You know, it’s funny. I somehow always get caught off guard when someone says Ward is a high school dropout. I think that’s because generally when I think of “high school dropout” I think of someone’s education stopping there and Ward went on to graduate from SHIELD Academy. But you’re right, he is, at least as far as we know. I imagine Garrett faked a diploma or GED for him to apply and get into the Academy. (I wonder about a lot of how that worked, honestly. How much Garrett had to cover up and fake in order to make Ward’s application pass muster and be accepted by SHIELD.) It makes me wonder a bit if Ward ever did actually pass a GED exam or finished his courses by correspondence or something. I could see that happening, either because Garrett wanted/needed him to, or because he just wanted to do it himself.
Anyway, long tangent, back to your point.
They really have, haven’t they? It’s just one more instance of how they are two sides of the same coin. That even though different things shaped them, they ended up with very similar holes. They dropped out for different reasons, but you could say ultimately, it was the same reason. Neither had a family who was looking out for them and keeping them tied anywhere. They both left to find a new purpose in life, to discover who they really were, and make something of themselves on their own, without the trappings of their previous lives.
They both ended up finding someone to mentor them and teach them. That person’s world view undoubtedly influenced their own, even though they still thought for themselves and had their own opinions. They were both working towards a larger goal that they felt would serve the world (this is slightly debatable with Ward, just depends on what part of his journey you want to focus on). They both ended up at SHIELD, after getting caught doing something illegal, and had ulterior motives for joining. But they also both found a home in the organization that they hadn’t expected. They found people they cared about and it wasn’t easy when they betrayed them.
Their time at SHIELD has changed the trajectory of their lives, for sure. Their core character is still the same, but the way they interact with the world has changed. Skye, as an Inhuman and a SHIELD agent, still works in the shadows (like when she was with the Rising Tide), but rather than getting out information to the masses from a computer, she interacts with people much more – whether that be fighting, gathering intel, helping guide new Inhumans, etc. Ward was not likely to join SHIELD as the privileged son of a powerful political family. Then you add in him being an abused, angry kid who acted out and ended up in juvie for arson and attempted murder. That doesn’t scream SHIELD either. Yet now, that’s how he sees the world and himself within it – as a spy. His loyalties may be flexible (organization wise, it rarely shifts from individuals), but the skills he has, that he uses, and how he makes his way in the world remains very similar.
But for high school dropouts to become high level government agents, superheroes, leaders of paramilitary organizations, etc, that is damn impressive. Neither of them dropped out because they couldn’t handle high school – they’re both very intelligent and have a great work ethic when they see the value in what they’re being asked to do. They just saw other ways for them to find better lives, and faster, than staying in high school.
(Sorry, couldn’t help but use the Mushu gif. It was just too funny.)
Oh, MAN, I just came up with another AOS AU that I may have to write. It would be a season 3 AU, where Ward has his Hydra team growing.
Coulson sends Skye in undercover.
There is SO much potential here! After everything that happens with the Afterlife, Skye would have a perfectly plausible reason for turning on SHIELD. And it would be so much fun to reverse their roles – Skye the one “living the lie” while Grant is struggling to find his place in the world. But he would also be really hesitant to really trust her, keeping her at arm’s length while on a tight leash, just in case. And of course it would get dragged out when SHIELD realizes there’s a much bigger fish to catch than Grant.
I swore I wasn’t going to start any new stories till I finished some of what’s already going. But this one is really persistent. Okay. I’ll push to finish Truce and at least update one other before I let myself run with this one.
gifset aesthetic = skye and grant ward ♡ i don’t want to ruin the moment. but i’m gonna have to respond with… g4. say it, ward. say it. you sank my battleship. (happy birthday, @tryingtxmes!)
POC of TVD 