*Argh!* "Dude, watch the claws!" Spider-Man yelled as his suit was grazed by the blades yet again.
"Shut up already!" *Oof!* Yelled Wolverine before being pushed away from the masked hero by a kick to his stomach, only to get up with a roll on the ground to leap at Spider-Man and continue their fight.
*Thwip* Spider-Man, seeing the man jumping towards him, shoots a web to his eyes in hopes of blinding him for enough time to get out of the way.
*Cling* But Wolverine intercepts the web with his claws and swipes at the red and blue costumed man.
*Tunk* who was fast enough to dive below the claws, but was not fast enough to avoid getting his jaw hit by the very hard knee of the short man. Sending him flying away.
*Ungh!* "Ref! do something!" Spider-Man yells as he corrects his position mid air and crosses his hands to shoot two strands of webbing with his hands.
"There ain't no rules in a fight, bub!" Wolverine answers while avoiding the webs and starts running towards the hero in hopes of getting to him before he touches the ground.
"If you say so!" Replies Spider-Man as he crosses his arms violently and brings two crates that his webs connected to, to Wolverine's back.
*Crash!* *Umf!* Eclamied Wolverine as the boxes impacted on his back, making him fall face first in the ground.
"Ready to give up, buddy?" Spider-Man asks as he lands in his famous crouched position.
*SNARL* Wolverine snarled at him from his own crouched position, baring his teeth at the hero while showing his claws in front of him as a form of intimidation.
"… y'know I was joking earlier when I called you a dog, but keep making noises like that and I will muzzle you" Peter quipped while being truly taken aback by the sounds of the man.
*Growl* *Thwip!* Logan kept on growling, to which Spider-Man answered by shooting a web to his mouth, succeeding in shouting him up at least for a moment.
They both stood quiet for a moment, locking lenses with each other while Peter could feel his spider-sense spiking up at the action.
The tension was palpable between the increasingly angry man and Peter who stood quiet for the first time since they met. Until…
*Snort* "HA! Told you I'd do it!" Spider-Man laughed loudly at the man, prompting him to rip the webs off with his claws and start charging at him again.
"I'LL GUT YA' " screamed Wolverine as he closed the distance between the two and started swinging his claws at the annoying hero.
"Whoa!" Exclaimed Spider-Man as he could only dodge Wolverine's attacks without being able to land a hit himself.
This was not Peter's most difficult fight, not by a long shot. But damn it if this guy wasn't persistent.
His claws, as Peter very early realized, are probably the sharpest and most durable things he's ever been threatened with. Nothing stops them, breaks them or even slows down in their attempt to claw him.
It reminded him of Connors' own, but way more deadlier.
So he can't risk any chances of getting hit directly by those things unless he wants to end up like something out of a Brazilian steak restaurant.
And fighting the guy was similar to fighting against Scorpion. Perhaps this yellow guy is not as strong or fast, but Peter could see he has the technique and experience, and in a fight that's almost everything you need to win.
And those claws…
If it wasn't for his Spider-sense, Peter is sure he would be a goner by now without a doubt.
What Peter did not know is that Wolverine is holding himself back just enough for Spider-Man to show his true colors. Which is proving to be a demanding task given how annoying he is.
*Clang* "Jesus! What are you made of?!" Exclaimed Peter as he finally landed a punch to the guy in the jaw, only to be met with a steel like material underneath the mutton chops.
*GRRR* Instead of answering Logan growled, attempting harder and harder to land a hit to the guy who punched him and is bouncing all around the place while talking like an idiot.
"Stay still!" Yelled an irritated Logan as he swiped again with force.
"Uh-Uh, I don't think so buddy" replied Spider-Man as he ducked under the claws and got on Wolverine's back thanks to the yellow man's momentum, grabbing him in a full Nelson.
'Heavier than he looks' noted Spider-Man as he lifted up the small guy from the floor with his hold.
"All right shorty, now will you tell me what's going on here?" Question Spider-Man while struggling to keep his hold.
'Damn this guy is strong!' Logan tries freeing himself with no success, so he decides to save his claws and talk "You got it wrong y'know? I ain't working with these guys".
"What? Then why did you attack-" Peter couldn't finish his sentence because of Wolverine using the distraction to attempt to bite one of Peter's arms.
Peter immediately let go of that side and was met with a sweep to his feet that sent him to the ground with an *OOF!*
The yellow wearing guy was now on top of him, holding Spider-Man's arm with one of his own and threatening him with his fist from where the claws can pop out on right in the web-head's forehead.
"Now talk! Why are you here?!" Demanded to know Wolverine as he got really close to Spider-Man's face in a menacing way.
"Ugh, dude, you smell like pure unfettered a-" Peter started complaining about the guys smell when he got interrupted.
*SHINK* "I SAID TALK!" yelled the man, now without any patience left within him as he punched the floor right beside Spider-Man's face while quickly popping his claws out and in again.
"I told you! I got the kids out of a cage on a plane and that plane brought me here. I needed to see what they wanted to do with the kids, so I snuck in!" Explained now a nervous Peter, feeling his spider-sense warning him of the very real danger that was the man on top of him.
"And why would you do that!?" Pressed on Wolverine, wanting to know the reason.
"Because they are children?! That's what I do, I help wherever I can, whoever I can!" Yelled Peter as well. In truth, if Peter wanted to, he could have reversed positions by now. But his spider-sense was calming down, meaning that the guy was less and less of a threat to him.
Maybe he was telling the truth about him not being on the bad guys side.
"Even kids like those?" Asked Wolverine with a raised eyebrow behind the cowl.
"…what does that mean? Are those kids special or something? Is that why these guys wanted to kidnap them?" Peter needed answers to everything that was going on.
"Heh, you don't even know. These guys wanted to kidnap those kids because they are mutants, and they wanted to see what made them tick and when by experimenting on them" Explained Wolverine as he saw the mask's eyes widen in surprise.
'That-that's awful' Peter was disgusted at that. He knows that the majority of people hate mutants, and even some hate crimes are committed here and there because of it. But to think that an organization with so much power as to have several men, vehicles and buildings would go so far to experiment on kids is horrible.
Logan however took his silence as a sign of hatred towards mutants.
"I know what you're thinking bub, 'Oh those disgusting mutants, I should've never saved those things. They deserve to die and-' " Wolverine was sick of people telling him things like that, so he assumed Spider-Man would be the same.
He was not prepared for the powerful punch that he received on his cheek that sent him flying off from Spider-Man's body.
*CRASH*
If it wasn't for his adamantium spine and skull, Wolverine was sure he would've cracked several bones with that single punch.
He looked towards where he came from and saw that it was a wall that he just went through.Which was surprising since they were in the middle of a fairly big hangar, with the only walks a good distance from them.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!" Angered beyond belief, Spider-Man's question boomed throughout the facility.
*Thwip* *Ungh* Wolverine grunted when Spider-Man shot a line of web directly to his chest, pulling him towards him through the destroyed wall, grabbing him with his sticky hand on Wolverine's chest and lifting him up with it while readying a punch with his other hand.
