Titan
Thanos arrives, finding only fresh debris from Ebony Maw's ship.]
Stephen Strange: [Sitting on what may have been plaza steps once] Oh, yeah, you're much more of a "Thanos."
Thanos: I take it the Maw is dead. This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission.
Stephen Strange: You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts.
Thanos: And where do you think he brought you? [Star-Lord crouches behind wreckage with his weapon ready, behind Thanos and to his left; Spider-Man peeks from above and behind Doctor Strange.]
Stephen Strange: Let me guess. Your home?
Thanos: [Smiling reminiscently] It was. And it was beautiful. [Thanos curls his gauntleted fist and activates the Reality Stone to show Strange Titan before it was destroyed - green lawns, intact buildings, water-filled ponds, strolling citizens, the jack-like structures hovering and connected to the ground-based buildings with beams of energy.] Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, and not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution.
Stephen Strange: Genocide.
Thanos: But at random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman. And what I predicted came to pass. [He relaxes his fist; the Stone stops glowing and the illusion fades back into the true state of Titan.]
Stephen Strange: [Sarcastically] Congratulations. You're a prophet.
Thanos: I'm a survivor.
Stephen Strange: Who wants to murder trillions.
Thanos: With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers, and they would all cease to exist. I call that... mercy.
Stephen Strange: [Stands] And then what?
Thanos: I finally rest... and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills.
Stephen Strange: [He summons his Mandalas, entering a fighting pose] I think... you'll find... our will... equal to yours.
Thanos: Ours? [He looks up to a see a chunk of wreckage descending rapidly on him, too rapidly to react - and powered by Iron Man. He is subsequently crushed by it.]
Tony Stark: [Flying in] Piece of cake, Quill.
Peter Quill: [Triggers his mask and follows] Yeah, if your goal was to piss him off!
[The wreckage on top of Thanos erupts in purple, as he bellows in rage. He turns the hovering fragments into a flock of bats with the Reality Stone and swarms Iron Man with them, driving him back through the ruins.]
[Spider-Man webs his eyes, and swings in to kick him in the face at the same time that Drax leaps from cover, blades in both hands, to knee-slide behind Thanos and try for a tendon slide across the back of the Titan's knee.]
[Doctor Strange jumps through a portal and summons a sword of golden energy, dueling with Thanos while Drax attacks similarly on his other side. Thanos punches Drax through a ruined wall, then shatters the blade with one hand and tears the web from his eyes. He advances on Doctor Strange and kicks at him, but Strange's shield absorbs the damage - the Cloak lifts him free of the ground.]
[Star-Lord has been making his way back on the ground, and shoots Thanos from behind. Thanos uses the Power Stone to shoot balls of energy at Star-Lord while Star-Lord leaps towards Thanos using magical platforms thrown in his path by Doctor Strange, the last one placed above Thanos' head so Star-Lord can flip over him and slap a mine on Thanos' back. Star-Lord sticks his landing, he disengages his helmet, flips Thanos a bird and falls backward into a portal.]
Peter Quill: Boom!
[The explosion knocks Thanos to his knees and dazes him briefly. In that time, Sonic went in for a spin dash and knocked him down, but Thanos quickly grabbed him by the neck and threw him away.]
Stephen Strange: [Whispers to the Cloak of Levitation] Do not let him close his fist. [The Cloak swoops off Doctor Strange's shoulders and wraps itself tightly around Thanos' armored hand, who starts tugging at this unexpected wrapping.]
[Doctor Strange starts throwing portals everywhere. Spider-Man leaps through one on Thanos' left]
Peter Parker: Magic! [He punches Thanos in the head and vanishes through a portal to the lower right before reappearing above Thanos] More magic! [He yanks Thanos' head down hard, then leaps into a portal in front of him. He leaps through another portal high and behind Thanos] Magic with a kick! [Delivers a flying kick and falls feet-first into an exit, then appears on his right] Magic with a-
[Before he can finish Thanos turns, grabbing him from the air, and throwing him to the ground, with his hand around his neck.]
Thanos: Insect!
