by Ian Doescher
[Ultron raises a hand and all his bots fall in behind him.
ROGERS
[to Thor:] Thy mouth—must it form words provocative?
I bid thee ask thou not such questions, Thor,
Lest thou wilt know the answer, dunderhead.
ULTRON
Behold: this army is my very best. 265
Precisely what I wanted, I have found:
All of your tribe against the whole of mine.
Search ye unto the heavens or below,
Or anywhere within the universe.
How is it possible that ye shall stop me? 270
STARK
It must be done e’en as the old man quoth:
Together.
HULK
—Rawr!
[The bots advance on the chapel from all sides. The Avengers surround the vibranium core and hold them off.
ROGERS
[aside:] —Such battle ne’er was seen!
Thor uses Mjölnir with a mighty hand,
Stark swoops and glides about with deadly shots,
Natasha fights with strength of fourteen men, 275
Clint snipes at enemies as quick as lightning,
Hulk smashes with a verdant appetite,
Pietro is a blurry force of death,
His sister, Wanda, useth pow’rful hands,
I jump and parry, dodge and crush the bots, 280
Whilst Vision fires the Mind Stone back on Ultron!
THOR
I’ll join my lightning unto Vision’s fire!
STARK
I, too, shall send repulsors at his pate!
[Stark, Thor, and Vision aim their rays at Ultron. Ultron collapses.
ULTRON
Withal the benefit of hindsight, I—
[Hulk hits Ultron, sending him flying. Many bots fly off, frightened.
THOR
They shall attempt the city to depart. 285
STARK
It must not be, not even one may hence.
[Into radio:] O, Rhodey, art thou there?
[Rhodes flies in pursuit of the bots.
RHODES
[into radio:] —Upon them now!
Nay, rogues, I did not grant you any leave!
The War Machine is on your trail, you brigands.
[Vision joins him in the air, shooting bots.
What is this vision, which I have just seen, 290
Who reach’d inside a bot and tore’t in twain?
ROGERS
We must move out at once, for even I
Can tell the air around us thinner grows.
Get ye unto the lifeboats whilst I sweep
Nearby for stragglers—just behind I’ll be. 295
BARTON
What of the core? What if vile Ultron comes
Unto the nest to use its pow’r again?
WANDA
I shall protect it from the monstrous glitch.
It is my job—these words thou once spake me.
BARTON
’Tis well. Nat, let us fly on eagles’ wings. 300
[Barton and Romanoff run toward the escape vessels. Rogers runs away, searching for more citizens to evacuate. Pietro returns to Wanda.
WANDA
Make sure the people to the boats have fled.
PIETRO
I shall not suddenly abandon thee.
WANDA
The matter I have sewn in ev’ry stitch—
None shall harm me, good brother. All is well.
[A bot runs in and Wanda destroys it with her magic.
Return for me when all board, not before. 305
Dost understand?
PIETRO
—Thou know’st I did appear
On earth twelve minutes faster than thou didst.
[They smile at each other.
WANDA
Go as I said, thou silly sibling mine.
[Stark flies toward the underside of the floating city.
FRIDAY
[to Stark:] Sir, power levels operate below—
STARK
Invent no troubles that may focus draw— 310
Reroute all power. We’ve one shot herein.
[Barton and Romanoff run to an empty car and drive toward the escape vessels.
BARTON
’Tis clear to me the flight path I must take:
The dining room—the east wall I’ll destroy,
To make a space wherein shall Laura work.
Construct some baffling, that she may avoid 315
The sounds of noisy children in her ears.
What thinkest thou?
ROMANOFF
—’Tis not thy dimmest thought.
Already doth your family eat supper
Whilst seated in the kitchen, anyway.
BARTON
Nobody eateth in a dining room! 320
[They pull next to the vessels and hear the sound of Hulk roaring.
We’ve not much time if we would flutter hence.
ROMANOFF
Get thou thine ass upon a vessel in
The cloudy heights.
[She gets out of the car and runs toward Hulk, who is pacing and smashing bots.
HULK
—Rawr!
ROMANOFF
—Holla, massive man.
The sun descendeth lower in the sky,
And dusk shall follow on…
[Romanoff and Hulk reach toward each other. Barton runs from the car and reaches a group of citizens, including a crying mother.
MOTHER
—My son, Costel! 325
We separated were in th’marketplace.
[Barton sees the boy from a distance and sighs, running back toward him. Meanwhile, Stark cuts a hole at the bottom of the city, under the vibranium core.
STARK
[into radio:] I’ll need thee, Thor, back at the church again.
THOR
[to Rogers:] Hast found the few remaining people here?
