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Peter and Otto fight over a device that can undo their body swap, or save Aunt May's life. |
Previously: "S02E16 "The Hero or the Menace""  "IF THIS BE MY DESTINY" FADE IN: NARRATOR (v.o.) Previously, on Marvel's Spider-Man. INTERCUT SCENES from or echoing PREVIOUS EPISODES Warehouse. Aunt May, screaming as she falls from a great height. Spider-Man racing to rescue her. Aunt May crumpled on the floor. Hospital room. Peter Parker and Aunt May. AUNT MAY (firmly) I'll be fine, Peter. They're not even keeping me in the hospital. PETER Because there's no point, he said. There's nothing they can do for you. Oscorp, Otto's lab. Overdrive and the Crime Circus search it while displaying a hologram of the Energy Focal Device. SPIDER-MILES (O.S.) What is it I'm supposed to steal for you, again? PETER Parker (O.S.) An Energy Focal Device. The Raft. The Living Brain blasts Spider-Man in the face with the Energy Focal Device. Visualization of Peter and Otto switching places. PETER Parker (O.S.) It's the thing that Otto used to switch places with me. There should still be a prototype at Oscorp, and I need it if I'm going to get my body back. Horizon High. Peter Parker talks to Harry Osborn over the phone. HARRY (V.O.) But that's got to be the solution. A high-energy bath of particles-- Peter, with a thunderstruck expression on his face. PETER (V.o.) That's it! The Energy Focus Device at Oscorp! With it they can cure at Aunt May! Oscorp. Spider-Man, clutching the Energy Focal Device, running through the halls. PETER (V.O.) All of Doctor Octavius's prototypes at Oscorp. Where would they be stored now? Oscorp Tower. It explodes in the background as Spider-Man, the Energy Focal Device, an octobot, and The Big Wheel plunge toward the sea. They hit a police launch. The octobot surfaces and scrambles through the water. PETER (V.O.) Where's the thing, where's the thing? Gotta get it back or I'll never back into my real body! The police launch, sinking. Spider-Man is trapped on the bridge with the Device as water pours in through cracks and seams in the bridge. END OF TEASER MAIN TITLES: MARVEL'S SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN FADE IN: INT. POLICE LAUNCH -- BRIDGE -- NIGHT Spider-Man, cradling the Energy Focal Device to his chest, webs the cracked windows of the bridge. But water continues to spray in through other cracks. SPIDER-MAN That should buy me a few minutes at least. But this place is going to fill up fast. CLOSE ON THE FOCAL DEVICE SPIDER-MAN (O.S.) And there's two lives depending on me getting out. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- NIGHT The octobot paddles around in the bay. SPLIT-SCREEN Peter Parker, bathed in an electronic blue light, paddles crabwise in his virtual world in synchronization with the octobot. PETER PARKER No way I wanna spend the rest of my life in this motorized tin can, but at least I don't have to hold my breath to go swimming. But he does suck in a breath, and he and the octobot dive, O.S. in Peter's case, underwater in the octobot's. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- NIGHT The octobot swims down to the wreck. The police launch sits on the bottom with The Big Wheel crushing the front. The octobot swims up peer in through the window, where Spider-Man, with the Device, is looking around, studying his situation. He goes to a door and tries pushing it. PETER PARKER (V.O.) You're not doing either of us any good in there, Doc. INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT The octobot scans the area, highlighting the doors, front windows, and The Big Wheel. PETER PARKER (V.O.) If we busted the windows out, the Doc could swim out. Unless everything caved in and crushed him. The octobot swims up to the door and tries pulling it open without success. PETER PARKER (V.O.) And the water pressure out here is pushing the doors closed. It's too heavy for either of us alone, but if we tried moving it together-- INT. POLICE LAUNCH -- BRIDGE -- NIGHT The octobot TAPS at the window with an arm, and the doorknob RATTLES. Spider-Man turns at the noise. SPIDER-MAN (otto) Hmm. One of my Oscorp security units. Odd how persistent it is about trying to get to me. CLOSE UP ON ENERGY FOCAL DEVICE SPIDER-MAN (O.S.) Unless it's trying to get this back. Spider-Man covers the device with webbing. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- THE LAUNCH -- NIGHT The octobot watches as Spider-Man makes a few more web balloons and tucks them under his armpits. SPLIT-SCREEN Peter Parker, bathed in an electronic blue light, his movements again mimicking those of the octobot. PETER PARKER Water wings! Way to go, Doc! I think you figured out what I'm trying to do! He and the octobot shift over to grab hold of nothing (in Parker's case) and the door handle (in the octobot's case) THREE-WAY SPLIT-SCREEN Peter Parker pulls; the octobot pulls; Spider-Man pushes: all at the door. PETER PARKER (V.O.) Come on, Doc! SPIDER-MAN Come on, door! ANGLE ON WINDOW The cracks spread and more water gushes in. Metal GROANS. The door opens, and a stream of water shoots in. The front of the cabin caves in, with water blowing in hard. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- NIGHT Spider-Man shoots out of the collapsed boat, swimming past the octobot, which spins about and chases after. Spider-Man explodes to the surface. Two water wings of webbing bob behind his shoulders. Another bobs in front of him. Spider- Man COUGHS and HACKS. SPIDER-MAN Okay, it's going to be awhile before I want to go swimming again. Hey! A geyser erupts near him, and the octobot surfaces. It grabs the free-floating web balloon and paddles off. The eye shifts around to watch Spider-Man INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT Spider-Man, bobbing in the water, rapidly diminishes in size. PETER PARKER (V.O.) That's it, Doc. You just go get yourself dried off while I get your body-swapping ray back to my lab. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- NIGHT The octobot with its prize swims away. PETER PARKER (V.O.) Then we'll see how you like having your mind blasted clean out of your body. ANGLE ON SPIDER-MAN He watches the retreating octobot. A searchlight stabs him from above, and the ROAR of helicopter rotors is heard. He looks up, raises a hand to shoot a web up, and (water wings trailing) hauls himself up (as with a tightening bungee cord) out of the water. ANGLE ON HELICOPTER Spider-Man clambers onto a landing skid and sits. He pulls one of the water wings into his lap and tears it open. CLOSE ON THE ENERGY FOCAL DEVICE SPIDER-MAN (O.S.) Just hang tight, Mrs. Parker. I'm on my way. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- QUAYSIDE -- NIGHT One hand, then another grip the edge of the dock, and OVERDRIVE hauls himself halfway out of the water. He COUGHS and drips. Two looming figures step into the foreground, and he looks up at them. MAVERICK (O.S.) Well? OVERDRIVE One of them got away with the dingus. SIRENS sound O.S. OVERDRIVE (continuing) We better get out of here. ANOTHER ANGLE MAVERICK and TEENA help Overdrive from the water; Teena carries a huge duffel bag, hanging from his shoulder by a strap. Overdrive points to it. OVERDRIVE What's that? Loot? MAVERICK Better than loot. The duffel bag kicks and twists, but the CRIES from inside are muffled. The trio run O.S. EXT. HORIZON HIGH -- NIGHT -- ESTABLISHING GWEN STACY (O.S.) This isn't exactly my area of expertise, Harry. INT. HORIZON HIGH -- LAB -- NIGHT GWEN STACY, with a screwdriver, is working on a large and complicated sort of machine while balancing a cell phone against her ear. HARRY (V.O.) I can walk you through it, Gwen. GWEN I don't need you to "walk me through it"! I need-- You know, most of these components aren't even designed to fit together. HARRY (V.O.) Do you have your uncle's schematics? She turns to an enormous blueprint hanging on the wall. It is covered in dense and complicated diagrams. GWEN Yes. Would you like me to describe them to you? Her phone BEEPS. GWEN Hang on, that's the other line. (tapping phone) Peter, is that you? Where--? What's that racket? EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- AIRBORNE HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Spider-Man perches on the landing skid of a helicopter. The ROAR of the rotors almost drowns