[He then throws him at Doctor Strange, knocking them both down. Thanos finally tears the Cloak away and is then promptly surrounded by fiery explosions as Iron Man bombards him. He sucks all the flame into the gauntlet with the Power Stone and fires it in a stream at Iron Man, hitting him dead on and sending him far away, plowing through a massive fallen machine.]
[Spider-Man leaps from behind, more conventionally this time, while Thanos concentrates his fire on Iron Man, webs the gauntlet and drops down in front of him, pulling hard - but Thanos yanks on the web-line, pulling the much lighter teenager towards him, and punching him on his way past. He tears the webbing free of the gauntlet just in time for a small spaceship to attempt to crash-land on him.]
[The ship drags Thanos along for a distance, burying him under debris. He stands just as the pilot leaps in a great arc to punch him, landing in front of him with an energy-blade at the ready.]
Thanos: Well, well.
Nebula: You should have killed me.
Thanos: It would've been a waste of parts!
Nebula: [She runs at Thanos, attacking him with her sword] Where's Gamora?!
[Thanos punches her away. Doctor Strange uses the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to pinion the gauntlet, pulling Thanos' fingers open and trying to pry the gauntlet off his hand.]
[Thanos tries to pull free, as Drax slides in from his right, kicking his knee and knocking him off-balance, then wrapping himself around Thanos' kneeling leg.]
[Star-Lord shoots a electric trap onto the ground to Thanos' right, the tangle-field holding down his unarmored hand.]
[Spider-Man swings in, webs Thanos' chest then wraps it around behind him, digging his Iron Spider legs into the ground to anchor himself.]
[Doctor Strange opens a portal straight above Thanos' out of which drops Mantis, landing on the Titan's shoulders, her hands on his temples. He bellows as she tries to put him under.]
[Iron Man, having returned, is pulling on the gauntlet, Sonic runs over quickly to join him. Doctor Strange reapplies the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to reinforce the trap's hold on Thanos' right hand, and the Cloak helps him pull. Thanos is finally subdued enough to incapacitate, not fully asleep.]
Tony Stark: [While pulling] Is he under? Don't let up.
Mantis: [Starting to cry] Be quick. He is very strong.
Tony Stark: Parker, help! Get over here. [Spider-Man drops his web-line, and hurries to help Tony with the gauntlet] She can't hold him much longer. Let's go.
Sonic: Ready? One, two, three, PULL!
Peter Quill: [Flies over to join the others, stands in front of Thanos, tauntingly] I thought you'd be harder to catch. For the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh? Where is Gamora?
Thanos: My Gamora...?
Peter Quill: No, bull-shit. Where is she?
Mantis: [Shocked] He is in anguish.
Peter Quill: Good.
Mantis: [Crying] He… he mourns.
Drax: What does this monster have to mourn?
Nebula: Gamora.
Peter Quill: [Pause] What?
Nebula: [Realizing with horror and sadness what has happened] He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone... but she didn't.
Sonic: Oh no.
Tony Stark: [Frasps the danger immediately and de-helmets] Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it right now, you understand?
[Quill slowly turns to Thanos,]
Tony Stark: [Shouting his pleads desperately] Don't, don't, don't engage, we've almost got this off!
Peter Quill: Tell me she's lying. [Enraged] Asshole! Tell me you didn't do it!
Thanos: I... had... to.
Peter Quill: [While starting to tear up; quietly] No, you didn't…! No, you didn't…! [He continues to rage and then pistol-whipping Thanos twice in the face, causing Mantis to let go in pain.] NO, YOU DIDN'T!
Tony Stark: Quill!
[Iron Man leaps for Star-Lord's arm, re-helmeting and leaving Spider-Man to pull off the gauntlet.]
Tony Stark: [To the struggling Star-Lord] Hey, stop! Hey, stop! Stop! Hey, stop! Stop!
Peter Parker: It's coming! It's coming! It's coming! [Getting the fingers completely loose] I got it! I got it... !
Sonic: Come on, almost…!
[Thanos wakes completely, now well and truly furious. He head-butts Mantis, grabbing the cuff of the gauntlet just as it is sliding off his hand, causing Spider-Man and Sonic to stumble back, and then throwing Mantis away off his shoulders.]
