INT. MIRA'S LAB – Night
BUCKY (serious, surveying the room)
This is a hell of lot of confusion.
(beat)
Okay. Who can we trust?
MIRA
Gravik is planning to take over the world not with armies, but with chaos. He wants war. Nation against nation.Avenger against Avenger. Until no one knows who they're fighting anymore.
Everyone falls silent. The Quinjet's engine hum fills the tension. Then
SAM (to Mira, serious)
You got proof?
MIRA (nods slowly)
Yes. And if we don't act now, he'll make sure no one survives to see thetruth.
Everyone stands awkwardly amidst broken glass, smoke.
MIRA (coldly, stepping forward)
With my inventions and tech... Gravikcan do a lot more than you think.
SAM (crosses arms, dryly sarcastic)
Well, great. Loved that the villain got an upgrade package.
Mira's eyes narrow. G'iah gives Sam a quick, stern nod a subtle but sharp gesture, silently warning him to back off.
HILL (under her breath, frustrated)
In a situation like this... Fury was the one we needed most. But he didn't even leave a damn signal. No way toreach him.
TALOS (quietly but firmly)
I can.
Everyone looks at Talos. Silence.
SHARON (bitterly)
He gave you a way to reach him? But not us?
Mira steps in between the group.
MIRA
We don't have time to argue about who Fury trusted more. And no there's no time to unpack the horror of what I gave Gravik. We're already behind.
BUCKY (firmly)
We move as a team. If there's a shot at stopping this
MIRA (cuts him off, voice icy)
This isn't your mission. It's mine.
Before anyone can respond, Mira slowly lifts her hand.
A dim orange glow flickers in the front wall steady, controlled.
The familiar shape of a sling ring around her fingers.
With a small, deliberate motion, she draws a circle through the air.
A spark portal begins to open, embers tracing theedges.The warmth brushes over the broken glass around them.
Shadows shift. No one says a word.
Without another word, Mira steps through. The portal snaps shut. Silence.
SAM (eyes widen)
Wait hold on
YELENA (dizzy, blinking)
"Oh great. Now Skrulls do magic too. What's next?
SAM (stunned)
Did she just Doctor Strange her way out of here?!
YELENA to SAM - I won't be surprised to see them in dungeons and dragons suit...
GIAH (softly, almost to herself)
She's going to Fury. In Space, the SWORDS
SHARON (sighs)
God, this is a mess.
BUCKY (looking at the equipment, armsfolded, jaw tight)
We no idea how that Skrull techworks, do we?
He turns to G'iah.
BUCKY
You were with them.
(beat)
Do you know anything... anything that can help?
G'IAH (nods slowly, stepping forward)
Yeah. Mira kept most of her active research notes in the level above.Encryption heavy, but if someone can get through it...
BUCKY (nods to Sharon)
Sharon. You go. Dig into everything. I want to know exactly what they're doing to our people.
SHARON (tight, focused) - On it. G'iah pulls a small, alien looking earpiece from her pocket smooth, chromatic.
G'IAH
I still have one of Mira's comms. She'll be in contact with me... directly.
Bucky watches her for a beat. His eyes land on the surrounding monitors blank screens, waiting to speak.
BUCKY (quietly)
There's a hell of a lot of monitors in here...
(louder, to the room)
Can someone show me what Gravik did?
The footage.
The broadcast where he made the worldturn on the Avengers.
One of the Skrull officers lean, steps forward.
SKRULL OFFICER
I'll bring it up... Give me a moment.
As the officer begins interfacing with the console, flickers of static and broken sound fill the air. The room dims, lights shifting slightly cooler.
In the corner, Yelena stirs. Still seated, still pale but her breathing is steadier. The fog in her eyes begins to lift. She closes them tight, opens them again. Her fingers flex against the table muscle memory returning.
Maria notices.
HILL (gently)
She's coming back.
Bucky looks over.
BUCKY (under breath)
Good. We're going to need every fighter we've got.
