I've Got the Strangest Feeling This Isn't Our First Time Around

16

"Luigi, please!" Spike begs as he tries to grab Luigi's arm. "Just listen!"

"Get your disgusting arm off of me!" Luigi yells at him, yanking his arm away. "You don't get to make me listen after lying to me."

"But I didn't!" Spike tries. "Okay, so I omitted certain things, but I never outright said I wasn't part of the Dream Team."

"How long?" Luigi asks, and when Spike looks away, Luigi pushes, no demands, " How long were you spying on me?"

"The entire time we've been roommates." Spike admits, and when Luigi looks like he's about to punch him, he defends, "Snoozemore tracked me down when we moved in together and made me an offer I couldn't refuse: a full ride to Cornell, I spy on you."

"Did you say a full ride?" Luigi hates to admit it, but when Spike nods, Luigi says, "Okay, I can't really fault you for that. I would've done the same thing."

"Thought so." Spike says. "And all they wanted me to do was tell them if you did something out of the ordinary."

"Like what?" Luigi crosses his arms, making clear Spike's not out of the doghouse yet.

"Another funny story: I didn't end up telling them anything because everything you do would be considered out of the ordinary." Spike throws up his hands.

"So you getting me in trouble and putting me on academic suspension?" Luigi keeps going, nowhere near ready to let this go.

Spike knows this is gonna hurt, but he makes himself say, "That was Snoozemore.", and when Luigi's glare hardens, Spike comes right out with it, "They were desperate to find another Dreamwalker, okay? So they gave you a little push, through me."

"And you gave me a hard time?" Luigi reminds him, then walks away, leaving Spike alone, who sighs.

"Mm, yes." Snoozemore tells Clark in the conference room. "It appears Luigi Turner outsmarted both of us."

"Yeah, he does that a lot, doesn't he?" Clark says from her view of the Dream Lab.

"Mm, yes. Quite a remarkable young man." Snoozemore acknowledges.

Clark taps on the window, "Is this real?"

"Dreamwalking?" Snoozemore nods. "Indeed.", then gestures, "Please, have a seat."

After she sits across from him, Snoozemore asks, "Do we have to worry about our cover being blown further now that you know about the Dream Lab?"

"Let's say the jury is still out." Clark says.

"Then let me change some of those juror's minds." Snoozemore says smoothly. "After the last encounter with you and Luigi, I did my homework on you."

"And?" Clark doesn't sound too worried, so Snoozemore goes on, "And you're just like him. Only want to do what's right, no matter who gets hurt in the process. And while I won't condemn you for that as a cop, I will condemn you for all the people you left behind."

"Shut up." Clark's jaw tightens.

"Everything that has led you here has cost you the love of your life and in all likelihood will guarantee you two will never be together again."

"I don't have to listen to this." Clark snaps and starts to stand up.

"And you're too smart to leave now, especially when you've stumbled onto some odd occurrences in hospitals. How do I know? A lot of those hospitals' nurses work for us. That's how we track down petrified victims. Not just in your world, but several others as well."

"Who do you people think you are?" Clark snaps again.

"Just an agency in some castle ruins who have more jurisdiction in multiple worlds than you could ever hope to."

"Including the NYPD?"

" Especially the NYPD." Snoozemore smiles, then moves around the table to stand in front of her.

"Clark, we both know that nobody in your precinct likes you because of your brutal honesty. But as part of the Dream Team? You will thrive ."

"This is your pitch to recruit me?" Clark doesn't buy it.

"Luigi was right about one thing. I tell them no to going out into the field, they're just going to do it anyway. And honestly, I agree with them. The things that young man sees when he dreamwalks are things only he and Mario know enough to act on. And even then, only Luigi knows them intimately. I'd be able to sleep easier knowing they have backup."

"I'm their backup?" Clark repeats.

"You won't have to give up your job at the NYPD." Snoozemore assures her. "But now and then, the Dream Team will need you in other worlds. Keep them all safe, you get credit for closing the investigations."

"There's no honor in taking credit for someone else's work." Clark notes.

"You're not. We all work as a team." Snoozemore replies. "Any mistakes are our mistakes."

Clark still doesn't look convinced, so Snoozemore asks, "You remember when it was you going in the fish tank with backup, don't you?", right as Pauline walks in.

"We're off the rebound. We can dreamwalk through Alexis Maven's dreams again."

Snoozemore nods, and once Pauline leaves, he turns back to Clark, "Now you'll get to see it for yourself."

"You're no better than my old bosses." Clark seethes.

"Want to bet?" Snoozemore laughs. "Our samples are still alive!", then opens the door for her.

After a beat, Clark goes through it, Snoozemore following behind her.