To Make a Concubine

Ginny was forced to wait for him, and then to follow him into the lab. Everyone else was there. Peter looked almost as pale as she did.

"Geeze," said Max with his customary tact. "What'd you do, Ock, drown her?" Which was remarkably perceptive of him. She did look half-drowned, pale and soaking wet. Water pooled around her feet.

Otto shot a look back at Ginny. "At least make an effort to keep it under control. I can't hold you together all the time."

She shut her eyes, and the water flowed back into her before she opened them again. Max's eyes widened. "Now, I know she couldn't do that before."

"How uncharacteristically observant of you, Maxwell," Otto muttered as he gathered four scalpels, four needles, and laid them out on a metal tray next to the box he'd brought up. "You each have two options. I do not expect the operation will take long. I have a very potent local anesthetic, or, if any of you prefer, I could put you all the way under. The incisions will be superficial, and I believe any of you could handle it. I'll also add that the latter option may leave you feeling rather nauseous--especially if you've eaten recently--and will be more of a time consuming hassle than anything else. It is, however, entirely up to individual choice."

Unsurprisingly, all four of them chose the local. Ginny found another corner and sat there, her legs pulled up to her chest. Osborn volunteered to go first, taking a seat in the examination chair. The glance he shot Otto was amused, and somehow triumphant. "Let's do this."

While his tentacles sterilized the first set of needle and blade, Otto washed his hands in the sink. Two more of his tentacles slipped latex gloves on his hands while the third and fourth filled the syringe with the anesthetic and pushed out the air. "I'll ask the rest of you to clear the room until I summon you back."

"Then... what was the point of calling us all up together?" grouched Max as he and Flint herded Peter out into the hall.

Ginny stayed where she was, unsure if that included her.

"Wait in the hall," Otto sighed. "I assure you it won't take long, I expect you'll want your individual privacy, and I don't need any extra distractions or contaminates." Really, though, the distractions and contaminates both referred primarily to Max. You as well, my dear. Don't worry, I'll be listening if you find yourself in distress.

She went out into the hall with the others with no complaint, and found yet another corner, pressing herself back into it and watching them. And Max watched her back.

Otto's actuator fished out Norman's chip. They were all about the size of square dimes. "If you'll please remove your pants, Mr. Osborn," Otto directed distractedly, checking the dosage on the painkiller.

Norman raised an eyebrow, but did so without question. "For some reason, I imagined this going into my head," he remarked, sitting back in the chair.

"...conducive to secrecy..." Otto muttered in explanation as his tentacle injected the liquid into Norman's right thigh. When he worked, he tended to forget there was an actual world outside of his own concentration. He waited a bit for the anesthetic to take affect, watching the wall clock. As he waited, he once more became aware of the other man in the room. "You know what's funny? Four days ago, all I cared about was getting Ginny, finishing this project for you, and getting out of here. In light of my new discovery, knowing that we're finally going outsmart SHIELD once and for all, I can't help but anticipate the next step, whatever it may be." After a few minutes, he pulled a chair up next to his subject and made the first cut.

Peter stood in the hall, leaning against a wall, watching Virginia and Max out of the corner of his eye. He felt terrible for what had happened to her. He felt sick thinking that he'd never done anything for her before. Now it was too late for him to help at all. Otto had some kind of mind control thing going on, now. And Peter had almost killed her. God, he'd almost killed her...

And now she was afraid of him too. But not as much as she was of Max. He grinned, watching her cower, and drifted slightly closer. Flint rolled his eyes, grabbing his friend's arm. He murmured into his ear, too softly for Ginny to hear, though it carried to Peter's ears. "Come on, don't try it. You'll have your powers back soon enough and then you can do whatever you want. She'll still be here."

Peter glared at them both and hissed. "Why can't you all just leave her alone? Don't you think she's suffered enough?"

"What do you care so much?" Max shot at him, irritated. "She's just Ock's whore. Already used, so it's not like we're doing any harm." Ginny blinked, but had no other visible reaction.

"I just don't understand how you can be so fucking cold hearted and insensitive. I won't let you hurt her, either. I may not be able to stop Octopus, but I can stop you."

