I'm Grant Ward

Chapter 120: No Return

Coulson was visibly irritated as he marched down the hallway toward Victoria Hand's office. He had barely absorbed the news that Ward and Fitz were on a no-extraction mission. The thought of sending two agents without an evacuation plan went against his principles.

As he entered the office, Victoria Hand was calm, reviewing reports. Coulson bluntly began,

"Why wasn't I informed that this mission would be no-extraction?" He barely concealed the anger in his voice.

Victoria looked up from her papers, her expression emotionless.

"Because it could compromise Fitz's performance," she replied neutrally.

"They have a right to know what they're signing up for!" Coulson snapped, approaching the desk. "Ward and Fitz can't be left in the dark about something like this."

Hand kept his gaze fixed.

"Agents know that some missions involve unforeseen risks. Fitz is a technician, not a soldier." If he knew there wouldn't be an extraction, he might panic and fail. And as for Ward..." she paused, "he's been trained for this kind of situation. He'll adapt."

Coulson shook his head in frustration.

"It's not just about adaptation, Hand. It's about trust. How do you expect these agents to trust us when we can't even guarantee they'll make it out alive?"

Victoria kept her cool expression. "

Trust, Coulson, is believing that even without all the answers, your superiors know what they're doing."

Coulson hesitated for a second, realizing Hand's argument was calculated, but still, he couldn't accept this approach.

"I just hope you're right," he said before leaving the office.

Meanwhile, in the cold Caucasus Mountains, Ward and Fitz made their way carefully through the shadows of the factory. The environment was filled with armed sentries. With every step, Ward kept his attention on every detail, eliminating guards with deadly precision. Fitz, on the other hand, was nervous, but he managed to keep his cool, trusting Ward. They approached the heart of the operation: the room where the Overkill weapon was being stored. The device was protected by a complex security system.

"Fitz, I need final instructions. How do we disable this?" Ward asked in a whisper.

Fitz quickly began working on his tablet, analyzing the data he had collected along the way.

"I need to connect to the main system and overload the circuits. This should shut everything down, but it will take a few minutes," Fitz explained, without taking his eyes off the screen.

Ward looked down the hallways. He knew they didn't have much time. He approached Fitz.

"You're going to disable this weapon, and then you need to get out of here. This mission has no extraction, Fitz."

Fitz paused for a second, processing what Ward had said.

"What? You're saying..." He looked directly at Ward, incredulous.

Ward nodded.

"Yes, there is no exit planned. We'll disable the weapon, but you need to leave now."

Fitz shook his head vehemently.

"No. If you stay, I'll stay. This mission needs me until the end."

Ward took a deep breath. He knew there was no point in arguing. Fitz could be stubborn when he wanted to be.

"Okay, but once you shut this thing down, we're going to have to improvise. Stay close to me," Ward said finally.

Fitz began connecting the cables and hacking into the factory's system. The tension in the air was palpable. The noise of the guards patrolling the corridors made the task even more agonizing. After a few minutes, Fitz had what he needed. He pressed the last command on the tablet.

"There. The weapon is disabled," Fitz said, with a sigh of relief. But before they could react, the factory alarm went off. The high-pitched sound echoed throughout the complex. Ward quickly raised his weapon.

"Come on. Now!"

The factory corridors turned into chaos. Guards began running toward the weapons room, while Ward and Fitz tried to find an alternate exit. Ward, with his tactical expertise, led the way, taking down anyone who got close. Fitz, though untrained in combat, did his best to keep up with Ward's frantic pace.

They reached a loading area at the back of the factory, where a few crates and vehicles were parked. Ward began to put together an escape plan.

"Fitz, we need a distraction. See if you can hack the alarm system and redirect the guards to another side of the factory."

Fitz nodded and began working quickly, tablet in hand.

"I did it!" he said a few minutes later.

The alarm was redirected, and the guards began moving to another area.

"Now's our chance," Ward said, moving toward a nearby vehicle.

They climbed into a cargo truck and sped toward the exit, while the guards ran in the opposite direction. As the truck made its way down the winding road to the mountains, Ward looked at Fitz.

"Good job in there, Fitz. But next time, when I tell you to leave, you will, got it?" Fitz gave a nervous chuckle.

"Maybe, but... thanks for not leaving me behind." Ward gave a rare smile.

"We always have to look out for each other, Fitz."

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