A/N: I started this late last year after discovering Spideypool (Deadpool/Spider-Man) and thought of these two. Three is the perfect image of a merc with a mouth. And One has the boyish looks, dorkiness, and morality of Peter Parker. Hopefully I didn't make Three too creepy in his pursuit of One.
Warning: Three makes many lewd, unwelcome comments to One.
All mistakes are my fault. Enjoy.
One awakens and is immediately overwhelmed with confusion and disorientation. A bag is over his head obscuring his vision along with braces over his arms and lower torso. His legs are untied but a quick test of rocking in the chair yields no results meaning the the furniture is bolted to the floor. Calling out for help is an instant failure when he realizes his mouth is firmly sealed by tape. All in all, any hope to exploit some kind of chink in his bindings are nonexistent. He tries focusing on controlling his uneven breathing, the only thing he has any control of at the moment. The last thing he needs now is to black out right after awakening from his forced slumber.
Thinking back, the last memory One has before he slipped away from the conscious world is standing in his kitchen waiting for a pizza in the oven. Shit! Was the apartment on fire by now? What did it matter anyway when he was very likely to die here? Wherever here is.
One can feel the panic attack he managed to stave off reaching to the surface as he thinks of his inevitable fate and how powerless he feels. Life and death situations are commonplace in his new position with the Raza but at least he usually had the ability to fight and defend himself, or on the rare occasion run if need be. But this... this was torture. He's a sitting duck waiting to meet his end. And there wasn't even the hope of his team finding him. The Raza crew, himself included, are taking some much needed time off and wouldn't expect to hear from him in another week. The thought of being utterly alone causes One's heart to pound into overtime.
The sack blinding One is ripped away without a warning of approaching footsteps or any telltale sign he wasn't alone.
"Easy there, just breathe." One hears a male voice gently instruct as he blinks away the dark spots in his sight and the uncomfortability of having his eyesight impaired for so long. One can feel normality return to his breathing now that he has something new to focus on.
The man before him was covered head to toe in black, with the exception of a dark red, head-covering mask. The only characteristic One can make out are the blue eyes through the holes of the mask focused on its captured guest. There is wrinkling on the sides of the mask as if the captor is smiling.
"Rise and shine, pretty boy." The voice has a soft and gruff mixture to it.
"Where am I?" One says. Or he tries to say, forgetting about the thick duct tape preventing him from talking.
One looks around curiously from side to side hoping to recognize his surroundings. It won't help him out of his predicament but it was something to focus on in the present instead of dreading his bleak future. There isn't much to see - or rather, there isn't much he can see. A shroud of darkness covers most of the room he's in, the light fixture above his head casted a soft ring of illumination around One. His captor is the only clear thing he sees and everything else are silhouettes of objects.
"I didn't catch that, you mind repeating…" The captor rips the tape over One's mouth in a fast pull. "Gotta bite the bullet and do it quick like a parachute cord or a dislocated shoulder." The masked man says over One's groaning from the burning sensation around his mouth. There are surely fine hairs from One's lightly stubbled face stuck to the strip of tape.
"I said - Who are you?" One repeats in a raspy voice, wondering how long it had been since he last used his vocal cords.
"Name's Marcus Boone, mercenary extraordinaire," Marcus pulls off his mask to reveal a man with disheveled hair, a lightly bearded jaw, and a wide grin that makes One uneasy, more so than already is. "Whew, that mask was not very breathable."
"Why-" One croaks out before going into a short coughing fit.
"You must be thirsty. Here." Marcus' hand disappears and reappears from the shroud of darkness with a glass of water. "Sorry about the tape, I debated a long time whether to seal those luscious lips. But it needed to done. Those lips...I know the perfect place for them." One wastes no time in delivering a hard kick to Marcus in the chin for his lewd remark. As a result, the drinking glass falls and shatters close by One's feet - luckily wearing footwear.
"Ahem. I see I judged our relationship prematurely, my mistake. You're not there yet, it's perfectly fine, we have plenty of time." A shiver ran down One's back knowing this weirdo isn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. "Not how I expected our first date to be, but at least I can still eat solid food." Marcus rotates his jaw to assess the damage. He disappears momentarily into the darkness leaving One to wonder what is next in this nightmare. A romantic table set for two is wheeled in when Marcus reenters the limited light of the room. "Quickest way to a man's heart…" The kidnapper trails off before attempting again to give water to One.