"Try anything and we'll kill your girl," he said callously. Mostly out of contempt for Peter, Max grabbed Ginny by the wrist and pulled her against him, grinding lewdly. "Because she's more important than you, isn't she, precious?" he grinned into Ginny's face.

Something inside Peter snapped. It had been too much. He was sick of trying to chose between two lose/lose situations. "Fuck you!" He screamed at Max. "Fuck both of you!" And before he could stop himself, he punched Max in the side of the head.

Water slammed into both of them, a wall of cold salt water pushing them away from the girl. She shrieked and slid to the floor, her hands up in front of her face. Max was shoved into the opposite wall.

Peter was washed away from Max and ended up sprawled on the rug, coughing, sputtering and shivering. Flint's eyes widened at the sight of so much water and he leaped back as the wave broke across the carpet, washing around his shoes.

Otto had sensed the unease growing in Ginny's mind. He had been moving as quickly as he could, and just as his tentacles were bandaging Norman's thigh, a thin sheen of water rushed under the door, following a thunderous crash in the hall. The doctor glance down as it lapped around his feet. "We leave them alone for a few minutes..." He grumbled, turning to finish the job.

"She seems to be coming into her powers nicely," said Osborn, watching it recede unnaturally. "A success, if not the results I was hoping for."

"Might I ask what exactly you were hoping for?"

"A milder, more controlled version of my own mutation." He tested the tightness of the bandage, and flexed his leg. "Are we done?"

"Yes. I suppose someone should go assess the casualties," Otto sighed. He hoped something had happened to that tactless little prick, Max.

"One moment." Osborn tested the floor to see that it was dry before standing up and donning his pants. "Good job, Otto. Hardly sore."

Otto made some unidentifiable gesture with his metallic appendages and he went to change the gloves and prep the second needle. "Send in... whoever next..."

Norman opened the door to find Max and Peter on the floor and a dripping, shivering Ginny huddling on the floor in the corner. "Peter, you're next," he said, offering the boy a hand up. Max made an indignant sound, but Norman shot him a glance. "You're going last, Mr. Dillon."

Peter got to his feet without Norman's help, and with a nervous glance, slipped through the door.

Otto glanced up at the sound of the door. "Ah, Mr. Parker." His tentacle fished in the box and withdrew the next chip. "I'm implanting this in your right thigh. Remove your jeans and have a seat." He gestured at the chair with a tentacle. "And thank you for at least attempting to straighten Max out. The man is most infuriating, isn't he?"

"Look," Peter said with nervous energy, bouncing from foot to foot. "I don't think I need it. I mean, I can't turn my powers off. I've been using them this whole time..."

Otto didn't glance up at Peter as he cleaned the second blade. "What are you afraid of? Norman said it didn't hurt."

"I don't like surgeries," he said. "Especially from nutty nut bars like you."

"I can't hurt you," Otto said mildly. "It wouldn't be worth the complaints from Norman. Or are you still concerned about that brain puppet joke?"

"Well... I saw what you did to Ginny..."

"You will call her Virginia," Otto snapped. "Besides," his voice was calm again, "that was an entirely different procedure, and I also saw what you and Norman did to her. So, really, if you think about it, who can really trust who?"

"I thought I was helping her," he said, glancing away. He looked so young.

"I told you. The more you meddle, the worse it becomes. The only reason I took her mind was because I knew you two were planning something and I wanted to make sure she'd always be mine, no matter what. Now if you would please cooperate, Mr. Parker..."

Seeing no alternative, Peter took off his jeans. Under them were the more familiar red-and-blue tights, and he stripped them off as well, blushing slightly. He sat down gingerly.

The doctor repeated the same process on the younger man, half listening to Ginny in the hall. There didn't seem to be much wrong, though, aside from the general anger and unease she always seemed to be feeling.

Under Norman's eye, Max didn't dare do anything other than fume. They left Ginny curled in her ball as Peter came out and Flint went in, and then it was Max's turn. "Finally!" he said, practically lunging into the medical lab.

"Mr. Dillon," Otto began with his back to him as he changed the bloody gloves for fresh ones. "I don't suppose there is any calm, civilized way I could convince you to leave her alone?" He wanted so badly to only give Max about two thirds of the painkiller dosage, but decided he wouldn't stoup to that vindictive of a level. Though even if Norman found out and scolded him it would be worth it...

