We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell. - Oscar Wilde
Prologue:
It's been so long I barely remember what it was like to be human. My name is Grant Ward I am the Ghost Rider a cursed soul doomed to do the devil's bidding. It all started after I was arrested I was locked in a hole for God only knows how long. At first when Mephisto approached me I thought I'd gone crazy but when he told me he could save me from my fate I jumped at the chance.
Pretty pathetic I traded in being one monster's bitch for being another. I think that's what Skye would tell me if she knew if any of them knew that's probably what they would say. It's funny he told me all I had to do in exchange for my freedom was make one little sacrifice. He forgot to tell me what that sacrifice was.
Needless to say the price was high, higher than I could ever imagine. Our deal was rigged you see at first I thought I was just doing one favor for him. He asked me to kill a man a pastor in a small town barely on the map. I didn't understand why I'd never been asked to kill a man for no reason it seemed so strange but I did it God help me I did it.
I killed that pastor, I left his wife a widow and his children without a father. By doing so I damned myself everything I did before every kill was for a reason a stupid reason because I felt like I owed Garrette but when I killed that man to complete my deal I killed out of a complete selfish desire to save my miserable life by doing so I damned my soul and it became Mephisto's property forever.
The first thing he did was drag me straight to hell where I was tortured relentlessly all to burn out any last trace of my humanity. They would torture me to the point of death and often times to death. Then they'd fix me up as good as new or bring me back to life. I must have died and been cut up over and over in ways not even I could imagine more times than I can count.
The reason they did this was simple they wanted to erase my humanity before they gave me the power of a demon named Zarathos. They wanted to drive the humanity out of me because they didn't want another Johnny Blaze on their hands whoever that is. I don't much about being a rider for hell in fact their hadn't been one since the nineteen seventies I guess that was when Johnny Blaze was around I guess it doesn't matter in the end.
Took me a while but I broke free of Mephisto's hold over me though my freedom was freely given I am still at his beck and call. I left the armies of hell only to find out that a worse fate awaited me. I wasn't part of the world of man any more I had no home or friends, I couldn't return to hell either I didn't want to give Mephisto the satisfaction of being proven right and of course I was forever barred from entering heaven. How ironic I had found myself in a hell of my own making maybe that's why Mephisto freed me he knew what awaited me my own hell. But maybe that's why Mephisto did it perhaps he knew the illusion of freedom was the ultimate hell.
My name is Grant Ward I am a damned soul cursed to wander all of creation and this is my story this is the story of the Ghost Rider.
Chapter One:
Ward tossed and turned in the bed as the visions of flames consuming his body persisted no they weren't visions they were memories. They were his memories of being tortured in hell. He screamed in pain as his skin burned away leaving nothing left but a skeleton. Slowly a black aura wrapped around him forming a spiked black leather jacket, pants, spiked gloves and black boots. Finally his chains broke free from his wrists and ankles they swirled around him like a snake while melding together until they wrapped around him.
He was no longer a human he was now a demon in the form of a fiery skeleton. The demon roared and Ward jutted awake "Damn I could have done without that nasty memories."
"Well, well, have a pleasant sleep Rider?" A thin and creepy voice cackled.
"Scarecrow." Ward hissed as he watched a man dressed in rags wearing gloves that were like Freddy Krueger trade mark knife glove. "What are you doing here? Were you the one who gave me that nightmare? How many times do I have to tell you demons to stay out of my mind!"
"Ha! Your mind? Don't you mean Mephisto's mind? I mean you do belong to him no matter what anyone else says the fact remains you are his lap dong a longer leash doesn't change that."
Ward didn't waste time pulling out his gun aiming it at the raggedy freak show. "Get out of here you psychotic excuse for a monster."
"Ooh!" Scarecrow jumped across the room doing a somersault in midair "You know if I was still human like I was back when the last Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze was around. I might actually be scarred of a gun. Just relax I'm not here to piss you off Ward actually I'm here to give some good news Coulson and that Asian chick May wasn't it? They're getting hitched! Everyone is invited the geek duo, Triplet, even Skye youre old flame! No pun intended. Here's an invitation to get in to the party if your'e feeling nostalgic." Scarecrow tossed it into the air.
Ward caught almost immediately "How did you get this?"
"Oh here, there, off the dead body of one of Coulson's distant relatives no one he'll miss. That I can assure my friend." Scarecrow chuckled. "Oh but here is the best part my friend. It's only a half hour drive you've got plenty of time to make it and see your old team one last time. Wont it be good to see them all happy after all the pain you've caused them?"
Ward paused for a moment it would be nice but he knew he wouldn't be welcomed the world believed he was dead and that's how he wanted it. Still he wanted to see if they were okay, no he needed them to be okay Especially Fitz, it was funny some would say that with his power to travel to any dimension and planet he was free. But that's not how he saw it at all the freedom to go anywhere he wanted when he wanted was a lie Mephisto still had power over him.
"Fine I'll go but I won't be making a public appearance."
Saint Paul's Cathedral...
Coulson was straightening his sweating nervously "Come on you've been through worse then this. Marrying May shouldn't be that difficult."
Triplett walked dressed in a tuxedo "Hey man everyone is waiting for you."
"I can't do this." Coulson muttered shaking "I mean married? I'm an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent I can't expect May and I to just settle down like that."
Triplett put his hands on Coulson's shoulders "Calm down, breathe."
"Thanks I don't know what got into me."
"Coulson look at me I've been with you and you're team for five years nothing is going to go wrong. I mean seriously it's not like the devil himself is going to show up." Triplett had no idea how wrong he was.
