After Coulson called in a distress call at Price's apartment, Mack is a driving the truck with myself in the passenger seat as we pull around to Price's apartment building alley way, and we see someone firing at Coulson from behind a dumpster, and Coulson hides behind a wall for cover with blood on his hands and shirt.

"Don't panic, just drive." I tell Mac as I place my left hand on the dashboard and turn us and the truck invisible as I take my gun out of my right holster with my right hand "Brake." I tell him as we pull up beside Coulson, and I turn truck invisible as I put a force-field around the truck and Coulson.

I then open the passenger car door and stand and hold the car door with my left hand before I fire at the man behind the dumpster, only allowing my bullets to pass through the force-field.

"Get in!" I shout for Coulson, and he runs over to the truck as I fire at the man behind the dumpster, and I manage to hit him. Coulson then manages to open and climb into the back seats of the truck before he slams the door closed "Drive!" I tell Mack, and Mack takes off as we pass the fire exit, and a man comes down the stairs, but I fire at him in the chest before I climb back into the truck.

I then place my left hand on the dashboard and turn to truck invisible as we drive down the alley way. Mack then turns to drive onto the main road, and I turn the truck un-invisible, and I remember the blood on Coulson's hands and shirt.

"Price's status?" I ask Coulson as I place my gun back into my holster.

"... Deceased." Coulson states.

"... The Killer?" I ask Coulson.

"... Grant Ward." Coulson states.

After arriving at The Playground, Coulson has barely said a word and as we walk inside, all of the agents look at Coulson confused, and as we pass Lincoln, a d I shake my head, no, lightly at him before myself and Mack follow Coulson into the lounge where May, Skye, Hunter and Morse are, and we all watch Coulson walk up to his office.

"Coulson said anything once you got him out of there?" Morse asks us, and I turn to May and Skye.

"Get the interrogation room ready... And get the original team lined up." I tell them before there is loud banging noises from upstairs, and I shortly leave the lounge with a light sigh. Just then, my cellphone vibrates in my back right trouser pocket with my right hand and see that I have a text message from an unknown number.

--- 44.4268° N, 26.1025° E- Unknown Number ---

After being the last person from the original team to the interrogation room, I now sit across from Coulson behind a table as he looks at me intensely motionless.

"When you two were sleeping together, did he ever confess any personal details?" Coulson asks me.

"We didn't do much talking." I admit before slowly continuing "Ward appealed because he was damaged." I admit.

"Did he ever open up about what had hurt him?" Coulson asks me.

"Like I said, not much talking. But whatever it was seemed to drive him. Made him desperate for others to think of him as some kind of hero." I explain as I think of the other original members of the team.

"I've heard all about how Ward fell for you. Now explain to me how you fell for him." Coulson says to me.

"I didn't fall for him, it was far from that. But as much as I hate to admit it... There was a connection. Stronger than any other relationship that I had similar with Ward." I admit to him.

"Connection?" Coulson asks me confused.

"We both had these messed-up childhoods, mine more than less... Made it easy to relate." I explain.

"Have you considered that all of that might've been an act to get close, that maybe he found a weakness and exploited it?" Coulson asks me.

"It wasn't an act." I assure him "For whatever reason, Ward never lied to me. He just hid parts of himself that he thought I wasn't ready to see yet." I explain to him.

"'Yet'?" Coulson asks me confused.

"When you grew up like we did, it impacts how you see the world. Everything is filtered through a very specific lens. And Ward got that. That's why he thought he could make me understand him. " I explain as I glance down at the table in anger.

"Was he right?" Coulson asks me.

"... Probably." I hesitate to answer "After what me and Skye went through and then years of moving from place to place, I totally get how easy it was for him to be taken in by a powerful father figure. I even understand how Garrett was able to draw him into H.Y.D.R.A." I admit.

"Sounds like there's a lot you're willing to forgive." Coulson says to me, and I look at him incredulously.

"I want you to think over what you just said, and then remind yourself of everything that he has done to us, all of us." I look him dead in the eye before inhaling a deep, heavy breath "Let's say Skye sees you as a father figure, and she does. That's one of the things that had drawn Skye into joining S.H.I.E.L.D., same goes for me. We both saw the family we thought we would never have." I explain to him.

"... When you were in Washington, as you know Ward killed many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were so close to outing him, although he had every chance to go to Garrett. He was waiting for you to come back." Coulson explains to me.

"And the sad part is, that's when I finally understood him for the first time. The reason Ward kills isn't because he feels nothing. It's because he feels too much." I explain to him "Wards defining moment. Ward said he was forced to stand up and protect him and his little brother from his older brother. I don't think Ward only killed his parents and older brother for revenge." I say to Coulson hoping he will catch on, and by the look on his face I know he already has.

"To protect his little brother." Coulson states.

"Thomas Ward." I state before I look over Coulson's face to know he already has a full plan mapped out in his head "What's the plan?" I ask him.

"To take Ward out, I need to cross some lines the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. shouldn't cross." Coulson admits to me as he stands up.

