04x06 - Show Your Work

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

Hmm!

♪ [HUMMING] ♪

There's my ride.

Sure beats curbside pickup.

- Indeed, Ms. Marvel.
- Ooh! Thanks, Vision.

- What flavor?
- Strawberry, banana,

- and kale.
- Ugh!

My spectrometer shows
it is very high in nutrients.

It's good for you.

Mmm! I am in
full stress mode.

Being an Avenger's pressure enough,

but now I've got a presentation
due, midterms to cram for...

"Midterms"? Ah.

I am not familiar with them,
but researching this concept,

they appear to be a customary
element of your education system.

Fascinating.

[SIGHS] I wish I could
assimilate stuff like you do.

That'd be so cool. Hmm.
Maybe you could help.

I mean, homework would go
a bajillion times faster.

Like, what's the cosine
of a -degree angle?

If I gave you that answer,
it would defeat the purpose

of your analog instruction method.

Research indicates these lessons
are best learned the hard way.

No shortcuts.

[BEEPING] Intruder
detected at the mansion.

Homework can wait.
It's Avenger time!

Who do you think we're dealing with?
Hydra? Ultron? Thanos?

Remember your lessons,
Ms. Marvel.

Speculation could result
in underestimating one's foe.

Intruder, halt!

Taskmaster? Awesome!

I mean, you are so busted!

Hey, Taskmaster,
thanks for dropping by.

Next time, try knocking first.

Or is that the one move
you haven't copied?

[GRUNTING]

[BOTH GRUNT]

[YELLS]
[GROANS]

[GROWLS]
Nice move.

Patent's pending, so don't even
think about stealing that one.

[GROANS]

Mic drop!

This isn't Mike.
This is the Taskmaster.

No, "mic," as in "microphone"?

It's like, you know, an expression you
say right after you've crushed it.

My vocal hardware was not designed
to be extracted or crushed.

[SIGHS] Never mind.

You missed the housewarming.
So, what gives, Taskmaster?

According to the Avengers' files,

you prefer well-calculated risks
with favorable odds.

A solo as*ault on Avengers' home turf
is highly uncharacteristic behavior.

Sometimes it pays to be unpredictable.

Besides, I'm not here for a fight.

I'm here to warn you.

With Red Skull and the Leader
off the table,

and the Avengers missing,
there's a power vacuum,

so when MODOK offered
me a job, I took it.

But MODOK's methods are too extreme.

He's planning to wipe
the entire planet clean

and repopulate Earth with his clones.

Okay, I'm sufficiently creeped out.

Let's go stomp MODOK.

Not so fast, Wasp.

Taskmaster could handle MODOK himself.

Why ask us?

World saving is Avengers' work.

Sticking my neck out for others
would be bad for business.

There's gotta be
something in it for you.

That's when the whole "honor between
thieves" thing always breaks down.

From what I've been told.
And from personal experience.

When MODOK hired me, I thought
I'd get wealth and power.

Ruling a planet filled with egotistical
bloated heads was not what I had in mind.

[SIGHS] Yup, that's fair. What
do you think, Black Panther?

The best assurance that you are not sending
us into a trap is to bring you with us.

Aw, great.

Nothing like being
saddled with a B-team.

Hey, don't knock it till you try it.

Reboots are so in right now.

This base is deep in the jungle.

Hope everyone packed their bug spray.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not cool,
Captain Marvel. Not cool.

Sorry, Wasp.
Meant no offense.

None taken.
All good.

[BEEPING]

How am I supposed to defend
myself with cuffs on?

I am certain you will find a way.

But be warned, those restraints are
equipped with a location tracker.

[GROANS]

You need to factor the sum of the cube.

- The answer should be .
- Oh, right. Thanks.

Ms. Marvel, the quickest route
isn't necessarily the best.

[SIGHS] No shortcuts. I know.

What's wrong with shortcuts?

In a fight, every second counts.

Working hard isn't always
the smartest solution.

And my photographic reflexes
are the ultimate shortcut.

Yes, but copying others' moves
could be considered cheating.

Cheating? All I do is take
advantage of my resources.

Look around. If everyone
pooled their knowledge,

she'd be done with her work by now.

Hmm?

[BIRDS, ANIMALS CHITTERING, SQUAWKING]

[TASKMASTER] Look. By the temple.

Looks like they're on the move.

You have said MODOK was
launching the att*ck from here.

[TASKMASTER] He was. There must
have been a change of plan.

You should strike now
before he gets away.

Not so fast.
I'm picking up several sensors

installed around the temple complex.

- Motion detectors.
- Yes. We should use caution

not to alert MODOK to our...
[ALARM BLARING]

What?

