Chapter 7: I: Earth's Mightest Heroes
It was November 15th, 8:52 AM. Peter was frantically getting himself ready, as today was a very big day.
"Peter slowed down," said Aunt May as she watched her nephew rush around.
"Sorry, can't Aunt May!" Peter yelled as he grabbed his camera and began putting on his jacket back to front. "Jonah expects me to be of the Avengers' new headquarters to take some pics."
"I must say I'm not entirely comfortable knowing that the Hulk is here in New York," Aunt May admitted.
"You said the same thing about Spider-Man?" Peter pointed out as he put his jacket the right way round.
"That's different, Peter. Spider-Man didn't destroy half the city whenever he got angry."
"I'm sure the Avengers wouldn't have invited him to join their ranks if they weren't confident he was a danger," Peter assured her.
"Still, do be careful," said Aunt May.
"I promise," said Peter as he kissed on the cheek before leaving the house.
No sooner had he closed the door behind him, spun around, and come face-to-face with MJ.
"Hey, Tiger," she smiled, leaning towards him.
"MJ? What are you doing here?" Peter asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you were free," she said, looking disappointed. "Though considering how much of a rush you're in, I'm guessing not."
"Sorry, MJ, but Jonah has given me an assignment at the Avengers' new headquarters," said Peter regretfully. He then suddenly got a crazy idea. "But he never said I couldn't bring a friend along."
MJ's face lit up. "You're going to bring me face-to-face with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Tiger, you know how to show a girl a good time."
She then wrapped her arms around Peter's, and they made their way to the city.
At the Avengers Mansion, their headquarters, Iron Man was going through today's events with the other Avengers and his butler, Jarvis. Jarvis was in his 60s, but he was anything but fragile; he stood there, not an inch moving, beside the Hulk.
Thor was a very muscular man with long blond hair, dressed in medieval garments with a hammer strapped to his side, and he merely stood there. Wasp was the youngest of the group, roughly 25 years of age, with short black hair and a very tight yellow and black striped suit; she was currently standing next to Ant-Man, who was about the same age as Tony, was wearing a helmet resembling an ant's head while wearing a red suit with a silver belt around his waist.
"Okay, we'll be starting the press conference at 11, and I want everyone on their best behaviour," said Ironman.
"Is this truly necessary, Tony?" Ant-Man asked.
"We need to show the public they can count on us," said Iron Man.
Ant-Man folded his arms. "Really, because this looks like another one of your political stunts to me."
"Hank, be nice," said Wasp, elbowing him. "Tony's not wrong; the public is rather nervous, with so many supervillains escaped at once."
"We should be out there smashing bad guys, not looking pretty," Hulk grunted.
"While I do not care for his demeanour. Hulk is right, Iron Man," said Thor. "Stopping these villains has to be our priority."
"Guys, I know that press conferences and interviews are not exactly your thing, but we're worldwide known superheroes; we need to stay in touch with the people," said Iron Man.
"Like you do?" Ant-Man asked dubiously. "When was the last time you spoke to anyone who wasn't rich or influential?"
"Can we at least pretend that we get along in front of the cameras?" said Iron Man.
The Avengers looked at one another and slowly began to leave, with only Jarvis to remain with Iron Man.
"I think it is safe to say that you have your work cut out for you, sir," said Jarvis.
"We have to make this work, Jarvis; there's no way that we can overcome so many supervillains at once," said Iron Man.
"I understand that, sir, but your team was only just put together, and there is very little trust among your fellow heroes. Master Henry has made it no secret that he has animosity toward you after the little incident with Ultron. Miss Van Dyne is certainly more agreeable than the rest about this team, but she is less inexperienced than everyone present. Master Thor has spent little time with us mortals, and as such, he's experiencing cultural shock. As for Master Hulk, he has been hounded ever since day one, so he has very little trust in any of us."
"I do understand that, Jarvis, but S.H.I.E.L.D can hardly be trusted," Iron Man pointed out.
"And yet you are still willing to work with?" Jarvis pointed out.
"No point in burning all the bridges; besides, someone needs to take the villains into custody when we capture them."
"Speaking of which, do you have a place to house these villains?" Jarvis asked. "The Vault, Big House and Raft were destroyed during the break, and there has yet been no word on the Cube."
"For now, until a new prison is being built, S.H.I.E.L.D is taking care of it. However, an old colleague of mine, Reed Richards, has proposed an idea for a new prison; we're just waiting for Nick Fury's seal of approval."
"Very well, sir," Jarvis nodded. "Though I do hope everyone gets along, considering that Master Thor and Master Hulk will be staying in the mansion permanently, effectively making themselves roommates."
"You know that's what I always like about you, Jarvis; you always put things in perspective," said Iron Man.
It was almost 11 o'clock, and Peter was outside Avengers Mansion with MJ. They weren't alone, as the entire gate was swarming with reporters.
"I think every single newspaper reporter is here," said MJ.
"Well, it is a big event," said Peter.
"Which is why Jonah is trusting you to take some pretty good pics," said Betty as she approached them.
"So you're the reporter Jonah sent?" Peter asked. "I thought he would send Eddie Brock?"
"He almost did, but I convinced him to send me instead," Betty smiled.
"I take it you work at the Daily Bugle with Peter?" MJ assumed.
"Betty Brant," said Betty, shaking hands with MJ.
"Mary Jane Watson."
"Are you Pete's new girlfriend?" Betty assumed.
"Something like that," MJ smiled.
Betty looked at Peter. "I like her."
"I do, too," said Peter.
MJ then leaned in towards Peter. "She's cute."
"You think?" Peter asked.
"Gwen, Liz and now this Betty, you seem to surround yourself with pretty women. It makes a girl jealous."
"What can I say? I only surround myself with the best," Peter smiled.
"Smooth talker," MJ smiled, kissing him on the cheek.
The mansion's doors opened, and the Avengers stepped out. Peter quickly pulled out his camera and began snapping pictures. Iron Man then made his way to the podium to address everyone.
"Thank you all for coming," said Iron Man. "Now, I'm sure that everyone here has questions, so go ahead and shoot."
"Iron Man, why did it take so long for the Avengers to have a base of operations?" Betty asked.
"It took some time renovating the mansion for our use. Mr Stark was gracious in allowing us to use Stark Tower as our base until we could find somewhere more permanent. The mansion belonged to Maria Stark, Tony Stark's mother, and Mr Stark felt it would be an ideal location for our base."
"So all of you are going to be living at Avengers Mansion from now on?" a reporter asked.
"No, Thor and Hulk are the only Avengers who will be living here permanently."
"Isn't it rather hazardous to the city to keep those two here alone?"
"Mr Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis, will be living here as well, and I have every confidence that he can keep everything stable."
"That is a lot of faith to put in a non-superpowered person?"
"He's more than capable, I can assure you."
This round of questions kept on going, and Peter could tell that the reporters were aching onto the fact that Hulk was a massive bowl of anger. Hulk just remained quiet, though he glared at them every time the reporter mentioned him.
"They're really going hard on the Hulk," said MJ.
"I feel sorry for the guy?" said Peter as he took some shots.
