Nivadellir

The pod sets down; Thor, Rocket and Groot disembark and start walking through a seemingly abandoned and cluttered space. Groot is still playing his game.]

Rocket: I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning. Maybe they realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space.

Thor: This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries...

Rocket: [Pauses, looking at a pedestal] You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?

Thor: Yes. Why?

Rocket: Look anything like that? [In fact, it looks exactly like that]

Groot: [Uneasily] I am Groot.

Thor: [Urgently] Go back to the pod.

[Suddenly a massive figure storms towards them, flinging Thor away with one swing of his arm, and kicking Rocket and Groot against a wall of equipment.]

Thor: Eitri, wait! Stop!

Eitri: Thor?

[Eitri is played by the legendary Peter Dinklage - his giant size literally juxtaposing his name of dwarf.]

Thor: What happened here?

Eitri: You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us!

Thor: Asgard is destroyed. [Thor scrambles to his feet and points. Eitri stop his attack on Thor. He now believes Thanos had destroyed Asgard and leaving him in a similar survivor role like Eitri himself.] Eitri, the glove. What did you do?

Eitri: [He walks brokenly across the space to sit heavily, leaning against an ore skip. Rocket and Groot get to their feet, the sapling checking his game.] 300 dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked, they'd be safe. I made what he wanted. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. 'Your life is yours,' he said. 'But your hands are mine alone.' [He holds up his immobile metal fists, encased in hardened molten metal.]

Thor: Eitri, this isn't about your hands. Every weapon you've ever designed: every ax, hammer, sword - it's all inside your head. Now I know it feels like all hope is lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos.

[Cut to Nebula suspended in the interrogation room seen earlier, while a technician puts her back together. Nebula ejects her eyepiece and snaps the neck of the tech when he comes close enough to replace it. She walks to a console, straightening her left arm, dragging her still-dislocated right foot behind her, and inputs a code.]

Nebula: Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Titan.

[Cut to Peter Parker, Sonic, Tony Stark, and Dr. Strange aboard the ship approaching the surface of Titan.]

Sonic: WOAH WOAH WOAH!

Peter Parker: [To Tony] Hey, what's going on?

Stephen Strange: I think we're here.

Tony Stark: I don't think this rig has a self-park function. [Urgently] Get your hand into this steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?

Peter Parker: Yep, got it.

Tony Stark: This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta to move at the same time.

Peter Parker: Okay. Okay. Ready.

[The ringship is heading straight for the center of what looks like one of a colossal game of jacks.]

Sonic: Uh guys, WATCH OUT!

Peter Parker: We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!

[Iron Man armors up as the ringship clips the "jack" obliquely, but still losing a good third of its hull in the collision. Spider-Man throws up his helmet at the same time. Sonic and Doctor Strange steps between them and he creates the Shield of the Seraphim around them all, anticipating a rough landing.]

[The ship, now reduced to about 45%, plows through the dirt and stops, leaning slightly to one side.]

Titan

[Doctor Strange helps Tony, now de-helmeted, to his feet; they're both panting a little from the exertion of arrival.]

Sonic: Anyone catch the number of that spaceship?

Tony Stark: [To Doctor Strange] You alright? [Panting] That was close. I owe you one.

[Spider-Man descends from above in classically spider-like fashion.]

Peter Parker: Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something, and I eat one of you, I'm sorry.

Sonic: Oh I get that, that's a reference.

Tony Stark: [He Looks at Sonic and says while pointing at Peter] I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?

Peter Parker: I'm trying to say that... something is coming.

[A grenade rolls into view, and Peter, Strange and Tony get thrown well back when it fires its energy pulse. Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis appear in the doorway]

Drax: [Yelling] THANOS! [He flings a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflects it with a mystical shield, and in return sends the Cloak of Levitation at Drax's face, half-smothering him and throwing him to the floor. Star-Lord and Iron Man have a brief dogfight until a magnetic disc pins Iron Man face-first to a structure.]

Peter Parker: [Crawling backwards frantically from an anxious-looking Mantis] AH! Whoawhoawhoawhoa! PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ME!

[Spider-Man shoots web at Mantis in a panic, pinning arms to her body and Sonic spin dashes her to the floor, just before Star-Lord flies at him feet-first, kicking him away. And then blasts Spider-Man away.]

Peter Quill: Stay down, clown!

[Star-Lord can't quite counter spider reflexes at first; he fires at Spider-Man, who extends his spider legs and leaps away, but an electric-like cord wraps around Spider-Man and his six new legs when he tries to attack, sending him rolling across the deck.]

Drax: [Struggling with the Cloak of Levitation] Die, blanket of death!

[Iron Man pulls free of the magnet; the Cloak pulls free of Drax as soon as Iron Man has a bead on his opponent and a foot on his torso.]

[Star-Lord has Spider-Man in a head-lock, gun pointed at the smaller man's head.]

[Doctor Strange has a mystical shield of golden energy up, and stands ready at the third point of the triangle. Mantis has struggled to her feet behind Star-Lord, still covered with webbing.]

