It's evening in New York. Peter Parker is on his way home from work at Oscorp. He walks down the street feeling sorry for himself and the reality of his attempts at romance. He feels the loneliness that Spider-Man brings into his life.
He arrives home and kicks off his shoes and throws his keys and bag into the chair in his living room. He sits on his couch and stretches his back while rubbing his face. He rolls up his sleeves and fiddles with his web shooters, before looking at the window. He can't face it tonight. He isn't interested in going on patrol. He walks to the fridge to see what there is to eat, and starts to cook dinner—steak and fries.
While his fries begin cooking in the oven he sits on his couch, arms and legs crossed, periodically glancing at the window. He sees the corner of his photo album sticking out from under his coffee table. He starts to leaf through it, landing on a photo of Gwen. Peter stares at the photograph with a glum face. He turns the page to see a photo of Peter and MJ from happier times. He snaps the album shut and puts it away. He starts cooking his steak.
He sits to eat his dinner facing the window. As he eats he stares at the Manhattan skyline while the sun sets. He finishes his dinner in silence and starts to do the dishes. He looks over at the window again.
He starts to walk across the room. He slumps onto his couch, lying across the length of it, and turns on the TV. His phone buzzes with a text message from Johnny Storm. It's a photo of a rooftop fight between Jackpot and Paste Pot Pete. The message contains an address. Peter looks over to the window unconvinced.
The scene jumps to the rooftop with Jackpot and PPP. Jackpot's slots whirl into three different glyphs. She fires the blasts at PPP which he dodges. The blast takes a chunk out of the building's roof.
PASTE POT
Wait, you're not a super
criminal dressed like that?
Jackpot doesn't take the bait or have anything quick to say. Her slots whirl again. She runs at PPP with her fists and feet glowing. She slides into PPP who jumps over her. Jackpot connects a leaping roundhouse kick with PPP's face as he lands. He flies across the roof and lands near the low wall at the edge of the building.
PASTE POT
You're serious? Lady, I don't
have time for this. I'm late
for work.
PPP fires a blast of glue from his gun. Jackpot dodges it and throws energy bolts from her hands. Her slots whirl again. PPP shoots more glue at her, which lands in her hair and pins her against a wall. Another glue shot sticks her right arm and the gauntlet to the wall next to her. PPP closes in on her.
Spider-Man's webs appear and pull PPP's gun from his hands. He swings in and pulls him away from Jackpot, before kicking him into a wall on the far side of the roof. He's not messing around. He spins several webs and leaves him wrapped up in a cocoon in an alleyway as police cruisers arrive and take PPP into custody.
Spider-Man zips back up to the roof and walks over to Jackpot who is stuck against the wall. He stares in silence with folded arms waiting for her to talk first. Jackpot struggles to pull herself free.
JACKPOT
Oh really? You're just going to
stand there?
SPIDER-MAN
I mean I dunno. Last time we met
like this you made it clear you
didn't want my help.
JACKPOT
Maybe you're right. Maybe I
can get out of this by myself.
SPIDER-MAN
I'll wait.
Jackpot struggles to break free but she is completely stuck. Spider-Man stretches his arms into the air.
SPIDER-MAN
Just as well I was in the area.
I was actually gonna take tonight
off. I'd just had a nice steak and
a glass of red wine. Was gonna
take a bath and indulge in some
self-care.
JACKPOT
You don't take nights off. Or drink.
SPIDER-MAN
You know me so well. But I did
have steak.
So can you get yourself out?
Does your thing spin?
JACKPOT
Oh are you coaching me again?
SPIDER-MAN
Patronizing you actually.
Will they spin or are they blocked?
JACKPOT
…Blocked.
Spider-Man sticks his fingers into the glue sticking Jackpot to the wall and rips it off. He breaks the set glue by crushing it in his hands, leaving globs of glue on the gauntlet.
SPIDER-MAN
Hold still.
Jackpot watches as Spider-Man attentively cleans and maintains Jackpot's gauntlet, still attached to her arm. He lifts his mask just enough to gently blow off the last slivers. He replaces his mask.
SPIDER-MAN
Yaknow, there was a time when other
things of yours would spin when you
saw me.
JACKPOT
Peter–
SPIDER-MAN
Aliases only, Jackpot. We only take
off masks or use real names above 20
storeys.
Now we need to sort out your hair.
...We could try webs.
JACKPOT
Is that a joke?
SPIDER-MAN
Maybe it works like peanut butter
and gum.
JACKPOT
It doesn't taste like peanut
butter.
SPIDER-MAN
...You've tasted my web fluid?