Her gaze is steady but behind her eyes.
SAM (taking a cautious step forward, voice steady)
Alright...
(pauses)
Who exactly are you, Yelena?
Yelena's eyes narrow. Her fingers tighten around the edge of the coat. For a moment, it looks like she won't answer.
HILL (stepping in, arms crossed, voice low) She's a former Red Room assassin.
Same training program that created Natasha Romanoff.
Same methods. Same brutality.
Yelena doesn't flinch at Maria's words.
She slowly looks around the room. Her eyes land on Sam, then Bucky then linger briefly on G'iah.
YELENA
I don't know what your mission is...
But if it involves stopping the bastard who put me in that pod
(cold)
I'm in.
Maria watches Yelena closely, her face unreadable. Maybe a flicker of empathy.
HILL (to herself)
Another ghost... pulled back into thefire.
Yelena looks.
YELENA (deadpan)
I never left the fire.
G'IAH (urgent, focused)
She's in.
(beat)
She says... there's chaos.Something's wrong up there.
Everyone in the room tenses. Bucky straightens. Sam steps closer. Yelena, still seated, leans forward slightly, her muscles tightening instinctively.
G'IAH (voice dropping, intense)
She's near a sealed room. She says... Skrulls.
They're being kept there. Hostages.
(beat, swallowing hard)
She's hearing a voice.
G'iah closes her eyes for a second, focusing on Mira's audio
G'IAH (quiet, barely above a whisper)
It's... it's Nick Fury.
A deep silence grips the room. Sam exhales sharply. Bucky straightens. Talos' breath catches.
SAM (soft, cautious)
Wait... Fury?
The others turn toward G'iah, whose body has gone rigid, one hand clutching the earpiece tighter to her head. Her brow furrows, lips slightly parted.
HILL (stepping forward, eyes suddenly glassy)
Nick? Are you sure? You heard him?
G'IAH
(slow nod)
His voice... just now. Not a recording,live. He's out there. And he sounded tired. Agitated.
BUCKY (closer, voice low)
Agitated how? Like... injured?
G'IAH
No. Just... like he didn't want to be heard. Almost like he was whispering, talking to someone or himself. I caught just enough to know it was him.
TALOS (staring into the distance)
I thought he disappeared for good... again. After SWORD, he vanished like aghost. But if he's speaking...
HILL
He does that. Leaves. Hides. But if he's back now why hasn't he come tous?
SAM
Maybe he doesn't know who to trustanymore.
BUCKY (gruff)
Can you blame him?
A beat
G'IAH (whispering)
It didn't sound like a man givingorders... it sounded like someone watching something. Mourning. Planning.
HILL (struggling with emotion)
If he's watching... then maybe he's already one step ahead. Maybe he'sseen what we haven't yet.
TALOS (quietly)
Or maybe he's alone out there. Trying to decide whether we're part ofthe solution... or part of the problem.
BUCKY (murmurs) We're part of whatever ending he's already seen coming.
G'IAH (shouting now)
Wait what?
Mira? Mira, can you hear me?
No response. Static hums in her earpiece.
SAM (urgently)
What just happened?
G'iah turns, her face pale, jaw clenched tight.
G'IAH
The signal cut out.
SAM (firm, to G'iah)
Get her back. Now.
G'IAH (nodding quickly, fingers flyingacross the controls)
I'm trying... I'm trying...
The room is filled with a low hum, the sound of computers working, people breathing harder.
Flickering lights. G'IAH is hunched over a console, sweat lining her brow. Her fingers fly across the keys, eyes darting between collapsing code and broken signal waves.
G'IAH (muttering)
Come on... come on... where the hell are you?
Suddenly, a distorted voice crackles through.
NICK FURY (V.O.) (garbled) Mira... they're already insi
The signal collapses.
G'IAH (fists the table)
Damn it!
TALOS steps closer, urgency in his voice.
TALOS
You heard him?
G'IAH
Yeah. For a second. He sounded closetoo close.
