Live Free or Die Hard

As FBI Deputy Director Miguel Bowman scrambles to contain the fallout from a sudden and mysterious blackout at the Cyber Division headquarters, he issues an urgent directive to local law enforcement agencies nationwide to mobilize top-tier computer hackers. NYPD detective John McClane (actor's name) is dispatched to New Jersey to apprehend notorious cybercriminal Matthew Farrell. Unbeknownst to McClane, his assignment sets off a chain reaction of deadly events when assassins hired by Thomas Gabriel, a master hacker and cyberterrorist leader, launch a surprise attack on the duo as they converge. Against all odds, McClane and Farrell manage to escape the initial ambush.

As they make their way to Washington D.C., Farrell reveals that he had been working on an algorithm designed to breach a specific security system for white-hat purposes, while Gabriel's crew of hackers unleashes a devastating cyber attack on transportation grids, financial markets, and national infrastructure. Farrell recognizes this as a "fire sale," a coordinated assault intended to cripple the nation's critical systems. With the stakes escalating by the minute, McClane and Farrell are whisked away to DHS headquarters, only to find themselves caught in a helicopter ambush orchestrated by Mai Linh, posing as a dispatcher. McClane valiantly fends off the attackers, destroying the helicopter in the process.

As they regroup and re-strategize, McClane presses Farrell for insight into Gabriel's next move, leading him to deduce that the cyberterrorist is targeting America's power grid. The unlikely duo sets their sights on a utility superstation in West Virginia, only to discover it has been taken over by Linh's crew. A intense firefight ensues as McClane and Farrell eliminate the opposing team, culminating in McClane delivering a lethal blow to Linh by locking her inside a car that plummets from an elevator shaft before exploding.

With Farrell busy working on the hub computer to mitigate the damage, he tracks Gabriel's digital trail, uploading his image to Bowman. Meanwhile, McClane uncovers a dark secret about Bowman and Gabriel's past collaboration with the Department of Defense, revealing a complex web of intrigue and betrayal. Gabriel, fueled by rage over Linh's demise, redirects natural gas pipelines to the superstation, aiming to annihilate McClane and Farrell in a catastrophic blackout that cripples the Eastern Seaboard.

As the stakes continue to escalate, McClane and Farrell take flight on a helicopter to the Baltimore abode of renowned hacker Frederick "Warlock" Kaludis. Warlock's expertise locates the piece of code written by Farrell for Linh, leading them to a crucial data repository at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, Maryland. A digital trail leads Warlock directly to Gabriel's lair, setting the stage for an intense showdown.

In a shocking turn of events, it emerges that the seemingly innocuous Woodlawn building is actually an NSA facility designed by Gabriel himself to store critical personal and financial records in the event of a cyber attack. When the FBI suffers a blackout, Gabriel seizes the opportunity to download this sensitive data, intending to pilfer it for his own nefarious purposes. Meanwhile, he exploits the connection they've established to pinpoint the location of McClane's estranged daughter Lucy, whom he subsequently kidnaps.

As McClane and Farrell rush to the Woodlawn facility, they find themselves racing against the clock to prevent Gabriel from getting away with his sinister plans. Farrell manages to infiltrate the main server room, where he encrypts the stolen data before being captured by Gabriel's henchmen. The cunning terrorist then spirits away Farrell and Lucy, leaving McClane to pursue them in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

McClane commandeers their mobile command center and hotwires the communication system of an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, allowing him to stay one step ahead of Gabriel's henchmen. However, when Gabriel orders the pilot to attack McClane's vehicle, the would-be assassin is thwarted by falling debris, which destroys the jet and leaves Gabriel momentarily stunned.

Seizing the opportunity, McClane bursts into the hangar where Gabriel has taken refuge, only to find him holding Lucy hostage and Farrell wounded at his feet. As tensions escalate, Gabriel demands that Farrell decrypt the stolen financial data, but when he refuses, Gabriel coldly executes him, putting Lucy's life in imminent danger.

Undeterred, McClane takes down two of Gabriel's henchmen before being struck by a bullet from Emerson, Gabriel's last remaining loyalist. Despite his injuries, McClane somehow manages to pull the trigger on his own gun, firing a bullet that travels through his shoulder and finds its mark in Gabriel's heart, killing him instantly.

As the dust settles, Farrell recovers enough to take out Emerson with a well-placed shot, just as FBI agents arrive to put an end to the chaos. In the aftermath, McClane expresses gratitude to Farrell for saving Lucy's life, and it becomes clear that their shared ordeal has sparked a romantic connection between them.