"Why?"
"Well, we've been told that he's dangerous, yet he's standing side-by-side with some of the world's greatest heroes. Also, let's not forget he saved a lot of lives during a Breakout."
"Yeah, but you've seen all over the news how he destroys everything."
"Daily Bugle says that Spider-Man is a menace, and we know that's not true."
"I guess," said MJ, not sounding convinced.
"Now, I would like to invite you all into Avengers Mansion, where you can ask individual questions and take some photos," said Iron Man.
The reporters and photographers took him up on that offer and swarmed into the mansion. It was undoubtedly grand; it had a marble floor, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.
"This place is certainly fancy," said MJ.
"Thinking of buying a place like this?" Peter smirked.
"I wish."
Peter then saw Hulk, sulking in the corner. He noticed that none of the reporters or photographers was getting anywhere close to him.
"Peter, what are you doing?" MJ asked worriedly.
"My job," he said.
"But that's the Hulk," MJ pointed out.
"I know who he is."
"I just think you shouldn't get too close to him," she said worriedly.
"I'll be perfectly fine."
Peter then took his position carefully and snapped a picture of Hulk. However, he noticed the flash and immediately turned on Peter with an angry growl.
"What are you doing?" he growled.
"Uh, taking a picture," said Peter, innocently holding up his camera.
"Taking a picture of the monster."
Thor then quickly stepped in. "Steady thou hand, brute. This young mortal is merely taking a photo of thee."
"Maybe I don't want my picture taken," Hulk growled.
"Now, let's all calm down," said Iron Man as he quickly stepped in. "There's no need to get out of the caution over a simple photo."
"Easy for you to say, tin man," Hulk glared. "You don't get called a monster in the newspapers."
By this point, many reporters and photographers turned in their direction, and many of them had deep, concerned looks.
"I'm leaving," Hulk growled and walked away.
Iron Man turned to the crowd. "Nothing to see here, folks, just Thor and Hulk flexing their muscles slightly."
"Yes," said Wasp quickly. "That's just normal between those two. They're just trying to determine which one of them is the strongest; nothing to be concerned about."
Peter felt that the reporters weren't buying that explanation, but they continued their questions nonetheless.
"It was certainly a brave thing you did, kid," said Iron Man. "A bit stupid, but brave nonetheless."
"Just doing my job," Peter shrugged.
"Hope your boss gives you dangerous money."
"He hardly gives me money at all."
"Which paper are you from?" Iron Man asked.
"He's with me," said Betty as she walked up. "Betty Brand, Daily Bugle, and you've met our freelance photographer, Peter Parker."
"The same young photographer who takes the excellent shots of Spider-Man," said Jarvis as he walked up.
"One and the same," Peter shrugged.
"Now you're trying to get shots of the Hulk?" said Iron Man.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, but you have to understand Hulk has been hounded ever since he came into existence, so he has difficulty trusting anyone."
"And I suppose he would say no to an interview?" Betty assumed.
"I think you might have to wait on that," said Iron Man.
Soon, the tour of the mansion came to an end, and everyone began to leave.
"Well, that could have gone better," said Ant-Man.
"It could have gone a lot worse as well," said Wasp positively.
"Hey, they looked around, asked a few questions and got out alive. I call that a win," said Iron Man.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hulk growled.
"Steady your hand, brute," said Thor as he raised his Mjolnir.
"Whoa, let us all calm down before we do something we regret," said Iron Man, quickly placing himself between the two of them.
"I already regret coming here," Hulk growled as he walked off.
"Is it me, or is he a lot angrier than usual?" Wasp asked.
"Hard to tell with him," said Ant-Man.
"It would seem I have my work cut out for me," Jarvis sighed.
All of them remain entirely unaware of the woman with long blonde hair in a green dress looking down at them from the balcony. She merely smiled and then disappeared in a puff of green smoke.
"Well, that was an interesting experience," said MJ.
Peter had treated MJ to lunch; they were currently at the Coffee Bean.
"And I think I've got some decent shots to keep Jonah happy," said Peter, smiling at his camera.
"I still don't feel at all safe with the Hulk looking around. I mean, he looked as if he was going to tell you in half just for taking a picture."
"I think that's an exaggeration," said Peter. "Besides, technically, he's one of the smartest men on the planet."
"I find that hard to believe," said MJ.
"His real name is Bruce Banner, and he's the world's leading expert on radiation."
"How do you know who he is?" MJ asked.
"There was an incident in Harlem a few years back; you must have heard about it on the news."
"I do remember that a battle was raised between the Hulk and the Abomination."
"Well, this is what happened."
Two years ago, on June 23rd at 21:23 PM, Spider-Man was making his way back home.
"Hmm, just another day for your friendly neighbourhood, Spider-Man," Spider-Man sighed. "Man, I would wish something happened."
Then he sensed his spider-sense tingling and quickly swung out of the way just in time to avoid getting crushed by something smashed right through the building. He looked down and saw two massive creatures wrestling; one was a large, green man, and the other was similar in size but covered in armour plating, looking more monstrous, an abomination.
He saw army helicopters flying overhead, shining their searchlights down upon the two creatures.
"Okay, I take it back," said Spider-Man.
"Hulk smash!" the big green one yelled, slamming his fist against the creature.
"You're nothing more than a giant brute!" said the creature.
Spider-Man had no idea what was going on, but he knew people were in danger as rubble was being hurled in all directions. He quickly swung in, webbing up as much trouble as he could and saving as many people as he could.
"Oi, fellas, would you say we break this up?" said Spider-Man as he swung towards them.
"Stay out of this pest!" said the creature, knocking Spider-Man with one good swing.
Spider-Man found himself flying until he landed on the ground rather harshly.
"Okay, not doing that again," he groaned as he picked himself up.
"Are you all right?" a concerned voice asked.
He looked up and saw a young woman kneeling next to him. She was rather pretty, with long brown hair, a complete mess; he noted her clothes were tattered.
"I'm good but still rather confused by what's happening?" he said.
"My father's is what's happening," she muttered.
Spider-Man looked at her, confused. "Come again?"
"My name is Betty Ross, and the big green guy is my boyfriend," she explained.
It took a few moments for Spider-Man to process what she just said. "I think I must have hit my head pretty hard because it sounded as if you said the big green guy is your boyfriend."
"That's what I said."
"You're going to have to explain this to me one more time," he said.
"His name is Bruce Banner, and he's not always like that; he just has a condition."
"Some condition," said Spider-Man. He then blinked as he recognised the name. "Wait, Bruce Banner? As the world's leading expert on radiation."
"Ah, you know him."
"Yeah, but I thought he was dead."
"That's a make-believe story my father told so he could go around the world hunting him down without me knowing. I only found out the truth a few weeks ago."
"I'm getting the sense that you don't see eye to eye with your father."
"He's a military man; I'm a scientist; we clash on many things."
"And what's that abomination fighting him?"
"I think he's one of my father's men, and it looks like he's gone through the same process as Bruce."