Suddenly, SHARON CARTER rushes in. She's flushed, breathing heavily, eyes wide with dread.
SHARON (panicked)
We don't have time. I just accessed some encrypted files Mira's tech, it's way beyond what we thought. It doesn't just replicate...
BUCKY (low)
Sharon. What did you see?
SHARON
It's already active. I was going to tell you
(she glances up)
It's
A DEAFENING EXPLOSION.
The walls quake. A burst of light floods the room. Sirens and alerts scream.
They all hit the ground.
BUCKY
What the hell was that?!
G'IAH (already running)
Outside. NOW!
EXT. LAB – NIGHT
The group bursts out the door. The night sky is a terrifying shade of orange red. The air hums with unnatural heat.
Above them trails of fire tear through the sky. Massive shapes burning, breaking apart descending.
One slams into a distant forest. The earth shakes. A thunderous roar follows.
BUCKY (backing a step)
That's not debris. That's
G'IAH (choking out the words)
That's S.W.O.R.D.
TALOS (trembling)
No... no, no, no... That station was unsinkable...
HILL (quiet)
Something brought it down.
Another structure falls, larger this time glowing red, screaming through the atmosphere.
SHARON (eyes fixed above, voice cracking)
It's falling... It's all falling...
SAM (stepping forward)
They've already taken it. We're late.
G'IAH
Mira's tech whoever's using it must've infiltrated the commandsystems. They let us think we hadtime.
BUCKY (looking around)
So what now?
Suddenly, the horizon bursts into flames as another section of S.W.O.R.D. headquarters slams into the outskirts of the city. Shockwaves hit them. Glass shatters some where nearby.
HILL
(voice shaking, almost a whisper)
There were people onboard...
(pause) ...Nick was one of them.
INT.LAB – NIGHT
The group rushes in The distant rumble of the explosion above echoes faintly behind them. The lab lights flicker from the aftershock.
SAM (furious, spinning toward G'iah)
Was she one of them?! Was Mira one of them, G'iah?!
G'IAH (snaps back, voice sharp but hurt)
What the hell are you talking about?
SAM (marches closer)
She worked with Gravik. You knowthat. People died because of them because of her. And now suddenly she's on our side? Just like that?
G'IAH (turns fully to face him, jaw clenched, eyes flashing)
My sister was there, Sam. My sister. And I just... lost her. Again.
TALOS gently steps between them, placing a hand on G'iah's arm to hold her back.
TALOS
Let's not do this now. We're all grieving something.
SAM (points a trembling hand)
She had that portal ring. How do we know she hasn't been playing us from the start?
BUCKY steps forward, slams his fist against the table
BUCKY
Stop.
He looks around at all of them, then locks eyes with Sam.
BUCKY (CONT'D)
I may not be able to spot a Skrull at first glance...
But I know the look of someone drowning in their own guilt. (Beat) Her eyes, Sam...
They weren't scheming. They werebroken. That girl regrets something. And it's eating her alive.
Silence fills the room. Maria steps closer, arms crossed tightly, struggling to stay composed.
HILL (quietly, but with emotion)
We're all trying to survive a war where the rules keep changing. We've lost people
Friends. Mentors. Sisters.
We can't afford to tear each otherapart.
(Her voice falters slightly.)
And Nick... Nick was there.
Everyone stills. G'iah lowers her gaze, lips trembling. Sam exhales, shoulders tense.
The hum of the generators is the only sound.
HILL (barely a whisper)
He always said this job would bury him before any bullet could.
But I never thought it'd be this.
Talos steps forward. His usual calm demeanor is gone. His voice is thick raw.
He... he gave me a name when I had nothing.
When our world was ash, he gave me us place to stand.
He sits down heavily beside Hill. His hand clenches. His skin flickers half Skrull half human for a brief moment.
He believed in peace...
Even when he knew no one else would fight for it.
HILL (tears finally falling, she doesn'tbother wiping them)
He called me his right hand.
