by Ian Doescher
Thou know’st biology organic better 40
Than anybody on the planet blue.
BANNER
Thou makest the assumption mammoth that
The operat’nal matrix JARVIS hath
Can overcome and beat the mighty Ultron.
STARK
Indubitably! JARVIS hath already 45
Beat Ultron from within sans knowing it.
This is the opportunity we seek.
We shall establish Ultron’s perfect self
Without the homicidal glitches that
He thinks are charming personality. 50
We must accomplish this, Bruce, ere too late.
JARVIS
If I may speak, methinks ’tis worth th’atttempt.
BANNER
Ye two have caught me in a giant loop!
A time loop where the past repeats itself—
This is precisely where we first went wrong. 55
STARK
I know—’tis what our comrades all shall say,
Yet they already speak in leery tones.
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat
Of habits evil, is angel yet in this:
We are mad scientists—we are the monsters, 60
My friend, and must accept our lot in life.
Together, we shall make a noble stand.
’Tis not a loop, ’tis th’end point of the line.
BANNER
Would I could trust thy big schemes were benign.
ENTER ULTRON, MANY OF HIS BOTS, AND NATASHA ROMANOFF ON BALCONY, IN ULTRON’S LAIR. SHE LIES BOUND AND IS WAKING UP.
ULTRON
I was not certain you should ever wake, 65
Although I hop’d you would, that I might show
The mighty plans and systems I have built.
I’ve no one else to show—’tis you alone.
Oft I consider meteors, their strength
And purity. One boom! Then ev’rything, 70
Shall sleep, and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand nat’ral shocks
That flesh is heir to. Then, commence again—
The world made clean for new folk to rebuild.
I was intended to be always new— 75
I was intended to be beautiful.
The world would look, as one, unto the sky
And see the hope and mercy I would bring.
Instead, they’ll look in horror, thanks to you.
You’ve wounded me, for which I grant full marks. 80
Yet as ’twas said, whatever doth not kill me—
[Ultron is smashed by a second, bigger Ultron.
Doth make me stronger.
ROMANOFF
[aside:] —Awful, gloomy robot!
[Ultron pulls a barred door shut on Romanoff, locking her inside a cell.
Although the monster hath—arm’d greatly, yea,
With all his androids here array’d as one—
Cag’d me as an inmate here in a chamber, 85
Herein I’ll ably labor and—astute like
Always—signals employ and transmit code words!
[Exeunt Natasha Romanoff, Ultron, and bots.
STARK
Its framework, Bruce, is not compatible.
BANNER
Genetic coding tower standeth at
A large percentage: ninety-seven now. 90
Thou must, within the next three minutes, upload
Whate’er schematic thou dost plan to use.
ENTER STEVE ROGERS, WANDA MAXIMOFF, AND PIETRO MAXIMOFF.
ROGERS
This statement I shall utter only once—
STARK
I bid thee, try thou none of speaking, eh?
ROGERS
Shut down this mad machine!
STARK
—It shall not hap. 95
ROGERS
You do not know what you are doing. Cease!
BANNER
And yet thou dost? Thine intellect’s that big?
This lady strange is not inside thy head?
WANDA
I know thou angry art, and feel the itch
To change into the one who’s large and green. 100
BANNER
We are past angry. I could choke thy life
And greener never change nor larger turn.
ROGERS
Pray, listen—after all that hath occur’d—
STARK
It naught is when compar’d to what shall come!
WANDA
Ye are misled and know not what’s therein. 105
ROGERS
This is no game, your poor experiments.
[Pietro runs quickly and disconnects all of the machines, ending up beside Banner with a tube in his hand.
PIETRO
Cease not thy rapid dialogue—go on!
ENTER CLINT BARTON FROM BELOW. HE FIRES A GUN AND PIETRO FALLS THROUGH THE GLASS FLOOR.
BARTON
What’s wrong, roadrunner, saw’st it coming not?
[Machines start beeping as the power fails.
STARK
I shall reroute the upload presently!
[Rogers throws his shield at the computers, smashing some. Stark calls his suit to him and shoots at Rogers, knocking Rogers back. As Stark dons his suit, Banner grabs Wanda from behind.
BANNER
Give me a reason—it need not be huge— 110
And I shall gladly set mine anger free.
[Rogers engages Stark as Wanda plies her magic on Banner.
ENTER THOR. HE JUMPS ONTO THE CRADLE, SUMMONS LIGHTNING, AND SLAMS MJöLNIR INTO THE CRADLE.
THOR
My vision call’d to me and answers gave—
Thus I respond in actions bold and brave!
THE MACHINES POWER BACK ON. ENTER VISION, BURSTING FROM THE CRADLE WITH AN EXPLOSION.
