Spider-Man : Enter Sandman
part 11
Peter Parker was struggling to keep his eyes open. Doctor Curt Connors was giving a seminar on cell mutation at the university, and Peter thought he'd attend. He was tired because been out all night with Mary Jane, and couldn't sleep when he got home because of what happened with Harry. It was better that Harry didn't know about his father being a homicidal madman, but the partial truth that Harry knew made Spider-Man responsible for his father's death. Peter hadn't realised how much Harry actually respected and loved his father.
" Would you care to answer the question, Mr. Parker? " Dr. Connors was looking right at the young man.
" Um... what was the question, sir? " Peter asked sheepishly. He hadn't been listening to a word the lecturer was saying.
" I was saying, Mr. Parker, that science is responsible for over 75% of the super powered people that have been popping up recently. As an example, I referred to this... Sandman, as the press calls him. "
Peter raised an eyebrow.
" I was saying, that he was not born a mutant. Something triggered his mutation. I was asking if you had any theories on what could have caused it? " Connors continued.
He had no idea how the Sandman came to be. Peter shook his head. " I don't have the foggiest idea, Professor. " He said, and shrugged.
Connors was not amused. " Parker, I thought it would be obvious. Sandman is not made up of actual sand, but because he has the ability to change the density of his cell structure, he has a lot in common with real sand. His molecules have become unstable. How this happened, I do not know. "
Peter could have kicked himself. Of course! This was why the water had such a powerful effect on the Sandman, it had washed him away completely.
She watched as the burly man entered the rotating doors to the bank. He seemed somewhat dirty, with curly brown hair, filthy clothes and his face was unshaven. Catching the manager's attention, she alerted him to the man's presence. He understood her gestures. He nodded to the cashier, and readied his cellphone. There was a possible situation at hand.
The man came to her window. " Hello. " He greeted her and smiled.
" Hello sir, " she replied and smiled nervously. " How may I help you? "
He grinned, seeing her nervous gestures. " Well baby... I actually came for the money. But why don't you and I get it on... "
The woman backpedalled away from the glass. Baker's expression changed to one of anger. He slammed his fist right through the glass.
" Damnit, woman! Hand over the cash! " He leaped up onto the counter.
The cashier shrieked, and ran for her dear life. Baker decided not to chase her. " If you want something, you gotta get it yourself. " He said to himself.
Gunfire sounded behind him. The security guards had been alerted. Baker solidified his body, making it as hard as rock. The bullets ricocheyed right off him, making sparks on his hard back.
Slowly he turned to face the bank guards. " You uniformed people and your guns! " He grunted. " Don't you ever learn? "
One brave guard came running right at the Sandman. He swung his nightstick right at the huge man's head, but before the blow could land, Sandman's fist sent blood spraying from his mouth. He dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Sandman guffawed at his opponents, reached behind the counter again, and slammed his fist through the cashier's drawer. He pulled out a large handful of hundred dollar bills. He stuffed them into a bag, then continued to the other abandoned desks, emptying the cash from their drawers into his bag.
Just then sirens wailed outside. The police had arrived.
" We have the building surrounded, " The commanding officer bellowed over a loudspeaker. " Come on out with your hands up. "
Peter walked out of the lecture room, disgusted with himself, and with the teacher. It was bad enough that Doctor Connors had once fired him, because he was constantly late, but now he had dismissed him from his class for not paying attention.
He saw Flash Thompson at the end of the hallway, running in his direction in a great hurry.
" Get outta my way, Parker! " Thompson grunted as he came closer.
" What's the hurry, Flash? " Peter asked. Flash was never in a hurry to do anything.
" That Sandman freak's robbing the first national bank, and I wanna get a look at him! " Thompson replied. " It's apparently the fight of the century! Sandman vs. the entire NYPD SWAT team. " The big oaf chuckled and ran off again.
So the Sandman was still alive. And causing trouble again. Peter ducked into the men's restrooms. Making sure it was empty, he took off his street clothes, and changed into his Spider-Man costume. He crawled out of the high corner window, and hurried to the first national bank in town.
When he got there, it was too late already. Police cars had been picked up and thrown around. Swat team members were injured badly, some maybe even killed. The side of the building had been damaged, presumably, the Sandman had made his exit by making his own doorway. Sandman had already gone.
Spidey released his webline, somersaulted and clung to the side of the bank. Crawling in through a window, he surveyed the damage inside. Several guards were being attended to by paramedics. All the reinforced glass panels had been shattered, the bank employees were in a state of panic.
" This time you've gone too far, Sandman. " Spider-Man whispered to himself. He crawled out by the window again, and swung off into the skyline.
Toomes looked to the street below. It was a 119 story drop. Wind ripped at his body. He took a deep breath. It was now or never, he told himself. He reached to the pack on his back, and pulled out two large wings by the handles. The were green, and made of a lightweight metal. His flight pack prototype was complete. He looked down again, took another deep breath, and stepped off the side.
The old man plummeted to the street below. His heartbeat was pounding, adrenaline flowing through his body. He flipped a switch on the control of the makeshift wing he was holding, and the powerpack hummed as it came to life.
Toomes pulled out of the fall, his wings lifting him on the air currents. It was working! He was actually gliding. He gulped as he nearly crashed into the side of a glass building, but was able to bank sharlpy and missed it.
Toomes swooped up higher, now flying over the roofs of the highest buildings in New York. He was exstatic... he let loose a victory cry, when suddenly, he heard sparks coming from the pack on his back.