"I don't care if it's a human, mutant, martian or whatever the heck! They are kids and do not deserve being experimented on! Now tell me everything I need to know OR I'LL STOP HOLDING MY PUNCHES!" Yelled Spider-Man, making Wolverine shudder slightly. For some reason he didn't doubt that Spider-Man could punch harder than he just did.
So Wolverine smirked as he placed his hands up in mock surrender.
"All right, all right. Yer' a good guy, I get it. You can let me down now, bub" said Wolverine light heartedly.
"And why would I do that?" Asked Spider-Man with his eyes narrowed lenses, showing distrust.
"I was telling the truth when I said I wasn't working with those guys, y'know?" Wolverine gestures at the beat up guards "there's a bunch of death guards out there that I got to first, I'm not trying to fight you anymore and I don't want to waste more time since there are more kids that need my help".
Peter slowly released Wolverine, placing him on the ground and walking a step away from him still with his fist raised. His spider-sense stopped sensing Wolverine as an immediate danger so he decided to trust slightly in him.
His sense still hummed at the mere presence of the man though, which suggests he is indeed dangerous, but he has been threatened enough times to know the difference.
Plus, the young hero figured he could use an ally if he was telling the truth, and if not, he would beat this guy's ass extra hard.
"So what was that about those kids deserving to die and whatnot?" Asked Spider-Man with a raised eyebrow.
"I was saying what these guys preach; I needed to see your reaction to see if yer' on my side or not" explained Wolverine as he dusted the wall off himself "Plus I'm a mutant myself, where'd you think these come from?" Asked as he popped his claws again with a loud *SNIKT*
"Oh. Then uh, we're cool?" Spider-Man said, feeling a little embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck, not sensing any lie on the man "Anyway, who are you, man?"
"Names Wolverine, bub, and yeah, we cool. Helluva punch you got there by the way" said Wolverine as he rubbed his cheek.
"Heh, thanks" said Peter embarrassed by the compliment "So? What now?"
"Now you go home. There are more kids that need savin' and I work alone" answered Wolverine as he looked seriously at Spider-Man.
"What? I don't care, I work alone too, so? I'm not leaving those kids to their luck. And I don't care if I have to fight you again to do so" Said Spider-Man as he matched Wolverine's seriousness.
"…" Wolverine stood quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, figuring it would be best to assess if this guy is a threat or not by having him around. So he gave a nod to Spider-Man, who smiled under his mask at being 'granted permission' to help. (Not that he needed it).
"Okay, alright! Nice to meet you then, I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!" He said as he extended his hand for Wolverine to shake, happy that finally someone with powers stopped fighting him and instead wants to help people too.
Wolverine raised his eyebrow at the sudden happiness and introduction of the obviously young man, but returned the handshake either way "Sure, nice to meet someone willin' to help".
"I know right?!" Spider-Man said excitedly.
"Alright? Now listen here. Yer' in my world right now, so you'll have to follow exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. Else we're gonna have a problem, understand?" Wolverine said seriously as he looked deep into Spider-Man's mask.
Peter considered this for a moment, and after a few seconds he nodded "… okay, I understand. But under no circumstance will I kill. No matter what happens".
"Heh, dont ya' worry 'bout that. I'll do plenty of killin' there" Wolverine said with a menacing smirk, making Spider-Man recall how he said he killed the guards just moments before.
"Is there any way you'd be willing to… not doing that?" Spider-Man asked nervously.
"Listen webs. How about I don't tell you how to do your business and you don't tell me how to mine?" Wolverine snarled in his face.
"Okay, okay. Just, uhm, just checking" Peter slightly nervous since this was his first time working with someone okay with killing, but he's seen enough death on his patrols to not be shocked by whatever it is he's going to see… or so he hopes "what we do now?".
"Let's check out this place, see if there's anything I missed" Wolverine said as he turned his back to Spider-Man and started walking to the door he entered the hangar from without waiting for him.
Spider-Man and Wolverine investigate the place while talking to each other; getting to know one another a little bit since they are now going to work together. Until they found the office of the boss around the place.
Peter was creeped out by the man they're after; a reverend who was a former sergeant in the army with a 'mission from god to get rid of the devils that appear in the form of mutants' or so Wolverine says… Peter has heard many types of bullshit in his short career but this was on another level.
This guy's office fitted perfectly the description of him; between a small chapel and the home of a soldier with PTSD.
Peter hacked the computer that was on the desk and that was the next place they needed to go. Somewhere up north from the 'Birch Mountains'.
It was at this moment where Peter really freaked out. He was not only in another country, but he also needed to spend what are most likely several days away in this mission with a man that smells like a wet dog without anyone back home knowing what's going on with him.
"Holy shit, I'm going to be stuck in Canada…" Peter muttered as he saw the destination, feeling as his breathing started to quicken slightly "shit, I already am!"
"What's gotten into ya'?" Asked Wolverine with a raised eyebrow at the sudden attitude of the masked hero.
"I just… it's my first time outside the states and *wheez* I have things to do this Monday and no one knows I'm here! And- oh god! what if- " Peter started stammering nervously, almost saying how worried his aunt was going to be if she ended up calling him and no one answered.
"Calm down!" *Whap* but Wolverine interrupted as he slapped Spider-Man very hard with his very heavy hand. It was like he was wearing iron gloves or something "there's a phone there, so let whoever you want to know that you'll be absent for a few days!".
*Ugh* "All right, all right! I'm calm! *phew*… I'm calm" Spider-Man said after a few seconds of him exhaling air while Wolverine gave him a disapproving look.
Spider-Man considered his position for a few moments and just mentally sighed. There was no way some kids were in danger and he'd turn his back to them, even if that meant missing some days of being Peter Parker.
"Helluva of a hand you have there" Spider-Man muttered as he rubbed his cheek, much like Wolverine did moments before as he reached over to the phone. Calling his friends and May and telling a simple lie should be enough to buy him some days.
"Heh, payback's a bitch" laughed the older man and then added in a mocking voice "so, what? You have school or something?".
"As a matter of fact, I do. Now shut up, I have a phone call to make" said Peter as he started to mess with the computer beside the phone unaware of Wolverine's wide eyes.
'Damn how old is this guy' pondered Wolverine as he still felt the punch from earlier. His bones are coated with the strongest metal on earth and he has a healing factor, but he still feels pain.
"Wait, won't they track whoever you call? I thought you said you used your mask for a reason" Wolverine called back to when the hero said his mask is to keep his villains away from his personal life, while they searched for the office.
He could have all the glory and fame that being a superpowered individual came with, but he stays anonymous. It was something that many would call foolish, but there was possibly no one that understood the desire of keeping one's loved ones from this life better than Wolverine himself.
"Don't worry, I used the computer to hack the phone tracker as well. Every call I make is going to show up as a Mexican restaurant in Chicago… plus once I'm done I'm destroying the computer and phone so…" Peter explained while finally grabbing the phone as he noticed Wolverine hold a snort of laughter.
Peter eyes Wolverine for a second before asking him to step out of the office for privacy. Logan rolled his eyes in annoyance but did as told.
This guy most probably didn't know about him or his enhanced senses, so if there's any chance he's an undercover agent for something, Wolverine was about to find out by sticking his ear to the door and listening in this guy's conversation.