Taskmaster?

Ohh! I'm surprised
even you would stoop so low

as to join forces with the Avengers.

You didn't leave me much choice, MODOK.

Allow me to return the favor.

Avengers, bear witness
to the wrath of my NODOKs:

Network Operated Drones
Optimized for...

Well, you'll find out.

This calls for a gentle touch.

Just kidding.
I'm gonna break 'em.

[GRUNTS]

[GRUNTS]

[GRUNTING]

This is bigger than we anticipated!
There are too many!

[LAUGHING]

[ANT-MAN] Aw, man! These
guys just keep coming.

Avengers, spread out!

[GRUNTING]

They are learning our moves.

[MS. MARVEL GRUNTS]

These NODOKs are adapting
to your att*cks

because I designed
their battle program.

Great. Now you tell us.

Uh-oh.

[THUDS]

Get these cuffs off me.
I know them.

I'm the only one
who can counter their moves.

Trusting Taskmaster is an irregular
course of action, Ms. Marvel.

- Are you sure about this?
- I know, I know. He's a villain.

I mean, he has a skull for a face.

[GRUNTING]

But look!
He's kind of amazing.

And he's gotten us this far.

I found a shortcut.

- Where's MODOK going?
- Avengers protocol dictates

that we relay our position
and await backup.

- I will open a secure channel to...
- There's no time.

Taskmaster's right.
This is our only chance.

Come on, Vision!

[VISION] This is highly irregular.

Phasing through the door.
Nice shortcut.

What? No. No, that was
not a... I never...

This is precisely what I feared.

Taskmaster has led us into a trap.

Easy.
Don't blow a circuit.

Is he always this uptight?

Uh...

[GASPS] [THUNDEROUS THUD]

[RUMBLING]

I'm detecting a rather large
energy signature below us.

Relax, Vision. Maybe take
a chill... [RUMBLING]

Whoa! On second thought, what
the heck's going on down there?

[GRUNTS, GROANS]

[RUMBLING]

[GRUNTS]

[ANT-MAN] Now, there's something
you don't see every day.

I believe we were premature in our
assessment of this headquarters.

It appears we are inside some
sort of orbital launch vehicle.

- In English?
- You mean, like a spaceship?

Precisely. All incoming and
outgoing signals are jammed.

I'm unable to establish
a comm-link with the Avengers.

Leaving the atmosphere on a
school night is so not cool.

No one on Earth knows we're here.

Following Taskmaster's shortcut
got us into this mess.

Like I said, in a fight you've
gotta think fast, improvise.

And it worked, didn't it?

[BEEPS]

[MS. MARVEL] MODOK's got a moon base?

If we hadn't stowed aboard,
MODOK would've gotten away.

[CHUCKLING]

[GRUNTS]

[YELLS]

Where's Ms. Marvel?

I saw her last with Vision
and... Taskmaster.

No signal from Ms. Marvel,
Vision, or Taskmaster.

If they were on that ship,
they could be anywhere by now.

[GRUNTING]

The moon!

One small step for the Avengers,

one embiggened step
for Ms. Marvel.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[GASPS]

Whoa.

[CHUCKLES]

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

Wait up! I'm here. I'm here. [BEEPS]

[BUZZES]
[GROANS]

Scans indicate that the power conduits

all terminate in one location.

It must be MODOK's command center.

We can follow these ducts there,
disable the signal jammer,

alert the Avengers...

[TASKMASTER GRUNTS]

Or... that.

You're strangling yourself
with these rules and protocols.

Not everything has to be
so by the... book!

We are cornered. Evasive
maneuver number , Ms. Marvel.

No. Trust your instincts
and use what's around us.

[GRUNTING]

Hmm?

[GRUNTS]

Uh-oh. Hey!

[GRUNTS]

[STRAINING]

Heads up!

[GRUNTS]

Whoa!

[GRUNTS]

Nice!

Now's our chance.

[ELECTRONIC TRILLING]

I strongly advise against
such a hasty approach.

Need I remind you what happened
the last two times you...

[ALL YELL, GROAN]

[LAUGHING]

Well, great. So, now is when you get
to say, "I told you so," Vision.

Vision?

Are you okay?

Vision?

Oh, man!

It appears your colleagues
can't handle their volts.

[STRAINING] I can't move.

Yes. I've taken the precaution
of inhibiting your pesky power.

You won't be embiggening your way
out of this one, Ms. Marvel.

[GRUNTS]

What exactly are you up to, MODOK?

Oh, just ushering in a new era.

The era of MODOK!

In mere moments, I will launch
satellites armed with atomizing lasers

that will render Earth's oxygen
into a poison.