" No! " He screamed in terror... " This can't be!! " He rapidly lost altitude, and went into a freefall, once again plumetting to the streets below.
part 11
Peter Parker was struggling to keep his eyes open. Doctor Curt Connors was giving a seminar on cell mutation at the university, and Peter thought he'd attend. He was tired because been out all night with Mary Jane, and couldn't sleep when he got home because of what happened with Harry. It was better that Harry didn't know about his father being a homicidal madman, but the partial truth that Harry knew made Spider-Man responsible for his father's death. Peter hadn't realised how much Harry actually respected and loved his father.
" Would you care to answer the question, Mr. Parker? " Dr. Connors was looking right at the young man.
" Um... what was the question, sir? " Peter asked sheepishly. He hadn't been listening to a word the lecturer was saying.
" I was saying, Mr. Parker, that science is responsible for over 75% of the super powered people that have been popping up recently. As an example, I referred to this... Sandman, as the press calls him. "
Peter raised an eyebrow.
" I was saying, that he was not born a mutant. Something triggered his mutation. I was asking if you had any theories on what could have caused it? " Connors continued.
He had no idea how the Sandman came to be. Peter shook his head. " I don't have the foggiest idea, Professor. " He said, and shrugged.
Connors was not amused. " Parker, I thought it would be obvious. Sandman is not made up of actual sand, but because he has the ability to change the density of his cell structure, he has a lot in common with real sand. His molecules have become unstable. How this happened, I do not know. "
Peter could have kicked himself. Of course! This was why the water had such a powerful effect on the Sandman, it had washed him away completely.
She watched as the burly man entered the rotating doors to the bank. He seemed somewhat dirty, with curly brown hair, filthy clothes and his face was unshaven. Catching the manager's attention, she alerted him to the man's presence. He understood her gestures. He nodded to the cashier, and readied his cellphone. There was a possible situation at hand.
The man came to her window. " Hello. " He greeted her and smiled.
" Hello sir, " she replied and smiled nervously. " How may I help you? "
He grinned, seeing her nervous gestures. " Well baby... I actually came for the money. But why don't you and I get it on... "
The woman backpedalled away from the glass. Baker's expression changed to one of anger. He slammed his fist right through the glass.
" Damnit, woman! Hand over the cash! " He leaped up onto the counter.
The cashier shrieked, and ran for her dear life. Baker decided not to chase her. " If you want something, you gotta get it yourself. " He said to himself.
Gunfire sounded behind him. The security guards had been alerted. Baker solidified his body, making it as hard as rock. The bullets ricocheyed right off him, making sparks on his hard back.
Slowly he turned to face the bank guards. " You uniformed people and your guns! " He grunted. " Don't you ever learn? "
One brave guard came running right at the Sandman. He swung his nightstick right at the huge man's head, but before the blow could land, Sandman's fist sent blood spraying from his mouth. He dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Sandman guffawed at his opponents, reached behind the counter again, and slammed his fist through the cashier's drawer. He pulled out a large handful of hundred dollar bills. He stuffed them into a bag, then continued to the other abandoned desks, emptying the cash from their drawers into his bag.
Just then sirens wailed outside. The police had arrived.
" We have the building surrounded, " The commanding officer bellowed over a loudspeaker. " Come on out with your hands up. "
Peter walked out of the lecture room, disgusted with himself, and with the teacher. It was bad enough that Doctor Connors had once fired him, because he was constantly late, but now he had dismissed him from his class for not paying attention.
He saw Flash Thompson at the end of the hallway, running in his direction in a great hurry.
" Get outta my way, Parker! " Thompson grunted as he came closer.
" What's the hurry, Flash? " Peter asked. Flash was never in a hurry to do anything.
" That Sandman freak's robbing the first national bank, and I wanna get a look at him! " Thompson replied. " It's apparently the fight of the century! Sandman vs. the entire NYPD SWAT team. " The big oaf chuckled and ran off again.
So the Sandman was still alive. And causing trouble again. Peter ducked into the men's restrooms. Making sure it was empty, he took off his street clothes, and changed into his Spider-Man costume. He crawled out of the high corner window, and hurried to the first national bank in town.
When he got there, it was too late already. Police cars had been picked up and thrown around. Swat team members were injured badly, some maybe even killed. The side of the building had been damaged, presumably, the Sandman had made his exit by making his own doorway. Sandman had already gone.
Spidey released his webline, somersaulted and clung to the side of the bank. Crawling in through a window, he surveyed the damage inside. Several guards were being attended to by paramedics. All the reinforced glass panels had been shattered, the bank employees were in a state of panic.
" This time you've gone too far, Sandman. " Spider-Man whispered to himself. He crawled out by the window again, and swung off into the skyline.
Toomes looked to the street below. It was a 119 story drop. Wind ripped at his body. He took a deep breath. It was now or never, he told himself. He reached to the pack on his back, and pulled out two large wings by the handles. The were green, and made of a lightweight metal. His flight pack prototype was complete. He looked down again, took another deep breath, and stepped off the side.
The old man plummeted to the street below. His heartbeat was pounding, adrenaline flowing through his body. He flipped a switch on the control of the makeshift wing he was holding, and the powerpack hummed as it came to life.
Toomes pulled out of the fall, his wings lifting him on the air currents. It was working! He was actually gliding. He gulped as he nearly crashed into the side of a glass building, but was able to bank sharlpy and missed it.
Toomes swooped up higher, now flying over the roofs of the highest buildings in New York. He was exstatic... he let loose a victory cry, when suddenly, he heard sparks coming from the pack on his back.
" No! " He screamed in terror... " This can't be!! " He rapidly lost altitude, and went into a freefall, once again plumetting to the streets below.