Agent May watched with masked worry as Phil got out of his car with Agent McKenna in tow. He said something to her before he caught sight of May and walked over to her.

"You've got to be joking, right?"

"Good morning to you too, May" Coulson said, "I take it you didn't get your coffee yet"

"You're aware of who that is, do you?" May ignored, "Her father, her brother's incident, her incident when Hydra took over"

Coulson nodded, "I'm aware"

"So you shouldn't have recruited her" May warned, "She's more of a risk than a protection"

"As of right now, we're desperate for agents and especially one of her expertise" Coulson explained, "Besides, I'm not using her as a field agent, I'm using her as an interrogator, and she agreed"

"Looks like we got new meat" Skye approached the group, "Did you pick this one up in an alleyway too?"

"At a diner in Oakland, California" Coulson answered, "She's new for us but still has more field time than you"

Skye grumbled as she wanted someone more fresh than her as the woman came up to the trio.

"Agent McKenna, you might've heard of Agent May here" Coulson waved to his left as May nodded, "And this is Agent Skye"

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Valerie said to May, "I've seen you a couple of times at the Hub but you were busy"

May responded with, "As everyone usually is there"

Coulson informed, "She's going to be our lead interrogator, which includes Ward"

Skye looked to Coulson, "But he hasn't given us anything, only talks about his incidents where he's tried to kill himself"

"How long was he in captivity when he started doing these accidents?" Valerie asked.

Coulson nodded behind him, "Not even a week, let's put a name to the face"

In his office, Coulson put up the screen of Grant Ward's room as he currently was doing a workout. Valerie took a step closer to the screen and watched the prisoner as he went from one difficult workout to another. Shots of his selfinflicted wounds were on the corners of the screen as she noticed the long scar across his arm and the scar on the corner of his head. Valerie noted that it was Grant's 25th day of being inside captivity and yet nothing has happened since the first week. Still, he was on constant monitor as Valerie turned to Coulson, May, and Skye.

"He won't try again"

"How can you be so sure?" Skye asked.

"Because he got what he wanted" Valerie told her, "Grant Ward was acting like a child, throwing temper tantrums in order to get his old team to care about him. He knows what he's done wrong and by the looks of it, had his fair share of talks from you guys"

"In more ways than one" May said with a hint of a smile.

Valerie nodded, "Have you done frequent visits after his episodes?"

"Yes"

"And how many times did you visit him before?" Valerie asked.

Coulson hesitated, "We kept him there as solitary confinement… our team had a hard time with coming to terms of not only his betrayal but also what he did to Fitz"

"And ever since then someone from his old team would come to interrogate, correct?"

When the trio looked to each other, Valerie got her answer as she turned back and looked to the man in captivity. Even when he was confined to one room, he was still playing his team as they spoke. Valerie had to admit that this man was good. Garrett had taught him everything he possibly could in order to get the upperhand in almost just about anything.

"We thought it would be safer if he didn't have contact with anyone new" Skye spoke up.

"With all due respect, that is exactly what he wants" Valerie answered, "He's feeling for how much control and pull he has on each and every one of you"

"And what if he tried to end his life again?" May asked, "Not that I care… I was the one who constantly vouched to let him die"

Valerie nodded, "That is exactly what you should do"

May seemed happy for once as Skye and Coulson were shocked that Valerie even suggested something like that. They watched the young woman as her face didn't even change so it indicated that she wasn't telling them a joke. Valerie took the pad and started to type down her notes as if she had just told them what she wanted for breakfast.

"I'm sorry, did you just say, let him die?" Skye asked.

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because on these reports it says that he had less than a minute alone before your team started to rush in" Valerie said, "You need to remember that Grant Ward is a specialist, even though he cut himself in a lethal way, he knows how much pressure he needs to put in order to end his life"

"Son of a bitch" Coulson cursed.

Valerie nodded, "Exactly"

Coulson looked to her, "How soon do you want to introduce yourself to your new buddy?"

Valerie smiled, "I'd like to get acquainted immediately, sir, if that's alright with you"

"Granted" Coulson said, "Get in there"

The screen went from opaque to transparent as Grant was just pacing around, waiting and wondering which one of his team members he was going to see today. He stopped midstep when his eyes set on a good-looking, straight light brown haired woman with crystal blue eyes; no one he's ever met before.

"Who are you?" Grant asked.

"Your interrogator" Valerie commented.

Grant looked around, "Where's my team?"

"Either dead or captured" Valerie said nonchalantly before she said, "You were referring to your Hydra friends, correct?"

"I was referring to Coulson, May, and Skye" Grant Ward answered.

"They aren't your team anymore, Ward" Valerie looked up to him, "You lost that privlege the second you betrayed their loyalty for Garrett's"

Coulson, May, and Skye watched from inside of Coulson's office as Grant shifted and changed his position.

"She's good" May commented.

"Yeah, but Ward will try to find his way around her" Coulson said, "He always does"

"Plus he'll try to kill himself again" Skye mumbled.

May looked to her, "What Valerie said was right, we can't keep babying him just because we knew him. You were held captured, don't forget that. Also, don't forget what happened to Fitz"

Skye nodded, "You're right"

"Valerie has cracked the toughest person we had with just one session when he was sitting comfortably on his 10th year at the fridge" Coulson said, "Ward should be a piece of cake to her"

"What do you think she'll find out?" Skye asked.

"Or what do you want her to find out?" May countered.

Coulson stared, "Everything I can, but most importantly, why did he betray us the way he did after everything we've been through"

Valerie tapped into her console as Grant Ward stared at her, switching between looking at her machine to the woman's face.

"What are you typing?"

Valerie looked up and smiled, "Thank you for your time, Ward, I will see you when I see you"

"What about Coulson?" Grant Ward yelled out, "I want to speak to him"

Valerie turned back to him, "You're not to speak with Coulson anymore, only me"

"I will talk to him" Ward said darkly, "Believe me, I will"

Valerie looked him up and down before she smirked, "Keep telling yourself that"

"You don't know anything about me!" Ward yelled out to her.

"Sure I do" Valerie commented, "I read your file"