When I woke up, they told me all was won— 50
Yet never did recount all we had lost.
FURY
Mistakes were made along the way, ’tis true—
Some recently.
ROGERS
—You come withal a mission?
FURY
I do.
ROGERS
—You’d ask me to rejoin the world?
FURY
Nay, but to save it.
[Fury hands Rogers a file on the Tesseract.
ROGERS
—Hydra’s furtive weapon. 55
FURY
Once, Howard Stark hath fish’d that from the sea,
Whilst he did search for you. He thought as we do:
The Tesseract may be the key unto
An energy sustainable, sans limit,
Which our world needeth—’tis a consummation 60
Devoutly to be wish’d.
ROGERS
—Say, who acquir’d it?
FURY
One known as Loki—not born near these parts.
There’s much we’d speak of if you’ll join our cause.
The world turns stranger than you have yet known.
ROGERS
Naught shall surprise.
FURY
—Ten ducats I shall wager 65
That you shall find surprise ere this is through.
More information waits at your apartment.
Do you know aught about the Tesseract?
ROGERS
Should ye have left the verdict unto me,
I would have left it neath the briny sea. 70
[Exeunt.
SCENE 4
New York, Stark Tower.
ENTER TONY STARK ON BALCONY, FLYING IN HIS IRON MAN SUIT. ENTER PEPPER POTTS BELOW, IN STARK TOWER. THEY SPEAK VIA RADIO.
STARK
I’ve plac’d the new reactor in the pipeline.
The rest doth fall to thee.
POTTS
—The grid we’ve flown?
STARK
Indeed. Stark Tower shall soon be a beacon
Of clean and self-sustaining energy.
POTTS
Assuming that the arc reactor fires 5
And ev’rything transpires as thou dost hope.
STARK
I so assume. Pray, light the system up.
[The lights of Stark Tower illuminate.
POTTS
How doth it look?
STARK
—It looks Christmastime,
And ev’ry jolly twinkling light thereof—
Yet with more me.
POTTS
—Awareness must still grow 10
Among the public of what we have done.
Thou must engage the press—
STARK
—I know, but Pepper,
Thou dost destroy the beauty of this moment.
Enjoy it.
[Exit Tony Stark.
POTTS
—Come inside, and soon I shall.
ENTER TONY STARK BELOW, CHANGED OUT OF HIS IRON MAN SUIT, ENTERING THE TOWER. THE VOICE OF JARVIS SPEAKS TO HIM.
JARVIS
Sir, Agent Coulson of bold S.H.I.E.L.D. doth call. 15
STARK
I’m gone, though I am here.
JARVIS
—He doth insist.
STARK
I bid thee grow a backbone, JARVIS, for
I have a date I would not miss for th’world.
POTTS
Methinks the levels steady stay.
STARK
—Indeed,
For ’twas my work, of which I’m justly proud. 20
This leads, anon, to my next question, dear:
How doth it feel to be a genius, hmm?
POTTS
Nay, not I.
STARK
—Innovation starts with thee.
[She points to the arc reactor in Stark’s chest.
POTTS
It starts therefrom.
STARK
—I bid thee, take some credit.
Stark Tower is thy baby. Twelve percent 25
Of credit take thou, leastwise.
POTTS
—Twelve percent?
[Potts begins pouring drinks.
STARK
Insert fifteen, mayhap, where I spake twelve.
The heavy lifting—lit’rally—was mine.
The problems of security—’twas thou.
My private elevator—
POTTS
—Thou mean’st ours? 30
STARK
It teem’d with sweaty workmen many days!
[They sit together.
Soon I’ll regret what I spake of percents,
When thou dost dream up subtle punishment.
POTTS
’Twill not be subtle.
STARK
—If it sootheth thee,
The tower next shall bear the name of Potts. 35
POTTS
Nay, Potts shall be upon the lease, I’ll warrant.
JARVIS
The telephone, sir—all my protocols
Have been o’erthrown—I cannot stop the man.
COULSON
[offstage:] Good Master Stark, I badly need your aid.
STARK
Intruding soul, thou reachest the life-model 40
Assimilation of one Tony Stark—
Pray leave thy message.
COULSON
[offstage:] —This is urgent, sir.
STARK
I bid thee leave it urgently, then, sirrah.
ENTER PHIL COULSON FROM THE ELEVATOR.
A breach of my secure tow’r! [To Potts:] On thy head.
COULSON
Pray, Master Stark.
POTTS
—Phil, welcome to our home. 45
STARK
[aside:] Is Phil his name?
COULSON
—I cannot stay at length.