But the truth is... He was my spine.
Sam watches from a distance, eyes lowered. G'iah looks away. Sharon turns and silently walks to a dark corner, holding her own arms.
TALOS
He's not the kind of man who dies in silence.
If he's gone... it means he died standing between us and somethingdarker than hell.
HILL
He had plans... always had layers of them.
But this time...
He didn't see it coming.
(Her voice cracks.)
And I wasn't there.
She breaks down, just a little. Talos moves beside her silently and places a handover hers.
TALOS
You weren't supposed to be. He kept us away. Because he loved us more than he'd ever say.
Hill stares forward, barely nodding.
G'IAH (softly, from behind)
He was the only human who ever looked me in the eye...
And didn't see a threat.
Everyone goes quiet again. A long silence. Then
SAM (firmly, but with reverence)
We owe him more than tears.
We finish what he started.
HILL (quiet, through clenched teeth)
He gave us the fire.
Now we burn them down with it.
Just after the heavy silence.
The quinjet parked above goes silent, low hum gone.
Sam's arm display fizzles and powers down. The lights flicker, dim and then stabilize.
The holo displays in the room glitch violently then go black.
Monitors across the lab show ERROR messages, static, then nothing.
Everyone freezes.
Bucky lifts his hand to touch his earpiece.
BUCKY
Sharon. You hearing this?
No response.
He tries again, then looks over at Sam who's already trying to tap commands on his wrist module.
SAM
I lost everything. No comms, no visuals nothing's responding.
HILL (tense)
This isn't just us.
TALOS (quiet, suspicious)
Power's running, but the network's... vanished.
Suddenly, Sharon steps out from the corridor, her expression grave. Everyone turns.
SHARON CARTER (low voice)
That's what I came down to warn about.
Beat. She walks forward slowly.
There were a lot of things but I decrypted that there was also a malware. Created by Mira.
SHARON (CONT'D)
It's in Gravik's hands now.
It was designed to shut down anydevice linked to the global network.
Military systems. Satellites. S.W.O.R.D. servers.
Even civilian grids, if he chooses.
This is how they brought S.W.O.R.D. down in seconds.
(She takes a breath, her voice sharp, low)
No firewall in existence can stop it once it finds a pathway in.
TALOS
Mira created this?
SHARON
Under pressure.
She thought it was for defense.
He turned it into a weaponizedblackout.
YELENA (gritting her teeth, almost growling)
No power, no eyes, no ears.
We're in a story where we have already lost.
HILL (stepping toward Sharon)
How much time do we have before he targets the rest?
SHARON
That depends.
If this place was ever connected to anything, even briefly...
A silence.
SHARON
It's a warning.
He's not hiding anymore.
He's reminding us who holds the fuse.
YELENA (coldly, eyes narrowing)
Then we blow up his fuse before helights the next match.
TALOS (quietly to himself)
Mira didn't mean for this. She couldn't have.
HILL
Intentions don't matter anymore.
Gravik has the storm.
We're standing in the open with no umbrella.
They all stand in silence the hum of backup generators filling the air.
The group is in mid conversation. The room remains dim. The hum of power from machines is gone silence echoes like a warning. Suddenly, one of the larger lab displays flickers on. Everyone freezes, eyes snapping toward the sudden glow. It's the only screen working. A NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT blinks in red.
DISPLAY TEXT (bold, flickering):
"BREAKING NEWS:
CAPTAIN AMERICA ALONG WITH FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER CAPTURED U.S. PRESIDENT IN COORDINATED ATTACK
DETAILS INCOMING"
SKRULL OFFICER (confused, blinking at the screen)
...Hey... Falcon... is that you?
Everyone turns slowly toward Sam. His eyes are locked on the display.
BUCKY (quietly, jaw tightening)
...What the hell is this?
G'IAH
No... no, that's not real. That can'tbe real. That's manipulated footage.Right? Sam?
