Chapter 47: Brand-New Power - part 6

OK, okaay!

Alright, let me explain this one more time.

My name is Deathstroke! …Wait, no, it’s Deadpool. I’m a mercenary by trade.

Somehow or other, I ended up with super regeneration powers. Since then, I’ve become the one and only "Spide—"

—Deadpool.

You know the rest, right?

Saved a bunch of people. Fell in love with the goddess of death.

Also saved a city... well, probably. Sort of. I think I saved a fair number of folks.

What do you think? If you count the other Earths, I’ve saved quite a lot, haven’t I?

Anyway, the name’s Deadpool. Just remember this much—I'm the immortal superhero.

---

“…Man, I always wanted to try that kind of intro. You know, that template self-introduction? Gotta explain things properly for the new fans, right? Just being reasonable here.”

Deadpool was talking to the void, standing on the beach like he had an audience.

I sighed and pulled the seaweed off my head.

“Oh? Something wrong, Spidey? You know sighing makes happiness slip away, right? Or, looked at another way, unhappy people just keep sighing. So I guess I’ll let out a big one—since I’m totally miserable. Haaah.”

Loud, obnoxious, and completely insane.

That’s how we view Deadpool.

Not just me. We.

Because he used to be an Avenger. Used to.

He was in for a ridiculously short stint.

Why so short?

He got fired.

No one really knows what he did, but Stark and Cap were furious about it.

He also joined a mutant superhero team. Probably got fired from that too.

I don’t know for sure, but... yeah, seems likely.

That’s the kind of guy he is.

Everything he does is a total mess.

Even now—

“…Could you, uh, hurry up and fix that already?”

He was lying there with no lower body, just his torso.

It’s a miracle he’s still alive, but it’s thanks to his superpower—immortality.

“Well, if that’s how you feel, Spidey, could you grab my legs for me? They’re right over there. It’s faster to just stick 'em back on than regrow 'em.”

“Ugh... You blew yourself up. Why’d you take the most damage?”

I picked up Deadpool’s lower half—visibly grotesque, with bits of organs showing—and reattached it to his upper body.

“Oh, thanks! You really are sweet to me, Spidey. A classic tsundere, huh?”

In just a few seconds, his body fused back together. He stood up and wiggled his legs to test them.

Gross. I really wish he’d shut up. Seriously.

Trying not to gag, I walked over to Hydro-Man, who was convulsing in liquid form after losing consciousness.

I borrowed a polyethylene container from the boat we’d stayed on, stuffed Hydro-Man inside, and sealed the lid shut.

Webbing him up would’ve been pointless—he’d just liquify and slip out. But this container? Should do the trick.

Once I was done, I turned back to Deadpool.

“So?”

“So what?”

I massaged my temples.

Don’t get angry. Don’t get angry…

“What are you doing here? You said you came on other business, right?”

“Oh, right, right. I didn’t come here to catch this guy, actually.”

“Then what did you come for?”

“You really wanna know? Like, really really?”

Irritating.

“Yeah, I do. You might cause more problems… for me, mostly.”

“Too bad! Not telling~”

I nearly smacked him. Barely held back.

Why is he like this?

“My client’s the secretive type, y’know? I could tell you how many buttholes I’ve got, but I can’t tell you that.”

“…You’ve only got one butthole.”

“Or do I? Wanna check?”

“I do not.”

I sighed again.

Hydro-Man was a powered villain, so handing him over to the local police probably wasn’t an option.

Only a special organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. could hold someone like him.

“Oh, having trouble? With Vomit-Water-Man? Or was it Scumbag-Sewer-Man? I could look after him for you, y’know.”

“…Why?”

Honestly, I don’t trust Deadpool at all.

Less than a complete stranger.

He occasionally does stuff that really isn’t funny.

And if he’s paid, he’ll even do shady jobs.

He’s basically a good guy, so I won’t say too much.

But catching this guy would take time, and I really can’t waste any more.

Gwen and the others will start wondering where I am.

…Though it might already be too late for that.

“Nah, it’s more of a side-side job. I haven’t officially been hired for it, but…”

“Could you not hint like that and just tell me?”

“Okay, okay, don’t get all twitchy. Since there’s no contract, I can tell you.”

Deadpool pulled a notebook out of the pouch on his chest.

It was soaked with seawater. The cover was all wrinkled and ruined.

“Let’s see here... Ah, there it is.”

He flipped through it anyway and opened to the page he wanted.

“Apparently, this guy and a few other villains were hired by ‘Justin Hammer.’ (Now it’s exposition time, so feel free to zone out if you want.)”

“Justin Hammer?”

“Yeah. CEO of ‘Hammer Industries.’ They call him a merchant of death. Supplies scumbag criminals with weapons and takes half their earnings in return. Absolute trash.”

I put my hand to my chin, thinking.

…That tracks.

Like Mysterio—there are tons of supervillains out there with tech and gear they couldn’t have possibly made themselves.

I always wondered where all that money and tech came from... Looks like that’s the answer.

“To continue, ‘Hammer Industries’ is also a weapons manufacturer. And they’re Stark Industries’ biggest rival.”

“Stark…?”

So Justin Hammer’s an enemy of Tony Stark—Iron Man.

“YES! Tony Stark’s rival! …Though calling him that might be giving him too much credit. Still, they’ve got a history. That’s per the Encyclopedia of Deadpool, by the way.”