Peter Quill: Alright, everybody, stay where you are... chill the F out. [Star-Lord powers off his helmet] I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?

Tony Stark: [De-helmeting] Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?

Drax: I'll do you one better. Why is Gamora?

Peter Quill: Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French-fry this little freak.

Tony Stark: Let's do it! You shoot my guy, I blast him. Let's go! [Tony extends his nano-tech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face.]

Drax: Do it, Quill! I can take it.

Mantis: No, he can't take it!

Sonic: Yeah dude, you can't take it.

Stephen Strange: [Completely deadpan] They're right. You can't.

Peter Quill: Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all three of you and beat it out of Thanos myself. [To Spider-Man] Starting with you.

Stephen Strange: Wait, what. Thanos? [Trying to inject clarity and sanity into the situation] Alright, let me ask you this one time: What master do you serve?

Peter Quill: What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? "Jesus"?

Tony Stark: [Getting it] You're from Earth?

Peter Quill: I'm not from Earth. I'm from Missouri.

Tony Stark: Yeah, that's on Earth, dip-shit. What are you hassling us for?

Peter Parker: [Sounding slightly crushed] So, you're not with Thanos?

Peter Quill: [Indignantly] With Thanos?! No, I'm here to kill Thanos! He took my girl- Wai- who are you?

Peter Parker: [De-helmets] We're the United Heroes, man.

Peter Quill: Oh.

Mantis: You're the ones Thor told us about!

Tony Stark: You know Thor!?

Peter Quill: Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking, [Peter gives him an incredulous look] needed saving.

Sonic: That's him, except he is the opposite of everything you just said.

[Peter looks at Sonic weirdly.]

Sonic: What?

Doctor Strange: [Pause] Where is he now?

Nivadellir

[Cut to Nivadellir where Eitri is showing Thor, Rocket, and Groot the mold for Stormbreaker.]

Rocket: This is the plan? We're gonna hit him with a brick?

Eitri: It's a mold. A king's weapon. Meant to be the greatest in Asgard. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost.

Thor: Did it have a name?

Eitri: Stormbreaker.

Rocket: That's a bit much.

Thor: So how do we make it?

Eitri: You'll have to restart the forge. Awaken the heart of a dying star.

Thor: Rabbit, fire up the pod.

Titan

[Cut to Titan where the remaining United Heroes and the Guardians are starting to work together. Quill is measuring the planet's tilt.]

Peter Quill: The heck happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place.

[in the background, Mantis is jumping joyfully in a low gravity spot.]

Tony Stark: Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us. We'll use it. All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one. It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet.

[Drax yawns.]

Tony Stark: Are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?

Drax: I stopped listening after you said, "We need a plan."

Tony Stark: [To Quill] Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page.

Peter Quill: See, "not winging it" isn't really what they do.

Peter Parker: Uh, what exactly is it that they do?

Mantis: [As fiercely as an 8-week-old kitten] Kick names, take ass.

Drax: Yeah, that's right. [Agrees quietly as he settles into a stance facing the remaining Heroes.]

Sonic: Pfft, hahahahahaha!

Tony Stark: [Tony pauses with an expression of deep hopelessness] Alright, just get over here, please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?

Peter Quill: "Mr. Lord." Star-Lord is fine. [Motions to Drax and Mantis,]

Tony Stark: We gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude...

Peter Quill: Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means. Alright, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan, and that way it might be really good. [Peter Parker follows the conversation back and forth like a squash rally.]

Drax: Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe.

Tony Stark: What dance-off?

Peter Quill: It's not a... it's not... it's nothing.

Sonic: It sounds like something dude.

Peter Parker: Like in Footloose, the movie?

Peter Quill: [Excitedly] Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?

Peter Parker: It never was.

[Quill frowns sadly at him.]

Tony Stark: Don't encourage this, alright?

Peter Parker: Okay.

Tony Stark: We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here.

Peter Quill: Flash Gordon? By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half human. [Quill points at Stark and Parker] So that 50% of me that's stupid? That's 100% you.

Tony Stark: Your math is blowing my mind.

Mantis: Excuse me, but... does your friend often do that?

[Dr. Strange is sitting cross-legged, floating slightly above the ground, his hands poised in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone glowing brightly in the Eye of Agamotto setting. Green vapor-like energy flows from the stone, and more intricate magical energy patterns circle Dr. Strange's forearms. The Cloak of Levitation flows behind him as if the Stone is creating a strong breeze. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling looking for something.]

Sonic: Wow, his head is moving really fast.

Tony Stark: Strange, we alright?

[Dr. Strange snaps out of his trance and falls forward, letting out a cry.]

Tony Stark: You're back. You're alright.

Peter Parker: Hey, what was that?

Stephen Strange: [Panting] I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.

Peter Quill: How many did you see?

Stephen Strange:14,000,605.

Tony Stark: How many did we win?

[Dr. Strange stares intently at Tony for a moment.]

Stephen Strange: [Pause] One.