Chapter 4: Otto
A lone figure, shielded from the New York cold by four metal tentacles, crouched on the rooftop of a skyscraper.
It had been four years.
Four years since he found out rather unpleasantly that he had a son, a California science geek with his eyes, nose, mouth, and shock of unruly brown hair.
Four years since he took him to his New York hideout on Pier 56.
Four years since he found him sprawled facedown in his basement laboratory fused to his duplicate set of actuators.
Four years since the NYPD had arrested him, and his son looked on, silently refusing to defend him.
Four years since his life changed forever.
But life goes on, doesn't it?
With his children—four mechanical and one human--the only ones whose feelings he cared to consider, he had broken free of the brace that held his metal arms, snapped the handcuffs and leg irons, tore the jail cell door off the hinges, defeated the guards, and escaped from Riker's Island, never looking back.
He wondered where Austin was now. He would be 18 now, going to college. The doctor wondered what he was majoring in. He hoped he was majoring in physics. He looked at the red rose tattoo on his right forearm. For the first time ever since his beloved wife, Rosie, died, he had something—someone to live for. He knew he had to get in touch with Austin again.
Austin?
He abandoned you, Father! He let the police restrain us and haul you away! He stood there and watched!
He betrayed us! He betrayed you!
Don't talk like that. I forgive him. That's what families do for each other. He is my son, and your brother.
He is probably in California.
But we could get to him again.
All we need to do is get an airplane.
Not an airport—
--they'd tape us up again
but we could steal a helicopter, I liked that pretty green and orange one we snagged when we first met Austin
That guy with the business suit and awful combover got pretty pissed off when we took it from his private hangar.
I remember him! He's that guy on TV who says "You're fired!"
Get back on the subject, or I'll fire you! How are we going to help Father?
It has to be legal this time, he reminded them. I can't go to prison again. Not when we have work to do.
It's been four years. Everyone has forgotten. You humans have short memories.
About as short as Britney Spears' skirt.
Four years hiding in a warehouse with a color TV had given the arms a god-awful taste for TV reality shows and celebrity gossip. Otto remembered distastefully how, after watching an episode of Survivor, the tentacles had stolen a tiki torch and a lighter out of a nearby shop and took turns voting each other off the island. Their laughter rang through his head until he threatened to unplug the TV.
You know, I'll bet that Austin's tentacles don't behave as horrid as you, he grumbled to them.
As it turns out, however, he was standing right on top of his son…
"Nice view, huh?" May asked.
Austin glanced out the window. He had always been a bit nervous about heights. Like his tall, slender build (as opposed to his infamous father's short, stocky one), this was one of the things he inherited from his mother, who nearly hyperventilates every time she steps on an airplane. "Only in New York would they put restaurants on the top floors of skyscrapers."
May laughed over her plate of spaghetti. "I'm sorry I was late," she said. "There was a fire on 35th Street."
"That's, like, the fifth time you apologized," Austin said. "Really, it's okay."
"You're really not from around here are you?" May asked.
"No, California."
"The land of fruits and nuts," May laughed. "Why'd you come to Empire State, anyway? Aren't there colleges in California?"
"ESU has an excellent science program," Austin said airily. "I'm majoring in biology. All the hot button issues have a basis in biology—stem cells, genetic engineering, neogenics, therapeutic cloning. I want to take human biology into the 21st century."
To Austin's surprise, May smiled instead of being perplexed. "I always thought of the 20th Century was the Century of Physics—that was when Einstein laid the foundations for atomic bombs and nuclear fusion (Austin winced slightly—stories of experiments with nuclear fusion hit a bit too close to home), and space travel. The 21st Century is the Century of Biology—stem cells, cloning, genetic engineering. But the foundations for a focus on biology was actually when Watson and Crick deciphered the DNA code, wasn't it?"
Austin's ego burst like a soap bubble, and he could almost hear it cracking on the ground—and his head deflating. He realized this pretty brunette could easily talk as intelligently about science as about makeup.
"Enough about college—tell me about your family, Austin," May said, biting into a second plate of angel-hair pasta.
"Well, tell me about yours first," Austin replied. He doubted telling her about his father would raise him up much in her esteem.
"Well, my father worked for the Daily Bugle taking pictures of Spider-man until the Webhead retired. Then Dad got a job as a teacher, Spider-girl showed up, and I got a job taking pictures of her."
"The Daily Bugle?"
"Just a tabloid."
Austin winced. Tabloids were another subject that hit too close to home. "Oh, look, here's today's special—breaded and fried calamari."
"What's that?" Austin asked.
"Octopuses—why?"
Austin was beginning to think she was reading his mind and subconsciously trying to make him uncomfortable. "No thanks," he said, with more emphasis than he needed to.
"Why not, it's good."
"I don't like seafood."
"And my mother's an actress and model, and I've got a brother, Ben, who's three years older and serving in the Marines, and a two-month-old sister, Gwen. How about you?"
"Well, my mother's a district attorney in California, and my aunt is a journalist with the local paper. I also have a twin sister, Magni, and a cousin, Rachelle."
"What about your father?"
Austin blanched. This girl could pry the truth out of Bill Clinton.
"I never really had a father."
"Oh, come on, everyone has a father!"
Austin looked around. It was a weeknight evening, and the restaurant was not terribly busy. They were also in a private booth, and the person at the next table was avidly describing his manual colon cancer screening to whoever was on the other end of his cell phone.
"Man, I'd like to smash the heads in of the jerks who talk loudly on cell phones in restaurants."
Your wish is our command, Brother…
Don't move a millimeter! Just because I want to do something doesn't mean I'm going to—or should.
"Promise you won't tell anyone about this?"
"Well, sure, but…"
"Not even to Felicity and Noreen?"
"Well, of course not, but…"
"Even if you broke up with me?"
"Why would I? It's not like your father's a murderer or something—"
"Promise!"
"I promise! Alright!"
Austin didn't know how to plunge into this. Mandy Jennifer had already heard the rumors; all he had to do with her was confirm them. "Well—I don't know how to say this, but my father was once a famous scientist, but something happened and…" He began to fidget. "Well, you know that thing you said…"
"Just spit it out," May advised. "If your father's dead, you'll feel better talking about it."
"Unfortunately, he's probably alive," Austin said. "My father's Doctor Octopus. There, I've said it. You probably heard of him, haven't you?"
"You're saying your dad's Doc Ock—"
"Shh! I'll never be able to live this down."
May smiled. "Well, since you trusted me with your family secrets," she said, "I'll trust you with mine. My father was Spider-man. He was taking pictures of himself for that tabloid. Ironic, isn't it?"
Austin remembered a line from a play that he once performed in while in junior high.
"My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy."
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
We heard that.
You shouldn't trust this girl!
You don't know Spider-man! We do!
Shut up and behave! I have the right to date whom I want!
"Well my father found out about me when I was 14, kidnapped me, and I wound up with these," he admitted. He lifted up the corner of his coat to show four three-clawed pincers closed around blue lenses.
May, in turn, shot a strand of web out of her wrist, catching a breadstick.
"May—this doesn't change anything, does it?"
"Hell no. I always liked bad boys."
Austin grinned. "What will your father think, what with you dating the son of his arch nemesis?"
"Who cares?" laughed May. "I'm up for a little rebellion. Let's get out of here—I'll take you on a tour of the Big Apple—spider-style!"