A/N: Heads up! Last chapter comming up! Chapter 5 is the ending one!

The next morning came bright and early. Otto lay in bed silently although he was not asleep. His wound had proved to be uncomfortable all through the night and was still paining him this morning. He wanted to put off getting up because of the reality of the situation. He didn't want to deal with the tentacles- especially not that top right one. It was the bossiest, cruelest tyrant he had ever met. Even worse than that science instructor he had one year in college; always breathing down his neck, always unfair grading, always picking favorites and beating around the bush whenever he wanted to say anything. Otto hated his guts, but he would have gladly had him attached to his back instead of his top right tentacle.

He remembered applying the artificial intelligence program into one of them; he didn't know which one he had placed it into at the time. Rosie had warned him about artificial intelligence, but he didn't listen. She had cared so much…no. He couldn't think of her. Thinking of his precious wife would only make him feel worse.

The bottom right tentacle awoke first. It twisted as if to be stretching and looked down at Otto. It saw the hump in the covers and carefully pulled up the rim of it. It dropped it surprisingly and pulled back. It was speechless (of course it couldn't talk to begin with). Otto had realized that the bottom right tentacle had seen the only kind appendage comforting him.

Get up! Get up! He yelled as he tried to wake it up. He was too late.

Look! Look! It is comforting him! Come look! It panicked waking the top right one. The top left one awoke and shot away from him just as it looked. It slithered this way and that as if it were pacing. The left one looked up from where it was draped on the floor innocently. The top right one looked over at the bottom right and cocked its head annoyed. Well, it was! It protested.

It is time to arise now. We have let you sleep in two minutes too long.

"I need a balanced breakfast this morning. If so, I will help you with the project."Otto stated very slowly and clearly. He didn't feel well at all, but he couldn't let them think they had control of him. He wasn't about to give in to them over a little scrape. On the other hand, he DID want to avoid being punished again. Maybe there was some way he could show that he wasn't giving in without damaging his body even further.

What would balanced be considered?

"Enough to leave me feeling full. Enough to keep me energized." He explained. Really, Otto didn't have enough food in stock for a balanced breakfast.

The tentacles paused for a moment taking this into mind. Otto does have a point. It would be better for success if he was energized. Energized enough to help us.

But then we would be giving into him. Admitting defeat.

But Father needs food to survive. Just as we need him to survive.

He needs food, but not a lot of it. They came out of their little tentacle meeting to speak to him. You will be allowed a breakfast, but it can last no longer than ten minutes. And only if you agree to help.

"Fine." he gave in. Otto got out of bed and looked down at his side, which was pretty gory. It wasn't bleeding anymore, that was good, but it still looked bad and felt worse. It had begun scabbing which was a good sign that it was healing. He opened the closet door and looked at what he had to deal with. He had a few pairs of pants, a shirt or two, and a leather jacket. Rosie had millions of shirts and even more shoes. There were many silk dresses that would have felt wonderful against his wound, but he just couldn't bring himself to tear them. They were his wife's, now more valuable than the crown jewels to him.

Otto reached into the closet and grabbed one of her dresses. He softly rubbed it against his cheek as silent tears filled his eyes. Lavender; how he had grown to love that scent. She wore lavender lotion every night to bed, and it still lingered in her clothing. Otto softly rubbed the silk against his face as he took in every trace of the lavender scent he could find; he never wanted to pull away, never. One of the tentacles nudged him. Otto slowly peeled the cloth from his face and hung it back up. He then grabbed a cotton shirt, ripped it into strips, and tied them around his middle to comfort his cut, not that rough cotton was comforting.

Otto pulled on his heavy leather coat and shoes. He didn't see the point to hiding behind his hat and sunglasses anymore. He didn't care if the authorities caught him and threw him into jail. Maybe they could control his tentacles. He glanced down and saw the rip in the side of his coat stained with the blood that had dried. Otto still couldn't believe that they had done that. How could they risk dying by stabbing him? He recalled back to when they didn't exist, when he was worthy of living. It still hadn't fully hit him that his wife was gone, his dream was dead, and that he had three other persons living in his head that had taken control.

Father, you have only ten minutes.

Otto jumped off of memory lane. His top left tentacle was right; if he wanted to eat, he'd have to get going. He walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboards. Something had to be edible in there. Otto perused it. Finally, near the back, behind other breakfast cereals that had gone bad months ago, was a small box of oatmeal. Surprisingly, it was still good. Of course, oatmeal last forever if it's kept dry. Otto reached for it, but couldn't get it. He was about to climb on a chair when the top left one grabbed it for him. How kind, he thought.

