Disclaimer: Agents of Shield does not belong to me. I make no profit from this. Agents of Shield created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Marissa Tancharoen.
Author's Note: First one-shot for this fandom. Haven't watched in ages, but the plot bunnies attacked nonetheless.
"When were you going to tell me you were a Nazi?"
John Garrett flinches in his recliner at the sight of the angry young man shaking in front of him. He puts the down the book he was reading when he processes what Grant actually said.
"Now, Grant-"
"No! You think I'm going to be part of some ethnic cleansing bullshit? I didn't come here to be a freakin' Nazi!"
"Dammit, boy, listen to me for one minute!"
Grant closed his mouth. He was taking in heavy, shaky breaths. His left fist is clenched tightly, so tightly.
Dammit.
John had a feeling this would happen. He didn't really prepare for it, but, yeah, he knew it was coming.
When John had first recruited Grant, he avoided talking about the organization's historical ties, just reinforcing the mission and the methods. The boy was no history fanatic and John sure as hell wasn't going to make him one. He told him what he needed to know and that was it.
For two days, it was fine. No questions and he took orders as well as any juvenile delinquent (read: not well). John didn't have to explain anything uncomfortable, aside from the occasional stern warning to not touch that or your fingers will fall off, dammit.
Now, though, it was obvious that there was no way for John to sweep this under the rug. Grant was a raging bull and there was no misdirection that would stop him.
"Grant, I am not a Nazi." John said, with a calm tone.
The boy doesn't say anthing.
"Baron von Strucker didn't agree with everything Hitler did. He didn't just leave, either. He was forced out when he wasn't as ruthless as Hitler wanted him to be."
"I don't care if he was a fucking pacifist! Do you know what those people did?" Grant exploded.
"You listen to me. We do not support that. We are not doing that. That was a long time ago."
"One of my teachers had family in those death camps. You think that I can just walk around and pretend that I'm okay working with an organization founded by a fucking Nazi?"
"Son-"
"I'm not your damn son."
John froze. Everything he said only made the boy angrier. He needed to calm him down. He thought quickly, trying to find something that would end this before Grant did something rash.
Oh.
Having achieved his epiphany, John reached behind him and grabbed a needle he kept in a pocket on his recliner. He did this slowly, so as not to alert Grant to his actions. The two made intense eye contact ever so briefly, then John lunged and sunk the needle into the area between Grant's neck and shoulder. John held the boy as began to slump.
"What," Grant swallowed, "What the hell did you do to me?"
"I'm making you understand, boy. Hydra is not run by Nazis. We were founded by one, yes. But we were never about advancing the mission. You get that?"
Grant nodded, without really looking at John.
"Adolf Hitler was a horrible man, but we did not support him, okay?"
"Grant nodded again, then lost consciousness.
John sighed, then heaved the boy to the recliner.
Later, when Grant had woken up, John tested him, just to see what happened when he mentioned Hydra's former Nazi ties.
"Yeah, but von Strucker didn't really believe in that stuff."
John smiled, but in a sad way. He knew that what he'd done was wrong, not allowing Grant to be angry and make his own decision about Hydra. But Hydra needed him, so John could put away whatever remained of his moral compass, assuming that he had ever had one.