"Hello?" Sounded the voice of a young woman on the other side of the phone once it stopped ringing.
"Hey red, how's your morning going?" Asked Spider-Man as his voice resembled more that of a teenager rather than a smart-ass hero. As if the way he has been talking to Logan was just an act he puts on.
It was kind of uncanny how much the voice changed while staying the same. Was this how he managed to keep his identity a secret?
"Peter? Where are you calling from? And why at…6 am? It's too early and I'm still on vacation" Asked the girl while yawning and whining "is something wrong?"
'Peter, huh' thought Wolverine, now having a name.
"That's what I needed to tell you. My aunt called and said that she needed my help with something so I'm at the bus station about to head to Boston, but I forgot my phone at home. My typical luck, right?" Said Spider-Man lamely with a credible excuse, seeing as he's going to be away for probably days.
'Seems like the guy is used to lyin' thought Wolverine with a frown.
"Wait, so you're leaving the city? But Peter, we're starting high school next week! We should be relaxing together before it starts… y-y'know with everyone else" Added quickly the girl at the end while trying to hide her embarrassment with her tone.
'…seems like she got it bad for the guy, but starting high school?! Really?!' Logan knew that the hero was young, but he didn't expect him to be that young.
"Yeah I know, but May needed my help and I couldn't say no. And since I left my phone I kinda wanted you to tell Harry and Gwen as well, if you can? Please?" Said Spider-Man in a begging manner.
"…All right, Tiger, but you're making it up to me once we start school, Kay?" Demanded the girl.
"You got it MJ, I'll see you later! You're the best!" finished talking Peter to the girl as she also wished him luck.
A couple of seconds went by what Logan could hear was the young hero dialing again.
"Who is this and how did you get this number?" Demanded to know a new girl, talking with a very strict tone in her voice.
Spider-Man chuckled lightly at her response "If I remember correctly, you said you'd get mad if you didn't get a phone call from me, Ma'am" Said Spider-Man in a playful manner, almost flirty.
Which only made Logan hold a gag from the door from where he is listening to.
"Oh Pete! How are you?" Asked the girl now, changing her tone and attitude completely to that of a bright and happy teen.
"I'm doing well, but I called you to let you know that I have to help May out in Boston, and I don't know how long I'll be here. Plus I forgot my phone" explained Spider-Man sheepishly.
"Aww Peter, but it's the last week before you enter high school and you're going to be away?" Whined the girl, clearly disappointed.
"Yeah I know…but I might come home before it starts, maybe we could go to the movies or go out to eat if I do? Y-y'know as the last thing before school?" 'God did that sound like a date? Is it? Oh god I can't believe I'm doing this right now' groaned embarrassed Peter in his mind at his own question.
"…like the other times we've hung out? orrr…" Emma asked, clearly wanting to know more about this invitation.
"W-well, actually… I was thinking that this could perhaps be more like… a date? Of course only if you're interested!" Spider-Man added quickly with clear nervousness in his tone.
"Y-yeah of course! I mean… I suppose I could grace you with my presence at such an event" corrected the girl with excitement and the same playful tone the hero gave her before.
*Chuckle* "Well I do thank her highness for her generosity, now I'll have to make sure I do arrive before Monday" answered Spider-Man chuckling, matching the girl's playful tone.
'Unbelievable, just… fucking unbelievable' groaned Wolverine to himself, still with his ear stuck to the door and tired of hearing this guy flirt. Here he was thinking that this (not yet) high schooler was a secret agent or something and here he was planning an awkward date.
Knocking harshly on the door Wolverine groaned "you done in there?"
"Y-yeah one sec! Sorry about that, I'm using a public phone so…" explained Spider-Man with a defeated sigh.
"No worries Pete, I understand. See you later!" Each said their goodbyes happily as they hung up.
After that Spider-Man called his aunt and said something about his cellphone being busted and a slumber party, and someone he referred to as 'Doc' apologizing for not being able to attend work due to a family emergency, then thanking the man profusely for his comprehension.
"There done, s-sorry for taking so long" said Spider-Man as he rubbed his neck nervously. He only got a grunt as a response which amused Spider-Man slightly. He felt like he was talking to some kind of dog.
After that Peter helped Wolverine by lifting the truck
and setting it correctly with the wheels on the floor so that they could take it to their next destination.
'Damn, he is very strong' thought Wolverine to himself as he saw the teen lifting the truck rather easily.
"So, ready for a road trip partner?" Asked Spider-Man in good humor, looking satisfied at his work with the truck.
"You're not going to shut up, are you?" Asked Wolverine in a defeated sigh.
"Come on, talking a lot is like my brand! you'll get used to it" answered Spider-Man with a shrug.
"And there's no chance you'd rather go home?" Questioned the older guy with a raised eyebrow with an expectant look on his face.
"Knowing kids are in danger? No way" said the red and blue wearing boy now with a serious voice.
"Why would you care for them?" Wolverine has met humans that care for mutants, but they are very rare.
"They are kids" said Spider-Man, slightly annoyed.
"They are mutants" replied Wolverine, interested in the teen's increasingly serious tone.
"So what?!" Yelled Spider-Man as he got up into Wolverine's mask "You have a problem with me helping them or something just because I'm not a mutant?! Is that it?!"
They both stared at each other with equally harsh glares until Wolverine snorted.
"Calm down bub, I just needed to see your opinion on us again, it's hard for men like me to trust, ya' know?" Said Wolverine as he sniffed the air in search of some food and booze.
"Didn't you do that already?" Groaned Spider-Man as he grabbed a box of rations Wolverine handed to him.
"I told ya', hard to trust humans not to hate us mutants. Hate is at it's peak and it's like it's only gettin' worse and worse. But is it true then? Ya' don't hate mutants? Even a little?" Asked Wolverine as he kept loading the truck up.
"Of course not, man. They aren't at fault for how they were born, nor is there anything 'wrong' about them. This hatred makes me feel like we're back in the 1800s or something" Answered Spider-Man with a groan.
"Heh, maybe you're all right" Said the older man unaware of the embarrassed blushed that Peter got from being praised.
"All right, kid, this is how it's gonna go. We're gonna take this truck until we reach the nearest forest, and from there we're gonna ditch it and walk the rest of the way. If they see us coming, chances are they are gonna move the kids… or worse" Wolverine explained.
Peter shuddered at the thought of what they might be doing to the kids, and given that this guy he's with has more experience he agreed to his plan.
Wolverine thought he would need to babysit Spider-Man like he basically does with every kid back at the mansion, but now that they're making a campfire, he sees the kid more akin to a comrade in arms.
Once he endured the 'road trip' and Spider-Man's awful jokes and chatting, he was an actual okay guy to hang out with.
First the guy was talking, making jokes and running his mouth like his life depended on it, making Wolverine angry; Spider-Man's entertainment was seeing how hard Wolverine could growl at his jokes. But once he got tired of that routine he started acting like an actual person.
And boy did the guy have a sad life. Not as hard as Logan's or some of the kids at the mansion, but his reason to wear the mask hit Logan where he'd lived.
The hero obviously did not reveal any personal information, but being orphaned and then losing the only father figure one has is extremely sad. And while, yes, that's really personal, it's still not something that could connect the hero to his real name.
