by Ian Doescher
And I, not knowing who or what I am,
Eat one of you—apologies to you.
STARK
Inhibit, please, thyself from any more 305
Allusions to another play or story
For the remainder of our headlong trip.
Dost understand?
PARKER
—’Twas but my way of saying
That something cometh hither, gentlemen.
ENTER PETER QUILL, DRAX, AND MANTIS.
DRAX
Vile Thanos, I have come to work thee woe! 310
[Strange’s cloak flies at Drax, subduing him. Quill and Stark fire at each other.
PARKER
[to Mantis:] O, please put not thine eggs inside me, beast!
[Parker casts a web around Mantis, and Quill kicks Parker aside.
QUILL
Down, clown.
DRAX
—Die, blanket born of hateful death!
[Stark stands over Drax, threatening him, as the warrior fights Strange’s cloak. Quill grabs Parker and puts a gun to his head.
QUILL
Each person, halt! Stay calmly where you are—
Chill all thy nerves, lest heated they boil o’er.
[To Stark:] But one time I shall ask thee: where’s
Gamora? 315
STARK
I’ll do for thee one better: who’s Gamora?
DRAX
One better I’ll do thee! Why is Gamora?
QUILL
Fiend, tell me where the woman is at once,
And I shall not french fry thy little freak.
STARK
Indeed? Let it be done! Thou shoot’st my man 320
And I, in turn, shall blast thy friend. Let’s to’t!
DRAX
Yea, do it, Quill! My strong physique can take it.
MANTIS
Nay, he can’t take it!
STRANGE
—She’s right. Thou canst not.
QUILL
Do you prefer to keep your secrets, rogues?
A better opportunity than e’er, 325
For I shall kill ye three, then beat the truth
From Thanos vile himself! [To Parker:] Thou shalt die
first!
STRANGE
Wait, Thanos? Let me ask thee this one time:
What master dost thou serve?
QUILL
—A question strange,
E’en stranger than the one who asketh it. 330
For what should I say? Jesus?
STARK
—Is it so—
Thou art from Earth?
QUILL
—Earth, nay, but from Missouri.
STARK
It is on Earth, thou coxcomb. Why are you
Attacking us like we were enemies?
PARKER
You, then, are not with Thanos? Slower speak— 335
The revelations come at rocket speed.
QUILL
Could I e’er be with Thanos? Never, nay!
But I have hither come to Thanos slay,
For he hath ta’en my lass. Who, then, are you?
PARKER
Th’Avengers. Do you understand the name? 340
MANTIS
You are the ones whom brave Thor told us of.
STARK
Is’t possible? Thou truly knowest Thor?
QUILL
A fellow tall, with looks most mediocre—
Assistance needed he when first we met.
STARK
Incredible! Dost know where he hath gone? 345
QUILL
A pod he took unto Nidavellir.
But tell: what happen’d on this planet drear?
From its true axis eight degree it angles,
And its pull gravitational is off,
As if the laws of nature were but jokes. 350
STARK
It seems we one advantage have, my friends:
The wretched man shall come anon to us.
We’ll use the situation here to our
Advantage—I have form’d a clever plan,
At least the early stirrings of a plan. 355
’Tis simple: we shall draw him slyly in,
Pin him unto the ground with utmost force,
Take what we need, and get us hence away.
We would not dance a round with that foul fellow—
Let us the gauntlet take, and there’s an end. 360
[Drax yawns.
Art yawning, truly? Whilst I tell my plan?
Didst hear the words most sensible I spake?
DRAX
Mine ears stopp’d listening unto thy words!
’Twas after thou didst say we need a plan.
Our Star-Lord never spake with such dull tones. 365
STARK
Insensible! [To Quill:] Thy Mister Clean doth read
A passage from his own confusing book.
QUILL
Did I not say? Not winging it is not
A gift of theirs.
PARKER
—I bid thee, sirrah odd,
What are their gifts as warriors, pray tell? 370
MANTIS
Kick names, take ass!
DRAX
—Forsooth!
STARK
[aside:] —I am fenc’d round
By idiots! [To all:] Pray, gather and take heed.
[Drax and Mantis do not move.
Good Master Lord, will thy crew circle up?
QUILL
“Good Master Lord.” Ha! Star-Lord shall suffice.
[He motions to Drax and Mantis, who come closer.
STARK
If we six fail to coalesce, and all 375
We face vile Thanos with is attitude—
Albeit plucky and sharp witted both—
QUILL
But call us never plucky, metal man,
For we know not the meaning of the word.
Belike we are too optimistic, yea— 380
Behold, I like thy complicated plan,
Except ’tis terrible. Thus, let me plan,
And then ’tis possible we shall succeed.