JACKPOT
—
SPIDER-MAN
Oh my god!
JACKPOT
It was one time. I wanted to
know.
SPIDER-MAN
Are you insane? You could have
died!
JACKPOT
It was just a little bit. Wasn't
even enough to swallow. I just
dipped my finger in it and dabbed
it on my tongue.
SPIDER-MAN
…What does it taste like?
JACKPOT
…Cashew nuts.
SPIDER-MAN
So you HAVE tasted it!
JACKPOT
And so have you!
SPIDER-MAN
Of course I have!
The two laugh together warmly.
SPIDER-MAN
So if it tastes like nuts then maybe
there are oils in it that might break
down Paste Pot Pete's glue.
JACKPOT
Not all essential oils are
created equal.
SPIDER-MAN
Are you in an MLM scheme?
JACKPOT
No.
Spider-Man squints at her.
JACKPOT
I'm not!
SPIDER-MAN
You've changed, Mary Jane.
JACKPOT
Aliases only.
SPIDER-MAN
Heh.
Ok, let's do this.
JACKPOT
What?
SPIDER-MAN
On three—
JACKPOT
This is a bad idea!
SPIDER-MAN
—you're gonna roll those dice and
burn off that glue.
JACKPOT
Wait.
SPIDER-MAN
One—
Jackpot smiles.
JACKPOT
Jerk.
SPIDER-MAN
Two—
Jackpot's slots spin onto three cherries. Red energy flows into her hair and the glue breaks off.
SPIDER-MAN
Can't believe you didn't wait for
three. What a slight.
JACKPOT
You are such a man-child.
SPIDER-MAN
But it worked. And it was all
you.
Jackpot shakes her hair loose and fluffs it up. Spider-Man holds one hand with the other over his groin.
JACKPOT
So what now?
SPIDER-MAN
Now I go home and have that bath.
I wasn't kidding.
Spider-Man turns and begins walking towards the edge of the roof.
JACKPOT
What about the wine?
SPIDER-MAN
Yeah, well. Maybe I have things I
want to forget.
Talk later.
JACKPOT
Hold on.
Spider-Man pauses at the edge of the roof.
JACKPOT
I thought you said you were going to teach
me how to control a fight.
SPIDER-MAN
Can't you go over to Hell's Kitchen?
Daredevil will pick you up in seconds.
Just tell him I sent you.
Jackpot is saddened to hear Spider-Man brush her off.
JACKPOT
I just—I think we make a good team.
SPIDER-MAN
The best team, Red.
We made the best team.
Spider-Man launches off the roof and swings away. Jackpot watches as he turns a corner. She slumps to the ground with her back to the low wall of the roof and buries her head in her knees.
The twilight is now over and it is nighttime in the city. Jackpot remains in the same place unmoved. Johnny Storm lands on the roof as his flames extinguish.
JOHNNY
Hey MJ.
Jackpot looks up.
JACKPOT
Did he tell you too? Is there anyone
he hasn't told?
JOHNNY
Face recognition algos.
Jackpot looks unhappy.
JOHNNY
So you're a superhero now? That's cool.
JACKPOT
Maybe I would be if I could figure
out how to control these powers.
Jackpot stands.
JOHNNY
That's actually why I'm here. Reed
asked me to swing by and see if you
wanted to come back to the Baxter Building
to practice with it.
JACKPOT
"Back to the Baxter Building"?
I don't understand.
JOHNNY
Oh.
JACKPOT
What do you mean?
JOHNNY
What do you mean 'what do I mean'?
JACKPOT
You said "back to the Baxter Building".
What did you mean by that?
JOHNNY
(Nuts.)
The other night when you and Pete
were on that roof. That was the Baxter
Building.
JACKPOT
You mean—?
JOHNNY
Yeah, it turns out he's not just a
pretty mask, right? Heh. He took
you up there so we could analyze that
gizmo on your wrist.
JACKPOT
Of course he did.
Jackpot begins pacing.
JOHNNY
What do you mean?
JACKPOT
He just never takes me seriously. He
ties me up and takes me somewhere
against my will and then talks me into
getting analyzed without me even knowing!
JOHNNY
You know why, right?
JACKPOT
Because he doesn't respect me!
JOHNNY
No it's—it's because he cares about
you.
JACKPOT
Those days are behind us.
JOHNNY
Yeah but—not for him. Look, I'm
about the worst person in the
world to give relationship advice—
JACKPOT
We don't have a relationship anymore.
JOHNNY
Right.
But my point, I guess, is that he
doesn't know what to do. This is
a lot of change very quickly. He
wants to help and in his head
this is the best way to do that.
