On earth. Rhodey deals with the red tape, "Still no word from Vision?" Ross asks.
"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh" Rhodey replies.
"On a stolen quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals" Ross adds.
"You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?" Rhodey states.
"My God, Rhodes, your talent for horseshit rivals my own" Ross scoffs.
"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here" Rhodey says.
"I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel" Ross says.
"That's right. And I'm pretty sure I've paid for that" Rhodey sighs.
"You have second thoughts?" Ross asks.
"Not anymore" Rhodey replies.
"Mr. Secretary" Steve smiles.
"You got some nerve. I'll give you that" Ross says.
"You could use some of that right now" Natasha smirks.
"The world's on fire" Ross states, "And you think, all is forgiven?"
"I'm not looking for forgiveness" Steve tells him, "And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost their best defender. So we're here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way. We'll fight you, too."
"Arrest them" Ross demands.
"All over it" Rhodey turns off the hologram, "That's a court-martial. It's great to see you, Cap."
"You too, Rhodey" Steve smiles.
"Well. You guys, really look like crap" Rhodey tells them, "Must've been a rough couple of years."
"Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star" Sam shrugs.
"I think you look great" Bruce hesitates, "Yeah. I'm back."
"Hi, Bruce" Natasha smiles.
"Nat" Bruce says.
"This is awkward" Sam states.
•
"So we gotta assume they're coming back, right? And they can clearly find us" Bruce says, "We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?"
"After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal" Natasha replies, "It was too tough on their families."
"Who's Scott?" Bruce asks.
"Ant-Man" Steve answers.
"There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?" Bruce questions, "and Olivia is whatever the hell she is?"
"Wait how do you know about Olivia?" Natasha asks.
"She showed up with Spider-Man earlier" Bruce states.
"Were they together as friends or more?" Steve questions.
"Well they both seemed pretty determined to save the other one" Bruce states, "and they both got dragged up to space together."
"Steve you owe me ten bucks" Sam cheers, "I told you two years ago when we first came across that bug that him and Olivia were going to turn into something and you didn't believe me."
"Is that why you were all asking?" Bruce questions.
"Sam hasn't shut up about this bet" Natasha chuckles, "you just put a end to it."
"Okay, look Thanos has the biggest army in the Universe" Bruce tells them changing the subject, "And he is not gonna stop until he. He gets Vision's stone."
"Well then, we have to protect it" Natasha plans.
"No, we have to destroy it" Vision argues, "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to its own signature, perhaps. Its molecular integrity could fail."
"And you, with it" Wanda reminds him, "We're not having this conversation."
"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it" vision states.
"That's too high a price" Wanda states.
"Only you, have the power to pay it" vision says, "Thanos threatens half the Universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."
"But it should" Steve says, "We don't trade lives, Vision."
Vision walks towards Steve, "Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?"
Steve takes a breath, but before he has a chance to answer Bruce begins to speak, "Because you might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another."
"You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?" Wanda questions.
"I'm saying that, If we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left" Bruce states, "Perhaps the best parts."
"Can we do that?" Natasha asks.
"Not me" Bruce says, "Not here."
"You better find someone, and somewhere fast" Rhodey tells him, "Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back."
"I know somewhere" Steve says.
•
In Wakanda, T'Challa and Okoye walk together, accompanied by two Wakandan soldiers, "You'll have the King's Guard, and the Dora Milaje have been alerted."
"And the border tribe?" T'Challa questions
"Those that are left" Okoye sighs.
"Send word to the Jabari as well" T'Challa orders, "M'Baku likes a good fight."
"And what of this one?" Okoye asks.
"This one may be tired of war" T'Challa states, "but the White Wolf has rested long enough."
"Where's the fight?" Bucky asks.
"On it's way" T'Challa answers.
•
"In all the time I've served Thanos, I've never failed him" Maw says, "If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attatched to your vaguely irritating person, there would be judgement. Give me the stone."
Tony is watching, hidden, from above. Strange's cloak taps him on the arm. He raises his hand to it, ready to shoot, but he sees what it is and stands down, "Wow you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?"
"Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty" Peter says as he lowers himself down spiderstyle as Olivia drops on the floor next to him.
"What the-" Tony sighs.
"Loyalty is a little too strong around here" Olivia tells him.
"Neither of you should be here" Tony says.
"I was gonna go home-" Peter lies.
