by Ian Doescher
I tried to bench thee, and thou didst refuse.
STRANGE
Unlike the other people in thy life,
I do not work for thee.
STARK
—It follows, then,
That we are in this errant, flying doughnut,
Some billion miles beyond our home, the earth, 75
With backup none.
PARKER
—Yet I am backup, yea!
STARK
In no wise backup, but a stowaway.
Adults are talking—thou must silent be.
STRANGE
Your odd relationship confuseth me.
What is this youth, the ward of Tony Stark? 80
PARKER
Nay, I am Peter Parker—well met, sir.
STRANGE
I’m Doctor Strange.
PARKER
—A-ha! If we would use
Our names of pretense, I am Spider-Man!
STARK
It seems the ship doth self-correct its course.
It runs unaided, autopiloted. 85
STRANGE
May we control the vessel, fly us home?
[Stark does not answer.
By heaven, speak, Stark! Canst thou get us home?
STARK
I heard thee once, yet I’ve another thought:
We should not yet return.
STRANGE
—Thy thoughts are foolish:
No circumstance exists in which we should 90
The Time Stone take to Thanos. Dost thou see
The powers we confront and what’s at stake?
STARK
It is not I but thou who dost not see.
This Thanos hath been playing on my mind
These six years past, since he an army sent 95
Unto New York and redefin’d my life.
Now he is back and thou wouldst watch me flee?
I am not certain of the forward path,
Would not presume to guess if it is better
To face him on our battlefield at home 100
Or on his own. Yet thou saw’st what they did,
Of what these monsters are most capable.
On his turf, he will not expect a fight,
Thus we should take the battlefield to him.
Dost thou with mine opinion, Doc, concur? 105
STRANGE
’Tis fair, Stark. We shall voyage unto him,
Yet understand thou this: if I’ve a choice
Twixt saving thy life or the boy’s life, or
Protecting the Time Stone from Thanos bleak,
I shall not hesitate to let you die. 110
’Tis not by cruelty, nay; I cannot,
For lo, the universe hangs in the balance.
STARK
In faith, I see thou hast a moral compass.
We understand each other. Peter, welcome—
I dub thee here and now Avenger true. 115
[The ship flies on and docks with Thanos’s larger ship. Exeunt Tony Stark, Doctor Stephen Strange, and Peter Parker.
ENTER GAMORA AND THANOS IN HIS SHIP. HE BRINGS HER A BOWL OF FOOD.
THANOS
Methought you may be hungry, daughter dear.
[Gamora takes the bowl from him and throws it aside, breaking it against Thanos’s throne.
GAMORA
That seat was e’er repugnant to my taste.
THANOS
Thus have I heard. E’en so, I hop’d you would
Assert your rightful place on it someday.
GAMORA
I hated this foul room and what it stood for, 120
This ship, thy minions, and my hateful life.
THANOS
Indeed, you amply told me those things, too—
Each day, for nearly twenty years you did.
GAMORA
A child was I when thou didst kidnap me.
THANOS
Avaunt, ’twas no kidnapping. I sav’d you. 125
GAMORA
Nay. On my planet we were happy, brute.
THANOS
Near starving as you hungry went to bed,
And scrounging for a meager scrap of food.
Your planet stood upon the very brink
Of absolute collapse, and nearly jump’d— 130
’Twas I who stopp’d the process ere it did.
Do you know all that hath transpir’d thenceforth?
The children born have nothing known but skies
Of blue and bellies full of sustenance;
It is a paradise where all rejoice. 135
GAMORA
Because thou murther’dst half the planet, fiend.
THANOS
But little price to purchase their salvation.
GAMORA
Thou art insane, e’er wert.
THANOS
—Think, little one,
For truly ’tis a simple calculus.
The universe is finite, is it not? 140
It follows that resources, too, are finite.
If life proceeds uncheck’d, life soon shall cease,
Will not exist. Our course requires correction.
GAMORA
Thou knowest not such things!
THANOS
—Things such as these
Are known by only me, and no one else. 145
At least, I am the only one with will
And pow’r and fortitude to make it so.
Once, you had that same will and fought beside
Me, daughter.
GAMORA
—I’m no daughter unto thee.
All that I hate about myself I learn’d 150
From thee.
THANOS
—In teaching thus did I make you
The fiercest woman in the galaxy.
’Tis why I trusted you to find the Soul Stone.
GAMORA
Alas, then I have disappointed thee.
THANOS
Aye, I am disappointed, yet ’tis not 155
Because you did not find it, little one,
But ’tis because you did, yet lied to me.
THANOS OPENS A DOOR. ENTER NEBULA, BOUND AND HANGING WITHIN A CHAMBER, HER PARTS STRETCHED APART FROM HER BODY, WITH TWO GUARDS.