Sam takes a slow step toward the screen, his fists clenched so tight his gloves creak.
SAM (barely audible)
They're using our faces...
SHARON (low, urgent)
This is Gravik. Or Mira's tech in his hands. It's not just malware anymore this is deepfake warfare. Fabricated evidence, altered behaviordesigned to fracture every alliance we have left.
HILL (whispers, hollow)
They just made you public enemy number one...
Everyone's silent.
INT.LAB – NIGHT – MOMENTS AFTER THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST
The group stands in tense silence.
BUCKY
We need to move. Now. Before Graviksets hissights on any of our allies.
SAM (nods firmly)
Scott Lang. Hope. They're on the radar whether they like it or not.
HILL (cutting in, looking at Talos)
Our jet won't work, we need yours.
TALOS (thinking fast)
Okay but first there's a fallback facility. Base Two. It's off grid. Afew miles walk from here. If GRAVIK and his people are not there then we can use it. The spreadof thismalware, Abducting of the President, GRAVIK is definitely notdoing those by sitting in Base 2...
SAM (determined)
We split up if we have to. Whateverit takes. We find our friends before Gravik does. One by one if we must.
SHARON (cold and clear)
And if we're too late?
A heavy silence.
YELENA (sternly, but softer)
Then at least they won't die alone.
BUCKY (looking around)
Enough waiting. We might not know how we'll win, or what Gravik throws next but we sure as hell know who we fight for.
He tightens the straps on his metal arm.
BUCKY (CONT'D)
Family. Friends. Every name he thinks he can erase we get to them first. He walks toward the exit. The others follow.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT.Near the White House – Present Day
The clouds above are heavier. A temporary stage has been raised just beyond the gates of the White House.
Dark steel trusses. A plain mic stand. No flag waving in the wind. In front of the gates, a crowd swells.
Journalists elbow citizens. Security forces keep the line, their expressions blank.
Citizen Voices Confusion, and Fear Spread Like a Virus
First the Mayor brutally murdered bythe new Captain America, and now this?
Then someone... shows us things the Avengers did behind closed doors and now the President's gone? That's not justice, that's a coup
I told you... I TOLD you. They're not heroes.
No, no someone's pulling the strings. They saved us before. They wouldn't they couldn't
You think the guy with a metal armand the winged man just accidentally abduct the President of the country?
Nothing is accidental anymore.
No official has stepped on the stage yet. There's no sun.
The murmurs don't stop but they freeze when he steps up.
From behind the stage curtain, a man emerges.
Tall. Broad shouldered. Silent.
His shirt white, clean, sharp cut is interrupted by a thick black stripe running vertically down the center of his chest, almost like a division line between two worlds.
On the left side, just above his heart, printed boldly on the white fabric an 'A' logo.
Not quite the Avengers' symbol the circle broken, the line more jagged, twisted slightly downward.
He says nothing. And waits.
A Citizen (whispers to another):
What just happened? This... this is unbelievable.
Another Citizen (nervously clutching their phone)
He's the one... the guy from the interview last week. The one whoexposed the Avengers. What the hell is going on?
Gravik leans into the mic. His expression is unreadable flat. Eyes still. Voice soft, deliberate, unnervingly calm.
GRAVIK (quietly)
You may remember me...
A few days ago I gave an interview.
(He pauses)
I showed you the true faces behind the Avengers. Their secrets. Theirdestruction. Their hunger for control masked behind heroism.
He steps slightly forward.
GRAVIK (hands clasped calmly in front)
Before I begin...
you may have noticed something.
(Beat)
Your phones... dead.
No calls.
No social media.
No morning news.
Just one channel in every household.
Gasps ripple through the crowd.
GRAVIK (tilting his head slightly)
We cut the wires.
Not to control you.
Not to silence you.
(He leans forward, voice lowering to a near whisper)
But to protect you.
To slow them down. The Avengers.
Woman in crowd (shouting)
Protect us? You just shut the world off!