He also surprised Logan by how smart he was; never would he have guessed that he defeated his enemies with wit and science, aside from his powers and strength of course. Even being able to construct his own web shooters at the age of 14 all by himself.
Logan was a quiet man, at least quieter than Spider-Man, so the young hero was the one who talked most of the time, surprising the older man by the interesting stories he told about his weird-ass enemies and how he defeated them.
He surprised himself more when he started telling the young man some of his own stories, ranging from his powers and age, to what silly thing Kitty and Jubie Lee did recently; without saying their names or rescinding anything about the mansion obviously.
It was uncharacteristic of Logan, but he felt some sort of kinship with Spider-Man. Right now they were talking and laughing at the heat of the fire and he felt at peace with this guy. It's never happened before but here he is, breaking bread on a fire with an annoying kid, laughing as if they have been friends for years.
Maybe it was because despite everything and everyone, Logan felt lonely.
Sure, he had people in the mansion that cared for him, but he knew how they saw him.
As a monster.
A killer.
Someone who could never change; no matter how much he tried to, his hands will be forever tainted with blood. And someday even the kids at the mansion will realize this, and that makes it hard for him to even look at them sometimes.
But Spider-Man doesn't know him like the others do, and maybe he could understand? Could he be a friend to Logan who will not look at him with poorly disguised fear?
Perhaps only time could tell, but for now, he's enjoying listening to how Spider-Man crashed a plane to avoid a bald flying man from getting Avengers technology with a beer in his hand and a smile on his cowl-covered face.
Thank god those preachers are still human enough to have beer with them.
Peter meanwhile was having a blast.
Not only was this his first 'mission' outside of the city, he even made a mutant friend! And unlike Daredevil who was more professional in everything they did, this guy was more chill and friendly!
If you excluded all his growling, snarling and threats to *SNIKT* him if he didn't shut up of course.
That aside, the yellow suit wearing guy is pretty damn nice! He listens to his story's and inventions and he even got some stories in return!
Oh how the young hero needed this.
Someone he could talk to about his double life with freedom; without the fear of exposing himself as either Peter Parker or Spider-Man to whoever might be listening. It felt like he was lifting a burden off his shoulders.
All the lies, excuses and fake reasons he's given his Aunt May and friends as to why he is so elusive started to pile up on him; sometimes even forgetting what the lie was and he ends up being an asshole for missing a rehearsal of his two best female friends or why he never shows up to the few parties he is actually invited to.
But how could he tell his friends that he's Spider-Man?
How could he possibly include the people he loves to his extremely dangerous double life? If he does that, would May be scared of him? Perhaps they would yell his name out loud in one of his fights, and then what? Everything and everyone he knows would be exposed to dangerous men that would do anything to reach and hurt him.
There's no way Peter can reveal his identity without something going bad.
But Wolverine is different.
He's already part of his own dangerous life, he seems to know the risks of the job and he understands why he wears the mask.
Peter tried talking like this with Daredevil, but he's too serious. Too much business to mingle as friends with him. And of course he understands him perfectly, he just wishes there was someone he could really talk to.
And here he is! Honestly these hours have been some of the best Spider-Man has had in the last couple of weeks.
Unbeknownst to both men, that thought was shared between them.
The night passed, and Spider-Man was awoken by Wolverine at the early hours of the day to continue on with their journey. Each hour that passed he had to get quieter and quieter since chances of being discovered got higher with each step.
And damn is Alberta big. Peter was sure they would arrive at the early hours of the day, but because they were walking and had to make some stops to eat, make sure they weren't being followed and keep on track, they wasted almost an entire day just by doing so.
'There are too many mountains in Canada' is a thought that Peter groaned too many times. He wasn't tired at all by the hike, but dammit if it wasn't boring; some sceneries were pretty beautiful though.
And just as the sun finally disappeared in the west, Peter could see their target.
"Okay bub, this is what we're going to do" started Wolverine as they both kneeled behind a boulder "I will charge from the front, making every available guard come to me. You sneak from the back, get the children and wait for me there. Just like it happened last time, okay?"
"Okay, Captain!" Said Peter with a whispered yell as he saluted.
Wolverine just groaned at that response as he left quietly.
"Okay, time for action" whispered Spider-Man to himself as he also moved quietly to a window from the back of the building. He waited patiently until the siren went off, alerting everyone of the intruder.
"Breach in the main door, I repeat, there has been a breach in the main door!" Yelled someone throughout the building's speakers.
After two minutes to let everyone leave their positions, Peter entered by breaking the window. Luckily there was no one to hear it and even if there was, the alarm was so loud it drowned the sound of the glass being broken.
Based on the last facilitie's layout, Peter quickly found the control room where the cameras and the guy who spoke through the speakers are.
'Seems like they only have one architect' mused Peter humorously to himself as he webbed the guy up without him having any chance to fight back.
After that he got a chill down his spine when he saw Wolverine slicing through guards without trouble through the cameras. He chose to ignore that in order to find the room with the children in it through the many screens in the room.
He found them fairly easily, so he ran to it.
When suddenly his spider-sense screamed to him in warning of what's on the next turn in the hallway.
"We know you're out there, come on out!" Yelled a man in a rough voice.
"Oh c'mon that never works! Haven't you seen literally any TV in your life?!" Asked another man humorously. His voice sounded sickly for some reason, like he was a smoker for years without end or something similar.
"Shut up! COME ON OUT, OR WE START SHOOTING THE HOSTAGES!" Barked the first man.
*Sigh* "Okay, Okay, I'm out. Don't do anything rash" said Spider-Man calmly as he walked around the corner with his hands raised in surrender. He wasn't too worried though, if they started shooting he could easily evade the bullets.
Probably…
The first man looked like the leader from the last place, with his reverend shirt, tunic and big white cross on his chest.
The other one had a costume somewhat similar to his; complete face mask with white eyes (albeit smaller), red and black costume (instead of blue) and he has many pockets and many, many guns. He even had two swords on his back.
Peter wouldn't admit it, but the guy looked pretty cool.
*GASP!* "OH MY GOD, SPIDEY?! IS THAT YOU?! What are you doing out of New York?!" Questioned the red and black dude with childish excitement.
Spider-Man and the evil catholic guy looked at the red and black guy with wide eyes as they blinked repeatedly. Not that they could see Spider-Man blinking though.
"Uuuh, you-you know me?" Spider-Man asked, confused out of his mind. He knows he is famous and all, even if his reputation is not one he wished to have, but it felt as if this guy knows him personally.
"Know you!? You're my best friend! Come here and give me some sugar!" Answered the man, ending his sentence with a cooing voice as he holstered both his guns and opened his arms as if he expected a hug.
"W-what?!" Exclaimed Spider-Man incredulously 'What is wrong with this guy, he's creeping me out!' the teen thought as he took a step back from the guy.
"No, you shut up! Of course I'm not creeping Spidey out, how could you even say that?!" Hurt by a comment from no one, Deadpool asked as he looked at nothing to his right.
"Yeah I know we're just meeting him 'for the first time', so what?! We're going to be the best 'Bad Besties for Life'! We just need-" Deadpool continued his rant looking at two places besides him that had nothing while moving his hands frantically, only to be interrupted by the boss of the place.
