THANOS' SHIP

[Cut to Ebony Maw interrogating Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange is floating horizontally, face down, and is surrounded by dozens of glassy needles, each about two feet long.]

Ebony Maw: In all the time I've served Thanos, I've never failed him. If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, there would be... judgement. [The needles start to contact Dr. Strange's face, causing an obviously painful whitish subcutaneous glow at each touch] Give me... the stone.

[Cut to Tony and Sonic who are watching, hidden, from above. The Cloak of Levitation taps Stark on the arm. He raises his hand to it, ready to shoot, but he sees what it is and stands down.]

Sonic: Did that piece of dry cleaning tap you on the shoulder?

Tony Stark: I think it did. Wow you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?

Peter Parker: Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty...

[Tony, Sonic and the Cloak turn to face Peter, dropping down from above]

Tony Stark: What the-

Peter Parker: I know what you're gonna say.

Tony Stark: You should not be here.

[The Cloak moves to "stand" at Tony's side]

Peter Parker: I was gonna go home-

Tony Stark: I don't wanna hear it.

Peter Parker: But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you on the way...

Tony Stark: And now I gotta hear it.

[The Cloak shakes its collar in sympathy and shrugs]

Peter Parker: ...And I kinda stuck to the side of the ship. And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way. So if anything, it's kinda your fault that I'm here.

[Sonic and The Cloak looks shocked.]

Tony Stark: [Seriously] What did you just say?

Peter Parker: I take that back. And now I'm here in space.

Tony Stark: Yeah. [Tony crosses to stand right in front of Peter] Right where I don't want you to be. This isn't Coney Island. This isn't a field trip. It's a one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend like you thought this through. You could not have possibly thought this through.

Peter Parker: No. I did think this through.

Tony Stark: You could not have possibly thought this through.

Peter Parker: It's just .. you can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood. [He waits for Tony's reaction] Okay. That didn't really make any sense, but you know what I'm trying to say.

Sonic: I don't know Tony, he's got ya there.

Tony Stark: [Breaths shakily] Come on. We got a situation. [He leads Peter over to a viewpoint on the torture below. Peter crouches to study the situation, the Cloak leaning over his shoulder.] See him down there? He's in trouble. What's your plan? Go.

Peter Parker: Um. Okay, okay... uh... [Peter and the Cloak pop back upright] Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens?

[The Cloak lifts its collar in surprise.]

[Cut back to Ebony Maw interrogating Dr. Strange, who groans loudly.]

Ebony Maw: Painful aren't they? They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them...

[At the "thump" behind him, Maw turns to see Iron Man standing there, hand repulsors ready to fire.]

Ebony Maw: ...Could end your friend's life in an instant.

Tony Stark: I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more a professional courtesy.

Ebony Maw: [Walks slowly towards Iron Man, beckoning very large, very solid metal objects to float behind him] You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.

Tony Stark: Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies.

[Sonic spin dashes Maw and Iron Man fires a rocket from his shoulder which pierces the side of the ship to Maw's right and begins to suck everything out with depressurization, especially Maw and his large objects. Dr. Strange is pulled loose of his pinnings, loses the needles, but also heads for the hole, helpless to resist. The Cape wraps around his arm and an anchor point, but Dr. Strange's arm slips loose and he keeps going. Spider-Man shoots a web strand at Dr. Strange with one hand and holds onto a piece of the ship with the other. It breaks, sending them both towards space when his Iron-Spider suit's metal arms brace him to keep him from being sucked out. Fortunately, Dr. Strange is still surrounded by the ship's atmosphere making haste to leave.]

Peter Parker: Yes! Wait what are those?!

[Spider-Man crouches with his new spider-legs, and makes a mighty leap to pulls them both back inside. Iron Man quickly sprays nanites onto the hole to plug it up. Dr. Strange safely, if emphatically, hits the floor. Ebony Maw is seen floating in space, quite dead, ice from the escaped atmosphere frosting over his grimace. Spider-Man lands on his new legs, retracts them. Sonic and Spider-Man fist bump. Spider-Man finds the Cape "standing" next to him.]

Peter Parker: Hey, we haven't officially met. [He offers the Cape his hand to shake. It ignores his offer and continues to Dr. Strange.] Cool.

[Iron Man walks past Dr. Strange, shaking his head and with his armor retreating into its containment as Dr. Strange gets to his feet and becomes en-Cloaked.]

Stephen Strange: We've gotta turn this ship around.

Sonic: That's the best idea I've heard all day.

Tony Stark: Yeah. Now he wants to run. Great plan.

Stephen Strange: No, I want to protect the stone.

[Tony walks towards the expansive front view-port, showing a hyper speed/warp effect.]

Tony Stark: [Irritably] And I want you to thank me now. Go ahead, I'm listening.

Stephen Strange: For what? Nearly blasting me into space?

Tony Stark: Who just saved your magical ass? Me.

Stephen Strange: I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet.

Tony Stark: Admit it. You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused.

Stephen Strange: Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you.

Sonic: Um, I don't work for him.

Tony Stark: Sonic, but out! And due to that fact Strange, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup.

[Seriously, these two's egos are a recipe for disaster.]

Peter Parker: [Raises his hand] I'm backup.

Tony Stark: No. You're a stowaway. [Waggles a finger between himself and Dr. Strange] The adults are talking.

Stephen Strange: I'm sorry, I'm confused as to the relationship here. Wh- what is he, your ward?

Peter Parker: No. I'm Peter, by the way.

Stephen Strange: Dr. Strange.

Peter Parker: Oh, we're using our made-up names. Um... I'm Spider-Man, then.

Tony Stark: This ship is self-correcting its course. Thing's on autopilot.

Stephen Strange: [Walks closer to Tony] Can we control it? Fly us home? [Tony is lost in bad memories and does not respond right away.] Stark?

Tony Stark: Yeah?

Stephen Strange: Can you get us home?

Tony Stark: Yeah I heard you. I'm thinking... I'm not so sure we should.

Sonic: WHAT!?

Stephen Strange: Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos. I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here.

Tony Stark: [Stalks over to Strange] No. It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?

Stephen Strange: [Pauses] Alright, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand... if it comes to saving you or the kid or the Time Stone... I will not hesitate to let either of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it.

Tony Stark: Nice. Good. Moral compass. We're straight. [Stepping over to Peter, he formally taps each of Peter's shoulders with the edge of his hand, dubbing him as is done at a knighting.] Alright, kid. You're a United Hero now. [He doesn't look at him as he says those words, knowing well what he is signing him up for.]

[Peter looks at Tony in disbelief, and then cycles through delight, satisfaction, pride and determination, and braces himself for what's to come.]

[Tony walks over to Sonic.]

Tony Stark: Look, I know we left things on a sour note. But come on tic-tac, I need you on this. Can I count on you?

[Sonic gives Tony a reassuring smile.]

Sonic: Tony, it's water under the bridge, don't worry about it, we're all good.

[Sonic extends his hand for a handshake to which Tony accepts.]

Tony Stark: Thank you Sonic, I mean that.

Sonic: No problem tin man.