After One drains the water in the glass, he mutters an insincere thanks. He hadn't realized how much water he'd gotten on his shirt until he saw Marcus staring at his chest. The buttons of his henley are undone showcasing a moderate coating of hair. When the man doesn't seem to be ending his blatant appraisal any time soon, One clears his throat loudly and angrily.
Marcus shakes out of his reverie. "How rude of me to stare. I'm just surprised...pleasantly surprised of course. Figured a pretty boy like you would be all plucked and waxed like a cornish hen or something. Man, I could really go for chicken. Too bad that's not on tonight's menu."
Before One can wonder what Marcus means, the mercenary sets down a plate for himself and One before loudly shaking out a napkin to tuck into his collar. "Boone Appétit. Enchiladas! I prepared it myself. Dig in!"
Marcus takes his own advice and immediately chows down the full plate sitting in front of him. It's a sight of horror and disturbing fascination for One to have an all access pass to the feeding of mercenary extraordinaire, Marcus Boone. How the man hasn't choked to death on the sizeable bites is a mystery for the ages, one that will take science years to fully understand.
"Tis s'good. Wus ah matter? Sumpin' 'rong wiff oar foo?"
One mentally pats himself on the back for understanding the merc with a mouthful of food, and probably esophagus full. He waves his hands to signal the problem, reminding the blue eyed kidnapper of the binds restricting his dinner date from eating.
Marcus wipes the sauce and other bits of food from his beard. With a napkin, miraculously. "Promise to play nice?"
"If you promise to actually chew your food instead of swallowing it whole like a snake." One criticizes the lack of etiquette he witnessed. Probably not the wisest thing to do to a man with guns strapped to his legs, One notices as Marcus stands close to him.
"Sorry, it's been awhile since I've had company." The merc cuts the binding of One's right hand. "Been on my own for some time now." One catches the bravado the man wore so easily like a mask fall slightly. Marcus clears his throat as he sits back down. "Don't be shy dig in."
Somehow the meal seems semi-normal, now that Marcus is remembering how use proper table manners. Despite his bindings, One doesn't feel particularly threatened or in any real danger. But there is still a lingering uneasiness in the air by the merc's off putting come ons. One was more confused than scared at the moment. Even after a kick to the face Marcus didn't retaliate or punish him. Not only that but the guy apologized to One. What kind of mercenary was he dealing with? A dinner date couldn't be the only thing he wanted, right? Is he trying to lure him into a false sense of security?
There is one thing nagging One though. This close to Marcus, he can't help but feel a weird sense of familiarity looking at the merc.
"Now what's wrong?" Marcus' concerned tone halts One's inner musings. Then, like a flash of lightning, a connection is made in his mind.
"I know you, don't I? We've met before, I think." Waggling an accusing finger with his only free hand in a subconscious effort to shake the memory loose in his mind.
Marcus ducks his head into his meal no longer trying to set a fastest speed eating record - now merely poking at his food with a fork. "Nope."
"We have - I saw you on the elevator. Yeah, you live in my building." One finally pieces together. "I remember... you entered the apartment next to mine." One had thought the guy was kind of nervous but excused it at the time as 'first meeting' jitters, not 'I've been made by my target' panic.
"Oh that…" Marcus chuckles while rakes his hair nervously, looking to be carefully deciding what comes out of his mouth next. "Uh, this is kinda funny... That apartment wasn't mine, nor was it unoccupied. I needed to get a closer look at my target. But I didn't kill anyone, I swear! At least he shouldn't be dead. God, did I remember to poke holes in the box this time?"
The dread One felt earlier was coming back in full force. As he looks down at his meal he thinks with certainty that this is more of a last meal before execution than a gesture of goodwill.
A call cuts through One's panic and disturbs the dinner. Though with the lack of eating happening at moment and the tense atmosphere, it wasn't much of a disturbance. "I am so sorry about this. You know how it is with work. This'll just be a sec."
