Spider-man was just about to swing into the commotion on West 45th street when a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into the shadows.
He yelped and turned to fight while silently cursing his spidey-sense for not alerting him to the danger. Thankfully his friend had good reflexes and blocked the punch.
"Easy Spider-boy, just me," Daredevil grumbled.
"Geeze man, give a Spider a heart attack!"
The other Red vigilante snickered.
"You should be relying on all your senses more, not just that weird sixth one of yours," He noted joining the teen on the building edge, "Also, you should definitely avoid that mess down there."
Spider-man looked down and frowned.
"The cops are after someone, I assumed it was a bad guy. What's the problem?" He asked.
"Not everything is so black and white kid, although we have a moral compass from crossing over that ultimate line not everyone does. Frank Castle being a good example. Yes, he kills, only those who deserves it he believes, but still how can one justify taking a life. Makes us just as bad as them in my opinion." He ended with a frown and a shrug.
"So, is that who they are hunting? Frank Castle?" Spider-man crotched down and studied the cops running around in a blind frenzy. He inwardly cringed at thinking of that analogy seeing as he was right beside an actual blind man.
"No," Daredevil admitted, tilting his head to get a better listen to the going-ons. "They are after someone even more deadly and seeing as we are dressed a little too similar to him we should move back."
Spider-man felt the twinge in the back of his neck just as Daredevil spoke. Both of them dove back into the shadows as flood lights suddenly lit up the entire building and a bullet ricocheted of the brick. The Devil of Hells kitchen nodded his head the opposite way and Spider-man couldn't help but agree.
The two slipped away from the scene before a jumpy cop took them out instead of their actual target.
Once a safe distance away, where they could both still pick up the police scanners but couldn't be seen they took a seat on the roof to finish their conversation.
"So, is our unique fashion sense influencing pop culture or what?" Spider-man demanded.
If the Devil could see in the conventional way, Spider-man would have sworn he gave the kids blue and red sweater and jogging pants a disdainful look. It was obvious enough that the teen flushed red in the face.
"Not all of us have friends in high places," he muttered as he picked at a stray string.
Daredevil couldn't help but crack a smile at the sullen teen.
"Maybe you should let me introduce you to my friend," he thought out loud, "You could use some extra protection. How are those ribs?"
Spider-man stiffened. It was true, he had three cracked ribs from a car chase that had went south, but his healing factor was working so by tomorrow they'd be nothing but a memory.
"Fine," he muttered when he realized Daredevil was still waiting for an answer. "Anyway, who were the cops looking for?"
"A man in red and black leather," the man started but was cut off.
"Sounds like a bad sex fetish," Spider-man mused. He froze when Daredevil smacked him up the back of the head. "Right, sorry. Bad guy. Go."
"His name is Wade Wilson, or better known as Deadpool. Black and red suit, full mask, but not a vigilante. He is a mercenary. Rumor is he only take's out bad guys but doesn't much care who pays him to do it. Can't confirm any of that though, can only say for sure he likes to kill. In some pretty grewsome ways."
Spider-man pulled a face that was lost behind the mask, but Daredevil seemed to pick it up.
"Alright kid, enough patrolling for tonight. I don't need to hear that you got shot by some cop. Come on, I really am going to introduce you to my friend."
If the mask hadn't been covering his ears Spider-man was sure Daredevil would have opted to grab one and haul him along. Sensing his friends' discomfort though Spider-man did not fight it.
Four hours later Peter was back in his Aunt's apartment sprawled out on his bed. Daredevil had taken him to a strange warehouse were an odd, large muscular man measured him for a suit. He seemed nice and was happy to help the Devil of hells kitchen.
With explicit instructions not to go out till he had at least some protection Peter was already antsy sitting around his room. He could be sleeping. Should be sleeping. But after waking up from the last nightmare twenty minutes ago he wasn't keen on trying again.
Silently as possible he got out of bed and got dressed. May wouldn't be up for another two hours, so he didn't feel too bad slipping out the window and climbing down the fire escape like a good civilian.
Spider-man had promised not to go out, Peter Parker hadn't promised anything. The fact they were one and the same was a technicality that he didn't care to explore.
The street was quiet and empty so Peter walked unopposed, mind a million miles away.
It was a commotion on the roof to his left that finally pulled him from his musings. He was well aware that he was not in his suit, and that the single web shooter he had put on wasn't going to be easily explained if he had to use it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He used the fire escape again just to be sure his identity stayed in tact.
Silently he stepped onto the roof's edge, crotched low and listened. The fighting was coming from the next roof over to his right. His well-worn sneakers made no sound as he crossed the expense at a swift pace. His spidey-sense tingled non-stop as he got closer to what ever was going on.
Two men were locked in a battle on top of a smaller office building. Flashes or metal told Peter they were both armed, and small bursts of blood told him they weren't afraid to use the weapons. It was intense. Which was why Peter could not for the life of him, figure out why the big, muscular guy in red and black leather was singing What is Love? By Haddaway.
Peter was still pretty fresh to the game, so he hadn't seen many things that made him want to vomit. But when a katana made its way through the second man's eye Peter was doomed to feel the sick urge well up in his stomach. The sight of the blood and the body go limp was too close to watching Ben's body do the same thing.