GRAVIK (turning his head slightly toward her)
Ma'am...
when wolves circle your home at night do you leave the windows open?
(A pause)
Or do you shut them until morning?
He gestures toward the sky pointing vaguely upward.
GRAVIK
From now on...
there will be updates.
You deserve that much.
What happens in America... what happens in the world...
you will hear it from us, directly.
YOUNG MAN IN CROWD (shouting) - You say you're protecting us ?
Where's the proof?
GRAVIK (gazes toward him)
You deserve proof.
You all do. (beat)
But first you need clarity.
Not chaos. Not headlines.
Clarity. The Avengers had plans. Secret plans. You'd have never known.
But now no masks. No filters.
Only this channel. Only what youdeserve to hear.
WOMAN NEAR FRONT (anxiously) But what about the President?
Is he safe?
Gravik steps forward, slowly. Not rushing, not intimidating, He folds his arms behind him. Chin raised slightly.
GRAVIK - He is alive.
And we are narrowing in.
Every second, every trace... we are moving closer.
a pause, then he speaks softer,
You see...the old protectors failed.
They hid.
They compromised.
They broke. But we, We are something else. We're not hiding behind titles or symbols.
We're not asking for your loyalty. We're earning it.
A subtle murmur grows. A woman wipes a tear.
GRAVIK (gently) - We are The Alliance.
Born from the ashes of betrayal.
Not to rise above you… But to stand with you.
OLDER MAN IN CROWD (softly) - You really... came back to protect us?
Gravik locks eyes with him. Nods once. A small smile.
GRAVIK - We came back...
because someone had to.
He looks into the camera now. Speaking to the world.
GRAVIK - From now on every night thiswill be the window to truth.
No edits. No illusions.
Just us and you. Stay awake.
Stay aware.
Stay ready.
A beat of silence.
Then someone claps. Another joins. A third. Then the wave builds.
Not thunderous. But real.
Gravik doesn't smile. He only lowers his eyes.
EXT.STAGE NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS
From behind the curtain, gunshots crack short bursts, muffled thuds, then along silence. A security guard stumbles across the stage edge, clutching his throat, eyes wide in disbelief, before collapsing out of view.
Gravik halts, confused. He slowly turns his head. A second of frozen stillness.
Then, From the shadows backstage, a figure steps forward.
Coat flapping against the breeze, a dark burnt orange trench coat. His boots heavy, his presence louder than the gun fires just moments ago.
Beard weathered salt and pepper with more ash than pepper now. One eye burning with fury, the other hidden under that infamous eyepatch. Gun raised, hand trembling not from weakness, but from restraint.
NICK FURY.
FURY (coldly)
I've watched this game play too longfrom the shadows...
(steps forward slowly, aiming directly at Gravik)
And now the dealer's back to flip the damn table.
Gravik doesn't speak. Can't.
His confident smirk is gone. His hands tighten behind his back.
FURY (lower)
You took the skies.
You took the screens.
But you forgot who built the system you're playing on.
(raising his voice slightly)
Your little 'Alliance' just made itsfirst mistake...
He takes one more step forward.
FURY (growls)
Pissing off the man who still has one bullet left.
The wind howls.
Gravik stares Fury dead in the eye a forced calm on his face, but sweat forms at his brow. His voice is low, sickly smug.
The audience is not silent anymore. Some cheer. Loudly.
AUDIENCE #1 (shouting)
Gravik for peace!
AUDIENCE #2 (chanting)
He stood when they all fell!
AUDIENCE #3 (crying out)
He's the only one who cares!
A wave of claps breaks out, then cheers.
Handwritten signs are lifted, shaky letters scrawled in red and black:
Gravik = Justice
Truth Over Tyrants
End the Lies!
Even children sitting on shoulders clap without knowing why.
But not everyone is cheering.
Other sin the crowd whisper, shaken.
WOMAN (whispering to her husband)
This doesn't feel right...
MAN (muttering)
He's a killer. Why are they clapping?
