there to watch him get locked up.” Grant says. The two looked at him in caution.
“Are you sure, Ward? You’ve had a long day.” Coulson asked him in concern.
Grant nodded. “With all due respect sir, nobody hurts my team and gets to get out with no consequences.” Grant then looked at Victoria. “You mind if I tag along, Vic?”
Victoria looked at him for a moment, seeming to be scanning with calculation, before nodding. “Of course, we could use the extra company.” She told him and then turning back to Coulson. “Pick up whatever pieces you can and only communicate using these.” She said, handing Coulson a burner phone. “You and I may be the highest-ranking Shield agents who aren’t Hydra or dead. Stay safe, Agent Coulson.” She then offered Coulson a hand, which he gladly took.
“I guess, you can call me Phil, now.” Coulson said, making Grant crack a small smile.
Victoria nodded, before walking down to the hanger with Grant following after her.
“Hey, Ward?” Coulson called after him, to which he stopped and turned.
“Don’t take too long to come back, okay? You’re a vital member of the team.” Coulson said, the compliment making Grant’s heart warm a bit, to be called a vital member of a team, a family was incredible, maybe he found a home after all.
“I won’t, sir. You have my word.” Grant affirmed and Coulson nodded his farewell and Grant returned it, before following the security detail holding Garrett.
Hours later,
They were crossing over the Mediterranean now, Grant assumed. Grant sat opposite Garret who was flanked by two guards. Grant just glared daggers at Garrett, imagining all the ways he could just kill him, slowly and very painfully.
“Coordinates are locked, ma’am.” A member of Hand’s team stated, to which she nodded and then looked at Garrett with a wicked smile.
“Not talking a lot now, are you Garrett?” Hand asked rhetorically. Garrett just sat silent in his seat, seeming to be ignoring Victoria.
“You know something, I think the ice box is too good for the likes of you, I think we should bury you much deeper underground.” She stated that Grant looks up at Victoria in confusion who was surprisingly now looking at him.
“How about it, Agent Grant? You shot the wrong Clairvoyant before, how about you shoot the right one this time.” She offered Grant. Grant furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Vic could be ruthless at times, but she never asked him to kill a man in cold blood before.
Grant wiped away his confusion, stiffening himself up and brought out his side arm, clocking it back and aiming it towards Garretts’ head. John just showed his trademark crooked smirk, as if the fucker was the one in control.
“Please kid, we both know you won’t do it. You always have been too soft for the likes of this. She did that to you.” Garrett said, nodding his head to Victoria.
“Shut up.” Grant grunted, pulling back the hammer of the gun.
“I’m right though, she made you soft, weak, untrained in how the real world works. The world where people like your pretty little Skye get—“
BANG! BANG!
Two shots came from Grant’s gun, Garrett’s head going limp due to the two bullet holes inside it. Grant’s hand shook as it held the gun. His entire body shook with rage as he screamed in his head about Garrett having the nerve to mention her name, after what he did to her.
A hand then went to his wrist and pulled it and the gun it was holding back down to his side. Grant turned to see Vic at his side, slowly taking the gun from him. Victoria took a quick glance towards Garrett’s dead body.
“I always said John’s big mouth would get him killed, seemed I was right.” She commented. Grant still shook with blazing anger as he looked down at Garrett.
“He deserved worse.” Grant growled.
“He did.” Victoria agreed. “But he’s dead now and we can move on. Speaking of which...” Victoria then pulled out a gun, shooting both the guards who were guarding Garrett in the head, making them fall dead. Grant whirled around to see them.
“Vic, W-what the fu—” Before he count finish however, Victoria then turned to him and fired 3 shots into his chest. Grant stumbled for a minute, looking at Vic with betrayal.
Grant’s feet shook as he looked at Vic, before falling to the ground and his vision went black.
Skye- Hours later.
“Skye, please me tell some good news.” Coulson asked. Skye lifted her head from the holo-table to see Coulson walking into the conference room. He looked exhausted, going by the nearly closed eyes and the exasperated look on his face.
Skye gave him a sheepish smile. “We have internet, but as for everything else. All HQ support systems are gone. We’re walking armless.”
Coulson grimaced, then composing himself and nodded. “Internet it is, I need you to find everything on our team. Photos, files, social media, all of it. Everything that proves we exist, delete everything.” He told her and Skye’s head snapped up towards him. Everything? Is he serious, Skye wasn’t even sure that was possible with something as large as the internet.
“Th- That’s kind of the nuclear option.” She said to Coulson, who nodded.
“it’s our only option, every government agency in the entire world will be on our ass. We need to vanish.” He explained.