They watched as Hulk fought against the Abomination. While it looked like Hulk was trying to avoid hurting innocent civilians, the same cannot be said for the Abomination. They watched as he grabbed the car, hit Hulk with it, tossed its remains aside, and crashed into a building. Spider-Man quickly fired some webbing to prevent the rubble from falling on the innocent civilians below.
"Those two are going to wreck the city at this rate," said Spider-Man.
"You're not seriously going to jump into that?" Betty asked.
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
Spider-Man fired a web line and swung towards the battle. He didn't particularly like the idea of jumping into the middle of a war zone against two forces of nature, but he had little choice. On that note, he decided that helping the monster that wasn't purposely destroying everything in sight was the best course of action.
"Hey, ugly!" Spider-Man yelled as he swung in, performing a dropkick on Abomination.
He managed to catch Abomination by surprise, but his attack had minimal effect except for making the Abomination angry.
"You should have stayed out of this bug!" he roared and swung his fist.
Spider-Man quickly swirled out of the way, avoiding the massive fist by mere inches. He then fired some webbing, which struck Abomination straight in the eyes. Hulk took full advantage of this and punched Abomination hard in the face.
"Bug-Man, helping Hulk?" he said, confused.
"A pretty lady friend of yours was concerned for you," Spider-Man smiled, gesturing to Betty.
"Betty?" said Hulk with a longing voice.
"Now, what do you say I help you out by smashing this guy?" Spider-Man asked, gesturing to Abomination, who just got back up.
"Let's smash!" Hulk roared.
With the two of them working together, they began to overpower Abomination. Spider-Man swerved in with some hit-and-run attacks to distract him long enough for Hulk to deal him some massive blows. They attacked him so frequently that he didn't have any time to react.
Abomination tried swinging his fist at Spider-Man, but he quickly jumped over the best and then dealt a roundhouse kick across his face. Then, when he was winded, Hulk punched him hard in the chest. Spider-Man landed behind him and fired some webbing at his back to hold him in place, and Hulk dealt in yet another blow.
"You can't beat me!" Abomination yelled.
"Really?" said Spider-Man as he punched him in the face so hard he stumbled and ran straight into Hulk's fist, knocking him flat. "Because I think we just did."
"Bug-Man knows how to fight," said Hulk.
"You know it," Spider-Man smiled.
He then looked up at the sky, and the military helicopters continued to circle around them. Hulk noticed that the helicopters weren't leaving and looked at Spider-Man.
"Hulk needs to go," he said.
Hulk looked at Betty with a longing gaze, then turned, leapt a massive distance, and soon disappeared into the night.
An hour later, a U.S. Army general in his 50s had warned of the entire area. He was less than happy to find that Hulk was gone. He soon learned that his name was Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross, and he was quite the opposite of his daughter.
"You just let him escape?" he roared.
"Why not? He was a big help taking this guy down?" said Peter, gesturing to Abomination, bound in titanium cuffs.
"He is a monster! A danger to every woman and child!" Ross roared, practically speaking in his face. "Look at the damage done here!"
"And from what your daughter told me, your man did the damage," said Spider-Man.
"Give me one good reason why I should arrest you on the spot?" Ross glared.
"Because if you do, I'll tell everyone the truth!" said Betty as she walked up to her father.
Ross' face softened when he saw his daughter. "Betty, you have to understand I'm doing this for your good."
"By lying to me?" she said in tears. "You told me Bruce was killed in the explosion. Then he began hunting him down like a criminal."
"He's a monster!"
"Then why did he save me? Save everyone here?" Betty asked.
A soldier then rushed up to Ross and whispered something in his ear. Ross nodded and turned to leave.
"We're moving out," he said. He looked at Spider-Man, narrowing his eyes. "And if I catch you messing with military operations, you'll find yourself a nice cosy cell in the Raft."
"Don't worry, you won't catch me," said Spider-Man.
Ross merely glared and made his way over to his helicopter.
Betty then turned to Spider-Man. "Thank you for your help, Spider-Man."
"No problem, but what about Hulk?"
"I'm sure he can look after himself, and maybe someday the world will see him not as a monster."
Peter finished his story with MJ, naturally leaving out the bit that he was Spider-Man.
"I see what you mean," said MJ. "Now I can't help but feel sorry for him. I would be angry with people chasing after me so relentlessly."
"Hopefully, being the Avengers will stop that from happening," said Peter openly.
"You're very optimistic, aren't you, Tiger?" MJ smiled.
"What can I say? I like to look on the bright side of things," Peter shrugged.
"Despite everything, seeing the Avengers and their headquarters was nice."
"Yeah, it must be nice having a billionaire to back you up."
"Well, maybe someday you'll be able to do the same. You're just as smart as Tony Stark."
"Thanks for the compliment," Peter smiled.
"I take it that you'll head off to the Daily Bugle next?" MJ assumed.
Peter nodded regretfully. "Yeah, I got these pictures to my boss or else he'll eat me out."
"Then I guess it's my cue to go home," said MJ as she got to her feet. "See around, Tiger."
Peter soon arrived at the Daily Bugle and gave Joan the photos he had taken.
"You really expect me to pay for these?" Jonah asked.
"What's wrong with them?" Peter asked.
"They're boring. That's what's wrong with them. No action or anything is exciting."
"Jonah, it was just a press conference," said Robbie as he made his way inside the office. "Plus, according to Betty, Peter was the only one to take a photo of the Hulk."
"He was?" said Jonah, looking up.
"All the other photographers were too afraid to get anywhere near him."
"Well, in that case, I'll give you 600 bucks for the lot," said Jonah as he quickly began writing a cheque.
Peter decided not to argue and took the cheque.
"I was hoping for a lot more," said Peter as he looked at the cheque.
"He did give more than usual," Robbie argued. "Plus, many newspaper publishers aren't willing to pay a freelance photographer."
Peter knew that Robbie was right; he had started working at the Bugle when he was 15, and he had only taken the job to help support Aunt May. He had no intention of staying with the Daily Bugle and had already got a real job, so he never argued with Jonah about how Jonah used his photos against him.
"Still a gutsy move, a photo of the Hulk; Betty informed me that he looked as if he was going to pound you when you snapped that photo."
"Okay, maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to antagonise the Hulk, but he's a hero now. I thought it would be all right."
"Look, Peter, I know that the Hulk has joined up with some of the most famous superheroes, but that doesn't necessarily make him. People haven't forgotten about the battle between him and the Abomination here in New York a few years back, though now unwilling to accept that perhaps it was the Army's fault."
"I don't think he's a bad guy. I mean, he helped at the Avengers when the Breakout happened."
"True, but he still has a long way to go before he trusts anyone, and without trust, the house is soon to fall."
It was now 20:30 PM at Avengers Mansion, and Hulk was wandering down the corridors, grumbling to himself.
"Perhaps it was a mistake to come here," he said.
Unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by the same blonde-haired woman from earlier. With a smile on her face, she merely waved her hand, and a yellowy-green aura began to cover his head. Sensing something was off, he quickly spun around only to find that there was no one there; narrowing his eyes, he continued to make his way down the corridor.
Thor was currently in the living room, being served tea by Jarvis.
"I don't really drink tea," said Thor, looking at the cup. "I prefer mead."
