At the compound, Rhodey is on call with Ross. Ross asks if there's any word from Vision.
"Oh great, this asshole again." Natasha said.
Rhodey says the satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh.
Ross says he's on a stolen quinjet with 4 of the most wanted criminals.
Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda glared at Ross.
Rhodey says they're only criminals because Ross chose to call them that.
"He did the same thing to me." Bruce said.
Ross says Rhodey's talent for horseshit rivals his own.
"I- I really don't think it does." Rhodey said.
Rhodey says Vision would've been there if it wasn't for the Accords.
The avengers all winced at the mention of the Accords, remembering watching what happened because of them- what they did to each other because of them.
Ross reminds Rhodey that he signed them.
Rhodey says he paid for it.
Rhodey looked at his on-screen self sadly, remembering his injury.
Ross asks if he has second thoughts.
Rhodey says he doesn't anymore.
Steve, Natasha, Sam, Vision and Wanda walk in. Ross says they have nerve.
Natasha says he could use some of that.
"He could." Everyone agreed.
Ross says the world is on fire and asks if they think all is forgiven.
"You're right, the world is on fire. Are you really gonna let your petty grievance get in the way of saving it?" Sam asked.
Steve says he isn't looking for forgiveness and he's way past asking permission and says Earth just lost her best defender.
"You think I'm Earth's best defender?" Tony asked, feeling complimented.
Steve says they're there to fight and they'll fight Ross too if he stands in their way.
"I'd say do it anyway. I'd love to see Ross get taken down a few pegs." Maria said.
Ross tells Rhodey to arrest them.
"Oh seriously?" Natasha asked.
Rhodey brushes the hologram away and tells Steve that its good to see him. Steve shakes Rhodey's hand while Natasha hugs him. Rhodey says they all really look like crap.
Everyone laughed at that remark. "So subtlety is lost on you now, huh?" Sam asked.
Rhodey says it must've been a rough couple of years.
Sam says the hotels weren't exactly 5-star.
Sam, Steve, Natasha and Wanda winced at the implications of that sentence.
"Wait if you were all fugitives of the government after you got broken out of the Raft prison... where are me and Scott? Did we not join you or something?" Clint asked.
Bruce walks in and says he thinks they look great and says he's back then.
Natasha and Bruce greet each other. Sam says this is awkward.
"Pointing out when somethings awkward only makes it more awkward." Bucky said.
later, they all discuss the Black Order. Rhodey says they need to assume that they're coming back.
"Of course they're coming back. They didn't get what they came for." Strange said.
Wanda says they can clearly find them.
"When they come back... it'll probably be with more than just 2 of them." Wanda added.
Bruce says they need all hands on deck and asks where Clint is.
Natasha says he and Scott took a deal after the Accords situation because it was too much stress on their families and they're on house arrest.
"House arrest huh? I guess that answers that question." Clint said.
"I'm actually surprised Ross even let that happen." Bruce said.
Bruce asks who Scott is.
"Hi." Scott said to Bruce. "I'm Scott."
Steve says Scott is Ant-Man. Bruce is shocked that there's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man.
"Yeah... you missed a lot while you were galivanting in space." Tony said.
"There's a lot of bug themed superheroes. Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow, hell even Mantis." Ned said.
"Does Mantis really count if she's an alien and that's how her species naturally looks?" Scott asked.
Bruce says Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he won't stop until he gets Vision's stone.
Natasha says they need to protect it.
Vision says they need to destroy it.
"But what about you?" Wanda asked. "Even if we could destroy the stone... couldn't that kill you?"
Vision says he's given a great deal of thought to the nature and composition of the entity in his head. He says it it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source similar to it's own nature then it's molecular integrity could fail. Vision walks over to Wanda.
"You think I could destroy it? You're asking me to destroy it?" Wanda asked, morosely.
"Your powers came from it, you could potentially destroy it." Vision pointed out.
"That's not the point, it could kill you." Wanda said. "You're asking me to kill you."
Wanda says it would take Vision with it and says they're not having this conversation.
