Facing Your Past [Book 1]: A Grant Ward FanFic.

Chapter 15 - Finale

Beginning of the End.

Taylor woke from her well needed slumber and heard voices and kerfuffle so decided to investigate. She threw on the first thing she could find and made her way down to the lab to see Garrett drawing some kind of symbols on one of the lab's doors with a nail. He laughs for reasons Taylor doesn't know.

"I got to be honest with you, John, looks like you're kinda losing it." Grant confessed. Garrett laughs again.

"I'm alive for the first time, thanks to you." Garrett aims this at Taylor who was making her way towards them. Mike looks away from Garrett and over to Ward. "I took some hits along the way, but we did it." He looks at Ward a second then goes back to scratching. "We did it!"

"Can't believe it. This is everything we've been working towards, saving you. Our alliance with HYDRA was always a means to that end, right?" Grant checked.

"Symbiotic." Garrett replies. Ward lowers his voice.

"And here we are. I mean, it's not like we're true believers, right?" He murmurs. Mike looks from Ward over to Garrett. "Don't get me wrong, I'll go where you go. Having our soldiers in key positions is great, but...then what? Are we really planning a coup?" Garrett stops scratching and looks at Ward.

"It's more of an uprising. It's become bigger than HYDRA." Garrett told him. He walks to Ward and puts his hands on his shoulders. "Ward, you've taken good care of me, gave me everything I wanted. It's time for you to decide what it is you want. I'll see that you get it, too, son." Ward gives him a warm smile, that smile drops when Garrett turns back to scratching on the glass. Taylor notices this and nudges him.

"Lighten up a little, yeah." Taylor sent him a smile which he reciprocated and put his arm around her.

"I can do anything now." Garrett commented. This was gonna be a long day.

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Ward walks past the command centre speaking to Raina with Taylor walking beside him.

"I'm saying, just talk to him. He says everything's fine but he's not acting that way. I don't know what's going on with him and I don't like it." Mike is standing in the living room area of the plane, Ward and Raina walk close to him. Raina gives Ward a nod of her head and walks away. Mike and Ward stare at each other for a beat then Taylor drags Ward away.

"What is it with you too?" She asks, chuckling at his pettiness.

"He tried to kill me." He stated.

"Under Garrett's order. Besides, I wouldn't have let that happen." She eased him.

"You nearly did."

"Oh, come on, you could've lasted another 11 seconds without oxygen. I did the math." She told him, tapping his face a few times.

"Of course, you did." He rolled his eyes. They laughed together. Ward stops quite quickly. "I'm just worried about him, you know? I've never seen him like this."

"He'll be alright, Grant. He's a fighter." She tries to assure him, he just gives her a grateful smile before kissing her forehead and walking off, leaving her to her thoughts.

-----<>-----

They are now at one of the bases where Quinn is showing marine officers around. They enter hearing Quinn beg, as usual.

"Don't beg them, Quinn. You're not a Rottweiler." Garrett told him. Quinn gives him a confused look but backs away. "We don't need their scraps." Garrett stands in front of the Marine officer looking him over.

"Who the hell is this?" The general asked quite loudly in fact.

"This is our strategy consultant, John Garrett." Quinn introduced.

"I want full disclosure right now or our boys will come in and shut you down." The general threatens. While the marine general speaks to Quinn, Mike looks around at all the rest of them, which the Navy Officer takes note of. "Why do I hear gunfire?"

"You hear the dying breath of an old world, General, and a new world is coming." He walks in closer to the Marine General. "I've tasted it on my tongue." He looks at Garrett for a moment looking uneasy, then he looks at Quinn.

"This is your strategy consultant?" The general asks.

"He's...part time." Quinn covers.

"New strategy, you shut your mouth." Garrett orders. The Navy Officer stands straighter and slighted. "And give us everything we want." Ward is nervously looking around at the personnel.