"I'll be sure to serve you beer in future reference, Master Thor," Jarvis assured him. "However, I assure you it is a perfect blend."
Thor merely shrugged and took a sip of the tea. "You speak true, Jarvis."
Jarvis's eyes then turned towards a nearby monitor, and he approached it.
"Jarvis, what be thy concern?" Thor asked.
"I cannot be sure, but the mansion security systems appear to be tampered with," Jarvis frowned. "We may have an intruder."
Thor then noticed Hulk walking by. "Come, Hulk, let us patrol the grounds. Jarvis believes we may have been infiltrated. Perhaps if we are lucky, we will find battle this night."
"I don't battle; I smash," Hulk growled. "And if you talk to me again, hammer face, I'll smash you."
"If you wish to test your mettle against an Asgardian, I am happy to oblige," Thor glared.
Jarvis immediately approached the two. "Gentlemen, let us calm down. There is no need for such hostilities."
"I don't need this, I don't need anyone," Hulk grumbled as he walked off. "Tell the others that I quit!"
"Good riddance," said Thor.
"You should go after him," said Jarvis.
"And why should I do that?" Thor questioned.
"Master Hulk is known for his anger, but I feel that something is amiss," Jarvis frowned. "Tell me, the two of you have been working for several months. Has he ever acted in this manner?"
"No," Thor admitted.
"Master Hulk's behaviour may have something to do with our mysterious intruder," said Jarvis. "I will inform Master Stark and the others, but you must prevent Master Hulk from causing harm. There is no telling what he may do in the state using."
"Very well," said Thor.
Spider-Man was currently swinging through the city.
"Man, tonight has been so peaceful," he said cheerfully. "I should probably head back home."
He then suddenly heard screaming.
"Why did I have to open my big mouth?" he groaned.
He swung round the corner and was rather surprised to see Hulk walking through the streets in the middle of the road.
"Hey, Hulk, out for a midnight stroll?" Spider-Man asked as he landed on a lamppost.
"Leave me alone," he grumbled.
"Easy, big guy. I'm just trying to be friendly."
"I do not need any!"
Then, landing before them was Thor.
"Whoa, is there an Avenger Convention in town?" Spider-Man asked.
"This does not concern you, Man of Spiders," said Thor. He then turned his attention to Hulk. "As for you, Hulk, you are to return to the Avengers Mansion with me."
"Move," said Hulk as he walked past him.
Thor then grabbed his arm. "Tiswas not a request."
Hulk glared at him and dealt him a powerful punch that sent Thor flying across the sky. Then, with one big leap, he went after.
"Okay, this is strange," Spider-Man blinked. "The Avengers fighting one another and Hulk madder than normal? And here I was, hoping to have a night off."
He then fired a webline and chased after them.
Tony, meanwhile, was in his office going over some schematics when a redheaded woman with freckles entered. Her name was Pepper Potts, and she was Tony's secretary.
"Tony, I just got a message from Jarvis; we seem to have a big problem," she said. "A big green problem."
Tony sighed and grabbed a remote. He pressed down on a button, and the bookcase revealed his suit of armour.
"Knew it was a bad idea to leave Hulk and Thor alone in the same house," he said.
"Why did you then?" Pepper asked.
"I'm wondering the same thing," he said as he put on his suit of armour.
"One more thing, Tony, Spider-Man appears to be involved," Pepper added.
"As if things are not complicated enough." Once his armour was on, he accessed the Avenger ID cards he had given to everyone. "Avengers assemble!"
Thor had landed in Central Park and picked himself up in time to see Hulk landing in front of him. However, he picked himself up, grabbed a firm grip on Mjorn, and saw it at Hulk. Needless to say, this was causing quite a bit of chaos for the people who were on a nighttime stroll in the park.
Spider-Man quickly fired some webbing at the two brawlers. "Okay, that's enough, you knuckleheads."
"I told you this was not your concern, Man of Spiders," said Thor as he ripped the webbing off himself.
"It is my concern when you're rolling in my town," Spider-Man argued. "Just what is this all about?"
"I'm merely teaching Hulk some manners," said Thor and promptly swung his hammer at Hulk, knocking him back.
"Great teaching method," said Spider-Man. He then quickly jumped over towards Hulk. "Hulk, what's the matter, buddy?"
Hulk merely growled at him and approached Thor.
"Great talk," Spider-Man sighed.
"Step one side, Spider-Man," said Iron Man, who flew in. "This is an Avengers matter."
Spider-Man shook his head. "Why is everyone trying to get rid of me tonight?"
Iron Man hovered in front of Hulk as he continued to advance towards Thor. "Hulk, stop this. You have to listen."
Hulk punched Iron Man, sending him flying towards Spider-Man and crashing into a tree. Spider-Man hung upside down and looked at him.
"Sure, you still don't want my help?" Spider-Man asked.
"No, we've got this, kid," said Iron Man and flew back towards Hulk.
"Sure you do," said Spider-Man, unconvinced. He then began to look around. "Okay, something or someone is seriously ticking the Hulk off, but who is it and how?"
He then caught a flash of green amongst the trees.
Iron Man and Thor were still fighting Hulk, with Iron Man blasting him with his repulsors from a distance and Thor getting up on personal with him. Hulk, meanwhile, appeared to be getting angrier as he punched Thor with incredible force, which sent him flying into the bridge.
Hulk was just about to jump after him when a giant hand slammed right down on top of him. That hand belonged to Giant-Man, who had now grown 20 feet in size.
"I'm guessing this is not the trust-building exercise," Giant-Man assumed.
Wasp then flew in, now the size of 3 inches, and looked around, confused. "What are you guys doing?"
"Hulk has got out of control," said Iron Man.
"And you think fighting him is the best way to resolve this?" Wasp asked.
"Have you guys tried to find out why he's angry?"
"He refuses to say a word," said Thor as he got up. "It is clear that brute force is the only language he understands."
Giant-Man then found himself being flung into the air as Hulk had managed to free himself and slammed him into the ground. He then jumped onto Giant-Man's chest and punched him across the face before he had a chance to act.
Wasp then quickly swooped in and blasted him with her stingers. "Get away from him!"
Thor came in swinging his hammer at him, but Hulk dodged the swing and grabbed his cape. Thor suddenly found himself being spun around before Hulk released him, sending him flying across the other side of the park.
Iron Man flew at him while his back was turned, but Hulk spun around and punched him in the face, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Wasp continued to blast her stingers at him, up until the point he slammed his hand right down on top of her, knocking her out cold.
Watching from afar was the woman in the green dress, her hand raised toward the Hulk, her hand covered in green flames.
"That's right, monster, keep attacking your friends," she said.
"Ah, so you're pulling the strings," said a voice behind her.
She quickly spun around in time for Spider-Man to swoop in with a dropkick, knocking her out into the open. The moment he did, Hulk shook his head as if coming out of a haze; he looked around and approached Spider-Man, his eyes angry.
"What happened?" he snarled.
"I think she was somehow manipulating you like a puppet on a string," said Spider-Man, quickly pointing at the woman.
Hulk instantly glared at the woman and slowly began to approach.
