EXT. HELL'S KITCHEN – NIGHT
The city looks abandoned. A Quinjet hovers low between buildings, its engines humming against a silence.
Below, Hell's Kitchen is no longer a neighborhood. Shops stand shattered, glass blown outward onto the streets. Some are still smoldering, thin trails of smoke rising into the night. A few buildings burn slowly, flames licking through broken windows.
Graffiti is everywhere.
"SUPPORTERS OF LIARS ARE TRAITORS."
"NO MORE HEROES."
Spray painted over walls, over doors, even over dried blood. The streets are stained. Dark patches. Drag marks. A few bodies lie.
Inside the Quinjet, Sharon Carter stands near the open ramp, looking below, jaw tight. Maria Hill pilots, eyes moving constantly.
SHARON (low) - I don't think anyone's left.
Hill doesn't respond. She lowers the jet slowly. The Quinjet touches down in the middle of the street with a heavy thud. The ramp opens. Cold air rushes in. Hill grabs her weapon. Sharon checks hers. They exchange a look. Then step out.
EXT. STREET – CONTINUOUS
Their boots hit the ground. No cars moving. No voices. Not even distant sirens. Just the crackle of fire somewhere far away.
Sharon moves forward first, weapon raised. Hill follows, covering angles, her eyes scanning rooftops, windows, shadows. They pass a storefront, inside, mannequins lie shattered. One still stands… its face smeared red.
Sharon looks away. They keep moving. Sharon notices something on the ground, a trail. Not just blood. Footprints. Many. Running in one direction.
Hill reaches a worn out apartment building. The front door hangs open. Dark inside. Hill gestures.
HILL
Inside.
INT. BUILDING – NIGHT
They enter. The hallway is dim. Emergency lights flicker weakly. The smell hits immediately smoke, metal. Doors line the corridor. Most are open. They move slowly, clearing one room at a time.
ROOM 1
Furniture overturned. Drawers ripped out. Clothes scattered everywhere. A plate still sits on a table, half eaten food hardened.
SHARON
Left in a hurry.
ROOM 2
Walls scratched. A family photo lies face down. Hill flips it. A normal family. She puts it back silently.
HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
A dark smear across the wall. Not splattered. Dragged. Sharon follows it with her eyes but doesn't comment.
STAIRS – MOVING UP
Their footsteps echo. Each floor quieter than the last. No signs of life. No sounds.
INT. FOURTH FLOOR – NIGHT
They reach the top. This floor is cleaner. Doors closed. Hill signals, cautious now. They approach the last room. Hill pushes the door open slowly.
INT. FOURTH FLOOR ROOM – CONTINUOUS
This room is organized. Furniture in place. No signs of struggle. Clean compared to everything else. Sharon lowers her weapon slightly.
SHARON
This doesn't match the rest.
Hill moves along the wall, checking corners. Sharon's eyes catch something, a chest in the corner. Old. Metal. She steps toward it slowly. Kneels. Reaches out.
CRACK!
A sniper shot tears through the wall beside her. Concrete explodes outward. A clean, precise hole, inches from her head.
Sharon instantly rolls sideways, weapon up.
SHARON
Contact!
Before Hill can react,
THUD! The door bursts open. A black clad figure slams into Hill, kicking her hard into the wall.
She crashes, losing grip for a second. The figure moves fast. Heading straight for Sharon.
Sharon fires, two shots. Direct hits to the head. No reaction. The figure doesn't even slow down.
SHARON
What the
The attacker grabs her arm, twisting, dragging her across the floor. Sharon reacts instantly, she drops her center of gravity, pivots, drives her elbow into his ribs. Nothing.
She follows with a knee strike, no effect. The figure tightens grip. Sharon grits her teeth, She pulls a hidden blade from her sleeve, slashing across his arm,
Still nothing. No flinch. No blood reaction. Just spark from his suit.
The figure yanks Sharon violently, pulling her toward the other side of the room. Sharon struggles, using leverage now, hooking her leg against furniture, trying to break momentum, the furniture snaps instead.
The figure drags Sharon, Then
THUD. A brutal kick lands square in her ribs. Her body slams into the wall. She collapses instantly. Unconscious.
Hill's breath catches, the figure turns toward her. Slowly. He steps closer. HILL raises her gun, He grabs her wrist, twists.
CRACK.
The gun slips from her hand. He catches it mid air. Points it straight at her head. The barrel steady. Unshaking.
FIGURE #1 (low, burning anger)
You think you can conquer our homes?
Hill doesn't move. Doesn't blink. Just watches him.
Before anything happens, A voice from the doorway.
FIGURE #2 (O.S.)
Give it to me.
FIGURE #2 (stepping in)
Let me do it, Red.
