[ New York ]

—The time was near.

Octavius laid the Multiversal device inside the torn-down building. It wasn't too sturdy or welcoming, but it was the best thing they could have found in that situation. The villains had surrounded it, finally being able to find a place to settle to prepare for the final step.

—The activation.

Although the device was near completion, they were missing some key components. Mainly, they were missing a conduit to connect Dillon's power to the power needed by the device and the liquid that would detect that they were opening the Multiverse—Peter's (Tom) blood.

At least at that point, the scientists were sure that the device they had created was perfect. Connors and Osborn were marvelling at their creation, while the rest were roaming around their temporary base. To Octavius, there was a sense of familiarity with it.

"What now?" Octavius stated to them, who were looking at him cluelessly, "We have the reactor. How are we going to charge it?"

"You tell me, Octavius. You're one of the brightest minds out there." Connors mentioned, setting down beside a table. He gestured for Dillon to settle his chemicals beside him. "What would you do to power a device of that capacity?"

"Then I would need the same electricity source as the one powering Manhattan." Octavius scoured the room for any suggestions, to which there was none. "What conduit could possibly power that? It needs to be something that is made of metal and is easily chargeable. Where do you plan on doing that?!"

"Woah, woah... Octavius. Calm down." Osborn interrupted approaching him.

"You need to rationalise." He continued, circling the eight-limbed man.

"Enlighten me." Octavius told.

"You're thinking small again, Octavius! Think!" Osborn begged, lightly tapping his shoulder. "What can power this? I know you know."

"..." Suddenly, an idea popped into the great mind of Otto Octavius. "—you can't possibly—"

"That's right!" Osborn ripped out a monstrous laugh. "The Statue of Liberty!"

Everyone in the room, even Connors, was astonished by Osborn's bold proposal. Even though they were all capable people that could easily pull it off, the spectacle of having a bout at the Statue of Liberty was next level. None of them even had the privilege of brawling at such a recognisable place.

"Won't we be surrounded by the entire NYPD?" Marko inquired, being unsure that they would put their own identity out there.

"Thinking so small, Marko!" Osborn pointed, "We'll be too big for the NYPD to even imagine once we get this sucker up! We'll be thinking of taking over entire realities when we're done!"

"We don't need to make it such a spectacle, Norman." Octavius disagreed softly. "We can find better alternatives for it."

"We don't have enough time for alternatives." Osborn gestured, "Think about it, Octavius. Every single time we try to get that spider, he keeps on escaping! Well, the Statue of Liberty is a place where he can't run. He can't keep outrunning destiny."

"How can you guess that?" Dillon blurted. "Dude's being brought to prison as we speak."

"Trust me, Dillon..." Osborn growled, "He must have already broken out as we speak..."

"Then how do you suggest we get him to go to the Statue of Liberty?" Octavius contested. "What if another person shows up to foil our plan? What then?"

"You keep thinking small, Octavius!" Osborn shouted, "We'll figure something out!"

Suddenly, they heard loud footsteps approach the middle of the group. It was Beck, who was grinning widely at everyone—as if he had a solution to their very problems.

—And a solution he had.

"May I suggest a alternative?" Beck dramatically spoke, putting his fist to the air. He pulled it tightly, as a loud creak was heard throughout the building.

—Out of nowhere, two teenagers fell to the floor in front of them.

They were groaning, feeling the pain as they were suddenly thrusted onto the floor. All of the villains except for Beck were perplexed by their appearance. From an outside point of view, they were two harmless teenagers who should have innocent and clueless.

But taking a closer look, they weren't.

—It was Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones.

"Bingo!" Osborn smiled, walking over the two teenagers. Seeing as MJ was trying to get up, he grabbed her hair. "Why aren't you a—"

—A grab.

Before Osborn could do any more damage, Octavius commanded one of his tentacles to drag Osborn's hand away. MJ stood back in fear, as Ned comforted her around all these supervillains. Everyone's eyes were fixated on Octavius, who acted unusual.