"Executioner! I need you!" she yelled.
Then, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, was a brutish-looking man with a bald head, wielding a battleaxe. He quickly knocked Hulk aside and stood by the woman's side.
"I'm guessing you two aren't from around here," said Spider-Man.
By this time, the Avengers had regained consciousness and had seen the two new individuals.
"Uh, did something happen?" Wasp asked.
Thor then arrived, and he apparently recognised the two newcomers. "The Enchantress and her Executioner!"
"Wait, Thor, you know these people?" Iron Man asked.
"Aye, they are Asgardians," Thor nodded. He then narrowed his eyes at the Enchantress. "Why are you here, Amora?"
"Oh, you love Midgard so much, Thunderer. We thought we'd come and see what all the fuss is about," said Enchantress seductively.
"You are not welcome here," said Thor as he pointed his hammer at her.
Enchantress didn't look intimidated in the slightest. "I must say you Avengers are unimpressive; I nearly had to cast my spell on the big green ogre for you all to fight amongst yourselves. It would have worked if the Spider had not intervened."
Spider-Man shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a bad penny."
"You will not get away with this, witch," Thor glared.
"No one controls the Hulk!" Hulk growled.
Executioner grasped his battleaxe. "No one shall lay a finger upon my mistress!"
"Stay your hand, Executioner," said Enchantress calmly. "We've had our fun, and we have observed these Avengers. Be warned, Avengers, the next time we meet, it will be your end."
She then snapped her fingers, and both she and her Executioner vanished in a puff of smoke.
"And they're gone," said Giant-Man as he shrank down to normal size. "What exactly was all this all about?"
"The Enchantress has found joy in making me pain," Thor explained.
Iron Man looked at Spider-Man. "Guess we owe you one, kid."
"I'm not really the one you should be apologising to," Spider-Man pointed out.
Thor nodded and looked at Hulk. "The Man of Spiders is correct. I have misjudged you, Hulk. I owe you an apology for my behaviour."
Hulk glared at him. "Nothing has changed. You all believed that I was a savage monster that needed to be taken down. You're no better than Ross or S.H.I.E.L.D.; at least they're honest about it."
"Hulk, come on, it's not like that," said Wasp.
"I'm going away," Hulk growled, but looked at Spider-Man. "But if you ever need my help, Webhead, I'll be there."
Hulk then leapt into the air and disappeared into the night.
"Well, I'd better be off home. I hope you guys can sort yourselves out," said Spider-Man as he fired a web line and swung off.
The remaining four Avengers looked at one another.
Hulk had left all the way towards Antarctica, and in his rage, he caused the ice beneath his feet to crack. However, unbeknownst to him, in the creative he had just made, there was a man frozen in the ice with a circular shield and a star in the centre trapped inside.
Chapter 8: I: Sandman
It was November 25th at 10:24 AM, and Peter was currently in class with Doctor Connors at Empire State University. He was taking notes as they went through the lecture.
"…and as you can see, by combining these two chemicals, we can create a solidified compound. Now, does anyone have any questions?"
Peter instantly raised his hand.
"Yes, Peter."
"I was just wondering, Doctor Connors, does this solidified compound have any practical use?"
"It can certainly be used as a concrete cement, which is much more doable than the most common variety. As I'm sure everyone knows, the compound of concrete was actually invented during the Roman Empire, but alas, when it collapsed, we entered into the Dark Ages, which resulted in our stagnation in the scientific field."
"Some scientists theorise that it wasn't for that period we would be colonising other planets by now," said Gwen.
"Yes, back then, science was considered heresy equivalent to that of magic, and as Arthur C Clarke put it, magic is just science we don't understand," Doctor Connors nodded.
"But what about Thor?" Carlie asked curiously. "Isn't he like the Norse god of thunder?"
"Or perhaps even alien from another planet," said Doctor Connors. "Anyway, we are discussing science, not magic, so let us focus back on our lesson. Returning to Peter's earlier question, yes, this compound can have scientific benefits, but it largely depends on how people can recognise its true potential. That is what makes a scientist."
It was now lunchtime, and Peter was handing over some of the notes he had taken.
"Pete, you are a lifesaver," said Harry as he took the notes gratefully. "I could barely keep up with Doctor Connors and what he was saying."
"No sweat," said Peter.
"Don't suppose you can come round and help me with the end-of-term tests coming up?" Harry asked hopefully.
"I wish I could, but Jonah is pressuring me to find some pictures of Spider-Man or any picture that could lead to a front-page story," Peter sighed.
"Come on, Pete, I'm counting on you," said Harry in a pleading tone.
"You can't lean on Peter all the time, Harry," said Gwen as she placed the tray down and sat next to them. "I mean, Pete is not always going to be here."
"Ain't that the truth?" said Harry.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.
"It's just that you seem to be ditching ours and your girlfriend lately."
Peter couldn't disagree that there had been a recent increase in crime in the city, not to mention super villains emerging from the woodwork. This meant Jonah was now pressuring Peter to get photos of Spider-Man battling against them, and he really needed that job.
"Peter does have to support his aunt, Harry," Gwen reminded him.
"I know, but shouldn't he ask his boss to lay him off a bit? I mean, he's also coming to class practically half-asleep."
"You don't know Jonah like I do," said Peter. "He's one demanding taskmaster. I can't tell you how many times he almost fired me for being idle."
"But still, you shouldn't sideline a girl like Mary Jane," Harry argued.
"I don't want to, and that's why I try to make every moment I spend with her as memorable as possible."
"Well, you don't seem to be doing a good enough job."
"Okay, that's enough," said Gwen firmly. "Let's stop here before any of us says anything we regret."
"Fine, but I still say you should treat Mary Jane with respect," said Harry.
Peter knew that deep down, Harry was right, but he couldn't afford to tell Mary Jane about his secret. He had the exact reason for not telling Gwen, though she eventually figured it out, which was part of the reason they broke up. If hating him would keep Mary Jane safe, then there would be a price worth paying.
In his office, Norman was discussing the following procedure for the next supervillain with Tombstone.
"We do have new experimental technology like Oscorp that we wish to try out, but we need a guinea pig," said Norman, all businesslike.
"We have someone in mind, but the boss wants results this time," said Tombstone firmly.
"The recent rise in supervillain activity has diverted Spider-Man's attention from your boss's criminal empire, has it not?" Norman asked.
"It has, but he's still swinging around, causing quite a bit of trouble. Only yesterday, he was able to stop a bank heist."
"If this procedure goes according to plan, you certainly have the most powerful villain we have created so far," Norman assured him. "Though I do feel as if I'm inclined to tell you that the survival rate will be incredibly low."
"We've got plenty of grants to fill your quota," Tombstone assured.
"Good. Then we can start tonight. I'm sure that Mason will get everything underway as we speak."
"He goes by the name of the Tinkerer now that he is working for us."
"He is still technically my employee, but I am willing to hand him over to your boss in exchange for Spider-Man's body."
"Why are you so interested?" Tombstone asked suspiciously.
"I merely wish to recreate his powers," said Norman. "Can you imagine if we somehow managed to create an army of men with his powers? Captain America practically single-handedly took down H.Y.D.R.A in World War II; now imagine the creation of a whole new squad of super soldiers that are stronger and more agile than him."
