[Exit Past Hulk, toward the stairwell.
ENTER TONY STARK ABOVE, ON BALCONY.
STARK
[into radio, to Rogers:] —It is here, below— 110
The scepter in the elevator down,
Which e’en now droppeth past the eightieth floor.
ROGERS
[into radio:] It is the cause, and I shall answer it.
Depart unto the lobby presently.
STARK
[into radio:] I’ll see thee there.
[Exit Tony Stark from balcony.
P. SITWELL
[into phone:] —The evidence secure, 115
We shall the building exit in a trice,
And hence to Doctor List. Sans hitch this went,
Good Master Secretary.
[The first elevator’s door opens. Rogers enters the car with them.
ROGERS
—Save you, gentles.
P. SITWELL
Methought you were on search and rescue, Captain.
ROGERS
There was a change of plans.
P. RUMLOW
—Good morrow, Cap. 120
[Rumlow slowly moves his hand toward his gun.
ROGERS
What cheer, Sir Rumlow? I’ve just had a call
From he—the Secretary—who’d have me
Assume the staff’s responsibility.
P. SITWELL
Sir? I’m afraid I do not understand.
ROGERS
Intelligence came unto us, which said 125
Attempt may be made to purloin the scepter.
P. RUMLOW
Apologies, yet we’ll not give it up.
P. SITWELL
I shall call the director.
ROGERS
—Nay, trust me.
[Rogers leans over and whispers in Past Sitwell’s ear.
Hail Hydra. Understand, good comrade Sitwell?
[Sitwell hands the case with the scepter to Rogers. The elevator stops, and Rogers steps out. Exeunt Past Sitwell, Past Rumlow, and past agents in the elevator.
[aside:] A simple code phrase, and their trust I’ve won! 130
It is but simpletons and evil men
Who put their trust in little codes and phrases
To hide the hate they serve, which shall undo
Them utterly once base deeds come to light.
[Exit Rogers.
ENTER PAST TONY STARK WITH SCOTT LANG ATTACHED, PAST THOR, PAST NATASHA ROMANOFF, AND PAST CLINT BARTON, BEARING AWAY PAST LOKI IN THE LOBBY OF STARK TOWER. ENTER TONY STARK DRESSED AS A POLICE OFFICER.
STARK
[into radio:] Insect-like Thumbelina, art thou there? 135
Mine eyes are on the prize—the Tesseract.
’Tis now the moment.
lang
[into radio:] —Machinations go!
[Lang falls inside Past Stark’s shirt onto the arc reactor in his chest.
Is this Axe Body Spray I smell on thee?
STARK
[into radio:] I kept a can within my desk in case
Of odorous emergencies. Tut now! 140
Pray focus on thy task.
LANG
[into radio:] —I shall inside
Thy body and give thee some palpitations.
[Lang grows smaller and climbs into Past Stark’s arc reactor.
ENTER PAST ALEXANDER PIERCE AND MANY PAST AGENTS.
P. PIERCE
[to Past Stark:] Beg pardon, may I ask where ye are bound?
P. THOR
Initially to lunch, and Asgard next.
Who art thou, who such questions ask of us? 145
P. STARK
It’s Alexander Pierce, the man above
The people who behind Nick Fury stand.
P. PIERCE
My friends call me the Secretary, sir.
[Indicating Loki:] That prisoner you shall release to me.
P. THOR
Nay, Loki unto Odin shall be borne, 150
To make his answer to his father true.
P. PIERCE
Nay, he shall answer unto us, methinks,
And Odin’s welcome to whate’er remains.
[To Past Stark:] I need the case you hold, for what’s therein
Hath been the property of S.H.I.E.L.D. for more 155
Than four score and ten years now.
P. AGENT 1
—Hand it over!
STARK
[into radio:] I bid thee, faster, Stuart Little, go!
The situation dicey doth become.
P. STARK
I shall not argue who superior
Authority hath in this moment, sirrah— 160
[into radio:] Thou promisest thou wilt not die should I
Disrupt thy innards most electrical?
STARK
[into radio:] In truth, thou shalt give me mild cardiac
Dysrhythmia and nothing more—all’s well.
LANG
[into radio:] Dysrhythmia doth not sound mild at all. 165
P. PIERCE
[to Past Stark:] I need the case. Thy government doth, too.
P. STARK
I know thou hath a whelming power, Pierce,
Yet in this situation—
P. PIERCE
—If you know,
Then furnish me the case sans more delay.
[Many people start grabbing for the case Past Stark holds.
STARK
[into radio:] It must be now, Lang, or our efforts fail. 170
Pull thou my pin!
LANG
[into radio:] —I shall—apologies!
[Lang pulls a cord inside Past Stark’s arc reactor. Past Stark begins gasping and collapses, dropping his case.
P. PIERCE
Stark, are you well? The man convulseth—help!
A medic find anon, to bring him aid!