Vision says eliminating the stone is the only way to ensure Thanos can't get it.
"He's right." Nebula said.
Wanda says that's too high of a price.
Vision says she's the only one with the power to pay it.
"Couldn't there be a way to destroy the stone without killing Vision?" Tony asked.
Wanda walks to the corner of the room. Vision says Thanos threatens the universe and one life can't stand in the way of defeating him.
Everyone, of course, understood where Vision was coming from. Sometimes in order to save people others could be lost in return. Sometimes sacrifices needed to be made, but they'll be dammed if they didn't do everything in their power to make sure that they could find a way around it.
Steve says it should and tells Vision they don't trade lives.
Vision reminds Steve that he laid down his own life to save millions of people 70 years ago and asks how it's any different.
'He has a point.' Bucky, Peggy and Howard thought.
Bruce says Vision might have a choice
"What do you mean?" Vision asked.
Bruce says his mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays including himself, JARVIS, Ultron, Tony and the stone and all of them are mixed together learning from one another.
"So if you take the stone out... the rest of him remains?" Wanda asked.
Wanda asks if he's saying Vision isn't just the stone.
Bruce says there will be a lot of Vision left of they take out the stone.
"Great, so... how do we remove it?" Sam asked.
Natasha asks if they can do that.
Bruce says he can't do it there.
Rhodey says they need to find someone who will quickly and says Ross won't let them have their old rooms back.
"That's cause he's an ass." Scott said.
Steve says he knows somewhere.
"Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" Shuri asked.
'Wakanda' appears on the screen. T'Challa is walking with Okoye. Okoye says the kingsguard and the Dora Milaje and the remaining members of the Border tribe have been alerted.
Everyone winced at 'remaining members' as they remembered what happened with T'Challa and the border tribe in the previous film. "What happened to them?" Steve asked, already having his suspicions.
"Most of the border tribe have been imprisoned." T'Challa answered.
T'Challa asks her to send word to the Jabari as well and says M'Baku likes a good fight.
Okoye asks about Bucky.
T'Challa says he may be tired of war but the White Wolf has rested long enough.
"Oh, they're talking about you." Steve said, recognizing the nickname.
One of the guards sets down a case and opens it. Bucky walks up to it, seeing that it's an arm.
Bucky's eyes widened in shock. "That's a nice looking arm." Sam commented.
Bucky asks where the fight is.
Steve felt a pang of sadness as he heard the resigned tone in his best friend's voice.
T'Challa says it's on its way.
"And it's moving quickly." Nebula said.
On the Black Orders ship, Maw telekinetically holds spikes around Strange.
Everyone looked worried for strange, save for Strange himself who already lived this and knew how it ended.
Maw says he's never failed Thanos in all the time he's served him.
"Well, there's a first time for everything." Strange said.
Maw says there would be judgement if he were to reach Titan with the stone still attached to Strange's vaguely irritating person then tells Strange to give him the stone. One of the spikes pierces Strange's cheek as Maw speaks.
Everyone winced as Maw tortured Strange.
Tony watches from above, the Cloak of Levitation taps him on the shoulder, startling him. Tony calls the cloak a loyal piece of outerwear.
"And I'm grateful for it." Strange said, remembering the amount of times the Cloak of Levitation had helped him and essentially saved his life.
Peter drops down across from him. Tony tells him that he shouldn't be there.
"For once I actually agree with Stark." May said.
"I'm sorry." Peter said, awkwardly.
Peter says he was going to go home.
"I wish you would have." Ned said, worried for his best friend, who just got himself into, what could be, one of the most dangerous fights of his life.
Tony says he doesn't want to hear it.
Peter says it was a long way home and he thought about shooting a web and stuck to the side of the ship and the suit is ridiculously intuitive so it's Tony's fault that he's there.
"Oh... you're in for it now." Rhodey said, holding back laughter.
"No it isn't, you chose to stay on the ship, you just said you were going to go home but chose to stay on the ship instead." Tony said.
Tony asks Peter what he just said. Peter takes it back and says that he's now in space.
"Right where you shouldn't be." May said.
