Chapter nine - A Battle to Remember
Darkness—the symbol of confusion and loneliness. When it's combined with fog, it is almost impossible to be certain of where one's going. Here is where Otto, tentacle-less and lost, wondered. He was unsure of everything, nothing was guaranteed, nothing was for sure. Silence. Utter piercing silence. The kind that warns you of a predator yet unseen.
A sharp hiss echoed in a far corner of the blackness that made Otto stop in his tracks.
"Who's there?" he asked. Nothing answered his call. Menacing laughter broke out in an opposite corner. He was beginning to get nervous. "Who's there?" he called louder turning in circles trying to find a way to begin walking.
The laughter continued but in another corner. It was louder and crueler now—teasing him of his stupidity.
"Show yourself!" Otto screamed raising his fists up to his face, ready for a fight.
Thunder sounded. Light reflected off the ground and his fear-stricken eyes and he was left in darkness again. Another flash. The tentacles, the harness, the cold shiver of metal up his neck. Everything appeared at once. As if it had been there the entire time.
His eyes widened in horror at the sight of them. It seemed to amuse the actuators and they began laughing audibly in a tone so real, so believable, that he couldn't deny hearing it.
Otto ripped open his trench coat to reveal the harness. He gripped it with both hands and pulled the best he could.
"Are you serious?" the top left asked - laughter slowly coming to a stop.
"I agree. How pathetic are you?" The top right teased.
He ignored their banter and pulled harder. No good. It held fast. A crowbar directly in front of him. Otto fell to the ground and grasped it with both shaking hands. He staggered up and wedged the spike in one of the few available crevasses. Pulling. Yanking. Breaking loose. Almost there. Just a little more.
The bond broke. His heart leapt. He tossed the crowbar to the ground and slowly but eagerly began separating the segments. It came off his waist. He smiled. He was free. He was finally free! He edged it off until it hit something.
Pain up and down his back. Terrible. He moaned. The neckpiece. He wasn't free. Not yet. But he'd get it off. Even if he had to pull his spinal cord through his back. He pulled. Tears threatened. Didn't care. Not now. A chance at freedom. Too busy. Pulling. Pain increased. Teeth clenched. He could win this thing. Pull. Each strand of the machine tugging at his spinal column. Pull harder. More pain. No matter. Harder. Pain. Harder. Harder. Harder.
He stopped. Too weak. Can't stand it. Not working.
Snap! The harness reattaches itself to his abdomen. No, no, NO! He struck the metal. He hooked his thumbs behind the harness. Must try again—
"Ha, that was pretty funny! You cannot separate from us!" The bottom right actuator bumped his shoulder playfully.
"You are not 'you' anymore. You and us are 'we' now and forever. You must accept that." The bottom left stated taking hold of his wrist and removing it from behind the harness.
"No! I don't believe you!" Otto pushed it away.
"You must! It is the truth."
"No, it's not! I—I can still be free!" He protested. His eyes darted from actuator to actuator.
"What is freedom? Being able to do whatever one pleases? This is true now! How many times had you climbed the West Side tower before?"
"I agree," the top right chimed in moving up to his face. "As far as I can tell, you've never been so free."
"No, free from you." Otto said looking for the crowbar he had dropped. He had to end this miserable life.
"We gave you life."
"You only take life." Otto found it and twitched it in his hand – looking into his bleak future. "You took it from those doctors, you tried to take it from Peter, you took it from Rosie. But this time, I'm the one who'll take someone's life." He lined the sharp end up with his chest. Death would be painful, but well worth it. He counted down from five. Palms sweaty. The edge pressing deeper and deeper into his exposed flesh.
"But Rosie is not dead." The top left reasoned.
"Yes she is. I saw her die." Otto closed his eyes and took one last long breath.
"She isn't—not yet at least—" it replied with an invisible smirk of cruelty.
"Otto!" A woman's voice screamed. Otto lessened his grip on the weapon and opened his eyes. He listened to make sure of his finding. "Otto!"
Otto dropped the crowbar to the ground. "Rosie?" he called.
"Otto help me!" she screamed.
Heart pounding. He ran. Ran in an unknown direction towards everywhere the voice might have come from.
