"Kid? Kid?! Danny!" Wade screamed, eyes wide as he watched Danny choke on blood before collapsing forward. Another shot rang out and Wade felt it impact with his shoulder, but he didn't react. That bullet was meant for him. If he hadn't ducked…

[you absolute fuckup.] {you can't do anything right, can you?} [couldn't even protect one kid. Pathetic.] {hey. Maybe get off your ass and kill the fuckers that shot him. Or can you even manage that?} Deadpool shuddered as he turned around, eyes scanning the street behind him. There were so many people… how had they not noticed the gunshots? [they're hydra.]{kill them. Kill them all. It's the least you could do for the kid.} [Make it painful] movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned his head. One of the regular 'citizens' had pulled a gun. There was a hydra pin on his jacket lapel. {make them bleed} a shot hit his stomach, and Deadpool narrowed his eyes at the man who had just shot him.

"Shouldn't have done that." he said, drawing Bea and Arthur. "I'm going to make this last. I'm going to paint this street red. I'll bring new meaning to the phrase 'painting the town red'."{rip out their organs!}

Deadpool moved, and the world blurred around him. Everything moved in snapshots, like the panels of a graphic novel. There was a head by his foot. Someone was clutching their shoulder where an arm had been. Someone's screaming was ringing in his ears. His hands were buried in a woman's guts, and she scrabbled at his wrists with tears streaming down her face. Someone shot Deadpools ear off. It regrew. He was missing a hand and he didn't know where his Katana had gone. He set off a grenade and lost a foot. People were shouting. Someone tried to tackle him, and Deadpool dislocated the man's shoulder before stabbing him in the stomach with a knife. Shots skimmed off of Deadpools neck and shoulders as he wove through the crowd, a stab here, a gunshot there. Cut that ones tongue out.

Then, the world tilted. Blood dripped into his eyes, and everything went gray. "Who turned off the sun?" He slurred, teetering on his feet. Someone grabbed Deadpools throat, and then there was a knife in his skull and the world went away.


There was a being in front of him. "It's nice to see you again, Danny." he tilted his head. "Please, sit down. Would you like some tea?" He shrugged as he sat. "I'll pour you a cup, and you can have some if you'd like. It's good for the throat." The being seemingly conjured a tea set out of nowhere and filled two cups. Steam wisped up from the surface of the liquid. "Would you like some honey? I'd offer you milk and sugar, but I'm afraid I'm out at the moment." They didn't wait for him to answer, instead stirring a spoon of honey into each cup and pushing one towards him. He picked it up and stared into it for a moment before setting it back down.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his voice echoing strangely in the void around him. It was familiar.

"We've met before, yes. Though it was brief. Do you recall?" They took a sip of their own tea. "It's okay if you can't, right now. I understand that this must be quite strange to you." He blinked.

"I…" he couldn't find the words. They had met, he was sure of it. When? ('just one picture Danny, and then we can go.' 'I'm not sure this is such a good idea, Sam.') "we have met." the cloak the being wore tilted, and he got the distinct impression of someone smiling at him.

"Don't push yourself. Some find it easier to forget entirely." they nodded at his tea cup. "Drink your tea." he took a sip. (pain, burning. Someone was screaming. Him? It hurt. Just make it stop.)

"Am I dead?" he asked. They smiled at him.

"For now." (a hand caressed his hair. 'oh, child. I'm so sorry it was this way, but you have to go home. I can't embrace you yet, you still have so much left to do.')

"For now?" he asked.

"Yes. For now." they reached across the table and brushed his hair back.

"We've been here before," he said. Their hood slipped back, and he caught a glimpse of porcelain white bone before they pulled it forward again. Their hands were skeletal. "You're Death."

"Yes." they sat in silence for a bit, sipping their tea. Then, Death pulled a pocket watch from their robe. "It's time for you to go back. I'm sorry I can't keep you."

"Go back?" they brushed their hand through his hair again, and he found himself leaning into it.

"Yes."

"Why can't I stay here?"

"It's not your time." Sorrow washed over him.

"But I don't want to go. I like it here!" the table was gone, and Death pulled him into a hug.

"I know. But you have to leave. I can't keep you here." he sobbed.

"Please! Please don't make me go!"


Phantom blinked his eyes open. Something was off. The air tasted like crimson and electric blue. The world distorted and inverted everywhere he looked. Small pops, like fireworks, echoed through the air. Sulfur and charcoal was thick in his nose. Where was Wade?

"We got him!" Danny turned his head, and there he was! Wade! "Get the knife!" Knife? Someone was grabbing Wade, and that wasn't right. What were they doing? They had a knife! He had to stop them! But he was too late, the knife was already buried in Wades head. Time suspended itself. He was gone. He was gone? Gone where? Dead. Death was nice, he wished he could have stayed longer. They killed Wade. Killed him? Killed him dead. He was dead. It's fine, Phantoms dead, but he's still here. But Wade wouldn't come back, he was human. Human? Mortal. That's not good. That's bad. He's supposed to keep them safe. Who? Humans. Wades a human. Wade's dead, they killed him. Killed him? That's not right. They shouldn't do that. He should do that to them, show them what it's like to die. Dying hurts. Make them SUFFER.

The man stepped back from Wade's body, and it slumped to the ground, limp. The world shifted technicolor, and the man exploded into neon green snow. The world tasted red. Everything tastes red when your fangs are buried in their throats. His hands were wet. He licked them. They tasted red too. They were screaming. Who? They killed Wade. Killed him? They should die, then. Death would not be kind to them. They killed Wade. the screams were gone. They killed Wade, he killed them. Wade.