him out. SPIDER-MAN I said, I'm hitching a ride back to Horizon! Except-- REVERSE ZOOM The helicopter hovers in place over Oscorp Tower. SPIDER-MAN (O.S.) (continuing) --we're not moving, so it might be awhile! How's it going? INT. HORIZON HIGH -- LAB -- NIGHT GWEN Slow. Harry's on the other line, trying to help me-- Who? (beat) No, I haven't seen Miles. (beat) Well, do that. Four hands would be better than two. (tapping phone) Okay, Harry, I'm back. Peter's going to try to find Miles, bring him over. And he's bringing something we need to make this thing work. Something called an-- EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT The camera pans over a rooftop, showing streamers of disentangled webbing, and ending in empty webbing balloon being torn apart by the octobot. GWEN (O.S.) (continuing) --Energy Focus Device? That Doctor Octavius built? The octobot tosses the webbing away. SPLIT-SCREEN Peter Parker, bathed in electronic blue light, crouched crablike. His movements, as ever, mimic those of the octobot in the other screen. PETER PARKER For a guy armed only with only my old hands, Otto sure is good at making things disappear. He looks around. INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT The camera PANS and TILTS UP to a cell phone tower. PETER PARKER (O.S.) Hmm. I wonder if Doc has called Miles, told him where he is and where he's going. EXT. HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Rotors ROAR as Spider-Man clings to the helicopter landing skid and surveys the ground below; he holds the Device in the crook of his arm. Police cruisers and fire trucks surround the Oscorp Tower. SPIDER-MAN (otto) It appears we will not be going anyplace anytime soon. So if I'm going to get this to Miss Stacy, I'm going to have to get it there myself. He leaps from the helicopter, and webs onto the face of Oscorp Tower, hitting too hard and fast and losing the Device. He chases it, flailing, and falls off the building. He webs the Device from the air, somersaults, and hits the roof of a police cruiser hard, almost buckling it. On tottering legs he gets up. SPIDER-MAN Urg. What does Parker like to say? Any landing you can walk away from ... He shakes himself alert, and crouches to spring away. CHIEF WATANABE steps in from O.S. The smoking Oscorp Tower dominates the B.G. CHIEF WATANABE Spider-Man! How did I figure you'd be around here? SPIDER-MAN My apologies, Chief Watanabe, but I am not responsible for the fiasco here. Time and circumstances permitting, I might be able to apprehend those who are, but at the moment I and this package are urgently required elsewhere. Now if you'll excuse me. He webs away. Chief Watanabe glowers after him. CHIEF WATANABE Well, somebody's been taking vocabulary lessons. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT O.S., a cell phone RINGS. The camera pans over to pick up, in EXTREME CLOSE UP, SPIDER-MILES. He has a cell phone to his ear. His manner and tone are neutral, calm, stilted. SPIDER-MILES Hey, Pete, where you been? (beat) Well, isn't that interesting. Hey, can I call you back--? He flinches. SPIDER-MILES (continuing) I mean, what can I do for you? EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- CELL PHONE TOWER -- NIGHT The octobot clings to the underside of a cell phone tower dish. Sparks sizzle where it has connected itself to the circuitry. The electronic eye BUZZES as it roams and refocuses on the environment. PETER PARKER (V.O.) I need to know where Doc could be headed. He's got the Energy Focus Device. (beat) School? Why's he taking it there? (beat; then yells) He's doing what? I don't believe it! EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT SPIDER-MILES I told you, Pete, if that's who you really are, he's doing a bang-up job of pretending to be you. Later. The camera REVERSE ZOOMS to take in the environment. Spider- Miles is being held by both arms by Teena while Maverick holds the cell phone to S-M's ear. MAVERICK (to Teena) At a school, huh? Only one school in this city that might be. END OF ACT ONE. FADE IN: EXT. HORIZON HIGH -- NIGHT -- ESTABLISHING INT. HORIZON LAB -- NIGHT Gwen, with tools, is still putting together the machinery. She