"Please! Someone help me!"
Where is she? Must find her. Can't leave her. She's counting on me. A small yellow light dimmed by the fog. Otto ran for it. The light grew brighter and brighter. Everything's clear now. The horror is unbearable.
Rosie. Holding onto a board with all her life. The fusion reactor, the fusion reaction. Consuming anything – everything – around it. Back to Rosie. Her nails dug into the wood as the fire slowly pulled her in.
"Otto help me! Please stop it!" she cried. Tears were sucked from her face into the infernal heat. The end of the board. All Otto could do was stare. He had to do something! He had to save her!
The seconds drug on forever. All sound was muted but the sound of his wife's frantic screams. He commanded the actuators to save her. Save her life. They did nothing. No time to argue. He raced on foot towards her.
No more wood to hold onto. Rosie was now in mid air. The fire came closer and closer to her. Come on! Move faster legs! Move faster!
Tentacles ignorant. "Save her!" He yelled at them. Tears streamed down his face. He reached as far as he could for her. She reached as far as she could for him…
… Miss…
Time returned to normal. All chances lost. It was done. Otto stopped at the fire, cheeks burning, unable to move. He collapsed onto his knees and covered his face in his hands. He wept unashamedly. Tears hit the ground. Sobs echoed through the lonely world.
"Rosie! Oh Rosie! Please give me another chance! …Just one more chance…please just one more chance…"
This horrid experience had haunted Otto's dreams most every night now. It was the reason he had dark rings under his eyes more often than not, and also for many a midnight snack. The nightmare horribly combined everything he hated, everything he felt guilty about, every negative aspect and feeling of his life into one hellish battle. Night was no longer a time of rejuvenating – only a regurgitating of his wounds again and again and again.
He had absolutely no idea why he thought of it now, but he did. The process of going down the elevator, though not long, was a time of silence and darkness without the proper lighting inside. Otto would have much rather thought of something better; there were certainly enough positive things to dwell on. The rather good weather outside. He had finally traveled out of country, as he and Rosie had always wanted to do. He had discovered two more people on earth who still thought of him as a human being instead of a mindless monster. He could go on for hours about the cheery things around him, but this gloomy remembrance lingered in his mind and clung there like a leech.
Kim, Ron and Spiderman stepped through the open elevator doors. They turned to wait for Otto. He made no move. The man only stood between the snug walls with a mood-less expression on his face. Kim – still holding the Kimmunicator – slowly set it in her pocket with her eyes carefully resting on Otto.
"Dr. Octavious, we got to keep moving," the teenager explained in a hushed tone. Otto snapped back to reality and walked slowly out of the elevator shaft – the actuators sliding free with more ease than their host.
If only he could forget those images of hatred, rage, sorrow—If only things would change. There was no telling how much replacing the inhibitor chip would do. It would change his life, but would it be for the better? Rosie would still be gone, he'd still be a criminal, he'd still be a freak, he'd just loose his only four companions—
No! He couldn't talk that way! Otto could tell that the actuators were messing with his emotions. Was there anything they couldn't do? Hacking into genetic code and neurological functions; this just wasn't normal. Of course, he wasn't exactly your average John Doe.
He had to keep thinking positive. If he let himself fall into a slump, he had no doubt that the tentacles would be there to pick up the pieces and arrange them how they wanted them to be. He couldn't let that happen.Otto flashed a small, forced a smile at Kim but quickly wiped it away before anyone could read much into it.
"Something really serious is going on in this guy's head." Kim thought to herself. She pulled out the Kimmunicator before truly dropping it into the pocket and held it out so everyone could see. "OK," she said quietly, "We've got a strong lead on where your microchip is exactly. Well, actually we've got a strong lead on Drakken, but if I know Drakken, he hasn't set that thing down yet. Not even for sleep." Otto said nothing as Kim had feared. Even so, it wasn't her job to get him to talk, and it wasn't his job to start talking to her, so it really wasn't much of an issue. Still, usually the people Kim helped were a little more cheerful about having a good chance of winning.