"Deadpool, enough! I hired you to protect me and this place, now do as I say and shoot him at once! Then we find the other who-" the purifier stopped talking when the guy named Deadpool, with an impressive speed, took one of his guns out and pressed it to the guy's temple.
"How DARE you tell me I need to shoot Spidey, I would NEVER do anything to hurt my little ball of sunshine!" Deadpool said in a menacing voice.
"I-I…" *Click* The purifier stammered nervously, seeing Deadpool pull the hammer of the gun down.
"Wait! I need to know from this guy where the kids are!" Explained Peter quickly. Even if the guy most probably deserves to die, which Peter thinks no one does, he still refuses to watch murder in front of him like this.
He knows that he agreed to Wolverine not changing tactics, but it was different if he can avoid it from someone else.
"Kids? What kids?" Asked Deadpool, now looking at Spider-Man with his mask wrinkled, looking like narrowed eyes.
"T-the kids that these guys are experimenting on? That's why I'm here… to free them from the purifiers and all that" explained Peter a little confused on how Deadpool seemed unaware of the kids.
"… Damn it! I knew these guys looked familiar!" Cursed Deadpool with exaggeration.
"But wait, wait, wait. Kids? You told me you captured evil alien rapists and that you were going to find a cure for them so that they stopped doing that!" Complained Deadpool as he shoved again and again the gun in the purifier's temple.
"Yeah, I know you told me that it was unlikely that that was the case but he agreed the money was too good to question it!" Yelled Deadpool indignantly as he pointed at two places with nothing once again.
'Holy moly, this guy is really crazy!' thought Spider-Man as he saw Deadpool arguing with himself.
"I-I can explain!" Yelled the purifier with fear clear in his eyes.
"Save it for daddy Stan in your judgment hour!" Exclaimed Deadpool with anger clear in his voice, shoving the gun harder against the temple of the man.
"WAIT! Deadpool, we still need to save the kids!" Spider-Man reminded the trigger-happy crazy man, ready to shoot a web at the gun to save the purifier.
"Aww look at Spidey, all noble and heroic. That's a good man right there, shithead! You should take notes!" Said Deadpool as he holstered his gun again, making Spider-Man sigh in relief.
"All right, let Spider-Man's and Deadpool's first team up BEGIN!" Shouted Deadpool to the air, changing his angry tone to an extremely happy one. Unaware of the concerned looks from both men in the hallway besides him.
Their team up started by getting the information out of the boss with Deadpool's threats of a 'good time' and they found the kids relatively easy; the kids however where all dozed off with tranquilizers, deep in slumber.
At least none of them were experimented on just yet.
"Hey, let's load them kids in the truck so that we can get the hell outta here easier!" Deadpool said as he pointed at one of the trucks after knocking out and having Spider-Man web the other purifier. The same model that Peter rode in with Wolverine hours ago.
"Sure, good idea!" Spider-Man replied easily; taken aback by the squeal of joy from Deadpool at having his plan being agreed to.
*Squeal!* "Great, you do that while I see if there are any more guards or something out there!" Yelled Deadpool while running away, not giving Spider-Man a chance to reply.
After some 10 minutes of doing so, Peter was looking after the kids when he heard Wolverine yell in a very angry voice "YOU!".
"Oh boy" muttered Spider-Man as he ran towards the shouting and gunfire to see just what was going on.
He was a little nervous as to what his new allies were facing up against since it sounded like a battlefield out there. Peter knows Wolverine is strong enough to hold his own and Deadpool also seemed like a good fighter if hisamy weapons are anything to go by.
"Stop it, Wolvie! Think about Spidey!" Pleaded Deadpool with his hand outstretched with a katana.
"I'll rip you to pieces!" Roared Logan as he lunged at Deadpool who squealed in fear.
*Thwip* Peter, seeing the two of them fight, shot a web at Wolverine's feet mid jump, causing him to stop mid air and fall face first to the concrete floor with a dry *Thump*.
"HA!" Snorted Deadpool at the sight "Oh, Spidey my hero! You came to my rescue from the big bad Wolverine!" Cheered the guy as he sheathed his swords.
"The hell was that for?!" Demanded to know Wolverine standing up; looking behind him and seeing that it was Spider-Man the one that stopped his attack.
"T-that's what I should be asking! Why are you fighting!?" Questioned Spider-Man, ready to web the two adults.
*GRR* "Listen bub, this guy is a dangerous and annoying mercenary. We have to get rid of him now or who knows what he might do to the kids" Said Wolverine as he got into a fighting stance.
*GASP* "Offense! I'm not annoying, I'm delightfully funny! And I would never, NEVER, do anything to harm children, you know they are like my kryptonite Wolvie!" Explained Deadpool as he grabbed his chest in pain at the hurtful comments.
"Well… he is kinda annoying. But he turned his back to these guys when he heard children were in danger and-and he told me to load them on a truck so we can get them out of here!" Defending Deadpool, Spider-Man explained "I think we should give him a chance".
Wolverine watched as Spider-Man and Deadpool gave him a pleading look; a surprising feat considering they both have full face masks, and after some consideration he sighed.
*Sigh* "Fine, he can stay. But a wrong move and I'll rip you open" threatened Wolverine with a loud snarl.
"Yay! Up ten!" Which both Deadpool and Spider-Man ignored as they clapped hands together.
*Ugh* was Wolverine's reaction to that. He knows Wade, and while he's easily the most insane and annoying person he's ever met, he knows that he can trust him in some weird way.
"So, what now?" Asked Spider-Man as he looked around, not knowing what else should be done in a situation like this.
"Did ya' hack the computer like you did last time? Maybe we can find some more leads. See if these assholes are planning anything else" suggested Wolverine.
"I didn't, but that's a good idea, let me go do that real quick!" Exclaimed Spider-Man as he took off running with an impressive speed.
"Spidey, wait up! I also want to explore this place!" Yelled Deadpool as he tried running after a long gone Spider-Man.
"Guess I'll go with the kids…" muttered a bored Logan as he started sniffing the air to find the children.
Peter arrived at the control room, when suddenly he felt his spider-sense flare up. Turning around just in time to stop the guy that he defeated and webbed up before from stabbing him with a knife directly to the neck.
He was not so fast however as to completely avoid the knife, since it stabbed him in the forearm.
*AAARRRGH* "Damn it!" Peter screamed in pain as he twisted his arm, making the guy drop his hold on the knife and kicking him hard on the stomach.
*URRGH* *Whap!* The guy fell in pain, unable to breath as Peter delivered a final kick to his face for good measure. He then webbed the guy up to make sure he doesn't try anything funny again.
"Aw man, my suit!" *Tsk* Complained Spider-Man as he saw the hole in the spandex. He webbed his injury and just clicked his tongue in annoyance while he kept on scolding himself "what a screw up, I should've remembered this guy was here!".
After that, Peter hacked easily into the computer. But unfortunately the man who attacked him just deleted all the info on it, making it useless.
"Damn it!" Yelled Peter in annoyance. He glared at the man who did this and out of pure spite, he kicked the guy again on the face yet again.
*WAHCK* sounded as the guy's nose and teeth most probably all went to hell.