The top right one snatched the oatmeal from its twin's grasp and threw it to the floor. It came closer and hissed. Do not EVER take his side again! If you desire to continue existing, I'd suggest not angering me further! This is the very last time I will warn you!

The top left one closed its pinchers shamefully and shrank lower. His tentacles became quiet; they usually did after a fight. Otto got down on his knee and picked up the container now with barely anything in it anymore. He got a bowl out and poured what was left of the oatmeal into it. It was almost too quiet for his comfort.

"Now for the water." he declared out loud to break the silence. Otto placed his bowl underneath the faucet and turned the knob. Nothing came out. He had forgotten about not having power.

He decided that he wouldn't make a big deal out of it and silently sat at the table. Otto placed a pinch of oats into his mouth. This he did several times. He never realized how quiet and lonely his mind felt without those ever-hated voices occupying the space.

Soon his ten minutes of freedom were up and he and his tentacles set out for yet another stock house holding the last piece that they would be able to get in person. They carried him to the far entrance of the building and set him on the ground. Otto peered around the corner to see how well trained the guards were. To his surprise, no one guarded the entrance, not one person. Perhaps this would be easier than he had thought. Otto walked casually into the building. An elderly woman off the street turned her head towards the alley.

Doc Ock surveyed the room. "OK, J. U. T. Fusion stability field enhancer." he said to himself picking it out of a crate that hadn't been sealed yet. Otto cracked a little smirk to himself at how easy getting that certain part was. On his first attempt, it took him weeks to get his hands on it, and that was just finding one and paying for it; that didn't include shipping.

As he was about to leave, he heard a small click of heels on the cement floor. He had been caught. Otto turned around slowly, in case the stranger carried a gun, but all fear left when he saw the little old lady standing there. How comic. Otto shook his head and attempted to walk past her, but she wouldn't let him. "Get out of the way." he said in a low rumbling voice.

"You give that piece you stole back." she said back with a stern look. She wasn't going to budge, but he couldn't hurt her, he wasn't that kind of monster any more. Otto ignored her statement of bravery and walked past her. He expected her to stand there, maybe run home, call the police... But the one thing he didn't expect happened. That little old lady lunged at him and clung to his arm. "You give that back young man." she commanded.

Otto tried to shake her off, but that woman had a death grip on his forearm. Let go before I am forced to hurt you. He thought.

Kill her!

No, I can't kill her-

you must!

Or we will.

You'd better not, because if you do- Before Otto could finish his warning, the bottom right tentacle had already tore the elderly woman from his arm and thrown her over the stock shelves. The sound of that innocent woman screaming and hitting the cold concrete floor was one of the worst things Otto had ever been forced to take in.

Before he could do anything, the top right tentacle cut his shoulder with the blade still bloody from his last punishment. Otto held his shoulder and winced in pain as it throbbed.

The blade shot back into the center. You and your emotions. You should know by now that they only lead to pain. The top right tentacle said carelessly. Otto glared up at the stone cold tentacle. Oh how he wished that they shared his nerves. Then they could experience the same intensity of pain as he had to endure.

The top left tentacle looked decidingly at Otto but, to his dismay, looked away and remained silent. Had it shunned him also now?

Pick up the item. They commanded. Otto reached down and grabbed the cork screw-like object. He miserably stuffed it under his coat as the tentacles carried him out.

Otto wished to walk on his own feet and his tentacles decided t0 let him. Now they could all see their surroundings; they liked this idea of not having to carry that burden. Otto, though, had other plans. He walked on and seemed to have a specific direction in which he was going, but was traveling away from anywhere that would be of importance. The tentacles didn't notice and for that he was grateful.

Otto arrived at a two door entrance on the side of a building. He glanced up at the sky and back down at the door. His hand reached out and gingerly grasped the knob. Otto pushed the door open and walked inside.

Kurt Conners, a science teacher for college students was in the middle of a class. He lectured his students diligently although the majority seemed to be slipping into slumber. Dr. Conners began writing problems down on the chalk board for the students to copy down.

"And that theory is proven clearly by this...right...here." Kurt finished as he turned back around to view his students. He overviewed everyone who was there with his eyes and found that his brightest student, Peter Parker, was missing (as usual).