"And what do you think you're doing, Octavius?" Beck probed.

"What? You don't think it's ridiculous that you're hurting a mere child?!" Octavius questioned them all.

"This will lead to Peter Parker, right?"

Octavius shook his head, "Not at the cause of risking innocent lives like these people."

"And what's with the change of heart, huh?" Beck got even closer to him.

"It's not a change of heart; it's the realization of a sane mind!" Octavius gritted his teeth, looking at Beck. "How do you look at them and not see that they have nothing to with this."

"They have everything to do with this!"

"Ignorant." Octavius scoffed and turned around, "All you think of is yourself."

Osborn recovered from his sudden exchange with Octavius and stepped up. It may have been a situation he'd like to avoid, but it was going to happen somehow.

"Don't go soft on the children, now, Octavius." Osborn glanced at Ned and MJ who were staring at him with anger. "These children are the key to bringing Parker to us."

"I have to agree with Osborn on this, Octavius." Connors butted in, "Parker will surely be the first in line to meet us."

"See, Octavius!" Beck bluffed, sniggering at the scientist. "You've surely lost your—!"

—A tentacle stopped its course at the apex of his neck, mere inches from killing him.

Noticing this, a mound of sand and charging electricity were also shoved into Octavius' face, causing tension in the room. Osborn and Connors were intrigued by this standoff. Ned and MJ could only crawl backwards at the sudden fear of their lives.

"Don't even try it," Marko warned.

"Be careful of what you do next, Octavius." Dillon added. "We only have once chance—don't you mess it up for me!"

Octavius hesitated to lower his guard, but their pressure was building up gradually if they held the stance. Soon after, he yielded and let his tentacles lower themselves. Marko and Dillon did the same, showing off disappointment towards the proclaimed genius.

"Jesus, Octavius. Why do you have to be so difficult." Beck spouted, getting some distance from him.

"That's enough!" Osborn reprimanded, calling Beck to his side. "Connors and I will do some more tests for this mission. Marko and Dillon, you scout out the lady of the hour. And Octavius..."

—With that, he went back to work on the machine.

Octavius grunted, scowling at the people he was working with. Although they were trying to do something that had never been done before through science and kill one of their greatest foes, the cost of having two teenagers—even if they are related to Peter or not—was something he could not just watch and do nothing.

Once Dillon and Marko left, Octavius approached the two teenagers. The other three were too busy discussing features about the Multiversal device that could malfunction during the big night. In Octavius' mind, he knew that the device was too perfect to contain any mistakes.

That was why he managed to sneak past them and engage in a conversation with the two of them. They were looking at him with the same disgust as Beck, but Octavius knew different.

"How close are you to Parker, hm?" Octavius demanded quietly.

"We're not going to—"

One of his tentacles snapped, "How close?"

Ned blurted, "Pr—pretty close..."

Octavius pointed at MJ, "You're the girlfriend, correct?"

"Yes." She answered boldly, something Octavius was impressed by.

"Hm... no fear I presume?" He chuckled to himself. "Parker found a good one... does he love you."

"..." MJ strained, unable to open her mouth.

Octavius knew what he was doing. In one universe, he had Rosie. They went through their hardships and achievements, it was as if they had faced everything in life. Even now that she had been taken away from him, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

He knew that there was a Rosie in that universe he was in, but he knew that he would never truly love that one. There may be different variants of the people he knew, but there will only be one true version that would have caught his heart forever.

—And it goes the same here.

MJ wasn't answering, so Ned thought he would jump in. "I—I mean, the—they're together, sure. I'm sure that—"

"I do..." MJ said so surely that it resonated in the doctor's ears. "I love Peter Parker."

"Hm..." Octavius nodded, letting his tentacles start to move him away.

It was a sudden movement; so sudden that it confused the teenagers to why he would have even have asked that in the first place.

"Why do you want to know that?" MJ spoke.

A last glance, Octavius replied. "Because he's going to need to know it... for what comes next."