You can't undo what's been done that will be with you forever but trying to trying to hold on to this life clinging to the person you thought you could be that's hell. – Melinda May

Five Years Ago...

Ward sat in the darkness of his cell he'd been sentenced to solitary confinement his only break from that was being dragged off to some interrogator to be questioned. "What a sorry sight you are." A voice muttered from the darkness.

"Huh?" Ward jumped out of his seat startled by what he'd heard "Whose there?"

Mephisto stepped out of the darkness smiling and bearing his sharp teeth like a hungry predator "Oh just a friend I'm here to offer you deal."

"What's with the outfit are you an asguardian?" Ward asked studying the man's wardrobe.

Mephisto laughed "No my neighborhood's a lot rougher than anything in the nine realms. I've had my eye on you for a very long time Grant. Since you were conceived inside your mother if truth be told."

Ward couldn't help but feel uneasy "What do you mean?"

Mephisto laughed pacing around the room circling Ward like a shark "Oh come on did you really think a person from your family could just join S.H.I.E.L.D. just like that? I've invested a lot of time and energy into you like an investment. And after watching you grow and prosper I've decided to make you the most important deal of your miserable unremarkable life. I'm going to give you, your freedom for a price of course."

"What price?" Ward asked feeling a chill down his spine.

Mephisto looked around the dark room as if Ward had something of value he then tuned to Ward and smiled "Oh… I think I'll take your soul."

Ward laughed "Are you kidding me is this some kind of joke? There is no such thing as a soul. I mean Thor the god of thunder he is real, things like souls and hell not so much."

Mephisto let out a sigh handing a rolled up scroll to Ward "I can see I'm going to have to convince you. Why don't you have a look?"

Ward unraveled the scroll and found some weird language he'd never seen before as skimmed the strange writing the paper cut his finger and the blood dripped right on to the signature line.

Mephisto smiled wickedly "I'll take that as a yes." He took the contract from Ward effortlessly. "When you wake up you'll be miles from this prison which will be engulfed in flames and everyone inside will die allowing the world to think Grant Ward S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest traitor died in a horrendous fire. You will of course do me one small favor afterwards. Oh and as a small bonus that British nerd Fizz-"

"Fitz" Ward correct still not buying what Mephisto was selling.

"Fizz, Fitz whatever like I care about some nobody human prodigy point is he'll wake up like he never even got hurt to. It'll be like your death spawned a miracle and everybody gets a happy ending and the evil villain Ward rots in the ground."

Ward scoffed not buying a single word Mephisto was telling him "Yeah sure what ever. Anything else I need to know Satan?"

Mephisto smiled like there was some sort of inside joke only he was privy to "No nothing I can think of. Just remember you'll owe me a very big payment and nobody breaks a deal with me well without pay big for it just ask Johnny Blaze."

"Who is Johnny Blaze?"

Mephisto grew cold and bitter like Ward crossed some invisible line that slightly upset Mephisto "It doesn't matter he doesn't concern you now I have business elsewhere we'll talk again later. Oh and if you know what's good for you never mention that name to me ever again."

Saint Paul's Cathedral Present Day...

Ward and Doctor Strange had arrived at the wedding just in time they remained hidden behind some trees watching the affair from outside still Ward was more than a little skeptical "So you're sure this spell of yours is going to work?"

Doctor Strange smiled at him arrogantly "Of course it will work when they look at you Ward no one will even recognize you. Still I have to ask you this why you are really here."

Ward shrugged "To see what Mephisto's up to of course. It's not that I care about anyone else here it's just I want to make sure he's not going to do anything to screw up my life anymore."

Doctor Strange smirked not believing his comrade "Sure and it's got nothing to do with that pretty bridesmaid in the pink dress next to the one called Simmons. What's her name again? Oh yeah she's called Skye."

Ward scoffed "Please it's been five years I don't even remember her name well not until you reminded me of it."

"Then what was all that we were talking about Ward earlier you didn't seem to be having memory problems then."

Ward's face started to turn red. "Look I'm not part of their world anymore Steven their world is a full of aliens, and the monsters of science mine is a world where hell and the monsters under the bed are real. So please just cast the spell already Strange let me stay ghost. I belong in the shadows now as one of the living dead it's no less than I deserve."

"Alright as you wish admittedly though I think you went overboard with calling yourself one of the living dead." Strange grinned "Oh and by the way Ward I want to talk to you about a proposition."

"What proposition?"

"I'm forming a supernatural team I'm thinking about something with the word midnight in it. What do you think? Are you in?"

Saint Paul's Cathedral...

Ward waited till Doctor Strange had cast his spell and the two entered the wedding it was both sad and nostalgic. As he walked through the crowd of guests waiting for the wedding to start.

He couldn't believe how well the spell was working no one recognized him he really was like a ghost and then he bumped into someone, a woman in a pink strapless dress. "Hey watch it!" She yelled.

"You watch-" Ward went cold when he saw her face it was like time had stopped and he completely froze almost unable to speak "Skye?" All he could think was: Why isn't she with the other bridesmaids why does have to be here in front of me? Why did it have to be her? Why can't I be free of the past?