He waits at a desk, writing in a notebook at furious speed. His actuators are coiled at his feet. The room is dark, save for a small desk lamp. Another door, closed, leads to his actual lab.

I'm never quite sure why I visit the nexus. As it is, I have enough to do in my own world. But it always provides a nice diversion.

Take for example, octopus_hubris. An alternate universe version of myself, much older than I, and unbelievably, still alive. As many ridiculous situations as he's gotten himself into, one would think he would at the very least be rotting in prison somewhere. He tried to neutralize me with a crudely made EMP device. Instead, it backfired, and as far as I know, he's dead. Although, this I doubt. One thing I have observed while in the nexus; any man or woman bearing the name Octavius is very hard to kill. Even when they're dead, they don't stay that way long. A very heartening fact for this man, to be sure...

As for myself, I was able to reconstruct my lovely, lovely actuators here in the nexus. When I returned home, I broke free of SHIELD and their idiot General Fury to whom I am going to teach a few things very, very soon...

So close...

Oh, yes.

They're already speaking to me. I can't stop smiling...

I have the equipment, I have the raw materials, and I have the plans. It's time to rebuild.

Rebuild... I will have you again, my lovelies...

And no one will take you from me again.

I need to find a way back to my universe. I need to find my actuators. I need them.

I can't even hear them... are they too far away? Have they been destroyed lost? I can't bear to think of it...

I need them. Yes.

Yes...