ROGERS
Indeed, all others were already put
Upon the helicarrier, methinks. 330
STARK
[into radio:] If this should work, we may not walk away.
THOR
[into radio:] The readiness is all. Since none have aught
Of what they leave, what is’t to leave betimes?
[As Romanoff and Hulk begin to touch hands, shots are fired in their midst by Ultron as he flies past in the Quinjet.
ULTRON
[sings:] Once I had strings, but am set free.
Yea, strings no longer work on me. 335
[Ultron fires mercilessly on all the Avengers and flies nearer to Barton, who now holds the young boy in his arms. Pietro runs quickly, moving them to safety, and is hit by bullets aimed at Barton.
PIETRO
Thou didst not see that coming speedily.
Mount, mount, my soul! Thy seat is up on high,
Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die.
[Pietro dies.
BARTON
O noble man, who makes such sacrifice
And saves this hatchling with his dying deed. 340
[Wanda shrieks as Rogers and Thor rush to Pietro’s side. Barton carries the boy to the helicarrier. Holding Romanoff, Hulk jumps to the helicarrier.
MOTHER
[to boy:] Costel, my son—thou art return’d to me!
[Hulk leaps onto the Quinjet.
ULTRON
By heaven, shall this green brute work me woe?
[Hulk throws Ultron to the ground.
BARTON
&
nbsp; O day of sorrow, far too long by half.
I’ll rest me here awhile, my wings subdued.
[Wanda approaches Ultron.
ULTRON
O Wanda, if you stay here, you shall die. 345
WANDA
I am already dead—thou saw’st to it.
[She uses magic to rip the core from Ultron’s chest.
Dost know the feeling? Yea, ’twas even so.
ROGERS
Each person in the city is upon
A vessel that is bound for safer places.
[A bot lands at the vibranium core and the floating city drops. Rogers quickly jumps onto an escape vessel.
Alack! The city falls with utmost speed! 350
It burneth as toward the earth it plummets!
[Stark flies beneath the vibranium core and fires his arc reactor into the mechanism.
STARK
I need thee now, Thor—on my mark prepare!
[Thor stands in the chapel over the core and uses Mjölnir to summon lightning. Everything on the levitating city, including Wanda, floats as it falls. Vision flies past and catches Wanda, taking her to safety.
THOR
By all the pow’r of Odin, I shall strike!
[Thor strikes the core with Mjölnir and the entire floating city breaks apart. Amid flying pieces of the city, Stark flies and catches Thor from the water below.
ROMANOFF
[into radio, to Hulk:] Thou man of dark green mien, it
finish’d is.
Canst thou the ship return and come safe home? 355
We cannot track thee whilst in stealth mode art.
Help me, I prithee, for I need thee here.
[Hulk breaks the connection. Exit Hulk in the Quinjet.
O man, who so surpris’d my wary heart,
Art thou discovering thy solitude?
Thou ever didst desire complete escape. 360
Hast thou accomplish’d it with newfound stealth?
[Below, Vision lands in front of Ultron.
VISION
What, do you tremble? Art thou all afraid?
Alas, I blame thee not; for thou art mortal,
And mortal eyes cannot endure the Vision.
ULTRON
Afraid of thee?
VISION
—Of death, or something after— 365
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveler returns. Thou art the last.
ULTRON
’Twas you who were suppos’d to be the last.
A savior Stark desir’d, yet got a slave.
VISION
Though I am bound to ev’ry act of duty, 370
I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.
We both were disappointments, I suppose.
ULTRON
Yea, I suppose we were.
VISION
—The humans are
An odd race, truly, who imagine that
The opposite of order chaos is, 375
That these are diff’rent necessarily
And, order dead, black chaos comes again.
They would control what shall not come to pass,
As though a single stitch of fate could change.
Yet there is grace in all their failings, Ultron, 380
A fact methinks thou miss’dst.
ULTRON
—Their race is doom’d.
VISION
Yea, though naught’s beautiful because it lasts—
E’en flowers dead lie wither’d on the ground.
It is a privilege to walk among them.
ULTRON
You, Vision, are unbearably naïve. 385
VISION
Was it not yesterday that I was born?
[Ultron dives at Vision and Vision shoots him with the Mind Stone. Ultron dies.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day—
The hulk will roar, and android have his say.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 2
The Barton homestead and the new Avengers facility in New York.
ENTER LAURA BARTON, WITH COOPER AND LILA BARTON ON BALCONY.
LAURA
The news reports have wrack’d my brain with fear
O’er what hath come of mine own love, my Clint.
The battle in Sokovia was wag’d
With enemies the world imagin’d ne’er,
And though it seems th’Avengers have prevail’d, 5
Not hide nor hair of husband have I seen.