"Get me one?" Max suggested laconically. "Come on, Otto, loosen up."

Three fourths, then... He didn't say anything out loud, except for, "Have any of the others told you how this works?"

"Flint said get in there and drop your pants, and that's it." He did so, taking the chair with an attitude that was simply irritating.

Otto wordlessly went to work, ignoring Max. The only thing he messed with the anesthetic, the rest he did as carefully and exactly as on the others. If anyone asked later, he could say it was simple oversight, and really, he hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days... "Don't go charging up right away," Otto said as his tentacles put the bandages on. "It will need some time to heal first."

"No shit," said Max, rubbing the dressing. He had been stoic through the procedure, but now he winced. "That fucking hurt."

"Really? You're the first one that said that. Well, not exactly, the boy was a bit uncomfortable, too, I suppose." Otto went about cleaning up with the usual stony expression on his face.

"Ass," he muttered, pulling his pants back on. "Some of us don't get off on pain like your girlfriend."

The doctor didn't bother with a retort because, apparently, it was true. As soon as Max was done getting dressed, however, Otto mentally called is 'girlfriend' back to his side. Even when he could monitor her, he hated having her where he couldn’t see her.

Out in the hall, Peter was startled when Ginny lurched to her feet and walked woodenly into the lab, pushing past Max as he came out. She went unwillingly to Otto's side, glaring at him.

I don't like not being able to see you. Otto turned and smiled at her over his shoulder for an instant before going back to washing his hands.

I don't like being near you. She dragged a stool into a corner again. She liked the security of corners, even though they'd never helped her.

Unfortunately, the first time you weren't near me, Max and Flint assaulted you, and the second time Peter and Norman almost killed you. Though you could probably defend yourself against three of them, I worry even more now that Max has his powers back.

She remembered the tingle of electricity from the first time she'd encountered Max, and shivered. And then wondered if her new powers could be used against Otto. Some of that thought leaked through despite her best efforts.

I wouldn't try it. I can control your powers as well, remember?

Not when you're asleep. Her thoughts were much more defiant than her words had ever been.

Otto turned and glared at her, his rage at her defiance leaking through the connection. I can be much more powerful than you think. I don't want to hurt you, Ginny, but you keep forcing me to.

Get. Out. of my. Head. She glared back, pushing at the link.

He pushed back harder, tearing the mental door open and filling her head. No. My mind is stronger than yours. We can continue these little mental wrestling matches for as long as you like, but at the end of the day, you still belong to me. His presence wrapped around her brain, sinking into every crevice he could find.

She fought back, unaware of her body as she tried to force him out. She was stronger mentally than he might have given her credit for, but there were vast, exploitable cracks and yes, his mind was stronger.

The harder she fought, the harder Otto clamped down. If she was going to be able to speak in his head, he had to show her he was still the one in charge. As he delved farther in, he thought he heard something. It was a male voice, but it wasn't one he recognized.

"...the girl Octopus fucked... Jack... jack off Jack..."

Otto stopped. He could hear her memories, or at least pieces of them; pieces that drifted in and out like a radio with bad reception.

Ginny froze when he touched her memories, staring at nothing.

Nothing special about you... Just a whore. If you sucked him, you can suck me.... That's it, Virginia...

She began to shake.

Well this is interesting... The sadistic grin was apparent in Otto's voice. Very interesting indeed. Shall we dig a little deeper?

"NO!" she shrieked both aloud and in his mind. No, get out, get OUT!

I didn't hear you ask nicely, my girl... And with that he plunged forward again, ignoring her cries, until he found the memory he was seeking. He heard a snarling dog and a shrieking boy. He could also hear a younger version of Ginny screaming. He'd heard her scream enough times to recognize it.

She jerked, standing rigidly and staring at the wall. To her, the dog was there, and she watched it drag her brother away, and she just began to scream and scream and scream.
Outside the room, they could all hear her. Norman stepped in front of the door before Peter could even move. "Leave them."