STARK
[to Potts:] Implausibly, methought his name was Agent.
POTTS
Come in, for we are celebrating much.
STARK
Indeed, ’tis wherefore he may not stay long.
[Coulson tries to hand Stark a tablet.
COULSON
We need you to examine this anon. 50
STARK
I like not this—the being handed things.
[Potts takes the tablet and hands Coulson her Champagne.
POTTS
Yet I do love when aught is handed me.
Let us, then, trade—thy tablet for my flute.
[Potts gives the tablet to Stark and takes his Champagne.
My thanks.
STARK
—If thou dost need me, mine official
Consulting hours occur twixt eight and five— 55
On ev’ry other Thursday.
COULSON
—’Tis none such.
POTTS
Art thou here to discuss th’Avengers, Phil?
[Coulson looks at her. Stark walks aside, opening the tablet.
Of which I nothing know, of course. Nay, no.
STARK
I thought th’Avengers had been scrapp’d, and I
Did not e’en qualify to join the ranks. 60
POTTS
[to Coulson:] Nay, neither knew I that.
STARK
—It seemeth I
Am volatile and self-obsess’d, one who
Doth not p
lay well with th’other children, yea?
POTTS
[to Coulson:] That did I know, for I have known him long.
COULSON
The problems grow past personalities. 65
STARK
Insult me, what care I? O, Madame Potts,
Couldst thou come hither for a trice?
POTTS
[to Coulson:] —Beg pardon.
[Potts crosses to Stark.
STARK
[quietly:] It seem’d that we were sharing something
special—
The stolen moment twixt two loving hearts.
POTTS
Yet I had only twelve percent thereof. 70
This seemeth somber, Tony—Phil is shaken.
STARK
Indeed? How wouldst thou know—and wherefore
“Phil”?
POTTS
What’s this intelligence he hath convey’d?
[Stark swipes the tablet’s screen, and images, tables, graphs, and information appear projected throughout the room.
STARK
It’s this.
[They observe the information for a moment.
POTTS
—Alas, such heavy matters brew.
I shall, tonight, jet southward to DC. 75
STARK
It is not yet near day—wilt thou be gone?
It was the nightingale, and not the lark,
That pierc’d the fearful hollow of thine ear.
Stay but until the morrow.
POTTS
—Nay, for thou
Hast much to learn and study of this threat. 80
STARK
If, mayhap, I did not?
POTTS
—When thou art done?
This promise I shall give thee e’er I fly…
[Potts whispers in Stark’s ear. He gasps while Coulson looks away with a smile.
STARK
Incredible, thy promis’d rendezvous.
Thou hast a deal—fly safely, love.
[They kiss.
POTTS
—Work well.
[To Coulson:] Perchance thou journey’st near
La Guardia? 85
COULSON
’Twould be mine honor to deliver thee.
POTTS
What of thy cellist—art thou still with her?
[Exeunt Pepper Potts and Phil Coulson, talking.
STARK
Imagin’d I ne’er such a pow’r as this—
The information Coulson hath obtain’d
Includes this mighty Cube, this Tesseract, 90
Which hath the power to destroy us all.
The images within this dossier
Show how we lost it into Loki’s hands—
An enemy both skill’d and strong, ’tis clear.
Why do these foes pursue us, work us woe? 95
We are a simple species. Perfect? Nay.
Full of as many faults and troubles as,
I’ll wager, any other people are.
Yet also we have beauty, hope, and love:
Humanity contributes to the vast 100
Galactic tapestry in which we dwell—
A vital stitch, a square of endless wonder,
Each person woven caref’ly with the others.
Then wherefore would this Loki come to tear
The piece we offer into shreds, and toss 105
It on the pyre to burn an ’twere scrap thread?
With all my mind and might I’ll face this threat
That we may demonstrate our vigor yet.
[Exit.
SCENE 5
Loki’s lair.
ENTER LOKI, ON BALCONY. ENTER CLINT BARTON, ERIK SELVIG, AND LOKI’S MINIONS BELOW, WORKING.
LOKI
E’en whilst I’m here and watch the progress of
The minions who do work my earthly will,
I also am beyond, among the stars,
Reporting to The Other who hath sent me.
The power of the Tesseract is such 5
That I communicate betwixt the worlds.
ENTER THE OTHER ABOVE, ON BALCONY.
THE OTHER
The great Chitauri e’er more restless grow.
LOKI
Let them prepare and gird themselves, my allies—
I’ll lead them in a battle with our foes.
THE OTHER
A battle gainst the meager might of earth? 10
LOKI
The battle shall be glorious, not long—
Short, if your force is strong as you have claim’d.
