FATR: Well, ch 9 didn't get any flames so I'll leave it up. OMG! I just got Spiderman vs Doc Ock on DVD. The last episode on it was SO precious! It had Mac in it, and he was holding Adrian (Vulture) captive (shackled to the wall, heehee) in this dingy little apartment because he was the only one who knew how to reverse his mutation. Mac was trying to raise enough money to build a lab, but he didn't want to steal it because he was trying to go straight. You know why? He had a girlfriend! Yes, a girlfriend, and they were planning on getting married! Isn't that the most adorable thing in the world? And she was trying to save him from Silvermane and then he saved her before the building blew up! And then she had this cheesy line about how their love could get them through anything. Hm...but it was so cute! If you ever get the chance, you should watch Partners in Danger Chapter 3. Some supervillains aren't really evil, just unfortunate. Anyway, it just thrilled me so much. I had to share it. Just seeing them together was so.../squeek!/ ANY-hoo, Everything about the Nasarians is mine. I believe the only thing I don't own in this chapter is Darwin's theory of evolution, and I think we by now I don't own ANY Spider-Man related situations or characters. None, zippo, zilch, nada. Read this while I go cry.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma's face was illuminated by the light of the computer screen. She wore a robe that could have been made of white summer clouds. The sound of the TV drifted in from the other room. The eleven o'clock news wasn't on yet, but she wanted to hear it when it did come on. She truly feared for the whole family, but she prayed to Nasarack that the blood had not belonged to Jessica. There were so few half breeds left as it was. However, it was unlikely that Ana would go through all that trouble just to take out a half breed.

George Richmond had been the jewel collector's name. He collected all kinds of rare gems but took particular pride in his collection of stones and amulets that were related the occult. The four missing gems were part of a set of five. Individually the stones were harmless, but collectively they were known as 'Clastrum abscindet Portam,' roughly translated as 'The key that opens the Gate.' I have to get to that last jewel first, but where is it? George might know.

"Mrrrrrrow."

Emma smiled at the little splotchy cat. It wasn't any discernable breed. Its coat resembled a paint explosion of browns, blacks, grays and white. One eye was yellow and one blue, the ears were unusually large, and the tail unusually long. Emma had found him in a dumpster as a kitten when she first moved to New York. "Is that so? I'll be right there, Picasso." The cat ran into the livingroom. Emma added the website to the 'Favorites' list and curled up with her little friend to watch the news.

----

The doors clanged shut behind Otto and his captives. They were in his world now and it was finally safe to relieve the tentacles of their burdens. It felt good to finally be able to get back to work. It was just about all he could think about when he had been in the car with nothing to do but think. He left the pair where they were keeping one of the four eyes on them in case of trouble. Giving up the full mind link to the tentacles so he could fully concentrate on what he was doing, he selected one of the tubes of blood and read the name 'Quinton Beck.' The top right tentacle returned carrying one of the test tubes he kept chilled in a hidden safe. Not even Fisk knew it was there. This tube was simple labeled 'Ana.' Using two separate droppers so as not contaminate either sample he placed a drop of each together in a petri dish. He placed it under a microscope and the image showed up on one of the smaller computer screens (he hadn't fixed the main computer yet).

Jessica watched the screen curiously.

The outcome was just as he suspected. The agent in Ana's blood attacked and took over, killing everything that had been Quinton. The bottom right arm filed away the time it took in its memory bank for later recall and the process was repeated two more times with Quinton's blood. He moved on to Max's with the same results, but it only took about half the time. What was it in Quinton's blood that slowed it down? He'd made a mental note to track that line later and his pets stored it in their memory with the times. It was very handy, like having a computer strapped to his back and plugged into his brain. Okay, so technically I do have a computer strapped to my back and plugged into my brain. Their capacity had limits, like any computer, but it saved time not having to take notes by hand. Next test tube in line, 'Mac Gargan.'

The stress had finally gotten to Jacob and he now lay sleeping in his mother's lap on the floor. With nothing else to do, Jessica watched Dr. Octopus work. She had no idea what exactly he was doing, or what he intended to do with her and her son. Maybe Ana had told him about half breeds. Maybe he was going to slice her open and poke around. Though she'd still rather face his plans than any plans of Ana's design.

Otto waited as the two immune systems warred. He had forgotten all about his captives for the time being. The seconds ticked by and became minutes before it became clear that Mac's system was the one taking over. Another trail that could be traced farther. One left now, Stephanie's. He knew about her little fantasies, but like her he doubted she'd make very good super villain. Another benefit of the meditation exercises, the minds of others were now open books for him to read at his leisure. He had expected something similar to Max's results, perhaps maybe even faster, but no. As soon as the samples came into contact with each other they came apart and began reconstructing themselves into something almost entirely different. Previously he hadn't been sure what it was he had wanted to accomplish with this. He had been driven by pure curiosity, but if he had been hoping to discover anything, this was it.

