"Worth" Comic Book Script

Plot for Seven Pages
Devin Leigh Michaels

Takes place during Captain America: Civil War Part Two: The Drums of War. Fury should have asked permission before taking on a new operative.



PAGE ONE
1—Sitting in the middle of his command center, surrounded by monitors that showed almost every major hub and city in the world, Nick Fury crosses his arms but doesn’t look away from Bucky’s fight with the cape killers.
NICK: I know you’re there.

2—We see a figure standing by the entrance to the womb, shadows blanketing all of him save his clenched fist and commando boots.
NICK (off): The kid’s better at this spook stuff than you.
ARES: I am DEAD. That makes me better than him.

PAGE TWO
1—Fury swivels from the monitors. The newcomer’s a shadow in the right hand side of the panel.
FURY: Semantics.
ARES: You should have consulted ME first.
FURY (linked): He’s old enough not to need a PERMISSION SLIP.
ARES (linked): That fact has not escaped me.

2—Fury stands.
NICK: Then let the boy live on his own.
NICK: He’s been manipulated enough. He doesn’t need you doin’ it to him, too.

3—The figure comes forward, but camera’s set behind him. He has graying temples on a thick crown of brown hair, cut military-clean. He has a black trench coat, slacks, and a black turtleneck.
ARES: And using Aphrodite’s spells to entice him to your service is not manipulating him?
NICK: He LOVED Gretchen. You can at least understand that.

4—Fury snorts and looks back at the monitors. On one of them behind him, we see Bucky taking care of business.
NICK: And your ‘death’ had nothin’ ta do wit’ his current predicament, huh?
ARES: He chose to stay in the military, to accept the burden of war without the knowledge of its conception, but his time as a solitary warrior has passed.
NICK: He’s good, TOO good. He can do what others can’t.
ARES (off): What YOU cannot.

PAGE THREE
1—Fury’s looking over his shoulder. There’s an attitude smirk there.
NICK: EXACTLY.
NICK (linked): He feels the need to make up for all the *^&% he did. Working for me does that for his battered soul.

2—Shot of the figure. If at all possible, he’s looking away. At the moment, he looks like a normal military man cloaked in the shadows.
ARES: He can do that at my side.

3—Fury snorts and motions toward the monitors.
NICK: Yeah, you’re right. That’s exactly what the kid needs, what your OTHER boy needs right? You don’t even know how to look at the youngster right, and you think you help the one who was an assassin?
Ares : That is not—

4—Fury crosses his arms. He’s done with this conversation. In the right hand corner, we catch a glimpse of Ares as George Barnes.
NICK: Then why are you even here, George, or do you prefer—

PAGE FOUR
1—First 3/4th of the page. And now we see the God of War in all his greatness.
NICK (off): …Ares?
ARES: You have tempted Alexander. Leave James to me.

2—Fury’s arms are still crossed.
NICK: I can save him. Let me.

PAGE FIVE
1—Ares continues forward in the womb, watching the monitors with a hard expression. He’s a military dad. Fury’s behind him.
ARES: He has dishonored enough.
NICK: No matter how dirty he got or will get, I’ll always see him in RED BOOTS standing next to Steve.

2—Ares glares over his shoulder at Fury. On the monitors scenes we see the cape killer fight in Captain America: Civil War Part Two: The Drums of War.
ARES: He fought dishonorably then as well.
NICK: Arguably dirtier than his time with the Russians. At least then, he didn’t know what he was doin’.

3—Ares looks away, slightly resigned.
ARES (muttering): THEY should have requested my approval.

4—Fury steps forward, but stops before putting a hand on Ares’s shoulder.
NICK: In case you’ve forgotten, his father had just died, and he needed an outlet. And you sure as hell weren’t going to help the kid.

5—Ares stalks toward the opening, his back to the camera.
ARES: I am the God of War. It was one of the greatest conflicts your people may ever know.

6—Worm’s eye shot of Fury.
NICK: WAS it worth it, Ares? All the hell that kid went through—the DEATHS at his hands—it could all have been stopped by one look from you. Was it worth it?

7—Ares looks down at Fury, biter.
ARES: Death is inevitable in battle.

8—Fury looks back at the monitors.
NICK: Yeah, maybe, but KILLING for a righteous cause is one thing. Being BRAINWASHED to fight against everything and everyone you believe in is another.
BUCKY (no pointer/electronic): It’s done, Fury.

PAGE SIX
1—Fury leans over the screens to mutter.
NICK: Don’t even think about it. I told you. Leave Lukin to me. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s satellites aren’t the only things watching him.
BUCKY (electronic): They better not be, Fury.

2—Fury never took his eyes off the monitor as Bucky drags a cape killer outfit out of the alley.
NICK: He’ll be back in a few minutes, and I’ve got to work to do. You know where the door is.

3—Ares stands still, eyes averted.

4—Fury sighs and whirls toward Ares.
NICK: Look, that kid’s been to Hell and back, figuratively and literally, and if someone didn’t do something to get him on the straight and narrow, then he would’ve be lost for real this time.
NICK: Steve couldn’t catch him, and you’re dead to him. I’m not going to let it be on my conscience if he self-destructs, not when I can do something.

5—Fury waves a dismissive hand.
NICK: Maybe YOU should do something, Ares, but that’s not my place. If nothing else, you should THANK me for savin’ his life.

PAGE SEVEN
1—Ares’s dull eyes suddenly looked elderly and longingly as he watched the Winter Soldier drag the cape-killer suit to his car. (Perhaps just an extreme close-up on the eyes.)
ARES: Fine. Keep him as your operative, but know this. If he falls—

2—Fury’s even about this.
NICK: If he falls, it will be honorable in combat.

3—Ares already has his back turned.
ARES: Fury, if this caused for Deimos to finally join my side in battle, then yes, it would have been worth it. Anything would have been worth THAT, just as having Alexander at my side is worth anything. If anyone were to take either away, he would feel the wrath of the God of War, and no amount of training, experience, or intelligence in the field of battle would save him. Assume it is worse than what Phobos promises when you look into his eyes.

4—Fury shrugs. We’re looking at his back, too.
NICK: Always good talking to you, Ares.

5—Fury leans over the monitors, watching a dashboard camera in Bucky’s hover car. His head is bowed, his face clenched. He has a hand to his Bluetooth.
NICK: Daisy? Yeah, you’ve got Alex?...Good. Take him home, just for the night. I’ve already poked the God of War enough for one day.

THE END