THE OTHER
You question us? Indeed you question him—
The one who plac’d the scepter in your hand
And gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose 15
When you had been cast out, defeated quite?
LOKI
I was a king, the rightful king of Asgard,
Betray’d and made a peasant by my brother.
THE OTHER
Your weak ambition is too small by half,
And born of childish grudge and bitterness. 20
We look beyond the earth to better worlds
The Tesseract shall soon unveil to us.
LOKI
You do not yet possess the Tesseract.
[The Other gestures angrily.
I speak no threat, yet ’til the doors are op’d,
Until your force is my force to command, 25
You are mere words, your intrigues closèd off.
THE OTHER
You’ll have the war you seek, Asgardian.
Yet if you fail, or keep the Tesseract
Hid from our access, there shall be no realm,
No barren moon, no crevice where he shall 30
An you think you know pain, he’ll make you long
For delicacies that are sweet as pain.
[Exit The Other as Loki is thrust back into his reality.
LOKI
No more of laziness now, Loki, nay—
Thou hast a task to do, sans more delay. 35
[Exit Loki.
SELVIG
[to minion:] Th’equipment place there. [To Barton:] Whence
came all these people?
BARTON
S.H.I.E.L.D. hath more enemies than birds have feathers.
[Barton shows Selvig a screen.
’Tis th’element thou need’st?
SELVIG
—Iridium, yea.
’Tis found in meteors, forms antiprotons,
And is to access something of a challenge. 40
BARTON
Especially should wicked S.H.I.E.L.D. discover
Thou need’st it to create a nest for Others.
SELVIG
E’en I knew not my need until I started.
ENTER LOKI.
Good master, hail! The Tesseract hath taught me
Much more than any scholar, class, or tutor. 45
’Tis more than merely knowledge: ’tis whole truth, sir.
LOKI
I know—and more that’s hidden will be shown.
[To Barton:] What hast thou learn’d of it, mine Agent
Barton?
BARTON
My target next, which I shall swoop to capture.
LOKI
What dost thou need? I’ll give thee all thou want’st. 50
BARTON
Distraction, to take flight—and then an eyeball.
LOKI
The perfect stratagem sh
all come to pass,
When flaw’d and fragile S.H.I.E.L.D. we shall outclass.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 1
The S.HI.E.L.D. helicarrier and environs.
ENTER STEVE ROGERS, EXAMINING A TABLET, PHIL COULSON, AND TWO PILOTS, IN A JET PLANE.
ROGERS
This Doctor Banner, then, would replicate
The serum that was us’d on me?
COULSON
—E’en so—
And he was not alone, for many tried.
You were the world’s first Super Hero, sir.
Wise Banner thought that gamma radiation 5
Might hold the key to Erskine’s formula.
ROGERS
Yet from this hulking giant shown hereon,
The matter turn’d out not as he had hop’d.
COULSON
Forsooth. Yet when the man’s not that green thing,
He is a genius, Stephen Hawking–like. 10
[Rogers looks at Coulson, confused.
[Aside:] How quickly I forget the time he miss’d.
[To Rogers:] A most intelligent and thoughtful person.
If I may honest be, sir, ’tis an honor
To meet you in the flesh, officially.
We met before—I watch’d you whilst you slept. 15
[Aside:] Nay, Coulson, that doth sound like an obsession—
To meet one’s hero is a tricky thing.
[To Rogers:] I present was whilst you were still
unconscious,
Surrounded by the ice, in frozen sleep.
An honor ’tis to have you on our plane. 20
ROGERS
I hope I am but worthy of the task.
COULSON
You are, and shall be. Absolutely, sir.
We made some changes to your uniform,
Which I help’d fashion.
ROGERS
—Say’st my uniform?
Are not the stars and stripes outdated yet? 25
COULSON
With all that doth transpire, and yet shall be,
The hidden matters that shall come to light,
Outdated may be what the people need—
The values, hopes, and dreams that ever bound us.
PILOT 1
Sirs, we approach the helicarrier. 30
THE JET PLANE LANDS ON THE S.H.I.E.L.D. HELICARRIER, WHICH TRAVELS BY SEA. ENTER NATASHA ROMANOFF AND VARIOUS SOLDIERS, WORKING.
COULSON
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Romanoff, meet Captain Rogers.
ROGERS
A pleasure, ma’am.
ROMANOFF
—Holla. [To Coulson:] Thou needed art
Upon the bridge, where moods grow swiftly darker.
The face-trace hath begun.
COULSON
—I’ll see ye soon.
[Exit Phil Coulson.
ROMANOFF