Skye stepped away from the table, bewildered with the request. “Okay, but once that’s done, that can’t be undone. We’ll be ghosts, not agents of Shield, agents of nothing.” She just became an agent, and he’s asking her to take that away.
Coulson looked at her expectantly and then began to walk off, but Skye quickly stopped him.
“What about Ward? Have you heard from him? Hand and him should’ve dropped Garrett at the Fridge by now.” She said, it has been hours and there has been nothing from either of them, she was starting to get worried.
Coulson dug his heads into his coat pocket and pulled out a phone, handing it to her. “Give him a call, hearing about Garrett being tossed in a dark little cell might just be the first good thing I’ve heard today.” He said, walking back to the cockpit.
Skye smiled and logged in Ward’s number. After 3 rings, it was picked up, but not by Ward.
“Agent Coulson?” An unfamiliar voice came through the other line. Skye furrowed her eyebrows at the strange voice on Ward’s phone.
“Ummm.... No? Who’s this? Where’s Agent Ward.” She questioned.
“This is Agent Matthews, Give the phone to Agent Coulson.” The man requested, ignoring her previous question.
Skye stammered as she spoke, wondering why the hell it wasn’t Grant picking up. “This is Agent Skye; I can take the message.”
Matthews sighed from the other line. “This is an order from a superior agent, give the phone to Agent Coulson.” He ordered.
Skye was about to argue, but Coulson then walk backed in, seeing her distressed expression, growing concerned very quickly. “Skye? What’s up, everything alright?” He asks, taking the phone from her hand and speaking into it. “Agent Ward?”
Skye just looked at Coulson’s rapidly changing expression going from professional to confused to grave as he listened to Agent Matthews for what felt like hours. She began to think the worst had happened.
“I see.” Coulson’s voice was hallowed, void of emotion. “thank you for delivering the message, Matthews.” He said, before hanging the phone up and setting it on the holo- table and started leaning on the table with both hands firmly pressed on it.
“Coulson? What’s wrong?” Skye questioned; she had a very bad feeling about this.
Coulson ignored her, instead pressing a button on the holo-table that made announcements to the entire plane. “Everyone, Briefing room, now.” His voice gave no room for argument, and it wasn’t long before the whole team was in the briefing room.
“What’s going on?” Fitz asked. “Is Ward back yet?”
“What about a new base, have we found one yet?” Simmons asked shortly after.
“Enough!” Coulson snapped, making the whole room go quiet. Coulson very rarely raised his voice, especially at them.
Coulson let out a deep breathe, running a stressed hand through his hair. “Sorry guys, it’s about Ward, it’s just...” Coulson trailed off his sentence. It was that sentence that made Skye’s head begin to spin, her brain concocting dozens of excuses of why Ward didn’t answer the phone. Maybe, he’s sick, he was looking a little pale at the Hub, or maybe he’s just laughing at Garrett in his little cell, god knows the bastard deserves it and worse.
Skye stepped forward. “It’s just what, AC? Where’s Ward?”
Coulson took a deep breathe, straightening himself as he addressed the team. “It’s with heavy heart that I inform you all that Agent Grant Ward is K.I.A.” He said with a nonchalant voice. And with that sentence, Skye’s heart stopped.
All hell broke loose amongst the team. Fitz begin to shake his head and muttering no under his breath. Tears began to form in Simmons’ eyes as she gasped and put a hand over her mouth. May began to stiffen and stand still in her place. Tripp began to comfort Simmons, wrapping her in one arm and put a comforting hand on Fitz shoulder as they both began to mourn their loss.
Skye stood still in her spot; everything began to spin as she held on the holo-bale for stability. Coulson put a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly rejected it, pulling away from Coulson.
“Skye...” Coulson trailed off, reaching out to hug her, but Skye just steps further away from him, gripping her head, pulling her hair as she violently shakes her head in denial, tears pouring down her face as she slowly goes down to her knees.
No, nononononononono, No! He can’t be dead! He just can’t be! It’s a mistake, the guy on the phone made a mistake and Ward is alive.... He’s alive and he’s coming back to them right this minute, coming back to her!
“It’s a mistake.” She mutters under her breath, before turning to Coulson and speaking through tears. “Coulson, it’s a mistake, it’s got to be a mistake, they must’ve a mistake and he’s alive, please believe me, Coulson.” She begs him, but Coulson just wraps his arms around her as she preaches of mistaken identity and having the wrong guy.
“He’s alive.” She sobs into Coulson’s suit. “He has to be!”
“I know.” Coulson says, stroking her hair.
“I- I want my robot back!” Skye cries.
As they all mourned the loss of one of their own, all of them knew that nothing would be the same as it was.
Island in the Mediterranean- The next day.
The smell of flowers...
The feel of heat against his skin.