The world as you know it
will cease to exist.

And once the Earth is clear, my
brood will repopulate the planet...

[MUFFLED GAG]

and I, MODOK,

will reign as their supreme leader!

No, you won't! You and your creepy
little MO-DOK-lings are gonna wish

you never messed with the
All-New, All-Different Avengers!

Am I right, guys?

Uh, guys?

Uh... Avenger.

[LAUGHS]

Big talk for such a puny head.

But I'm afraid it's already too late.

Stand by to deploy satellites!
[BEEPS]

[FEMALE AUTOMATED VOICE]
Five, four, three, two, one.

[MODOK] Enjoy your front-row seat
to the annihilation of mankind!

[LAUGHING]

Not... good.

[GRUNTING]

Huh? Vision!

Once your body's exposed
to the vacuum of space,

we have approximately
one minute before...

Wait. What?

[INHALES DEEPLY]

Your lungs are likely to burst
if you hold your breath.

[EXHALES]

I will be back.

[ALL YELLING]

[GROANING]

[GRUNTS, COUGHS]

[BONES cr*ck]
[GRUNTS]

That's one way to make an entrance.

[GRUNTS ]

I improvised.

You again?

[GROWLING]

I just want you to stop living.

Is that too much to ask?

[GRUNTS]

Draw MODOK away.
I need to get

to that command terminal
and shut down those satellites.

You know, I'm starting
to like this guy.

[GRUNTS]

[FEMALE AUTOMATED VOICE] Planetary
annihilation initialized.

The trajectories are locked in.

[LAUGHING]

This struggle is fruitless.

You've already lost!

- Victory is never assured, MODOK.
- Eh?

I have one trick left
up my proverbial sleeve.

Huh?

I left one of the Taskmaster's
cuffs on the satellite.

It contains a location tracker.
[BEEPING]

Scratch one!

Not today, MODOK!

[GRUNTS]

Scratch two!

Boom! Three for three!

Noooo!

Ooh, he looks mad.
[CRYING]

Right, Taskmaster? Huh?

[GROWLING]

[MODOK] Watch as I merge
with my moon base.

No longer MODOK,
I am MOON-DOK!

[WIND HOWLING]

Whoa!

[GRUNTING]
Aah!

Hold on!

[ALARM BLARING]
[TRILLING]

Looks like MODOK's got a big
head in more ways than one.

We can use that against him, right?

att*ck plan Epsilon.

Read my mind.

[GRUNTING]

You think we're scared
of mindless robots?

Huh! If you could control all of
them, now, that'd be impressive.

[MOON-DOK] Of course I can!

I was going easy on you.

[GRUNTING]

Are you just gonna give up
on world domination?

What, can't the mighty MOON-DOK
build more satellites?

I was just getting to that!

Follow the leader.

[FEMALE AUTOMATED VOICE] Warning.
Power levels at maximum.

[MOON-DOK]
Now look what you made me do!

[FEMALE AUTOMATED VOICE] System failure.
Failure. [CRYING OUT]

Failure.

[GROANING]

B.R.B.!

[PANTS]

Oh!

Ghosting like that is so not cool.

I'm not one to overstay my welcome.

Come on.
You were awesome today.

It was like having the
old-school Avengers with us...

Cap, Hawkeye, Widow...

Please, never tell them I said that.

Move. Now.

You should stay. Admit it.
We make a pretty great team.

I'll admit, I like your style.

But if you don't get out of my way,

I won't hesitate to do
what I need to do.

[CHUCKLING]

Naive little girl.

Don't you get it?
I'm a bad guy.

Actually, I do get it.

AVENGERS PROTOCOL NUMBER :

never trust Taskmaster.

And always stall for backup.

[GRUMBLES]
[w*apon CLATTERS ON GROUND]

Look, T.M., I really did
appreciate all the hot tips.

But seriously, you think
an Avengers fangirl like me

would fall for all
that "shortcut" business?

From a guy in a skull mask?

Now who's naive?

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

- Huh?
- That was my parting gift,

before you betrayed and captured me.

Aw, thanks, but no, thanks.

I'll do the work myself. Then
I have to do my presentation.

Although, this whole adventure
did give me an idea.

Putting a man on the moon took lots
of hard work. But most importantly,

winning the space race meant
quick thinking, not shortcuts.

Believe it or not, there's a big
difference between the two.

And that kind of quick
thinking is what the Avengers

still use to protect our planet today.

Did you drop the mic?

[GROANS] I really shouldn't
have taught you that one.

Yeah. I got an A.
Should've been an A-plus,

but the teacher deducted
points because my reports

always end up being about the Avengers.

So, crushed it?

Crushed it.