JACKPOT
Well I guess you can always rely on
Spider-Man to make the best decision
for Spider-Man.
JOHNNY
Whoa whoa whoa. You know that's
unfair.
JACKPOT
Is there another reason you can
see for him putting his own
curiosities ahead of everything else?
JOHNNY
He wasn't putting—
This is hard for him. Harder than it is
for you.
JACKPOT
How do you know?
JOHNNY
C'mon, MJ. You know him better
than anyone. You know how clumsy
he is, you know how he thinks—but
right now he can't think at all
because the guy's out of his mind
over this. Over you. When he broke
into the Baxter Building I'd never seen
him like that.
JACKPOT
He broke in?
JOHNNY
Yeah.
JACKPOT
Why?
JOHNNY
To save you. We've spoken since,
things still aren't great between
him and us, but he wasn't messing
around. You should have seen what
he did to Cap when he tried to catch
up with him.
JACKPOT
What happened?
JOHNNY
He didn't hold back is what happened.
Spider-Man holds back. He has to. It's
how he operates. But when he was trying to
save you—
We've never seen him like that. We
always knew that he can switch it
on when he wants, but we'd never seen
him switch it on against us. Not like
that.
JACKPOT
What do you want me to do with that
information?
I was there for four years, Johnny.
Things change. I had a family.
JOHNNY
Do you want to talk about it? With
anyone?
JACKPOT
No.
JOHNNY
What about—
JACKPOT
I said no.
JOHNNY
...I'm not going to pretend I understand,
or tell you how to feel.
But, speaking as his friend, just
don't say things to him like, 'We
make a good team.' It's cruel.
And you know it.
JACKPOT
Do superheroes always give each
other unsolicited advice?
JOHNNY
When Mr Fantastic tells them to, yeah.
So are you going to come over?
Or I can just tell you how it works right now?
JACKPOT
I know how it works. I activate the
totems and the glyphs power up my suit.
JOHNNY
How do you make it stop on matching
glyphs? Or make a roll last more than one
shot?
JACKPOT
I don't know.
JOHNNY
Yeah right. Why'd you tell Pete
he had something stuck in his teeth
when he didn't?
JACKPOT
—
JOHNNY
Just talk to him, MJ. If you're
going to make being a superhero
work then you can't do it while
you're not in control. Get your
head straight and you might start
to enjoy it.
JACKPOT
Might?
JOHNNY
Might.
JACKPOT
Thanks.
JOHNNY
No problem.
So are you coming over? Or are you
gonna go talk with Spider-Man?
JACKPOT
I don't know where he is.
JOHNNY
Sure you do. I'll let Reed know.
See you around.
Flame on!
The Human Torch leaves, trailing an arc of fire through the sky. Jackpot doesn't notice as the trail suddenly disappears. Johnny lands in his seat in the cloaked Fantasti-Car.
SUE RICHARDS
Does she want to talk about it?
JOHNNY
Nope.
Sue looks down at Jackpot on the roof with concerned suspicion.
On the roof, Jackpot pauses for a few seconds, arms folded, mouth tight. She relaxes her arms and runs a hand through her hair. She closes her eyes and exhales. Her slots roll three clovers and she glows in green light. She takes to the air slowly and then heads into the night sky.
The scene changes to Peter sitting on a gargoyle of the Chrysler Building. He is hugging his knees with his head bowed between his shoulders. He holds his mask in his hands.
There is a noise as someone lands on the walkway behind him. It's Jackpot. Peter hurriedly wipes his eyes and puts on his mask. He sits back and supports his weight with his arms stretched out behind him. She calls out nervously, unsure how to approach the conversation she doesn't know how to have.
JACKPOT
Hey.
Spider-Man doesn't respond.
JACKPOT
I thought I'd find you here.
Spider-Man remains motionless, looking out across the city. Jackpot removes her visor. She stands behind a railing while Spider-Man stays out on the gargoyle, facing away from her.
MJ
I thought you said you were going home.
SPIDER-MAN
I thought you were looking for a street fight. You
gonna find one on top of a skyscraper?
MJ
I was hoping we could talk.
SPIDER-MAN
'Bout what?
MJ
About how you do it.
SPIDER-MAN
All this time and you're asking that question?
MJ
I mean I've watched you, and I think I
understood, but actually being here and
trying to do it myself has made me
appreciate the difference between understanding
you and understanding how to be a superhero
myself.
So? How do you do it?
SPIDER-MAN
Do what, Mary Jane? Maintain my
humanity despite being a freak?
Turn into spiders and back again?
