ROY CARTER'S HOUSE – EARLY MORNING
The house is quiet. A faint hum of the fridge, the ticking of the old wall clock. Leo Carter, 10 years old, backpack slung over one shoulder, stands at the door. his hoodie slightly worn. He's got that spark in his eyes—the kind that hides a thousand questions.
LEO (cheerfully) "Grampa Roy, I'm staying over at Jace's place for the summer break after school, okay? It's 2 months. Don't worry—I packed extra socks!"
Roy Carter, grizzled and broad-shouldered, sits in his recliner with a mug of black coffee. His face is carved from stone, but his eyes flicker—just for a second.
ROY (gruffly) "Tch don't be stupid. If anything goes wrong you call. Got it?"
ROY I left some money in your school bag. Should last three weeks.. Don't waste it all in one place. And if you run out… call."
LEO (smiling softly) "I'll come by when I can. Promise. You won't even miss me… much."
Leo waves, his fingerless gloves, worn and mismatched—one from Dad, one from Mom. He stepped out into the morning light. The door clicks shut.
Roy's eyes soften slightly. His grip on the coffee mug loosens.
Three Years Earlier – The Mission
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
(FLASHBACK) POV: Leo's parents, agents in their 20s, mid-mission.
Rain lashes the broken windows. Inside, Nora Carter and Miles Carter move like shadows—silent, precise. They're dressed in tactical gear, earpieces crackling.
NORA (whispering) "Target's in the northeast corridor. We extract the intel, then we're out."
MILES (smirking) "Pfft, Please. This is checkmate with style."
They exchange a glance. Then they move.
Gunfire erupts. Chaos. Nora dives behind a crate, clutching a flash drive. Miles covers her, but a bullet finds him. He collapses.
Nora (screaming) "MILES!"
She runs to him, grabbing his hand, her fingerless gloves soaking in his blood. He smiles weakly, blood trickling down from his mouth.
MILES (softly) "Nora… I love you."
NORA (choking back tears) "I love you too. Always. Even in the dark."
A second shot. Nora falls beside him, still clutching his hand.
NORA (to earpiece) "A.. Agent Spector we're down..."
STATIC…
The flash drive rolls across the floor, the flash drive written in red letters said
"STARWOOD HOLLOW",
blinking red.
Roy's Phone Call
ROY'S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Roy sits in the same recliner. The television glows with static. Then suddenly the telephone rings.
ROY (answering) "Yeah?"
VOICE ON TELEPHONE "Mr. Carter... your daughter and son-in-law didn't make it. Leo, their son is being brought to you. He'll arrive in about an hour."
Silence.
Roy doesn't speak. He just stares at the wall. The mug in his hand trembles. Outside, thunder rolls.
Back to Present
Roy grips on the mug, clutching his jaw, as he watches Leo walk to the bus with Jace through the window, who was already waiting outside for him.
ROY (muttering) "Damn it… He was just a kid. And they took everything.."