Tony says that's right where he didn't want him to be and says this isn't Coney Island or a field trip but a one-way ticket and tells Peter not to pretend he thought this through.
Peter says he did think this through.
"You could not have possibly thought that through." MJ said.
Tony says he couldn't have possibly thought it through.
Peter says he can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood.
"Huh?" Everyone asked.
"What does that even mean?" Scott asked.
Peter says that doesn't make any sense but Tony knows what he's trying to say.
"No, it makes a little bit of sense." Natasha said.
Tony tells Peter that they have a situation, shows him what's happening with Strange and asks what his plan is.
Peter asks if he's ever seen the really old movie 'Aliens'.
"Where are you going with this?" Rhodey asked, remembering that the last time the kid mentioned a 'really old movie' he actually had a pretty good plan.
"I wish you would stop calling 80s movies 'really old'." Sam sighed.
Strange screams as more of the pins pierce him.
Strange winced as he remembered how those felt.
Maw comments about them being painful and says they were originally designed for microsurgery. Tony drops down behind him. Maw says anyone of the spikes can end his friend's life in an instant.
"Oh god." Quill said.
Tony says Strange isn't really his friend and saving his life is more of a professional courtesy.
"Well then thank you for your 'professional courtesy'." Strange said drily.
Maw lifts a piece of metal and says he's saved nothing and Tony's powers are inconsequential to his.
"Yeah but power isn't everything." Gamora said.
Tony says Peter's seen more movies then he blows a hole in the ship and Maw gets sucked out.
"Nice!" Clint cheered.
Strange gets sucked into the hole as well, Peter shoots a web at him and 4 limbs emerge from the suit to stop them from getting sucked into space.
"The suit has more limbs? That is awesome." Peter said.
Peter uses the limbs as leverage to get back into the ship, Tony uses something to patch the hole. Maw freezes in space.
"He got what he deserved." Nebula said.
Peter stands up, the Cloak hovers next to him. Peter says they haven't officially met. The cloak flies off.
"Did you just try to introduce yourself to a cloak?" Hope asked.
Strange tells Tony that they need to turn the ship around.
"Indeed you do." Loki agreed.
Tony makes a comment about Strange wanting to run and says that's a great plan.
"Well it is a great plan, you've gotta get that stone as far from Thanos as possible and at the moment you're taking it straight to him." Rocket said.
Strange says he wants to protect the stone.
Tony says he wants Strange to thank him.
Strange asks what for and says they nearly blasted him into space.
Tony says he saved Strange's magical ass.
"Technically it was a team effort." Rhodey said.
Strange says he doesn't know how Tony's head fits into his helmet.
"I wonder the same thing every day." Natasha joked.
Tony says Strange should've ducked out when he told him to.
Strange tells Tony that he doesn't work for him unlike everyone else in his life.
"Contrary to popular belief not everyone in my life works for me." Tony said.
Tony says they are not in a flying donut billions of miles from Earth with no backup.
Peter says he's backup.
Everyone raised their eyebrows at him. "You aren't even supposed to be there." Clint said.
Tony says Peter's a stowaway and tells him that the adults are talking.
"Where are the adults? All I see are children." Fury said.
Strange is confused about the relationship between Peter and Tony and asks Tony if Peter's his ward.
"Um... I'm more of a protégé." Peter said.
Peter says he isn't and introduces himself as Peter.
"What ever happened to 'secret identity'?" Ned asked.
Strange introduces himself as Doctor Strange.
Peter makes a comment about them using their made up names and says he's Spider-Man.
"Doctor Strange is my real name." Strange said. "Well technically it's Doctor Stephen Strange."
Tony says the ship is on auto-pilot and it's correcting it's course. Strange asks if he can control it and fly them home. Tony looks distracted so Strange repeats his question.
"I don't like that look." Rhodey said.
Tony says he heard the question and he's thinking that he's not sure they should.
"Are you kidding me?" Pepper asked. "Why not?"
"Stark you have my kid with you in case you forgot." May said, angrily.
