Chapter 12: It's Not Wrong When
Trapster taps his chin some. "Well, it won't be wrong when I do it," states he to himself.
Pete Petruski reposes in a rear booth at Earl's Bar in the Bowery (see Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22). Sandman William Baker brings another pitcher and sits down across from his Frightful Four associate. He pours himself some pilsner and then slides the "suds" Trapster's way.
"I get the picture," says Sandman blurry behind the half-full pitcher, "Wiley Wizard rambunctiously disrespected you. So, you raised the issue with the arrogant a*hole upstate. Then, reacting to your rowdiness, Wizard made his magic machinery manifest muscle Klaw, Red Ghost, and Equinox to match your drafted thugs Titania and Absorbing Man. Red Ghost got the worse of it, but the other two terrors threw you three out."
"Yeah, that event is my recent chapter," Pete allows, "However, there is the subsequent one that I shared, where I entered enemy territory. There, an Avenger told me to drop things."
With a wee wary bearing, Baker remarks, "And, there is the initial ugly incident at Empire State awhile ago." Sandman subtly references the injustice feckless officials concealed for pieces of silver.
Although, Baker could have referenced rape openly in Earl's Bar. The seedy establishment always has a rough clientele, hardened "customers" kinda unaccustomed to caring. They are the iniquitous even amongst insensitive, indecorous, angry, egocentric New Yorkers. At Earl's Bar, besotted chuckleheads cheat through unlawful card games and converse crudely and cruelly until brawls break out. Kingpin's cronies carry pistols in plain sight while kibitzing about "business". Cruddy ex-cons, in patched duds, do cocaine, sometimes in crackpipes, openly at the counter. At Earl's Bar, colors-clad crooks cut other clubs in the john and carve off their tattoos. At Earl's, creeps sell bodies for bums' crinkled cash. Bowery kids consume boilermakers (no problem, no questions), and alley cats come in to eat cockroaches. The usual crowd would not have minded mention of degradation.
Of course, Earl's is half-empty on Sunday morning anyway. Pete and William are just two supervillains sipping at 7 a.m. on the sabbath. They suck brews between all sorts getting soused Saturday night and sports fans shuffling in for Smashers football around noon.
Sunrise streaks through the dive's dingy front window. Pint glass glinting, Pete goes, "You know, King Kong Barthson plays this afternoon in Arizona. The Almighty willing, he gets heat exhaustion and dies."
"Amen, I guess," replies William, "I mentioned the incident at Empire State over yon." He points northwest as though Trapster has x-ray and telescopic vision.
Temporarily taciturn, Sandman considers his comrade's homicidal wish. Awhile back, badman Baker would have been more amenable to it. For some time, Sandman was the murderous and monstrous sort. In fact, he once literally became a monster when accidentally mixed, hybridized, with Hydro-Man (see Amazing Spider-Man #217-218). After an agonizing while, science separated the two, but the liberated Sandman realized what scum he had been all his life. Crestfallen, the crumbly crook went to Duffy's Pub, a favorite place, to drown his woe. There, old adversary Thing and he had the best talk (see Marvel Two-in-One #86), and William resolved to turn his life around. He would be a hero, instead of a heinous heavy. Eventually, even the Avengers accepted him (see Avengers #329), and that was on Captain America's recommendation. After that, Sandman served Silver Sable and the Wild Pack for a long and distinguished period. Propitiously, the former "Flint Marko", as was his criminal alias, progressed from a low palooka to a high protector, a superhero, who wouldn't wish someone dead.
And, Sandman would bring Trapster the same dream, if Baker could. But, the two tried that once when pal Pete tried joining the Wild Pack (see Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #26). While probationary, Paste-Pot didn't leave illegal side jobs alone, so Silver Sable sacked him.
Sandman supposes that that is why Trapster is here now, instead of, say, Avengers Mansion. Paste-Pot Pete is stuck forever as a criminal, so Trapster seeks someone like Sandman. He is safe enough to seek. He isn't going to arrest, and he is going to sympathize.
Rude fingers snap in Sandman's face. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, quite daydreaming. What? You can't handle your f*ing hops?" scolds Trapster.
"Where were we?" William winks. Reformed Sandman shows reserve instead of retaliatory aggression.