GAMORA
O, Nebula, what hath this monster done?
[To Thanos:] I prithee, do not this.
THANOS
—Of late, your sister
Snuck slyly on this ship to end my life. 160
NEBULA
Please, do not do this.
THANOS
—Practic’ly did she
Succeed, and thus I brought her here to talk.
[He points his glove at Nebula, who screams in torture.
GAMORA
Stop! Stop it, horrid viper-kissing villain!
I swear to thee upon my very life,
I never found the Soul Stone that thou seek’st. 165
[A guard presses a button and the computer comes to life.
COMPUTER
Search and obtain the files of memory.
[Nebula projects images of Past Gamora and Past Nebula, speaking to each other.
P. NEBULA
You know well what the beast will do anon—
He is prepar’d to find the mighty Stones,
Each one of them.
P. GAMORA
—He ne’er shall have them all.
P. NEBULA
He shall!
P. GAMORA
—Take heed: he cannot, Nebula, 170
> Because I found the map unto the Soul Stone
And burn’d it into ash. I burn’d it whole.
[The image fades.
THANOS
True, you are strong, which comes from me, my dear,
True, you are generous, which comes from me—
Yet never did I teach you how to lie, 175
To be a rank, dissembling, common cheat.
’Tis wherefore you are so unskill’d therewith.
Where is the Soul Stone? You will tell me now.
[He points his glove at Nebula, who screams again and again until Gamora intercedes.
GAMORA
On Vormir! Yea, the Stone on Vormir waits.
THANOS
Once we arrive, then show me, little one. 180
[Exeunt all except Nebula and one guard. Nebula’s body returns to normal except one eye.
GUARD
Strange little eye, that doth not fit its place—
I’ll fix thee and thus make my master glad.
Belike he shall reward me handsomely!
[The guard approaches Nebula and pushes her eye back in her head. She grabs him and quickly disposes of him, then releases herself from her bonds. She turns to a computer, hailing Mantis.
NEBULA
I bid thee, Mantis, heed my call anon!
Thou must needs meet me soon on Titan’s face. 185
It may yet be our only chance to stop
My father foul, who hies there.
[Exit Nebula.
ENTER THOR, ROCKET, AND GROOT IN THEIR POD, NEAR NIDAVELLIR.
GROOT
—Groot—’tis I!
ROCKET
Thou shouldst have ask’d ere now, we shall not stop.
If thou wouldst tinkle, do so in a cup!
What dost thou fear that we would see? 190
A drip on thy small twig?
Ev’ryone hath seen a twig before.
GROOT
Groot—’tis I!
THOR
—Tree, pour thou what’s in the cup
Out into space, then use the cup again.
ROCKET
Thou speakest Groot? 195
THOR
’Twas taught on Asgard, an elective course.
GROOT
Groot—’tis I!
THOR
—Thou shalt know when we are close.
Nidavellir’s forge harnesses the pow’r
That blazes with the strength of neutron stars.
It is the birthplace of my hammer rare, 200
A truly awesome place, of craft unmatch’d.
ROCKET
[aside:] The time hath come for me to be the captain.
[To Thor:] Thy brother, then, is dead? ’Twould be
annoying, true.
THOR
He hath been dead before, though now methinks 205
It may be final—last of many deaths.
ROCKET
Thy sister and thy father, too?
THOR
Yea, both are dead, a fam’ly tragedy.
ROCKET
Is thy mother living yet?
THOR
A Dark Elf kill’d her, too, regrettably. 210
ROCKET
Mayhap thou some best friend hast?
THOR
Nay, he was stabb’d directly through the heart.
ROCKET
Art thou sure, Thor, of thy preparedness for this mission
of murder?
THOR
Ha, yea! The rage and vengeance, anger, loss, 215
Regret—they are tremendous stimuli,
Which clear the mind as th’ocean wipes the shore.
I am prepar’d, hath never better felt.
ROCKET
This Thanos of whom we speak is the toughest
rogue known within the universe. 220
THOR
Yet he hath never fought the mighty Thor.
ROCKET
In troth, he did.
THOR
Yet he hath never fought the strong Thor twice.
This time, a newfound hammer shall I wield.
ROCKET
It must be strong indeed, if thou wouldst win. 225
[Thor begins to cry softly.
THOR
Know’st thou my years are fifteen hundred, hare?
I have kill’d twice as many foes as that,
Each one of whom would gladly have kill’d me,
Yet none succeeded. I remain alive
Because the hand of fate doth wish me so. 230
This Thanos is the latest in a line
Of bastards rank who work me woe, and shall
But be the latest to my vengeance know.
