William Shakespeare's Avengers

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William Shakespeare's Avengers Page 17

by Ian Doescher


  The opportunity hath murky turn’d.

  BANNER

  My disappointment’s vast—we miss’d our window.

  ROMANOFF

  Did we? I prithee, is our situation

  So dark that we deserve not something light,

  So sad that we have earn’d not some sweet bliss? 20

  BANNER

  The world just saw the Hulk upon display—

  The real Hulk, loose and free—for its first time.

  Thou knowest well that I must leave anon.

  ROMANOFF

  Yet thou assumest I must stay? I had

  A dream, a vision caught in creeping shadows, 25

  The type that seemeth normal at the time,

  Yet when one waketh—

  BANNER

  —What was thy grand dream?

  ROMANOFF

  That I was an Avenger. I’d become

  Aught more than those who train’d me to destroy

  And ply assassination had made me. 30

  BANNER

  Thou art immensely hard upon thyself.

  [She steps toward him.

  ROMANOFF

  Yet did I hope that was thy job—was it

  A simple dream and nothing more?

  BANNER

  —What art

  Thou doing by these words, too large and sudden?

  [She takes his hand.

  ROMANOFF

  I shall run with thee, seek the shades of night, 35

  If running is the future thou intendest.

  As far, as fast as thou dost wish, I’ll go.

  BANNER

  Art thou gone mad? Thy promise is too big.

  [He steps away from her.

  ROMANOFF

  How can I make thee understand my words,

  No longer cloak’d beneath obscurity— 40

  BANNER

  Natasha, pray, take heed: where can I go?

  Where in the massive world am I no threat?

  ROMANOFF

  Thou art no threat to me, Black Widow thine.

  BANNER

  Canst thou be certain? E’en if the large man

  Were never seen again, no future lies 45

  Within the thorny path that I must trod.

  [He indicates the room around them.

  I cannot, may not, shall not, live in such

  Familial comfort—children, spouse, and home.

  If thou canst view the numbers, calculate:

  One, physically it may never be. 50

  ROMANOFF

  ’Tis true for me as well—my body, too—

  One who doth bear the marks of my dark past.

  The Red Room where I train’d to be a soldier,

  Where I was wholly rais’d—therein they hold

  A graduation ceremony, Bruce. 55

  They sterilize each pupil—’tis efficient.

  One fewer thing o’er which their minds must worry.

  The single item that could matter more

  Than any mission thereby is expung’d.

  All is made easier by this approach, 60

  E’en killing. Tell me, now: dost thou imagine

  Thou art the only monster on the team?

  BANNER

  Thy one and my one, broken and afraid—

  Shall the summation be two who survive?

  Shall we just disappear, with purpose grand? 65

  ROMANOFF

  ’Twill be less dim, if thou wilt take my hand.

  [Exeunt together.

  ENTER TONY STARK AND STEVE ROGERS, CHOPPING WOOD OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.

  STARK

  Is’t true Thor told thee not where he would seek

  His answers?

  ROGERS

  —If thou wilt consider Barton,

  Thou knowest, sometimes, my team doth not tell

  Me ev’rything, though in this instance I 70

  Suppos’d that Thor might the exception prove.

  STARK

  If thou wilt give him time, he may yet be.

  We know not what the sister Maximoff

  Reveal’d to him.

  ROGERS

  —“Earth’s heroes most profound.”

  Thus are we known, yet they pull’d us apart 75

  Like cotton candy at some jubilee.

  STARK

  It seemeth thou hast walk’d away in health.

  ROGERS

  Is that a problem? Doubtest thou my soul?

  STARK

  I trust no person sans a darker side.

  Perchance I am old-fashion’d.

  ROGERS

  —Let us say, 80

  Perchance thou hast not seen my darkness yet.

  STARK

  Is’t plain to thee that Ultron doth attempt

  To rend our team asunder in a trice?

  ROGERS

  Thou certainly wouldst know, as his creator,

  Though whether thou wouldst tell us is uncertain. 85

  STARK

  Ill-manner’d man, hear: Banner and myself

  Were plying research, nothing else.

  ROGERS

  —Such research

  As would affect the team.

  STARK

  —In truth, my friend,

  Such research as would end the team completely.

  Is’t not our mission? Is’t not why we fight? 90

  Would we not end the fight and home return?

  [Rogers pulls apart a piece of wood with his bare hands.

  ROGERS

  Whenever someone undertakes to end

  A war or skirmish ere it hath begun,

  Full many innocent shall die—each time.

  ENTER LAURA BARTON.

  LAURA

  I beg your pardon, gentlemen, for this 95

  Curt interruption of your conversation,

  But, Master Stark—Clint said you would not mind—

  Our tractor will not start. Perhaps you could—

  STARK

  I’ll look upon it. [To Rogers:] Take not from my pile.

  [Exeunt Steve Rogers and Laura Barton. Stark walks into the barn and sees the tractor.

