Reed Richards was lying in the dungeon cell. At this point in his life he was far from a well accomplished scientist or hero he was just a college student in studying abroad for his senior. He could barely move at all his body was battered and bloodied from the thrashing he had received from that man "How did it come to this?" He asked himself mortified by the events of the last few months. He couldn't believe the horrors he had witnessed he couldn't believe that girl had died and worse yet it was his fault.
Reed stood up after hearing footsteps approaching his cell a man stepped out of the darkness. His name or rather the name he had been using for the last few years as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. was Grant Ward. Ward's appearance was intimidating he looked like a strung out street junkie his clothes were dirty and his eyes were blood shot red like he hadn't slept in forever.
"Ward please listen to me you're sick the Super Soldier serum it's in your system and it's affecting your mind!" Reed pleading hoping he could reach the man he once called a friend.
Sadly his words fell on death ears Ward didn't respond to his friend's pleads for reason instead he just said "You know I spent so long looking for forgiveness Richards I thought maybe if I helped stop my family from expanding their… no my country's borders I could make up for past sins. However I think at the end of the day Richards a monster is still a monster."
"Ward please that's the serum talking! You need help! I know you loved Skye she was my friend but this… what you are doing none of it will bring her back."
Ward paced back and forth with a lost look on his face "You know Skye when I first met her she had this lack of respect for authority she believed the governments of the world didn't always have the best interests of the people in mind, that the paradise that is democracy was easily corruptible, that the world deserved better."
"My God, Ward what in God's name have you done?" Reed asked growing more terrified by the second.
"I want to show you something Richards." Ward signaled to the men standing guard at Reeds cell door to open it. They went inside grabbing Reed by the arms dragging the beaten man behind Ward as he walked through a stone passage way underneath a castle.
It felt like they had spent an eternity going through the darkness. They finally stopped at a large room where scientists seemed to be constructing five human sized stainless steel machines. Yet on the other end was a station similar to something the famous Tony Stark had in his office.
Reed had seen it in a magazine so that's how he knew, he knew that this was the same device used to equip robotic armor and he didn't need more than one look around to know that the material being used was vibranium. It also seemed apparent the machines and armor were modeled after advanced alien technology.
"Why are we here Ward?"
Ward stayed silent stripping down to boxer briefs he stepped into the station allowing it to cover his body from his neck down in stainless armor. After he stepped out of the station he threw on a long green hooded coat. "That name no long applies to me Richards. Grant Ward was a fiction. A façade designed to deceive S.H.I.E.L.D. into thinking I was one of them. When last I spoke to that man Coulson he said I had the rest of my life to think about who I was without Garrett. Well now I'm here to tell you that I've finally decided who I am all thanks to you."
"And who are you now?" Reed asked shaking.
"I am my father's son Richards, I am the heir to the Latverian throne and now I will show you, Coulson, and the world what I have become." Ward stepped forward facing Reed.
"So now what? Are you going to kill me?"
"No Richards I'm not you're going to be exiled from Latverian soil returning will mean death." Ward spoke firmly.
"Why?"
Ward stepped closer they're eyes meeting "Because as far as the world is concerned this operation never happened so no one will believe or acknowledge the events that we have experienced here. That being said I am now free to blatantly spit in the face of S.H.I.E.L.D. by taking complete control of my county and dissolve the hippocratic democratic system. Furthermore to kill you now would be a mercy and you cannot die Richards not until you have suffered as I have suffered and you will I promise."