Peter Parker: [Seeing Mantis with far too much air under her] Oh, God. [He jumps and wraps his arms and legs around her, extending his spider legs to form a roll cage for a safe landing.]
[Thanos kicks Drax off his right leg and into Nebula and Star-Lord, knocking them down. He punches Sonic away into some rubble. He yanks on the Crimson Bands holding his right hand to throw Doctor Strange far away, and swats away Iron Man and his repulsor shots. The remaining Guardians jump up and charge him again, but he fires a pulse of indigo energy at them that knocks the three of them completely unconscious.]
[Iron Man zooms back in, his nanite arm cannon manifested, and is head-butted to the ground. Thanos looks at him for a beat, then raises the gauntlet towards Titan's moon. Iron Man stares, aghast. Thanos uses a combination of the Power and Space Stones to shatter the moon's surface, then bring the debris down on the field of battle at speed. Iron Man powers out of the way but is caught by a chunk of moon about the size of a baseball field, slamming him into the ground. The Guardians go sailing into the air from the rebound.]
[Back in Wakanda, Shuri is working steadily to complete the Mind Stone's removal; Wanda stands by tensely]
[The Kingsguard, Borderers and Jabari have little success going against Cull Obsidian's chained hammer - he either sends them flying or punches them into the ground. The Black Panther gets free of his other sorties, leaps and uses all his collected kinetic energy behind a punch that lays Obsidian flat.]
Rocket: [Having found a clear spot] Come and get some, space dogs! [Another wave of Outriders heads right for the raccoon-oid. The Winter Soldier, having come up behind Rocket, grabs him with his mechanical arm, holds him at arms length and spins 540 degrees, firing his own M-249 at the same time.] Come on, get some, get some! Come on, get some! [The Winter Soldier drops Rocket, who looks up at him with an impressed gleam] How much for the gun?
Bucky Barnes: [Snaps off another burst] Not for sale.
Rocket: Okay, how much for the arm? [The Winter Soldier just gives him a look and moves off] Oh, I'll get that arm.
[The tides of battle cause Thor, using Stormbreaker to great effect, and Captain America together. They take a breather.]
Steve Rogers: [Panting] New haircut?
Thor: [Grinning] Notice you've copied my beard.
[Captain America nods, wearily gesturing at his own face with a shield-covered hand. Groot skewers three Outriders with his right arm.]
Thor: By the way, this is a friend of mine. Tree. [Gestures towards Groot with Stormbreaker]
Groot: [In full battle snarl] I AM GROOT! (Translation: You gonna help me or what?!)
Steve Rogers: [Formally, but bemused] I am Steve Rogers.
[Then the heroes saw a green sawblade and red laser beams destroy a horde of outriders. They look up to see Superman and Green Lantern, here to assist.
Superman: Hope we're not too late.
Steve Rogers: Right on time.
[Then with a battle cry, the battle resumes.]
[In Shuri's lab, a deep rumbling can be heard even at their height. Wanda looks down on the battlefield, and sees movement through the blazing forest between the troopships and the dome. When the disturbance reaches the edge of the trees, it turns into vast moving mounds of earth that easily bypass the force field and emerge - Threshers, sets of massive, motorized spiked wheels, intended for nothing more than shredding everything in their paths.]
T'Challa: Fall back! Fall back now!
[Wanda watches as at least one set of Threshers separates into individual wheels and starts veering all over the battlefield, and then looks anxiously back at Vision]
James Rhodes: Focus that fire on the left flank, Sam.
Sam Wilson: I'm doing it. [The two fliers use their firepower to crack a Thresher but cannot find a weak spot.]
[Black Widow with her escrima sticks and Okoye with her augmented spear have drifted together when they're suddenly in the path of a Thresher. Both women cringe at their seemingly inevitable shredding when the Scarlet Witch lands in front of both of them, eyes glowing red, lifting the whole Thresher well clear of the ground. Looking behind her, the friendly forces have scattered and replaced by a charging mob of Outriders - the perfect place to throw a Thresher. Black Widow straightens with a pleased smile, Okoye with an amazed look.]
Okoye: [A touch indignant] Why was she up there all this time?
[The Children of Thanos help answer that question.]
Proxima Midnight: She's on the field. Take it.