"I didn't exactly say yes to S.H.I.E.L.D., remember?" I remind him as I also stand up.

"For forty-eight hours, I need you to be." Coulson states, and I look at him confused as he takes his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge off of his belt with his right hand, and he holds it out to me and I hesitantly take it with my right hand before reading the large, fine print... 'Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

"You want me to fill in?" I ask him confused.

"As acting director until it's finished." Coulson states.

"Why not put May in charge?" I ask him confused.

"After everything that's happened with Andrew, she's not ready to lead. A year and a half ago you had the chance to put a bullet in Ward's head after everything he did, but you didn't. Your the one of the only people I know with that kind of control." Coulson explains to me "This isn't a request. It's an order, deputy Director." He orders me.

"... Yes, sir." I show him a small smile.

Just before Coulson, Hunter and Morse left to find Thomas, he had ordered Fitz, Simmons, Banks and a team to interrogate the Distant Star Facility that is linked to H.Y.D.R.A. and Will Daniels, and I have just sent out a team for back up when they have just informed me that Fitz and Simmons are nowhere to be seen at the Facility and Banks and the team were killed as I stand in my office. H.Y.D.R.A.. I then go around the my desk and pick up a com from my landline with my right hand as Skye and Mack enter my office.

"H.Y.D.R.A.'s taken Fitz and Simmons." I inform them as I place my com into my right ear.

"How is that possible?" Skye asks me confused.

"There was an ambush at the Distant Star Facility." I tell them.

"What about Banks and the others?" Mack asks me for an update on them.

"They didn't make it." I state.

"We got to get on Zephyr One and get there." Skye and Mack go to leave, but I interrupt them.

"We can't interfere." I say to her.

"They took Fitz and Simmons." Skye says to me incredulously.

"I know that, but H.Y.D.R.A.'s long gone by now, and we can't waste every resource we have chasing our own damn tail." I explain to her.

"It's better than doing nothing." Mack says to me.

"Then we go back to plan A." I press 'COM 2' on my landline before putting it on loud speaker with my right index finger.

"Plan A?" Skye asks me confused.

"Director?" Coulson asks me.

"Sir, we have a situation. Fitz and Simmons have been kidnapped." I inform him.

"What? By who?" Coulson asks me confused.

"H.Y.D.R.A, by the looks of it." I state.

"Seems they knew we were coming." Coulson says to me.

"That's why Ward mentioned the portal. He wanted us to go there." I say to him.

"Does this mean we go to plan B?" Skye asks us.

"No. It means plan A better work." Coulson says to us.

"Sir, keep me on the line." I turn loud speaker off on the landline with my right index finger.

"Get everyone down to loading dock, including Lincoln and Gutierrez. Suit up." I tell Skye and Mack.

"Yes, ma'am." Skye tells me before they both leave.

After Coulson, Hunter and Morse found Thomas, Coulson calls Ward cellphone from Price's cellphone, and I await from him to answer as it rings and I stand in front of my desk.

"Wasn't expecting a call from a dead woman's phone." Ward says over the other line.

"Says the dead man walking." I state, and I hear a stifled laugh.

"Lyra Johnson... It's been a while." Ward says to me.

"Well, what can I say? Your a hard one to kill." I say to him.

"Cut one head off..." Ward trails off "We're not that different, you and me. It's not like we operate in different worlds, Lyra. We both got blood on our hands." He explains to me.

"Big difference is, I've never hurt anyone for selfish reasons. That is, until now." I state.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ward asks me confused.

"There's someone here who'd like to say hello. Take a look..." I trail off as I wait for Coulson to send a picture of Thomas to Ward.

"I got two of yours, so you take one of mine..? You won't kill him." Ward says to me.

"Oh, my apologies..." I trail off with a light chuckle "... Unfortunately, I'm not there." I smile.

"Coulson." Ward states.

"And a couple of other people you pissed off. Oh, I'm sorry, did you think because I called you willingly that this wasn't a threat call? Think again, Rookie." I add.

"If you lay a finger on Thomas-" Ward tries to say, but Coulson hangs up the cellphone.

"Hanging up? You sure that was the right play, boss?" Hunter asks Coulson as I listen over coms.

"I need Ward to know that we've got the upper hand. Plus... It'll really piss him off." Coulson explains.

"Please don't kill me." Thomas speaks.

"Nobody wants that." Morse assures him.

"That's not very reassuring when he's got a gun to your head." Thomas points out.

"Hate to break it to you, but your brother isn't a very nice guy." Hunter admits to him.

"You're the one who just kidnapped me. What's wrong with you people?" Thomas asks them.

"Ward hurt a lot of someone's I care about." I speak up over the Quinjet's tanoid.

"What was that?" Thomas asks confused.

"Sorry for the surprise. Lyra Johnson from back at H.Q." I introduce myself.

"Alright..." Thomas trails off nervously.

"Thomas as far as we can tell, you're the only thing left in this world that he cares about, which means you're the only way we can draw him out." I explain to him.