The first figure pauses. Then lowers the gun slightly. The second figure steps into the dim light.
A skull faintly visible across his chest. Figure #1 goes towards the dim light. A red tinted mask. Silent.
The first figure DAREDEVIL. The second PUNISHER takes the gun from him.
Spins it once in his hand. Then points it again at Hill.
Hill doesn't flinch.
HILL
No, We need help.
(beat)
HILL(CONT'D)
There are shapeshifters.
Punisher's finger tightens slightly on the trigger.
HILL (CONT'D)
It's Gravik.
He's behind all of this.
Silence. Daredevil steps closer. Slow. His head tilts slightly listening.
INT. FOURTH FLOOR ROOM – LATER
In the dark room. Only a faint light from the broken wall. Sharon lies on the ground, still unconscious. A jacket placed under her head. Hill sits against the wall, one hand gripping her wrist.
Punisher stands near the window, looking out, rifle resting against his shoulder. Daredevil stands still in the center of the room.
DAREDEVIL (low)
They started small. Children.
Hill looks up.
DAREDEVIL (CONT'D)
Replacing them first.
DAREDEVIL (tilting his head)
No one suspects a child.
Punisher scoffs quietly.
DAREDEVIL
The children started taking out one family at a time.
DAREDEVIL (stepping slowly)
I heard when one of them came into our building.
HILL
How many?
PUNISHER
Enough.
We got some people out.
With a few cops who still had a spine.
DAREDEVIL - We had to kill the children.
A long silence.
HILL
This isn't just Hell's Kitchen. It's happening everywhere.
Punisher turns fully now.
PUNISHER
You got a jet. We clean this up.
Hill shakes her head immediately.
HILL
How many will you kill before you realize.
This isn't something you can shoot your way through.
Punisher steps closer. Slow.
PUNISHER
It's worked so far.
Hill doesn't back down.
HILL
And what happens when you kill a human instead of a Skrull?
Because you won't always know.
Daredevil turns his head slightly toward Hill.
HILL (CONT'D)
If we hit the source, if we strike Gravik, we end this.
Punisher studies her. Long.
PUNISHER
Why should we trust you?
Hill looks down at her arm. Blood. Fresh. Red. She raises it slightly.
HILL
Because I bleed. Same as you.
Silence. Daredevil steps forward. Tilts his head.
DAREDEVIL (quietly)
Frank…
She's telling the truth.
Punisher doesn't look away from Hill. Hill turns her gaze toward Daredevil.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. WHITE HOUSE – NIGHT
No security. No guards. No movement. Above it, the Quinjet hovers low, its engines rumbling.
INT. QUINJET – CONTINUOUS
The cockpit glows dimly. Sam Wilson stands at the front, arms crossed, looking the ground below. Beside him, Bucky leans forward slightly, his metal hand resting on the console. Yelena stands just behind them, chewing lightly on her lip, eyes sharp.
At the controls, G'iah. Still. But her grip on the controls is tight… too tight.
Behind them, three Skrull commanders sit in silence.
Rhodey and Walker are strapped in further back, recovering.
BUCKY (low, leaning closer to the glass)
No guards. No patrols. No security at all.
G'iah doesn't respond. Her eyes stay locked on the White House.
BUCKY (CONT'D)
That's not normal.
G'iah finally speaks.
G'IAH Good. Makes this easier.
SAM (turning slightly towards her)
That's not the mission.
We're here to observe. Confirm. Then move.
G'iah's jaw tightens. She begins lowering the jet. The Quinjet descends faster now. Yelena glances at Sam.
YELENA
She's not listening.
SAM
Yeah. I noticed.
The Quinjet lands hard on the White House lawn. A heavy thud. No response from outside. Still nothing.
SAM (exhaling)
Alright.
SAM (turning)
Yelena, you're with us.
SAM (pointing to the back)
One of you
A Skrull commander stands immediately.
SAM (CONT'D)
The rest stay here. Protect the jet. Protect them.
SAM (gesturing toward Rhodey and Walker)
No matter what.
The Skrulls nod.
SAM (walking towards Rodey)
Rhodey… I know you're not at full strength.
But can you get us out of here during our exit?
Rhodey nods. Bucky steps in, lifting Rhodey carefully but firmly, guiding him toward the pilot seat. Rhodey grips the controls.
Back at the ramp, Bucky grabs his black-red shield, slinging it onto his arm. He checks his sidearm with quick precision.
Yelena adjusts her wrist shockers, flexing her fingers, then spins her gun once before locking it in.
YELENA (slight smirk)
This feels like a bad idea.
BUCKY
Yeah.
The ramp begins to open. Cold night air rushes in. Everyone looks toward G'iah, She stands. No guns. Just a long blade in her hand. Her grip tight. Her knuckles pale.
