The Avengers
written by Joss Whedon
Loki: There's not many people who can sneak up on me. But you figured I'd come. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate.
Natasha Romanoff: I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton.
Loki: I would say I've expanded his mind.
Natasha: And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?
Loki: Is this love, Agent Romanoff?
Natasha: Love is for children. I owe him a debt.
Loki: Tell me.
Natasha: Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D... I... well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call.
Loki: And what will you do if I vow to spare him?
Natasha: Not let you out.
Loki: No, but I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man.
Natasha: Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. Or I was.
Loki: And what are you now?
Natasha: It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out.
Loki: Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child, a prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away. I won't touch Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knowsyou fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!
Nick Fury: These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them. We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Think I had that coming. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes. Well, it's an old fashioned notion.
Kudos and many thanks to Jason for these monologues, it is very much appreciated.