Saving Grant Ward

Chapter Nine

Paperwork was what came next, I was devastated to learn. Ward had me fill out my report on the flight, and absolutely refused to discuss any of it with me. The protocol, apparently, was that we each filled out our own in order to create the most complete and accurate picture of what had happened on the mission.

Despite all that, we did talk long enough to agree on leaving the starfish adventure out.

I spent most of the rest of the flight trying to give good details on everything that had happened over the past two days. I gave it one last glance for typos just as Ward brought us in for landing at the Hub.

Perfect timing, since I'd only been in the Hub's parking garage once, four years ago, and I wanted to take in a lot more than that on this trip.

I leaned forward, putting my report to one side and staring intently out the window. The Hub looked absolutely massive from here, with people buzzing around on every level and Quinjets flying in and out in a well-coordinated dance. I grinned, trying to take it all in.

This, out of everything we'd seen and done so far, felt the most like I was in a spy novel.

I heard Ward sigh, probably at my antics, but it just made me smile wider.

We swept through wide bay doors, then touched gently down in a hanger. Even more agents bustled around through here, and as I followed Ward down the ramp and out of the Quinjet, we found two of them in dark suits waiting for us.

I glanced at Ward, but he seemed perfectly calm. I stood a little taller and tried to project the same energy and confidence.

"Agent Ward. Agent Slater. Welcome back," said the one on the left. Ward just nodded in response, then held out the box we'd secured the blue orb in.

"Here's the 084 we recovered," he said, and the agent who hadn't spoken took it. "It went dormant when we grabbed it, but before that, it shut down any tech that got near it."

The agent with the box nodded at us, and the one who'd said hello gave us a tight smile.

"Thanks. Good work."

With that, almost in sync, they turned on their heels and strode away. I stared after them, honestly a little bit shocked, then turned back to Ward when I finally found my voice again.

"That's it?" I demanded. Ward turned to me slowly and raised an eyebrow.

"What's it?"

"That! We hike through a jungle in Costa Rica, fight somebody who was hiding out waiting for... something, if not us, and find this crazy blue glowing orb and... all we get is a 'great, thanks, see you later'? No other follow up at all?"

Ward stared at me like what I'd just said was unreasonable, rather than the other way around.

"We're Specialists. We go into the situation no one else can handle, deal with it, then leave cleanup and research to other people."

I sighed. "Alright, fine. So, then... what do we do now? Hub tour?"

I didn't bother to hide my hope that "Hub tour" was the answer, although Ward just put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"Not quite. I still need to write my report, and you need to move in to whatever SHIELD housing you were assigned, since you didn't have time after graduation. Then we'll see where we're needed next."

That last sentence brought a smile to my face again.

"...Sounds good to me."

I caught a flicker of a smile on Ward's face, even as he cleared his throat and turned away.