Peter was trembling all over. It sounded like she was being tortured in there. She probably was, too... Norman was right, though. He couldn't interfere. The more he tried, the worse it got, even if he tried to keep the fact that he was doing something a secret. He couldn't just stand and listen, though. He couldn't...

Inside the room, Otto pulled out of Ginny's mind and just stood watching her. You see? You see what I can do?

She stared at him, trembling. She still felt like that little girl, and he was the dog now. "I.... I...." She couldn't even answer him.

Otto held a hand out to her, and left her to come to him of her own free will. "Come on, my dear."

She took an unsteady step, and then another, and she took his hand. "Don't let the dog get me," she whispered.

"Don't worry, my precious. Everything will be fine." Otto held her close with an arm around her waist as he left the medical facility. He passed the others without looking at them.

Peter looked carefully at the floor as the two passed. She wasn't bleeding, which was slightly reassuring, but the way she leaned into Octavius was somehow obscene, as if she actually was becoming a part of him.

Slowly, slowly, the panic drained away from her mind, leaving nothing. The only thing he could feel through the link was a rushing noise, one that matched the ebb and flood of the waves on the beach in front of the house.

Otto gave her a weird sideways look as he walked her back into their room. "What are you doing?" He reached through the link a littler farther. "Are you using your powers?" But he couldn't reach past the sound to find her mind. It built, growing louder and louder. Her eyes stayed fixed straight ahead. "What are you doing?" He demanded, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. "Answer me!"

Her eyes wouldn't focus on him and the sea sound built to a deafening mental roar. Otto grabbed his head with human hands and shrank the link as far as he could. His tentacles struck out, trying to knock her concentration loose. But it wasn't a matter of concentration. Ginny was dimly aware of her body as it collapsed to the floor, but the greater part of her mind was loose, out in the waves. She smiled vacantly.

Someone pounded at the bedroom door and then it went down, knocked out by a pillar of sand. Osborn stomped in. "Make her stop," he commanded Octavius. "Make her stop now."

"I'm trying," Otto snapped, more pissed at Ginny than Norman. He gritted his teeth against the sound and dove into her mind again. I'M IN CONTROL! LISTEN TO ME! He found the center that controlled her powers and began wrestling with her to turn it off.

Slowly, he began to reach them, but Osborn was impatient. He pulled Ginny away from Octavius. "Go see what she's done," he snapped. "Max, make her stop." Max was still in the hall, staring at the window facing the beach, but at Norman's command, he jumped.

But Otto wasn't listening to Norman. He was in her mind, and he could read the memory of what she'd done. The water had filled the beach and had reformed to read: Bad Guys Here. He should have known he'd been too lenient with her. He should have broken her wrists when he had the chance. Letting her get away with this would only make her even more disobedient, and she had to understand that he, Otto, was her master. Ignoring the other two, he slammed harder into her psyche, crashing down on the area that controlled her abilities and squashing them out with his fist. Simultaneously, he zapped her in the back of the neck with the tazer tentacle, hoping to disrupt her brain functions.

A scream broke through the surf and she arched, trying to escape the pain. A crashing splash outside signaled that she had lost control of her 'sign', and she collapsed again, jerking and twitching.

Otto strode up next to her, still unaware of anything that wasn't him and her. "You treacherous little harlot." He grabbed her wrists with his tentacles. The tentacle on her left twisted and her wrist snapped audibly.

She shrieked and struggled to get away, all traces of water fading out of her mental voice. "No, no NOnoNO..." she howled, jerking until she thought she'd lose the broken hand.

He tilted his head at her, thoughtfully, as though he were contemplating a particularly interesting test subject. "Perhaps it would like to lose its other wrist as well..." His claws tightened on her right wrist.

"No, please, please no!" she begged.

Norman turned to Max and Flint. "Get Parker downstairs. Pack up anything you think we might need. We may have to leave suddenly."

"Oh, no, it won't be begging its way out of this one." The doctor smirked darkly. "I fear I have been far too lenient lately. It brought this on itself." He effortlessly snapped her other wrist. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Ginny gasped in pain and curled around her broken wrists, unable to answer him for the panting sobs.

Otto finally looked at Norman. "Where are we going and when are we leaving?"

