by Ian Doescher
’Tis well, yea?
THOR
’Tis well.
QUILL
—For th’record, Rocket, I know thou
Art only going thither for ’tis where
Foul Thanos is not found—most cowardly.
ROCKET
Thou shouldst not speak so to thy noble captain. 190
Come, Groot, let’s thither. And put the game
away—’twill rot thy brain.
[Thor, Rocket, and Groot climb into the pod.
THOR
I bid ye all farewell and good luck, fools.
Farewell until the next thread harsh fate spools.
[Exeunt Thor, Rocket, and Groot in the pod. Exeunt others.
SCENE 1
Scotland.
ENTER VISION, WAKING FROM A DREAM.
VISION
My troublous dream this night doth make me sad.
There is a screeching sounding in my head
That is a portent of a greater woe,
Which cometh from the Stone within my pate.
ENTER WANDA MAXIMOFF.
WANDA
What is it, Vis? What thought fills thee with dread? 5
For from our room thou suddenly wert gone.
Is it the Stone again?
VISION
—’Tis like it speaks,
An ’twere the morning trumpet, blowing loud.
Its brass voice sounds through my thoughts’ lazy tents.
WANDA
What doth it say upon this starlit night? 10
VISION
Alas, I do not know, but something vital.
It hath great matters to impart to me.
[The Stone glows and Vision winces in pain.
Lay thy hand here, upon my head, and tell
Me what thou feelest, Wanda.
WANDA
—’Tis but thou—
The only thing within thy head is thou. 15
Come, let us walk awhile if ’tis thy will.
[They get dressed and walk to the street.
There is a train at ten o’clock tomorrow,
Which gives us more time ere thou must return.
VISION
By this short schedule may my spirit know
Some grief, but not my grief’s true quality, 20
Should it bear me away. What if I miss’t?
WANDA
Another at eleven moves ahead.
VISION
What if I that train, ev’ry train, did miss?
What if, this time, I never did return?
For where thou art, there is the world itself, 25
With ev’ry sev’ral pleasure in the world,
And where thou art not, desolation is.
WANDA
Thou gav’st thy word to Stark, he who is rich.
VISION
I’d rather give it thee, who mak’st me rich.
The very instant that I saw you did 30
My heart fly at your service; there resides.
WANDA
Yet many people do expect me, too—
We both are bound by promises once said.
VISION
Not to each other, sadly. These two years
We’ve stolen moments, seeing if’t could work 35
And I don’t—er, um—for myself I’d speak:
I think ’tis working, yea, I would not wish
Any companion in the world but thee.
WANDA
It works—I’d not unhitch myself from thee.
VISION
Therefore stay yet; thou need’st not to be gone. 40
Or mayhap not, if I have overstepp’d.
[Wanda sees a screen behind her, showing footage of Maw’s destruction in New York, and is caught off guard.
WANDA
What are they, which do fill me with such fear?
VISION
They are, belike, that which the Stone within
Would warn me of. This news account reports
That Stark is missing. Fie! Thus must I fly. 45
For your fair sake have I neglected time,
Play’d foul play with my oaths: thy beauty, sweet,
Hath much deform’d me, fashioning my humors
E’en to the oppos’d end of our intents.
WANDA
Nay, Vision, if ’tis true then please, instead, 50
Fly not, for’t may not be thy best idea.
ENTER CORVUS GLAIVE, SUDDENLY RUNNING VISION THROUGH WITH A LANCE. ENTER PROXIMA MIDNIGHT SEVERALLY, THROWING WANDA ASIDE.
GLAIVE
Now shall thy Stone be for my master ta’en.
[Wanda arises, shooting Glaive and Midnight with her beams. She pulls Vision to her by her magic.
VISION
The blade hath stopp’d my phasing presently—
The potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit.
WANDA
Art thou misled? Is’t even possible? 55
VISION
It should not be. My systems fail, sweet Wanda.
I have more care to stay than will to go:
Methinks perhaps we should have stay’d in bed.
[Glaive returns and attacks Vision. They fight. Meanwhile, Midnight attacks Wanda.
GLAIVE
[to Vision:] Give up the Stone and we shall let her live.
[They fight more. Glaive turns the beam from Vision’s head back upon him. Vision screams as Glaive begins removing the Stone from his head.
WANDA
My paramour doth shriek—his calm hath fled! 60
[Wanda subdues Midnight, knocking her aside, then runs to Vision and Glaive.
[To Glaive:] Unhand him, villain! Thou shalt not succeed!
[She knocks Glaive aside with her beams and flies away with Vision, but Midnight shoots at them and knocks them down.
Come, Vision, up! For we must go anon.
VISION
Thou must be gone and live, or stay and die.
