Author's Note: I finally saw Guardians of the Galaxy and now I demand a dancing Groot.

This story is finally starting to heat up, I need the motivation to keep going so please review.

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Chapter 51 – Hail HYDRA

Over the next five weeks Sir sent three more team to try and take Skye and Ward managed to capture one of them and sent the other two running, giving them more than enough reason not to come back. Unable to learn anything of use from the captured team he sent them on to Fury, who, as far as he was willing to tell Ward, was only able to learn of their unwavering loyalty to Sir.

In the past five weeks Ward had been unable to see Skye in person, only able to watch her from a distance. The hacker had obviously moved from her bed rest phase onto light duty but she was always in sight of a least one of the other members of the team and without the phone they were unable to pass messages. Ward had noticed that Skye at least tried to leave the house at least once a day, even if she only managed to make it on to the porch. Despite the fact that Ward desperately wanted to actually talk to Skye the little glimpses were what got him through, what reminded him what he was fighting for. He wondered if that's why Skye made the trips, to remind him of what he was missing.

The rain had stopped long ago so Ward spent most of his time at his look out points. In fact some nights he slept there, still attached to the tree. The lookout points provided Ward with a view of both the house and the other side of the forest, the place most of Sir's minions made their approach from.

Unfortunately Sir's minions weren't the only ones Ward had to worry about. Somehow the other worlds; Muspelheim, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim, Nifleheim, Svartalfheim and Helheim, had learned of Skye's location, about what she was. They had yet to come themselves but they had long ago learned the art of hiring humans to do their dirty work, the men they sent weren't coming to capture Skye they were coming to kill her and still Ward couldn't bring himself to kill them. They didn't come as often as Sir's minions did but they still came every so often. Ward was dealing with them, but only just.

It was early in the morning, just after sunrise, when Ward saw the figure approaching the forest, no doubt something else trying to make an unseen approach to the house. After making a brief check on the house, to make sure Skye wasn't on one of her trips outside, Ward made his way down to ground level. Months of practise meant he was untangled from his harness and fully armed within seconds of reaching the ground.

The man had just entered the forest by the time Ward caught up with him. Approaching from behind Ward drew his gun and called out, "That's far enough." The man span around and Ward momentarily froze, only years of training stopped him from dropping his gun in surprise, "I know you."

The man hid his surprise well, snapping to attention instead, "Yes sir."

Ward took a step forward, his gun never wavering, "You were with Garrett at the barber shop?"

"Yes sir," Suddenly the man, who Ward realized was barely more than a boy, snapped his arms out in a very familiar salute, "Hail HYDRA."

"Put those arms down, boy," Ward snapped, realizing the safest cause of action to get this man away was to play along and pretend he was still loyal to HYDRA, not that he over was, "Why are you here?"

"Orders, sir," The man replied, still standing at attention.

For the life of him Ward couldn't remember the man's name, he was just another one of Garrett's soldiers, no doubt serving a new master since Garret's death but Ward knew he could use this to his advantage. As far as the man knew Ward was still HYDRA and was still his superior officer. Ward was going to use that to his advantage, "I didn't think they were stupid enough to send someone else, let alone someone like."

"Sir?" The man looked confused.

"I am working this one alone," Ward said, lowering her gun, "You are going to return to your superiors and tell them you found nothing, that this was a dead end."

"You want me to lie?" The man asked, still confused.

"I'm sure you're capable of it," Ward snapped, "But no, you're not going to lie. There is nothing here. This is a dead end."

"Then why are you here?" The man asked, then added quickly, "Sir."

"I have my orders too," Ward replied, trying to keep his voice even, "From people higher up then you're receiving yours from. No one can know I am here. Understand?"

"Yes sir," The man snapped to attention again.

"There's nothing here. I'm not here."

"Yes sir," The man snapped again.

"Good," Ward nodded, "Now leave before I decide that shooting you is a better way of keeping my cover intact."

"Yes sir," The man snapped again before scurrying away, only turning around to give Ward another salute, "Hail HYDRA."

Ward just glared at the man, encouraging him to move on quickly.

Once he had made sure the man had left the forest, in the same direction he came from and left it far behind Ward let out a sigh of relief but his panic didn't completely disappear. HYDRA was just another group of people who were coming after those he cared about. Another group of people Ward had to stop.

Ward wondered if Coulson knew how badly his base had been compromised.

Author's Note: Not sure what people thought of the title but deal with it.

Also if I spelt any of the names of the nine world wrong then I apologize.

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