He sighed to himself. Kurt picked up his voice to hide his disappointment. "I'd like you to read pages 240 through 257 and if you look at the end of those pages, you'll see a chapter review. I'd like you to do problems 1 through 30 on a SEPERATE sheet of paper, people, don't write on the books. We need to break that habit."

His cell phone rang. Kurt picked it from his pocket and opened it. A text message had appeared on the screen. "Please pick up! Important! This cannot wait"

"Excuse me for a moment class, I have to go for a little while" Kurt looked up at the clock. "And I don't expect I'll be back before class gets out, so I expect all of you to leave the class room in an orderly fashion. You have 10 minuets to be working and I expect you all to be well into your reading."

With that, Kurt gathered his books and coat, and headed to the college laboratory to stash his grade book and other miscellaneous objects in his office.

Kurt walked into the hall, held the cell phone to his ear and wondered who would call him in the middle of class. "Hello" he greeted uncertainly.

"Hello, Kurt" the man on the other line asked.

"Yes, that's me." Kurt replied.

"I'd like to speak with you as soon as possible." the man sounded urgent.

"Where would we meet" Kurt thought he recognize the man's voice, but it couldn't be who it sounded like. That would be unrealistic.

"Outside the back doors." the man said. "When can you attend" he asked.

"Well, I just gave my class their assignment"

"When can you attend" the man demanded not wishing to hear about Dr. Conner's class and their homework.

"Right away." Kurt replied.

"Alright." the man said a tad less anxious.

"And just for the record, can I get a name" Kurt asked.

"You already know me." The voice answered quietly as he hung up. A dial tone now rang in Kurt's ears. Who was that man and where had he met him? He slipped his cell phone back into his pocket.

Kurt Conners locked up his office and made sure that the door had fully locked. Last year, some punk had sneaked into his office and changed all of the grades in his grade book to A's. Kurt wasn't about to let it happen again. He turned around to meet the stranger who had called him in the midst of class outside.

A dark figure in the shadows made him jump. "Oh! Larry, you scared me" he exclaimed thinking that it was the kindly janitor that often moved silently. When the figure didn't respond, he became concerned. "Larry" he asked looking further into the darkness.

"Kurt" this sudden name spoken by the figure surprised him again.

"Ot- ...Otto" Kurt's eyes widened. "But, no, you're dead, I read it in the newspaper."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read..." Otto commented quietly as his eyes trailed down to a stack of ungraded papers. They shot back up again and looked Kurt straight in the eye. "Kurt...I need you..." Kurt Conners was a little worried over these words. He had heard that Otto had gone insane. Kurt gave him a scared, worried, and a kind of puzzled l0ok. "Please don't look at me that way" he pleaded getting a little more worked up. Otto so wanted Kurt to respond to him. But he didn't, he only stood there seeming to want to say something but being unable to. "Kurt...

Help me..."

"I- I don't know if I can" Kurt said uncertainly. He slowly reached down to the phone careful not to spook him.

Otto firmly laid his hand on top of the phone. "Please, I just want to talk with you a few minutes."

"Otto, you need specialized help."

Otto looked down at his feet. "I- I know..."

So THAT'S why you wanted to travel manually! You wanted to get help behind our back! The tentacles hissed around him angrily.

"Are you OK" Kurt asked.

"Call the police. NOW" Otto commanded. Kurt grabbed the phone and began dialing like the wind.

You were trying to stop us!

You were trying to get help from an old friend!

Well, we'll take care of that... A blade stuck out from the top right tentacle's center.

"NO" Otto yelled as it sent the blade for his helpless friend. He grabbed the sharp sword-like edge and pushed it off track. The bottom left one pinned Kurt to the ground.

The top right one was about to stab him through when Otto shouted"We don't have much time to build the reactor" the top right tentacle stopped a few inches away from the poor man held under the bottom left's iron grip.

We don't. 'tis true. The right tentacle recoiled and the bottom left tentacle flung Kurt like he was a piece of lint. He hit the wall and fell over a table. He fell to the ground now out cold from the blow.

The tentacles carried him out and he could hear the muffled"Hello" of the police on the other line. He was so close to being controlled, yet so far. The room was left ransacked. Otto cradled his injured hand in the rim of his coat.

He looked back and saw Peter running up to the door. He was late for class, as usual according to Kurt. Otto saw him stop running and walk carefully inside. Good. Kurt would be taken care of. He just hoped that he hadn't left any major injuries on his beloved friend; physically, or mentally.