And then:
One person breaks the tension.
A young man stands on a bench, arms raised, voice booming.
YOUNG MAN (fanatical)
He brought order! We were rotting without leaders he gave us clarity!
The crowd erupts again, but now it's divided cheers and chants from one side, protests and stunned silence from another.
It's no longer a rally. It's a civil split, playing out in real time. Some are desperate for a savior, even a monstrous one, because the truth is too ugly to face.
Gravik, seeing this support, smirks.
Gravik (quiet, smug)
They already know your truth, Fury...
(leans forward slightly)
"Do your worst."
FURY (grimly amused)
…Worst, huh?
A pause.
Then Fury lifts the gun And pulls the trigger.
BLAM.
BLAM. BLAM. BLAM.
Each shot slams into Gravik's chest and torso tearing fabric, cracking ribs, blood spraying like mist across the white backdrop. Gravik's body convulses with each hit, jerking backwards, yet refusing to fall. His smile twitches, still trying to mock, until the fifth bullet shatters hiscollarbone and his body crumbles.
But Fury isn't done.
BLAM.BLAM. BLAM. BLAM.
He empties the entire magazine into Gravik's twitching corpse on the floor, blood pooling rapidly beneath him. No pause. No mercy. No monologue.
Just rage.
Fury's jaw is clenched, his face stone but his lone eye burns. Smoke lifts from the barrel as he lowers the empty gun.
FURY (low, growled whisper) ...Worst is still coming.
He turns slowly toward the crowd.
People are frozen, horrified yet strangely silent. Some begin to rise from their seats. He opens his mouth to speak, lips parting
Gunshots. Sudden. Chaotic. Echoing from the audience.
Fury jerks
A bullet tears into his side. Another grazes his arm.
Fury staggers, his coat darkening with blood. His knees buckle. The world slows. He tries to raise his hand again, but the strength is leaving him.
He collapses, his gun clattering beside him.
Panic breaks out screams, scrambling. But through it all, a single figure stands.
A CITIZEN.
Late twenties, pale, disheveled hair, eyes wide and trembling. Holding the stolen gun from a guard. Standing on a chair amidst the chaos.
THE CITIZEN (whisper)
...Enough.
Cut to black.
Then a chaotic wave explodes through the audience. Thousands of people citizens, workers, students shouting over each other, others screaming, fists thrown in the air.
Some cheer like it's salvation:
"Gravik spoke the truth!"
"He was not the villain they are!"
"He stood up when the world hid!"
A woman with a bandaged head pushes forward, yelling with conviction:
"Where was Fury when the hospitals burned?"
A group of factory workers in dustyjackets chant in sync:
"We believe! We believe! Gravik!Gravik!"
Dozens scream in protest.One man is tackled after yelling,
"He was lying! This was a trick!"
Fists fly. A scuffle breaks out near the left barricade.
Children are crying. Cops hesitate unsure who they're protecting anymore. Some officers back away. Some join the chants.
Others radio in frantic calls for backup, their hands shaking.
From the upper row of the crowd, a young woman climbs onto a food stall rooftop, cupping her hands:
"He was our last chance! Gravik would rebuild what they let rot!"
Her voice is like a match. More chants ignite.
"Gravik WAS OUR SHIELD!"
"HAIL THE NEW ORDER!"
INT.BACKSTAGE HOLDING ROOM
Fluorescent lights flicker. The air is thick with smoke and static.
Two bodies Gravik and Fury bleeding, motionless, are dragged into the room by two grim faced security officers. The guards drop them with cold efficiency on the blood slick floor.
Door slams shut. Silence.
For a long beat, the only sound is the drip... drip... of blood hitting the concrete.
And then
CLACK.
CLACK.
CLACK.
A pair of boots echoes down the hallway outside.
Heavy, deliberate steps. Not rushed.
The hallway beyond the door glows with a cold, golden hue, and a massive, elongated shadow creeps inward.
The metal door creaks open slowly.
