Zen-Whoberi

[The past, at Gamora's home planet Zen-Whoberi during Thanos' massacre. Gamora and her mother are hiding; the sounds of guns and screaming are outside.]

Gamora's Mother: [To Young Gamora] Shh. We'll be safe. We'll be safe.

[An explosion goes off close by and Gamora screeches by reflex, revealing their hiding spot.]

Child of Thanos: [Untranslated inquiry.]

[The door is smashed open and both Zehobereians scream.]

[Outside, it is utter chaos. Leviathans, Chitauri chariots and ring-ships fly overhead; explosions and energy bolts from numerous sources criss-cross the panicked population, felling them randomly; smoke arises from countless fires.]

Ebony Maw: Zehobereians…

Young Gamora: [Being dragged by one arm through the crowds] Mother! Where's my mother?!

Ebony Maw: Zen-Whoberis... Choose a side, or die.

Young Gamora: Mother! [She punches at the arm of the one dragging her who surprisingly drops her arm and leaves.]

Ebony Maw: One side is a revelation. The other, an honor known only to a few.

[Gamora turns and finds herself facing Thanos in his full Titan armor.]

Thanos: What's wrong, little one?

Young Gamora: My mother. Where is my mother?

Thanos: [Kneels down to Gamora] What's your name?

Young Gamora: Gamora.

Thanos: You're quite the fighter, Gamora. Come. Let me help you. [Thanos offers his hand; she wraps her little fingers around one massive finger, and he leads her to a pavilion, where he crouches to her eye level again and produces a small - for him - red-jeweled handle. Pressing the switch, razor-sharp blades pop out both ends.] Look. Pretty, isn't it? Perfectly balanced. As all things should be. Too much to one side, or the other… [He balances it on one finger, overbalances it purposefully and catches it.] Here. You try.

[Thanos hands Gamora the dagger - the handle is two child-palms' widths in length. She tries balancing it on her index finger.]

Ebony Maw: Now go in peace, and meet your Maker.

[One half of the crowd is shot down. The survivors scream in horror, and Gamora tries to turn but Thanos prevents her from seeing the massacre.]

Thanos: Concentrate. There! You've got it.

[Cut to the present, aboard the GUARDIANS' ship. Gamora is brooding, activates the spring-action blades on the same dagger.]

Peter Quill: Gamora. Do you know if these grenades are the "blow off your junk" kind or the gas kind? 'Cause I was thinking I might hang a couple on my belt right here. But I don't want to-

Gamora: I need to ask a favor.

Peter Quill: Yeah, sure.

Gamora: One way or another, the path that we're on leads to Thanos.

Peter Quill: Which is what the grenades are for. [Gamora silences him with a look.] I'm sorry. What's the favor?

Gamora: If things go wrong… If Thanos gets me… I want you to promise me… you'll kill me.

Peter Quill: [A beat. Confusion.] What?

Gamora: I know something he doesn't. If he finds out… the entire Universe could be at risk.

Peter Quill: What do you know?

Gamora: If I tell you, you'd know, too.

Peter Quill: If it's so important, shouldn't I?

Gamora: Only if you wanna die.

Peter Quill: Why does somebody always have to die in this scenario?

Gamora: Just… trust me. And possibly, kill me.

Peter Quill: I mean, I'd like to. I really would… [Gamora silences him by covering his mouth with her hand.]

Gamora: Swear to me. Swear to me on your mother.

Peter Quill: [A beat. One that rests with him significantly.] Okay.

[The two kiss, until an odd crunching sound startles them. Drax is standing in the corner.]

Peter Quill: Dude. How long have you been standing there?

Drax: An hour.

Peter Quill: An hour? Are you serious?

Drax: I've mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still... that I become invisible to the eye... watch.

[Drax stands motionless, then very slowly raises his hand towards his mouth]

Peter Quill: You're eating a zarg-nut.

Drax: But my movement... was so slow... that it's imperceptible.

Peter Quill: Mmm, no. [Quill and Gamora shake their heads.]

Drax: I'm sure I'm invisible.

Mantis: Hi, Drax.

Drax: [Knowing when he is beat] Damn it.

[The Benatar flies towards a massive skull and flies through one eye-hole into a vast interior cavern.]

Knowhere

Peter Quill: This place looks deserted.

Drax: I'm reading movement from the third quadrant.

Peter Quill: Yep. I'm picking that up, too. Let's put it down right here.

[The four Guardians disembark and sneak into the Collector's collection room, which is in ruins. Thanos is threatening the Collector while the Guardians hide behind rubble.]