The sound of seagulls rang in Grant’s head as he opened one eye only to be attacked by sunlight blasting his vision, Grant gasped at the attack, raising a hand to block out the sun.
Grant then sat up and started to look around him, finding himself in what looked like a small hut, covered in colourful fabrics, plants and a small fire in the middle of the hut with a cooking pot hanging over it. The smoke of the flames coming out of a small hole in the roof. The hut smelled amazing, so many different smells of vanilla, jasmine and lavender filled his nose. He also noticed a small bowl of what looked like stew laid out for by the fire, Grant’s stomach rumbled at the sigh and smell of the dish, but thought he was better off not taking food if he didn’t know where it came from.
Grant then noticed he was stripped down to his boxers, panicking at the thought of someone else seeing him without any clothes on. Grant quickly began to scour the hut for his clothes, but found nothing, instead finding a sleeveless white shirt and white shorts, the kind of clothes you wear on vacation. Seeing no other option, Grant took the clothes and found them surprisingly to be his exact size.
Grant then walked out of the hut, only to be attacked by blinding sun again, and when he turned to get away from the sun, he opened his eyes and immediately knew where he was.
The Island, he was back here again.
How could he possibly be here of all places, last he remembered, he was on the plane and he was just after killing Garrett, then... Vic.... she shot him.
Grant’s hand immediately found itself to his chest, feeling nothing underneath the thin fabric of the shirt. Vic must’ve shot him with an ICER, but why in the hell would she do that?
“Have you gone mad, sister?” A loud feminine voice came from Grant’s right. Hearing the sound of another person, Grant ran towards the sound of the voice, only to hear more voices added on, some feminine but others more masculine.
Grant soon found the voices, not just finding one person, but five. One he immediately recognised as Artemis, dressed in the same clothes she wore that day on the bus. Next to her was a blonde man dressed in a thin golden, button up shirt and white jeans with a golden bow slung around his shoulder. The other two was a lacky young man, maybe early 20s dressed in flannel and blue jeans. The other man beside him was a very inappropriately dressed man, wearing a leopard print shirt with nearly all the buttons bar one left unopened with long beaded necklaces going down towards his waist and shorts he wore was an intense purple to go along with his purple sunglasses, so intense it made his eyes hurt.
The last was Victoria, dressed in the same pantsuit she wore when she shot him, only now she wore a pair of expensive looking sunglasses. She was also seeming to be arguing with Artemis.
“I have the situation under control, Artemis. Do not push me.” Vic warned.
Artemis let out a sarcastic laugh at the statement. “Under control? You shot the boy and then dragged him here. That is not having things under control!” She snarls.
“How we got here isn’t the issue.” The blonde man interjected. “The issue is what we are going to do now, before Grant walks up.”
“Well, we are a bit too late there, sunshine.” The leopard clad man stated, then looking over in Grant’s direction. “The boy is already up.”
It was then everyone looked at Grant, so much so Grant thought about maybe running back to the hut.
Vic stepped forward towards him, with a kind smile on her face. “It’s good to see you up, kid.” She acted like she wasn’t the whole reason he was down in the first place.
Grant took a step back, glaring at Vic. “Victoria, what the fuck is going on, why did you shoot me and who are all these people.” He then pointed at the rest of them.
The blonde man scoffed. “He really does have his father’s sense in manners.”
Vic turned to glare at the man, before looking back at Grant. “Grant, I promise you. Everything will be okay, all will be explained in due time.”
“why bother till later, the kid can just find out now.” The leopard dressed man said. “Perhaps, over a glass of wine or something.”
“Of course, you have to bring up drinking at a time like this.” Artemis scoffed.
The man just rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “Who knows, maybe it would finally get that stick out of your uptight ass, Arty.”
The single insult made Artemis get out her bow and aim it at the man. “Say that again and I’ll castrate you with one shot of my bow.”
The lanky man then stepped between them. “Hey, let’s not do this right now.”
“Shut up, long face.” The man snarked. But the lanky man just glared at him, grabbing some of the man’s leopard shirt.
“You shut up!”
It wasn’t long before a full blown argument rang out with the four people screaming at each other. Grant and Victoria just looked on in confusion and annoyance respectively.
“Enough!” A deep voice, Grant instantly recognised forced the argument to a halt. The four individuals plus Victoria turned around behind Grant. As Grant himself turned around to see where the voice came from, he hoped desperately it wasn’t who he thought it was.
However, no such luck as his father, Ares stood there, clad in the same biker leather he wore the day Grant first met him.
“D-Dad?” Grant stammered.
Ares sighed, turning to look at him. His sunglasses barely hiding his blood red glowing eyes.
“Hey, kiddo.”