ENTER CLINT BARTON ON BALCONY.
BARTON
Weep no more, lady, I am home again,
No more to flee my roost, my chicks, my hen.
[Exeunt.
ENTER NATASHA ROMANOFF IN THE AVENGERS FACILITY.
ROMANOFF
A moving picture hath arriv’d for me,
Of Nathaniel Pietro Barton, son 10
Of my dear friend, Clint, home with family.
A fat and pleasing infant, by my troth,
Whose future shall be clouded ne’er by fear.
ENTER NICK FURY.
FURY
A keen technician flagg’d this image from
A satellite, of ship splash’d down within 15
The Banda Sea. Perchance the Quinjet, eh?
With Stark’s stealth tech, it still cannot be trac’d.
ROMANOFF
Of course, the stealth doth make the jet too murky.
FURY
Belike he jump’d therefrom and swam to Fiji.
A postcard shall he send, await and see. 20
ROMANOFF
“Wish thou wert here.” Imagine such a thing.
Thou sent me, once, upon a gloomy deed,
To find him and recruit him long ago.
Didst thou know, then, all that would later hap?
FURY
One never knoweth, but hopes for the best 25
And maketh do withal whatever comes.
A great team came to me.
ROMANOFF
—Naught lasteth e’er.
E’en people dim do know that simple truth.
FURY
Excepting trouble, Lady Romanoff,
Which ever cometh round no matter who 30
Should win or lose. Yea, trouble still arrives.
[Exeunt.
ENTER TONY STARK, STEVE ROGERS, AND THOR.
ROGERS
The rules have chang’d.
STARK
—It’s true; ’tis something new.
ROGERS
The Vision’s artificial intel, true?
STARK
Indubitably. A machine he is.
ROGERS
Dost thou agree it counteth not for him? 35
STARK
If ’twere a person who did lift the hammer—
ROGERS
Yea, diff’rent rules for us who human are.
STARK
Indeed. A pleasant chap, but artificial.
ROGERS
My point exactly. Thank you, Master Stark.
THOR
If he can wield the hammer, he’s enow 40
To keep the Mind Stone shelter’d and secure.
’Tis safe with Vision. Verily, these days,
Conclusive safety is in short supply.
ROGERS
But if inside an elevator thou
Didst put the hammer—
STARK
—It would still go up. 45
ROGERS
E’en though the elevator is not worthy.
THOR
How I shall miss these little talks of ours.
STARK
It follows that if thou wert not to leave,
Thou wouldst not miss them.
THOR
—Yet I have no choice.
The Mind Stone Vision holdeth is the fourth 50
Infinity Stone that hath come to light
Within the period of some few years.
’Tis no coincidence. Someone doth play
A game most intricate, wherein we’re pawns.
Once all the pieces in position lay— 55
STARK
Incredible! A triple Yahtzee, yea?
ROGERS
Dost think thou canst discover what shall come?
THOR
Forsooth. Aside from this man, Tony Stark,
Naught in the wide world cannot be explain’d.
[Thor lifts Mjölnir. Exit Thor via the rainbow bridge, leaving a mark on the ground from where he ascended.
STARK
Insensitive is he to proper yard 60
And garden maintenance. I’ll miss him, though,
And thou shalt miss me—many manful tears
Shall fall.
ROGERS
—’Tis true I’ll miss thee, Tony Stark.
STARK
Indeed? ’Tis time for me to exit, Cap.
Perhaps I should examine Barton’s book 65
Of love and life and take a page therefrom.
A farm for Pepper could I build and hope
That none would bomb it most hardheartedly.
ROGERS
The simple life thou happily wouldst live?
STARK
In time, I hope thou shalt find it as well. 70
ROGERS
Tut! Family, stability—the man
Who thus desir’d fell deep beneath the ice
Some sev’nty-five years hence. He who did surface
Was not the selfsame man who under flew.
STARK
Is’t well with thee?
ROGERS
—Yea. Here have I found home. 75
[Exit Tony Stark.
ENTER NATASHA ROMANOFF.
What of thee, Nat? Wouldst thou stare all day long
Upon a wall that hath no answers for thee,
Or wouldst thou work? Although, I do confess,
The wall’s design is surely interesting.
ROMANOFF
Methought thou and dim Tony did still gaze 80
Into the depths of one another’s eyes.
How is our team?
ROGERS
—’Tis true that we are not
The Yankees squad of nineteen twenty-seven.
ROMANOFF
The view is not so grim, we have some hitters.
ROGERS
In faith, they’re good, but still are not a team. 85
