Retrograde

Chapter eighteen: The ties that bind us

He didn't like doing this.

Contrary to what everyone believed about him.

Except Skye.

At least the way she thought of him now that is.

So the thought of her witnessing this side of him felt worse than being on the receiving end of a water boarding session.

He hoped Coulson was good on his word and kept her as far away from the monitors as possible.

Stepping into the interrogation room he felt cold, the familiar dread creeping up on him.

His eyes fell on Hughes and his mind unhelpfully supplied him with an image of Skye sitting in that same chair on the day they met, stubborn and idealistic.

He tried to push away the memories and disassociate from his feelings, something that was proving more difficult than usual.

After Ward hadn't blinked for a good while, nor had he said anything, Hughes gulped, eyes flitting back and forth between Ward and the table.

That was the good thing about interrogations. Most times, if you were lucky, you could rely on imagination doing all the work for you.

You don't say anything for a while and they sit there in their thoughts, worries growing with every silent second.

He hoped he could get away with no violence this time. He didn't want to feed into Coulson's opinions about him and prove him right: that he was a cold, unfeeling bastard whose only purpose was pain.

And maybe that was all he was good for. But he didn't want it to be.

He did a once over of the man, examining him. Tall, well built, hard set to his shoulders. Likely from a rough background where he wore pain as a badge of honour. He could hold up under torture.

Ward sighed in relief. He was pretty sure he could avoid the physical side of interrogations today.

This man was physically strong which- Ward would like to bet- meant that he had a weakness he tried to deflect from. A weakness he tried to protect.

He recalled the quick briefing Coulson had given him. Hughes' brother.

That was his angle.

"What do you want?" Hughes finally said and he was once again brought back to that first day with Skye.

"What we're you after?"

"The truth. What are you after?"

He pushed it all away, keeping his mask of indifference in place. Deflecting from his own weakness.

"Me?" Ward asked. He shook his head with an air of casualness "Nothing,"

Hughes didn't relax.

"Your brother on the other hand," he grimaced "He probably wants a lot of things. Medical attention is likely at the top of his list."

"My brother?" He asked, confused. Then confusion turned to anger "What the hell have you done to my brother?!" He yelled, trying to stand but collapsing back into the seat, the cuffs around his hands and ankles not giving him much room to do anything but hover.