Collector: I don't have it.

Thanos: Everyone in the Galaxy knows you'd sell your own brother if you thought it would add the slightest trinket to your pathetic collection.

[Quill stops, and holds up a fist meaning 'halt' in the silent language of soldiers. Everybody walks quietly past him.]

Thanos: I know you have the Reality Stone, Tivan. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering. [Thanos places a heavy boot on the middle of the Collector's chest and presses.]

Collector: [Strained] I told you. I sold it. Why would I lie?

Thanos: I imagine it's like breathing for you.

Collector: Like suicide.

Thanos: So you do understand. Not even you would surrender something so precious.

Collector: I didn't know what it was.

Thanos: Then you're more of a fool than I took you for. Last chance, charlatan. Where's the Stone?

Drax: Today...

Peter Quill: [Grasping the danger] Drax. Drax.

Drax: ...He pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter.

Peter Quill: Drax, waaaaait! [Drax draws his long dagger from his leg scabbard.] Not yet, not yet, not yet. [Drax gives him a look and heads towards Thanos. Quill hurries as quietly as possible to catch up.] Drax, Drax, Drax. He doesn't have the Stone yet. We get it, and then we can stop him. We have to get the Stone first. Yeah.

Drax: No. No. For Ovette. For Camaria.

[Quill starts to struggle with Drax when Mantis puts her hand on the back of Drax's head.]

Mantis: Sleeeep. [Drax is knocked out, his falling body causing a loud crash. Everybody ducks.]

[Thanos looks towards the sound, then picks up the Collector and throws him into a collecting case before walking towards the disturbance.]

Peter Quill: Okay. Gamora, Mantis, you go right. I'm... [Gamora moves towards Thanos] The other right!

[Gamora leaps on Thanos from a stack of boxes, swinging her sword at him. He snaps the sword-blade in half, and Gamora stabs him in the throat with the stub, his lower jaw sagging and himself letting out a hoarse groan, then he is stabbed in the chest with the red-jeweled dagger.]

Thanos: Why? [He falls down] Why you? Daughter… [He holds his hand out to her, blood pooling out from his neck wound, before collapsing completely. Gamora breaks down, sobbing.]

Peter Quill: [Surprised] That was quick.

Collector: Magnificent! Magnificent! Magnificent!

[Suddenly, Thanos' disembodied voice fills the room.]

Thanos: Is it sadness I sense in you, daughter? In my heart, I knew you still cared. But one ever knows for sure. Reality is often disappointing.

[The scene disappears - everything in the room is destroyed and/or on fire, the Collector waving bye-bye as he and his case vanish.]

Thanos: That is, it was. Now… reality can be whatever I want.

[Thanos is quite alive and undamaged. He has the red Reality Stone seated in the Infinity Gauntlet.]

Gamora: [Her face still wet, but no longer crying] You knew I'd come.

Thanos: I counted on it. There's something we need to discuss, little one.

[Gamora hesitates for a beat, then reaches for her broken sword. Thanos grabs her by the back of the neck and swings her around in front of him.]

Drax: Thanos!

[With a pulse of the Reality Stone, both Drax and Mantis are 'disassembled' - Drax is turned into a stack of tumbling cubes, and Mantis becomes a ribbon version of herself.]

Peter Quill: [Moving in, his blaster pointed right at Thanos] Let her go, Grimace!

Gamora: Peter…

Peter Quill: [To Gamora] I told you to go right.

Gamora: Now? Really?

Peter Quill: You let her go!

Thanos: Ah, the boyfriend.

Peter Quill: I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing long-term booty call. Let her go.

Gamora: Peter…

Peter Quill: Or I'm gonna blow that nut sack of a chin right off your face!

Gamora: Not him.

[Quill hesitates. He does not shoot anyone.]

Gamora: You promised! You promised.

Thanos: Oh, daughter. You expect too much from him. [to Quill] She's asked, hasn't she? Do it. [There is a very tense and unpleasant pause. Thanos rolls his head and shoves Gamora towards Quill's gun, egging him on.] DO IT!

Peter Quill: [Tearing up] I told you to go right.

Gamora: I love you, more than anything.

Peter Quill: I love you, too.

[Quill screws up his eyes and pulls the trigger - but a stream of bubbles comes out. Thanos was playing him.]

Thanos: [Genuinely sincere] I like you.

[Thanos teleports Gamora and himself away as a stunned Quill picks up Gamora's sword, and his friends painfully re-assemble themselves, the Reality Stone's effects now subsiding in its absence.]