Fight the same guys with no end in
sight? Fail to have a life? Cope
with the guilt? Do it all alone?
MJ
No I meant—
Spider-Man stands and faces her, his frame strong yet vulnerable.
MJ
Yeah I guess that's what I meant.
SPIDER-MAN
You know I love being Spider-Man.
When you love what you do you find
a way to cope with the things you don't.
MJ
Is that all?
SPIDER-MAN
How did you cope with the negative
attention that came with being a model
or actress?
MJ
I loved what I did.
SPIDER-MAN
Well there you go.
Do you love being Jackpot?
MJ
...It's very new.
SPIDER-MAN
I'm sure you'll settle into it.
MJ
Do you really mean that? You were
quite clear last time we spoke.
Spider-Man looks out across the city then turns back to Mary Jane.
SPIDER-MAN
I'll support whatever you choose. That's
what friends do. And that's what we are.
Friends.
(Just friends.)
Mary Jane smiles.
MJ
Thank you.
I want to help people. I want to
make a difference and do it right.
How should I be approaching this?
Spider-Man pauses for several seconds.
SPIDER-MAN
We all do this for the love of the
game because it's a game we always
lose—victories aren't permanent unless
you become what you're trying to stop,
so you accept that you'll never win
in the long run until the supervillains
die of old age or worse. Success is
measured however you like, but if
you can't measure your success at
all then you'll burn out quickly.
You'll need to find something to ground
you, too. Something to anchor you and
stop you getting lost in the suit.
MJ
How does Spider-Man measure success?
SPIDER-MAN
Lives saved, mostly.
MJ
And what anchors you?
Spider-Man is silent. Mary Jane realizes what his answer might be.
MJ
Wait, it's responsibility, isn't—
SPIDER-MAN
Love.
Mary Jane is surprised by the answer.
SPIDER-MAN
Responsibility drives me.
But love anchors me. It's not something
I say out loud very often, but it's
the truth. I love being Spider-Man,
but I'm a New Yorker named Peter first.
I always have been. I do what I do
because I love this city. I love its
people.
I love my friends. I love May.
MJ
...Do you love anyone else?
SPIDER-MAN
What are you trying to do, MJ? You know
the answers to these questions. You know
more about the life of a superhero than
most superheroes. What's this really
about?
MJ
Sorry I just—
I wanted to talk.
SPIDER-MAN
We're talking.
MJ
I know, I just—I wanted to talk
about us.
Spider-Man's mask conceals the expression on Peter's face.
SPIDER-MAN
There's nothing to talk about. We
were together. Now you're with Paul.
You've made that very cl—
MJ
No, that's—that's not what I mean.
(I think.)
SPIDER-MAN
Oh.
MJ
I'm sorry, I mean I wanted to talk
about us as friends. You're an
important person to me. You're
one of my closest friends and your
opinion of me—of Jackpot—matters to
me. I mean, you're Spider-Man. Who
doesn't want Spider-Man in their
corner in this line of work, right?
Spider-Man begins to fidget uncomfortably, trying to decide whether to stay or go.
SPIDER-MAN
What do you want from me?
MJ
I want your friendship. I want you to be
on my side.
SPIDER-MAN
I already said I am. Wh—what is this?
Do you want my approval?
MJ
Y—yeah I think that's it.
Spider-Man looks out over the city.
SPIDER-MAN
Fine. Whatever. I approve.
The two stand in silence as it begins to lightly rain.
SPIDER-MAN
I have to go. I can't stay here and have
this conversation—whatever it's trying to
be.
MJ
Peter please—
SPIDER-MAN
No, I'm done. I think I'm done. I just—
I can't—
MJ
I want us to be friends. I want to work
together.
Spider-Man begins shaking his head as if trying to soothe himself.
SPIDER-MAN
Nope. No. No.
MJ
For whatever reason, I control this
better when—
SPIDER-MAN
I can't do this. I thought I could but
I can't. I've lifted collapsed buildings
and punched aliens into next week but
I can't do this. I can't. I have to go.
MJ
Why?
Spider-Man turns to face Mary Jane.
SPIDER-MAN
You know exactly why! Stop this.
Mary Jane is taken aback by his sudden sharp tone.
SPIDER-MAN
Do me a favour.
MJ
What is it?
SPIDER-MAN
Don't call me Tiger anymore.
Spider-Man steps off the gargoyle into the Manhattan canyon below and swings away. Mary Jane puts her hand to her mouth, shocked by her own emotions upon hearing such a simple request, and begins to weep. She leans against the wall of the building behind her and slumps to the floor, holding herself up with her other arm and she begins to sob freely.