pre-intro for spider feelings.

[redesigned]

[Am I dreaming? Is this a dream? What does it say about me that I would dream this? Trapped in a giant unpoppable bubble in the middle of a swamp full of zombies and freakishly friendly fauna, I--I do not want to know what that could say about me. The next time mom warns me not to snack late at night I'll listen, I swear.

Oh, man, I hope this is a dream because I really doubt any teacher is going to accept 'a zombie ate my homework'. Though considering the subject on today's menu maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have a sense of humor about the whole thing. I mean--brains! At least that's worth a chance for extra credit, right? I'd think it was funny. Uh, if it wasn't happening to me.]

--frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal!

[that sure was a kid in spider-spandex backflipping over a zombie and tapping it on the head. . . and after a beat there's AN ELECTRIC SHOCK. the zombie groooaaaans, spits out a few scraps of paper, and twitches off. Miles picks up his backpack and stuffs the scraps inside, sighs]

I would really like to wake up now.

Comments

[redesigned]

[You.

I should just say it, right? Only he didn't just get hurt. He shouldn't have died, he should be home with his family, with his aunt and--and Gwen. They seemed nice. I mean, Gwen was kind of--but, uh, they were at a funeral. His funeral. He'd hate me if he knew. Not that I wouldn't deserve it but if he already thinks I shouldn't be doing this should I really give him a reason? Oh, man. He deserves--he deserves to know, though.]

[is going to be silent a whole lot longer than a moment]

[undesigned]

Hey, it's—

I get it. It's not that easy to talk about it.

[undesigned]

[The other thing is, he's not like Jessica. He doesn't have my memories, my experience. He doesn't have a girly version of my face and there's no potential invasion of the bodysnatcher plots going on. I can't—I can't force him to tell me anything, I can't.

And I can't walk away. Not ... not just because I'm afraid. Because I don't want this guy to end up in my shoes. Or my grave. That'd be even worse.

So I do what I've always done. What I have to do.]

Look, let's just skip that part for now. If ... you're ever up for it later, I'm here. I know how it goes.

So, uh—can I just know your name for now?

[redesigned]

My name's--I'm Miles. Morales.

[breathes out]

You mean you're. . . you could make me tell you. You're not gonna make me tell you?

[undesigned]

You didn't rob a bank and kill anyone, did you? Because that I need to know.

[redesigned]

What? No, I would never, I wouldn't do that.

Some--someone died. When I should've stepped up I chose to sit back and--like a coward. And someone died.

[undesigned]

Sounds familiar. It's fine, that's all I need to know, Miles.

[redesigned]

[Say it.

Say it.]

You sure?

[undesigned]

If you do this with supervillains, they're gonna take advantage of you.

[redesigned]

Uh, do what? What am I doing?

[undesigned]

I don't know what school's like for you or anything, but I was bullied and picked on a lot.

[I just past tensed ... myself.]

But you can't do that with the villains. It's just gotta be one way: your way.

[redesigned]

Or the highway, right. I know that. But, uh, you're not a supervillain.

[wait] And--you? Really?

[undesigned]

It's not like I've been Spider-Man forever, and even after that, well, there are always jerks.

But either way, supervillain or not, you just have to stand by it. Unless you want to say something and the other person isn't forcing it out of you. Then you just need courage.

[redesigned]

Wow. Bet they feel really stupid now, though.

. . . Yeah. Yeah, I'll--I'll remember that.

[undesigned]

If you ever find out, let me know, though it'd probably be better if once you got out of here, you stayed out.

[redesigned]

Here. I don't even know what or where here is.

[undesigned]

Louisiana.

Apparently.

[undesigned]

Just be glad it isn't Brazil.

[redesigned]

Louisiana? Whoa, okay, it was clear enough something's wrong because of the swamp and I know I didn't go far enough to even get out of the city so I guess Louisiana makes as much sense as anywhere but, how--what--why, what's wrong with Brazil?

[undesigned]

It's really far from New York City.

[redesigned]

Uh, yeah.

So what is this? Do you know? Is it another--you know, like the flood?

[undesigned]

No, it's not. Actually, I was a little too busy working on my witty banter to remember to ... ask all the necessary questions.

But I know a lot of people are stuck here, and head's up, there's some weird dimensional stuff. People know who I am because of the movies made about me, not ... me.

[redesigned]

What, like they think you're the actor? They don't know about Spider-Man in Louisiana?

Dimensional stuff sure sounds like a supervillain thing though.

[undesigned]

No, like, there's more than one movie, but Tobey still starred. And I think I'd know about that. I kept tabs on that stuff.

And yeah, I think whoever's in charge of this place is bad news. I bet some superheroes, but uh, not our superheroes, so maybe I can ask.

[redesigned]

You kept tabs--so you're sure? So it's just. . . this place being weird some more, then.

If there's one thing that is clear about this place it's that it's definitely bad news. Uh, not our superheroes? Who's--? I mean, they're not from where we are? They're new?