Survivor | Frank Castle

.20.

The news coverage is relentless. Frank and Mary's faces are plastered across television screens, newspapers, and digital billboards throughout the city. They've become the prime suspects in a high-profile case, and the city is buzzing with the urgency of their capture.

Frank somehow still trusts Billy Russo, yet the phone call he makes proves to be their downfall. Frank wanted to warn Billy that Lewis is on the way and is ready to kill anybody who stands in his way. All Frank wanted was to protect Karen and the senator... yet Karen ends up with a gun to her head by the madman himself.

The Anvil agents stand in the hallway of the hotel, guns drawn as Lewis yells at them to drop them, or else he'll pull the trigger on his bomb. Mary and Frank stand on the opposite side of the hallway, calmly watching the entire thing go down.

One wrong move and everybody dies.

An elevator dings in the distance, signaling Lewis' escape route. The Anvil agents, loyal to Billy Russo's orders, appear in the hallway. Their guns are trained on Frank, ready to open fire at a moment's notice.

A tense silence descends upon the room. Frank's mind races, considering every possible move. The elevator doors slide open, and Lewis ushers Karen inside, the cold metallic surface reflecting the urgency of the moment.

The moment the doors shut, the Avil agents draw their guns on Frank and Mary, who immediately run down the hallway to avoid the oncoming slaughter. Frank takes a hit to the back since he's the slower runner between the two, and ends up slinging a dead body over his shoulders as a makeshift shield, only for him to toss the body back to the ground once he turns a corner.

The next turn reveals a stairwell, a potential escape route. Frank and Mary rush down the stairs, the sound of gunfire fading as they descend. The hotel, now a battleground of shadows and echoes, becomes the stage for their desperate pursuit.

Their backs press against the cool metal wall, guns drawn and pressed closely to their chests as they take a moment to catch their breaths.

" I fucking hate you," Mary whispers.

" Hate me later," Frank mutters back.

Down and down they go. Down the stairs and skipping steps as they run as fast as they can, desperate to flee and desperate to kill the man threatening Karen's life. But as they pass by another door to a random floor, it opens, and outsteps a woman with a gun.

" Frank Castle, Maryshka Kravchenko, drop the weapons."

Mary and Frank are brought to a searing halt as none other than Agent Dinah Madani stands behind them with her gun drawn.

" This isn't on us, Madani. None of it," Frank utters through his pants.

" I believe you. Now drop your weapon," The agent instructs

" That's not gonna happen. You're just gonna have to let this go," He says.

" No. No, I'm not gonna let this go," Dinah counters," You're gonna stand up in court and tell the world about Cerberus, Rawlins, everything. We want the same people. We want the same thing."

" You've been talking to somebody I know, huh?" Frank sighs.

In an act of either bravery or stupidity, Mary takes a step down the stairs, expecting Frank to follow her, only to be stopped by Dinah firing a warning shot.

" Let's get one thing straight," Frank growls as his grip around his gun tightens," Your issue is with me, not her. So you aim that gun at her one more time... we're gonna have a much bigger problem," he turns around and walks up the stairs, getting close enough to press the barrel of Madani's gun to his forehead," You're gonna shoot me, shoot me. Yeah? We're gonna walk down those steps. You do what you gotta do."