Marcus walks to edge of the darkness with his back turned to One, giving the chair bound man a chance to take advantage of his unsupervised opportunity. Thinking fast, One decides against the knife on the table knowing it would be quickly discovered that the cutlery has gone missing. Not that plastic utensils will do much good for his predicament. He looks down at the floor to shards of glass littered on the ground. With watchful eyes on a busy Marcus, his free hand reaches down in urgency to pick up a glass shard clinched between his feet.
"How about this, why don't you have a nice chat with my dick because I already said the deal is null and void. Bye...asshole." As soon as One heard Marcus end the heated call with his client, One snaps back into an upright position before his kidnapper comes back, failing to grab a piece of glass because of the tight binding around his torso and limited time. He hadn't heard much of Marcus' conversation but it obviously didn't end well.
"I speak figuratively of course my mole dotted angel. You are the only one I want speaking to my dick. Man oh man those lips…" Marcus addresses to One with a longing sigh.
Frustrated with his failed attempt and the 'compliments' being given to him, One snaps. "Please! Please, stop talking about my lips! If you think you can force me t-to -" One can't finish voicing his deepest fear of what the mercenary has planned for him after this so-called dinner date is over.
From the hurt, disgusted look on Marcus' face, the message is well received. "Woah, woah. Hey, I'd never do that to you." The mercenary says softly, walking back slowly to his seat with hands raised as if he didn't want to spook a deer found in nature.
"Really? Because the bindings and kidnapping tell a different story." One spits back.
"This is just to get you to know me a little."
"If you wanted me to get to know you all you had to do was talk to me when we were in the elevator together! Or knock on my door like a normal neighbor!" One exclaims, annoyed with the ludicrous reasoning for his capture.
"Well...everything is 20/20 in hindsight." Marcus scratches his beard in embarrassment and sits back down. "Look, please believe me when I say I'm not after you for sex, I mean c'mon there's easier ways to get some if that's all I wanted. Especially with this face, amirite?" Marcus waggles his eyebrows as he praises himself.
"The face isn't the problem, it's the personality behind them." One states dryly.
"So, what I'm hearing is you think I'm handsome - scratch that - gorgeous!" Marcus grins with misplaced satisfaction. The kidnapper sobers a bit before continuing. "You should be grateful, bright eyes. The people I worked for paid a hefty sum for you. I'm on your side. Honest."
Now, One has even more questions to add to his growing list. As if wondering who taught Marcus to eat around company isn't perplexing enough. The question of who is after One takes top spot in his mind. Are they after One, member of the Raza crew? Or are they after Derrick Moss, the businessman he once was before starting his new life? Marcus hasn't used either of his identities from the time One first heard the merc's voice - strictly sticking to pet names. If the guy doesn't know One's true identity as Raza member then he might have a chance to be underestimated and gain an edge on his kidnapper. After all, Derrick Moss doesn't exactly project the word intimidating at first glance. An assumption he's used in his favor before. The puppy with a bite as Six jokingly called Derrick after he proved himself to the Raza crew.
"So, what do we talk about?" Marcus' question takes One out of his inner deliberation. "I know! This has been weighing heavily on my mind for a while…" An intense look from Marcus gives One the impression that there will be a deep conversation about to commence. "Is there some kind of exercise you do for that ass?" One was wrong, so very wrong. "Because damn! It boggles the mind of its sheer perfection. I could write songs about it. I actually have tried once, you know stake outs can get boring after a while. Not that you're boring at all to watch."
A prickling cold stare from his dinner guest has Marcus ready to change the subject. "Not interested in sharing just yet? Okay I'll start." Marcus clears his throat theatrically before pressing forward. "My puppy ran away when I was young, loved that little guy too." One wonders if the small animal was in a similar hostage situation and managed to escape. "What else? I never went to my prom in high school. By the time I got the nerve to start asking for a date, everyone was coupled up and I was left taking a neighbor's cousin...who needed up cancelling on me." It wasn't hard to see why anyone would cancel on him. "Uh, let's see… I never had a pet before even though I asked my dad for one everyday for nearly a year. My favorite movie is -"
"What - you just said you had a puppy." Unfortunately, One doesn't have much else to do but listen and notices the inconsistency with Marcus' statement.
"I did? Hm. Well, I say without a doubt one of those stories is true." If the merc thinks sharing personal stories is doing anything in his favor then Marcus will be severely disappointed.