The three unoccupied tentacles grew very excited. Give Stephanie a transfusion, see what this means.

"It's too dangerous. I should... I should do some more research. It could physically mutate her somehow."

Jessica looked around, wondering who he was talking to.

It's what she wants, isn't it?

"It might hurt her."

Sometimes sacrifices must be made in the name of science. Besides, we thought you didn't like her.

"I may not be interested in her romantically, but that doesn't mean-"

"Who are you talking to?" Jessica finally ventured, wondering if Ana was around somewhere. When he turned around he looked surprised to see her.

"Do not fear, Mrs. Underwood. I'm merely conferring with my pets." As if to emphasize this statement the upper left creature nuzzled his cheek.

"They... they talk to you?"

"Why wouldn't they?"Otto answered as though the very idea that they wouldn't talk to him was pure madness.

Jessica took this in slowly. He had made them and he obviously knew more about them than she did, so she accepted it. It didn't have anything to do with her real question anyway.

"Your presence his required purely for conversational purposes, though that could change. Where have my manners gone? I suppose you would like a chair or something of the sort."

----

Emma felt a stab of guilt for encouraging Peter to take twenty-four hours off, but he was only a mortal, despite his super power. He couldn't take all of this on his shoulders and stay sane. Besides, it was her job to suffer the evils of the world, her job to make sure it stayed safe. Peter Parker was just an arm of something greater than he could imagine. Not even the arm, the pinky finger. She had let this happen. Her. Emma.

"...are searching the rubble. They haven't found any sign of the family yet, but they remain optimistic."

Despite her generally bright nature, Emma found it hard to think positively in this situation. She only hoped Mary Jane and Peter weren't watching TV right now.

Picasso sensed her negative feelings and pawed at her cheek. "Purr Purrr..."

Emma smiled and scratched behind its ears. "I appreciate the effort but it's going to take more than that to cheer me up." The cat stared then hopped off the couch and ran out of the room. Emma allowed her eyes to drift back to the TV where they were interviewing the man who lived across the street. He had a thick country drawl.

"...an' when I looks out I sees this guy with a glowin bubble on his 'ead git out a' it. Looked like one a' them space al-ee-ans. Boy, I'll tell yah, only in New York..." with the emphasis on the 'new' instead of the 'york.'

Emma turned off the TV and laid down with her arm across her eyes. All she wanted to do now was sleep. The thundering of tiny feet pulled her out of her self-pitying stupor. Picasso was chasing a bouncy ball. He caught it his teeth and hopped on her chest to make sure he had her full attention. "You want me to throw it?" The ball fell from his mouth and rolled off her neck and under her shoulder. She fished it out and tossed it. It bounced off a wall and Picasso leaped into the air after it, catching it between his paws. He returned the ball and she bounced it a little higher this time. He swatted it out of the air and ran after it. Emma laughed, the cat's joy filling her and making her strong once again.

-----

As soon as Jessica sat in the chair, metal restraints secured her wrists and cut across just under her breasts. "What... what are you..." Jessica struggled. "You son-of-a-bitch, let me go!"

"That kind of language is entirely unnecessary." Otto pulled a chair up across from her and sat down leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees and his wrists crossed. The lights dimmed and he removed his glasses so he could make direct eye contact. "Here's how its going to work: I will ask you some questions, and you will answer them. Does that sound difficult or frightening?"

The sight of his eyes made Jessica shiver. "Well, no..."

"What are you?"

"I might ask you the same question, " Jessica muttered.

"I like to believe myself above hurting children but..." Otto let the unfinished threat hang in the air for her to contemplate.

"I... could you rephrase the question? I'm not sure I quite understand..."

"Don't play dumb with me." When Jessica didn't answer he sighed. "Who is Ana to you?"

Jessica took a deep breath, not quite sure if she should talk to him about this or not, but it appeared she had no choice. "It's an old myth. Nasarack the father, and Cshicomi the mother, the water god and..."

"I know about Nasarack and Cshicomi. I asked you about Ana."

"They had two children, Emaschire and Anaconda. As is usual in these myths, Emma was pure good, and Ana was pure evil. Their purpose, at least Emma's, had been to protect the Nasarians from the changing universe. You see, the Nasarians knew nothing of prejudice or greed. The three tribes lived together in three different regions on one island, and shared all of their resources among each other evenly."

"The plains, the forests, and the mountains."

"Yes. As the myth goes, the universe was changing, as I have said, and there was no longer room in the universe for such peaceful cohabitation. Ana knew this, and tried to infiltrate their lives, make them fit to stand up to the potential threats outside their world. Emma thought that Ana should use her powers to fight off the outside forces, but selfless acts just weren't within her capabilities."

Otto thought about Ana and all of their 'trades.' The wounds on his chest made him aware of their presence rather painfully. "Why didn't Emma do anything about it herself?"