"It is a tantalising prospect, and I'm sure my boss would be interested in having access to such an army. I'll certainly pass the message along."
"Then we have an agreement."
"Just be sure that you can provide the goods we need."
"The assured everything will be in place by the time you arrive, and I shall be there myself to oversee everything."
After his classes, Peter immediately made his way to the Daily Bugle, where he helped edit the photos from the bank heist the night before.
"These are pretty good, Peter," said Robbie as he examined them.
"Thanks, Robbie," Peter nodded.
"I suppose they're all right," Jonah grumbled. "Still wish you would give something more incriminating than this."
"Hard to find something incriminating on a superhero," Peter pointed out.
Jonah then slammed his hand on his desk. "He is a menace; let's be clear on that. And I believe he's working with those costume cronies that have been popping up all over the place."
"That's a bit of a stretch, Jonah," said Robbie.
"It's pure fact!" Jonah barked. "I mean, we've never had any of these lunatics until Spider-Man showed up, and now they're coming out of the woodwork."
"You can hardly blame him for the Vulture and Doctor Octopus," Peter argued. "They had a vendetta against Norman Osborn."
"And he miraculously shows up at the exact point to save Norman Osborn and his son. I say that's proof that they're working together."
"I would hardly call that evidence, and neither would the police," said Robbie.
Peter was always grateful that Robbie was always there to speak up for him; he seemed to be the only one who could calm Jonah down.
"Well, if you're happy with the photos, can I have my cheque?" Peter asked.
"I'm not satisfied with them, but here you go," said Jonah, grudgingly writing a cheque for Peter for $200. "Next time, if you want more cash, bring something more newsworthy."
"I'll certainly try and do that," Peter sighed as he left the office.
Peter looked at the check; it was barely enough to pay for Aunt May's bills. He was sure that voters would work much more than that. Sadly, every time Jonah asked for a raise, he threatened to fire him. He did entertain the notion of selling the photos elsewhere, such as to the Globe, but the Daily Bugle was much closer to the criminal element in New York City than any other newspaper.
He was so focused on his check that he nearly ran into Betty.
"Whoa, Pete, what are we going?" said Betty as she veered away from him.
"Sorry, my mind was wandering," Peter apologised.
Betty looked at the cheque in his hand. "Ah, Jonah being Ebenezer Scrooge?"
"Too bad it's not Christmas," Peter joked. "Anyway, how is your story going?"
"I'm certainly picking up a few leads, but nothing concrete, and you know Jonah, he doesn't like to publish conspiracy theories."
"Unless it is about Spider-Man working for the criminal element in the city."
"I won't deny that these new supervillains have sprung up because of Spider-Man, but I believe that some crime bosses are creating them."
Peter's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Guess they got tired of Spider-Man busting their organisations and decided to take him out. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes if I were him because he's poking a hornet's nest."
"Next time I see him, I'll tell him to bring some insect repellent," said Peter.
"I'm not sure that's going to be enough; I just wish I had more information about this crime boss."
"There must be hundreds of them all over the city," said Peter.
"But do any of them have the resources to outfit these thugs with state-of-the-art equipment like the stuff Shocker was using? I doubt it. Whoever is in charge obviously has a lot of manpower, money and influence in the scientific community."
"Okay, that does shorten the list," Peter admitted.
"Just wish I had a lead, and maybe I can crack this case open."
"You sure you want to dive into this story?" Peter asked concerningly. "This does sound awfully dangerous."
"It comes with the job, I mean, don't you put yourself in danger taking those shots of Spider-Man?"
"Touché."
"Well, as much fun as it is chatting with you, Pete, I've got an investigation to start."
Peter watched as Betty walked away. He was deeply concerned about the idea that the crime bosses created the supervillains, which probably meant he would stop anytime soon. He also had a feeling that the more rocks Betty turned up, the more danger she would be in.
Regardless, he returned to the ground floor and was pleasantly surprised to see MJ there waiting for him.
"MJ?"
"Hey, Tiger," she smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
"Does a girl need a reason to see her boyfriend?" she asked coyly.
"Uh…"
"Just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to miss our date," she said.
Peter grimaced. He had forgotten their date, and, unfortunately, MJ caught his expression.
She sighed. "You did forget, didn't you?"
"Sorry," Peter apologised, "I had other things on my mind, and I know it's not a good excuse."
"You're just lucky you're handsome," she said with a smile, and then looked at him seriously, "but seriously, Peter. You really need to learn to keep track."
"Well, I'm free now, so what do you say we go out?" Peter asked.
"Sounds like a plan," she said, wrapping her arm around his.
It was currently 20:12 PM, and Flint met up with Tombstone at a disused warehouse, where they met with Tinkerer and Norman Osborn.
"What's this about?" Flint asked.
"This is how you're going to repay your debt," said Tombstone.
"As a lab rat?" Flint glared.
"Consider this an opportunity, Mr Marko," said Osborn. "We are prepared to give you powers you could only dream of. Explain it to him, Mason."
Tinkerer nodded and pulled out his tablet. "We plan to infuse you with millions of microscopic silicon granules, which in turn will create silicon armour. In theory, this will allow you to pass through metal detectors and make you impervious."
"In layman's terms, that means that nothing will be able to hurt you," Tombstone simplified.
Flint didn't look entirely convinced. "So I become all-powerful, but what do you guys get out of it? I've been in this job long enough to know there's always strings attached."
"But this is a string you're going to love," said Tombstone. "Once you acquire these powers, we merely ask that you eliminate Spider-Man."
Flint contemplated for a moment. "If I do this, will my debt be paid?"
"But, of course, you'll be completely off the hook."
"I'll do it."
Flint began to have second thoughts as he was now in some makeshift lab, completely naked and strapped to some sort of podium. Immediately above him was some sort of machine he couldn't make heads or tails of.
Tombstone was with Norman and Tinkerer behind some safety glass.
"I am not entirely comfortable with this, Mr Osborn," said Tinkerer. "This lab was assembled so rapidly, and the equipment is substandard. I should also like to point out that the experiments in this little project were never tested."
"Consider this the test," said Norman, putting on some shades. "Now, shall we begin with the experiment?"
Tinkerer nodded and pulled the lever, activating the machinery surrounding Flint. The entire thing was in a likeable vortex as it suited electricity into Flint, and dust and sand began to surround him. The process was extremely painful, as it felt as if his body was being ripped apart.
"Stop!" he cried. "Let me go!"
Inside the control room, the computers sparked as alarms sounded.
"The magnetic field is breaking the silicon, and it's overloading!" Tinkerer yelled as he tried to stabilise the situation. "We need to abort!"
"Not yet," said Norman.
What happened next was grotesque: Flint's body began to deform and then disintegrate into sand.
"What do we do now?" Tinkerer asked.
"We sweep up and try again," said Norman, removing his glasses."
"Wait," said Tombstone, holding his hand up, "what's going on in there?"
Everyone's eyes turned towards the sandwich, which began to take shape, resembling Flint. Flint looked at his body and saw it was made entirely out of sand, and he roared angrily.