WANDA
Thou bidd’st me stay; thou wouldst not be gainsaid.
Thus shall I stay, and bid me not away. 65
[Midnight and Glaive catch up with them. Wanda turns to face them.
MIDNIGHT
What is this other presence that I feel?
SHE THROWS HER SPEAR. ENTER STEVE ROGERS, CATCHING IT. ENTER SAM WILSON IN HIS FALCON SUIT, KICKING MIDNIGHT ASIDE. ENTER NATASHA ROMANOFF, ATTACKING GLAIVE.
ROMANOFF
[aside:] A jump, a roundhouse kick, a dodge, a duck—
’Tis well to join the fight gainst these dark foes!
[Midnight and Glaive are subdued.
MIDNIGHT
Get up, Glaive!
GLAIVE
—I cannot.
ROMANOFF
—We would not kill
You monstrous, awful creatures, but we will. 70
MIDNIGHT
Ne’er shall you have that chance again, I’ll wager.
[Exeunt Midnight and Glaive on a beam as the ring ship flies overhead and disappears.
FALCON
[to Vision:] Stand up?
[They pull Vision to his feet.
VISION
—I can no other answer make
But thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks, good Captain.
ROGERS
Come, let us get thee soon aboard the jet.
[They all make their way to the Quinjet and board it.
ROMANOFF
Methought we had a deal: stay close, check in, 75
And take no chances bleak.
WANDA
—I�
��m sorry, truly.
We but desir’d a simple niche of time.
WILSON
Where shall we fly, Cap?
ROGERS
—Home shall be sublime.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 2
Space, and Knowhere.
ENTER GAMORA.
GAMORA
Grim, strange, and awful memories are mine,
Which come to me whilst I am yet abed.
My mind recalls how, as a little child,
My town—my planet whole—was ransack’d by
The evil Thanos and his team of thugs. 5
My mother tried to guard me in her arms,
And bid me hush, for all would soon be well.
The fighting and the suffering were clear,
Explosions causing me to scream, afeard.
My noise betray’d the place where we two hid, 10
Until an alien burst in on us.
Leviathans and lasers fill’d the air,
Destroying swiftly our compatriots.
The voice of Maw above the ruckus rang,
To tell of our peculiar privilege 15
In being conquer’d by the mighty Thanos.
He bid us choose a side, as if we who
Were beat had any choices left to us.
I separated was from my dear mother,
And borne directly unto Thanos cruel. 20
Insensibly, he ask’d me what was wrong—
I pled to him to find my mother kind.
In place of answer, he ask’d for my name.
His height, his bulk, his presence was so vast
I started, even then, to traitor turn 25
Against my people as I said, “Gamora.”
He told me what a fighter true I was,
Then reach’d his hand out in the name of peace.
He bid me let him help me, and I took
That giant hand and let him lead me hence. 30
A knife he show’d me, with a double blade
And, giving it to me, proclaim’d it perfect—
“In balance, yea, as ev’rything should be.”
He tipp’d it side to side, thus to display
How balance is a necessary trait 35
Lest chaos come and all go tumbling down.
He put it in my hand and bid me try,
Whilst Maw said, “Go in peace to meet your maker.”
The sounds of shooting, people screaming fill’d
My youthful ears, but Thanos turn’d my head 40
To focus me upon the pretty knife.
These many years past, how I wish I’d ta’en
The opportunity to run him through,
E’en if it meant mine own life in the deed.
Instead, I took the knife and plac’d it on 45
One finger, as he’d shown me, balancing
And bathing in his favor and his pride.
O, how I fail’d my people and my kin.
Now doth the knife remain, but not the chance
To kill the villain, which I’ll seek again. 50
ENTER PETER QUILL. ENTER DRAX ASIDE, UNSEEN.
QUILL
Gamora? Knowest thou if these grenades
Are gas or those that would blow off one’s junk?
For I consider’d hanging on my belt
A couple of their kind, but would retain—
GAMORA
Canst thou one moment stop thy prattle, please? 55
Quill, I must ask of thee a favor large.
QUILL
Come, bid me—I’ll do anything for thee.
GAMORA
Above, below, unto the right or left,
One way or th’other, this path we pursue
Doth lead to Thanos.
QUILL
—And thus, these grenades. 60
Apologies, I bluster. What’s thy favor?
GAMORA
But this: should these events go badly wrong,
And Thanos take me, capture me somehow—
I bid thee, promise thou shalt kill me quickly.
QUILL
By heaven! What?
GAMORA
—Alas, I know a secret 65
That Thanos knoweth not and never should.
Should he discover it, the universe
Entire may be at risk.
QUILL
—Ah, can it be?