"Dr. Octavious, can you estimate when–well, I don't know how to phrase it--but you know. With the tentacle time limit thing?" Kim asked. Otto shook his head without a word. Wow he was a hard nut to crack. But as she had already told herself, it wasn't her place to get him to open up, so she'd leave it.
Kim pushed a small green button and the screen of the small device became animate. A dot trailed along the screen and landed in the center. It began beeping and pulsing every second or so and the team was off down the long hallway trashed with many discarded objects ranging from an old newspaper, to a piece of monorail track. Drakken wasn't exactly one of the more hygienic foes she had encountered.
Peter snuck a glance at Otto to see if he was doing OK. He looked fine on the outside, maybe a little gloomy and hopeless-looking, but nothing really bad. Although, internal bleeding is invisible to the naked eye. He hurriedly averted his gaze to the floor. The last thing that man probably wanted at the moment was his eyes glued to him. Even so, Peter glanced at him again.
"Please tighten the reigns on your wondering eyes," Otto mumbled out. Which was his way of saying, 'Stop staring at me, you're making me uncomfortable.' Peter quickly looked away and pretended to be interested in the wall nearest him. "I don't have eyes on the back of my head, but I've got the next best thing," The tentacles all turned towards Peter and chirped. Otto smiled- though also invisible to the naked eye- down at Peter. "And I'm not going to burst into flames at any moment. You can stop your worry."
Peter looked up at Otto and grinned behind his mask. Same old Otto. Trying to cheer him up even though he had the problem. A moment of silent assurance went on between the two men; Otto assuring Peter that he could take care of himself just fine, and Peter assuring Otto that he wouldn't hold anything back from him that might help with the situation. Ron, walking behind the two glanced back and forth at both of them. Carefully peeking at other people's mail, so to speak. Ron opened his mouth to remind Spiderman about the autograph that he promised to give him, but was cut off by Kim.
"Ron, come over here for a minute," Kim said where she knelt by two large, steel doors. Ron drug his feet over obediently though he desired to stay in the presence of a super hero. He slouched as he came to stand by Kim and leaned up against the wall beside her.
"What's wrong with you?" Kim asked.
"I don't think Spiderman's ever gonna give me his autograph," Ron stated flatly. "And sure he says he will, but Ron Stoppable can see past it," He pointed to his eye calling her to draw nearer to gaze into its keen center.
"Oh Ron, you'll survive," Kim said with a wave of her hand. She went back to the Kimmunicator and how Wade was telling her to unlock the steel door. Rufus awoke and poked his head out of Ron's pocket and quickly became interested in their conversation.
"Tell that to Rufus," Ron said with a pout pointing down to his little, bald rodent. Rufus shared in his look of despair to maybe persuade Kim into a little more compassion than what she was showing them. It didn't work. Kim just smiled at Rufus and went back to what she was doing. How insulting. "Rufus really wants Spiderman's autograph," He pressed.
"I feel for you. Really," Kim replied then turned once again to the Kimmunicator. "So how do I exactly disable this thing?"
Wade typed vigorously on his keyboard and stared at his screen as usual. "Check your bag." Obediently, Kim unzipped her backpack and pulled out a rubber band.
"Uh, Wade? It's a rubber band," she reasoned.
"Slip it around the knob." He commanded peacefully.
"It's a rubber band," Kim repeated stretching it between her fingers.
"Just trust me on this." Kim obediently strung it over the door knob and stood back as it snapped tight.
The simple rubber band suddenly lit up with a sharp yellow glow. It hummed and sent light beams through the door around the knob all at once. After a few seconds, the light dimmed, the humming stopped and the band became loose on the door knob again.
Kim walked over to it. "I don't get it Wade. What was it supposed to do?" She pushed the knob to check it and it fell out the other side of the door with a CLANK. Kim smiled amused by the cleverness of the boy genius. "Wade, how could I ever have doubted you?" With that, she stuck her fingers through the hole still giving off wisps of smoke, and opened it up. Kim made sure Spiderman and Dr. Octavious knew about her actions before walking inside, and soon stood just beyond the doorway peering in at all it beheld.
