Saving Grant Ward

Chapter Four

The next morning (at 6am sharp), I was standing in the main hall waiting to meet my guide. I had just woken up twenty minutes ago, thrown on my SHIELD uniform and put my hair in a ponytail before stumbling down to the main hall. The uniforms meant I didn't have to worry about picking out an outfit, which meant I got a little more sleep, but I was still exhausted. I felt like some kind of sleep deprived zombie as I tried to stay standing.

After waiting for another few minutes (apparently guides weren't expected to be here at 6am sharp), Grant Ward, the agent I'd run into yesterday, walked in.

You have got to be kidding me, I thought. Maybe I'd get lucky and he was just here for some meeting or something. This was the main hall, after all.

No such luck. He walked straight up to me.

"Samantha Slater?" he asked, like we hadn't just met yesterday.

"Yeah and Grant Ward?"

"Yes." He paused, going through his papers without looking at me. I felt confident he was doing it as a dramatic pause. "Have you memorized your map yet?"

"Yup." I grinned broadly, feeling proud at the surprised look on his face. It was only there for a second, but it was there.

"Well, you might be ahead of a few others, but it won't last past today. You're going to shadow me for the next week and then you'll officially be a student in the hardest SHIELD academy, Operations."

"Sounds good," I replied with a smile. Although Agent Ward seemed a little rough around the edges, I wanted to make friends with him. After all, I was going to be spending the next week with him. If we couldn't have friendly conversations it would just be awkward.

"Follow me," he ordered and began walking out of the main hall.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Training."

"What kind of training?"

"Physical training."

"Like running or lifting or what?"

"Running."

"How far?"

"Five miles."

"Five miles? Are you kidding me!"

"Look," started Ward, stopping and turning to face me. "Five miles is nothing. I normally go on fifteen mile runs to start my day because when you're running for your life? Endurance matters. And you're supposed to be shadowing me. Shadows can't talk."

"Woah, sorry for trying to be friendly."

"Specialists aren't supposed to be friendly. We get in, get the job done, and get out."

"Well then Mr. Lone Wolf, it's a good thing you got paired with me. Just because you're a specialist in your job doesn't mean you have to live your life that way. Friends make everything funner."

"Funner is not a word," he said, sparing a last glance at me before going back to his speed walking. I noticed he had hesitated before responding, if only briefly, and it gave me hope that this guy was not unbreakable. Besides, you know you've won an argument when the only thing the other person can do is criticize your grammar.

SHIELD uniforms consisted of black cargo pants, a short sleeved t-shirt with a SHIELD logo, and combat boots. That didn't seem like running clothes to me, but whenever I tried to catch up to Ward to ask him about it, he walked faster.