puts down a tool and picks up her cell phone, to point it to the machine. GWEN There, how does that look, Harry? HARRY (V.O.) Couldn't have done it better myself. She puts the phone down and picks up the tool again. GWEN Of course, after we get it put together, we're just going to have to take it apart again so we can transport it to the hospital. PETER (O.S.) We're not taking it apart. Peter enters. He is in street clothes, with his backpack. PETER That would be a waste of time. We're going to move it in one piece. GWEN This thing? How? PETER The school's moving van. GWEN None of us is old enough to drive! PETER Anya is. Call her. He takes the tool from Gwen and starts grimly to work on the machine. She grabs up her phone. GWEN Whatever you say, Mr. I'm-In-Charge. She exits. Immediately after, a phone BEEPS. Peter takes his phone out and talks while still working on the machine. SPLIT SCREEN Peter and Harry. Harry's side of the screen sometimes shows what he is looking at on his laptop -- the smoking Oscorp Tower. HARRY So, Gwen hung up on me, but I want to talk to you. Pete, did you go by my office tonight? Because I'm getting reports-- PETER That wasn't my fault, that was someone else. HARRY Who? PETER The typical gang of miscreants. I snuck in behind them and got what I needed from my-- from Doctor Octavius's old lab. HARRY Well, don't take this the wrong way, Pete, but it looks like old times, and not in a good way. EXT. HORIZON HIGH -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT The octobot scuttles in and over to a skylight to look down into the lab where Peter is working. The octobot BUZZES as its eye refocuses. INSERT POV Zoomed in on the lab, and on Peter. PETER PARKER (V.O.) Okay, so Miles says Doc wants his Energy Device for this thing he's working on to cure Aunt May. And yeah, looking at the specs, maybe it could do that. But I still don't think I trust the Doc. BACK TO SCENE The Crime Circus drops softly onto the roof, and the octobot leaps back into the shadows. PETER PARTER (V.O.) But I know I don't trust these guys! INT. HORIZON HIGH -- LAB -- NIGHT Peter, still working on the machine. Gwen enters. GWEN Okay, Anya'll be here in a few minutes-- PETER Great. From his backpack on a table he pulls out the Energy Focus Device. The Spider-Man costume is visible inside the pack as he does so. PETER (continuing) We're just about ready to go. GWEN (faint contempt) You mean I did it right? Peter turns to her. There is a tremble in his voice. PETER You did it perfect, Miss-- Gwen. I will never be able to pay you back for this, you know. GWEN (faintly abashed) Oh. Well, I did it for your aunt. PETER That's why I'll never to pay you back. (beat) Gwen? GWEN Yes? PETER You know you're special to a lot of people. Me. Miles and Anya and Harry. I know you were special to your uncle. (beat) And you were special to Doctor Octavius, too, though he never-- Well, I just want to say that you're special. So, you know, if someone ever tries to treat you special ... please don't hold it against them. GWEN (mystified) Why would I--? The Crime Circus bursts through the skylights with a CRASH of raining and TINKLING glass. Maverick points at Peter. MAVERICK Hand the dingus over, kid. We don't wanna hurt you. Peter crouches, then tosses the Device to Gwen, who catches it. PETER Gwen? Run. GWEN What? Peter, I can't-- CLOSE UP ON PETER as he turns to her. His face and eyes are aflame. PETER (high reverb) I said, Run! BACK TO SCENE Gwen flinches, then runs from the room with the Device cradled to her chest. Peter with a GROWL dives at Maverick, bowling him over and backward against TEENA. FIFI and GOLIATH dodge the scrum and run out the room after Gwen. In the room, a fight. Peter perches on the wall, spider-like, and lifts Maverick off his feet and punches him unconscious with one blow, then throws him aside. Teena grabs Peter from off the wall and puts him in a bear hug. Peter struggles, but the grip tightens. The octobot lands on Teena's head, and Teena flails, releasing Peter. Peter wheels and charges in at Teena with a bunched-up fist. INT. HORIZON HIGH -- CORRIDORS -- NIGHT Gwen runs, then comes to a stop in front of Fifi, who