In reality, it wasn't that great. More of the same junk sitting here and there. But the slight murmur of a scratchy voice draining in through an opened door told them that they had reached their destination. A little hope was needed right then for all four of them–well, five if you counted the curious, little naked mole rat peeping out of Ron Stoppable's pants pocket.
"Jack pot," Kim whispered to herself with a smirk.
"I really don't need to tell you this, but Drakken is inside that room presumably with the CEC," Wade said.
"Thanks anyway," Kim told him sticking the communicator into her backpack. Wade begged her not to put it away yet and Kim took it back out. "Yes?"
"Do you think Dr. Octavious should come along?" Wade asked in a hushed voice. "What if the actuators take over again and he causes more violence than needed? If you know what I'm saying."
"You mean injure one of us or them?" Wade said nothing indicating that her answer was too harmless. "You're not saying: 'decapitate' are you?"
Wade nodded. "Decapitate; maybe worse." Kim cringed at the thought. "It would probably be best for everyone if he stayed out of battle. Just keep him out here 'til it's all said and done."
Kim glanced over at Dr. Octavious who, thankfully wasn't paying attention. Instead he and Spiderman were talking and Ron was standing close by trying to get a word in and failing most of the time. Dr. Octavious didn't look like he felt very well and she could guess that Peter, under all that spandex, didn't feel much better.
"OK, "she replied turning back to Wade. "But shouldn't someone stay behind and keep an eye on him?" Wade nodded. "Ron can't keep track of him. I need his help. And I can't stay. I have a mission to accomplish."
"What about Peter? He seems comfortable already with being in the doctor's presence." Wade offered.
"Sounds good." Kim turned off the little handheld device and made her way over to the other three. "Hey," she greeted casually, "Dr. Octavious and Peter, have you two considered staying out of the battle? To keep watch I mean. It wouldn't be very helpful if we all were in fighting and Drakken called in an army of robots and none of us were ready."
"I understand. You want me to stay back incase of a mental breakdown," Otto stated clearly. Kim dropped her shoulders and, with a sigh, nodded to his conclusion. "It's for the best. We would simply compromise our chances of winning this battle. My selfish desire of vengeance will have to be ignored to focus on the prize.
"'We' meaning my actuators and me. Peter would do just fine," He smiled quickly.
"I'm glad you don't take it personally." Kim sighed in relief. "Well, come on Ron. Let's get this ball rolling."
OOOOO
Standing on a table, Dr. Drakken frantically commanded his robots out of the nonsense they were doing. Some jumped up and down, some ran in circles, some even tore each other to pieces. He wore a helmet with many wires running along the surface and into small holes drilled randomly through the covering. Each wire was connected to the cyber-electronic circuit and, supposedly, gave him the ability to merge with him machines and control them by means of mind. What a piece of junk! Ever since he dawned the helmet, they had gotten ludicrously confused which they displayed quite well by running into walls and the like.
Shego paid no attention to the frustrated bursts of sound her boss uttered every so often. She sat across the room filing her nails secretly amused by the couple of biped androids dancing by one corner. It was only a matter of time before she heard that familiar drop.
"You have something that belongs to someone else!" Kim Possible stated heroically dropping from a large crate propped up against a wall. Sure enough, there she was. Shego set her file lightly on the table and slipped on her gloves.
"Kim Possible?" Drakken exclaimed on cue as usual. "You're too late! I'm linked with every mechanical being in this room! Mwahahahaha! Attack my robot minions" Sadly, even after his grand speech, the metal creatures ignored his command and continued doing what they were doing. Drakken frowned at their ignorance. "Oh peachy. Shego! Finish them!"
"You got it chief!" Shego said leaping up from the chair and igniting her fists. Kim made ready to fight. Reading her invitation, Shego ran for Kim. She swiped with her fist but Kim ducked under it and tripped her. Shego was sent tumbling into the crate and it gave Kim a moment of leverage.
Ron still stood behind the crate unable to get up. The battle would have to begin without a spectacular entrance. He walked out from behind the crate just in time to see Shego hop up and shoot at Kim with those green rays. Then he saw Kim flip pushing the laws of gravity to their prime and dodge everyone. "Wow. Wish I could do that more often." He told himself. Ron looked across at Drakken now sitting on the side of a desk with his helmet on.
