Act 1, Scene 10

The party. Mary Jane stands outside, looking into the New York night. A cab pulls up beside her and deposits Peter, who's buttoning his shirt and adjusting his tie.

PETER: Robbery.

MARY JANE: It's OK. Come on, it's just started anyway.

Inside, the party's in full swing. It's your typical society bash, similar to the one in Spiderman 2; waiters with cocktail trays, the crème de la crème of New York socialites, including one J. Jonah Jameson, who's being led around by his wife. He looks inordinately distracted.

POSH MAN: Jameson, you old rogue! How's life in the tabloids! Spotted Bigfoot yet?

JAMESON: She's over by the wine stand.

POSH MAN (looking): How dare you! That's my wife!

JAMESON: What's your point?

The posh man gasps in horror. Jameson's wife drags him away.

JAMESON'S WIFE: Jonah! Behave!

JAMESON: Our son is up there in space making history and I have to make smalltalk with these no-lifes!

JAMESON'S WIFE: (whispers)These no-lifes include The Bugle's majority shareholders, and John isn't scheduled to reach the asteroid for another eight hours.

JAMESON: (grumbles)If they invented nosebags for wine this place would look like the Kentucky Derby.

The crowd parts at that moment to reveal Mary Jane and Peter walking along. They immediately endeavour to look un-couple-like. Mary Jane even poses for a picture, which Peter takes with all his photographer gusto.

JAMESON: Parker! I'm not paying you to stand around taking pictures!

PETER: Uh…yes you are.

JAMESON: I'm paying you to mingle and capture a slice of New York life! In tomorrow's paper I wanna look at these pictures and feel like I was there!

PETER: But you…(sighs), yes Mr Jameson.

JAMESON: Good! Get going! Stop! Take our picture! And try not to make my wife look fat!

Peter does so. We get a picture of J. Jonah beaming his usual mile-wide grin and his wife glowering dangerously at him.

JAMESON: Now go!

Peter leaves. As he does so his hand surreptitiously reaches out and squeezes Mary Jane's. She watches him go, realising she's been left with the parents of the man she jilted at the altar.

MARY JANE: So how's-

JAMESON: Oh, go to hell.

JAMESON'S WIFE: (passionately)Yes, go to hell!

Jameson looks at his wife, shocked.

JAMESON: Behave.

And they're gone, leaving Mary Jane bemused and dazed in equal parts. She looks a little lost for the first time amongst the sea of mostly inebriated faces. There's a wine counter nearby and she wanders over, as much for somewhere to go as anything else. As she arrives she spots-

MARY JANE: Harry!

Harry finishes off his glass of wine in a gulp. He turns to her and smiles, and it's a genuine smile.

HARRY: MJ. Are you a sight for sore eyes. C'mere.

They hug.

HARRY: I heard about the sitcom.

MARY JANE: Well, I'm not the headliner, but it's nice. How are things with you?

HARRY: They froze me out of the Oscorp board. We lost three-quarters of our assets in the Octavius project. No company out there will touch me. So I have no job and no reputation. But hey, the wine's free, right?

MARY JANE: Oh Harry…I didn't know. I'm so sorry.

HARRY: I know, MJ. Thanks. (he smiles weakly) It all seems such a long time since we were all in school, and all I had to worry about was if my Dad was gonna freak over another F grade.

MARY JANE: I know…I was with Flash. God…

HARRY: I saw Flash two months ago, did I tell you?

MARY JANE: No! How is he?

HARRY: His knee ligaments gave out halfway through his second semester at college. A few pro sides were interested apparently until then. He had to drop out.

MARY JANE: Oh...wow. He must be…a pro career was all he ever talked about.

HARRY: He seemed OK. He said he was doing fine.

MARY JANE: He said that?

HARRY: Yeah. That, and 'do you want fries with that?'

MJ reacts. Harry picks up a glass of wine. We see MJ struggle to contain guilty laughter and fail. Even as she laughs she's horrified at herself. Harry grins.

HARRY: Oh come on. He was a jerk who never treated you right…

MARY JANE: I know.

HARRY: I guess Flash and I do have something in common after all.

MARY JANE: Oh Harry, please…not tonight.

HARRY: I just want to apologize.

MARY JANE: And I accept. Now let's…let's just have a drink and enjoy ourselves.

HARRY: (bitterly) Enjoy myself? The only reason I was invited is so I could be stared at. Look, there he is – the boy who blew his father's empire.

MARY JANE: Harry…

HARRY: I should never have let you go, MJ. I know that now. I was a fool who thought you were just some pretty girl. Now I know you're much more than that. Can we give it another try, you and me? Please.

As he says this a camera flash goes off at them. It's Peter, who's arrived on the scene with perfect timing. He and Harry regard each other for a long, long moment.

HARRY: (sarcasm dripping) Hey, buddy.

PETER: Harry.

MARY JANE: Well you two have obviously worked out the tensions between you. I'm so glad.

She's called by a large man in a tuxedo, the sitcom's director.

DIRECTOR: Mary Jane!

MARY JANE: Duty calls, boys. Have fun.

She waltzes off, leaving Harry and Peter behind. They circle each other subconsciously, each man's eyes never leaving the other's.

HARRY: Making the papers I see.

PETER: Making moves on MJ, Harry?

HARRY: What's it to you? You had your chance and you blew it, Pete. Now look at her. She wouldn't touch you now. Especially if she knew how much of a freak you really are.

PETER: Just leave MJ out of this. Understand?

HARRY: You think I would hurt her?

PETER: I don't know. But if you do, I'll kill you.

HARRY: Is that a threat from you, or from Spiderman?

PETER: Both of us.

HARRY: Spiderman making death threats. This is a new angle for you, Pete. You really ready to kill?

Peter doesn't reply. Harry's grin stretches a little. He begins circling Pete.

HARRY: What would the papers say? In fact, what would the papers say if I went to them with Spiderman's real identity?

PETER: You've known for months and you haven't gone to them.

HARRY: Wondering why?

PETER: Yeah.

Harry closes the distance between them so they're toe-to-toe. When he speaks it's right into Peter's face. The tension between them is bubbling over.

HARRY: Because I know what would happen to Aunt May, to MJ. And I don't want that. They've been good to me. This is between me and the bug. No-one else.

PETER: Your father-

HARRY: I know. I know exactly who he was. What he was.

PETER: You know? Then you must know why-

HARRY: He was my father!

PETER: He was a murdering psychopath. He tried to kill MJ. He hurt Aunt May to get to me. You know all that too?

Harry swings a punch at Peter. Peter's spider-sense allows him to block the swing, catching Harry's fist easily. Furious, Harry tries with the other fist and that too is caught in Peter's grip.

HARRY: Let me go!

PETER: You can't win this, Harry. Get over it.

Two security personnel approach.

SECURITY #1: Is there a problem here, gentlemen?

Peter releases Harry.

PETER: No problem.

SECURITY #2: I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave, sir.

Harry smiles cruelly at this.

PETER: I've done nothing wrong…

SECURITY #2: Not you, sir. (to Harry) If you'll come with us?

HARRY: What did you say?

SECURITY #1: We saw you swing at this gentleman here. This is a high-class function, sir, and we want it to proceed smoothly. We hope you'll co-operate.

HARRY: Don't you know who I am?

SECURITY #2: No, sir, I do not. Now come with us, please.

They each take one of his arms. Peter stands back and says nothing. Harry fixes him with a murderous glare.

HARRY: Everyone's going to know who I am, Parker. Believe it.

He's led away. Peter stares after him as he goes, obviously deeply troubled.