Spider-Man: Sandstorm

Chapter 3: Old Habits pt. 3

Marko looks at him for a long time, scanning his face for any tells about his true intentions. "Whether it was intentional or not, that machine... changed me. And I was locked in there until the police showed up. My daughter... I was gone too long... and she knew his dangerous this whole operation was. So she also called the cops and now she's gone.
           Herman is listening intently, his eyebrows are high, and his eyes look somber.
           "If I can get enough money," Marko continues, "I can get her back. They don't got evidence of my work- our work- but I'm also dirt poor, and I can't have my own daughter, and they're gonna just give her away, unless I get some money."
         "Listen, Flint, I'm real sorry about what happened, but what's this got to do with me?"
         Marko looks back up at Herman, as determined as ever. "Fisk is gone," he says, "our old boss is no more. His assets are dying down, a perfect opportunity for us to jump in, don't you think?"
           "I mean," Herman says, moving around in his seat anxiously, "sure let's say we try this out, but what if we get caught, huh? I got my shock gauntlets," Herman gets a duffel bag and puts it on the table, "but what if we get caught? You're not gonna get outta this like I can."
              Marko grabs the duffle bag and zips it open. He rummages through it and pulls out a metal gauntlet, with a handle to grip. "Shock gauntlets, huh?" He says, "sounds like you really moved up in Fisk's operation. And I've only been hiding out for a couple weeks."
              "Part of the reason I have 'em is cause of the robbery we did," Herman says, "Guess something good came out of it after all."
              Marko chuckles and puts the gauntlet back in the duffel bag. "Wanna see what I got from that robbery?" He says, then he raises his hand and the rocks and minerals cover his skin and take the form of a mace.
              "Holy shit," Herman says, getting up out of the seat and getting close to the mace, "maybe getting stuck in there was worth it."
             Marko changes the mace to a hand and pushes Herman back into his seat with force. "To answer your question," he says, "I think I'll be able to handle myself."
             Herman brushes himself off and shakes the sand off. "Okay, I'm in, but we gotta lay low, and we cannot. Get. Caught. I'm not goin back to Rykers."
            Marko changes his hand back to it's fleshy self and holds it out for Herman to shake. Herman looks at it suspiciously, then slowly reaches out and they shake.
           "Alright Sandman," Herman says with a smirk, "where are we hittin first?"
              "Isn't there a jewelry store down the street from here?"