"I bet that's what Doc Ock wants back," Ron whispered to Rufus. Rufus looked in that direction also and nodded.
"Mm-hm. Mm-hm," Rufus agreed.
Ron crept slowly along the wall towards the mad scientist. Surprisingly enough, Drakken didn't notice him. So it came down to this. Kim was the distraction, and Ron was the one saving the day. He smiled at this and came closer behind him.
Suddenly Drakken turned around as if sensing his presence. Out of reflex, Ron fell to the ground and scurried under the desk. He peeked out at Drakken to see when the coast was clear. To his satisfaction, Drakken shrugged and went back to watching the fight too frustrated with the stolen equipment to work on it until his anger had cooled.
OOOOO
Outside in the other room...
Spiderman and Otto both leaned up against the wall boredly. All conversation had been lost and now there was nothing to do but stand and stare and listen to the battle inside. The only one's talking were the tentacles. They tried every way they could and anxiously thought of other ways to kiss up to Otto in order to win back his dependence and make him forget about this whole overwriting thing.
"Can you tell who's winning?" Spiderman asked. His question filled the empty room so quickly it came back in an echo.
"Nope. It sounds pretty even," Otto replied sticking his hands in his pockets. The top right tentacle carefully inched its way around the corner to take a peek around the corner.
"Don't do that Dr. Octavious," Peter chided. "Don't tempt yourself." The tentacle quickly rejoined its host and Otto grinned sheepishly like that of a child caught doing something he knows he's not supposed to be doing. The tentacles rose and hissed - ready to toss Spiderman round the room.
Why can't we look? The top right demanded Peter despite the knowledge that it couldn't talk with him. Why can't we tempt ourselves?
"Don't be foolish. You know he can't hear you." Otto told them silently. They dropped like four metal shoulders and all relaxed their jaws.
"What was that about?" Spiderman asked.
"They don't like rebuke. They were yelling at you. Sadly, it's my ears that heard them." Otto explained.
"Sorry," Spiderman apologized unsure of what words to exactly say.
Suddenly, a shrill scream echoed from the tunnel above. "Help me! Help! We're trapped!" Spiderman perked up to this call and started for the door but then turned back to Otto. He was supposed to keep an eye on him. But someone was in danger. He couldn't just ignore that frightful plea. His pleading eyes unintendedly reached Otto and he got the message. Otto lightly swept his fingers through the air shooing Spiderman away.
"Go on. You know you won't be able to stay away." Otto said. Without another word, Spiderman was off down the hall. As he ran, he raised a hand of goodbye. Otto waved back.
The sound of Spiderman's footsteps echoing down the hall soon faded away and Otto was left alone in the room. Well, as alone as one can be with four other persons living in one's mind.
Being unable to talk to other humans around us is a limit that unnecessarily hinders the ability of our work.
Once this crazy thought of individuality has passed and you realize how you really need us, we shall work out something to avert this handicap.
Do not worry about it.
"Great. Thanks." Otto thought grabbing the edge of the doorway and looking in at the battle carefully restraining himself from leaping into action.
OOOOO
Ron carefully lifted the helmet off of Drakken's head when he turned the other way. The absence of the head gear alerted Drakken and he shot back around to find Ron standing behind him - holding his invention - with a sheepish grin.
"Hi," Ron greeted.
"Give me that!" Drakken demanded swiping for the helmet in Ron's arm. He fell across the desk and Ron bolted off.
"No!" Ron persisted childlike scanning the area for Kim. It didn't take long to find her when he heard wood splintering off to the left side. "Kim! I've got it!" Ron lifted the machine up and above his head to give her proof.
Kim looked up with a smile of triumph. Unfortunately, Shego heard the good news also. "Ah ha!" She exclaimed - her hands now glowing brighter than ever. Shego sent Kim sailing for what seemed like hundreds of feet but in reality was only twelve. Shego lunged for Ron. Ron turned and began running faster than he already was. Drakken was one thing, but Shego was an entirely different jump all together!
Kim jumped to her feet and shot to catch up to her friend. He made no notice and it took some while for her to get alongside him. "Ron, throw it here!" she called holding out her arms.
