Through Thick and Thin

What's In It For Me?

Blood.

Death.

Murder.

Tragedy.

It all happened in a haze, the memories were unclear. I woke up in the bathroom of the lab. My face and lab coat was bloody and dirty. Sounds of sirens were drowned out by the ringing in my ears and splitting headache. It took me a second to fully remember what had happened. As the memories came flooding back to me, tears welled in my eyes. Losing everything that I've made my life of for the better half of a year.

I slowly stood up, and look in the mirror, a gash on my arm and leg, bloody nose, bruised jaw. Then my eyes shot wide. HOLY SHIT, OTTO! SHIT SHIT SHIT. I threw open the bathroom door and was met with nothing. No one was here. There was a pool of blood by one of the walls, broken glass and metal everywhere.

I left the building and grabbed a taxi back to where I were staying which, thank God, was separate from the lab. It was only five minutes, but I could barely walk. Once I got 'home' I went to take off my lab coat and clean my cuts, I folded my coat and felt something in the pocket. Reaching inside I pulled out the USB I saved from earlier. A wave of sadness came over me. I clenched it in my hand, cursing whatever happened to cause all of this to go so wrong. Setting it down on my night stand I cleaned my cuts and went to turn on the Tv, I was immediately met with the news channel. Turning the volume down as background noise while I forced myself to eat.

Something on the news caught my ear. 'New York's new 8-limbed villain, "Doctor Octopus' also known as 'Doc Ock' kills multiple people who worked as surgeons and nurses at the local hospital."

"Shit, Otto what have you done, you nearly blew up the city!?" I say out loud. I walked over to the Tv and turned the volume up. "After a demonstration gone wrong, scientist Doctor Otto Octavius is responsible for the death of his team, and for the death of others. Spider-Man there assisting him in his terror."

Fuck, Otto. Tears start to form in my eyes again. Holy shit. I sit down on the couch. What has he gotten himself into. This isn't like him. I need to know he's safe. I need to know that he's still breathing. I love him. I love him. I love him. I. Love. Him. I can't see him get hurt, I have to find him. I get up from the couch and grab my coat and the USB drive. It's 10:26 at night in a town I don't know. It's dark and a little chilly. I look around for something that screams Otto, some place he would be, I just need to talk to him and I'm not going to stop looking until I find him. The streets are busy but after all it is New York.

Once I got to the out skirts of the town, I noticed a river and a semi torn down building, something inside me told me he was there. I slowly made my way into the building. It was old and rundown, it smelled like damp wood. Some of the floorboards were broken and some were completely missing. The roof was caving in on one side and the only light was the moon which luckily tonight it was a full moon, and it was plenty bright.

I search the front half of the structure until I reach the back. There was a half wall separating me and a big open space. I was just about to leave when I heard a voice. I turned around and saw him. Otto. His back was turned to me and I could see the actuators were indeed still intact. He was wearing some old rag, holes everywhere. He looked like a mess. "Otto?" I whispered so quietly I barely heard it.

Otto quickly snapped his head around to me. "Who's there!?" The actuators rose up in front of him acting like a shield.

I came out from behind the wall. "Otto it's me." I reassured in a soft tone.

"Y/n?" His gaze and voice softened, only for a second though, "You-, what are you doing here!?" He scowled, walking towards me.

"I- I was worried about you, have you seen the news?"

"No. I haven't." He started coldly.

I walked closer to him, finally getting a better look at his face. "What happened to you?" I asked, putting a hand on his face.

He leaned into my touch for a brief moment before he moved away from it, looking disgusted. "My dream, my life's work, down the drain. For what? For me to just give up? I don't think so." Otto seemed to be talking to himself more than me.

"Otto what are you talking about?"

"I'm not just going to give up!" He grabbed my arm firmly.

"Otto, you're scaring me, what has gotten into you?" I winced as he grabbed me right where I had gotten cut.

"You just don't get it."

"What?"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU NEVER HAVE AND YOU NEVER WILL!!" He yelled. That's the first time he has every yelled at me. I felt tears start to form in my eyes.

"If you would just listen-" I began

"No! I'm done listening. This time you listen to me." Otto paused for a moment, searching my face. "We are going to rebuild-"

"We?" I scrunched my face at the sound of that, 'we'.

"Shut. up." He spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm going to rebuild, this time make it bigger and better. I need your help."

"Otto! You nearly destroyed the entire city! Hell no!" I spoke but was caught off guard when one of his actuators lunged forwards and grabbed me tightly by the waist.

He chuckled before speaking. "Oh honey, it wasn't a question." He smirked, looking at me like I was dirt. Something I never saw from him.
Why is he acting like this, this isn't him. This isn't like him at all.

"Oh yeah, what's in it for me." I spat back.

"Oh you poor thing," he ran a finger under my jaw before cupping the side of my face with one of his hands. The actuator still had a firm grip on my waist. It brought me up off the ground and up to his face, us now only inches apart. "Why do you think you're the only one left alive, hmm?" He tilted his head as his thumb rubbed gently over my cheek.

As much as I wanted to lean into his touch and just give in, I knew I couldn't. As much as I just wanted to confess to him that I loved him and I wanted him to be safe and happy, I couldn't. I just looked at him, the tears finally fell. I can't do this, not in front of him. A tear streaked down my cheek. Otto wiped it away with his thumb. He put me down and for a second I saw something in his eyes, some emotion other than hate. That gave me hope so I agreed to stay and help him, I need him back, whatever happened to him. "Okay, I'll stay and help you." I said quietly.

"Very good." He whispered. "We'll start tomorrow morning, you probably need some rest and I need to find better clothes. Be asleep by the time I come back." He was about to leave when I stopped him.

"Sir? Where exactly am I going to sleep?"

Otto sighed and walked into one of the rooms. Pulling out an old mattress and setting it on the floor in the corner. He motioned to the mattress and then left without a word.

This is it, this is my life now. Everything I've worked for just gone. 13 years of school and 2 years of studying for it all to be put to an end in a matter of seconds. It's crazy how that works. A lesson learned, nothing ever goes as planned.