Chapter Four

One day, one hour after the disintegration

Something grabbed Spider-Man.

Peter's eyes flew open, panicked. He threw a punch at the figure hovering over him, his heart racing.

" 'aby 'oy, I thin' ya bro' my jaw!" 'Pool laughed, startled. The mercenary shoved their jaw back into place with a gruesome crunch of bone on bone.

"Oh my gosh, Wade, I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

"Don't worry 'bout it, Sweets. I startled you," Wade was still laughing. Spidey sighed in relief. "Look, Cat-Boy is leaving. I woke ya in case you wanted to go with them."

Peter rubbed his eyes and saw the group leaving. T'challa, Wanda, Vision, Drax, and Groot were all walking into the horizon. Spidey shook his head.

"Let's stay here. They're not gonna find anything."

"You got it, babe." Deadpool winked, and Peter blushed. Wade absentmindedly ran a gloved hand through the Spider's curls and started singing.

"Big wheels keep on turning, carry me home to my kin, singin' songs about the south-land..." Wade sang softly at first but, got louder as he got closer to the chorus.

"Well, I hope Neil Young will remember, a southern man don't..." Peter smiled at Wade, soaking in the moment.

They sang the chorus together, loudly. "Sweet Home Alabama!" Wade added in a guitar riff that sounded nothing like a guitar. "Where the skies are so blue! Sweet home Alabama!" Peter knew he was off-key, but Wade didn't mind. "I'm comin' home to you!"

Strange glared daggers at them— apparently he had been trying to meditate. Peter blushed and stopped singing, but Wade sang even louder, directing their voice away from Spidey's ears so that the boy wouldn't get sensory overload again.

"Now Watergate doesn't bother me! Does your conscience bother you, tell me the truth!" Wade belted out happily. Spider-Man was anxious as Strange began striding quickly over to the two of them. His red cape looked menacing.

Strange went right up to Deadpool and stared at him. Dr. Strange was tall, but Wade still had to look down a bit to see him properly. Of course, the merc ignored him and kept singing.

"Sweet Home, Alabama! De-now-now-nah-nah-now! I'm comin' home to you!" They pointed right at the incredibly irritated Strange.

"Deadpool, if you'd please-"

"Sweet home-"

"Deadpool!"

"-Alabama! I'm- agh- ow!" Strange broke Deadpool's arm.

Peter gasped. It had all happened in an instant, but there were those conjured, sparking ropes that Dr. Strange makes, and they had wrapped tight around 'Pool's arm and yanked. A sickening crack filled the air, and Deadpool stared at him for a moment.

Then, the mercenary flew through the air, executing a spinning kick aimed at the man's side. Strange barely dodged the boot, and now Fury was running over, and Peter panicked because oh my God, now people he looked up to were fighting each other.

"Please! Stop fighting!" Spider-Man cried out helplessly, and he tried to web Strange's arm even though he knew he should save fluid. Strange deflected the blow, and now Fury was coming towards him, guns raised.

"Spider-Man, stop fighting for him, he's a murderer." Fury's deep voice grated against Peter, scraping against his ears.

"You're the one pointing guns at me!" Peter yelled as he leaped out of the way of the barrels and towards the bigger fight between the merc and the magician.

"Wade, stop!" Peter cried out again, just as Deadpool was about to land a punch. Surprisingly, they did stop, mid-punch, and stared at the Spider. Strange took the opportunity to throw them on the ground with some invisible force.

'Pool rolled over and up, and suddenly the merc was standing in front of Spider-Man, guns pointed at Strange and Fury.

Deadpool was breathing hard, and they glanced for a second to check on Peter, but then kept their eyes on their targets. Bucky, Mantis, Maria Hill, and Starlord were all there, too. Maria stood by Fury, but Bucky went over Peter and Wade.

"Deadpool," Bucky said lowly. "Strange shouldn't have done that, but you need to put the guns down."

Wade's smile stretched his mask. "Oh, of course, Cyborg-Arm! But only when Cap'n Jack Sparrow over there puts his away, too. Seriously, what is with the eyepatch?"

"Guys, I'd rather not have us kill each other..." Peter Quill's voice came scratchy after the day of being quiet from his emotional turmoil.

Fury put his guns away reluctantly, and Wade did the same.

"As promised." Deadpool winked.

"Listen, Deadpool," Fury snarled. "You-"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, threatening me again? That's dumb of you!"

"Goddamnit 'Pool! I want you out of here, understand? Leave our little group. Now." Fury was angrier than Peter had ever seen him, and Spider-Man couldn't help but be intimidated. Wade didn't seem to be bothered.

"I'd love nothing more, cock-face!" Deadpool spat. "Wanna come, Petey?"

Peter froze. He started hyperventilating.

Spider-Man didn't deal with these sorts of things. Spider-Man webbed up bad guys, all cut and dry. No maybe's about it. Spider-Man's job was easy because right and wrong were so clearly defined.

But this was a gray area. And Spider-Man started panicking.

"Spidey, you okay?" Wade said, concerned. "Woah, relax, babe, take a breath. Breathe with me. In, out. In, out. In, out." Peter breathed. "Better?" Wade asked. Peter nodded.

"Focus on tangible things, Baby Boy. What can you feel? What can you see? What can you smell?" Wade whispered into Peter's ear. Spider-Man relaxed, finally.

"Peter, don't go with him," Fury said gently. "Remember who he is, he's a killer, Peter."

"Goddamn it, fuckers, it's they/them! I'll even use it in a sentence, listen: Peter, don't go with them. Remember who they are. They're a killer. See? Not hard!" Deadpool was frustrated. Spidey grabbed their hand, and they seemed to instantly relax.

"You're all killers," Peter's stomach hurt. "I'm a killer. I've killed people by accident. Many of you have killed on purpose. At least Wade is open about it. They're not a hypocrite. But you all are." Spider-Man looked up at Wade, his mask off, and his face vulnerable, and said, "I'd much rather be with you than a bunch of hypocrites."

Deadpool's mask's eyes widened comically. "W-w- Ahem. Well, you heard the man. We're out." They squeezed the boy's hand reassuringly, and the pair walked away, into the horizon.