Strange says they can't bring the Time Stone to Thanos under any circumstances and says he doesn't think Tony knows what's at stake.
Tony says it's Strange who doesn't understand and says Thanos has been in his head for 6 years since he sent an army to New York.
"That ship you saw when you went through the portal... that was one of his wasn't it?" Natasha asked.
"I didn't know it then but after watching all of these films about our lives it's becoming clearer." Tony said.
Tony says he doesn't know what to do and says he isn't sure if it's better to fight Thanos on their turf or his. He says Strange saw what they did and what they can do and says at least Thanos isn't expecting it on his turf.
"You do make a good point." Rhodey said, reluctantly.
Tony says they should take the fight to him and asks Strange if he concurs.
"You three are rushing into very dangerous territory." Nebula warned.
Strange agrees and says that if it comes to saving him, Peter or the stone he won't hesitate to let either of them die because the fate of the universe depends on it.
May wrapped a protective arm around Peter while Pepper did the same with Tony. Everyone else looked at Strange uneasily, they knew his top priority was protecting the stone but they also didn't like the thought of Tony and the kid potentially dying for that stone.
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few I guess." Scott quoted with a sigh.
Tony walks over to Peter, knights him and says he's an Avenger now.
Peter choked on his spit in surprise.
On Sanctuary II, Gamora sits on a staircase. Thanos brings Gamora a bowl and she stands up and throws it at a chair and says she always hated the chair.
"I do too." Nebula agreed.
Thanos says she's told him that but he'd always hoped she'd sit in it one day.
Gamora glared at Thanos. She would never sit in that chair and become the monster that Thanos is.
"He wanted you to succeed him?" Loki asked with a grimace.
Gamora says she hated the room, the ship and her life.
Nebula found herself agreeing with everything her sister said which wasn't at all surprising considering what Thanos turned her into.
Thanos says she told him that too everyday for almost 20 years then sits on the stairs.
"And did you ever stop to listen or think about what I was saying to you?" Gamora asked, bitterly.
Gamora says she was a child when he took her.
Thanos says he saved her.
"You attacked my home and killed half of it's inhabitants!" Gamora nearly screamed. "You took me from my planet gaslighted me, conditioned me and made me a killer to do your bidding."
Natasha had flashes of her conditioning and training in the Red Room as Gamora spoke.
Gamora says they were happy on her home planet.
Thanos says they were going to bed hungry and scourging for scraps and says her planet was on the brink of collapse and he's the one who stopped it.
"He reminds me a lot of Ultron." Steve said. "Both playing God and thinking that what they're doing is saving everyone."
Thanos asks if she knows what's happened since then and says that the children born have known nothing but clear skies and full bellies and says it's a paradise.
"Paradise." Gamora scoffed.
"He slaughtered half the people, probably traumatized the other half and he calls it paradise?" Quill asked, angrily.
Gamora says that's because he murdered half the planet.
Thanos says that's a small price to pay for salvation.
Gamora says he's insane.
"Understatement of the century." Fury said.
Thanos says it's simple calculus and tells her that the universe and it's resources are finite and if life is left unchecked it will cease to exist.
"He genuinely believes that what he's doing is right." Okoye commented, disgusted by Thanos.
Gamora says he doesn't know that.
Thanos says he's the only one who knows that or at least the only one with the will to act on it.
"If his whole thing is 'we're running out of resources' then why doesn't he just double the resources instead of halving the population?" Rhodey asked.
"If he has any critical thinking skills whatsoever do you really think he'd be trying to commit genocide?" Loki asked.
Thanos says that Gamora had the same will for a time as she fought by his side and calls her daughter.
"I am not your daughter." Gamora almost growled.
Gamora says she isn't his daughter and tells him that everything she hates about herself he taught her.
Thanos says that made her the fiercest woman in the galaxy.
"Still trying to justify everything." Gamora scoffed.
Natasha clenched her fists, the parallels between Gamora's life with Thanos and her own with the Red Room were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Thanos says that's why he trusted her to find the Soul Stone.
Gamora apologizes for disappointing him.
Thanos says he is disappointed not because she didn't find it but because she did and lied.