[Corvus Glaive kills one of the guards just outside the lab, alerting Shuri to the problem. She starts hastily disconnecting her equipment from Vision's systems; he gasps at the sensations. The Dora Milaje engages Glaive but is sent skidding across the floor. Shuri finishes her shutdown, grabs one of her sonic panther-paws and fires at Glaive. The Dora attacks again, and Glaive sends both her and Shuri through the balcony railing and onto the main lab floor.]
[Vision is not where Corvus Glaive expects to find him. Vision is, in fact, charging at him and knocking him out the window to fall many meters down the face of Mount Bashenga.]
Sam Wilson: Guys, we got a Vision situation here. [He's tackled by a leaping Outrider and grounded.]
Steve Rogers: Somebody get to Vision!
Bruce Banner: I got him! [Bruce has figured out the Hulkbusters repulsor thrusters and makes a beeline for the android.]
Wanda Maximoff: On my way. [She is clobbered by Proxima Midnight's pommel and rolls down into the large ditch from the Thresher before she can move.]
Proxima Midnight: [Jumping down next to the Scarlet Witch] He'll die alone. As will you.
Natasha Romanoff: She's not alone.
[Okoye silently brandishes her spear on the other side of Proxima and nods at Black Widow.]
Proxima Midnight: Euuyaaah! [She leaps for Black Widow, who has joined her sticks into a full staff. She blocks Proxima's blow with an electrical crackle while Okoye runs around the slope to also attack from the front.]
[Corvus Glaive kicks Vision, knocking him down; as he attempts to rise again, Cull Obsidian shows up and swings his hammer in a full arc, throwing Vision even further. He painfully starts to climb to his feet again when a whooshing overhead interrupts the fight as Bruce Banner lands the Hulkbuster between the aliens and the android. He takes a defensive stance, pointing one hand's repulsor at each.]
Bruce Banner: Oh no, oh no you don't. This isn't going to be like New York, pal. This suit's already kicked the crap out of the Hulk- [Cull Obsidian jumps forward, grabs Bruce's right arm and Bruce in reflex grabs Obsidian's hammer; a jet fires, taking the two of them in a random direction, to the base of a waterfall.]
Bruce Banner: Guys! Vision needs backup now! [Obsidian pulls the Hulkbuster up and kicks it in the small of the back.] [Trying to change into the Hulk while fighting Cull Obsidian in the Hulkbuster armor] Hulk. Hulk, I know you like making your entrance at the last second, well, this is it, man. This is the last, last second. [Bruce extends his left hand protectively; Obsidian grabs the armor's hand, chops the shoulder joint with a relatively small axe then does a roll over Bruce's back to leverage snapping off the Hulkbuster's whole arm] Ahhhhh! Hulk! Hulk! HULK!
Hulk: [Banner's face briefly becomes the Hulk] NOOOO!
Bruce Banner: Oh, screw you, ya big green asshole! I'll do it myself! [To Obsidian] Come on!
[He charges the alien, jumps into the air and delivers an effective punch with his remaining hand - swat, punch, hammer - except that blow is caught by Obsidian, who punches back, knocking Bruce flat. Obsidian changes his left hand armor into a pointed weapon, and lunges forward to deliver a likely fatal blow, when Bruce grabs the detached Hulkbuster arm out of the water, holding it so Obsidian impales that instead, and slaps the controls.]
Bruce Banner: See ya! [The repulsors fire, taking Cull Obsidian high into the air - high enough, in fact, to intersect the defense dome. The Hulkbuster arm drags Obsidian against the field to grotesque destructive effect, ending in a very final explosion.] Hulk, we got a lot to figure out, pal.
[Proxima Midnight alternates heavy blows between her two opponents, but all three of them duck as a single-wheel Thresher tears overhead, the ditch sparing them most of the danger from the wheel-blades. Proxima uses the distraction to kick Black Widow in the face, sending her to the ground. She then grabs Okoye by the shoulder and weapon and throws her meters away.]
[Simultaneously, Corvus Glaive and Vision struggle in the forest at the foot of Mount Bashenga. Glaive grasps Vision's shoulder and uses the leverage to plunge his blade once more into the android's chest.]