blocks her path. Fifi's snake is coiled about her shoulder, and she plucks it off with one hand to hold in front of her, at Gwen. GWEN (snorts) I'm not afraid of snakes. FIFI You don't have to be. Fifi tosses the snake at Gwen, who gasps at it coils about her tightly, trapping her. The snake rears back, HISSING in Gwen's face. A web shoots in, hitting the snake's head. ANGLE ON SPIDER-MILES as he clings to the ceiling, holding the other end of the web line. SPIDER-MILES Lady, you should look into buying a dog. He jerks the line tight and yanks. Gwen and the snake spin like a top as the snake uncoils from around her. The Device flies from Gwen's arms. ANGLE ON GOLIATH who runs in to catch it, scuffs to a stop, and runs the other way. SPIDER-MILES (to Gwen) You go after the hobbit! I'll-- He dives at Fifi as Gwen runs after Goliath. INT. HORIZON HIGH -- CORRIDOR -- NIGHT Goliath runs, but is tackled from behind and sent sprawling by the octobot. As he and the octobot fight for the Device, a web shoots in, grabbing the octobot and yanking it off Goliath. The Device flies up into the air. ANGLE ON SPIDER-MAN as he catches the octobot with one hand and swings it against a wall, denting it. The octobot SPARKS and FIZZES, and falls to the floor. BACK TO SCENE The Device hangs in mid-air. Gwen leaps up, catches it, and lands beside Goliath, who scrambles to his feet and runs away. Gwen watches, then GASPS as a spider-line catches her and jerks her O.S. ANGLE ON SPIDER-MAN AND GWEN He catches her in a clinch, and they stare into each other's faces. Spider-Man pulls the bottom of his mask up, to expose his mouth and nose. SPIDER-MAN (otto) Please don't hold this against me, Miss Stacy. He kisses her, and holds it a beat before breaking off. SPIDER-MAN It's only that you're magnificent. He kisses her again. The camera PANS and ZOOMS to the octobot on the floor, still SPARKING. The electronic eye BUZZES as it refocuses. INSERT POV Spider-Man kissing Gwen. The eye BUZZES as the scene goes unfocused. INT. HORIZON HIGH -- LAB -- NIGHT Maverick, Teena, and Fifi, wrapped up tightly in webs, dangle from the ceiling. Spider-Man is attaching the Energy Focal Device to the machine while Gwen and Spider-Miles watch. Gwen glances back uneasily at the three captives. GWEN Did you have to hang them from the ceiling? SPIDER-MAN (otto) It's what spiders do with their prey, Miss Stacy. SPIDER-MILES Well, that's not a creepy way of putting it. ANYA CORAZON enters, reacts to the captives and the general scene. ANYA Hey kids, I'm here. Wow. Looks like someone is having fun with their after-school project. SPIDER-MAN Just in time, too. It's now ready to transport. ANYA (disbelief) That? And how are we supposed to pick that up and get it onto a truck? Spider-Man lifts one end, easily, with one hand. SPIDER-MAN I suggest bringing in a couple of dollies. It will be easy to wheel down to the loading bay after that. EXT. HORIZON HIGH -- GARAGE BAY -- NIGHT A truck is parked out front, with Anya behind the wheel and Spider-Miles and Spider-Man seated in the cab with her. Gwen stands beside the truck. SPIDER-MAN I think you should come, Miss Stacy. GWEN Someone needs to meet Max and the police. Someone who isn't in a mask. SPIDER-MAN Then I'll stay too. GWEN I'll be okay. You left them all tied up. Anya starts the truck. ANYA Hey! We should get going! The hospital's on the other side of the city, and I'm not taking this bus over twenty-five! SPIDER-MAN Call if you need help, Gwen. GWEN You be careful too! She watches as the truck pulls away. Behind her back, a small shadow darts into the open garage. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- STREETS -- NIGHT The truck drives through streets that are mostly empty. High above, the octobot races along the side of buildings, following. Occasionally, it SPARKS and FIZZES with short-circuits. INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT The truck as it drives along. PETER PARKER (V.O.) Where are you taking that thing, Doc? To the hospital? If you are taking that thing to save Aunt May-- ANGLE ON THE OCTOBOT It leaps from the glass face of a building. PETER PARKER (V.O.) Then I want to be there to see it! ANGLE ON THE TRUCK A thump from outside the truck. SPIDER-MAN What was that? A phone BUZZES. ANYA My phone. It's set to crazy-vibrate. As she takes her phone out, the camera PANS UP: the octobot crouches atop the cab. ANYA Hello. INT. HORIZON LAB -- NIGHT Gwen holds the phone to her ear while Teena holds her by the shoulders. Behind her, Goliath is cutting Fifi down from the ceiling while Maverick brushes spider webs off himself. GWEN Hi Anya, it's Gwen. I'm back at the lab, and I'm in trouble. END OF ACT TWO FADE IN: EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- SKYSCRAPER -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT CLOSE ON MAVERICK He holds a cell phone to his ear. MAVERICK I wanna thank you for leaving some of your threads behind, Spider-Guy. The camera PANS over to pick up Gwen, who is tied by her hands and dangling from edge of a building. The camera PANS to show a drop of many, many stories. MAVERICK (O.S.) (continuing) They're real good for tying up loose ends. INT. NEW YORK CITY -- STREETS -- TRUCK CAB -- NIGHT Spider-Man listens on a cell phone. His eye patches register shock and anger. He tosses the phone to Spider-Miles and turns to leap out the cab. SPIDER-MAN You keep heading for the hospital. I'm going back for Gwen. SPIDER-MILES I'll go with you! SPIDER-MAN I can handle these miscreants myself. You may need to help with Aunt May. Spider-Miles starts to follow him, but Spider-Man whirls on him. SPIDER-MAN (angrily) Do as I tell you, Miles! I've got two sweet women to take care of, and I need your help to do it! Spider-Miles shrinks back. SPIDER-MILES Okay, okay! No need to bite my head off! EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- STREETS -- TRUCK -- NIGHT Spider-Man shoots web from inside the truck and pulls himself free and onto the face of a building. The octobot, still perched atop the truck, scuttles to the side to hide itself from him. Spider-Man swings off and away. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- SKYSCRAPER -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT Maverick and the Crime Circus (minus Bruto) stand atop the parapet with Gwen, dangling by her wrists, over the abyss. Lightning and THUNDER, and a light rain streaks the air. MAVERICK (to Gwen) Better hope those threads don't dissolve in the rain. GWEN Whatever you want, you're not going to get it! Maverick leans over to put a knife to the spider-strings. MAVERICK Then maybe I should just cut these right now. GWEN Wait! What do you want? MAVERICK Something your Spider-Friend stole from us. Well, after we stole it from Oscorp. As he speaks, a web shoots from O.S. to snag Goliath from behind. It jerks tight, hauling him O.S. None of the others notice, even after a quick PUNCH SFX. GWEN That electronic eye? My friends need it, to cure someone who's in the hospital. MAVERICK Aw, boo hoo. Tell you what, you give it to us, and we'll rent it back to you for the night. Again, a web shoots from O.S., to snag Fifi, yanking her O.S. Again, no one notices, despite the PUNCH SFX. GWEN Don't you have any sympathy for anyone but yourself? MAVERICK No one ever paid me to. A web shoots from O.S., to snag Teena. Teena GARGLES before being dragged O.S., and this time Maverick hears and turns. The camera PANS to pick up Spider-Man dragging Teena by the end of the spider-line. As Teena falls toward him, Spider-Man knocks him out with an upper-cut flying kick, and he falls to the rooftop beside the web-bound Fifi and Goliath. Maverick bends to put the knife blade to the web holding Gwen up. MAVERICK Hold it. SPIDER-MAN I'll be glad to "hold it," you miserable felon. It will give me time to explain a few things to you. INTERCUT CLOSE-UPS OF SPIDER-MAN AND MAVERICK As lightning flashes off his visage, Spider-Man's face is sometimes transformed into Doc Ock's. SPIDER-MAN You're not the first person I've had to fight since putting on this mask, and I suspect you won't be the last. But will be the last time I have to fight you. See, I'm not just going to tie you up for the cops. And I'm not just going to hurt you, either. He holds up a claw-like hand. SPIDER-MAN (continuing) I'm going to convince you, as I