"Emma is completely incapable of harming another living creature. The rest of the Nasarian race only kill when absolutely necessary, for food and clothing, shelter, things like that."

"So only Ana and Emma feed off energy."

"As the myth-"

"It's not a myth. You know that as well as I do, so let's just be up front with each other, shall we? Tell me more about Ana and Emma."

"Ana eventually killed her sister, but neither of them can really die. Every time Emma dies, she is reincarnated in another reality. It's always been that way, evil hunting down good and squeezing the life out of it, only to have it pop up somewhere else. Emma can't do anything accept run from her, and they've been in this cycle since time as you understand it began."

"What happened to the Nasarians?"

"They're just about extinct. The new universe has no place for them, so they're gradually being phased out. Most of them died, some of them evolved."

"Darwin's laws know no boundaries, do they?" Otto chuckled. "Are you a Nasarian?"

"I'm..." This is where Jessica had feared the conversation would go.

"You're afraid I'm going to dissect you if you tell me. I suppose that's understandable, but if you don't tell me willingly I'll find out on my own."

"No, I'm not."

"Then you must be a half breed."

"You... know..."

"Ana has answered some of my questions but her price for information is a little steep..." He trailed off into his own troubled thoughts then shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "Let's back up. Nasarians come from Nasar as I understand it. What does Nasar mean?"

"Nasar is a planet covered with water, with Nasaria as the only known land mass. Nasarack created us from sea foam, in pairs of two, a pair for each region. Then he made himself a partner, a woman who was all three tribes in one, and took her into the ocean with him."

"Nasar means water, then," Otto cut in impatiently.

"I'm sorry, I got off topic."

Otto rested his elbows on the armrests, steepled his hands, and smiled. "The more information the better. That explains why Nasarian exalts the feminine. Water as the element of emotion, the feminine element. I also suppose there are no such things as male half breeds."

"Ana told you that too?"

"No, the characteristic is attached to the X chromosome, and it takes two of those special chromosomes to activate it in females." In reaction to her expression he added. "She told me about half breeds, and I decided to find out why there are half breeds."

Jessica stared. "You really managed to break it all down to simple biology?" She snorted distastefully. "Scientists."

Otto bristled, smile vanishing, and the arms raised from their relaxed positions. When he spoke there was venom in his voice. "And what does my dear mean by that?"

Jessica disregarded his reaction. "You can never just leave things as they are. You always have to poke and pry until you've taken all of the miracle out of the miraculous. Don't you people know when to quit?" She took a breath. "Besides, there are some mysteries that just shouldn't be solved."

The glasses were once more perched on the bridge of his nose and he rose slowly. "You have just about outlived your usefulness to me."

"You really have no idea what you're tampering with," Jessica whispered. "I don't know what Ana told you, but-" The bottom tentacles lifted Otto off the ground. A claw latched over her chest and began to squeeze. Jessica heard the restraint whine as it too was compressed.

"Don't you DARE talk about my personal life!" He released her and stomped to the back of the lab. The ground shook under his tentacles' impact. He landed roughly and snatched up the test tube labeled 'Ana' and a syringe. He returned and took in her apparent fear with a smug inward smile. "Now let's take a peek at just what it is I'm getting into." He filled the needle and stabbed her with it. She screamed but it was more surprise and fear than pain. How dare she try to excavate my psyche! Who does she think she is? Nothing but another experiment, now.

What... what was that? Jessica felt her arm from the puncture outwards turning to ice. The feeling spread over her body and her soul shivered. Then came nausea, churning her stomach the way a farmer's wife would churn butter. Her muscles spasmed and her stomach tossed up its contents. Otto didn't make a sound or move. There was now a numbness speeding through her system and the nausea was worsening. The next time she threw up blood came out. There was also blood beginning to seep from every orifice and pore. Jessica forced herself to take one last look at Dr. Octopus. His expression was one of pure, neutral observance. She tried to speak to him but the words would not come out of her mouth, only unintelligible sounds. At this he raised an eyebr-... what was that... what's the w... what... Her mouth hung open and blood drooled out.

She could no long vocalize or come up with even the simplest of words. Through one of his four extra eyes he watched an x-ray image of her organs failing and melting as her cells were destroyed. There was a sadistic rush knowing he was causing her pain, torturing her, though he tried to force himself to see it as a purely investigational procedure. Her body dropped forwards, the restraints the only things keeping her in the chair. The whole event had taken at most two minutes and had been surprisingly silent. "That was messy." His pets all agreed and went to begin the clean up. Behind him the child was beginning to stir. Otto turned sideways to the body and turned his face towards the small form. Jacob's eyes opened.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FATR: Sorry. I'm not very good at writing accents. BTW, Repto, it's writing this fic that's slowly turning me into a Max fangirl. I guess I am a fangirl of the Max I created in this, because the Max in the cartoon version I like is so different from the way I portray him here. I have no idea where I got this perception of him, but this story has been half writing itself, so there must be something in it somewhere.