A slice of harsh white light cuts through the room, revealing the silhouette of a figure Broad, towering, unnatural.
He enters. Gravik
But not in disguise anymore.
This is him unleashed full Skrull form, perfectly muscled, his green skin glistening with sweat, his black eyes reflecting the corpses like mirrors of mockery.
He looks down at the two bodies with a serpentine grin, one so wide it nearly splits his face.
Then
He raises both arms like a puppet master, stretching them to either side with delightful arrogance.
What a performance... Bravo to us.
He begins to slowly spin in a circle, once, then twice a twisted, almost balletic gesture, like a predator dancing on his prey.
They always clap at the wrong act,don't they?
He leans in toward his own corpse the supposed body of Gravik in human form, riddled with bullets.
Its skin begins to ripple.
The jaw twitches.
The nose flattens.
The color bleeds out.
And now
It was never Gravik.
The body morphs grotesquely, melting like wax until it solidifies into a different Skrull entirely, unknown, now lifeless on the floor just another pawn burned for effect.
Gravik chuckles softly.
Let them mourn a ghost.
His eyes slide over to the other body Nick Fury.
Still breathing. Shallow. Ragged. Twisted in pain.
Fury's face remains his the grizzled eye, the beard, the lines of fury (pun intended) etched in age.
But the other half... green, warped, leaking silver fluid from the cheek.
A Skrull underneath.
A half reveal.
Not Fury. A decoy.
A Skrull operative who took Fury's face to bait Gravik. But even that was part of Gravik's plan.
Gravik crouches, staring into the barely conscious eyes of the dying imposter. His voice drops to a whisper.
You wore his face well... but I wear this world better.
The Skrull Fury coughs violently, face twisted in pain, eyes filled with terror. Blood drips from his lips.
The room is silent except for the erratic breathing of the Skrull in Nick Fury's half shifted form. Blood trickles from his abdomen. His skin flickers between green and brown. He lies slumped against the wall, one trembling hand pressed to the wound, the other reaching out desperate, weak.
His eyes, wide with fear and pain.
The wounded Skrull tries to sit upright, coughing blood, voice barely audible.
SKRULL (half Fury, choking)
S Sir... I did what you asked... I did it... I was him. They believed. Please... I don't wanna die likethis... Please... help me...
His green fingers smear blood on the floor as he drags himself forward, closer to Gravik's feet, still begging. His eyes glisten tears, blood, and terror mixing. His whole body trembles.
Gravik stands over him in silence for a moment.
GRAVIK (softly, almost mournful)
I know... I know you did. You were perfect. Brave.
(beat)
You'll be remembered. What you've done here tonight... makes you a martyr, son.
He slowly kneels beside the dying Skrull, places a hand gently on his shoulder.
GRAVIK (gently)
What's your name, son?
The Skrull's lips quiver, his last breath nearing.
SKRULL (struggling)
My name... my na name is
BANG.
Gravik fires a single shot point blank into his forehead. The Skrull's body jerks. Blood spatters across the wall.
His body crumples. Dead.
Gravik slowly lowers the pistol, smoke rising from its muzzle. He stares at the corpse for a long moment, then leans close, whispering:
GRAVIK (coldly)
Only Gravik will be remembered.
He runs a clawed finger down the corpse's face, almost tenderly, then stands tall again emotionless, a king who has just sacrificed his pawn.
SLAM.
The door bursts open behind him.
Two Elite Skrulls rush in, stunned by the scene.
SKRULL OFFICER #1
Sir?! What happened? Are you alright?
SKRULL OFFICER #2 (panicked)
We heard the shot what's going on?
Gravik turns to them slowly. His face now wet, not from tears, but a dampness of performance. He lets out a long, weighted sigh and points to the body.
GRAVIK (somber, feigning grief):
He... begged me for it. Said the pain was too much. I
(shakes head) I tried... I couldn't save him.
He looks down again at the Skrull Fury corpse.
GRAVIK
He died for me. For us.