"I don't wanna hear it" Tony objects.
"But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you on the way-" Olivia continues.
"And now I gotta hear it" Tony sighs.
"And I kinda stuck to the side of the ship" Peter adds, "And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way. So if anything, it's kinda your fault that we're here."
"What did you just say?" Tony asks.
"Take that back" Olivia whispers to Peter as she slaps his chest.
"I take that back" Peter smiles, "And now we're here in space."
"Yeah. Right where I don't want you two to be" Tony says, "This isn't Coney Island. This isn't a field trip. It's one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend like either of you thought this through. You could not have possibly thought this through."
"No. I did think this through" Olivia defends.
"You could not have possibly thought this through" Tony argues.
"It's just-" Peter sighs, "You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man when there's no neighborhood. Okay. That didn't really make any sense, but you know what I'm trying to say."
"Come on. We got a situation" Tony says, "See him down there? He's in trouble. What's your plan? Go."
"Um. Okay. Okay" Peter stutters, "did you ever see that really old movie, Aliens?"
"Painful aren't they?" Maw says, "They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them" he turns to see Tony standing there, "I could end your friend's life in an instant."
"I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend" Tony shrugs, "Saving his life is more a professional courtesy."
"You've saved nothing" maw tells him, "Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine."
"Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies" Tony smirks.
Tony fires a rocket from his shoulder which pierces the side of the ship and begins to suck everything out. Strange begins to be sucked out, but his cape wraps around his arm. Unfortunately, his arm slips from it and he keeps going.
Spider-Man shoots a web strand at Strange with one hand and holds onto a piece of the ship with the other. It breaks, sending them both towards space, "ahh" Olivia yells as she swings through the air to grab Peter but misses a wall to hold onto so she ends up being sucked towards the hole too.
Peter grabs onto Olivia's hand as they reach the hole, Peters Iron-Spider suit's metal arms brace him to keep him from being sucked out, "Yes! Wait what are those!" He then pulls them back inside just as Tony sprays nanites onto the hole to plug it up.
Peter, Olivia and Strange safely hit the floor. Ebony Maw is floating in space, quite dead, "that was awesome" Olivia smiles as her and Peter stand up.
Peter tries to shake Strange's cape's hand, "Hey, we haven't officially met" it ignores him and goes to Strange, olivia chuckles from behind Peter, "Cool. Shut it liv."
"We've gotta turn this ship around" Strange orders.
"Yeah. Now he wants to run" Tony scoffs, "Great plan."
"No, I want to protect the stone" Strange corrects.
"And I want you to thank me" Tony smiles, "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"For what?" Strange scoffs, "Nearly blasting me into space?"
"Who just saved your magical ass?" Tony asks, "Me."
"I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet" strange says.
"Admit it" Tony demands, "You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused."
"Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you" strange reminds him.
"And due to that fact, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup" Tony states.
"We're backup" Peter says.
"No. You two are stowaways" Tony corrects, "The adults are talking."
"I'm sorry, I'm confused as to the relationship here" Strange says, "What is he, your ward?"
"No" Peter answers, he points to Olivia, "he's her father" Olivia waves, "I'm peter and this is Olivia by the way."
"Doctor Strange" Strange introduces.
"Oh we're using our made-up names" Olivia realises, "I'm Shadow and this is Spider-Man, then."
"This ship is self-correcting its course" Tony states, "Thing's on autopilot."
"Can we control it?" Strange asks, "Fly us home?" Tony doesn't make eye contact, "Stark?"
"Yeah" Tony replies.
"Can you get us home?" Strange questions.
"Yeah I heard you" Tony says, "I'm thinking. I'm not so sure we should."
"Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos" Strange states, "I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here."
"No. It's you who doesn't understand" Tony corrects, "Thanos has been inside my head for six years. Since he sent an army to New York and now he's back!" Olivia then connects the dots, everything that happened a few years back when Loki opened the portal it was linked to Thanos, "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 he 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?"
"Alright, Stark" strange sighs, "We go to him. But you have to understand if it comes to saving you or the kids 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."
"Good. Nice" Tony smirks, "Moral compass. We're straight" Turning to Peter, he puts his outstretched arm briefly on either shoulder, "Alright, kid. You're an Avenger now."
Peter looks at Tony in disbelief, and then smiles and nods in satisfaction, while Olivia chuckles beside him.
•