"It's- It's just so crazy-town-banana-pants!" Rachael sighs, gripping onto the warm cup of tea in her hands, letting it burn her skin just a bit to keep herself grounded.

"What?" Johnny asks, from across the café table staring down at the dark liquid inside his coffee cup.

"Sorry, that's something Peter says..." Rachael responds, shaking her head a bit.

"Oh, no I know. Peter used to say it when he was angry, back when we were dating." Johnny says, looking up at her.

"Oh..." Rachael sighs.

"So when did Pete start to get all... weird?" Johnny asks.

"Um... Probably right before that whole thing with Ock." Rachael answers, wiggling her cup around a bit and watching the light brown liquid swish around the rim.

"Are you sure, it's like him, him?" Johnny asks.

"I mean like... body wise everything feels the same, kisses are a bit different, but not like red flag raising. And he doesn't taste like a clone so... It's mentally that seems to be the real issue, he's like different. I don't know how to explain it..." Rachael sighs, looking up at Johnny.

"Maybe he's just struggling with what happened to Ock. I mean they were close-ish before he went crazy, he probably feels responsible." Johnny suggests.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Rachael nods, not really believing him, but trying to accept it.

—

"With things running smoother for Spider-Man, it's time to focus on Phase Two: A Better Life for 'Peter Parker'. And that starts with one Rachael Stark. Parker was such a fool for keeping such a ravishing creature at a distance. A mistake I shall now rectify. Now, to begin my opening gambit..." Otto thinks to himself as he walks inside the small warm dinner Peter and Rachael had been going to since they were teenagers.

"'Opening gambit'?! Who thinks like that? You're not taking over the world here! Well technically you're trying to take over my world, but-" Peter says walking beside Ock unbeknownst to the rest of the world.

"Our third lunch out in a row. Weird, huh?" Rachael smiles, from across the table.

Otto sat down, grinning a bit sinisterly at her. "No. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

"He's saying super villain stuff! How can no one see through this?! Can you please stop this!? Little divine intervention? Something!" Peter practically screams into the void of being confined in Ock's mind.

Rachael looked out the window as a fire truck flew passed, sirens blaring. "Guess we'll have to continue this later."

"What why?" Otto asks, perplexed.

"Don't you have to deal with that? And then go on patrol?" Rachael asks, pointing at the fire truck as it zooms out of view.

"Oh, right..." Otto nods standing up and heading into the outside alley to change. "Bah! Being Spider-Man is so inconvenient!"

"Welcome to the life. Literally. You want to turn over a new leaf? Be a hero? It means sacrifices! With great power must also-" Peter sighs, watching Ock furiously removing his suit.

"You imbecile! I can't fathom how you put up with this nonsense all the time! There has to be a better way!" Otto huffs.

"Really well if it's so easy I'd like to see you try!" Peter says, throwing his invisible arms up in the air.

—

"Behold! My new and improved Spider-Bot! Now follow my designs, my dear mechanoid and construct another eight hundred! Yes, this should solve everything!" Otto laughs, in his old super villain way.

"Doc, this is crazy! You're supposed to be Spider-Man now! Stop with all this mad scientist bull! It's tacky. And just wrong! You should be patrolling the city or doing your actual job! Not whatever this is." Peter says.

"Do you have a mute button?" Otto asks rolling his eyes as a small metal spider, crawls over him and into the desk.

"Only one, but that would require you give me my damn body back!" Peter huffs.

"That enough from you, Parker. Now to attempt that lunch date again, since yesterday's was so rudely interrupted." Otto says, taking off his lab coat and goggles before heading for the door. "Now for the Stark dating trials."

"One word. Ew." Peter gags.