"What have you done to me?" Flint roared as he punched the safety glass.
Everyone watched as he kept punching it, and their hands began to mould the hammers.
"It would seem as if our experiment was a success," said Norman. "In fact, it looks as if it was a major success."
Flint didn't seem to think so as he continued to bang against the safety glass relentlessly.
"Hey, Sandman, calm down," said Tombstone calmly.
Once he finally calmed down, Flint moulded his body to look more human, put on clothes, and began to regain his colour.
"There you go," said Tombstone encouragingly, "you got your sand legs, your sand cloths, and now you're in colour. See, it wasn't so bad."
"Not so bad!" Flint glared. "That plastic contraption nearly killed me!"
"So it didn't go exactly as we planned, but the end result is the same," said Tombstone. "In fact, you're even more powerful than we anticipated."
Norman looked at Tinkerer. "Do you have any explanation for this, Mason?"
"I have been going over the data, but I have yet to find a scientific explanation for this happy accident," he said, scanning Flint with his tablet. "What I can say for certain is that Mr Marko's body composition is now made entirely of sand. You can now mould your body into any form at will, and so long as there's enough degeneration."
"See, sounds a lot better than that silicone armour we were going to use," said Tombstone.
"So I'm officially off the hook now?" Flint asked.
"Your debt is paid, but we still want you to make good on our deal."
"So squash the spider, and I'm free to do my own thing?"
"That you are."
Flint smiled and then turned to sand and slid under the cracks of the warehouse door.
"Do you really think he's capable of eliminating Spider-Man?" Norman asked.
Tombstone shrugged. "The Kingpin doesn't really care; while eliminating him is the desired outcome, distracting him from our other business is just as important."
Peter was enjoying his date with MJ at the Coffee Bean, and so far, no emergency had forced him to leave.
"This is rather nice," MJ smiled.
"Yeah, it is," Peter agreed. "So, how is school going?"
"It's going extremely well, I've actually got the leading part in Romeo and Juliet, and I would love it if you would come and watch my debut."
MJ was a year younger than him, which meant she was still in high school, throwing herself into the drama club. In fact, it was her goal to become an actress, and from what Peter heard, she was doing exceptionally well.
"I would love to see you on stage," said Peter.
"I'll be sure to send you a ticket, Tiger," MJ winked. "So, about my career, what about your goal of becoming a scientist?"
"I think it's going pretty well, though I am juggling a lot of things at the moment," Peter admitted.
"Gwen told me that your boss at the Daily Bugle is quite the taskmaster," said MJ. "Have you ever fought about finding another part-time job?"
"I did try to be a pizza delivery boy, but I kept ruining the pizzas."
Peter had tried to deliver pizzas by web sling, thinking it would be faster, and it was, but the only problem was that the pizzas got mixed up as he swung around. Unsurprisingly, the customers weren't too pleased to see that their toppings were all over the place.
"I am trying to find a paid internship, but it's slow going," Peter admitted.
"I'm sure you'll find something that suits you," MJ encouraged. "Why don't you ask Harry if his dad could help?"
"I have thought about it, but I would like to do it on my own merits. I don't really want to ask favours."
"I can respect that, but personally, if I were given an offer, I would jump at the chance."
"For me, it depends on the offer; I mean, I don't, and the beam working for a mad scientist hellbent on world domination."
"Fair point."
Peter just looked at MJ; her green eyes sparkled in the dark, and so did her red hair. She also had a warm, funny personality, and he considered himself lucky to have a girl like her by his side.
MJ merely smiled at him, and the two of them slowly began to lean towards one another for a kiss. They were just inches away from kissing when a massive explosion suddenly diverted their attention.
Peter spun around wildly, trying to find the source of the noise, and then saw police cars with their sirens blaring as they shot past. He had no idea what was going on, but he had to find out.
He quickly looked at MJ. "I need to go."
MJ looked disappointed and irritated at the same time. "But why?"
"I need to find out what caused the explosion and take a few pics," Peter explained.
"Peter, we're on a date," MJ moaned.
"I know, and I'm sorry, but if Spider-Man shows up and I don't take any pictures, Jonah is going to be on my back."
MJ sighed. "Then go."
Peter sensed it wasn't all right, and he certainly didn't want to leave MJ. In all honesty, he would prefer to continue their date, but that explosion was massive, and the number of police cars making their way to the scene was absurd.
Peter then quickly kissed MJ on the cheek, hoping that was enough to sway her anger before he dashed off.
Captain Stacy was in the police car, making their way to the source of the disturbance.
"Do we know what happened?" he asked.
"No, sir, we just got reports of massive casualties and a possible Code Blue," said the policeman on the radio.
Captain Stacy grimaced; a Code Blue meant that supervillains were involved. "A product with extreme caution!"
They quickly turned round the corner and found a mass of wreckage of cars, and in the centre was none other than Flint Marko.
"Isn't that Flint Marko?" Captain Stacy frowned.
"Looks like he wants to make a trip to jail," said his partner.
"Be careful; something is not right," said Captain Stacy.
"Come on, Captain, it's only some two-bit thug; we can easily handle him without Spider-Man's help this time."
Captain Stacy was less confident than his partner because certain things had been denied. First, Marko stood alone in the middle of the wreckage, as if a wrecking ball had struck. Second was the Code Blue warning they received, which is causing the most concern.
"Let's book him before Spider-Man shows up," said his partner's gone car.
"No, wait, something isn't right," said Captain Stacy.
"This will be a cakewalk," said his partner dismissively as he pulled out his pistol. He then approached Flint, pistol in hand. "Okay, pal, hands where I can see them."
Flint merely smirked. "You can be more than that peashooter to take me down."
"I'm warning you!"
Flint ignored his warnings and advanced toward the policeman, who squeezed the trigger.
"No, don't!" Captain Stacy yelled as he got out of the car.
The policeman fired his pistol, and the bullet headed straight towards Flint; what happened next surprised everyone. The bullet struck Flint, but it went straight through his body.
Flint smiled as he turned his body into sand. "My turn."
He then stretched out his arm, firing a blast of sand directly at the policeman, who would have been flat if Captain Stacy hadn't pulled him away in time. The sand blasted the police car, sending it flying across the street.
Captain Stacy immediately pulled out his radio. "This is Captain Stacy confirming we have a Code Blue! I repeat, we have a Code Blue!"
The policemen immediately began firing everything they had at Flint, but none of the bullets made any dent. On the other hand, Flint began to outstretch his arms and swing around. The policeman had to duck down to avoid getting hit, and the police cars were sent flying in different directions; some of them even crashed into buildings.
One of them crashed into a building on the fifth floor and began to fall back towards the ground, right on top of a few pedestrians, a young man and a young lady. At that precise moment, Spider-Man arrived and quickly fired some webbing, pulling the bystanders to safety.
"You all right?" he asked as he landed on a lamppost.
"Yes," said the young man.
"Thank you," said the young lady.
Spider-Man then web-slung over to Captain Stacy, who was tending to the injured.
"My eyes deceiving me, or is that Flint Marko?" he asked.