  Holla, Deere. Tell me ev’rything thou need’st. 100

  What aileth thee, and wherefore start’st thou not?

  ENTER NICK FURY.

  FURY

  Grant me one favor, Tony: do not try

  To bring the farming vehicle to life.

  STARK

  [aside:] Ingenious Lady Barton, little minx.

  [To Fury:] Maria Hill hath call’d thee, is that so? 105

  Hath ever she not been in thine employ?

  FURY

  Intelligence by artificial means—

  You did not hesitate to cross that bridge.

  STARK

  In troth, the day hath long and tiring been—

  As long as plays by bard Eugene O’Neill— 110

  Thus, may we skip along unto the lines

  Where thou becomest useful unto me?

  FURY

  Look me in th’eye and tell me you did plan

  To shut him down.

  STARK

  —I shall do no such thing—

  Thou art not the director of me, Fury. 115

  FURY

  I’m not director over anyone,

  But one old man who cares about you, Stark.

  STARK

  It seems I, then, go down in history

  As he who did th’Avengers kill.

  FURY

  —What’s this?

  STARK

  I s
aw the vision, yet told not the team. 120

  How could I? They lay dead before mine eyes.

  The lot of them, all slain, and I could feel’t.

  The whole world, too, because of my deeds, Nick.

  This vision caught me wholly unprepar’d,

  For it appear’d I had not done whate’er 125

  I could my friends and planet to protect.

  FURY

  This Wanda Maximoff doth work you woe.

  She playeth on your fear an ’twere a harp

  And she a virtuoso on the strings.

  STARK

  It was no trick of th’ear, but sight of eyes— 130

  The music I could see as plain as day.

  ’Twas not a nightmare, ’twas my legacy—

  The coda that resulted from the downbeat

  That I, the great conductor, first began.

  FURY

  You are a great composer of inventions, 135

  Your oeuvre most impressive, Tony, yea.

  War, though, with all its clangs and dissonance,

  Is not among your better works.

  STARK

  —Indeed,

  I stood and watch’d while my friends took their rest—

  Thou mayhap would consider this the worst. 140

  ’Twas not, however, the worst note I hit.

  FURY

  The worst note was that you died not with them;

  Your sound continued while theirs faded hence.

  [They walk inside the house.

  ENTER THOR ON BALCONY, WAITING. ENTER DOCTOR ERIK SELVIG ON BALCONY, SEVERALLY.

  SELVIG

  Your look—the hoodie and the pantaloons—

  Is far less formal than your normal fare. 145

  It suits you well, near human do you look.

  If you, though, hop’d for inconspicuous,

  A near miss ’tis.

  THOR

  —I come to seek thy help.

  SELVIG

  ’Tis always well to be the one who’s needed,

  When often have I been the one in need. 150

  THOR

  ’Tis dangerous, this favor that I ask.

  SELVIG

  I should be disappointed if ’twere not.

  [Exeunt together.

  ENTER STEVE ROGERS, BRUCE BANNER, NATASHA ROMANOFF, AND CLINT, LAURA, COOPER, AND LILA BARTON IN THE HOUSE. STARK AND FURY WALK IN AND GREET THEM.

  FURY

  [to all:] Holla, Avengers—here are we, as one.

  Let me explain how ye are hither come—

  Vile Ultron took your party out of play 155

  That he, thereby, might gain some time to plan.

  My contacts various report that he’s

  Engag’d in building something grand. The vast

  Sum of vibranium with which he did

  Abscond suggests ’tis not one thing alone. 160

  ROGERS

  Yet what of Ultron—where’s the beast himself?

  FURY

  He simpler is, an easy prey to track,

  For he is ev’rywhere—doth multiply

  E’en faster than a rabbit Catholic.

  Regrettably, his omnipresence hath 165

  Not help’d us understand his larger plan.

  STARK

  Is he still seeking launch codes?

  FURY

  —Yea, forsooth,

  Yet makes no progress nearer to that end.

  STARK

  I crack’d the firewall of the Pentagon

  When I was but a teen, upon a dare. 170

  FURY

  Our friends at Nexus I have ask’d thereof.

  ROGERS

  What’s Nexus?

  BANNER

  —The grand hub of th’internet

  That is in Oslo found. Each byte of data

  Flows through the mouth of Nexus at some point.

  They have the fastest access known on earth. 175

  BARTON

  [to Fury:] What did these peregrines report to thee?

  FURY

  Upon the missiles Ultron fixateth.

  The codes, however, constantly are chang’d.

  STARK

  Indeed? By whom?

  FURY

  —By parties yet unknown.

  ROMANOFF

  Have we some ally hiding in the shadows? 180

  FURY

  Nay, Ultron hath an enemy, it seems,

  Which, as you know, is not equivalent.

  Still, many ducats I would gladly give

  To know th’identity of this code changer.

