John Garrett was the Director of SWORD and a newly promoted Hydra Head, sitting on the council. "You're my top guy," Garrett said, looking at Ward from across his desk. "Don't pussy out on me." Too much time with that self-righteous prig Rogers had addled Ward a little bit. He was losing sight of what strength was and how to get it if he wanted to go running after Rogers.

"I'm not pussying out," Ward said, rubbing his temple in his chair. "I just think that we need a man on Captain America. I'm the best one for the job."

"You don't gotta marry the guy to keep tabs on him," John said, taking a sip of whiskey. The privileges of rank were warm the whole way down. "I'm not saying you can't have a few beers with the guy. Probably best if you do. But I need you here, at my side, for what we're doing. Pierce is retiring soon. The Chief Head says he expects Thanos in the next three years." Learning that the chief head was younger than he was had been a trip, even technically his subordinate. But Trent was a genius, it made sense. Couldn't complain, especially not in light of all the work he had put in on fixing Garret's problems.

"You've got a three dozen other super soldiers, you can spare me."

"God, has he gotten to you? You starting to believe that flag out there gives a shit about you?"

Ward scowled and shook his head, "No, of course not."

"Because you're talking like somebody who's lost sight of the mission."

"What mission? Sitting in an office? Collecting trinkets? Dealing with five old ninjas while you did the important work here? You'd told me this would be the hardest thing I've ever done. I don't know what we're talking about at this point, it seems more like I'm a piece of the scenery."

"Damn, if I knew a little boredom would send you running off to find young co-eds, I'd have left you to rot."

Ward got agitated at that, standing up. "You taught me to go where I needed to go, do what I needed to do. Now you're trying to tell me the best use of my talents is to sell propaganda posters."

He was a pretty boy, so it certainly helped. "Even Captain America did his time on the propaganda mill. The Fireflies are the face of our New World Order. Unless you think you've got something better to do than forward Hydra's cause?" Frankly, Garrett didn't give a shit about Hydra's cause. But Trent was taking them on the upswing and had fixed his health issues, so he was good in Garrett's book. Besides it was way too late to sign on with some other horse.

"No, of course not," Ward said, gritting his teeth in a way that suggested he did indeed have better things to do.

"I'm not going to let your desire to fight your own personal Vietnam with chlamydia get in the way of Hydra's greater cause. The answer's no, you stick it out with SWORD." Could super soldiers get Chlamydia? Garrett had no idea. Didn't matter, it was a funny bit.

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"That'll damage Cap's trust in me," Ward said.

"Make up a good lie or don't, I don't give a shit. It's nice if we have someone looking over his shoulder and that file you slid him seems to have done its work beautifully, but I don't give a shit what happens to some civilian celebrity. We've got hundreds just as good as him." Garrett took another drink of whiskey and savored it.

"Sir, have you even read my reports?"

Garrett had gotten them out of the dusty old file where they'd been laying just for this meeting. He pulled open a drawer in his desk and slapped a thick file on top of the desk. "Steve Rogers is one of the most adept, capable members of our team." Garrett said, holding up one sheet of paper. "His dedication and clarity of purpose enable him to spend extended periods in the pursuit of personal excellence." He held up another one. "His real talents are most on display when he engages in strategic and tactical planning, where the only fault is that he sometimes gives more respect to his enemies than they deserve." He held up another one, "Although Steve Rogers has all the qualities that would make him an ideal candidate for Hydra, including a surprising lack of nationalism, his core beliefs are at odds with us and with our interests. Above all else, Steve Rogers believes in the good of other people and in the importance of human liberty to the individual and common good." Garrett mimed gagging at the sheer sentimentality of Rogers' world view. People were all out for themselves and they might wear this or that color, but it didn't matter - Deep down, they were all selfish animals, "I'm sorry, I just threw up a little in my mouth. Look, you wanna keep an eye on the guy, fine, I think that's helpful. But I'm not giving you permission to run off and abandon your post here. We need you."

Ward tightened his fists and Garrett thought for a moment he might have to re-teach the pup a few lessons about who was the master and who was the apprentice. But the moment passed and he relaxed his hands, "Of course, sir. I'll do whatever Hydra needs me to do."

"That's our world out there," Garrett said, gesturing with his shot glass hand to the window of his office and enjoyed the view for a moment. "It just doesn't know it yet. Don't let Rogers get between you and that."

"Yes sir," Ward said.

Garrett stood up, "Now that that's settled, I have some secure information that comes straight from the top I want to share with my right hand man."

"What's that?"

"Word is, Trent found a supply of vibranium in space."