SAM
G'iah
She walks past him. Doesn't stop.
G'IAH (quiet, burning)
He dies tonight.
Sam grabs her arm. Firm.
SAM
We don't even know if he's here.
G'iah slowly turns her head toward him.
G'IAH
I don't care. If he's breathing I'll find him.
She pulls her arm free. Sam watches her go. Bucky steps up beside him.
BUCKY
She's not thinking straight.
SAM
No. She's thinking exactly like someone who's lost everything.
The ramp fully lowers. Silence. G'iah steps out first. The others follow.
CUT.
INT. WHITE HOUSE – NIGHT
Dim lights along the ceiling, casting uneven shadows across the polished floors. No guards. No staff. No sound, except footsteps. Echoing. Too loud in the silence.
G'iah walks ahead, fast. Her shoulders tight, blade clenched in her hand. Behind her, Sam moves cautiously, scanning every doorway. Bucky follows, eyes constantly shifting, corners, ceilings, reflections. Yelena and the Skrull commander bring up the rear, alert.
SAM (low, to Bucky)
You think we just walked into a trap?
BUCKY (quiet)
If it is we deal with it.
Sam exhales.They keep moving.
The corridor splits. One path stretches forward. The other turns left, narrower.
G'iah doesn't hesitate. She keeps walking forward. Doesn't even look back. Sam notices.
SAM (to the skrull commander)
You, go left.
SAM (to Yelena)
Yelena, go with him. Find Talos and take note if you find anything interesting.
She checks her weapon once more, then nods to the Skrull. They move left, quick, silent. Sam watches them disappear. Then turns forward.
SAM (to Bucky, low)
Let's go.
They pass rooms, STORAGE ROOM, shelves emptied, boxes torn open, contents scattered. OFFICE, chairs overturned, drawers missing, papers gone. MEETING ROOM, long table, completely bare. No screens. No devices.
G'iah keeps walking. Faster now. Her breathing slightly heavier. Her grip on the blade tightening. She's not looking at rooms. She's not scanning.
END OF CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
A large set of doors. Slightly open. G'iah stops. For the first time. She pushes the door open.
INT. MAIN HALL – CONTINUOUS
A wide, empty hall. Silent. At the center, a single chair. And in it, Gravik. Sitting calmly. Hands resting on the armrests. Head slightly lowered.
Sam and Bucky slow down instantly. Weapons up.Eyes locked.
But G'iah, Freezes. For half a second. Her jaw clenches. Her grip on the blade tightens. Then she breaks into a sprint.
Gravik sits in the chair. Still. G'iah charges toward him.
Her blade rises, She swings downward with full force, Gravik's arm snaps up. A blade forms out of his forearm, slicing through the air.
CLANG. Steel meets steel. The impact echoes. He pushes back hard.
G'iah is thrown across the hall, skidding across the floor. Bucky moves instantly. He hurls his shield.
WHAM! It slams into Gravik's chest. At the same time, Sam takes off. Wings spread wide, He fires mid air.
Bullets tear into Gravik from a distance. Multiple hits. Chest. Shoulder. Neck. Gravik stumbles back a step. Blood spills, then he stops.
His left palm splits open unnaturally, a hidden injector slides out. Without hesitation, he drives it into his ownarm.
A sharp hiss. The bleeding stops. The wounds begin to stabilize. Sam lands.
BUCKY
What the hell is he
Gravik is already moving. Fast. Bucky still shooting him, Gravik closes the distance.
BOOM. A punch straight into Bucky's chest. Bucky crashes back. Gravik grabs him by the face, slams him into the wall.
ONCE.
TWICE.
THREE TIMES.
The wall cracks. Bucky grunts, trying to resist, G'iah charges from behind. Screaming, her blade drives toward Gravik's back.
CLANG. It doesn't pierce. The blade stops against his skin.
Gravik turns. Slowly. He grabs her face with one hand, lifts her and throws her across the hall. She crashes hard, rolling across the floor.
Gravik turns back to Bucky, but
THUD. Sam lands between them. Shield raised. Eyes locked.\
Sam launches forward, boosters firing, Shield first.
IMPACT. Gravik is driven backward.
Sam follows through, striking fast.
One hit head.
Second jaw.
Third ribs.
Gravik staggers, Sam sweeps low.
CRACK. Shield slams into Gravik's legs. Gravik drops to one knee. G'iah is already back on her feet. Breathing hard.
She charges, and starts stabbing.
Again.
Again.
Again. The blade doesn't go deep, but it cuts. Blood starts to flow.
Her strikes become faster, her blade begins to crack, then
SNAPS. Broken. But she doesn't stop.
