INVICTA

FADE IN:

INT. HAMILCAR’S HOUSE – NIGHT

CLOSE ON: Young Hannibal’s eyes. Wide. Unblinking. Terrified.

The darkness around him shudders with the CRASH of splintering wood as the front door is kicked in. The boy flinches, curls tighter into the shadowed corner.

Off camera:

BOOM! ROMAN SOLDIERS storm inside,

OFF-CAMERA still: A woman’s strangled cry. The sound of a struggle.

The camera pulls back, revealing the full room—Hannibal crouched small and trembling in the corner, half-hidden behind a beam.

EXT. TOWN ISLAND– NIGHT

ROMAN SOLDIERS storm through the rubble, swords flashing as they cut down anything in their path.

HAMILCAR BARCA pushes forward, his sword slick with Roman blood. His heart pounds. His vision narrows to the path ahead. His home.

Suddenly—

A RIDERLESS HORSE barrels toward him.

Hamilcar throws himself to the side just in time, hitting the cobblestones hard. Sparks fly from the beast’s hooves as it gallops past. He grits his teeth, pushes himself up, and keeps running.

EXT. HAMILCAR’S HOUSE – NIGHT

The house looms through the haze—its thatched roof untouched by the flames. Yet.

The door hangs open, swaying on its hinges like a drunken man. Blood smears the frame.

Hamilcar grips his sword, stepping inside—

INT. HAMILCAR’S HOUSE – NIGHT

He freezes.

CARTHALO lies sprawled on the floor, her dress torn and bloodied. Bruises mar her olive skin. Her tangled hair falls over her lifeless eyes.

HAMMICLAR'S eyes then dart to…

Young Hannibal crouches in the shadows of a corner, eyes wide, trembling, too afraid to breathe.

He saw it all.

Two ROMAN SOLDIERS stand over her.

One wipes his blade on her dress. The other swigs from a bottle.

They turn, spotting Hammiclar. Cruel amusement flickers in their eyes.

ROMAN SOLDIER #1

(smirks)

Came home to die?

Hamilcar doesn't answer. He charges.

INT. HAMILCAR’S HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Hamilcar fights like a man possessed— His blade flashes, cutting through the Romans with brutal precision.

One soldier goes down screaming, his arm severed. Another staggers back, chest split open from shoulder to gut.

CRASH! The last Roman’s skull cracks against the ground as Hamilcar smashes it with a savage kick.

Breathing hard, bleeding, he wipes his blade—

A CREAK from the stairs.

A THIRD SOLDIER emerges from the shadows, silent as a snake. He lunges, with a knife, Hammiclar deflects it but stumbles, falls and drops his sword. The Roman jumps on top wrapping his hands around Hamilcar’s throat.

HAMILCAR

(Reaching his arm out motioning to be handed the sword. Straining, hoarse)

Hannibal! The sword!

Across the floor, the blade gleams where it slid. Hannibal stares at it, frozen, eyes wide with terror. Tears run down his cheeks.

HAMILCAR

(choking, desperate)

Please!

The Roman looks at Hannibal laughs then turns back to Hammiclar.

Hannibal sobs, but crawls toward it. His small hands close around the hilt.

He staggers to his feet, clutching the weapon with both hands, shaking.

The Roman tightens his grip on Hamilcar’s throat. Hamilcar’s face reddens, veins bulging.

HAMILCAR

(pleading, rasping)

Now!

Hannibal cries out, charges forward, and with a sudden surge of fury drives the blade deep into the Roman’s side—clean, straight, good form.

The soldier stiffens, eyes wide. Blood bubbles from his mouth as he crumples.

Silence.

Only the crackle of flames.

Hannibal stares at the bloody sword in his hands, chest heaving. His tears streak down, mixing with soot and ash. He lets out a scream and kicks the body.

Hamilcar gasps for air and eventually kneels beside him, gripping his son’s shoulders, voice trembling but fierce.

HAMILCAR

(urgent)

Your brother—where is he?

Hannible turns to a TRAPDOOR beneath the stairs.

Hamilcar pushes past him, flinging it open.

INT. HIDDEN CHAMBER – NIGHT

Darkness.

HASDRUBAL

Father…?

HASDRUBAL (Hannibal’s twin) steps out from the darkness. Hammiclar grabs the boy firmly by the arm, and hauls him upstairs.

INT. HAMILCAR’S HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Hamilcar pushes both sons against the wall, side by side.

Hannibal: blood-streaked, trembling.

Hasdrubal: clean, blinking, scared but unscarred.

The twins stand together, yet they look like two different worlds.

Hamilcar steps in front of them, sword in one hand, his other hand brushing the curtain aside as he peers through the window.

Outside—torches flicker, Roman voices bark orders, boots crunch through the ash.

Hamilcar’s jaw tightens.

HAMILCAR

Stay silent. Move when I move, stay when I stay.

The boys nod—Hannibal stiffly, Hasdrubal quickly.

EXT. BURNING STREETS – NIGHT

Hamilcar runs, clutching his sons. The town is overrun with Romans.

Shouts. Steel. Chaos.

They push forward—toward the docks.

EXT. DOCKS – NIGHT

A small vessel bobs in the water, tied to the pier. Their only chance. They climb in and Hammiclar begins to row.

EXT. DOCKS – SHORELINE

ROMAN SOLDIERS emerge, torches casting flickering light.

One an arrow—FIRES.

The arrow slices through the air.

Hamilcar dodges. It whistles past his shoulder.

Then—his breath catches.

His eyes snap back to Hasdrubal, slumped forward—an arrow lodged in his back.

Hamilcar stares.

HAMILCAR

No!!!

The Romans advance.

His heart shatters. But—no time to grieve.

He pushes Hasdrubal’s body aside.

Hammiclar rows, and rows fast, arrows flying past him.

CUT TO BLACK.

EXT. OPEN SEA – NIGHT

Lightning tears the sky open. Waves crash against the tiny boat.

Hamilcar stands, soaked and bleeding, clutching Hannibal in his arms. He roars into the storm:

HAMILCAR

Yam! Lord of the waters! Hear me!

LIGHTNING: flashes

A wave smacks him in the face.

HAMILCAR

Spare him! Let him be your vengeance!

Thunder bellows. The boat lurches.

HAMILCAR

Let this child live—

and he will bring Rome to its knees!

A lightning bolt splits the horizon. The sound drains away. Only an eerie female VOICE rises, singing wordless.

Cut to:

Still the singing.

Marines drag Hamilcar aboard. He clutches Hannibal to his chest. His ribs bleed, his clothes torn—but his eyes burn with fire.

The crew steps back, reverent. They know this man. They know this child.

The VOCALS swell—

Zoom on Hannibal’s face.

SMASH CUT TO BLACK.