Spider-Man took a moment to steady his breathing and calm his anger down. He looked regretfully at what he just did. He knows he sometimes gets into this fits of rage that cloud his judgement and make him act stupid.
But he should be better than that.
Breaking someone's nose and knocking his teeth out while unconscious, even after everything he did, is wrong. And Peter knows that.
No matter the scare the guy gave him or how much his forearm was searing with pain due to his new injury, he knows he should be better.
*Sigh* 'God damn it, Pete' Peter thought in a defeated and hurt voice while he closed the door behind him and started heading towards the truck once more.
"What happened to you?" Asked Wolverine with a gruff voice after smelling the blood on him.
"Just some dude got the jump on me, y'know how it is" answered Spider-Man seemingly unbothered by the injury. He doesn't want to seem weak or like a crybaby to this guy.
Wolverine nodded, knowing better than anyone the risks of this job. Even if his body heals the scars, his mind remembers.
There was a time however where he didn't remember anything and that, unbeknownst to him, was a blessing disguised as a curse.
Once Charles unblocked his mind, it all came crashing down to him; the fights, the battles, the wars… the death.
All of it.
"… so did you find anything on the computer?" Asked Logan as he tried to divert his grim thoughts.
*Sigh* "No, the guy that did this also deleted all the info" Peter said as he showed his webbed forearm with blood painting the white material, defeat clear in his voice.
"Meh, it happens. Don't worry about it" Logan simply said, trying to ease the mind of the younger hero.
"Yeah… hey, where's Deadp-" started asking Spider-Man once he noticed the mercenary hadn't talked in a while.
"Start the truck!" But was interrupted by a yelling Deadpool, who is running at full speed towards them with hurry in his voice.
"What the fuck did you do?!" Asked Wolverine matching Deadpool's hurry to get into the truck. He knows it was likely he did something stupid.
Peter, seeing them both hurry to the truck imitated them, getting inside it, sandwiched in between Wolverine and Deadpool.
*SCREECH* Once the three of them were inside, Wolverine stepped on the gas and they all bolted out of there; with a cursing Wolverine, yelling Spider-Man and cheering Deadpool.
*CRASH* As soon as they crashed against the hangar's massive doors:
*BOOOM*
Spider-Man ducked on his seat as he yelled "WHAT THE-?!".
"What the FUCK was that!?" barked Wolverine, demanding to know as he drove into the sunrise.
"HAHAHA Calm down you two! These dumbasses placed their armory beside their lab! So with a little tweak and fire in a gun-powdered filled room here and there BOOM" explained Deadpool happily as he shot his hands up.
'Oh god, this guy is a nutjob!' thought Spider-Man again with slight fear of him for the nth time.
"Look at us! Three best friends saving kids from being experimented on, just like daddy Stan intended" said Deadpool dreamily as he hugged Spider-Man with one arm and tried to reach for the already risen sun with the other.
If not for being slightly scared of Deadpool, he would be somewhat happy at the comment.
Wolverine however just growled lightly and explained how they are going to need to lay low for some time in the woods to avoid anyone following them.
Peter questioned that because of the children's condition, but was reassured by Wolverine that because of the tranquilizer they had on they would still be sleeping for at least a day or two, and that not moving them around too much is the best they could do for them.
So after hours and hours of driving through a dirt road and Deadpool asking and failing to know about Spider-Man's personal life, the trio arrived at a clearing.
Between the incessant chatter of Deadpool and Wolverine's smell, this road tip was a little bit more tiring for Peter than he would've expected.
Especially since it was now starting to look like the sun was setting, so he was pretty happy to be out of the truck.
"Woah dude, it's like you have a map of Canada in your head. Are you sure nobody else knows about this place?" Asked Spider-Man in awe as he excited the truck and looked at the very beautiful landscape all around him.
"Heh, nobody knows the Canadian forests like I do bub, don't you worry about that. Plus if somebody was tracking us I'm sure we would be able to hear anyone from a mile away. Now, we have been awake for several hours, why don't we take the first guard while you get some shut eye?" Suggested Wolverine as he looked at Spider-Man, who was very clearly tired.
"…you sure? I mean I could stay up with you guys and-" Peter thought about it for a second since he was truly tired, but it would be too embarrassing for him to sleep together with the kids while the adults stay awake.
"Don't worry Spidey, I'll tag you in a couple of hours. Don't let the spiders bite you in your sleep!" Deadpool dismissed happily.
"But-" tried to say Spider-Man.
"It's just standing guard, bub, ain't nothin' excitin' about it. Get going" interrupted Wolverine.
Spider-Man debated for a second with himself if he should go to sleep or not, but his suppressed yawn made him thank both guys and climb to the truck once again. Now free of the smell and chatter.
He felt like he could trust them both, even if his spider-sense was buzzing slightly just with Deadpool's presence (he felt it was because he's insane rather than Deadpool wanting to harm him) and if he couldn't he's sure he could take them both in a fight.
Maybe.
Probably not.
But Peter, being the naive and innocent boy he is, decided to trust them, so he did as told and went to sleep.
After a few hours after Peter finally slept in the truck, Logan and Wade were talking about life, remembering old days and battles.
It was moments like these where Logan could see something or someone beyond that messed up head; moments of clarity where he talked and laughed like a regular human.
Well, everything he was saying was beyond any 'normal human', but it was also a far cry from how he normally acts.
"Hey, Wade?" Asked Logan, now he initiates the conversation after they both settled into a comfortable silence. It was very unusual for Logan to start conversations, especially with a quiet Deadpool.
"Yeah? What is it, Wolvie?" Asked Deadpool as he munched on some rations they stole from the base before they fled the place, now maskless and showing his 'unusual' face.
"You act like you know him, Spider-Man, do you?" Questioned Logan staring directly at Wade's eyes, who looked back at him when he mentioned the young hero.
"Of course I do, He's Spider-Man!" Answered Wade with a bright smile.
But for some reason, Logan couldn't help but think that he avoided the question. Despite Deadpool's lacking mental stability, he is not by any means dumb. He loves playing the dumbass, but he isn't.
"Yeah? And where do you know him from? Personally I mean" Insisted Logan.
"Oh Logan, isn't it obvious? … He's our friend" Said Wade with a soft smile as he gazed into Logan's eyes full of conviction while the fire in front of them crackled.
Wolverine felt somewhat uneasy by the way Wade talked. It was unusual to see the 'merc with a mouth' so quiet and serious in that way. But perhaps his words held some merit to them.
'Huh, my friend…' pondered Logan as he looked towards the truck. He actually liked spending time with the guy, despite his annoying nature, perhaps even so much as to consider him an equal given his power.
Perhaps there was some truth in the words of Deadpool. Perhaps he could find a true friend in Spider-Man.
And Spider-Man in him.
Peter groaned as he was waking up. He could count the times in his life where he slept as uncomfortable as he did today with one hand.
'What's wrong with my bed?' Questioned Spider-Man to himself as he patted his 'bed', quickly remembering that he was in fact, not in his bed, but rather in Canada with a mutant soldier and a crazy mercenary protecting five kids from a group called purifiers.
'…huh… when did my life get so weird?' Peter asked himself as he excited the truck.
