[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XV1PIyT.jpg?2[/img][/center]

As the Flash talks about her own troubles, I head over and kick at the grate that Marko disappeared down. Just great. Marko was dangerous before he became a living sand sculpture. Now he's got...well scary amounts of power. I'm no slouch, but I have no idea how I could have stopped him on my own. The Flash was a serious amount of help, as someone who can run at like the speed of light usually is...I would imagine. 

The next time Marko shows up, I may not be lucky enough to have help. On that day, am I going to be able to contain him? Will I be able to save the innocent people around me and keep them out of harm's way?

"There'll come a day when all of this will reach the ones you love."

Johnny Storm's words echo through my head. Up until this point, all I've come across are mob hit men and weirdos. Sure Sytsevich is gigantic, Harkness has impeccable aim, and Delilah is a crazy martial artist, but they're normal people. Hell, even Firebug is just a guy in a suit. A fancy, napalm throwing suit, but a suit none the less. 

But this thing with Marko is something different. 

This is real, raw power in a guy not much smarter than the sand he's made out of. That much potential destruction in the hands of someone with no lines means untold amounts of things. And what if he's just the first? What if there are more like him on the way?

How am I going to stop people like this?

[quote=@Sep]

"I wish I had divine wisdom to impart on you, but really-" She shrugged "-I'm probably not a lot better at this than you are. Don't get me even started on Superman. He may be the man of steel, but he doesn't know how to talk to a woman." Her phone buzzed again and she sighed, pulling it out of a pocket. She didn't activate it quite yet to see the message instead she just eyed Spider-Woman for a moment. "You know, when you think about it we [i]really[/i] should think about some form of group dynamic for us heroes and heroines." 

Looking down at her phone she saw it was a message from Barry. Tempted to ignore it at first, her phone buzzed again. The next message put all thoughts of ignoring it out of her head. 

["911. Man in Yellow. Come now, your place."]

All colour in her face vanished.
[/quote]

Flash's words rouse me from my own thoughts. A group of superheroes fighting together. After everything that Johnny had told her about his world, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. If something as big as what happened there happens here, having a line to the rest of the superhero community would be invaluable. They might not win, but it would certainly give them a fighting chance. That's all they could really ask for.

[color=ec008c][b]"You know, forming a group wouldn't be a bad idea,"[/b][/color] I nod as I turn back to her. [color=ec008c][b]"We worked well, if not a little sloppy, here. If what I've recently heard about ever happens here, being on a texting basis with the rest of the Super Friends might give us an upper hand. We can clearly use all of those we can-"[/b][/color]

I look up, realizing I'm in my own world yet again. I really, really need to pay more attention to people when they're talking to me.

Flash's demeanor has changed on a dime. I can immediately see something's bothering her, [color=ec008c][b]"You good?"[/b][/color]

[center]**********[/center]

From a grate in front of Otto Octavius, a brown, grimy slurry emerges. As it pumps itself out of the opening, it sheds the moisture in its composition, mixing itself with a fresh pile of sand Otto brought with him. Flint Marko is now something even more incredible than Octavius could have ever imagined. If Warren's experiment had gone through to its completion, he would have been powerful, sure. But the power surge needed to break the Enforcers out of prison has created something even more spectacular. Marko can't just control sand. He now is sand. His consciousness is now housed in a single grain of sand, which can in turn control any particle of the substance in its vacinity.

Flint Marko is now one of the most beautiful beings Octavius has ever seen.

Sure, this type of superpower isn't marketable to AIM's customers, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. 

Plus, being one of a kind mad Marko more pliable and open to Otto's suggestions.

[color=aba000][b]"The freakin' Flash was there!"[/b][/color] Marko seethes at Octavius as his face forms seemingly from thin air, like a reverse disintegration. [color=aba000][b]"How the hell am I supposed to steal stuff when there's two freakin' superheroes around?"[/b][/color]

[color=a2d39c]"I'm sorry, Flint,"[/color] Otto smiles condescendingly. [color=a2d39c]"Last time I checked I can't look into the future. When I can, I'll make sure to give you every possible thing that can go wrong with your missions. Deal?"[/color]

[color=aba000][b]"Yea, sure,"[/b][/color] he grumbles. [color=aba000][b]"But I still didn't come away with any loot."[/b][/color]

Octavius waves his hand at his new friend, [color=a2d39c]"It's irrelevant. We've set the trap. Now all we have to do is wait for our rivals to fall into it."[/color]