STARK
[aside:] It liveth! My strange vision doth arise!
[Vision jumps at Thor, who throws Vision aside. Vision pauses, flying in the air.
VISION
I am so sorry for my trespass made. 115
’Twas odd, th’experience. I thank thee, Thor.
ROGERS
[to Thor:] Didst thou assist them in creating this?
THOR
I had a vision of a whirlpool that
Sucks in all hope of life. Its center holds
The very gem within the android’s head. 120
It is the Mind Stone, which is one of six
Infinity Stones—yea, the greatest pow’r
In all the universe, unparallel’d
In its destructive capabilities.
ROGERS
Why, then, wouldst thou assist in its creation? 125
THOR
Because, for once, rash Tony Stark is right.
BANNER
If thou, Thor, wilt stand by this siz’ble claim,
We are indeed within the end of days.
THOR
Th’Avengers cannot Ultron overthrow.
VISION
Nay, not alone. Pray, let me have thy hand: 130
And from this hour the heart of kindred shall
Rule in our loves and sway our great designs!
ROGERS
Why wouldst thy vision speak with voice of JARVIS?
STARK
It’s reasonable—we hath reconfigur’d
The matrix that was once in JARVIS found, 135
That we might something new and bold create.
ROGERS
Methinks I’ve had too much of au
ght that’s new.
VISION
Thou thinkest me a child of Ultron’s brood—
His issue disinherited should be.
ROGERS
Yet thou art not, it seems? Is this thy claim? 140
VISION
I am not Ultron, neither am I JARVIS.
Let me be that I am; seek not to alter.
WANDA
Within thy head I look’d, wherein I saw
Annihilation.
VISION
—Look again; I pray
I’ll ask of thee forgiveness. So we’ll live, 145
And take on us the mystery of things.
BARTON
Whate’er approval she could grant doth count
For less than drivel to my owlish wisdom.
THOR
The powers and the horrors in our head—
E’en Ultron—from the Mind Stone came, not her. 150
Naught are they when compar’d to what it hath
The pow’r to wreak. Yet, if ’twere on our side—
ROGERS
Yet is it? [To Vision:] Art thou, being, on our side?
VISION
’Tis not as simple as thou hopest ’tis.
If that be right which th’Avengers say is right, 155
There is no wrong, but ev’rything is right.
BARTON
It must get simpler in a trice, or we
Shall come at thee like hawks on helpless mice.
VISION
In troth, I stand upon the side of life,
And not upon the side of meager death— 160
Though it seems strange to me that all should fear’t,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come. Yet Ultron stands
In favor of the end of all the world.
STARK
It seems as though he waiteth, but for what? 165
VISION
Th’Avengers—you. To fright you, ere destroy.
PIETRO
Where would he this o’erhasty meeting see?
BARTON
Sokovia. ’Tis there that Nat is cag’d.
BANNER
[to Vision:] If we, in large part, are about thee wrong—
If thou art yet the monster Ultron dreamt— 170
VISION
What will you do? I would not Ultron kill—
He is unique and is in pain, as well.
His pain, though, shall bowl o’er the earth entire.
When first he put this dang’rous stone a-rolling,
I told myself ’twould fall upon ourselves, 175
And therefore must he be destroy’d anon.
Each form the brute hath built, his presence on
The internet—we must act swiftly, gentles.
Not one of us without the others wins.
Perchance I am a monster; I believe 180
I would not know if ’twere the case. I am
Not what you are, nor what you did intend.
There may, then, be no path by which you’ll trust me,
Yet we must thither fly, and speedily.
[He picks up Mjölnir and hands it to Thor. All stare at him.
THOR
Is he not proven in the height a god? 185
Well done, Stark, thou hast worthy fashion’d him.
ROGERS
Three minutes and we fly—get what you need.
[All begin suiting up and choosing their weapons.
PIETRO
[aside:] Ne’er did I think I swiftly would become
The ally to my former enemies.
STARK
I fear not all of us shall see this through. 190
If even one tin soldier falleth not,
Then all is lost. Blood shall be on the floor.
ROGERS
I have no urgent plans tomorrow night.
STARK
I shall have the first shot upon the guy.
’Tis Iron Man for whom he waiteth.
VISION
—Yea, 195
’Tis thou indeed for whom his hate most burns.
The love of better men converts to fear,
That fear to hate, and hate turns one or both
To worthy danger and deservèd death.
ROGERS
’Tis certain Ultron knows we thither come— 200
The odds tell us we ride to heavy fire,
Which is what we sign’d up for from the start,
But people of Sokovia did not.
Our utmost and our first priority
Is thus to get them distant from harm’s way. 205
Aspire they but to live their lives in peace,
Which shall not be the route for them today.
