001 > TEXT.

[hydraated]

[Ward's throat still feels like shit and a half, but he's managed to process the following. He's no longer in jail (that's a plus), he's got super powers (he's unsure if that's a plus or minus) but he arrived and avoided the network for a few days out of fear of breaking the damn thing. He's decided long since then that he can't let Skye intimidate him.

She's here. And she's been here for awhile. She has home team advantage.

The only problem is they have a record of him. This whole registering thing was crap - what was the point of being given a second chance if he really couldn't leave Grant Ward behind? For the first time he wants to.

So time to test the waters. He's been to the ceremony, he's been sworn in, he's had a dramatic reunion with the woman he'd thought he cared about.]

New arrival here. Roomba salesman and repairman. Anybody else get a completely shit job? I know nothing about Roomba's.

Assuming Roombas here are the vaccuum robots. Y/N?

Also feel like shooting myself in the foot here, but is there some kind of a "so now you have super abilities" support group? Any help or advice appreciated.

[Reading over it two or three times he nods, satisfied that it's not incriminating, that it's blaise enough that even if people decide to ask him questions he can think up enough to talk about without screwing up.

He'd been in worse situations.

His roommates might have noticed that his doorknob on the outside was significantly bent and someone has been closing doors in their apartment very, very quietly.]

Comments

text; private

[hackitude]

I'm not going to be coming into work for a couple days. I'll send you anything that needs doing from my laptop.

text; encrypted

[liverletdie]

Alright. You going to be okay? What happened?

encrypted forever ok ok

[hackitude]

Nope.

He was a member of my team, but he turned out to be a HYDRA sleeper agent. He's psychotic.

[liverletdie]

I see.

HYDRA, huh? Give me the low down, so I can keep an eye on him.

[hackitude]

What do you want to know?

[liverletdie]

Let's start with the basics. HYDRA sleeper agent? What did he do to you guys, and how psychotic is he?

[hackitude]

He was placed on our team to spy on us, essentially. Report all our movements so that HYDRA would always stay one step ahead of us. They made a lot of fuss about their leader being a clairvoyant, but it was a smokescreen. A distraction from the fact that we just had a mole.

He killed an innocent man... an old man, who was wheelchair bound... to protect his cover. In cold blood. He's killed... I don't know how many SHIELD agents. He staged a break-out of our top high-security prison, too. One of my teammates is also in a coma because of him. Fitz... you'd like him. He's our engineer. Total nerd genius, he can do... amazing things with tech. Youngest ever graduate from SHIELD science academy, along with Simmons, our bio-chemist. He's only like two years older than I am. Can't even throw a punch. He wasn't a threat.

[liverletdie]

Huh. Ruthless, then. That's dangerous. What are his skills, as you know them. Looks like he's trying to be an open book about his powers here.

Do you think it's a ploy?

[hackitude]

He's a pro at just about every type of combat imaginable. Hand-to-hand, fire-arms, swords, whatever-- you name it. They say he got the highest marks in combat at SHIELD Academy since Romanoff. He's a qualified sniper and certified pilot. He's also a bomb expert and can speak six languages. I know four of them are English, Russian, French and Italian, but I don't know the other two. His power here is super strength, because you know what else a man like that needs is super strength.

His weaknesses as I know them are technology and anger management. He can work a computer well enough like a normal person but nothing beyond that, and he's got a lot of Hulk rage bubbling under the surface. He normally kept it pretty well under wraps when I knew him, but... I guess things are different here.

As for your last question... I wish I could say I knew, but the fact of the matter is that I really don't. At all. Tony, the guy lied to me for... months and months. Almost a year. The Grant Ward I know... doesn't even exist. I have no idea who he is. To be perfectly honest? At this point, you know him about as well as I do. And you could probably make a better and less biased assessment, too.

[liverletdie]

So it's best to operate on a policy that he's likely going to do us in.

We need to be aware of everything he can do, but tech can be used against him, as can his temper.

Anything else you can advise? What was he trying to do for HYDRA?

[hackitude]

I don't think he's a true believer or anything, if that's what you're asking. He's just... he's just a lapdog. He just follows orders. And his orders were to report on us so that HYDRA could stay a step ahead. That's all. I think that's why he's spiraling out here. He's not used to being without command. I don't think he's had an original thought of his own in a decade.

[liverletdie]

So you think he's going to flounder, then? That might work to our advantage.

[hackitude]

Or it might make him more dangerous. People lash out when they're lost.

[liverletdie]

Maybe. But we're prepared for that, we already know how he operates, thanks to you.

[hackitude]

Yeah. Maybe.

... Anyway, thanks for having my back.

[liverletdie]

Of course, Skye. Don't worry about him, I think we can weather this.

[hackitude]

Thanks.

I'm thinking I might want to push forward those plans on putting together a team. You know. In a segue that's totally coincidental and not at all related.

[liverletdie]

Alright. You realize this can't be official, right? Then again, you work for SHIELD, you know how it works.

[hackitude]

... Why can't it be? The government here wants us to be heroes, right? They'd practically be thanking us. Being official means our words and actions would carry actual weight.

[liverletdie]

Because I run a business, not a Superhuman intervention directorate. At the moment.

We'll just be doing it Nick Fury dirty.

[hackitude]

You wouldn't have to run it. You could just be... a consultant.

[liverletdie]

What, you don't like being in deep cover?

I'd have to have a hand, and that hand can't be seen, you know? You can't even use my tech without...the right maneuvering.

[hackitude]

Hey. I did the job back home without your tech all the time.

[liverletdie]

Yes, but that's back home.

This is a whole different playing field.

[hackitude]

Siiighhh

Fine

We'll do it your way for now