DRAX
Tell him, I pray, about the dance-off, Peter!
The one thou danc’dst to save the universe. 385
STARK
In truth, a dance-off?
QUILL
—Ah, ’twas nothing, sooth.
PARKER
A dance-off like in Footloose, Marlowe’s show?
That taketh leg work. Art so talented?
QUILL
Exactly! Just like Footloose, little one.
Doth it remain the greatest movie e’er? 390
PARKER
It never was. Thou holdest strange ideas.
STARK
I bid thee, Parker, don’t encourage him.
Flash Gordon here hath given us no help.
QUILL
Flash Gordon? ’Tis a thoughtful compliment.
Do not forget that I half-human am. 395
E’en if there’s half of me that is a fool,
Foolhardiness doth flourish whole in thee.
STARK
Incredible, thy math amazes me.
MANTIS
Excuse me, sir. Is thy friend often thus?
[She points at Strange, who is in the midst of a meditation that resembles a fit.
STARK
Intense his visage. Strange, say, art thou well? 400
[Strange emerges from his
trance with a shriek.
Thou are return’d, and safely.
PARKER
—What did hap?
Be calm, Strange, thou hast had a vision rank.
STRANGE
I travel’d forward to another time
To witness futures alternate for us,
To see the outcomes possible of the 405
Great conflict that shall come upon us soon.
QUILL
By number, tell: how many didst thou see?
STRANGE
’Twas fourteen million, plus six hundred five.
STARK
In which of those did our small group succeed?
STRANGE
One and one only.
[Exeunt.
ENTER GAMORA AND THANOS.
THANOS
—Now we are on Vormir! 410
The mountain peak before us loometh large—
The Stone had best be there, or this I vow:
Thy sister sweet shall pay a handsome sum.
THEY WALK ALONG. ENTER THE STONEKEEPER.
STONE.
You are most welcome, Thanos, son of A’Lars.
Gamora, daughter of the noble Thanos. 415
THANOS
Thou knowest us?
STONE.
—It is my curse to know
The names of all the souls who hither come.
THANOS
Where is the Soul Stone?
STONE.
—Thou, I hope, dost know
It doth extract a price most terrible.
THANOS
I am prepar’d such recompense to pay. 420
STONE.
So answer all, at first. We all are wrong.
THANOS
How is it thou hast come to know this place?
[The three walk together to the top of the mount.
STONE.
A lifetime hence, I sought the Stones as well,
E’en holding one within my very hand.
It cast me out and hither banish’d me. 425
Now I guide others to a treasure I
Shall ne’er possess. Look, Thanos, and despair.
[The Stonekeeper leads them to the precipice of the cliff.
What thou dost seek doth lie in front of thee,
As does the very thing that thou dost fear.
GAMORA
What is this, then, a riddle of some kind? 430
STONE.
What ye do witness is the price to pay.
The Soul Stone holds a special place among
The powerful Infinity Stones, yea—
Perchance you’d say it hath a certain wisdom.
THANOS
Tell me, thou seer, exactly what it needs. 435
STONE.
It would ensure that whosoever doth
Possess it understandeth well its pow’r.
The Stone demands a worthy sacrifice.
THANOS
What is its will? I shall pay any price.
STONE.
To take the Stone, lose thou what thou dost love. 440
’Twill be a trade: a soul giv’n for a soul.
THANOS
[aside:] My daughter, then. So must the payment be.
When I did take her from her former home,
Adopting her to live with me as mine,
Ne’er did I think our paths would lead us here. 445
Though I have rear’d her as a father would,
Though I did raise her, teach her, play with her,
Though I did learn to love her as myself,
Though I did mourn the loss when she left me,
My broader purpose is a nobler one, 450
And nothing—nay, not e’en my love for her—
Shall stand athwart my will, my plan, my vision.
Farewell, then, daughter, darling of my heart.
Farewell, Gamora—here you meet your end.
Your death shall soon be heralded as one 455
That pav’d the way so that the universe
Might be restor’d from its infirmities.
[Gamora laughs as Thanos turns away from her.
GAMORA
My life entire, I dream’d a day would come,
A moment when thou got thy just desert.
E’er was I disappointed when, in fact, 460
Thou didst but win and win and foully win.
Now, though, thou art not winning. Thou dost kill
And torture, in the name of mercy true.
Behold, the universe holds thee in judgment.
Thou ask’dst a prize of it, and it saith no. 465
Thou failèdst, Father. Wouldst thou know wherefore?
’Tis only this: because thou nothing lov’st,
No one is there for whom thou hast affection.
[Thanos turns toward her, tears in his eyes.