  STARK

  Immediately must I Oslo visit, 185

  To find the one unknown.

  ROMANOFF

  —As fun as ’tis

  To see thee, boss, I hop’d when next I laid

  Mine eyes on thee, thou wouldst have something we

  Could use and would not cloud the matter more.

  FURY

  I something have—’tis you. The great Avengers. 190

  Once I had eyes and ears most ev’rywhere,

  Whilst ye enjoy’d the best technology,

  Which was such stuff as dreams are made on, truly.

  Stand we again within reality,

  Naught but our wit and will to save the world. 195

  Rank Ultron doth believe th’Avengers are

  The only thing betwixt him and his mission.

  Should he admit it to himself or not,

  His mission is to bring worldwide destruction.

  This life—this little life that we call ours— 200

  Wrapp’d in a shroud and buried in the grave.

  Stand, then, Avengers—once more to the breach!—

  Outwit the bastard platinum, ye brave.

  ROMANOFF

  Steve liketh not that darker shade of language.

  ROGERS

  Hold thou thy tongue, thou pesky Romanoff! 205

  FURY

  What wanteth Ultron?

  ROGERS

  —To, at last, turn better,

  E’en better—yea, and stronger, too—than us.

  He buildeth extra bodies constantly—

  STARK

  In human form—and wherefore should that be?

  The human body inefficient is; 210

  We are outmoded biologically,

  Yet ne’ertheless doth Ultron thence return.

  ROMANOFF

  When you dim-witted fellows programm’d him

  To save the human race, you fail’d in full.

  BANNER

  Behold these pictures on the table here, 215

  The paintings little Lila did create

  Of butterflies from chrysalis emerging.

  The human race no greater safeguard needs—

  ’Tis evolution it requires to thrive.

  Methinks that Ultron planneth to evolve. 220

  FURY

  I pray, what do you mean? Evolve how so?

  BANNER

  Hast been in contact with the greatest mind

  In nat’ral science, Doctor Helen Cho?

  FURY

  Of course—who else could give him what he needs?

  [The Avengers begin preparations for their departure. Exeunt all except Stark and Rogers.

  ROGERS

  I’ll take Clint and Natasha for support. 225

  STARK

  It shall be well, but prithee ply thou but

  Reconnaissance and nothing more. I shall

  Unto the Nexus, join thee when I may.

  ROGERS

 
If Ultron truly doth construct a body—

  STARK

  I sense thy meaning—it shall stronger be 230

  Than any one of us could ever hope,

  And peradventure all of us combin’d.

  An android by a robot fabricated.

  ROGERS

  But how I miss the days when th’oddest thing

  That science ever conjur’d was myself! 235

  ENTER NICK FURY.

  FURY

  I shall take Banner to Stark Tower now—

  Is’t well with thee if I take Lady Hill?

  STARK

  It is apparent she is wholly thine.

  ROGERS

  What is thy plan, Director Fury, sir?

  FURY

  I know not, but it shall dramatic be! 240

  [Exeunt.

  ENTER CLINT AND LAURA BARTON.

  BARTON

  The flooring of the sunroom I shall fix

  When I, hereafter, to the roost return.

  LAURA

  Then shalt thou find another section of

  The house to tear apart—I know thee well.

  BARTON

  Nay, ’tis my final project—thereupon 245

  I’ll lie my feathers down and be at rest.

  It is my promise, if I have thy heart.

  [They kiss.

  LAURA

  Take it completely as thou dost depart.

  [Exeunt.

  SCENE 4

  U-Gin genetics research lab, South Korea.

  ENTER ULTRON, HIS BOTS, DOCTOR HELEN CHO, AND VARIOUS ASSISTANTS. ENTER WANDA AND PIETRO MAXIMOFF, ASIDE, LOOKING ON. THEY WORK NEAR THE REGENERATION CRADLE.

  CHO

  ’Tis beautiful, the process that occureth!

  The atoms of vibranium aren’t merely

  Compatible withal the cells of tissue,

  But bind them—something S.H.I.E.L.D. could ne’er

  imagine.

  ULTRON

  Most versatile of ev’ry substance on 5

  The planet, and they us’d it for a Frisbee.

  How typical of human witlessness—

  They scratch the surface, yet look not within

  To see the many possibilities.

  [Loki’s scepter is split, revealing an Infinity Stone. Ultron picks it up and drops it into a body forming in the regeneration cradle.

  CHO

  It shall be hours ere cellular cohesion, 10

  Yet we may start the stream of consciousness, sir—

  We now shall upload thy cerebral matrix.

  WANDA

  His head I can detect—it seems he dreams.

  CHO

  The term’s not apt, I would not call it dreaming—

  ’Tis merely the base consciousness of Ultron, 15

  The noise of information, nothing more. Soon—

  ULTRON

  How soon? I would not too impatient grow.

  CHO

  A phys’cal brain complete are we imprinting,

 

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