Gravik weakens. His skin softening. Losing that hardened defense. G'iah kicks him hard, He collapses flat onto the ground.
She steps over him, pins him down, And starts punching.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five. Her fists slam into his face again and again.
INT. planet VAEL'TARNIS – 1985
YOUNGMIRA
If we had better weapons… wouldmother still be alive?
YOUNG G'IAH
…Maybe.
INT. ELARIS REACH – 1992
They sit together. Mira rests her head on G'iah's shoulder.
G'IAH
Will this war ever end?
MIRA (smiling)
Everything does.
G'IAH
What will you do after?
MIRA (eyes drifting) When we were young I always wanted to build something, I love machines. But now after all these i just want peace. May be we both can go far away and live in mountains, forests for some time?
EXT. MOJAVE DESERT – DAY – 12 HOURS AGO
Mira lying on G'iah's lap.
MIRA (softly)
It's okay.
BACK TO PRESENT – HALL
Twenty one.
Twenty two.
Twenty three.
G'iah's fists keep coming. Faster.
G'IAH (screaming)
NO !
Punch.
G'IAH (CONT'D)
IT !
Punch.
G'IAH (CONT'D)
IS !
Punch.
G'IAH (CONT'D)
NOT !
Punch.
G'IAH (CONT'D)
OKAY!!
She keeps going. Her knuckles bleeding. Her breath breaking. She doesn't stop. Doesn't see anything else.
Sam rushes forward. Grabs her shoulders, pulls her back forcefully. She struggles for a second, then collapses back slightly, still shaking.
Gravik lies there. Eyes popped out, jaw dislocated, broken teeth, bloodied face , barely moving. Breathing ragged.
Sam, Bucky, and G'iah sit there for a moment. Exhausted. Then, a sound.
Gravik's fingers twitch. He starts to move. Slowly. He pushes himself up. Barely standing. They all look at him. G'iah stands again.
Gravik's left thigh splits open, Another injector emerges. He jams it in. Injects. His body begins to recover again.
Bones resetting. Skin reforming. He lets out a weak laugh. He start to step forward. Slowly.
G'iah lifts the broken pieces of her blade. Starts walking toward him. Step by step.
Gravik suddenly stops. Mid step. His body stiffens. His breathing falters. He looks down. His legs give out. He collapses. Silence.
SAM (looking at Bucky)
What… was that?
No answer.
G'iah keeps walking. Reaches Gravik. He's still. Not breathing. Eyes open. She stands over him. A long pause.
Then, without hesitation, she drives the broken blade pieces down into his eyes.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. MAIN HALL – NIGHT – FEW MOMENTS LATER
The hall is silent. Gravik's body lies still on the ground. G'iah stands over him. Not moving. Not breathing properly. Her hands tremble slightly, dried blood across her knuckles.
Sam and Bucky stand a few feet behind her. Both exhausted. Bucky looks down at his black-red shield then gestures towards Sam.
BUCKY (looking at Sam)
You gave this to me.
BUCKY (stepping closer)
But you handled it better.
It belongs to you.
Sam doesn't take it immediately. After a few moments he takes the shield. Their eyes meet. Sam turns his gaze toward Gravik's body.
SAM (CONT'D)
How did he die?
Bucky exhales slowly, glancing at the body.
BUCKY
Overdose… maybe.
Back when HYDRA experimented on us, some didn't make it.
Too much serum… especially when the affect of first serum is wearing off.
Sam nods slightly. Footsteps echo from the entrance. Sam and Bucky turn. Yelena enters first, weapon still in hand. Behind her, the Skrull commanders. Then, Talos. And President Ross.
Talos' eyes immediately lock onto Gravik's body. Then, G'iah. G'iah slowly turns.
Talos steps forward slightly. His eyes begin to well up. He doesn't speak. G'iah looks at him for a moment. Then, she walks toward them. Slowly. As she passes Talos, she doesn't stop. Doesn't speak. Doesn't even look again. She walks past everyone. Out of the hall. Talos watches her go.
Ross steps forward.
ROSS
I came to know everything.
ROSS (turning towards Talos)
I give you my word.
Your people will have freedom.
They'll walk openly. No more hiding.
Yelena steps in, glancing around.
YELENA
Mr. President, this place is still not secure.
We should move this conversation somewhere safer.
BUCKY
Let's move.
ROSS
No.This is where I take controlback.
They begin to move toward the exit. Ross suddenly stops. Turns.
ROSS (CONT'D)
Sam.
Sam looks at him.
ROSS (CONT'D)
Stay. We need to talk.
Sam glances at Bucky. Bucky gives a small nod.
SAM (to the others)
Go on. I'll find you guys.
They exit. Leaving Sam and Ross behind.