STARK
Indeed, a medic find, and help these men!
P. THOR
Stark, speak to me! Is it thy chest machine? 175
[While all look at Past Stark, helping him, Lang pushes the case with the Tesseract across the floor. Stark picks it up and walks away.
STARK
[into radio:] Impressive, Lang—well done! Meet me
outside
Within the alley. I shall dine upon
A slice of pizza ere we leave New York!
JUST AS STARK REACHES THE DOOR, ENTER PAST HULK SUDDENLY FROM THE DOORWAY, KNOCKING STARK OVER. STARK DROPS THE CASE AND THE TESSERACT FALLS OUT, SLIDING TO PAST LOKI’S FEET.
P. HULK
No stairs!
[Exeunt many people, running away from Past Hulk. Past Loki picks up the Tesseract and exits in a cloud of fog. Past Thor prepares to touch his hammer, Mjölnir, to Past Stark’s chest.
P. THOR
—I shall attempt a remedy,
Though I know not if it shall help or nay. 180
[Past Thor puts Mjölnir on Past Stark’s arc reactor, which sparks and suddenly revives Past Stark.
P. STARK
Incredible! Thine answer work’d a treat.
’Twas passing strange.
P. THOR
—I knew not if ’twould work.
P. STARK
I bid thee, find the case.
P. THOR
—The case—where is’t?
And where is Loki gone? O, Loki, hear!
LANG
[into radio:] ’Twas not a consummation to be wish’d. 185
STARK
[into radio:] In sooth, we f
ail’d.
P. THOR
—Fiend, Loki, where art thou?
[Exeunt all but Lang and Stark, searching for Loki. Lang and Stark walk aside.
ENTER STEVE ROGERS ABOVE, ON BALCONY.
ROGERS
The radio doth squeak with much commotion—
What is the ruckus, Tony? Is all well?
Pray, tell me that you found the Tesseract.
ENTER PAST STEVE ROGERS ON BALCONY, APPROACHING ROGERS.
The situation goes from bad to worse. 190
P. ROGERS
[into radio:] I have my sights on Loki, fourteenth floor.
ROGERS
I am not Loki, sooth, and I’d not hurt thee.
[Past Rogers attacks Rogers, and their shields clang against each other. They match each other blow for blow.
P. ROGERS
Thus can I do all day.
ROGERS
—Yea, so thou say’st—
This catchphrase is habitual with us.
[They fight. As they spar, the case holding Past Loki’s scepter falls from the balcony and opens. They continue to fight, and both fall from the balcony to the stage. Rogers’s compass with Peggy Carter’s picture inside falls from his pocket and pops open.
P. ROGERS
Where didst thou get this picture, nasty rogue? 195
[They fight, and Past Rogers nearly subdues Rogers.
ROGERS
Thy Bucky is alive!
[Past Rogers releases Rogers.
P. ROGERS
—What didst thou say?
[Rogers hits Past Rogers, then grabs Loki’s scepter and places it against Past Rogers’s chest. Past Rogers collapses. Rogers observes his prone past self.
ROGERS
Yea, zounds! ’Tis the arse of America.
[Exit Past Rogers. Rogers leaves the building. Lang and Stark see him and approach him.
STARK
I found thee, Cap! Yet we a problem have.
LANG
A problem most remarkable, in sooth,
For we have lost the mighty Tesseract, 200
Which Loki spotted and absconded with.
ROGERS
What? Nay! How shall we this conundrum solve?
Couldst thou not have done better, Tony, eh?
STARK
Impugn me not, but have some sympathy,
For I was struck in my pate by the Hulk. 205
LANG
Thou saidst we had one solitary chance.
This was our shot—we shot it, yea, ’twas shot!
Six Stones or nothing, this was our command.
Six Stones or naught, our mission simple, plain.
STARK
It seemeth thou turn’st repetitious, Scott. 210
LANG
It seemeth thou turn’st repetitious, Tony!
STARK
Indecent man, pray cease thy chattering.
LANG
Nay, thou ne’er wantedst any time heist and
Thou couldst not be responsible withal.
STARK
I am to blame, indeed; the fault is mine. 215
LANG
Thou art the ruiner of my time heist,
For which the world apparently shall suffer.
ROGERS
Cease, both of you. Do we have other options
That may help us reclaim the Tesseract?
LANG
Nay, nay! Our options terminated are. 220
We have no chance to redo what was done—
We’ve but one particle remaining each.
’Tis all, and when ’tis us’d we’ll not return.
ROGERS
But if we never make a strong attempt
Then none shall e’er return, and Thanos wins. 225
STARK
I’ve solv’d it, gentlemen. Eureka, ha!
There is another way the Tesseract
T’obtain, and find new particles as well.
Take, Cap, a ramble down thy mem’ry’s lane—
A military installation in 230
The Garden State.
ROGERS
—When paus’d both men thereon?
STARK
In truth, my sense is both vague and precise.