"He knows." Quill panicked. "He knows you know where it is."
"He'll do anything it takes to get that information out of you." Mantis said, worried especially after seeing what Maw did to Strange when he tried to get the Time Stone from him.
They walk into another room, Nebula is suspended mid-air, disassembled.
"Nebula." Gamora gasped. "What did he do to you?"
"I snuck onto the ship and tried to kill him, this was his retaliation." Nebula said.
Gamora tells Thanos not to do this.
"Like that'll work." Rocket said.
Thanos says Nebula snuck aboard the ship and tried to kill him.
"And I failed." Nebula said, frustrated with herself and angry with Thanos.
Thanos says nearly succeeded so he brought her there to talk then uses the Power Stone to torture Nebula and she screams.
Everyone watched, horrified at what Thanos was doing to his own daughter. Gamora walked to where Nebula was sat behind her and hugged her.
"He's a psychopath." Hope said.
Gamora puts her hands on the gauntlet and says she swears on her life that she never found the Soul Stone. A guard accesses Nebula's memory files and a hologram comes out of Nebula's eye.
"No." Gamora gasped.
"He can... access your memories?" Bucky asked Nebula.
Past Nebula says Gamora knows what Thanos is about to do and says Thanos is ready and he's going for all the stones.
Gamora says he can never get them all.
"We won't let him." Steve said, determined.
"I wish I had your optimism." Tony said.
Nebula says he will.
Gamora says he can't because she found the map to the Soul Stone and burnt it to ash.
"Damn it." Everyone cursed, not Thanos potentially had another stone.
Thanos says Gamora is strong and generous and that came from him
"You think you taught me generosity?" Gamora asked.
Thanos he never taught her to lie and that's why she's so bad at it then asks where the Soul Stone is. When Gamora refuses to answer, Thanos goes back to torturing Nebula.
Loki was reminded of when Thanos tortured Thor to get the location of the Space Stone out of him earlier in this film. The guardians all tensed, worried about Nebula and Gamora.
After a moment, Gamora relents and tells Thanos that the stone is on Vormir. Thanos stops torturing Nebula. Thanos asks her to show him.
Gamora silently berated herself for giving up the stone's location, but she couldn't let Thanos continue torturing her sister, she couldn't. Loki looked at her with understanding in his eyes, she gave up the location of the Soul Stone to save Nebula and he gave up the Space Stone to save Thor.
Thor, Loki and Groot are in the pod. "I am Groot." Rocket tells him to tinkle in a cup and says they're not looking and asks what there is to see and says everyone's seen a twig before.
Everyone giggled. Groot looked embarrassed.
"I am Groot." Thor tells him to pour what's in the cup into space and go in the cup again.
Rocket is shocked to find out Thor speaks Groot. Thor says the taught it on Asgard as an elective.
"It was actually a very interesting class." Thor said.
"I am Groot." Thor says he'll know when they're close and says Nidavellir's forge harnesses the blazing power of a neutron star. He says it's the birthplace of his hammer and says that it's truly awesome.
"I think I would really like to see this place." Shuri said.
Rocket walks over to Thor and says a dead brother can be annoying.
"Dude. I think you might have worse people skills than Mantis." Quill said.
Thor says Loki's been dead before but he thinks it's really true this time.
Thor subtly glanced at Loki as if to make sure he was still there.
Rocket asks about Odin and Hela.
Thor says they're both dead.
Thor and Loki flinched.
Rocket asks if he still has a mom.
Thor says she was killed by a dark elf.
Rocket asks if he has a best friend.
Thor says he was stabbed through the heart.
Thor and Loki looked at the screen mournfully, remembering the losses of their friends and family.
Rocket asks Thor if he's sure he's up to this particular murder mission.
Thor says he is and tells Rocket that rage, vengeance, anger, loss and regret are all great motivators and really clear the mind.
"Quite the opposite actually." Strange said, showing a shred of worry for Thor.
Thor says he'll be fine.
Rocket says Thanos is the toughest there is.
Thor says Thanos has never fought him.