"Okay... But you better finish him off when you do." Thomas states.

"Honestly wasn't expecting that." Hunter admits.

"It's what Grant's always done... Hurt people and lie to himself about it." Thomas explains.

"So all that talk about a traumatic childhood is just rubbish, then?" Hunter asks him.

"I'm sure whatever he told you about our parents is true. See, my dad, he had some real anger issues, and my mom... Well, she had dad issues, so they spent most of their time taking those issues out on us." Thomas explains.

"What about your brothers? Were you close?" I ask him.

"Christian was a lot older, so we never really hung out much, but Grant... He was my best friend. Protected me from mom and dad, from Christian... And one day, he didn't." Thomas continues to explains.

"The day he pushed you down the well." I state.

"Grant totally changed after that. It was like he felt guilty but couldn't admit what had really happened. Instead, he kept promising never to let anyone hurt me again." Thomas continues to explain.

"Slightly unnerving coming from the guy who just chucked you down a well." Hunter points out.

"You two keep in touch? Family reunions, holidays, that sort of thing?" I ask him.

"Grant was 17 when he burned my parents' house down, with Christian inside. Ever since, I've made sure to give him a pretty wide berth." Thomas explains.

"Pretty sound logic, actually." Hunter comments.

"Well, you don't really seem like your brother." I admit.

"Just 'cause you grow up in a family of abusive monsters doesn't mean you have to become one. I didn't. Please, don't hand me over to Grant." Thomas pleads.

"Sorry, mate. Giving you up is the only way to draw him out." Hunter apologises.

"Maybe not. During the call, I put a trace on Ward's phone. Now we just have to keep him on long enough to get an exact location." Morse explains.

"Ward will never let that happen." Coulson states surely.

"He will if I'm on the other end. Let me talk to him." Thomas says to us.

"Not a good idea, even if he does-" Hunter cuts himself off as Prices cellphone begins to ring "-Call back. Still not a good idea." He finishes before the cellphone I answered.

"I swear I'll cut Fitz from head to toe if-" Ward tries to say, but Thomas cuts him off.

"-Grant?" Thomas asks him.

"Thomas..." Ward trails off softly "... You okay?" He asks him.

"Is everything they're saying true?" Thomas asks him.

"Don't listen to them. They're the bad guys. They killed someone I love very much." Ward explains.

"Then why is this happening?" Thomas asks him in fake confusement.

"They know how much I care about you. They want to hurt me." Ward states.

"It's been almost 15 years." Thomas states.

"I tried to see you. Mom and dad made that impossible. They kept you hidden." Ward explains.

"That wasn't mom and dad. That was me. I changed my name and moved so you'd never find me." Thomas explains.

"Why would you do that?" Ward asks him confused.

"'Cause I didn't want to let you hurt me again." Thomas states.

"That was one time." Ward says to him.

"Really? One time? Then explain what the hell you did to mom and dad." Thomas demands an explanation.

"Thomas-" Ward tries to say, but Thomas cuts him off.

"-No, you killed them. And Christian, too." Thomas states.

"You know what type of people they were. They hurt us both. I couldn't let that happen again." Ward says to him.

"Dad needed a walker to get around. Who was he gonna hurt?" Thomas asks Ward incredulously.

"I know this is tough to hear, but sometimes, you got to do a bad thing for the right reasons." Ward admits.

"Stop trying to justify what you did. Just stop. They were my parents, too. And yeah, they were horrible people, but you are so much worse. You set them on fire." Thomas explains angrily.

"Thomas, calm down. Listen to me for a second." Ward says as Morse sends me the location of Ward to the wall computer in my office.

"Time's up." I tells Ward.

"Put Thomas back on the phone." Ward tells me.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." I smirk.

"... You traced the call." Ward realises.

"And now I'm coming to put you down." Coulson tells him before he hangs up the call.

"Trace puts Ward in the Southwest of England." Hunter states.

"They're at the castle where we brought Simmons back." I state.

"Which would explain why he kidnapped her and Fitz." Hunter states.

"'Cause Malick's trying to open another portal." Coulson states.

"Best get there before that happens, then. Director, await further instructions." Coulson gives me my orders, but who's in charge?

"Yes, sir." I state.

"I spent my life staying off Grant's radar. How am I supposed to stay safe now?" Thomas asks us.

"I'm going to assign a security detail to keep an eye on you. We'll be in touch." I assure him.

After Skye and Mack gathered everyone in the loading dock, Skye meets up with me whilst we head down the loading dock and I have just informed her I'm putting Lincoln and Gutierrez into the field.

"Are you sure about this? They haven't even been cleared for field duty." Skye says to me.

"Well I just did." I state as we approach the loading dock, and May, Mack, Lincoln, Gutierrez and about a hundred of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents we have all turn to look at me "Listen up!" I call "H.Y.D.R.A. has Fitz and Simmons, and they're planning to open another portal! Which is why we're going to stop them." I tell everyone.