"As soon as I find out if Fury saw her little display, and I don't know yet." He looked furious. "I should never have let you keep her."

"You were the one who gave her the power to do that, Norman. Even the tampering I did wouldn't have caused any harm as far as being discovered goes."

He reached down and grabbed one of her shattered wrists, pulling her out of the whimpering ball she had withdrawn into. "You told me that you had her under control."

"You're experiment also created a two way telepathic link. I heard that she was using her powers but she also used the sound to disguise her thoughts and make it more difficult for me to enter her mind. I hadn't been aware she could do that until a few moments ago. I know how to deal with it now, though that doesn't help much."

"Interesting." He pulled her off the floor and she screamed again as he lifted her by the broken wrist. "Convince me that this won't happen again."

"What exactly would you like me to do?" Otto inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Osborn looked murderous. "Give me one reason not to kill her for this."

He chuckled at the pain and panic that was rushing through her mind. "Really, Norman, I will punish her sufficiently for this. But if you must have reasons... She's a successful trial of the brain puppet experiment. I'll need her for additional research. Also, she's quite a useful asset when she is obedient, and I won't let this happen again."

"You shouldn't have let it happen this time."

"You should have told me you were going to do this to her."

"Hnnn...." Osborn shifted his grip to her throat, switching hands. He was frighteningly strong, and his features were becoming subtly less human. Ginny kicked and choked. "Does she need to be able to walk for your experiment?"

"Not particularly." Otto was too angry with her to try to stop Osborn, as long as Osborn didn't kill her.

"Does she need to be able to see?"

Ginny pleaded and begged through the mental link, promising to behave forever if Octavius took her away from Osborn. The doctor's voice was calm, but Ginny could feel his satisfaction that she was once more turning to him for protection.

"If you maim her now, she'll be harder to move if we have to get out quickly. Trust me, Norman, I have the situation under control."

He threw her into Otto's arms with a frustrated snort.

"Thank you." Goddammit, Ginny, you had better keep your promise.

She promised and swore, her mental voice getting more and more faint. And then she went limp against him, losing consciousness. She was even more pale then before, and still frigid. Shock.

Osborn's expression softened slightly. "A lot of trouble from someone so... fragile."

"I know." The smile Otto gave her unconscious form was creepy and possessive. "Then again, she's been through quite a bit of mental hell today, as well."

"I'm beginning to see what you find so appealing about her, I believe."

The smile melted into a scowl and he held her closer to his chest, eyeing the other man suspiciously but not speaking.

Norman rolled his eyes. "Just... take her. Do whatever with her. We'll know within the hour if she's blown our cover."

Otto relaxed visibly and took her back to the med lab to set her wrists. "No broken rulers and torn up shirts this time, Ginny," he murmured as he laid her out on one of the beds and gathered the materials. "I can't believe you did this." His voice had hardened. "Dammit, why can't you just accept my control of you?" The edge left his tone as he began tending to her wrists. "I know a lot has happened in the last twenty four hours. I know it's difficult for you to comprehend and process. My poor frail little creature..."

She moaned, slowly waking up again. "Don't want to be a pet...."

"Sh... Now's not the time to start another one of these little arguments." His tone was vaguely condescending, as though he was talking to a child.

He could feel her objection to that, but she said nothing. "My arms hurt."

"I'm not surprised. That was, after all, the point."

"I didn't use my hands.... Why my wrists?" It simply didn't make sense to her. Nothing did.

"It's a quick, painful punishment that doesn't too greatly impair your overall ability to function."

"Can't use my hands... More surgeries...."

"I tried to make it a cleaner break this time. And though I will miss your hands," here he smirked obscenely, "I believe we'll both be able to survive."

She cringed when he set the bones. Survive? What if I don't want to anymore?

"Don't think that way. You're rebelliousness is what brings this kind of thing about."

Kill me?

"Why do you even bother to ask? You know I won't."

He could sense a vague plan to force him to kill her, though she was trying to hide it.

Otto slipped into her head so he could grab control of her quickly if he had to. "Ginny..." he warned.

She wasn't trying anything now, just staring vacantly at the ceiling. The waves were still calling to her. "I hate you," she said listlessly.

