Thank you to the reviewers:
To K9: That's right. Although I wouldn't, most people would be scared to death if someone wearing four honking tentacles out their back burst into their room .
To Crys Skywalker: As you will see, the experiment that created Octavia reaches far beyond Grace Morrison. It is in "the man's" best interests to keep her monitored. Come to think of it, I still can't see how a wrestling fanwriter heard of my Spider-man story...
To Moonjava: Thanks.
To Pheonix Master: Thank you, I am!
On to the story! And remember, read and review! And check out the next installment of the Austin series, "The Children of Six." You know who you are.
Chapter 9: Revealed the Secret
"Where is the clone heading next?"
"The first name on the computer is still Jordan Nicholas, at 80 percent. The next name is Daisy Gatsby, another friend from school, at 60 percent. Last on the list are the so-called parents, at 37 percent."
"Now about Jordan Nicholas. Now that she has rejected the hush money, it is possible that she may try and take her story somewhere."
"The press?"
"Yes."
"The computer is monitoring the AP tickers. There is nothing."
"We can't watch all the press outlets, you know. What if she decides to go to the Podunk Times rather than the New York Times?"
"Don't worry, I have ways of shutting people up."
"Good."
"Who would believe her anyway? No one believed that that Clonaid company produced a clone a few years ago. They certainly won't believe that their very own government cloned a supervillian."
"Dr. Morrison was only interested in the psychological effects. However, we certainly seem to recognize the value of artificially intelligent, super-strong extra arms in the context of a war zone."
"Yes. The tentacles would be invaluable in the war on terror, wouldn't they?"
"What will the clone do next?"
"She will probably be rejected in the same way she was by the boyfriend. Then, she will grow angry once more, and try to confront those whom she feels are responsible for her predicament."
"The original subject?"
"Possibly."
"Now. I want the clone brought here, alive, for further testing. And I want the witness in here, dead as a dodo with a tag on her toe. Understand?"
The tall, slender, black-haired man fingered his handgun before walking out the door.
Jordan Nicholas thought on what to do next. Her own United States government, which she thought was the freest and most just in the world, had just blackmailed her to keep quiet after they had kidnapped and possibly killed her best friend.
"Jordan? What's wrong?"
Her father poked his head into her room. He was the only family she had left. When she was seven, her parents divorced. Her family was split in half: her father got full custody of her, while her younger brother Morgan was sent to live with her mother in New Jersey. Daisy had once asked her why her brother was named Morgan. Jordan had replied that Morgan Freeman was her mother's favorite movie actor, and that was whom she named her son after. Daisy had then joked that Jordan should "take a leaf out of her mother's book" and name her son Alfred. Then Octavia had laughed and said…
No. Thinking about Ock was too painful.
"Still thinking about your friend?" Her father held a copy of the National Enquirer. "I know something's fishy too. A girl is kidnapped a week ago, and there's been no Amber Alerts, no news stories, no nothing. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark…"
Jordan then had an idea. She took her dad's tabloid. Then she picked up the phone.
"Hello, National Enquirer? My name is Jordan Nicholas, and I've got a news story for you…no, it's not about Paris Hilton. No, it's not about Scott Peterson. No, it's not about Brad Pitt. It's about illegal, unethical scientific experiments, kidnapping, conspiracy, and blackmail, all by the very government we all think we trust…"
"Do you have the coordinates?"
"The clone is heading towards the residence of Daisy Gatsby and family…"
Daisy Gatsby responded to the insistent knocking on her door.
Octavia Jones was standing there, looking frail and thin underneath her trademark brown trench coat. And even her sunglasses could not hide her strangely sunken brown eyes.
"Oh my god!" Daisy exclaimed. "Octavia…oh, Jordan told me what happened and she thought you were dead…"
"You don't know the half of it," Octavia said. She stumbled over to the couch.
"Need something to eat? I've got cookies," offered Daisy.
"Yeah, thanks." Octavia accepted the warm chocolate chip cookies.
Daisy pulled out a comic book. "Jordan told me to give you this, you bought it for her…"
Octavia took the book; it was the Year One collection she had given Jordan for her birthday, after buying it for herself. But this time, the memories it evoked were unbearable.
"No!" she screamed, pushing the book away.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Daisy. "Who kidnapped you? And what did they do to you?"
"I can't say."
"Did they torture you?" asked Daisy. "Cause Jordan's been telling me up and down that CIA agents from the US Government kidnapped you and tried to bribe her to keep quiet about it…"
"Yeah, government agents," Octavia muttered. "They…did something to me…"
"What?" asked Daisy, half-concernedly and half-eagerly.
"You wouldn't want to see what they did to me. Believe me."
"Octavia," said Daisy, "The three of us—Jordan and you and me—have been best pals, since, like, preschool. You can trust me. I promise."
"Really?" asked Octavia. "You'd want to see me with these?" She unbuttoned her coat, revealing the tentacles.
Daisy stared at the metal snakes, each with razor-sharp pincers opened to reveal four bright pink lights. She began to scream.
"Wait, let me explain!" asked Octavia.
Daisy gasped for breath. "Sure, sure. You just freaked me out a bit. What's the story here?"
And Octavia told her the whole story.
"Whoa whoa whoa. You are trying to tell me that you were kidnapped by CIA agents and delivered to some scientists who grafted the tentacles on you and told you that you were Doctor Octopus' clone?"
"That's the general idea, Daisy."
Daisy then burst into laughter. "Oh my god, this is some joke, right? You and Jordan are in this together cause you decided to make up some tentacles, and it went wrong and they got fused to you, or whatever, and now you and Jordan are coming up with a cock-and-bull story about secret agents and clones." She turned away and pointed toward the door. "Seriously, you and Jordan both need serious help. I've put up with the Doctor Octopus mania for long enough. And don't forget your coat."
