Previously: After killing his old SO, Ward's been taken back to the BUS with the team to see if he can prove useful in helping them find Skye.
Chapter Four
The team had found Fury in the BUS, just like Ward had told them. He'd released the Centipede soldiers from duty. Helped Fitzsimmons.
Killed Garrett.
What more could he do to make them trust him? That he wasn't loyal to Hydra?
The answer to these questions he did not know, and it was why he was currently sitting the Cage of the BUS. He wondered briefly if he would spend a good amount of his remaining time in the world in a place like this, if they decided to condemn him.
The cuffs were irritating his wrists.
About the time this thought crossed his mind the door opened suddenly, but Ward didn't flinch. He barely flicked his eyes up to see who his random, but expected, visitor was.
Coulson.
It made sense that they'd send him in. He looked like he was on the top his game, back where he belonged as the team leader as he flipped through the papers in his folder. He was limping, but that was only sometimes a weakness in Ward's eyes. Getting hurt could mean you were careless and let someone get the jump on you, but it also mean you did what needed to be done despite your own well being, and Coulson was always one to put others first.
"Alright, I'm going to be straight with you Ward. You don't have a lot of friends here. "Actually, if you want to get technical, the exact amount would be around zero."
Ward just stared, having no direct response to that. Coulson continued.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked.
Ward quirked an eyebrow. "Anything specific you'd like to hear?"
"Good start would be an apology. Then I'd try for an explanation of your actions," Coulson said as he paced the room. "You say you're not Hydra, but that would mean you think of yourself truly as a traitor and not just a sleeper agent stationed inside of SHIELD."
Ward shook his head. "No, I don't have allegiance to any organization. I wasn't a traitor because I was working for Garrett from the start. I was a sleeper, but for Garrett, not for Hydra." Why did no one seem to understand this?
Still, Coulson nodded. "Well, since you've killed the man that you claim to have had all your loyalty towards, wouldn't that make you a traitor now?"
Ward swallowed, his betrayal had been laid out so clearly in front of him. "He changed. And when he did, I realized there was someone I cared about more than my loyalty to him."
"Skye," clarified Coulson.
"Garrett was hurting her. I really saw him lose it at one point and thought he may kill her. He probably would have, if I didn't intervene."
"And you went with him anyway."
Ward nodded. "I had to keep up the illusion I was still agreeing with him."
"But you weren't, all because of Skye."
"Yes."
"See, here's the thing Ward. Your allegiance changes based on who you think deserves your attention; people you think you owe a great deal to. First it was Garrett, because he saved you from a life you hated, not to mention prison. And as the victim of your affection and attractions, it's now Skye."
Ward flinched inwardly when he used the word "victim."
"The problem here is that we don't know who you're going to owe something to next that compromises your loyalty. You can't be part of a team and not be 100% trusted. So I'm telling you now that based on your track record, you should lower your expectations as far as what your position will be on this team."
Ward already had low expectations. Very low. The only expectation he had, in fact, was that they let him help them to find Skye. After that, he really didn't want anything to do with them. It wasn't even so much of an expectation as a hope.
"Then there's the issue of how you were planning on getting Skye out in the first place," said Coulson, a question hinted in his voice.
"I wasn't able to construct a plan at that point," said Ward. "That's why I needed to stay on Garrett's good side while I did."
"But say you were able to get her out, where would you go? Would you have taken me as well?"
Ward hesitated, trying to think of the best answer. There really was only one. "I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. I just knew I needed to get her out."
"Well, if what you say is true, she is out. From that facility at least, but we have no idea where she is. Unless you have some inkling?"
Ward let out a somewhat frustrated sigh from between previously pursed lips. "For the thousandth time, I don't! I've told you time and time again: the only thing I care about here is Skye. Why would I lie about knowing where she is?"
Coulson nodded, his own lips now pressed together as he was thinking. He suddenly closed the folder he had in front of him and sat down across from Ward. "Ok. Just let me assure you that no matter what happens, you're on SHIELD radar. We're not going to let you out of our sight. We're not just going to tag you or let you back on the team, we are going to make sure that you are monitored with audio and visual at all times, assuming you don't go to prison."
Ward thought it was a little extreme to lay it all out like that, but he didn't expect much less. He double-crossed a government – well, ex-government- agency. And it was much more personal than just that to these people.
After Coulson let that sink in for a moment, he continued. "Keeping that in mind, that you won't be on your own ever again, is there anything you'd like to share?"
Finally, with that sentence, the information Coulson was spouting to him finally clicked.
"You think that I'm keeping Skye somewhere?" he shouted with disbelief.
Coulson shrugged. "Your personality profile borderlines on obsessive, so it would actually make sense. She's not with Hydra, and you'd been planning on taking down John Garrett the moment you had the chance. Best thing to do would be to get your things in order and out of the way before that went down."
"She's not a thing, and I did not take her anywhere. Give me that lie detector test again," he seethed, taking a deep breath. "I just want to help find her."
"You mean the test that you passed, while lying?"
"I didn't actually lie," Ward stated, trying to hide the proud emotion he felt tugging at him for tricking the test.
"I'm aware. I saw the footage; you said you were there for Skye and Agent Koenig took that you meant it romantically. In reality, you were there for her to crack the hard-drive for you. Smart. Who's to say you won't do it again?"
"Ask me point blank questions."
"No, I think I've got a better idea. You tell me something, anything useful that could put us on the path to finding her, and I won't leave you in some hole to rot."
That had Ward sitting back in his chair. He wracked his brain; there really wasn't much to tell. Coulson waited patiently. Ward finally picked himself back up.
"Raina wasn't at the facility either, right?"
Coulson shook his head.
"She's been just as interested in Skye as Garrett, and she saw Garrett go off the deep end too. If anything, I'm guessing she has Skye. Though I don't know what resources she'd be using…"
Coulson took this under consideration.
"Do you have anything useful to add? Like where she may be?"
"Actually, yes," he said at the same time he realized he had information to give. "Cherry Hill in Ohio."
"Is that a city?"
"Not a clue. I overheard her talking to someone about it on the phone, but it was after we'd gotten a real glimpse of Garrett's crazy side. It could be where she's headed."
"I'll take it to… well, we'll look into it." Coulson got up and headed towards the door, turning back to look at Ward. "You need to work on your apologies, by the way. And Ward?"
"Yes, sir?" God, how easily he was slipping back into this persona. Maybe it was more a real part of him than he realized.
"When we do locate Skye, if I see that you've hurt her in any way at all, you won't be going to prison. You'll be leaving here in a body bag. Given the fact that I feel that generous."
Coulson walked out the door, leaving Ward to ponder that thought. In fact it left him smiling. Skye was going to be rescued. She was too loved by these people for any one of them to give up without it being so.