He smiled and stroked her face with one of the metal snakes. "I know, but remember your promise." Finishing her wrists, he stood up. "Come along, I have some things to pack up in case we leave suddenly. And you might want to change your clothing."

She didn't move.

"I know you hate it even more when I take control of you. Don't force me to."

"I don't care."

Otto shook his head. "Very well." He made her stand up and walk with him upstairs. At the computer, he started burning the information he'd downloaded from SHIELD to a disk and took Ginny back into their room. As much as he loved seeing her dressed nicely, he found her some jeans and a t-shirt. He himself changed into black jeans, a black t-shirt, and put on a black hooded sweatshirt. Meanwhile, he had Ginny change into the outfit he'd selected for her.

She was uncooperative, but she didn't fight him either. She was merely a passenger in her own body as he conducted her movements. The only sound Ginny made was a sharp wince when he forced her to put her broken arms through the sleeves of the new shirt. Other than that, she was a silent automaton.

When he finished, Otto took her down the lab with him and began packing up the research he'd done. If they did come and search the house, he didn't want to leave anything that might alert them to the chips. He didn't want to leave any of the brain puppet material behind, either. After double checking everything, he took Ginny under one arm and walked back upstairs on his tentacles. If they were going to leave, he was running out of time. He stopped by the study to get the disk and went back to their bedroom to put it all in a duffle bag he'd found.

She let her mind wander away, following the sound of water again. She didn't try to control it this time, just drifted in it, only dimly aware of what he was doing. She began to write a letter to James in her head, not caring that Otto might hear.

Dear James.
Life sucks. Forget the therapist. If I ever get home, I need a straightjacket. And a lobotomy. And institutionalization.
Or maybe just a grave.

Otto went over a mental check list of the things in the med lab. There wasn't anything he could think of that would lead back to them. There would be finger prints, of course, but those would be all over the house. Everything seemed in order to him.

Osborn came in, without knocking this time. He shot a glance at Ginny, standing empty-faced where Otto had left her. "Are you ready?" he asked, terse again. "They're on their way."

Otto slung the bag over his shoulder, picked up Ginny, and rose up slightly on his tentacles. "Have you chosen a new location?"

He nodded. "But we won't have a lab. You'll have to make do."

Otto went over his mental checklist again. "Hn... Yes, I suppose I can." He was moving down the stairs now. The others were gathered in the living room.

Max smirked at the splints on Ginny's wrists. "Aw, now she can't give you a hand job." Flint cuffed him.

"Not the time."

"No, it's not the time at all," said Norman sourly. "Fury's satellites picked up on Ginny's little trick, and he's on his way. We have to relocate. There is a storage facility that I own, about forty miles north of here. Farther away from the water. It's not a place on the books, so to speak, so they shouldn't look there."

Peter winced when he saw Ginny's wrists. He knew Otto had done it. He'd heard her screaming, even though he hadn't seen the act committed.

The doctor thought for a minute. He could almost remember the place Norman was talking about, but he'd only been there once. "Then what are we waiting for?" He asked impatiently, moving for the door.

Max beat him outside, stripping as he went. "Meet you there!" he shouted, blue light crackling over his skin and launching him into the air. Clearly, he was overjoyed to be able to use his powers again. Flint didn't seem to mind either, catching up to his friend.

Osborn looked between them and Otto, and then at Peter. "Go with them," he said firmly to the boy. "And remember, nothing funny." He handed him back a single web-shooter.

The boy swallowed and nodded, clipping the web-shooter to his wrist. He was off after the others in no time, and caught up with them quickly. He was uncomfortable, especially after punching Electro. Peter stayed silent, and he stayed behind them.

Otto blindfolded Ginny once they were outside. He didn't want her to be able to find her way back here on her own. "Why split up?" He asked as he began striding along on his tentacles.

"I'm worried that Peter might be tempted to try something. And those two are more expendable than we are."

Ginny jumped a little when he tied the cloth over her eyes. Can't see! She tried to paw it off.

"That's the idea," Otto muttered to her. "Now stop it."

"Keep her quiet," growled Osborn, shifting into the massively hulking other form. "Let's go."