convinced two other of your associates, to never so much as jaywalk in this town again. I'm going to leave you so frightened that-- MAVERICK Aw, you talk too much. CLOSE ON THE KNIFE It slices the line. CLOSE ON GWEN as she falls with a SQUEAL into the abyss. ANGLE ON SPIDER-MAN He leaps feet-first for the parapet beside Maverick. Maverick swings the knife at Spider-Man's gut, but Spider-Man catches his wrist with one hand, wrenches it, and hurls him backward O.S. All this time he has been staring down into the abyss. INSERT POV -- SPIDER-MAN Tinted vision, overlaid with animated readouts and displays, as Gwen plunges toward the street. BACK TO SCENE SPIDER-MAN One chance, Otto. Applied mathematics to the rescue. He squirts out, from both wrists, a burst of spider shots. EXT. NEW YORK STREET -- NIGHT The webs hit the streets, the sides of the building, and a light post as blobs, then ricochet and stretch as ropes to make horizontal lines above the ground. One last blob hits the point where they intersect and blossoms into a kind of net. A split second later, Gwen hits this net, bounces (stuck to it) and vibrates to a rest. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- SKYSCRAPER -- ROOFTOP -- NIGHT Spider-Man puts his fingertips to his temple, and wavers on his feet. SPIDER-MAN Don't faint, Otto. Heroes don't faint after pulling off the impossible shots. He steadies himself, then dives off the roof. EXT. NEW YORK STREET -- NIGHT Spider-Man rebounds off the side of the building to land in the net with Gwen. He bends to pluck her from it. Gwen smiles at him. GWEN Not to sound ungrateful, but did you have to be such a show-off about it? SPIDER-MAN I did, actually. GWEN Why didn't you just catch me with one of your lines, like a bungee cord? SPIDER-MAN I thought about it, and calculated the effect of the change in velocity. There was a nearly two percent chance the deceleration would have snapped your neck. Far, far too risky, Miss Stacy. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- STREETS -- TRUCK CAB -- NIGHT The truck barrels along with Anya at the wheel. Spider-Miles has a phone to his ear, but he lowers it. SPIDER-MILES Hospital says they'll meet us at a loading bay out back, and they'll move Mrs. Parker down to a room nearby. Beat. ANYA That seems ... extremely helpful of them. SPIDER-MILES I know, right? I can't believe they didn't even argue with me! ANYA (doubtfully) It's almost like I can't believe it either. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -- HOSPITAL -- NIGHT The truck pulls around the deserted rear of the hospital to park in front of tall garage doors. Spider-Miles is again on the phone. SPIDER-MILES (into phone) Come around to the front? Be right there! He drops the phone and hops out. Anya follows. SPIDER-MILES They want us to leave the truck in back so they can unload the thing, but we need to go around to the front desk. ANYA And leave them alone with it? Doesn't that seem a little funny to you? She folds her arms while he dances from foot to foot. SPIDER-MILES What are you waiting for? ANYA Let's just wait here a few minutes, see who it is who-- A door opens and Overdrive steps out. He has a phone in his hand, which he tosses away. Inside, behind him, glimpsed through the doorway, unconscious bodies of security guards and doctors lie on the floor and against the wall. OVERDRIVE I thought I told you twerps to leave this thing unguarded. As Spider-Miles and Gwen crouch for a fight, the camera PANS up to pick up the octobot, still atop the truck cab. It too crouches, and it leaps at Overdrive, knocking him up against a wall. SPIDER-MILES (to Anya) You go around front, get some more security or someone! He leaps into the fight as Anya runs O.S. In the fight that follows, it's Overdrive versus Spider-Miles and the octobot. It ends with Spider-Miles punching him into the back doors of the truck, and with the octobot dropping down on him to "sting" him with a taser. He droops to the ground as Anya and a bunch of doctors come running up. Spider-Miles turns to the octobot, which is perched on the doors of the truck, guarding them. SPIDER-MILES Alright, you octo-thing. Am I gonna have