Such is the will of fate, which I obey.
ROCKET
Yet what, pray tell, if thou art wrong? 235
THOR
If I am wrong, what more have I to lose?
ROCKET
[aside:] I still could lose much. Personally, I’ve much
to lose. [To Thor:] If fate doth will thou shalt the crapsack
slay, thou surely shalt another eyeball need.
[Rocket pulls an eye out of his pocket and hands it to Thor.
THOR
What is this orb thou wavest fore my face? 240
ROCKET
What is its appearance? A knave lost a wager to me
upon Contraxia.
THOR
To pay the price, he gaveth thee his eye?
ROCKET
Nay, he paid one hundred ducats. Later that night, I
snuck into his room and took the eye. ’Twas interest— 245
and interesting, too.
THOR
All gratitude, sweet rabbit, for this gift.
[Thor takes off his eye patch and puts the new eye inside his socket.
ROCKET
My gorge is rising at the very sight. If ’twere my body,
the pocket from Rocket should have been clean’d ere it
went in thy socket. ’Twas difficult to take it off 250
Contraxia—the only method was to put it up my—
[A sensor beeps.
Ah, we arrive at our destination.
[Thor’s new eye swivels in place. He hits his head gently.
THOR
I am not certain this new eyeball works.
All round us looketh dark, with somber hues.
ROCKET
’Tis not thine eye, nay, ’tis the scenery. 255
[They fly into Nidavellir, which appears to be a desolate place.
THOR
There must be something wrong—the star is dead,
The rings are frozen, which should swiftly fly.
[The ship lands near the forge of Nidavellir. Thor, Rocket, and Groot disembark.
ROCKET
’Tis my fervent hope the dwarves are better at forging
metal than cleaning rooms. Peradventure they realiz’d
they live upon a junk heap in the middle of outer space. 260
THOR
This forge, for centuries, was never dark.
ROCKET
Didst thou not say that Thanos wears a gauntlet upon
his wicked hand?
THOR
Indeed I did, yet wherefore dost thou ask?
ROCKET
Did it look thus? 265
[Rocket indicates a mold of a gauntlet upon a stand, which is twin to the one Thanos wears.
GROOT
Groot—’tis I!
THOR
—Get ye quickly to the pod.
ENTER EITRI, A DWARF, KICKING THOR, ROCKET, AND GROOT ASIDE.
Nay, Eitri, wait—let cease thy vicious wrath!
EITRI
Thor, is it you?
THOR
—Forsooth. What happen’d here?
EITRI
You were our sworn protector, were you not?
Was Asgard not suppos’d to keep us safe? 270
THOR
Yet Asgard is destroy’d, my heart withal.
The glove, O Eitri—say, what hast thou done?
[Eitri sits.
EITRI
Three hundred dwarves once liv’d upon this ring.
Methought if I accomplish’d what he bid me,
They would be safe from harm. I made the thing 275
He most desir’d—a pure device that would
Be capable of harnessing the pow’r
Of the Infinity Stones. Still, he kill’d
The colony entire—my friends, my colleagues—
All but for me. “Thy life is thine,” said he, 280
“Yet thy skill’d hands are mine alone fore’er.”
[Eitri shows his hands to Thor, which are badly burned.
THOR
This, Eitri, is about more than thy hands.
Each weapon thou hast ever fashionèd,
Each axe and sword and hammer, all doth dwell
Within the confines of thy crafty mind. 285
Indeed, now doth it feel like all is lost—
How deeply I do know those sentiments.
Together, thou and I shall Thanos kill.
[Exeunt.
ENTER TONY STARK, DOCTOR STEPHEN STRANGE, AND PETER PARKER ABOARD THE Q-SHIP.
PARKER
Where are we bound? If thou dost know, then speak.
STRANGE
Methinks our stolen ship arrives on Titan. 290
STARK
Inevitably, this rig hath no pow’r
To park itself. Pray, put thy hand inside
The steering gimbal, close the metal hatch
Upon thy hand—together, we shall pull
And guide the massive ship toward the ground. 295
’Twas meant for one large monster to control,
So we must move as one if this would work.
[Stark and Parker each take a control and try to guide the ship.
PARKER
We must needs turn! Turn, turn! Pray heed me now!
[The ship begins to crash-land. Strange creates a force field around the three of them to protect them. The ship lands on Titan, and they fall.
STRANGE
[to Stark:] Art thou all right? ’Twas far too close for me.
STARK
I owe thee one—my thanks for thy great pow’rs. 300
[Parker, who has attached himself to the ceiling, descends on a line of web.
PARKER
Hear ye: if aliens implant their eggs
Within the cavity of mine own chest,