"Hey, hey, buddy—why so hostile? I'm a hero too, you know. And I've been doing this longer." Seeing that the stranger wasn't some crazed supervillain, Spider-Man relaxed a little.
"Since you don't agree," Harry said coldly, "let's settle it with a match. Whoever's stronger gets to call the shots."
Before Spider-Man could respond, a blade snapped out from Harry's right arm and he lunged straight at him.
"That's cheating!" Spider-Man yelled, but his Spider-Sense flared instantly. Even though Harry's attack carried no killing intent, his instincts screamed danger. He sprang backward, twisting midair, the blade slicing just beneath his feet.
He shot a web at Harry's glider, yanked hard, and tried to pull him off balance.
Harry didn't care. The glider had its own onboard intelligence—falling wasn't a concern. He let go deliberately, flipped through the air, and dove toward Spider-Man faster than the glider itself.
Startled, Spider-Man released the web and leapt onto a nearby wall, clinging upside down.
"You slippery little bug," Harry mocked, steering his glider for another charge.
But before he could strike, a sharp bang echoed from below.
"Something's happening," Spider-Man said, turning toward the noise.
"You going?" he asked Harry.
"Of course," Harry replied.
Spider-Man swung away on his webs.
"Max, stay in the air. I'll signal when to come down," Harry ordered.
No one was nearby, but in a flash of blue lightning, a figure materialized beside him—Max Dillon.
"Got it," Max said simply.
Harry angled the glider downward and shot off, slicing through the air at incredible speed.
Down below, two police officers were patrolling as usual—until they spotted a wanted fugitive wandering the street. Recognizing him instantly, they moved to intercept. When the man passed near a sand truck, they split up and circled around, but suddenly he was gone.
Realizing he might be hiding in the truck, one officer climbed up, lifted the tarp, and began digging through the sand with a shovel. He approached a strange hollow spot—then a massive fist exploded out of the sand, slamming into a nearby car with a shattering crash.
People screamed and scattered in panic as the sand began to swirl and gather. From it, a giant arm rose, followed by the towering form of a man made entirely of sand.
"It's the Sandman!" someone shouted.
Bullets ripped through the air as officers fired, but the rounds only tore through his body harmlessly. The sand creature roared, swung a massive fist, and sent one of the officers flying.
"Hey, officers, what's going on here?" Spider-Man landed in a crouch, eyes wide at the chaos. He rushed to check on the downed cops.
"Sand… sand…" one of them gasped, pointing down the street.
"Sand?" Spider-Man turned—and saw a trail of dust drifting away at the far end of the block.
He shot a web and swung after it.
At that moment, the Sandman had already found his target—a cash transport truck just leaving the bank. With one mighty punch, he caved in the roof and knocked out the two guards inside. He reached for the money bags—just as Spider-Man dropped from above.
"Losing your head again, Flint?" Spider-Man called.
"Get out of here. I don't want to hurt you," Sandman growled.
"Buddy, this is my neighborhood," Spider-Man said lightly, crouched and ready.
"Fine," Sandman rumbled, swinging a massive sandy fist.
Spider-Man leapt back and countered with a solid punch to the midsection, but it only sank into loose grains. The Sandman's body rippled, trapping Spider-Man's arm up to the elbow.
"Ah—bad idea!" Spider-Man grunted.
"Haha!" Sandman laughed, transforming his other arm into a colossal sand hammer.
BOOM!
Spider-Man crashed into a parked car, rolling across the street. Groaning, he shot a web to the cash truck to steady himself.
"Grab my hand!"
Harry swooped down on his glider, catching Spider-Man's outstretched arm and slinging him toward the truck.
Spider-Man fired a webline that pierced through the Sandman's torso, then flipped around behind him and kicked hard at his legs. The sandy form buckled, and the money bag went flying—Spider-Man snagged it midair with another web.
"Move!" Harry shouted, steering his glider upward.
A burst of orange flame erupted from beneath it, slamming into the Sandman's body.
"ROAR—!" the Sandman screamed in agony. His sandy form began to harden, glasslike crystals forming where the fire struck.
"System, scan the target," Harry commanded silently.
A faint holographic display appeared before his eyes:
Name: Flint Marko
Age: 42
Condition: Stable (Macromolecular Aggregate)
Ability: Sandification (Level 40)
Items: None
Harry frowned. "Sandification… practically immortal. Low offense, but hard to kill. Indestructible as long as the mind's intact."
Before he could react, a gigantic sand fist slammed into his glider.
WHAM!
The Spider-Sense buzzed like a siren, and Harry twisted hard, but too late—the glider spun out, and he was flung into a car windshield. The mask cracked; Harry ripped it off, breathing hard.
"Max!" he shouted.
A burst of blue lightning split the air as Max appeared beside him, clad in a sleek black suit.
"Forget me—help Spider-Man!" Harry yelled, seeing the young hero being pummeled again by the Sandman.
Max nodded once.
"Hey—!" He raised his hand, lightning crackling across his palm. A blinding bolt shot out, piercing straight through the Sandman's chest.
"Ahhh!" Sandman screamed, his movements jerking erratically. He turned and swung at Max, but Max was already gone—his body dissolving into lightning, streaking through Sandman's head.
The creature's body disintegrated, collapsing into a heap of loose sand.
Harry recalled the glider, hovering beside Max as the electricity flickered and he reformed into human shape.
"Whoa, it's you!" Spider-Man said, catching his breath. "What happened to him?" He pointed at the motionless pile of sand.
"My lightning disrupted his brain waves," Max said hoarsely. "He's lost control of the sand—he can't hold a form anymore."
"You mean… he's dead?" Spider-Man asked.
"No." Max shook his head. "His will's too strong. I couldn't destroy his consciousness or convert him into energy. But he won't be reforming any time soon."
"The cops are coming," Spider-Man warned.
Harry glanced down the street. Red and blue lights flashed at the corner as police cars arrived.
"Then we're leaving." Harry stepped onto the glider and shot upward, Max trailing him as a streak of blue lightning.
"Harry…" Spider-Man whispered, hearing the unmasked voice. Recognition hit him like a shockwave. "That was Harry!"
He swung away quickly, vanishing between the buildings.
Below, police cars screeched to a stop. Agents in dark suits emerged from black vehicles marked with an eagle insignia.
"Secure the scene. Collect all sand samples," ordered Agent Phil Coulson.
"Yes, sir," his team replied, moving into action.
"Cross-reference the footage—we need IDs on everyone involved," Coulson continued.
"Understood."
Coulson watched the distant sky where Spider-Man had vanished. "A new player," he murmured. "Looks like Fury just found another candidate for the initiative."