to fight you to get our thingamajig out? INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT It concentrates on Spider-Miles's face. PETER PARKER (V.O.) No, Miles, we don't have to fight. BACK TO SCENE The octobot scuttles atop the truck and disappears. But as Spider-Miles and the doctors open the truck, it runs over to up and up the side of the hospital. INT. HOSPITAL -- OPERATING ROOM -- NIGHT Aunt May, in bed. A fierce, bluish light comes on, bathing her. ANOTHER ANGLE The Energy Focal Device, still attached to the machine but directed at her, bathes her in light as doctors stand around. The camera PANS to pick up Peter, Miles, Anya, and Gwen. All except Peter, who is relaxed, look nervous. MILES It's going to be alright. Isn't it, Pete? PETER Of course it is. I trust my design work. They all look over at him. He seems to feel their gaze, for he adds: PETER And I trust the work you guys did. I-- We could never have done it without us all. The light fades, and a readout begins to beep steadily. A DOCTOR detaches himself from the group to join the kids. DOCTOR It looks like she's going to be fine. All her vitals are returning to normal. He leaves. Miles exhales a deep breath as the machine is wheeled from the room. MILES (to Peter) Okay, don't tell me that isn't a relief. PETER Yeah, alright. A little bit. But his brow clouds, and he goes over to stand next to his aunt's bedside. Her eyes flutter open. AUNT MAY Peter? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school! PETER I hope not. It's six o'clock in the morning. Aunt May-- (beat) I just want to say I'm happy to be here with you. And that I'll never let you down. AUNT MAY (smiling) That's sweet of you, Peter. You always were my favorite nephew. The camera PANS to the window, through which early sunlight is streaming. The octobot peers into the room. EXT. HOSPITAL -- WALL -- DAY The octobot, clinging to the wall, peering thru the window. INSERT POV -- OCTOBOT Peter by Aunt May's bedside, as seen through the bluish electronic filter of the electronic eye, which BUZZES as it focuses and refocuses. PETER PARKER (V.O.) I don't believe it. He did it. The Doc actually used his gizmo to help Aunt May. Well, kudos to you, Doc, I didn't think you had it in you. BACK TO SCENE PETER PARKER (V.O.) (continuing) But there's still the little matter of getting my body back from you! It scuttles O.S. EXT. HOSPITAL -- LOADING BAY Hospital techs wheel the machine outside to park it by the truck. After they leave, the octobot leaps onto it, clinging to its face and unscrewing the Energy Focal Device. Clutching it in two claws it turns, then flinches. Peter Parker, his expression one of dead-eyed hostility, stands before it. He and the octobot regard each other. PETER (otto) So you're still around. You were useful once, but you're not needed anymore. The octobot leaps away, but Peter is faster, and catches it atop the truck, plucking it up by one arm and causing it to drop the Device. PETER I don't know why you are so persistent. But it doesn't really matter. I don't need it anymore either. CLOSE ON THE DEVICE as Peter smashes it with his foot. BACK TO SCENE The octobot writhes. Peter rips the arms off, throwing them away. As he tears it apart: PETER And I don't need you or your kind anymore, not since acquiring this body, and its powers. Parker was an adequate Spider-Man. But I am the superior Spider-Man. He hurls the octobot O.S. in a mighty arc, then turns and walks away. EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR -- DAY The octobot SPLASHES into the water and surfaces to float on the choppy waves, its electronic eye darkened. Then, with a jitter, the eye flashes to life. It shifts about, looking. Some of its amputated limbs quiver uselessly. It jerks to sudden life, BUZZING as it shifts focus. The amputated limbs quiver manically. A green, scaly arm, ending in a gloved hand, reaches in from O.S. and hauls the octobot from the water. It holds the machine suspended for a moment as the robot jerks spasmodically, as though trying to escape, then pulls it O.S. FADE OUT "Spider-Man Commentary: If This Be My Destiny" |
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