"Yes he has." Loki and Valkyrie said.
Rocket says he has.
Thor says Thanos has never fought him twice and tells Rocket not to forget about his new hammer.
Rocket says it better be some hammer.
"I agree." Tony said.
Thor says he's 1,500 years old and has killed twice as many enemies as that Thor says every one of them would've rather killed him but none succeeded.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock at Thor's subtle admission of his kill count. "That's a lot of enemies." Sam commented.
Thor says he's only alive because fate wants him alive and Thanos is the latest in a long line of bastards and he'll be the latest to feel his vengeance. Rocket asks him what if he's wrong. Thor asks what more he could lose.
"There's nothing more dangerous than a man who has nothing." Fury said.
"But he doesn't have nothing." Natasha said. "Thor, you still have us you know that, right?"
"Yeah, we're not going anywhere." Tony added.
"You're stuck with us." Clint said.
Thor wipes a tear and walks off. Rocket says he personally could lose a lot then takes an eye out of his pocket.
"Where did you get that?" Gamora asked, slightly worried.
Rocket says Thor will need more than one eye if fate does want him to kill Thanos then hands him the eye.
Thor asks what it is.
"Umm, it's an eye." Valkyrie said.
Rocket asks what it looks like then says some jerk lost a bet with him on Contraxia.
"And he gave you his eye?" Maria asked slowly.
Thor asks if he gave Rocket his eye.
Rocket says he gave him 100 credits and he snuck into his room later that night and stole his eye.
"There it is." Quill said, like he was expecting it.
Thor takes his eyepatch off and puts the eye in the empty socket. Rocket says he should've washed that because they only way he could sneak it off Contraxia was up his-.
"Rocket, that's disgusting." Gamora said.
"I hope you don't get Pink Eye from that." Clint said to Thor. "Do God's even get Pink Eye?" He wondered.
They arrive. Thor tries to focus the eye before saying that he doesn't think it works because everything's dark.
Rocket says it isn't the eye. They look out at Nidavellir which has gone dark.
"The star is out." The Asgardians gasped.
"How did this happen?" Thor wondered.
'Nidavellir' appears on the screen. Thor says something's wrong and notes that the star has gone out and the rings are frozen. They land inside, the place is empty.
"It looks... deserted." Thor said.
Rocket says he hopes the dwarves are better at forging than cleaning and says the might've realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space.
Thor says the forge hasn't gone out in centuries.
Rocket remembers that Thor said Thanos had a gauntlet.
"I don't like where this is going." Peggy said.
Rocket asks if it looked anything like that then points at a model of the Infinity Gauntlet.
"No." Thor gasped.
"The dwarves made Thanos' gauntlet?" Valkyrie asked, worried.
"I am Groot." Thor tells him to go back to the pod. Eirti suddenly appears and hits Thor away from him then kicks Rocket and Groot. Thor tells Eitri to stop.
"That's Eitri? I thought you said he was a dwarf?" Tony asked.
"He is a dwarf." Thor said, confused.
Eitri lowers his fist. Thor asks what happened there.
Eitri says Thor was supposed to protect them.
Thor flinched.
Eitri says Asgard was supposed to protect them.
Thor says Asgard is destroyed then points to the gauntlet and asks Eitri what he did.
Eitri walks off then sits down and says 300 drarves lived on the ring and he thought if he did what he asked they'd be safe.
"Thanos... Thanos did this." Thor said, angrily.
Eitri says he made what Thanos wanted which was a device capable of harnessing the power of the stones then he killed everyone anyway all except him.
"Oh my god." Wanda gasped in horror.
Eitri says Thanos told him 'your life is yours but your hands are mine.'
"He- he took his hands?" Ned asked. "What a monster."
Thor says this isn't about his hands and says that every weapon he's ever designed is all inside his head. He says he knows it feels like all hope is lost but together they can kill Thanos.
"I admire your optimism." Loki said.
A guard pieces Nebula back together and when he goes to fix her eye, she knocks him out. She frees herself, limps over to something and contacts Mantis and tells her to meet her on Titan.