One can feel a vice on his brain getting tighter the longer he spends with the man in front of him. He was so close to gaining a glass shard, a little time is all One needs to try again. "Uh, do you think we could have some more light in here? Please." One pleads, desperate to free himself from this nightmare.
"Sure thing, bright eyes. See how nice of a guy I can be." Marcus says while One does his best not eye roll at the metaphorical pat on the back the merc gives himself.
One's second attempt has the desired outcome, the shard in his grasp but the improved illumination unveils a hidden secret formerly shrouded in darkness. The sight causes him to drop the glass, ruining his chances to cut his bindings or defend himself if need be.
"What's the matter, baby cakes? Did you cut yourself?" Marcus rushes after hearing glass shatter at One's side, who currently has his eyes paralyzed on the wall to his right. "I knew I should have cleaned that up off the floor."
"Marcus…" One's nostrils flare visibly before he speaks again. "A-are those photos of me in my underwear?! And are those my actual underwear?! Why the hell-?!" One doesn't care if his voice is getting higher by the second. What the hell did his boxer briefs have to do with surveillance?
"Would you have given them if I'd ask?"
"What possible reason would you have for my underwear?!"
"Ever since I've met you, I've been in blue ball hell. I needed something to help..."
"Too much information, man!" Screwing his eyes shut proves to be a useless attempt to block what he discovers. Against his will, One's mind conjures flashes of what depraved things Marcus did alone here.
"Hey, you asked." Marcus shrugs sheepishly. One had to agree that it was his fault for asking. But how many people saw their underwear posted on a wall like painting and could think with perfect clarity afterwards?
That lack of clarity is why One gives a punishing kick to Marcus' midsection. The feistiness was cute the first time." He lets out long pained groan. "Not so much the second time around. If you're gonna keep hitting me please not the face again. Or the balls. Especially not the balls."
A metallic clanging on the floor gets closer to the two men until a small canister comes into view. In an instant, Marcus crowds over One to protect him from the threat. The fear of an instant death by a grenade is alleviated when the familiar ringing of a flashbang sounds off. The passive way of neutralizing the room makes One guess it's Marcus' client coming for retribution for going back on their contract.
Marcus whips out his two side arms strapped to his thighs, his stance in defense mode as he stands guard in front of One's body tethered to the chair. Pistols are trained on the two unwelcomed intruders in Marcus' lair. With immediate recognition of the two, Marcus groans in annoyance. "Aw, shit!"
"One, you okay?" The woman, One can see around Marcus' frame as Two from his group, asks standing next to a katana wielding man, One recognizes as Four.
"One? What the...you working with these clowns? How'd I not see that? I've been watching you like a hawk for two weeks!" Some mercenary extraordinaire Marcus Boone is, which only makes One's abduction more pathetic.
"I'm fine. Nice to see you guys." One answers to Two, ignoring Marcus' confusion. Two is always a sight to appreciate but he's never been so happy to see her at that moment. Or see part of her since Marcus won't move out of his line of sight.
"What have you gotten yourself into since you've been gone?" It wasn't clear which person Two is speaking to. The hint of amusement in her voice was a far cry from her usual tough as nail disposition when dealing with standoffs.
"If the pair of you are here, then where is-" Marcus' question is cut short as the sound of a safety being pulled fills in the blank for the merc.
"Boone, good to see you. Looking well." Six's rather chirper voice given the circumstances says to the flank of Marcus. One sits in chair looking at scene in utter confusion. Why is his team treating the situation with such a laid back attitude?
The outgunned kidnapper glances in the corner of his eyes. "Right back at ya, tiny." Marcus replies to the man who is the total opposite of the nickname.
"How about you lower those weapons so we can have a nice family reunion?" Six suggests lightly.
"I don't know about you all but I never attend a family reunion without at least one handgun and a tear gas canister for backup. But," Marcus pauses and looks at the room full of weapons being pointed solely at him with a couple of red dots on his forehead. "I'll make an exception this time." His guns return to the holsters strapped on his thighs. "Not that I have much of a choice." He murmurs with a pout.
"How did you know I went missing?" One wonders aloud, knowing they weren't scheduled to join back together until next week.
"A fire alarm was triggered in your apartment and everyone in the building was evacuated. Your place will smell smokey for weeks but no real damage was done." Six fills in while freeing One from the chair. At least One's apartment wasn't on fire like he worried.