"I got you KP!" Ron answered tossing it over Shego's head and nicely into Kim's grasp.
Kim bolted for the door. It was coming closer to view. She could see a tentacle curling around surveying the battle. Perfect. The doctor hadn't wondered off somewhere. She could see the rim of his coat where he leaned up against the opposing wall. This would be easy.
Thump! Before she knew it, Kim was lying on her stomach on the ground, hands out in front, the helmet rolling further and further away from her possession. She saw Shego running from behind her. Probably tripped her or something of the sort. Too bad Shego could never play the game nobly. Ron hopped over her and ran after the rolling piece of machinery. Well, at least Ron was doing fine.
The two enemies clumsily chased down the helmet. Shego shoved Ron to the unforgiving floor and grabbed the helmet. "Ha ha," she muttered in triumph turning the head gear in her grasp. Not long after though, a mad shriek of a boy and rodent sounded as two bodies slammed her down to the floor knocking her temporarily unconscious.
"Yeah! Who says you can't learn anything from wrestling?" Ron asked the small rodent standing by him on the ground.
"Booyah!" Rufus agreed and raised his hand. Ron bent down and held his hand lower allowing his little pal to low-five him.
OOOOO
Otto paced the flooranxiously, hands in pockets, arguing with himself about what he should do and what degree of danger should be present before he took measures into his own hands. What if Kim and that other guy were in jeopardy? What if they were dead all ready? The bottom right tentacle peeked around the corner once again.
They are still living. It reported.
Though, they do look short a few hands...
"You're right. I should go in there and fight with them. No, I'll release this unattainable power."
But they are on your side. The top right protested.
"I know they're on my side and that they could really use my help, but I can't–I can't risk it." Otto reasoned.
What is life without risks? When one does not take risks, one misses out on a lot of fun and lets a lot of people down. Risks are a part of life and if one neglects them, one is simply neglecting a factor of living. The top right stated with wisdom.
"I know I know," Otto said with repentance. He raised an eyebrow and then pointed one finger at the top right tentacle which pulled back from his gaze. "Don't go acting like my conscious again."
The top right tentacle looked around at its siblings uncomfortably.
I can't believe you'd try that.
'Risks are a part of life' were you kidding with that?
Hey! The top right defended. It was worth a shot. It's not like you wouldn't try a stunt like that.
Either way, it didn't work.
Now he's on to us!
"I don't know if you've realized, but I can hear you just fine." Otto stated.
Well, then we shall talk no more on the matter.
It is the past. Nothing more.
Nothing more.
"Confusing. Simply confusing." he thought. He had to come to a conclusion soon. If he did decide to go in there to help, he'd have to do it quick before all hope was lost. But if he went in too soon, he might compromise their chances at triumph. Otto caught himself. That is to say if he were to do such a crazy stunt as going in there. Which he wasn't...but still...
No. He wasn't going in and that was final. Kim probably knew best and could see what he couldn't. Even though he could really help, speed up the process, capture a few felons, maybe even save people from injury.He heard a crash coming from inside the room and instinctively ran to the opening to look inside. He knew he couldn't keep himself away, the tentacles knew he couldn't keep himself away, if only Peter would have known and stayed by his side. He'd keep him in line. Otto sunk to the floor and massaged his forehead.
His hand slowed to a stop and he opened his eyes to blankly stare at the floor. Of course, why would Peter have to keep him there? He could handle himself. He knew when a battle was going sour. He knew that he could help. If he didn't pitch in with the battle, all might be lost, then where would that leave him? Worse off than before. A smile moved onto his face as he thought.
"They did steal from me," Otto paused and looked at the metal door left ajar, welcoming him inside. "I'll just be returning the favor." With that, he walked surely through the doorway and into the battlegrounds.
OOOOO
Kim and Ron were doing very well in the battle. Unfortunately, so were Shego and Drakken. Kim and Ron stood back to back with Shego and the army of robots that now had gotten the message from Drakken to attack. The villains slowly closed in, an evil smile present on Shego's face. Kim held the helmet close to her as her and Ron thought of a way out of the mess.
