May locked the doors as everyone walked through.

"Where's Connors?" Peter asked.

"He told me he wants to stay in the truck" may said.

"Okay" Peter mumbled. Then, glancing at her, he added.
"I feel bad using Happy's place like this" he said

"No, no, no. He'll get over it." May assured him.

Max and flint sat on the couch watching TV. Flint accidentally left sand all over the cushions.
"Oh, sorry" he said, brushing it off- or at least, trying to.

Otto frowned.
"So this is your plan Peter? No lab no facilites? Just performing miracles in a condominium? What you gonna cook us some cures and some frozen burritos in a microwave?" He said

"I could go for a burrito" norman said

"They're gonna kill us all" Otto muttered.

"At this point, I might try too" I mutter under my breath.

"Let's hope not. You're up first, Doc." Peter said

"What? Hey, I told you I don't need fixing"
Otto snapped.

Peter and I circled him, studying the metal fused to his back and neck.

"I don't need fixing! Especially by some teenagers using scraps from a bachelor's junk drawer." Otto barked.

"Nah, nah, nah. He got something back there. I can feel it. That weird energy." Max said

Peter walked into the back room, pulling the white sheet off something large.

"What the hell is that?" Norman asked.

"It's a fabricator" peter said

"It can analyze design construct basically anything." I added.

"I thought that was the tanning bed Happy broke"
May said

"Look at that" May murmured, then Peter opened it- and it smashed through the wall.

"They're going to kill us all" Otto muttered again.

Peter leaned over the tablet, gesturing.
"So the chip in the back of Doc's neck was designed to protect his brain from the Al system that's controlling these tentacles, but if you look here-" Peter started.

"The chip is fried. So rather than him being the one in charge of the tentacles, the tentacles are the ones in charge of him. That's probably why he's so irritated all the time" I finished

Peter grinned.
"Exactly" he said

He leaned over my shoulder while I soldered the last piece in place.

"Remarkable. The technology and you two. When all this is over if you both need a job and you're willing to commute to another universe..." Norman said

I clicked the last piece into place and smiled.

Peter lit up.
"It worked. That totally worked!" He grabbed the chip.

We ran into the outer room.
"We got it. We did it. Will you send him up?" Peter said

"Here we go" may said, raising Otto with the mechanical arms.

"Hold on,'Doc" May told him gently.

"Oh, will these humiliations never cease? You keep your science-fair project away from me!" Otto hissed.

"It'll work. Have faith" norman said

"Says the reckless fool who turned himself into a monster" otto shot back, struggling against the arms.

I used my powers to hold his head still.
"Stop moving, idiot" I grumbled.

"Hold still" peter said, guiding the chip into place.

"Don't you dare I swear, when I get out of this, we're gonna rip you a new-" Otto started.

Click.

Otto's head dropped.

"Doc?" Peter whispered.

"Otto?" I ask softly.

"Dr. Octav- "Peter started

Then his head shot up- in almost a gasp
"It's so quiet. Those voices inside my head. I'd almost forgotten." Otto said softly.

"Otto" Norman said carefully.

"Yes. Norman. It's me." Otto said

Flint whistled.
"Would you look at that?" He said

"I'm grateful dear children. Truly" Otto said

"Yeah- you're welcome" Peter said, shaking his hand.

"You're welcome" I smiled.

"How can I help?" He asked.

Peter and I went back to work on the rest of the cures, focused but tense- until something shifted. I froze mid-reach. Peter looked up, feeling it too.

We walked into the living room slowly.

"Peter? Elizabeth?" Otto asked.

"What's wrong?" Norman asked.

We didn't answer.

"What is it guys? What's wrong?" May asked, stepping forward.

Flint frowned.
"What's happening?" He asked.

Peter stopped in the center of the room. His eyes flicker to max.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Max asked, uneasy.

Peter closed his eyes. But the realization hit me.

It's Norman.

Peters eyes snap open. He shot a web, pinning Norman's hand to the table. My hands began to glow blue.

"That's some neat trick. That sense of yours" Norman said, voice low.

"Norman?" Otto asked.

"Norman's on sabbatical honey." Came a chilling reply.

"The hell?" Max muttered.

"The Goblin" peter said

"No more darker half? Did you really think that I'd let that happen? That I'd let you take away my power just because you're blind to what true power can bring you?" The goblin sneered.

"You don't know me" Peter said.

"Don't I? We don't need you to save us. We don't need to be fixed. These are not curses. They're gifts. You and I both know you understand me" he said

"Norman, no" Otto said.

"Quiet lapdog." Goblin snapped.

"You don't know what you're talking about"
Peter said.

"I've watched you from deep behind Norman's cowardly eyes. Struggling to have everything you want while the world tries to make you choose. Gods don't have to choose. We take." The goblin said.