"No, it's him," said Captain Stacy. "But it would seem as if someone has given him a makeover."
"Can't say it's an improvement. Has anyone called the Avengers?"
"We've tried out of the city at the moment."
"So it's down to me," Spider-Man groaned.
Captain Stacy nodded regretfully. "I hate to admit it, but you're the only one here who can take him down. We'll focus on trying to keep the civilians safe; you take the punk down."
Spider-Man groaned and began web-slinging toward Flint.
"Ah, if it isn't my old friend Spider-Man," Flint smiled. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up."
"Yo, Flint, where did you get those crazy powers?" Spider-Man asked.
"That's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know! And the name is Sandman now."
Sandman's fist then took on the form of a break and slammed it into Spider-Man. The blow was almost powerful enough to knock him unconscious. He quickly somersaulted out of the way to avoid a second blow.
He fired a web line at the nearby lamppost and swung around to perform a dropkick. However, Flint caught his leg before it made contact and spun around before sending him flying into a nearby building.
Sandman then enlarged his fist and sent it straight at Spider-Man, who quickly jumped into the air and stuck to the wall before the blow could hit. Spider-Man quickly landed on the ground and fired some webbing, wrapping him up, but Sandman merely turned into sand and eased out.
Spider-Man then tried to punch him in the face, but he failed. However, Sandman absorbed the blow. He then quickly performed the sweet cake cutting right through his legs, but Sandman punched him in the chest as if the loss of his legs didn't faze him.
Spider-Man slammed into a van lying on its side, creating a human-shaped dent in its undercarriage. Spider-Man picked himself up and looked around as if the police had managed to evacuate the area.
However, that would do little good if he didn't take down Sandman; he still had a hard time understanding how he'd come by these powers. He was starting to wonder if Betty was right about this criminal mastermind creating supervillains.
"Not so fine when you're on the receiving end of the blow, is it?" Sandman smirked.
"Hey, don't make me the bad guy in all this," said Spider-Man.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."
Sandman's hands were then transformed into razor-sharp spikes, and he began to swing them directly at Spider-Man. He quickly jumped out of the way just as the spikes pierced the van; then he took the van's cleaning and continued his advance towards him.
Spider-Man began to think quickly, trying to figure out a way to take down Sandman. It looked as if his body was made entirely out of sand, and while I was his greatest strength, it was also his weakness. A considerable amount of heat would turn into glass, but he wasn't sure where to find a strong enough heat source. There was also the possibility of using a massive surge of water to solidify him, but they were nowhere near any central water supply.
Sandman kept swinging his fists, barely giving Spider-Man time to think. He quickly fired some webbing, this time at his face, to blind him. Spider-Man took this opportunity to survey his surroundings, and it was then that he spotted a building under construction, which gave him an idea.
"You're only prolonging the inevitable," Sandman growled as he removed the webbing from his eyes. "Just stand still, and I can make it quick and painless."
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass," said Spider-Man as he fired a web line. "Catch me if you can?"
He then began to web-sling towards the construction building.
"Get back here!" Sandman roared, chasing after him.
The police officers were watching as Spider-Man led Sandman away.
"Looks like Spider-Man has some sort of plan," said Captain Stacy.
"Shouldn't we go after them?" his partner asked.
"I'm afraid we're way out of our weight class on this one," said Captain Stacy regretfully. "We need to focus on keeping the civilians away from the fighting and hope that Spider-Man can win."
"You mean we're putting our faith in a master vigilante?"
"Do you have any other suggestions?"
His partner tried to say something, but then closed his mouth.
"That's what I thought," said Captain Stacy, looking back towards the construction site. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Spider-Man was busy trying to dodge Sandman's attacks, who was swinging his sand fist relentlessly. He narrowly avoided getting hit by one of his sand fists and watched as it sent a digger flying.
"Shouldn't you be trying to put children to sleep?" Spider-Man asked.
"Don't worry, I'll put you to sleep permanently!"
Then, if things hadn't got bad enough, he began to grow in size until he was about three times his normal size.
"As if the situation wasn't bad enough," Spider-Man sighed.
He really hoped his plan would work, but he was slowly losing confidence. He then fired a web line and began to swing around Sandman, but he kept shifting his sand body so that he didn't lose sight of him.
"No way you can sneak on me!" Sandman sneered as he swung his massive hands at him.
Spider-Man immediately let go of his web line and spun in the air, squeezing through the gaps in Sandman's massive fingers. As he spun around, he searched for what he sought and found it at the top of the construction site. It was a huge cement mixer.
"Please work," said Spider-Man, immediately firing a web line at the lever.
With one good pull, he activated the cement mixer, which began to turn and mix the cement.
"Nothing you can do can stop me!" Sandman roared.
"I wouldn't be too sure on that," said Spider-Man. He then quickly fired a web line, shooting up towards the top of the partially constructed building.
The cement mixer was now pouring the cement into a pipe, and Spider-Man noticed it was exiting from the other end. He quickly fired two web lines of the pipe and, with one good pull, pulled it towards him directly over Sandman.
"Sandman meets quick-drying cement," said Spider-Man.
"No!" Sandman yelled as his body began to harden.
In one desperate attempt, he tried to reach for Spider-Man, but his movements began to become sluggish. Eventually, he could no longer move.
"Michelangelo, eat your heart out," said Spider-Man, leaning back, exhausted.
The station police soon arrived to chisel Sandman out of his cement prison, though very carefully.
"Make sure every single piece of him is contained," Captain Stacy ordered. He then shook his head and began to make his way over to Spider-Man. "What a mess, but it could have been worse if you hadn't been here."
"Yeah, but it wasn't for me. He may not become a supervillain," Spider-Man pointed out.
Captain Stacy shrugged. "Maybe, but sometimes, you should always take the good with the bad. Regardless, you've saved a lot of lives, son, so don't forget that. I'm just sorry if this incident messed up your evening."
Spider-Man suddenly remembered MJ and hoped she was still there at the Coffee Bean.
"Speaking of which, I'd better go and enjoy what's left of it," said Peter and fired a web line before swinging off.
Peter quickly retrieved his clothes, got changed, and then promptly returned to the Coffee Bean. However, by the time he arrived, MJ had already left, without leaving a note.
Fisk, meanwhile, was in his office and had just seen the news footage of Spider-Man's battle with Sandman.
"Yet another failure," said Fisk.
"Do you wish to proceed with this course of action, sir?" Wesley asked. "It is costing us a fair bit of money, and we have yet to receive any benefit."
"I would prefer a complete annihilation of Spider-Man; having him distracted is more than enough."
"Still, this will bring some unnecessary attention; he might soon find out about your involvement."
"We'll know about the Kingpin's involvement, but he will not know that Wilson Fisk is indeed the Kingpin of Crime. Still, you're right, Wesley. The more he knows about me, the more danger she becomes."
"So you still wish to go ahead with your recruitment?" Wesley asked.
"Yes, and have this Sandman be one of the potential recruits." Fisk looked at the video footage of Spider-Man. "Very soon, Spider-Man, you will meet a force you cannot possibly overcome. Your days are numbered."