The young man saw Deadpool and Wolverine talking about what to do next when Peter said good morning to them, then asking them why he didn't switch guard after avoiding getting a hug from Deadpool who cooed his good mornings.
Wolverine shrugged and said that they talked the night away and he didn't care, so Peter dropped it. It's not like he could complain to them that they left him sleeping while they talked so it couldn't be helped.
"Well bub, I have some good news and bad news" Said Wolverine as he looked into Spider-Man's mask with his own cowl.
At this point, neither 'Peter' nor 'Logan' had met, just Wolverine and Spider-Man.
"O-okay?" answered Spider-Man, a little unsure.
"The good news is that our mission is over, so we can go home. I have somewhere safe where I can take the kids so don't worry about that. The bad news is that we're in Alberta, so it's a 40 hour drive to New York, give or take" Explained Wolverine calmly.
"WHAT?! 40 hours? That's too much! And-and how are we going to sneak into the US with a truck filled with kids?!" Asked Spider-Man anxiously.
"Worry not Spider-Man, for I, Deadpool, your best friend, have the solution to our perils!" Exclaimed Deadpool in an exaggerated theatrical voice.
The plan is, they are all going to one of Deadpool's safe houses and from there Deadpool is taking Spider-Man to New York in a twin-engine airplane. Wolverine is staying where they are, waiting for his friends to show up.
————
Once in the safe house after some hours of driving, Peter and Deadpool said their goodbyes to Wolverine.
"You did a good job out there bub, honestly didn't think you'd have it in you" Said Wolverine with a grin.
"Oh uhm, thanks! You did good too!" Replied Spider-Man lamely as he extended his hand to shake Wolverine's, who gladly took it.
"Aww what about me? Didn't I do as good as sweetums here?" Deadpool asked Wolverine as he half hugged Spider-Man.
"You were working with the enemy" growled Wolverine as he pointed that out.
"Hey! In my defense I didn't know what was happening… yes and the pay was so good that I didn't bother checking… no, we didn't get paid, but we met Spider-Man!… well, we also got Wolvie to work with us… of course it matters, look, we-" Deadpool started explaining himself to Wolverine, but shifted his attention to start a conversation with himself and no one, looking in two different directions as he talked.
"If you don't shut up I'm going to SNIKT you!" Barked Wolverine as he raised his fist. Deadpool brought his hands up in mock surrender with a smirk on his mask.
"Uhm, are you sure you can pilot this thing?" Asked Spider-Man worriedly as he looked at the crazy man.
"Don't worry Spidey, we'll be in New York before you even realize!" Answered Deadpool happily, running towards the small plane to start the engine.
"O-okay. Well Wolverine, this has been fun but I'm getting really homesick, but if we ever happen to run into each other, let's work together again" Said Spider-Man to Wolverine as he walked slightly backwards.
"Sure thing bub, if I'm ever in New York and need some help, I'll seek you out" Said Wolverine as he crossed his arms.
"Oh! Do you want my phone number in case you do? I have this burner phone that-" Peter started explaining.
"No need, I have my ways" but Wolverine interrupted with a grin as he turned his back to Spider-Man.
"Uhm, wha-" Peter was about to question 'his ways', but a shout from Deadpool about everything ready to go stopped him. Peter climbed on the plane and there they went towards New York City.
Peter, despite being exhausted, had a blast with Deadpool. The guy who's funny as hell!
And it's like he truly believed it when he said they were best friends since Deadpool kept on talking about how he was going to treat Spider-Man to his first shot of tequila and chimichangas when he is old enough, which worried Peter slightly since he said 'old enough' and not 'legally old' but oh well.
Deadpool was even part time owner of a bar with someone named Weasel, who was going to 'adore' Spider-Man, and that from this moment on he has unlimited free beer on Deadpool's tab.
Not that he was going to use it, but the sentiment was appreciated.
They both talked almost endlessly, exchanging stories and anecdotes from their crazy lifestyles. Deadpool obviously won by a large margin, being the older one and all, but he wasn't that far behind in interesting stories to tell thanks to his crazy villains.
What Deadpool won by a landslide is how bloody his stories were. He is, undoubtedly, a serial killer.
And if it was anyone else, Peter would go all vigilante justice on him. But he was a mercenary, and if he was to be trusted then he only accepted jobs where his victims are 'naughty boys'.
And weirdly enough, Peter believed in him; perhaps it was his naivety that his friends constantly commented on, where he tried to look for the best in everyone.
But who could blame him with Deadpool?
The guy even made a story where he killed a guy with a Zamboni funny! Perhaps it was him constantly witnessing awful situations of disaster and heartbreak that made it possible for him to enjoy jokes like these? Even if they are based on true stories? If so… Peter only hopes that they don't change the innocent nature of his own quips.
"Aaand there you have it spider and gentleman, New York!" Said Deadpool suddenly, making Peter look out the front window in excitement from finally being home.
"That's great! When are we landing?" asked Peter excitedly.
"Landing?! Oh, dude, I have no idea how to even drive this thing!" Snorted Deadpool as he tied a rope to the yoke.
"WHAT?!" Asked Spider-Man with dread feeling his entire being "So what, are we crashing?!"
Peter officially hated planes. Why do they always crash or lead to somewhere nasty when he's related to the flight? Must be that god awful Parker luck that messes with him and his family.
"Oh yeah. If we made it all the way here, it must be because of a higher power because I had no idea where I even was HAHA" Deadpool laughed maniacally as he strapped on a parachute.
"We're jumping?!" Asked Spider-Man with fright. He's never done a free fall from this high up"W-what about the plane?"
"It's not going to hurt anyone, relax! I bet it's going to land safely on the water and avoid everyone… maybe. Anyways, I'll see you later sweetums! BYEEEeee!" Yelled Deadpool as he jumped off from the plane as he waved goodbye.
Peter was at loss for words, Deadpool just led him there on the small plane with no parachute for him in sight. The plane was nearing the edge of the city and Peter had to act now. It was still way too high up in the sky for someone to even notice the plane in the increasingly dark night.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god…" muttered Spider-Man again and again as he surveyed the city from above, calculating his best chance at survival.
"Damn it! Okay, okay Peter you got this. You got this…"
Peter hyped himself up as he stood in the plane's door for skydivers, waiting patiently until he saw a building large enough for him to swing on.
"I can't believe I'm doing this" muttered Spider-Man to himself as he jumped from the plane, forming a last minute parachute with his web fluid; almost the last he had of it on top of all.
Once he was close enough to the building he let go of the 'parachute', free falling once again until he was close enough to shoot a strand of webbing to it.
Once he finally landed on the building's rooftop, Spider-Man took several minutes to compose himself and calm his heavy breaths.
"Fucking…*wheeze* Deadpool" Peter cursed at the crazy man in between breaths.
"Great" muttered Spider-Man as he noticed he was finally out of webfluid, so he was in for a long walk home "just what I needed" finalized Spider-Man as he walked down the building from the outside like he was taking a stroll on the park.
Peter was exhausted, so he allowed himself a day to rest. Making his entire trip,plus resting day, 5 days long.
