Act 3, Scene 1

A crowded train rumbles through flat fields. It's daybreak. We travel through the compartment until we find our now easily-recognisable (to us) heavily-disguised Mary-Jane Watson, sitting staring out the window. Beside her, a middle-aged woman's headphones lead to a small pocket television she keeps in her lap. She's glued to it.

We stay on Mary-Jane's wistful window-staring for another moment before the woman beside her gives such a gasp that MJ is startled and looks around. Seeing that the woman's attention is still on the television, she looks down. The picture is of the Bugle's front page headline, the one revealing that Spiderman is Peter Parker.

MARY-JANE: Oh my God…

TV WOMAN: (far too loudly) I KNOW! WHO'DA THOUGHT IT, HUH?

Everyone else on the train looks over at them. Mary-Jane grimaces apologetically at them before making 'take your headphones out' mimes to the woman.

TV WOMAN: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR EARS?

Mary-Jane repeats the gesture. The woman catches on eventually and removes the headphones.

TV WOMAN: (still at exactly at the same volume as before) WHAT?

MARY-JANE: I'm sorry…does that have speakers?

The woman removes the headphone jack from the television. As she does this we turn around and the small television grows bigger until it fills the screen.

NEWSCASTER (V/O): …York stunned today by this revelation. Over the past three years Spiderman has become almost part of the fabric of this city, and while speculation over his identity was initially rife, it had faded, as if we'd accepted we'd simply never know who was behind the mask. Well, we know now; Peter Parker, a twenty-two year old young NYU student-

We pull back. More than twenty passengers have crowded around to watch the television. Mary-Jane, meanwhile, has gone deathly pale.

WATCHING WOMAN: He's not that cute.

WATCHING MAN: He must be a helluva lot stronger than he looks.

The voice-over is interrupted and the picture changes to the news studio anchorwoman.

ANCHORWOMAN: …and some breaking news; we've just received word that the Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson, the man who broke the story and recently offered a one hundred thousand dollar reward for Spiderman's capture, has announced that another special edition of the newspaper will be published this morning…centred around the new claim that - now get this - New York's own rising starlet Mary-Jane Watson is having a secret affair with Peter Parker-

She continues to speak, but it's Mary-Jane we're focussed on now and the news report fades into the background as we see the full weight of what she has just heard settle on Mary-Jane. She's wanted the world to know about her and Pete for some time, but not like this. (N.B. the following dialogue is likewise only just audible – it's Mary Jane we're worried about here)

WATCHING WOMAN: (disgustedly) Oh now I get it. (off looks) Don't you see? When does her new sitcom premiere, like two weeks from now? Don't you think this will help ratings?

TV WOMAN: Oh, that's real smart.

The television's sound comes back into comfortable hearing range for us.

ANCHORWOMAN: …well, I'm delighted to say that joining us now is our resident culture vulture Ted Phillips, and as a very special guest the investigative reporter who broke this story…Eddie Brock. Welcome.

Mary-Jane's head whips around to the television. Her eyes flash with anger. When she speaks, it's in exactly the same tone of voice as when Peter said-

MARY-JANE: Brock…

EDDIE: Morning, Jane. Looking good.

The anchorwoman fawns a little. It's a clear case of success breeding success; this is the same Eddie Brock who as a struggling journalist was seen as slimy and cloying. Now, a hot media property, he's suddenly got charm…

ANCHORWOMAN: This is probably the biggest story of the year-

EDDIE: Well, I'd say the biggest in the last three or four, but then I would say that…

We cut to Mary-Jane disembarking. As she walks off the train at Atlanta central, we intercut between her walking and studio footage of the interview.

ANCHORWOMAN: I understand Mr Jameson has offered you a new column?

EDDIE: Yes…it's a temporary thing at the moment to cover the Spiderman-Peter Parker exclusive, but I have a funny feeling I won't be going anywhere afterward. Eddie Brock is here to stay.

The man sitting beside him, Ted Phillips, rolls his eyes.

ANCHORWOMAN: Ted, you've kept your finger on the Big Apple's pulse for over twenty years now. What's your take on today's events?

TED: Jane, the one thing I feel is pity. I pity Peter Parker and I pity Mary-Jane Watson. Until now they've lived their lives as their own, but now New York owns them and I think it's going to bite them in the ass. That's assuming Parker doesn't wind up dead thanks to our trigger-happy boys on the NYPD…