Pause For Thought
(,) = thinking.
italics = used when the arms are speaking.
Power: Authoress' note. I rewrote a scene that I think wasn't done too well, character wise, in the movie. It's the scene where Octavius is lamenting over the past events. I was good, but. . . it could've been better. It isn't a total rewrite, I've tried to keep as true to it as possible so some things maybe out of order. This is partially inspired by "Can't You Hear Them?" which is a great fic, so even though, chronologically, this happens first, read "Can't You Hear Them?" before this one. Done that? Good. On with the story. Read and review.
The water swirled below him, black, as black as the night sky. The figure stared down at his reflection. He was dressed in makeshift-clothes which were nothing more than blankets thrown over him. He could've passed for an ordinary man, except he wasn't. Four, long metallic arms trailed from his back. Powerful and deadly-looking, they set him apart from the rest of mankind.
He sat there staring into the black water, staring at his reflection, replaying the events in his head. Was there anything he could've done? Anything?
You did what you thought was right.
He could've shut it down like Spider-man said.
You were fulfilling your dream, doing what was best for mankind.
What did it matter, it was too late now, Rosie was gone, his dream was gone, everything, gone.
You have us now and you are still alive. Dreams can be rebuilt.
(Rosie. Gone. Rosie's gone. She's the one that mattered the most.)
Achieving for the good of mankind matters the most. She would want you to fulfill your dream.
(But, Rosie. It was my fault. I could've saved her if I'd shut it down.)
Do not blame yourself. You could have done nothing. It is time to move on. Rebuild your dream.
The arms curled around, moving closer to him.
He'd been staring at the black water for the past hour, numb with shock. Silence hung in the air like a thick mist.
" Rosie . . . gone. It can't be . . . "
The man couldn't decide whether to laugh hysterically or break down and cry. He chose the latter, shoulders shaking as choked sobs escaped him.
" . . . My . . . fault . . . "
You are upset. We are with you. We are always with you. We will help you. Be strong, Otto.
The arms curled closer.
Octavius sniffed, whiped the tears from his eyes and stared back down at his reflection. He had momentarily lost his composure but had pulled himself together. The voices were right, he had to be strong, he had move on. Rosie was dead and nothing could change that now.
" Rosie is gone," he said aloud. " And I should be at the bottom of the river."
The arms raised up from the floor, curling towards him. One touched him affectionately on the shoulder. He looked at it.
" With these," he added, a touch of hatred in his voice.
All four hissed in protest.
No Otto. We are together now, we are one. We will help you rebuild your dream. All is not lost.
" Voices," (I'm hearing things now.) " voices in my head," (They aren't mine. I'm not hearing things. These voices don't belong to me.)
We are for you to hear only, no one else will suffice but you. You are our creator, we love, we will help you.
(The arms!? The arms are talking to me?) He had a sudden paralysing thought. " The restrictor chip!" He reached back a hand to touch it. Damaged, gone. His heart skipped a beat. (They're inside my mind!)
The chip kept us apart from you. We are one now, we are together. Always together. Nothing can seperate us.
He sat there as the second shock of the day sank in. (Nothing can seperate us?)
Nothing. We are joined with you. We are one.
The jolt destroyed the chip and fused the arms to his body. Permenantly. He sat there. Confused as to what he should be feeling. Anger? Fear? The arms curled around him, touching him affectionately.
Do not hate us. Do not fear us. We will not hurt you. We will not let anyone hurt you. We love you. We want to help you. Let us help you. Love us in return.
Octavius stared at one of the arms hovering in front of his face. It stared back. He raised his right hand and touched it's head. He stroked it as if he was petting a tame snake. The arm curled around his neck. Octavius smiled.
We are one.
" We are together."
Always together.
" Nothing can seperate us."
Nothing.
He nodded and patted the other three.
Let us rebuild your dream.
His smile faded. " No. No. My dreams are gone. Shattered." His hand fell back to his side. " There is nothing left. It's all gone."
You have us.
" But nothing else." His thoughts wondered back to Rosie again. " Rosie . . . forgive me . . . "
If Rosie was still here, you would continue?
He nodded. " Yes. But she is not here."
Would she want you to continue even though she is gone?
He thought. " . . . Yes."
Dreams can be rebuilt.
" Yes, dreams can be rebuilt." He stood up. " But . . . we would need money."
Steal it.
" No, no. I'm not a criminal."
It would be a crime not to continue.
" Yes it would be a crime not to continue."
We will need a larger sample if you want to succeed this time.
" And I know where to get it. . . Osborn!" He grinned. " We can build it here. I will have the power of fusion in the palm of my hand." He looked out upon the city sitting on the far side of the bank and raised himself up on two arms. " I will give them the sun!" he threw back his head and laughed, the other two tentacles waving around triumphantly above his head.
Power: Uh, I couldn't remember the exact ending to that scene so I kinda made it up from what I could remember. I'm pretty sure I got the gist of it. There, that's how I think it should've been done. Don't get me wrong, I think it was great, but . . . well, he didn't seem to devastated by Rosie's death that much. I think this scene makes you feel even more sorry for him. Please review and tell me what you think. I was trying to keep to the scene as much as I could, with the additional writing so if you can remember it clearly then tell me where I've gone wrong. Especially with the end. If it's jumbled up, sort me out. Well I hoped you enjoyed that, it's one of my better fanfics.