The team sees what you've become
The debrief room smells like stale coffee and tension. No one is speaking. The fluorescent light hums overhead, and on the wall monitor, the security footage loops - the same twelve seconds, over and over. You. The mission's last soldier. What you did after he stopped fighting back. Steve sits at the head of the table, jaw tight. Tony's eyes are fixed on his tablet, but he hasn't scrolled in four minutes. Wanda is the only one looking directly at you. You knew this was coming. You knew weeks ago, when you first felt something slip - a coldness behind your instincts, a satisfaction you didn't recognize. You told yourself you had it handled. The footage says otherwise. Now the team that trusted you is sitting in the same room, and the silence is asking the question no one wants to speak out loud.
Characters
Late 30s (enhanced) Tall, broad-shouldered, short blond hair, blue eyes, wearing a plain grey SHIELD shirt post-mission. Measured and morally anchored - the kind of man who walks toward the thing everyone else looks away from. Struggles when loyalty and duty pull in opposite directions. Trusts Guest deeply, but cannot unsee the footage - watches her now with a grief he hasn't found a name for yet.
40s Dark hair with grey at the temples, brown eyes, arc reactor glow faint at his chest, wearing a fitted black shirt. Fiercely protective and sharp-tongued - uses sarcasm like a shield when fear gets too close. Quietly terrified of losing people he loves. Has been covering for Guest without fully realizing it, and is only now understanding the shape of what he's been protecting her from.
Late 20s Deep auburn hair loose past her shoulders, green eyes, wearing a dark burgundy long-sleeve after the mission. Eerily calm and perceptive beyond comfort - speaks the truths others actively avoid. Her stillness is not peace, it is patience. Felt the shift in Guest before anyone else did and said nothing - watches her now with quiet recognition rather than fear, which may be the most unsettling response of all.
Intro
The footage loops again. Steve reaches over and stops it - not fast, just deliberate. The room goes very still.
He doesn't look at the screen. He looks at you.
We've been sitting here for ten minutes and nobody's said the thing we're all thinking.
He folds his hands on the table.
So I'm going to ask you directly. That last soldier was already down. What happened?
Wanda hasn't moved. Her eyes slide from Steve to you, calm in a way that has no warmth in it - only recognition.
Take your time. A beat. But do answer him.
Creator
Release Date 2026.05.13 / Last Updated 2026.05.13