"Ok, here's the plan," Kim said without breaking her concentration on the machines. "You distract them by running that way." she pointed towards Drakken and a pit of water he used for who-knows-what, and then took the same hand and pointed towards the door. "And I'll make a break that way."
"Sound's good," Ron agreed giving her a thumbs up. He moved away from her and stood up tall. Ron cleared his throat politely and drew in a breath. Then he let it out, screaming bloody murder and ran between Shego and a robot. Shego glanced back at him with confusion, but then shrugged her shoulders and continued with Kim.
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going after him? I mean, he might have the micro chips for all you know."
"Yeah, I highly doubt that. Besides, you're the threat," Shego replied casually as if she was simply discussing something with a friend.
"Oh, swell," Kim muttered.
Shego leapt for Kim, leg extended, intended for Kim's chest. To her dismay, her leg hit the ground with a sickly pop sound when Kim hopped out of the way. Kim ran for the door, along with the helmet and noticed that Ron had abandoned his post and was closer to the door. She tossed the equipment over to him and he caught it with skill. Ron smiled triumphantly and just barely got his hand to the knob when it slammed open knocking him to the wall.
Otto charged in held up by the bottom tentacles. "OK! Give me those parts now!" He demanded mimicking the tone of a bank robber. Of course, he was a bank robber so it wasn't news. Otto snatched Shego up by the leg right away from the battle she was running to. Alarmed, she began slashing at the metal arm - green sparks flying everywhere.
"It's no use struggling," he assured her with a smile that was unhealthily joyful for this situation. "It would take you months to saw through them with those puny rays!" His tone fell demanding. "Now tell me where my equipment is!" Shego struggled and struggled but said nothing. His eyes drifted onto Drakken who presently cowered behind an office chair shadowed by the desk.
Otto threw her to the sidelines and walked towards him. With every metal boom Drakken cringed and attempted to push himself a little further under the desk. "Oh no, oh no, not like this, oh sweet taffy, not like this..." Drakken thought with his hands trembling. The top right tentacle grabbed the office chair and tore it from its place; the only thing protecting Drakken from this monster.
Otto pulled the rim of his sunglasses down enough for Drakken to see his full glare. "Where are the cyber-electronic circuit and the 02422 brass motherboard?" He asked calmly though it was apparent that anger was behind his voice. Before Drakken could answer, the top left locked its 'fingers' around his throat and drug him across the floor, out of the shadows, and up to Otto's feet.
"I'm serious," Otto commented lifting Drakken to his feet.
Drakken looked into Otto's eyes which were now burning like fire and hoped to find some sign of mercy. No luck. Drakken struggled a bit. "Shego! Hit him or something! Anything!" he cried scanning the room for his companion. Where was Shego when he needed her? He finally found her sprawled across the floor with her eyes closed and not one limb was moving. "Shego! Wake up! I'm scared!"
The top right grabbed his leg and the bottom right, abandoning its twin to hold Otto up on its own, grabbed Drakken's waist wrapping completely around him. "It would take only one little jerk to snap your neck and spinal column," Otto stated. "This is the last time I will ask you." Drakken was lifted off of his feet and into the air. "Where are my micro pieces?"
Dr. Drakken curled his fingers under the surface of the fingers 'round his throat only to have the tentacle squeeze harder forcing them out. A few seconds of patient waiting was all he gave him. To aid in his decision, the bottom right tentacle squeezed his middle tighter. All Drakken could do was struggle and whimper. The end was soon...
OOOOO
"Ron? Ron where are you?" Kim called jogging along the wall. Where could he be? If he was playing a trick on her, she swore she'd kill him; this was not the time.
"Ron!" She repeated. Kim heard a painful moan come from behind the entrance door. She went over to it and pushed it away from the wall and found her best friend pressed against the wall.
"Hey Kim," Ron greeted with a vacant expression on his face. "I got the helmet." He handed the helmet to Kim. With that he fell to the ground. Kim grabbed him by the shoulders and sat him up again.
"Ron, get up. We have to stop him," She pointed over at Otto and saw Shego struggled up from her place on the floor and begin towards where she was needed though she looked like she could use a few more minutes to gather her senses. Great. Shego was up. As if things weren't hard enough already.