The technicolor faded, and Phantom hovered over to where Wade was crumpled on the ground, bathing in the blood of the ones who killed him. Good. it was good that they were dead, they could never hurt anyone again. Like Wade. Wade was dead, and that was bad. There was a knife in his head. Their knife. That wasn't right. Anything they touched was tainted. He couldn't let it touch Wade, and have him tainted too. Water slipped down his cheeks as he let himself settle in the red. He cradled Wade's head in his lap as he firmly gripped the knife and pulled it from Wades head. Then he let grief wash over him.


Wade glanced around. Ah, he'd died again. Oh, and there was Death! "Hey hot stuff!" he called, strolling over to her tea table. It was set, which was odd. "You have company over before I got here?" he glanced over at Death and paused. She was sitting stiffly and staring at her hands. "Babe? You okay?" she looked up at him.

"It wasn't his time, I had to let him go." her voice wavered as she spoke, and Wade dropped heavily into the chair across from her.

"That's fine, he'll be back. They always are, you know?" she smiled at him.

"Yes, of course. But it will be centuries for him before he can stay, and he didn't want to leave." Wade perked up.

"Centuries? That's a pretty long time. Are you sure you won't see him again before that?"

"Oh, I have no doubt that I will see him again. He is my brother's charge, after all. But he will not come to stay with me for a long time."

"You have a brother?" Death laughed.

"Yes, Time."

"I suppose that makes sense." Wade grabbed one of the half full tea cups from the table and downed it. "Hey! There's no sugar in this!" he exclaimed, face scrunching up in disgust. Death laughed, and Wade grinned back at her.

"You would complain about that, I suppose." Death sighed. "It's time for you to leave again. I wish you could stay."

"I wish I could stay, too. I keep trying." Death smiled sadly at him.

"You shouldn't keep trying. There's more important things that you need to do in life."

"Is there at least time to bone down before I have to go?" Death laughed softly again.

"There is not. And I do believe that I will not be seeing you for a while, so this is farewell for now, my love." Death cupped his face, and Wade stared into her empty eye sockets.

"Please let me stay?" he asked. Death kissed him softly, and then he was waking up.


Someone was crying, heart wrenching sobs that made Wade feel melancholy as well. Had he killed someones loved one? He hated when he had to wake up to that, but he couldn't remember. He'd probably been shot or stabbed in the head, then, since that always fucked with his memory. At least that meant the voices would be quiet for a bit.

Wade blinked open his eyes, groaning as they stuck together, probably with blood. There was a kid crouched above him, a bloody knife clutched in his hand. Wade blinked a few more times, and noticed that the kid was slathered in blood. Something was familiar about the white hair, so bright it was almost glowing. He squinted. The hair was glowing, and Wade did know the kid. He'd saved the kid from Hydra and Weapon X. Hey, the kid was crying over him. And covered in blood. He should probably make sure the kid was okay.

"Danny?" he croaked, and the kids sobbing hitched as bright, glowing teal eyes peaked open, still swimming in tears that dripped down the kids blood soaked face. Speaking of, there was a hell of a lot of blood on the kids lips. "Are you okay?"

"W… W… Wade!" Danny wailed as he threw the knife aside and wrapped his arms awkwardly around Wades chest, pressing his own chest into Wade's face in the process.

[hug him back, dickwad.] ah, the voices were back. Wade wrapped his arms around Danny awkwardly and patted his back. "Shh, you're okay. There there." {you suck at this.}

"You… you… but… you died!" Danny sat up and leaned closer to Wades face before running a hand down the torn side of Wades mask. Where the knife had been, probably. "You… healed?" {He's touching your gross face! Cut his hand off!} [no! Don't hurt him! Make him stop touching us!] Wade whimpered a little as he grabbed Danny's wrist and pulled it away from his face. Danny leaned back. {no glove! No glove! Stop touching him!} Wade yanked his hand away from Danny like he'd been burned and sat up.

The street was soaked in blood, and there were dead bodies everywhere. Had he killed all these people? [obviously not, dumbass, or you wouldn't have been having tea time with Death.] {yeah, and I don't recall you biting people. Unless that's a new ability that we gained? That would be rad}[don't say rad, you sound like a moron.] Wade looked closer at the bodies. There were bite marks. Something impacted with his back, and Wade just barely managed to keep himself from throwing Danny over his shoulder. {why is he touching us? Why is he touching us?! Make him stop!} [Calm down, idiot. The kid's been through a lot, just let him have this.]

"Danny?" The kid hummed, rubbing his face against Wades back before pressing the side of his head firmly into Wade. "Are you okay?" Danny let out a rumbling giggle.

"I'm fine. You're alive." {has the kid always been this weird?} [we haven't really spent much time with him, there's no way to know.]

"Did you…" Wade cut himself off. Did he want to know? Danny hummed at him again, that weird underlying rumble picking up when he did. "Did you kill them?" Danny propped his chin on Wades shoulder and stared out at the street.

"Yes." [his voice sounds kind of… off. What's up with that?] "They hurt you. Killed you. Dying hurts, they shouldn't have done that."

"Okay." Wade stood up, and Danny clung to his shoulders as he did so. "You're pretty light there, kid. You been eating enough?"

"Yes. Ghosts don't weigh anything, you have to have mass to have weight." Wade nodded.

"That makes sense. You want to head home? I need to go put on some clean clothes."

"I'll come with you." {are you just going to ignore the fact that he said he's a ghost?!}