Marvel's The Punisher

This is an interview being conducted

at the request of the Office of the Inspector General...

and will form part of the official inquiry into recent events.

Are you happy to proceed?

Did you understand the question, Special Agent Madani?

I heard you fine.

Let's just get this over with.

I'm sure we've all got things we'd rather be doing, huh?

Interview suspended at... 11:23.

I'm sure you could use a refresher, yeah?

I just wanna make sure we're on the same page before we go on.

A Homeland agent's poor taste in sexual partners

caused the murder of several DHS agents and almost cost her own life.

That the tale you want me to spin?

The one that leaves Rawlins a decorated hero

and Ahmad Zubair just some guy in an unmarked grave?

It's also the one that allows you to keep your job

and Frank Castle his liberty.

And you still feel like shit,

because all you did was try to do the right thing,

bring the right people to justice.

I think you're pretty special, Madani.

I mean, you're lying here in a bed with a bullet hole in your head,

and you're still not thinking of yourself.

That's as rare as rocking horse shit.

And we need people like you in the system, or we're lost.

No one's asking you to like the lie.

Just to understand it.

People have a right to the truth. Whatever else, there's that.

I am not gonna pretend that this isn't gonna sting,

but this is the least worst option for all of us.

Yeah.

Call her back in.

Was your relationship with Billy Russo sexual in nature?

Yes.

Where did you and Billy Russo first engage in intercourse?

In my apartment.

Do you believe Billy Russo engaged in this relationship

to manipulate you and gain access to your investigation?

Yes.

Did he succeed at that aim?

Yes.

When did you first become aware of Billy Russo's criminal activity?

When he pointed a gun at my head and threatened to kill me.

You didn't ever consider him a suspect before that time?

No. We wouldn't all be sitting here if I had, would we?

Should you have?

Yeah.

For the tape.

Yes.

Once you discovered his criminal actions, you endeavored to apprehend him?

Yes.

Alone?

Yes.

For the record...

Sam Stein warned me against trusting Russo.

I ignored his warnings...

and it got him killed.

I've never been shot.

I've never even pulled my gun on anyone in anger.

So I can't even pretend to imagine how you...

But I have made decisions,

and I've sent men and women into situations where they've lost their lives.

And I have to deal with that.

And, now, so do you.

Now, you wanna call her back, tell her everything?

Castle, Zubair, Rawlins... Go ahead.

I'd survive.

The CIA would certainly survive. Even Rafi.

I don't know about justice, but the truth would be out there.

You and Castle would have to bear the brunt of that.

So it's your call.

Gut check, Madani.

Are you good with all of this?

- Are you good with all of this? - Are you good with that?

So, are you good with that?

- Are you good with that? - It's that easy for you, huh?

Easy's got nothing to do with it.

But it does, right? You...

You decide someone deserves to be gone, and, bang, they're gone.

No second thoughts, no qualms, no conscience.

And then on you go, happy and safe on your...

I guess at least borderline psychopathic, merry way.

Listen, Madani, you're right.

I can do it.

I could kill him and just walk away.

But that doesn't mean it's easy.

I can live with it, yeah. I can live with anything.

There's no peace up here.

There's no happy medium that I'm looking for.

But war...

War is not easy.

"War"?

"War"? Listen to yourself!

This isn't some foreign country with guys you never met shooting at you.

- This is home. It's different. - Is that right?

It has to be different.

Yeah, tell that to my wife and kids!

Madani...

you went into that hospital,

you sat with him every day and every night.

What did you want? Why were you there? Just be honest.

You thought about it, didn't you?

You were tempted to just put him down.

Never.

Why are we meeting like this?

Why don't you have Curtis in some interview room

with a bunch of your lackeys around you? It's because you know it.

You realize this only ends with Billy dead.

That's why I'm here, right? To convince you that that's okay.

- It's okay to want that. - No.

No.

Okay.

All right.

- How about you? - Oh, I wanna go home.

I want this over with.

You want him dead, Curt?

How else does this end?

You know where he is?

I know a guy who does.

Then go home.

Just get me the address and stay out of the way.

Look, I owe you both. That's why I'm gonna get this done.

Question is, is that gonna be enough?

'Cause maybe this is something you need to do for yourselves.

- More? - Mmm-hmm.

Did I hurt you?

I thought that was kind of the point.

You live with pain long enough, you start to...

miss it when it's gone.

And then, well, you discover the pain-pleasure connection.

It's better than pills, right?

I would say so.

Ask.

Everybody does, in the end.

Oh?

Everybody, huh?

No one special.

I scare them off.

Okay.

What happened?

I took a fall when I was nine...

and spent two years getting put back together.

Accident?

Yeah.

Well, they're part of you now.

That's all I need to know.

Where are you going?

Billy?

I slept great last night.

No dreams, no... skulls.

No fear.

- That's good. We're making progress. - Yeah.

Yeah, I feel good today.

Clear.

But not because of any therapy.

Because of you.

You. Us. This... this, here.

But also, because of what's out there.

My... My guys.

You think you're safe, but you're not.

Well, I don't give a shit about safe. I never did.

You wanna know... Do you wanna know why I think I was scared?

Because I was locked in a room with no way out. I am not a...

I'm not a house pet, Krista.

And, look, I... I know... I know what it is that I lost.

I had everything that I ever wanted.

Money, power, purpose, my own... my own company. Apparently.

And, somehow, I managed to throw that all away.

I don't know what's worse.

Losing it...

or not even remembering what it felt like to have it.

But I want some of it back.

And I can't...

You've done so much for me already, and I shouldn't be here anymore.

You're leaving?! Now?!

That's what you think I am?

You think I'm gonna let myself be used by you?

I am not to blame. I know that.

Nobody is blaming you for anything.

People left behind always get the blame.

Looking for this?

The last woman to point a gun at me got a bullet in the head.

- Or so you tell me. - You don't get to decide.

- I am trying to protect you here. - I will not be the reason you die.

And I won't be the reason that you ruin your life.

Don't go.

You're sure this is everyone?

I got a print for everyone

who so much as thumbed a mug at the coffee shop that morning.

The cup's got a print, but nothing comes back. I mean...

that's your guy.

I just don't know who your guy is.

I mean, that's him. I just don't have a way to tell...

Yeah, I get it.

Look, run them through NSA, CIA, DOD, too.

Duh. Because it never entered my head to do that?

I've run them through all the databases, domestic and foreign.

Even tried a few ID tools that don't officially exist.

Not a single hit on your guy.