Corvus Glaive: I thought you were formidable, machine. But you're dying, like any man. [He yanks his blade out, and Vision collapses. As he bends over his fallen opponent to retrieve the Stone, he's tackled by Captain America at full speed.]
Steve Rogers: Get outta here! [He exchanges blows with Glaive, using his arm-shields as offence as well as defense, then turns to Vision again] GO!
[Black Widow splits her staff back into a pair of sticks to block Proxima Midnight's sword blows, and finally knocks it from her hand. The alien takes to her bare fists instead, knocks down and pins the Black Widow. Proxima triggers an arm-blade from her left-arm armor, and stabs at Black Widow, who barely manages to block the blade with her crossed sticks. As the edge starts to dig into Black Widow's neck anyway, scarlet energy grabs the alien and tosses her into the air right into the path of another passing Thresher. Dark blue blood spatters the women below. The Scarlet Witch sits up, sighing with relief, her hands still shimmering.]
Natasha Romanoff: That was really gross.
[Captain America keeps blocking Corvus Glaive's staff weapon using his shields, finally knocking it from the alien's hands just before he's thrown over a fallen tree and pinned, Glaive's hand at his throat. Even with his physical abilities, Captain America's struggling - until a glaive-blade pierces Glaive's chest, and is pushed all the way through. Vision raises his enemy in a perfect mirror of the first attack on him, and holds him for a moment, before dropping Glaive's corpse to one side and collapsing exhaustively.]
Steve Rogers: [helping him back up] I thought I told you to go.
Vision: We don't trade lives, Captain.
[The remaining Guardians and Heroes are dealing with the gravitic aftermath of dumping a large chunk of moon onto an unstable planet's surface. The unconscious Guardians are flying upwards uncontrollably, moon-chunks are still making fiery ballistic in-bounds, and random debris and massive rocks are floating in any possible direction. Spider-Man is well-equipped to handle this physically, even if he's freaking out emotionally.]
Peter Parker: [Webs Mantis] I got you! I got you! [Snags Drax, securing both of them to something not moving] I'm sorry I can't remember anybody's names! [Reels in Star-Lord]
[The Cloak of Levitation sets Doctor Strange down on a relatively stable outcrop as Thanos extricates himself from rubble. The Sorcerer Supreme makes a few passes with his hands, producing the familiar golden magic filigree circles, and slams his hands down on the rock before him, invoking the Seven Suns of Cinnibus as a lightning-like effect of immense heat jumping from rock to rock until it reaches Thanos, sending him flying - but he makes use of the erratic gravity to keep control and fire back a blast from the Power Stone.]
[Doctor Strange blocks the purple plume with a wall of Mirror Dimension, which he then pushes back at Thanos. It shatters around the Titan, who suctions the magic into a miniature black hole with the Space Stone, volleying it back at Doctor Strange. Just in time, Doctor Strange raises a shield and changes the dark energy into a swarm of aqua butterflies which return to their master.]
[Before Thanos can counterattack again, Doctor Strange levitates and invokes the Images of Ikonn, giving him arms like a Hindu deity before dozens of Strange replications rush away, forming a circular wall around a snarling Thanos. They call cast magical cords, wrapping around Thanos' torso, arms and hands; he struggles to close his gauntleted fist, and uses the Soul and Power Stones to discover the real Doctor Strange among the many copies, blowing the duplicates away and sending the singular Doctor Strange reeling. Reality and Space pull Doctor Strange forward, Thanos grasping him by the throat once in range. Doctor Strange grabs futilely at Thanos' hand.]
Thanos: You're full of tricks, wizard.
Stephen Strange: [as Thanos reaches for the Eye of Agamotto] No!
Thanos: [He snaps the Eye off its chain] Yet you never once used your greatest weapon. [He crushes it in his bare hand] A fake. [He throws Doctor Strange hard enough that Doctor Strange's head hits stone and he passes out.]
[Sonic spin dashes his face and proceeds to punch him, until Thanos used the space Stone to freeze Sonic and blast him away with the power Stone. Almost simultaneously, a red and gold device slaps into the palm of the Infinity Gauntlet, bracing the fingers open; and a red and gold Avenger makes a fast and hard entrance.]