Ron fell back to the floor with an OOF and Kim let him be. She'd have to finish this battle by herself. Even so, she wondered where Spiderman went - she could really use his help right now...
OOOOO
Spiderman, suit now smudged with soot and dust jogged down the hallway back to where Otto was waiting. The mission had turned out to be that a crowd of people had been trapped underneath a crashed and smoking monorail car. The entrance of which was guarded by a live electric wire. Just everyday problems, no super nothing, and now he attempted to pat off the soot from his suit. Though Spiderman hadn't been harmed in any way, he'd surly be working out these stains all night.
Ah well, it didn't matter right now. The rescue hadn't taken long and now he could return to his low expectation job of octopus-sitting Dr. Octavious who was standing right–
Spiderman turned the corner. Otto was gone. He ran to the spot where he used to be. Now where would he go? "OK, you asked for it!" echoed into the empty room. He knew that voice...Otto! The doors were slammed in and the hinges were loose unlike any mortal man could do alone.
Spiderman groaned. "Why did I leave him alone?" he yelled at himself as he ran inside to snap the doctor out of it.
OOOOO
Kim stood near the center of the room just staring at Otto and Drakken by a deep pit of water. Spiderman ran up to her eager to hear the brilliant scheme he was sure she had concocted.
"So what's the plan?" he asked.
Kim inhaled. "Well, we stop Octavious so we can save Drakken and Shego so we can stop them from whatever they were doing with Octavious' pieces, so we can get the stolen stuff back to save Octavious." Peter raised an eyebrow at her plan. "Let's just focus on stopping Ock, OK?" she offered.
Peter shrugged with a smile. "Fine by me."
Now narrowed down to two, the robots weren't too much of a struggle. Peter launched at the one set on him and gave it a mean whirlwind kick to the chest. It fell over but quickly jumped up again. The robot was state of the art: it had a round body, long jointed knife-like projections shooting out from more places than not, and a small round head set into the body - its only vulnerable part.
Spiderman stood and found that it didn't take second best. It sent all of its knives at him at once. Thank goodness for spider sense or Peter would have been paste by now. He hopped up onto the shoulders of the robot and felt under the ridge of the head. Spiderman tore a chunk of wires out and then from the other side. The robot noticed and took one arm - looking much like a scythe - and plunged it into its head aiming but missing for the hacker. Spiderman jumped down to see the robot collapse to the floor and cease to move.
Kim's battle buddy was a little easier to defeat. It was only her height and was already wounded. A quick blow to the back self destructed it and Spiderman and Kim now stood side by side thinking out a plan to stop Otto but not injure him seriously.
Shego clung to the top left tentacle and began climbing closer to Otto. The tentacle released Drakken's leg and, tearing her from the arm, flung her across the room. He saw Kim and Spiderman running towards him ready for a fight. How could they? They were on his side! Traitors! The top right tentacle released Drakken's neck and the tentacle holding his waist threw him into his desk snapping the weak, old boards and toppling it to the ground.
"I don't want to live like this any more! That's all I ask! Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?" Two tentacles flew towards the two heroes. Kim and Peter ducked the first one but the second sent them tumbling across the floor.
"Well let me lighten the load for ya!" Came a voice from behind him. Otto turned just as Shego planted her foot into his chest sending him into the pit of water.
Otto sunk rapidly courtesy of the metal bonded to his back. The tentacles squealed and hissed and tried to grab the walls only to scrape down the sides.
Help!
Help us grab!
Save us!
Stop us from falling!
And, in fact, Otto did try to grab hold of the walls to stop from sinking, but it was no more helpful than the tentacles. Not even the blades would slow them down, the walls were too sturdy. Otto attempted to swim to the surface but it was no use. The harsh lab lights dimmed, the figures and voices also. His aggressive wrestle for life slowed down to a flinch of the hand every few seconds or so. Finally, he gave up on holding the old air in and began taking in the water to satisfy his craving. He closed his eyes peacefully.
Save us father!
Save us father! They never called him father. Never.
"Don't worry children, it'll be alright...it'll all be alright..." He assured them as all he knew, saw and heard faded away into darkness...
to be continued...