ROGERS
How vague? For ’tis a word inspiring fear.
LANG
What is it that you two are speaking of?
Say, whither are we bound? What destination? 235
STARK
I know for certain they were there—
LANG
—“They” who?
Thy specificity is lacking, Stark.
STARK
I know, as well, exactly how I know.
ROGERS
Thine answer, though, is enigmatical.
It seemeth we must improvise our actions. 240
STARK
Indeed!
LANG
—What are we improvising, lads?
[Rogers hands Past Loki’s scepter to Lang.
ROGERS
Scott, take thou this unto the compound now.
STARK
In turn, we shall suit up.
LANG
—What’s in New Jersey?
What’s so mysterious ye tell me not?
STARK
[to Rogers:] Input coordinates of zero four, 245
Then zero seven, one nine seven zero.
LANG
Beg pardon, will ye satisfaction give
Unto my plea?
ROGERS
[to Stark:] —Art thou sure, Tony?
[Stark nods.
LANG
—Cap?
Steve? Sorry. Er, America. Um, Rogers.
If ye do this—whate’er you plan to do— 250
And it works not, ye never shall return.
STARK
Inspiring this pep talk was, pissant small.
[To Rogers:] Dost trust me?
ROGERS
—Truly, Stark.
STARK
—It is thy call.
ROGERS
Let us away, our future to forestall.
[Exeunt Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, traveling through time to the past. Exit Scott Lang, traveling through time to the future.
SCENE 3
Asgard. The past.
ENTER THOR AND ROCKET, HIDDEN. ENTER PAST JANE FOSTER AND PAST LADY IN WAITING 1.
P. FOSTER
[to Past Lady 1:] Excuse me, but dost thou have pantaloons?
P. LADY 1
Er, pantaloons?
P. FOSTER
—No bother, never mind.
P. LADY 1
Milady, I shall take my leave of thee.
[Exit Past Lady 1. Exit Past Foster severally.
THOR
[to Rocket:] ’Tis Jane! My paramour and onetime love.
ROCKET
Take heed, thou tubby man: charm thou the lass, 5
whilst I do poke her withal this instrument, extracting
the Reality Stone and allowing us to depart in a trice.
THOR
I shall return anon. The cellar calls,
Wherein doth wait a thousand luscious wines.
My father, too, once had a barrel of 10
Aakoni’n ale—I’ll search for flagons we
May carry with us on our journey hence.
ROCKET
Art thou not already drunk enow?
ENTER PAST FRIGGA SURROUNDED BY SEVERAL PAST LADIES IN WAITING.
P. FRIGGA
[to Past Lady 2:] I prithee, se
nd my Loki soup.
P. LADY 2
—Yea, ma’am.
P. FRIGGA
Ask thou our wise librarians to pull 15
Some volumes of astronomy as well.
ROCKET
[to Thor:] Who is the fancy lass?
THOR
My mother, Frigga, who shall die today.
ROCKET
Ah, ’tis today?
THOR
I cannot do this mission, nay, I can’t. 20
I should not be here, should have never come.
ROCKET
Come hither, prithee.
THOR
A fit of frightful panic crusheth me.
ROCKET
Step thou before me, Thor.
THOR
I should not be here, ’tis an awful thing. 25
[Rocket slaps Thor.
ROCKET
Thinkest thou, perchance, thou art the only one who
lost someone special when rank Thanos did snap his
wicked fingers? What dost thou imagine we are doing?
I lost the only family I e’er had. Quill, Groot, Drax, the
lass with the antennae, they all are flown! I understand 30
thou missest thy mother sorely, ’tis only logical thou
dost. She, though, is gone—verily and truly gone—yet
there are many who are but partially gone, and thou
canst help them, Thor. Yea, canst and shalt. It is not,
methinks, too much for thee to wash the crumbs from 35
thy beard and play gentle with thy former paramour,
that when she looketh not we may pluck th’Infinity
Stone and help mine only family to return.
[Thor begins to cry.
THOR
’Tis well, I shall do as thou ask’st me to.
ROCKET
Art crying? 40
THOR
Nay, I cry not. O, yea, I do, I cry!
Each passing moment sees me madder grow.
ROCKET
Was the hope drunk wherein thou dress’dst thyself?
Be strong—thou wert made for this task. Shalt thou
be well? 45
THOR
I shall, and can, and will. This can I do.
Alas, nay, I cannot—and I must flee!
[Thor walks aside, hiding.
ROCKET
Come, Romeo, this is thy chance, for she is alone. We
must not throw away our shot. Thor? Thor! Alack,
the coward! 50
[Exit Rocket, searching for Thor.
P. FRIGGA
[to ladies:] I prithee, take your leave of me, kind ones—
I’ll see ye afterward. Go on ahead.
[Exeunt past ladies in waiting. Frigga exposes Thor, surprising him.
What are you doing?
THOR
—Foh! Thou scar’dest me.