"May, run!" Peter shouted.

She bolted, grabbing the bag of cures- then chaos erupted.

"Oh my God. What have you done?" Otto yelled.

"I liked you better before" Max said, and before I could react, he raised his hand and fired a bolt of electricity at me. I deflected it with a quick pulse of energy.

The fight was quick- and I was definitely winning.

Then- I felt Peters panic. In that split second- max fired at me, knocking me to the ground. Then took off.

Downstairs, Peter was slammed through the floor with goblin. I dove after them.

I landed just as Norman's hand wrapped around Peter's throat.

"Your weakness Peter is morality. It's choking you. Can't you feel it?" He mocked.

I blasted him back, sending him crashing into debris.

He sent a bomb my way, blasting me back a couple of feet.

Then he grabbed Peter's hair.
"It didn't work. Norman was right. He got it from you that pathetic sickness." He said

He lifted his head.
"You tried to fix me" he snarled.

I stood again, blue energy in hands.
"Let him go" I said, my voice sharp.

"One more move, and he dies." He threatened.

"May, Elizabeth- go" Peter coughed out.

"Now, I'm gonna fix you." Norman said

"Elizabeth, may, run. Please!" Peter begged.

I sent a pulse of energy that made goblin drop him- just as his glider came through the smoke.

"Peter, look out!" I shouted, shoving him out of the way with my powers.

Without a second wasted- it came at me. And May shoved me out of the way. The glider struck her instead.

"Peter, Peter, Peter." Goblin laughed.
"No good deed goes unpunished. You can thank me later." He said

He threw a bomb. Peter dove, knocking it away as it exploded- fire and smoke consuming the room.

"Elizabeth? May?" Peter shouted through the haze.

"Peter?" I coughed.

"I'm here. I'm here." He said, running over.

We found May on the floor. Peter knelt beside her.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Peter asked.

"It's okay. We're fine, right?" May said weakly.

"Yeah-Just a few bruises" I nod weakly too.

"Knocked on my ass" may tried to joke.
"That's all." She whispered.

"Yeah, me too. I think I broke my ribs." Peter said

I grabbed his hand.
"We're okay" I muttered- almost to myself more than anything.

"This is all my fault." Peter said.

"N-No." May said, shaking her head.

"It's not your fault" I said softly.

"I should've just listened to Strange and let him send them back..." Peter whispered.

"You did the right thing. They would have been killed. You did the right thing." May said.

"It's not my responsibility, May." Peter said brokenly.

"Oh. What N-Norman said? My moral mission?
No." May managed.

"No, May, you don't..." Peter started.

"No. No, Peter. Listen. You listen to me. You have a gift. You both do. You have power. And with great power there must also come great responsibility. Let's get the hell out of here." May said, voice shaking.

"Okay, let's go." Peter said, helping her up. But she suddenly went limp.

"I just... need to... catch.." May gasped, sinking to the floor.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Peter asked, brushing her hair back.

"I'm okay" may whispered.

"Yeah, you're okay. What happened?" I asked.

"Just have to... catch my breath..." May said again.

Peter voice broke.
"Okay. We'll catch your breath. I'm right here.
We're right here. We're gonna take our time, you catch your breath and-and then we'll take you to a doctor okay?" Peter said

Then I felt it- warm liquid on my hand. I looked down. Blood.

"Peter." I said, my voice trembling.

He looked at me, horror in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" May asked faintly.

"Somebody help! I need an ambulance! Please, somebody" Peter shouted.

"What happened?" May asked softly.

"Nothing happened. You're okay. You're okay." I whispered, fighting back tears.

"I just have to... catch my breath..." she said again

"Okay. I'm right here. I'm right here." Peter said, voice breaking.

Tears started spilling from my face.
"We're okay....It's just us" I said

May took one last, shallow breath- and then she was still.

"May?" Peter said softly.
"May? Will you look at me, May? Please?" He begged

No response.

"May? May? What are you doing, May? Please, will you just wake up and talk to me, please?" Peter pleaded.

"Please, may" I whispered, clutching her hand.

Then-
"Peter! Elizabeth! Run!" Happy's voice rang out.

We looked up. SWAT swarmed the streets.

Peter looked back down at May, voice breaking.
"I'm sorry." He said, kissing her head.

"I'm so sorry" I whispered, squeezing her hand one last time.

"Alright, come out with your hands up! Come out right now, or we will open fire!" A swat officer shouted.

"We need to go" I whispered.

"Run!" Happy yelled again.

Peter and I stood, and as the gunfire started, I threw up a glowing blue shield. We ran- Peter swinging, me flying- one last glance over our shoulders at May, lying motionless in the smoke.