"Geeze!" Peter groaned as he turned away from the scene and leaned his head over the other side of the building. Slowly his stomach calmed a bit, though the sight was still seared into the back of his eyelids.
His spidey-sense screamed at him and Peter threw himself into a backwards roll away from where he had been trying not to lose his supper. He stopped with feet tucked underneath him in case he had to make another quick move. The big guy was standing there with a very expressive look on his mask, which was weird in itself.
"Hi!" He chimed happily, "Enjoying the show?"
"W-what show? Geeze man, you just turned that guy into a human kabob!" Peter stuttered waving vaguely at the other roof where he was sure the body still was, though he was not inclined to look to confirm.
The man shrugged, obviously unphased by the taking of a man's life.
"M'name's Deadpool, and I do love my fuckin' job! Can you believe some one actually pays me to do this?"
Peter though he was going to be sick again and groaned lightly as he looked away from the man.
"You alright there Babyboy? Don't go blowing chunks on me eh? Cause if you do, I will too, and let me tell you cleaning that out of my mask fucking sucks!" Deadpool explained in much to much detail. "You know, you shouldn't feel bad for the shit-stain over there. He did some pretty nasty things to some very small kids. Courts couldn't hold him, so a little girls father found a different way to help keep the monster's out of his daughter room."
Peter blinked as the mercenary seemed to be trying to justify himself. Why he cared what Peter thought was a mystery, but Peter found himself nodding.
"OK. I believe you," Peter offered swallowing the pre-throw up spit in his mouth with distaste. "I just, I've never seen anyone … anyone get killed like that."
Peter stood and shifted nervously as the Merc watched him with his head tilted slightly to the side.
"Well, don't dwell too much on it Babyboy." Deadpool sat on the edge of the building facing away from the body letting his feet swing like a kid would do. "Sooooooo, what brings a pretty young thang like you up here? Not running away are ya?"
"No," Peter confirmed happy to turn his back on the office building, "I couldn't sleep. Decided to go for a walk and I heard you guys fighting. Curiosity got the better of me I guess."
Deadpool tut-tutted him.
"Curiosity killed the dolphin!"
Peter paused.
"What? Don't you mean …"
Deadpool cut him off with so much intensity behind his voice Peter backed away a step.
"No. Just no! Don't say it! Cats are not curious! Cats are the stoners of the animal kingdom! Kitty cat just don't give a fuck!" The last part was emphasized by the snapping of his fingers in a zigzag fashion. "Now dolphins, that is a curious critter. Give 'um time kiddo, and those slippery little bastards will rule the world!"
Peter wasn't quite sure how the merc managed it, but he made him laugh. An honest laugh right from his belly.
Deadpool seemed to consider him for a moment before hoping to his feet with a smile.
"Alright Babyboy," he announced, "You have convinced me! I will walk you home!"
"No, that's alright. I can take care of myself!" Peter tried but Deadpool wouldn't let it go.
"Nope, come on! Uncy Deadpool is gonna walk that underaged, jailbait, butt of yours home! I'd feel terrible if something happened to you."
Peter scrunched his nose up at that. The fifteen-year-old had not had the pleasure of a grown man commenting on his butt and he did not like it.
Deadpool simply laughed at the kicked-puppy dog look the teen was giving him.
Peter wasn't given much time to dwell on it though because his aunt would be waking up soon and he needed to be in bed when her alarm sounded.
"Fine, fine. Let's go before people start getting up and calling the cops on the armed, walking condom!"
Deadpool snickered at that and followed Peter to the ground humming 'Baby got back'.
Peter watched the man carefully, surprised that his spidey-sense hadn't gone off since he startled him on the roof. Still, he wished he could lose the man before getting to his apartment. He wasn't sure if Deadpool knowing where he lived was a good thing.
The opportunity never arose, and Peter was taken back when they arrived at his apartment building soon after. The two had been engaged in a serious debate over the best sandwiches in New York and the walk flew by.
"This is me," Peter said. "Ah, thanks for making sure I got home safe."
"No problem. Thanks for not throwing up back there, I might have felt bad. Stay safe Babyboy!"
Peter gave a little wave over his shoulder as he disappeared between the buildings and started up the fire escape. No one needed to see him sneaking in at this ungodly hour.
Once inside he closed his window and with a slight hesitation locked it. Next time he seriously needed to listen to Matt.
Two days later a knocked sounded at the front door. Peter happily bounded over to look through the peephole.
With a wide grin he threw open the door.
"Hey Mr. Murdock! What are you doing in Queens?"
"Hello Peter." Matthew said, never being able to keep the smile off his face when dealing with the energetic teen. "I thought I would bring this over, your Aunt is gone."
Peter took the package not commenting on how Matthew knew that his aunt wasn't there.
"Cool! Yeah! Come on in Mr. Murdock!"
As the packaging feel away Peter couldn't contain his whistle. The Spider-man suit was a far cry from his current hoodie. The snug red and blue cloth laced with a special type of black Kevlar was impressive. A spider emblem was weaved into the design on his chest.
"What do you think?" Mathew asked, "It pretty simple, offers a bit of protection at least and might make you a bit more intimidating out there."
"Well yeah! Who isn't afraid of a fricken' spider?" Peter said, "Creepy, eight legged freaks!" He added under his breath, though Matthew heard and laughed anyway.