October Octavius is just your average 19 year old college student. Her dream is to become a scientist just like her father. She works the grave yard shift as a waitress in a small restaurant beside her apartment complex. She is 5'5, has thick curly brown hair that falls half way down her back and deep brown eyes, which are sometimes framed by her thick rimmed glasses. Her mother always said they made her look smart. She loves doing kickboxing and competing in Dance Dance Revolution tournaments with her friends. She owns a two year old Pit Bull given to her by her parents on her birthday. She has a seven year old brother named Reece who loved to get into trouble. She seems like your average every day young woman, but how many young women have a father dubbed Dr. Octopus?
She remembers walking into the hospital with her friend Lily at her side. She leaned against Lily for support. A doctor probably in his early 60s approached them and asked if she was Otto Octavius' daughter. All October could do was nod. The doctor led her down a long hallway and sat her in a small waiting room. He knelt down in front of her so he could look into her eyes. His face was wrinkled and his blue eyes were full of concern. He put a hand on October's knee.
"Your younger brother is staying with your grandparents. They are bringing him in tomorrow morning."
My grandparents? Oh God no.
She loved her grandmother dearly, but her grandfather, now that was a different story. Her father never talked about his father much, but she knew. She knew the abuse he had suffered under his hand...
October rose to her feet and said sharply,
"Oh no, I'm not leaving him there with them. No way."
The doctor put a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back into the chair. "October please, I have something to tell you. Your brother will be here in the morning," he paused. "Your mother is dead. She was killed in an accident."
The words still echo in her head.
October began to tremble uncontrollably as tears welled up in her eyes. She grasped the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles turned white. Inside she was screaming,
"No! No she can't be dead!"
But she just sat there silently as the doctor continued.
"Your father is having an emergency surgery,"
A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
"S-s-surgery? What-what happened?" October asked.
The doctor stood up and patted her leg.
"They are going to try and surgically remove the arms he attached to his body," the doctor explained.
October froze.
The arms....a week ago her father had shown her the four smart arms he invented so he could perform his latest experiment safely. She remembered the chills she had gotten when he had attached those arms to his back. She prayed the microchip that kept him in control wouldn't fail. She didn't trust those things. Yes, she was a scientist, but she didn't trust those things. They were smart...too smart...
"Dad, are you sure those things are safe?"
Otto placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.
"Honey, believe it or not I know what I'm doing."
October smiled back at her father, her mentor.
"I know dad, but I just don't want anything to happen to you."
Otto took October in his arms and held her.
"I promise nothing bad will happen..."
Nothing bad will happen...
She remembered waking suddenly in the uncomfortable chair where she was sitting. She just had a horrible dream. She let out a deep sigh of relief and rubbed her neck. It hurt like a bitch. In her dream she had those atrocious arms attached to her own body. They whispered to her. Told her to do horrible things. She had cornered her younger brother Reece and they told her to crush him...to crush the life out of his body and he was screaming...begging for her to stop. But she couldn't stop. She just couldn't stop...
A scream from down the hallway made October leap to her feet.
"They are dead! They're all dead!" A young blonde nurse shouted as she sprinted down the hall. "He killed them! Killed them all!"
Just before she passed October she grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
"Those arms...those horrid monsters killed them all!"
October snapped her head in the direction the nurse came from and started to run. She didn't hear the nurse yelling at her to stop. She only stopped when she saw an open door. The smell of fresh blood filled her nostrils and made her feel nauseous. She could not believe her eyes. Strung all over the floor were the bodies of surgeons.
October grasped the doorframe for support. The whole room seemed to be spinning. A crash from behind her made her spin around only to come face to face with a mechanical arm. It was studying her. The claw on the end of the arm opened and snapped close a few inches from her face. Her father stood in the doorway leading outside.
"D-d-dad?" October had whispered.
Before he had a chance to turn to his daughter the arms carried him outside into the night. October made her way to the doorway and stood there traumatized. Her worst nightmare had come true. Her father had become a monster.