"Dammit, I knew I forgot something." Marcus grunts out with his face planted on the floor as Four securely tied up the merc. "I have bad feeling I also forgot about your next door neighbor…"
"Mr Hendrickson?" Two says. "Yeah, the building manager checked his apartment to make sure the old man left too. An agoraphobe. Tied and gagged but very much breathing. When Andriod found out One was missing it was just a matter of tracking suspicious activity through the traffic and nearby cameras. Luckily someone stopped for...enchiladas." Two stares with disbelief at Marcus. Of course the lunatic would blow his stealthy operation for something ridiculous.
"Prepared dinner yourself, huh?" One raised a brow, not knowing why he brought up Marcus' earlier boast of having prepared dinner himself.
"I had to reheat and serve it didn't I? Sounds like prep work to me." Marcus shrugs as he's stripped of his weapons by the ever silent Four.
"I think I've had as much as I can take from him. If you all decide to jettison him into space, I am reserving ahead of time for a front seat to the show."
When One said he was done with Marcus he meant it, leaving the merc's imprisonment and interrogation to the rest of the crew. After a quick check up with Android, One is deemed to be in perfect health. No lingering effects from whatever drug Marcus used to knock him out or any poison found flowing in his body as some kind of contingency plan. The only concern from Android is his empty stomach he hadn't filled during his dinner that put One on a path heading to the mess hall for nutritious, bland-tasting protein bars. Marcus may be off his rocker but at least he knew how feed a guy right.
While chomping on a protein bar heading back to his room for a well deserved consented rest, One is surprised to see Marcus walking the hall freely with Two. He nearly chokes on his bite at the sight.
"Hey, I told you we'd have plenty of time together." Marcus walks innocently toward One, eyes locked between them. But the word innocent is something One does not associate with his former abductor and walks backwards for every step that Marcus takes. The weird tango the two men share has One backing into a wall behind him and Marcus crowding his personal space. The only thing preventing One from trying to break Marcus' nose is Two's presence close by. The merc's free roam didn't make any sense whatsoever but One trusted her with his life and is confident he's safe aboard the ship. Marcus leans in close, with those damn piercing blues glinting playfully at One's wary brown eyes. It feels like a kiss is about to commence when those blue eyes are tracking the swipe of One's tongue across his suddenly dry lips. Instead, the rogue pushes a button beside One's shoulder and opens the door One doesn't realize he's standing next to.
Marcus steps into the unoccupied cabin and turns back around to a shell shocked One. "Guess who's back to being Three? I'll give you a big hint. This guy! Good night, bright eyes." Marcus grins as wide as the sky, then with a swoosh the cabin door is shut leaving One with the horrifying new information.
One feels his veins throb intensely on his temples to the point that he fears they may rupture. His utter shock must be plain as day because Two speeds toward him saying to calm down and wait for an explanation.
"He's a good guy." Two tries to alleviate One's concerns but her vouching for the man that kidnapped him moments ago only serves to aggravate One. "Okay, a good guy to have in a fight." She adds. "You're still at risk, and the rest of us may be too. We all might have been watched by others and Marcus has agreed to help us find who wanted you captured."
One doesn't care if an alliance was made for his safety and the safety of his crew, he is not willing to cooperate with that crazy merc. "Maybe this was his plan from the get go, to lure the rest of the Raza and take or kill us all in one fell swoop."
"Really? He knew we wouldn't kill him on sight or try to turn him in to Galactic Authority immediately. Planned to set off the fire alarm so we'd know you were missing but with enough time to escape the building. Knew we would track and find him. Pretend he hadn't known you were even with us. All of this when he could've simply pretended to be an old friend wanting to catch up or rejoin."
"Um...m-maybe?" One knows he has no ground to stand on after Two plainly lays out the facts. But he can still try.
"It is only temporary. Try and rest up, we have a lot of work ahead of us." Two walks away to her room leaving One alone to deal with his feelings about their new guest. He sighs mournfully as he enters his room across from Marcus. The person who said 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' never met Marcus Boone. In One's case, it is the enemy of my enemy is my pain in the ass."
A/N: Any comments are welcomed! Stay tuned for more!