My spreading into another fandom. This time it's one of my most favorite shows- Agents of SHIELD.
(SPOILERS)
Also is anyone else hoping for a happy resolution for Ward's character? Yeah he's done a lot of bad things but a wise man once said just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever. He just needs someone to believe in him, he needs a chance. One I hope he gets.
I still can't believe that Coulson and the others just sold him out to his brother so easily. I mean did anyone see that look of pure terror on Ward's face when Skye told him?
Enjoy.
The Playground was quiet. It was nighttime and everyone was supposed to be asleep. Most were, but a single young woman sat up in bed with her back pressed up against the brick of the wall.
Skye was tired.
Not just physically, she is certainly that too, but she tired emotionally and mentally.
The worst part is that she can face death, bad guys, and anything that stood against the new SHIELD with a steadfast determination and bravery. However when it came time to sleep she was utterly terrified. During the day she could escape her problems, she could avoid them with a little effort. There was always something else to focus on.
Despite the source of most of these being a certain man who was locked in the basement.
When it came time to sleep she would dream. No, dreams implied they were either good or just the simple imagination. These were nightmares, the kind that left her waking up every single night in a cold sweat and shaking so badly she could almost hear her teeth rattle.
Skye avoided sleep whenever she could. The dark circles under her eyes were such an indication of that. Thankfully no one noticed, either that or they did not want to say anything. Skye knew it was only a matter of time before Simmons did though.
There was also the off chance Coulson would pull her off to the side for a lecture. One she had no interest in hearing. That was unlikely though since he was too wrapped up in his own problems.
Skye knew she needed to sleep. It was only a matter of time before her body finally said enough and just simply shut down. If this happened here at The Playground it would not be so bad but if it happened during a mission...
The thought sent a shiver down Skye's spine. If she collapsed in the middle of a mission she could get her team hurt or worse. That could not be allowed to happen. She would never forgive herself for bringing that down on her team.
Skye very slowly settled herself back beneath the covers. Suppressing another shiver that had nothing to do with the chill in the room as she did.
She needed to try to sleep at the very least.
Little did she know there would be no sleep this night.
Skye slowly opened her eyes to survey the room around her. Except it was not a room anymore. She was now sitting up in a bed in the middle of a dark forest. The only light came from the full moon hanging high in the sky.
Skye was almost instantly beginning to hyperventilate.
"No no no no no." Skye repeated the word like a mantra as she pulled her knees up to her chest. This could not be happening, not again. She was back in the world of her nightmares again.
"Skye..." Skye froze in place. That voice... It could not be...
"There you are Skye, I've been looking for you." It sounded so sickeningly sweet, it was practically dripping poisoned honey.
If Skye was hyperventilating before she was now having a full blown panic attack.
Slowly looking up, Skye saw some of the trees seem to move and shift in place revealing a smiling Grant Ward. This one was very different from the one who was locked up in the cell in The Playground. He was clean shaven, dressed much like he had been back on The Bus, casual but not overly so. He also had a large smile plastered on his face. This was Ward when he was manipulating them, when he was secretly working for HYDRA and Garrett. The one that betrayed all of them and left Fitz and Simmons to die at the bottom of the ocean.
The sight was more horrifying than remembering being shot twice in the stomach.
Skye did not think. She was completely passed rational thought now. Instead Skye was much like a wild animal, moving on pure instinct.
As Ward began to slowly walk toward her, Skye was already scrambling out of the bed sheets breathing rapidly and uneven. The second she was free of the bed she took off in a dead sprint the opposite direction of Ward and into the dark woods.
Skye was so far gone mentally she did not even try to dodge the tree limbs and branches as she ran. She wore only a simple tank top and night shorts but even so she did not feel it as the branches slashed into her arms and legs leaving many shallow cuts and scrapes. She did not even feel the stinging pain as she ran.
Get away from Ward was the only thing her mind could bring forth.
"Come on Skye, I won't hurt you."
His voice still sounded like it was right behind her ear.
Never breaking stride, Skye risked a single glance over her shoulder. Ward was walking in pursuit of her while she ran but it did not matter. No matter how fast she ran he was not only keeping pace but also slowly catching up to her.
"No! Stay away from me!" Skye screamed as she tripped over a small root at her feet.
"You can't escape me Skye." Dream Ward was barely seven steps away now.
His voice was worse than nails on a chalkboard to her. The way he said her name made her want to vomit.
Skye clambered back to her feet as fast as she possibly could before resuming her flight.
Still it seemed no matter how far or how fast she ran Dream Ward was still right behind her. The same branches and limbs that were cutting into her skin were moving aside for him like the parting of the sea for Moses.