"I need Ken Barthson to suffer," states Trapster, "He can be an acceptable substitute for Bentley until that a*hole's day arrives."
"I see," says the Sandman, "So, are you soliciting me to mess-up the motherf*? I do some mercenary work since slipping supervillainy. Silvija Sablinova, sovereign of Symkaria, could serve as a reference."
"I'm sure Sable could," comments Pete, "Perhaps the job interests you? You could deal some justice like the do-gooders that you now associate with."
The redeemed rogue refills his glass. Baker gives a hard look, "I would love to, and I hesitate to, to be honest."
"Huh? How? Creep King Kong has it coming," pronounces Petruski, "A bad guy should go bananas on the big brute until he is bloody blech."
"Well, such violence won't bring your reputation back," William recognizes one topic on truculent Trapster's mind. Pete lost face when the "cornered" Wizard tossed him out in October, two weeks back.
Petruski is not exactly pouting though. Rather, like a patient professional, he calmly clarifies, "Wizard will get his. My revenge will wait awhile. Really, I am more concerned about the ESU victim, all those years ago. Her rightful retribution has been deferred long enough."
"Sure," replies Sandman while considering Kate Bishop's caveat to keep out of her close business.
Within, William Baker deliberates. On one hand, the former Flint Marko, tough guy, is the figment of Sandman who figures that force works. It's a rough world, and it requires reshaping regardless of anyone's whims. On the other hand, even a so-called "avenger" understands that action and victory serve nothing if they do not serve the victim. The valid vanguard advocates for the vulnerable's volition, voice, and empowerment. He reveres others' value.
Remarkably, Trapster reads Sandman's mind, "I know that the young miss said no and meant it when I met her. However, I was just thinking, before you returned with beer, that it isn't wrong if I 'do' Barthson despite being told not to. Even a supervillain's shred of decency says that a Ryker's regular can rid the world of wastes worse than himself. We 'do' pervs all the time inside, as you know."
"Yeah, I know," nods Baker, "But, Barthson's victim still has to have a voice. . . . ."
"What the-?! Have you went full feminist on me? Has the Frightful Four hung around Thundra too often?" prods Pete.
Reformed Flint Marko thumbs his nose and then shows his middle finger. He elucidates, "Nah, Sandman ain't gotten mushy. I simply remember sessions with shrink Ashley Kafka at Ravencroft. She counseled me to be less crazy. We discussed my longtime woman Marcy (see Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual #1).
"Since we were kids, Marcy and I have dated. Sometimes, I have controlled her—a lot—and displayed what is called 'coercive behavior'—such as trying to kill her. However, Kafka made clear to me that such caveman s* isn't caring. Women don't need control freaks. Women require guy buddies guided by the golden rule: treat others as you would be treated."
"Tapping Tommy talked of that last Tuesday," tells Trapster, tacitly teasing.
"True," Sandman assents, "And, we should put ourselves in a woman's shoes. What if. . . ? What if Sandman or Trapster suffered a f*-up trauma such as she did? What story would we want to create? What power would we want to wield on the world?"
"Yeah, and, Ms. Bishop has already let us know," admits Trapster, "The power that she wants is the power to have no shameful story out there at all." Subtextually, Paste-Pot Pete sins by insensitivity, for "tale" and "tail" are an accidental pun.
Bill Baker downs another beer. Metahumans often have livers like bull elephants, so he pops up to fetch another pitcher and perhaps some peanuts or pretzels as part of a "proper" breakfast. Ideally, Petruski should pay for this round, but he seems temporarily lost in pondering reverie.
Sandman returns with swill and snacks. "So, what are you thinking, Pete?" inquires William, "What is your next step?"
Trapster remains staidly silent a sec. Then, he states, "I'm not going to take things lying down like others apparently have." Again, the Frightful's phrasing fails empathy, although it be society's common saying.
Sandman shakes his head slowly. He has so many fine friends who are supervillains, and reformed felon Flint wishes that they too would chance changing. Although, he understands that he has never totally changed his spots either. With superfriends, Sandy simply effs-up people for the greater good. But, don't be beguiled by comic books and superhero cinema. The right way is not ultimately about roughing-up your ideals' opposite, whether you be self-righteous villain or righteous hero.
