chapter 186 part 2
Following the supervisor's command, the connected pipes to the cell were opened, and the seawater that had filled the entire cell was drained.
About ten minutes later, the seawater in the cell was completely drained, revealing a damp cell and a pool of what looked like sludge on the floor.
Seeing the sludge in the cell, the prison supervisor couldn't help but swallow. He instinctively reached for the pistol on his waist.
Even though he knew in his heart that bullets would be utterly useless against the target in the cell, the cold touch of the pistol at his waist provided a sense of false security.
Thus, under the watchful eyes of Harry and the supervisor outside the cell, the sludge began to stir, revealing the yellow fine sand within. This sand, as if possessing its own life, slowly gathered together, eventually forming a figure composed entirely of grit.
"Open the Sector G cell door."
Harry commanded as he watched the figure inside the cell. However, he heard William Baker's refusal.
"No need." Harry raised an eyebrow, looking at Sandman in the cell. He saw the figure lift a leg to step forward. As he moved, William Baker's coalesced form dispersed once more, turning into a large amount of yellow sand that covered the entire floor of the cell.
This fine sand constantly shifted, eventually crawling out through the gaps in the pipes to reform into the figure of a man wearing a dark green striped shirt.
Without the washing and interference of the seawater, William Baker had regained his control over sand. The cell in front of him could not contain him.
Standing outside The Raft Prison cell, feeling this long-lost freedom, William Baker looked down at his fingers made of grit. Under his gaze, grains of yellow sand slowly wriggled. Although William Baker appeared human on the outside, in reality, beneath this human facade, his body was occupied by a vast amount of sand.
He clenched his fist, feeling fine sand slip through his fingers. William Baker withdrew his gaze and turned to face Harry Osborn and the others.
Under William Baker's scrutiny, the supervisor's grip on the pistol at his waist tightened.
Harry, however, met Sandman's gaze with an unchanged expression.
...
In the stifling, oppressive atmosphere, an indeterminate amount of time passed.
"Don't worry, I always keep my promises," William Baker said, his voice deep as he withdrew his gaze.
"You grant me freedom, and I will work for you."
Hearing this, the supervisor beside them breathed a slight sigh of relief. Harry, as if he had anticipated this, turned to the supervisor and said, "Continue."
...
"...Mac Gargan was originally a private detective. During a particular investigation, he was forced to become an experimental subject. In that experiment, he was injected with a serum containing Scorpion's blood, and under duress, he was made to wear an untested Scorpion suit. Later, Mac Gargan escaped the laboratory but could no longer remove the suit, thus transforming into Scorpion and committing acts of evil using the suit's abilities."
Leading the freed Sandman, the prison supervisor arrived before a cell in Sector F, where a figure in a peculiar, scorpion-like uniform was held captive.
"With the suit's enhancements, Scorpion possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and endurance. He can survive for a week without eating or drinking, and the specialized tail on his suit can spray deadly sulfuric acid with strong corrosive effects."
Harry's gaze lingered for a moment on the scorpion tail moving freely behind Mac Gargan, or rather, Scorpion, before he suddenly asked.
"What happened to the person who manufactured this suit?"
"The Thunderbolts investigated, but the laboratory that manufactured Scorpion's suit was destroyed by Mac Gargan, and the researchers were also killed. In fact, Mac Gargan is the sole survivor of the entire experiment."
After hearing the supervisor's explanation, Harry withdrew his gaze from the cell.
"Scorpion?"
Meanwhile, Sandman William Baker, who had been silent beside him, spoke up.
"Leave him to me. I want to see if he can truly survive in the desert like a scorpion."
...
"Rhino, real name Aleksei Sytsevich, was a thug for the New York Russian mob."
"He was later forced to participate in an experiment to attach polymers to his skin. Using radiation and genetically modified chemicals, a tough polymer layer was applied to his skin, combined with a rhino horn, turning him into Rhino. The experiment granted him super strength, speed, stamina, and durability. His rhinoceros-hide-like exterior could withstand any extreme heat or cold, and it could resist any attack, rendering him virtually invulnerable..."
"Additionally, Aleksei Sytsevich also possesses a special rhino armor that helps him fight more effectively."
As he said this, the prison supervisor's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Scorpion behind Sandman.
In a way, the process by which Rhino and Scorpion gained their abilities and their experiences were remarkably similar. Both were injected with serums as part of certain experiments, gaining superhuman strength while also being forced to wear specialized suits. The former wore rhino armor, while the latter wore the Scorpion suit.
Sensing the supervisor's meaningful glance, Mac Gargan, Scorpion, who was in the group, frowned with displeasure.
In his earlier encounter with William Baker, his abilities had been completely suppressed.
Normal physical attacks could not harm Sandman. Even using the scorpion tail to spray sulfuric acid only managed to corrode a layer of sand from William Baker's body.
Such damage was insignificant to William Baker, who could control sand at will.
After witnessing the disparity between them, Scorpion ultimately agreed to Harry's terms and joined the team.
"Are you kidding me?"
Scorpion turned and looked at the towering figure of Rhino in the cell, immediately expressing his dissatisfaction.
"Why are this guy's abilities so similar to mine? Having one person with the same capabilities is enough in a team."
Even Hollywood movies know that there can only be one black character. Why were they finding two members for the newly formed Thunderbolts whose experiences and abilities were so alike?
"But my abilities are better than yours," Rhino retorted from within the cell, facing Scorpion's complaint.
Scorpion: "I can easily lift a semi-trailer truck."
Rhino: "I can lift two."
Scorpion: "No bullet, not even a bomb, can harm me."
Rhino: "I can withstand all attacks from heavy weaponry like pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers."
Scorpion: "I can go a week without eating or drinking."
Rhino: "I can go two weeks..."
(end of chapter)
advance ch on my p@treon up to 200+ch