Disclaimer: I don't own Agents of Shield.
Specialist Ward wanted to laugh just laugh as the duo continued to argue about what to do with him. He knew what to do. It wasn't going to be fun, but he knew what to do to help them on their way. The question would be if he could continue to still be an Army Ranger after all of this. Probably not, he thought.
"Why don't we just shoot this Ward? Obviously, they're close! Then our Ward would come running and we can capture him!" Skye shouted at Coulson.
"We don't do that to people, even Ward! We do things the right way, plus this Ward hasn't done anything wrong! We can't just start shooting people because they have the last name Ward!" Coulson told Skye, raising his voice just slightly enough for her to know that this was the plan, and no one was going against that plan.
"If you could stop calling him that, please," Specialist Ward said, barely louder than a whisper.
"My bad, we should call him Grant. This whole calling him our Ward and you the other Ward must be frustrating," Agent Coulson tried to say understandingly, but Specialist Ward just laughed.
"You assume just because you guys are Super-secret spies that you know everything about everyone. Stop assuming you know me. Stop assuming you know my name or where I came from, or how far along I've been on my road. Stop assuming my name is Jonathan Ward." The Specialist said, backing up.
"John," Staff Sergeant Williams asked, "what are you talking about? You told us all that's what your name has always been. We even asked if you changed it because you didn't seem like a John to us. Tell them that you were just kidding around when you said that stuff." She looked at him with hopeful eyes, but the Specialist couldn't meet her gaze. He had never wanted this to come up. He had wanted to die here, a hero. Die by the name he chooses, not by the name that was forced upon him.
"My name isn't Jonathan Ward. His name isn't Grant Ward. Stop calling me Ward, stop calling him Ward; it isn't our name. Hell, he barely considers me his brother, and the only reason he still gives me a call anymore is if I blew his cover. Obviously, I don't get those calls anymore. He and I stopped talking at least a year ago, when that whole thing at S.H.I.E.L.D. went down. I assumed he died, even went to his real grave to put flowers there." The Specialist answered his eyes bloodshot, and his hands trembling. The barrel of his rifle was shaking visibly from how much his hand were shaking. The Specialist was spent and tired of watching out for a brother who left him the moment he got the chance.
"Alright," Coulson said in a calming voice, "then why don't you introduce yourself to us. I'm sure you don't want to hurt anyone here, and I sure don't want to put on a show for HYDRA either. We could go to the Bus, together. Then you can tell us all about you and your brother."
"I don't think you understand the position I'm in, Agent Coulson. I just admitted to lying to the United States Army, which is a five year sentence in jail, faking all my records, which just adds on the jail time I'm doing, and if I were to talk about my older brother, I-" The Specialist tried to explain but just then First Sergeant Knight came in.
The man was a body builder, tall, with barely enough hair to realize it was brown. He had his Kevlar vest on, with his M-4 in hands. He had a profound face and just gave you a sense of intimidation. He looked over the group in the Command Tent, finally resting his eyes on the young Specialist.
"Who gave you the order to feel sorry for yourself, Specialist Ward?" Knight said, his deep voice screaming the challenge that all old Drill Sergeants give off in their voice.
"No one, First Sergeant, but-"the Specialist tried but again, got interrupted by the soldier.
"Then quite you're whining! We don't have time to hear you snivel about how hard life is right now! Right now, we need you to act like you were trained to act! We trained you to act like a Ranger, didn't we, Specialist?" Knight shouted at the young man.
"Aye, First Sergeant, but-"The Specialist responded but Knight wasn't done.
"Then you get your Ranger ass in gear, grab that SN-25 that you love so God Damn much, and you show those crazy Motherfuckers who the hell their dealing with! Because, Lord knows, they don't know! They assume this is some pansy ass little pussy platoon full of snot nose POGs! Show them that they are dealing with a force stronger than the demons in Hell!" Knight shouted at the Specialist. "Did I stutter, Specialist Ward, or do you have a hearing problem, because I can get louder, just for you Specialist Ward!"
"No, First Sergeant! Aye, First Sergeant! On my way, First Sergeant!" The Specialist shouted back, and then ran outside to the armory to grab his beloved weapon. The others just stared at the older NCO, not wanting to make him angrier, they stayed silent. "Obviously, because of all the looks I'm getting, someone here is going to explain to me, without looking like a damn fish, what the hell has gotten into Ward, and you all; and after that, Captain, I expect you to debrief me when Agent Coulson needs me to send him Ward."
"First Sergeant," Sergeant Rivera tried to say with some dignity, "Specialist Ward just admitted to faking his papers, First Sergeant. He shouldn't be in the Rangers, First Sergeant. He shouldn't even be in the Army, First Sergeant! He should be in jail, First Sergeant!"
"Well, until he gives me his new name, he will continue to be Specialist Jonathan Ward. And until I see FBI here to come and collect our Specialist Ward, he ain't going anywhere but back to the frontlines! And some say you shouldn't be in the Rangers either, Sergeant Rivera, so watch what you say around me. I might just send you back to South Korea, where I send the rest of the men who piss me off. Now, get out, grab your weapon, get the rest of your squad, wake Sergeant Williams from her day dream of kissing Ward, and move your asses to the front line with Ward. I've got a mission for your squad, and it's just up your alley. Coulson, do you mind if we keep Ward around for one more night? We need him to help stick a grenade right up those bastard's noses. Hell, if you want, you can stick around for the fireworks."
Coulson looked over at Skye for half a second before looking back at Knight and grinning. "Wouldn't mind at all as long as we get to help out on this mission."