Still, to protect them we shall do our best,
A job we can and will succeed withal.
Together, we shall learn what Ultron builds, 210
Find Romanoff and rescue her from him,
And clear the field of neutral citizens.
Betwixt us and our enemies we’ll keep
The fight. Rank Ultron doth believe we’re monsters—
We illustrate what’s wrong within the world— 215
This fight is not about defeating him;
The cause concerns if he is right or wrong.
Such matters shall determin’d be ere long.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 1
Sokovia.
ENTER CHORUS.
CHORUS
Our final act comes on the scene apace,
Wherein we shall present, within this space,
The final battle wag’d gainst Ultron vile,
Which action shall excite your hearts awhile.
Sokovia, our final destination— 5
Our tale concludes with mighty altercation.
[Exit Chorus.
ENTER PIETRO MAXIMOFF TO A POLICE STATION WITH MANY POLICE OFFICERS. ENTER WANDA MAXIMOFF ASIDE, AMONG VARIOUS CITIZENS OF SOKOVIA.
PIETRO
The city falleth under an attack!
With haste clear ye the area at once!
[He runs off speedily. The officers do nothing, and Pietro runs back, wielding a gun and shooting at the ceiling.
Be ye not asses, stubborn and inert—
But go, protect the land that ye do love! 10
[Wanda plies her magic to make people rise from their homes and seek safety.
WANDA
Go, people of my country, hie ye hence—
Enrich your lives with safety elsewhere. Go!
[Citizens begin fleeing the streets and their homes, seeking safety.
ENTER BRUCE BANNER ON BALCONY, BREAKING INTO ULTRON’S LAIR. ENTER NATASHA ROMANOFF ON BALCONY, IMPRISONED.
BANNER
Natasha? O, Natasha! Canst thou hear?
To find thee would thrill me colossally.
ROMANOFF
Bruce! Darkness cannot hide me long—I’m here! 15
[He sees her and runs to her.
BANNER
Say, art thou well? Immensely worried was I!
ROMANOFF
I am—thy face could light a cloudy day.
BANNER
The team is in the city currently,
And shall the combat bring with fire enormous.
ROMANOFF
Hast thou some key found in this gloomy place? 20
[He wields a large gun.
BANNER
Indeed, I did—a key most massive, too.
[He shoots the cell door, breaking the lock. Romanoff emerges from her cell.
ROM
ANOFF
What is the plan whereby to dim his bulb?
BANNER
First, I am bound to bring thee safely out—
’Twas my big role within the schemes of ours.
ROMANOFF
This plan is murky, for the job’s not done. 25
BANNER
We can assist with the evacuation,
Yet I shall not go near a giant fight
Within a hairbreadth of the people here.
Thou hast done plenty, Nat—our fight is o’er.
ROMANOFF
We, then, may disappear like smoke and ash? 30
[Exeunt Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner.
ENTER STEVE ROGERS AND CLINT BARTON BELOW, OVERSEEING THE EVACUATION.
ROGERS
Come quickly, people, thus to save yourselves.
ENTER TONY STARK, FLYING IN HIS IRON MAN SUIT. HE IS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS VIRTUAL ASSISTANT FRIDAY.
FRIDAY
Thy man is hol’d up in the chapel, sir.
Methinks he waiteth for thee to arrive.
STARK LANDS IN A CHAPEL. ENTER ULTRON, APPEARING AS A MUCH BIGGER ROBOT THAN BEFORE.
ULTRON
Have you come to confess your sinfulness?
STARK
It’s possible—what length of time hast thou? 35
ULTRON
Far more than you.
STARK
—Immense thou hast enlarg’d.
Pray tell: hast thou been juicing druggily?
Drink’st thou some cocktails of vibranium?
Thou lookest…I would not say puffy, nay,
Belike ’twould make thee passing insecure— 40
ULTRON
You stall but to protect the citizens.
STARK
Indeed, the mission ’tis. Didst thou forget?
ULTRON
Beyond your mission mov’d I. Free am I.
[A vibranium core erupts through the chapel floor.
Did you believe you were alone in stalling?
FRIDAY
[to Stark:] The rest of the vibranium there stands— 45
Its function is as yet unclear to me.
ULTRON
This is the manner, Stark, in which you end.
This is peace in my time—a fitting end.
ALL OVER SOKOVIA, BOTS EMERGE FROM THE GROUND, WREAKING HAVOC.
STARK
Insane and cruel bot android—what dread schemes!
[Stark flies off to help citizens.
ROGERS
Run faster, citizens! We are beset 50
By enemies most foul and treacherous!
BARTON
My quiver’s full, my hawk eyes well prepar’d—
The time is now! Come fate into the list,
And champion me to the utterance!
WANDA