"Alrighty," the outré Avenger utters, "Who are we going after first? Who's the summit of your s*list? Our Frightful boss Bentley?"
"I will get revenge on Wizard down the road," declares Trapster, "He will reconcile his debt and rue his recent record rigorously. But, not right now."
"Barthson?" suggests Baker, "You perhaps intend to abduct him from Brenzie Stadium [see Thunderstrike #22] and then I bash his brains in."
"I could both kidnap and kill him," claims Trapster. To Pete, he isn't only a thief; he's an actual badass.
Baker grins, "Well, guy, everyone knows that you've just whacked Joey Z [see Spider-Man #88] and no one else. You ain't a consummate killer.
"On the other hand, Flint Marko was even before he mutated. And, Sandman has attempted murder on everyone from the Amazing Spider-Man to the Incredible Hulk.
"But, you ain't no angel of death. You may need me for anyone's elimination. And, that's dandy. To this day, I am a respectable mercenary."
Miffed at being patronized, Pete wryly mentions, "You are respected except when Wizard occasionally seizes the Sinister Sandman to use as a monkey's paw. Recently enough, he snatched you, stuck you in the id machine and sent an owned Flint Marko after Spider-Man [see Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12]."
Marko offers a further middle finger, "You're a pip, Pete. Perhaps, you shouldn't use me as muscle. Pick some other Frightful Four friends. Pester Carl and Skeeter perchance—if they aren't still imprisoned at Project: Pegasus thanks to you. It'd seem that Trapster led them into a trap."
Slightly perturbed, Petruski snickers sarcastically at Baker's snark. He sneers and says, "I told you that those two escaped when I did. They are at Ozzie's Bar in the Bronx [see Black Bolt #9] if needed."
Sandman spots a smartphone situated amongst sticky widgets. Fortunately, it does not appear to be a sticky wicket, for the thing isn't livestreaming to other evildoers or anything. Oddly enough, Flint Marko remembers Ozzie's Bar from back in the day. Crusher Creel always kept court there where Ozzie Sanborn considered the hood a hero, whether a pugnacious heavyweight or a primo supervillain. In Ozzie's opinion, Absorbing Man epitomizes the Bronx incarnate. No doubt, power couple Carl and Skeeter currently savor the flophouse suite atop the tavern.
"I remember Sandborn's bar," states Sandman, "The proprietor is a strange fellow. He is friends with both Absorbing Man and Iron Man [see Iron Man #178]. You don't see that every day." Of course, "the sauce" tempts all sorts, whether Tony Stark or Crusher Creel.
"Yeah well, you're weird too," Trapster notes, "You also associate with both heroes and heavies."
"Hmph," Sandman supposes. He goes silent and gathers some thoughts.
William watches Pete peevishly peer at him. Apparently, Trapster expected ol' Flint to be more on an old friend. Back when, the rascals were simply partners-in-crime sans consternation or contemplation. One of the Frightful Four would suggest stealing from Sub-Mariner or assaulting Reed Richards' retinue, and the villains would without much reflection do it. These days, Sandman does not damn the consequences quite like he did when first disintegrated from figurative filth to literal dirtbag who directly invaded a high school (see Amazing Spider-Man #4). The delinquent has developed as best brute Baker can.
With some wisdom, William remarks, "I've been thinking during this conversation. Maybe, we ain't the ideal avengers on this occasion. Of course, Wittman should be your whipping boy at some point. However, Barthson, Dwyer, Beatty? Those bozos? Let someone else collect the bounty due. Maybe a superheroine like my gal Silver Sable. I'm going to contact her and communicate all that you told me."
"Otherwise, we could sic sick Scarecrow on Barthssson to savagely strip, suspend, slice, semi-skin, and sslaughter 'im. That sumb*!"
Slightly slurry, Trapster tilts a little right and left. He is either thinking or tipsy. Perhaps, both. He burps.
Baker comments that his companion seems slightly confused by consumption but that his buddy shouldn't worry. Sandman will make the call mentioned. Trapster should not have to be further involved in the filthy folder affair.
Feeling fine, pie-eyed Paste Pot smiles and pronounces that the pair should start shots. So, two scamps do so at Earl's dive bar in the Bowery before (most) Sunday services or businesses' brunches. It is not wrong when they do it.