Come, prithee, tell me that which thou dost know.
GAMORA
But if I tell, thou wouldst the knowledge have. 70
QUILL
Be shrewd: if ’tis important, shouldn’t I?
GAMORA
Excuse me, but mine answer must be nay,
Unless thou hast a fervent wish to die.
QUILL
E’er someone dies in thy scenario,
And wherefore so?
GAMORA
—Attend me, Peter, please, 75
And kill me, possibly, if it be needed.
QUILL
Aye, I would like to.
[Gamora covers his mouth with her hand.
GAMORA
—Fool, swear thou to me.
Upon thy mother’s life, whom thou so lov’st,
Take thou this solemn vow.
QUILL
—Faith, I so swear.
[They kiss. Drax makes a sound while eating, and they notice him.
Dude, how long wert thou cowering aside? 80
DRAX
An hour!
QUILL
—An hour?
GAMORA
—Art thou most serious?
DRAX
A new ability I’ve master’d, that
I stand so still I am invisible
Unto the naked eye. I bid ye, watch!
[Drax slowly takes a bite of his food.
QUILL
Eat’st thou a zarg-nut, plainly. We can see. 85
DRAX
And yet my movement was so wondrous slow!
’Twas imperceptible.
GAMORA
—In sooth, we see.
DRAX
I’m certain I am made invisible!
ENTER MANTIS.
MANTIS
Holla, Drax, whom I see as plain as day.
DRAX
O, fie upon it! Harder must I try. 90
QUILL
Anon we come to Knowhere. To the bridge!
[They all return to the ship’s bridge.
Behold, the place doth look deserted quite.
DRAX
I see some movement in the quadrant third!
QUILL
Confirm’d. I see it, too. Here let us land.
[The ship lands and they disembark, hiding.
ENTER THANOS AND THE COLLECTOR, WHO LIES ON THE GROUND.
COLLECTOR
I have it not, I swear.
THANOS
—Each person in 95
The galaxy doth know that thou wouldst sell
Thy brother into slavery if it
Would add the slightest trinket unto thy
Collection most pathetic. Be thou honest:
I know, Tivan, thou hast th’Reality Stone. 100
Give it to me and spare thy suffering.
[Thanos places a boot on the Collector’s chest.
COLLECTOR
I told thee once ’twas sold. Why would I lie?
THANOS
To lie is, for a scoundrel such as thee,
As natural as breathing; inhal’st thou
Deceptions, fabrications, and deceits, 105
Then thou exhalest falsehoods, smears, and schemes.
COLLECTOR
’Tis more like suicide, should I lie now.
THANOS
Thou, then, dost understand the situation.
Not even thou wouldst willingly surrender
A piece so precious.
COLLECTOR
—I knew not what ’twas. 110
THANOS
Thou art a greater fool than I presum’d.
DRAX
[aside, to others:] ’Tis he!
THANOS
[to the Collector:] —Last chance, thou heinous
charlatan.
Where is the Stone?
DRAX
[aside, to others:] —Today he renders back
The mighty sum that he’s indebted for
The death of my sweet daughter and my wife! 115
QUILL
Drax, wait—not yet. I bid thee, hold. Take heed!
[Drax advances and Quill steps in front of him.
Be sensible, he hath not yet the Stone.
Could we acquire it, we can stop the beast.
First must we get the Stone. Dost thou see?
DRAX
—Nay.
Nay, for Ovette and for Kamaria! 120
[Drax begins to push forward but Mantis lays a hand on his head.
MANTIS
Sleep thou.
[Drax falls forward, landing loudly. Quill, Gamora, and Mantis hide. Thanos, hearing Drax, tosses the Collector into a chamber and walks toward the others.
QUILL
—Gamora, Mantis, go ye right.
[Gamora runs out toward Thanos from the left.
Could she not hear? I meant the other right.
[Gamora attacks Thanos, plunging a blade into his neck and then thrusting the knife he once gave her into his side.
THANOS
Et tu, Gamora? Wherefore slay me, daughter?
[Gamora begins weeping. Thanos falls.
QUILL
By all that’s marvelous, a hasty end.
[The Collector, inside his chamber, applauds.
COLLECTOR
Magnificent! Magnificent, forsooth! 125
[Thanos’s body disappears as reality begins to shift, but his voice can still be heard.
THANOS
Is’t sadness, daughter, that I sense in you?
Within my heart, still I knew you do care.
Yet how can one e’er know for certain, hmm?
[As reality shifts, the scene around them becomes desolate, with many furnishings in flames. Exit the Collector. Thanos reappears, whole.
Reality is often disappointing.
That is, it was before I held its pow’r. 130
[He shows Gamora the Reality Stone in his glove.