The moment Ben Grimm finished speaking, a thoroughly professional roar rang out from the other end of the street.
"Out of the way!"
Rhino charged around the corner.
His charge was imposing.
So imposing that a roadside hot dog vendor watched for two seconds, then silently pulled his cart back half a meter.
Rhino knocked over two roadblocks, sent a trash can flying, and finally slammed into a stone pillar outside City Hall with a bang.
The pillar went to pieces-peace be upon them.
Rhino clicked his tongue, clutched his head, and crouched down.
Sandman glanced at him.
"Did you charge the wrong way? The Thing's over there."
Rhino said in a muffled voice:
"The ground's too slippery."
Sandman looked down at the yellow sand covering the ground.
"So you're blaming me?"
Overhead, a streak of fire trailed flame across the street.
Human Torch swooped down from the night sky, his voice arriving before he did.
"Superpowered attack in front of City Hall! All civilians, evacuate! Leave this to the professionals!"
Someone below looked up and shouted:
"Which professionals?"
Human Torch paused in midair.
"Me!"
The person shouted again:
"Weren't you arrested and then busted out of prison?"
"..."
Damned troublemakers! They just had to bring that up!
The Thing reached out and caught a police car that a stream of sand had pushed askew, then set it back by the roadside as gently as if he were tidying up children's toys.
Then he bellowed:
"Flame boy, quit yapping! Fight!"
Human Torch immediately charged at Sandman.
Sandman obligingly raised a hand made of sand.
Flames collided with yellow sand.
Boom.
It made quite a spectacle.
Waves of sand swept across the road, Human Torch flew around City Hall, and The Thing hurled Rhino into a pile of construction barriers, sending