Tony Stark: [sounding just about done with the Titan] You throw another moon at me, and I'm gonna to lose it.
Thanos: Stark.
Tony Stark: You know me?
Thanos: I do. You're not the only one cursed with knowledge.
Tony Stark: My only curse is you. [Small rockets pop out of Iron Man's back and launch at Thanos.]
Thanos: Come on!
[The rockets all explode on target, momentarily shrouding Thanos in smoke. Before it clears, Iron Man pile drives into Thanos horizontally, using his single super-jet boot configuration. As he bounces off, he flips and sticks his landing, immediately re-configuring his boots into ground clamps for stability and his gloves into rocket-driven battering rams, punching Thanos into a ruined wall behind him.]
[Thanos shakes it off quickly, reaches forward and tears Iron Man's helmet off, revealing Tony's surprised expression before the suit recovers automatically and re-forms his head protection. The Titan makes use of the fractional delay and punches back hard, sending Iron Man sliding meters away, giving Thanos time to rip the brace device off the gauntlet. He immediately uses the Power Stone to stream furiously lambent energy at his opponent, who forms a shield to kneel behind just as instantly, getting pushed back even further by the incredible force.]
[Iron Man slides out from behind the shield, letting the angled energy push him away for a faster start, and whips back to Thanos full thrusters; he kicks at the Titan with his left foot, turning the boot into a ground clamp at the same time to pin the gauntlet, and keeps twisting while his left glove becomes a ram again, slamming into Thanos' face, cutting his cheek.]
Thanos: [Panting] All that for a drop of blood.
[He smiles briefly punches Iron Man, sending him pinwheeling, then starts beating him with his fists. Iron Man attempts to block the blows with his forearms, but Thanos is relentless, picking him up by the helmet and blasting his midsection with the Power Stone. The gaps in nanite coverage are now gaping, as the armor loses the ability to recover from the intensity and extent of the damage. Iron Man lands hard from the Power blast, struggles to one knee and fires his right hand repulsor at the inexorable Thanos; the beam is easily deflected by the gauntlet. He gets to both feet as the suit tries to complete repairs, adding the beam from his left hand as well. Thanos walks right up to him, and backhands the incomplete helmet completely off Tony's head. He crosses his arms to block a blow from Thanos' gauntlet, and has his left hand caught over his head. In desperation, he forms what's left of his right glove into a short-sword, which is also easily caught by Thanos, snapping it off clean and driving it through Tony's left side. The fight is over.]
[Thanos walks Tony back until he sits, and places the gauntlet almost comfortingly on Tony's head.]
Thanos: You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive. [He lets go, straightens and steps back] I hope they remember you.
[Tony's just a little distracted with the pain, and blood drooling out of his mouth, and compromised breathing.]
[Thanos raises the gauntlet, closing his fist, all four Stones glowing]
Stephen Strange: Stop! [Sitting up and sounding entirely damaged] Spare his life... and I will give you the stone.
Thanos: No tricks. [Doctor Strange shakes his head as Thanos points all four Stones at him instead.]
Tony Stark: Don't...!
[Doctor Strange reaches up and plucks the Time Stone out of its hiding place in the stars. He opens his hand, the scars on his fingers and their inherent trembling particularly obvious now, and the Stone floats to Thanos' bare hand. Doctor Strange watches him intently, as he takes the Stone and drops it into the thumb setting, the energy pulse making the Titan wince.]
Thanos: One to go. [An energy blast hits the gauntlet right in the empty Mind Stone setting, and Thanos grimaces in surprise.]
Peter Quill: [Screaming in incoherent rage, helmet up, firing with both hands and flying straight for Thanos.]
[Thanos doesn't even bother responding to the assault - he just leaves. Star-Lord flies through where Thanos had been and crashes, rolling several times]
Peter Quill: [Standing and de-helmeting] Where is he?!
[Tony stitches up his stab wound as well as he can with his suit functions; he has no breath for answers.]
Peter Quill: [Now fearful instead of furious] Did we just lose?
Tony Stark: [To Doctor Strange, sadly, who has given the Time Stone to Thanos] Why would you do that?
Stephen Strange: We're in the Endgame now.