As soon as he came home from his walk he plummeted face first on his bed, letting the stress of whatever just happened to him flow out of his body.
Maybe he should stick strictly to the New York neighborhood.
He checked his cell phone that was forgotten in his desk once he woke up and cleaned himself. He desperately needed a shower and his suit cleaning and repairing.
He had some messages here and there from some classmates asking him about possible arrangements in class, in case they ended up in the same classes or something.
Some other messages made him laugh since it was from MJ or Gwen who mocked themselves for trying to call him when he didn't have his phone on him.
Peter wondered what became of Carter and the other kids and hoped that they were rescued, but he was sure that they would be fine, they all seemed like capable and smart kids.
Hopefully…
Peter tried distracting himself by calling all of his friends, preferring to lie to them via phone rather than in their faces. He entertained himself listening to MJ and Gwen's band practice, how Chat was doing in California and how excited she is to come back, and Harry's excitement over his developing relationship with Liz.
Then Peter braced himself as he dialed the last number, he had promised someone special to him a date if he arrived before the start of school after all.
"Hey stranger, haven't heard from you in a while" answered Emma from the other side of the phone with a teasing tone. She was happy that he called her from his phone since that meant that he was home.
"Well I can't just let you forget about me, can I?" Peter replied with a smirk, matching Emma's tone.
When Peter became close with someone he became more daring and confident, getting more talkative and told more jokes. As if he wasn't afraid of being more himself with that person.
To anyone that knows Peter, seeing him shift from this almost confident and funny boy into a stuttering mess of a shy one when standing in front of people he's not close to is very amusing, almost like the two are completely different people.
And when on the phone, Peter acted almost the same as he would while wearing his spiderman mask. Obviously when the situation called for it, he wouldn't make fun of his friends or anything like that, but banter with them.
And lately Emma has found that Peter is more than willing to flirt back with her over the phone, and she absolutely loves that.
"Oh Pete, I would never forget about you~" answered Emma with a flirty tone.
"Oh uhm, y-yeah I know you wouldn't" answered Peter, clearly flustered. He may be bolder when he's on the phone, but that doesn't mean he stops being the nerd he's always been.
Emma giggled with that soft voice that enchanted Peter and he laughed softly with her. They made surprisingly long small talk for only 5 days they spent without communication, but here they were, laughing and talking about whatever came to mind.
The one who was more at ease was Peter. 5 days with his mask on started to nag at him, and not just because of the fabric, but because he missed being regular old and nerdy Peter Parker.
He loves being Spider-Man, but it's only part of him, and it's a part that needs to rest from time to time.
And all over the summer, he's been feeling as if he was putting Spider-Man before Peter. Almost like he is losing himself to the mask; to his mission of protecting everyone.
Spider-Man handles everything with a smile, no matter how hard the battle is, how graphic a crime scene is or how he's feeling; Spider-Man faces it with strength, determination and a smile.
Spider-Man is everything Peter Parker wants to be.
But it's not really real. It's a part of him, the best parts perhaps (in Peter's self deprecating mind), but it's not totally him.
Peter needs Spider-Man, just as much as Spider-Man needs Peter.
And what they both need right now is exactly what they are doing.
Talking and laughing with Peter's crush, just like a regular teen should.
Despite being a superhero, Peter still wants a 'normal' life, or at least as normal as he can make it. With that in mind…
"Hey Emmy, I was wondering…" Peter started nervously after a small, comfortable silence that formed between them.
"Yes?" Encouraged Emma for Peter to continue, already having an idea of what it is.
"W-well, last time we talked I might've mentioned something about a movie or taking a bite? And I was, uhm, wondering if you would be interested?" Peter said lamely, afraid of rejection.
"Oh Peter, I'd love to! I sincerely thought you forgot about that!" Emma said delightedly, giggling at the end.
Peter let out a sigh of relief, now with a weight off his shoulders and excited for his date with Emma.
"Oh c'mon Emmy, have a little faith in me" said Peter with a fake whine, making Emma laugh again.
"Now that you invited me Pete, allow me one-up you in the invitation. You said that your aunt is going to be away until Sunday, right?" Questioned Emma with clear excitement in her voice.
"Yeah?" Answered Peter a little unsure of what Emma is planning.
"Great. What do you say we spend the day together and you help me pick up some things for school? I need some notebooks and things like that, but most importantly I need clothes! Would you mind picking them with me?" Emma started saying it excited by the idea of spending the day with Peter, but got a little embarrassed at the end by the suggestion.
"S-sure! I mean… I'd love to help out however I can!" Replied Peter, also happy at the development. Sure, they hung out basically all summer together, but they were all with other friends.
Maybe they had been alone once in a while: a stroll in the park or a get together in a crazy expensive coffee shop just the two of them, but this was the fist real date Peter is going to have! And with Emma Frost no less!
"Fantastic, see you tomorrow at Delmar's? Say around… 10:00 AM?" Emma asked.
"Delmar's at 10, you got it." Replied Peter.
"Until then, Pete~" was the last thing Emma said before she hung up.
Peter sat in his room with a silly grin and a stupid look on his face as he thought about how great tomorrow is going to be. He then groaned.
'Ugh, knowing my luck, some schmuck is probably going to cause some sort of emergency only Spider-Man can resolve… I should start repairing my suit' figured Peter as he laid eyes on his dirty, worn and torn suit.
'Well, better now than later' said Peter with a defeated sigh as he grabbed his suit and started working on it.
He may consider having a spare or two just in case.
With Emma
Emma was thrilled. She had been waiting impatiently these past few days for Peter to come home and call her to make good on his promise of taking her on a date.
Because that's what it was, right? A date invitation.
He used that word a few days ago, but not right now…
They have been going together to places like the park or the mall every now and then all over the summer, some times with his friends, some better times just the two of them.
But all of them were improvised, not knowing what to do or having a dress code or anything. Now Peter was asking her to the most cliche date she could think of; not that she minded that, they were still very young after all.
And better yet, his Aunt was out of town, so that meant that she could have Peter all to herself for the entire day!
A problem she and Peter (without her knowing) started dreading was that their time together would be greatly shortened by the start of high school.
Peter would have his regular school schedule, his internship with Dr. Octavius; a man that even Emma started to somewhat admire after everything Peter has said of the man and how highly he thinks of him; and he will most likely still be part of the decathlon team or something, meaning that their time together will considerably dwindle.
Emma is supposed to start school at the same time as Peter, but ever since she read the mind of her former teacher who was also her crush she stopped attending.
Without her father knowing obviously.
Emma even goes from time to time to mind control the directive board of the private school so that she still has a credible record. It's a drag, but it's better than being in the same room as some anti-mutant bigot that broke her heart.
And she also doesn't want Peter to know she's not studying. If Chat is insufferable because of her being a dropout, she can't imagine how Peter's reaction is going to be if he finds out. She's not scared of Peter talking her ear off trying to convince her of going back to school, she's scared of Peter thinking lowly of her.
He doesn't know she's a mutant, or why she stopped going to school, and she plans for that to stay that way as well as she has a plan to fix her whole 'not-attending-school mess', and it's going to be a surprise for Peter.
A surprise he's going to unknowingly help her with.
Tomorrow is going to be a great day for her. For both of them.