"Stop."
The metal arm stopped in response. It slowly retracted and turned towards its owner.
"He's a friend."
The arm seemed to understand, clicked, and retreated.
Otto stood beside Rosie's bed, wearing only a windbreaker and a pair of sunglasses. The hospital gown inside was stained with mud and dried blood. Four robotic arms hung around like tentacles, looking around vigilantly.
"Otto." Peter said softly, walking slowly inside, "You're awake."
"Yeah." Otto nodded, his Adam's apple rolling, "Is she... is she okay?"
"There's a blood clot in the brain." Peter said, "It's a bit ironic - if she hadn't been injured, the doctors wouldn't have discovered it at all. She's in stable condition now, but -"
"Don't move!" Bobbi rushed in, aiming his gun at Otto, "Get down! Now!"
"No!" Otto shouted loudly, and all four robotic arms rushed towards her.
"Stop Otto!"
Peter stood in front of Bobbi. The metal arm suddenly stopped a few inches away from his face. His breathing quickened and his fear slowly receded.
"Get out of the way, Peter!" Otto roared.
"I can't, Otto." Peter looked directly into his angry eyes, "If I get out of the way, you will kill her. And Rosie doesn't want you to be like that."
"What are you doing?!" Bobbi hissed behind him.
"Shut up, don't do anything, or I'll let Fury take off your badge!" Peter retorted in a low voice. He turned to Otto and sighed, "Please, Otto. Stop. These arms, they are messing with your brain--"
"They did nothing!"
A mechanical arm smashed into the wall next to Peter's face, and rubble splashed half of his face.
Otto took out his arm and placed it across Peter's neck. "Watch your mouth."
"I saved you and your wife." Peter said, "I helped you. I am your friend, Otto. Now you want to kill me. Would you really do such a thing? Would the man Rosie married do such a thing?"
Otto was stunned.
The brow behind the sunglasses raised, and his robotic arm began to rotate around his head, as if communicating with him. He held his head and shook it vigorously. "No, no... that's not right! He is a good boy! He saved Rosie!"
"Resist them, Otto." Peter said in a deep voice.
Otto seemed to be doing this, and had the upper hand. He looked up and said, "I'm sorry, Peter... it's not your fault... you saved her. Thank you."
Peter breathed a sigh of relief, "It doesn't matter."
He turned back and glanced at Bobbi. The expression on her face could no longer be described as surprise. Peter winked at her and signaled her to step back.
He faced Otto again. "We have to take off those arms as soon as possible, Otto. The spine chip that helps you control them is burned out. Your brain is now open and can be attacked by them at any time."
"Yes... yes, I need help." Otto's robotic arm began to stir again, "But before that - I have to kill the person who ruined everything for me! Norman·Osborn must die!"
"Otto Don't!" Peter shouted, "You will get justice, I promise you! But not in this way! Someone will get hurt, please--"
"No! If I don't avenge my wife with my own hands, who am I? Osborn must die!"
"Rosie is not dead! She is right here!" Peter pointed at the hospital bed, "If you do this, you will be a criminal for the rest of your life. When Rosie opens her eyes, I don't want the first thing she sees is an empty room! She needs you, Otto! Right now!"
Otto let out a low roar. The robotic arm was raised high. "You talk too much, boy. You think too highly of yourself! I will take revenge and protect my wife! I do what I say! No one can stop me!"
"Stop!"
Bobbi fired.
Otto blocked the bullet with its robotic arm and immediately pounced towards her.
"No!"
Peter pulled out the gun and pointed it at Otto.
Otto's eyes widened. Peter pulled the trigger, and a ball of electromagnetic pulse bullets hit his chest. All the mechanical arms immediately lost power and collapsed.
Otto fell to his knees, his body unable to bear the weight of the four fully extended metal arms. He raised his head, his eyes gradually clearing. "Peter... how did you do it?"
"EMP gun." Peter smiled slightly, "Are the AI voices of those robotic arms in your head still there?"
Otto was stunned for a moment.
He nodded. "I am... no more, it's all gone." He looked down at his arms, "Oh my god. What have I done?!"
"It's not your fault, Otto." Peter squatted down, "You're just sick."
Otto raised his head, Peter clearly saw the anger rekindled in his eyes. "It was Osborn, he was the one who harmed me!"
No, don't--
"I want his life!"
Whoosh--
"No!"
A stun gun opened fire. Peter quickly moved out of the way, Bobbi pulled the trigger, and the electric current hit Otto. He instantly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
Peter turned to look at her and shook his head. "Are you a fool? Or is S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to trick me?"
"He's going to go crazy again soon." Bobbi said.
"The robotic arm has been shut down." Peter stood up and sighed, "What you just saw is the normal reaction of a man whose wife is in a coma and whose spine has four metal arms permanently fused. He has the right to be angry. To be honest, I almost called Fury to complain."
"Okay, but - who are you?" Bobbi finally couldn't help it anymore.
"You didn't ask Fury?"
"Asked."
"What did he say?"
"He said you were a troublemaker."
Peter grinned. "He's not wrong either."
***
Next week.
Otto was imprisoned. Peter contacted Fury and said that he needed help, not a prison cell. But Fury didn't listen.
They took off the robotic arm and said it was kept safe. But Peter knew that Otto would come out sooner or later. He was too smart to be locked in a cage.
Bobbi was not punished for what happened that night. It is said that she strictly followed the procedures. Peter has no problem with this. If they want to manage people with super powers as ordinary people, what can he blame?
He doesn't care anyway.
Just this one small action. He only allowed himself so much. It was over now.
He told himself this repeatedly.
But every time I turn on the news, that iron determination begins to crumble.
The list of ten people was announced. Ten people killed by Doctor Octopus.
Ten people he could have saved. Ten people who should have been reunited with their families during the holidays.
If he had put on that suit.
Ten people.
Damn it.
Peter knew it wasn't all his fault. The culprit was Osborn. The media thought so too - when they dug up Otto's story, there was a firestorm of public opinion. They made Otto the victim - which he was - and pointed all the finger at Norman.
Now that man faces murder charges. But Peter knows that these charges won't last long in court.
He was lying on his bed, his mind spinning like crazy.
He doesn't know what he should do or what he wants to do. He doesn't want to die. But thanks to the blood of Logan, he can't die either.
So he asked himself: What should I do now?
There is no answer.
He needs help. He needs someone to talk to. He needs to figure out what's going on in his head. He needs a psychiatrist.
He still needs to get out of here. Get out of this.
He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number he had saved a long time ago.
The person on the other end quickly picked up the answer. A calm, gentle voice said, "Hello?"
"Professor." Peter sighed, "It's me, Peter. I need to talk... I need help."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.
"My door is always open for you, Peter. You can come over anytime."
"Thank you, Professor X. Thank you very much."
Hanging up the phone, Peter looked around.
He had to make up an excuse and lie to Aunt May and Uncle Ben, saying that he had to go out to do something. It didn't matter, he would come up with an excuse.
He already has a plan. Just this weekend. This weekend, he will go to see them.