The dark words seemed to go on forever. Skye felt like she had been running for miles but there was no way to tell in her nightmare.
She was getting tired now. She would not be able to keep running much longer. Yet she pushed herself on, fear spurring her body on to even higher levels of stamina.
Despite this she finally reached a point where she could not take another step. the former hacker fell to the cold ground and found herself unable to stand again. Her lungs burned from overexertion and her pounding heart felt like it would explode.
Rolling over onto her back, Skye looked behind her saw Dream Ward was only about twenty feet away from her and advancing.
Skye whimpered in terror as she pushed herself backward across the ground.
There was no escape from Ward.
He was always going to find her.
Always going to catch her.
Dream Ward was only twelve feet away when something new happened.
A dark shape emerged from behind a nearby tree and brought an arm up to clothesline the advancing Dream Ward. The specialist had his legs instantly taken out from under him by the force of the blow.
Its identity was still shrouded in the darkness but Skye watched as the shape landed a heavy kick to Dream Ward's ribs, knocking back the large man.
Skye was still breathing very heavily as she moved back several feet again.
"Back off!" The newcomer growled loudly toward Dream Ward in a deep husky voice.
Skye stared in disbelief. The figure had stepped into the moonlight as he spoke. It was another Ward, this one completely different than the one chasing her. This Ward looked like the one that had been back in the cell. His beard and hair were ragged and unkempt, his clothes were the same prison uniform that showed off his large arm muscles. Even from where she sat on the ground Skye could see the scars on his wrists.
When this Ward spoke it was not with that disgusting sweet tone. This one was deep and gravely, with a protectiveness that Skye had never before experienced.
When the Prisoner Ward turned toward, her Skye could see something written across his face. Was that relief?
Suddenly Dream Ward was back on his feet and tackled the other from behind. Prisoner Ward was shoved foreword but counterattacked with a heavy elbow strike to Dream Ward's jaw.
Skye was rooted in place as she watched the two fight. She knew she should get up, she should run, but she could not move. She could only watch while her heart pounded in her chest like a jackhammer.
Ward was always one of the best unarmed combat specialists Skye had ever knew existed. Very few could match him, fewer still could best him. The two Wards before her seemed to be evenly matched.
Somehow they were not though, Prisoner Ward seemed to be fighting with much more fury and rage. Almost as if he had something he was fighting for driving him on.
Somehow he had managed to get his arms around Dream Ward's neck and started applying pressure. Dream Ward kicked and flailed in his hold but Prisoner Ward's hold was like steel. Soon Skye heard the telltale sickening snap as his neck broke.
Prisoner Ward shoved the now dead Dream Ward to the ground breathing heavily.
After a few heartbeats he turned to Skye and took a few steps toward her.
Skye was already beginning to panic again when Prisoner Ward stopped. He held his hands up in a nonthreatening way and spoke softly. "It's alright, no one's going to hurt you anymore."
Skye did not understand. Why was this Ward acting differently than the other one?
"It's time to wake up Skye."
The moment the words were past his lips Skye shot up in bed, her chest heaving in a huge lungful of air. She frantically searched the room for any signs of him but found nothing. She was back in her bedroom in The Playground.
Ward was nowhere in sight. All of the bleeding cuts from the forest's branches were gone as well, there was no sign anything had happened save the cold sweat covering Skye's body.
Skye felt... different somehow. She was not sure how to explain it but something had changed.
The next night Skye found herself again sitting up in bed afraid of what her nightmares would bring. As with the previous night she knew she had to try to sleep.
Again she awoke in the dark forest, dream Ward already waiting for her.
"Skye..."
Not again... he once more began his advance on her.
"There you are Skye, I've been looking for..." Skye did not get two steps into the resumed chase when she stopped cold by the sight before her.
This time dream Ward did not get to finish his words. He was cut off mid-sentence by a vicious left hook from Prisoner Ward, whom had suddenly appeared beside Dream Ward.
As with the previous night the two began a brutal fight. Again Prisoner Ward fought with a fire the other lacked. The battle ended the same way as well, with Dream Ward dead.
Skye watched as Prisoner Ward held his hands up toward her. "It's time to wake up Skye."
The young SHIELD agent sat up in her bed once more. To her surprise it was morning, she had slept through the night during the short nightmare. To her continued surprise she actually felt somewhat well rested, she was also missing the usual cold sweat.
It was the best night's sleep she had in several months.
After that night Skye was no longer scared of sleep. Every time she would reenter the nightmare world and dream Ward would appear, prisoner Ward would be there too. He would always arrive to chase him away.
Hope you enjoyed my first Agents of Shield story.
Review please.