Tears, truly?
STONE.
—Mayhap they’re not shed for him.
GAMORA
Alas, then thou shalt find me a grave lass. 470
This is not love, what thou art feeling, brute.
THANOS
Attend me: once I did deny my fate,
Yet never shall again, not e’en for you.
[Gamora pulls a knife from Thanos’s belt and tries to kill herself, but the knife turns to bubbles in her hand.
Apologies, my little one.
[He grabs her by the arm and leads her to the edge.
GAMORA
—Nay, nay!
[He throws her from the cliff. Gamora dies. Exit the Stonekeeper. Thanos loses consciousness, and when he awakes the Soul Stone is in his hand.
THANOS
Now I possess the Soul Stone, at what price? 475
My blood turns cold, my heart transforms to ice.
[Exit.
SCENE 1
Nidavellir.
ENTER THOR, ROCKET, GROOT, AND EITRI. THEY WATCH AS A STONE IS BROUGHT DOWN BY MACHINES.
ROCKET
This is thy plan, that we should strike foul Thanos
with a brick?
EITRI
’Tis but a mold, a weapon for a king.
’Twas meant to be the greatest in all Asgard.
In theory, it could summon the Bifrost. 5
THOR
Hath it a name?
EITRI
—Stormbreaker it was call’d.
ROCKET
A name too melodramatic by half, I’ll warrant.
THOR
How shall we four devise the pow’rful thing?
EITRI
You must restart the forge to undertake’t,
Awakening the heart of dying stars. 10
THOR
Devoted rabbit, kindle thou the pod.
[Rocket and Groot climb into the pod. Thor grabs a rope, which is connected to the pod, and makes his way out to the rings. He communicates with Rocket via radio.
ROCKET
[into radio:] Dost understand the mechanics and the
scientifics of our situation, Thor? These rings gigantic
are. If thou wouldst get them moving once again, thou
shalt need something larger to yank them loose than 15
that thin cord.
THOR
Leave that to me; a plan forms in my mind.
ROCKET
Leave it to thee? Thou art in space with but a rope and—
[Thor suddenly begins twirling the pod in a circle by swinging the rope. He lets go of the rope, then grasps the rope again once the pod’s momentum carries it toward the rings.
&nb
sp; THOR
[into radio:] Fire thou the engines and we shall succeed!
[Thor plants his feet on a ring and holds on to the rope as Rocket thrusts the pod forward.
More power, rabbit! Burn the thrusters up! 20
[The rings break free of the ice around them and begin spinning. The star at the center of the rings alights with flame.
EITRI
[aside:] Well done, young Thor! A mighty warrior,
Whom I did ever underestimate.
THOR
[to Rocket:] Behold the star? That is Nidavellir!
[The star shoots a beam into the forge, but a control on the forge’s doors is hit and shut, breaking the beam.
EITRI
[into radio:] Fie, fie upon it! Nay! It must not be.
ROCKET
[into radio:] Why fie? What meaneth fie? 25
EITRI
[into radio:] The mechanism hath been damagèd.
THOR
[into radio:] What dost thou say? How hath this come to
pass?
EITRI
[into radio:] With th’iris clos’d, the metal will not heat.
THOR
[into radio:] How long dost thou require to give it heat?
EITRI
[into radio:] Some minutes few, perhaps a little more. 30
Why ask you?
THOR
[into radio:] —I shall hold the iris ope.
EITRI
[into radio:] ’Tis suicide.
THOR
[into radio:] —To challenge Thanos sans
The axe is equally foolhardy, true?
[Thor leaps from the rings toward the iris.
[Aside:] All-Fathers, give me strength for what I do.
EITRI
[into radio:] You understand the consequences, boy? 35
The full force of a star you soon shall bear.
I’ll wager it shall kill you instantly.
THOR
[into radio:] Nay, only if I die shall it do thus.
EITRI
[into radio:] Yea, ’tis the meaning of the words “kill you.”
[Thor grabs the controls of the iris and forces it open. The star’s beam shoots through him into the forge.
THOR
O light divine, which pulseth through my chest! 40
O radiance, which maketh my heart ache!
O interstellar force of brilliant might!
O heav’nly star, strength astronomical!
EITRI
Hold, Thor! The beam begins to do its work.
[The beam begins to heat the metal in the forge. Eitri turns the crank and pours metal into the forge. Thor loses consciousness and shuts the iris. He is knocked toward the forge, and Rocket pursues him in the pod. Thor falls on the ground in the forge.
ROCKET
Thor? Art alive? Pray, speak thou unto me some word 45
to give me hope, e’en if it be abuse thou hurlest at me, thy