“So Hydro-Man attacked because…”

“Turns out, Stark Industries just happened to pick Miami for their company retreat. That old guy I saved earlier? He’s one of their employees. Oh, and the retreat ends tomorrow.”

I held my head in my hands.

Why... why tomorrow of all days?

Our summer trip ends tomorrow too.

Which means, technically, I could help them.

There’s no way I could just ignore it… which also means I’ll have to sneak around during the trip and keep acting as Spider-Man in secret.

I could already feel my summer vacation falling apart.

“…Also. Why do you even know all this stuff?”

Deadpool was way too informed for just being “in the know.” This was insider-level info.

“Huh? Oh, well, Hammer tried to hire me too.”

“…What?”

“Hey hey, don’t give me that scary look! It’s fine, I’m a hero, remember? I’d never do something like that. Swear to Goddess Death!”

I stared at him suspiciously.

…His eyes were darting around.

I had a bad feeling that if he hadn’t gotten this other “side job,” he probably would’ve accepted the offer.

“Well, figured catching this guy would score me some brownie points with Iron Man. Milk him for some cash once I’ve got leverage—kidding! Totally kidding.”

“…Whatever. So? Besides Hydro-Man, are there any others here?”

“Ah…? Ahh, gimme a sec.”

He started flipping through his notebook again.

“…Dunno. Not written here.”

“…Seriously?”

“There’s probably more guys on the payroll, but it’s not really my problem, so I didn’t pay attention.”

Annoyed, but I kept thinking.

If there were other powered villains out there, the police and regular security wouldn’t be able to protect the Stark Industries employees.

…We’d need a hero.

Someone besides me.

Because I’m on vacation.

I wanted Stark to handle it himself—it was his company, after all.

I tapped the spider emblem on my suit’s chest to open a virtual control panel.

With the projected interface showing in my visor, I navigated to call Stark.

…To anyone else, I probably looked like a lunatic waving my hands in the air.

Deadpool gave me a look like I was the crazy one.

You’re the last person allowed to judge.

After a few rings, the call connected.

“Ah, Mr. Stark? Hello?”

‘…Peter. Kinda busy over here.’

“S-sorry, but it’s a bit urgen—”

BOOM.

An explosion rang out from his side. I winced instinctively at the blast through the comms.

‘Sorry, Peter. Can’t talk now. Forward this to J.A.R.V.I.S. for me, I’ll get the details later.’

Another blast.

“Wait, Stark, I—”

Click.

Beep. Beep.

“…He hung up.”

“Wait, what? Were you actually talking to Iron Man just now?”

Deadpool leaned in way too close.

…Thankfully, he wouldn’t have heard Stark’s voice, so it should be fine.

I called J.A.R.V.I.S. back and explained the situation, but apparently Stark was tied up with something big and wouldn’t be able to make it for another three days.

When I grimaced in frustration, Deadpool reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“…Hurts, huh? That feeling of being brushed off? Yeah, I get it. ‘It’s pain that makes us stronger.’ Famous quote from the live-action Green Lantern 2.”

I slapped his hand away, irritated by how casually familiar he was acting.

“Stark can’t make it. So… we’ll have to handle this ourselves.”

“We?”

Deadpool tilted his head.

…You’ve got to be kidding me.

“…You’re not going to help?”

“Well… I don’t really like working for free, y’know? I strictly oppose unpaid labor.”

…I think I actually trusted him a little, just for a second.

I sighed again.

If that whole “sighing makes happiness disappear” thing is real, I might just be the most miserable person alive right now.

…All because of this guy in front of me.

“I do have a legitimate reason, y’know? I did say I’ve got another job. One that involves helping people—well, sort of helping. Close enough. Point is, I can’t bail on it. Sadly.”

I narrowed my eyes at his excuse… but honestly, this was just how he was. I gave up.

“…Fine. But… thanks for the info.”

In the end, I had just expected too much from him. He had helped out, and he’d shared valuable information.

Maybe instead of criticizing him, I should be grateful.

“Can’t believe I’m getting thanks from Spidey… Guess good deeds do pay off. Hey, mind signing my suit? Make it out to ‘Your Beloved Mr. Deadpool ❤︎’ or something?”

Yeah, no—never mind. Still annoying.

There was no point in talking any longer, and the longer I was away from Gwen and the others, the more suspicious it would look.

Leaving the cleanup to Deadpool, I turned and left the area.

He complained, but I didn’t feel even a shred of guilt.

---

This was a shelter.
A public facility near Miami Beach.
Gwen, Ned, and I were there.

“Is Peter going to be okay…?”

Gwen said, clearly worried.

…Ned was pacing around the shelter, clearly anxious.

Me? Well—I wasn’t too concerned.

Because I knew Peter was Spider-Man.
Hydro-Man wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He’d beat him and be back in no time.

Gwen, though, was unusually quiet. Her usual cheerfulness was nowhere to be seen.

It wasn’t a good look on her.

She was better when she was smiling and having fun.

So I reached out and held her hand.

“…Michelle?”

“Peter’ll be fine.”

I had no proof—but I said it anyway.

…Then, in the distance, we heard an explosion.

We ran to the window and looked out in the direction of the sound.

A giant made of water—Hydro-Man—was bursting apart.

…Looked like the fight was over.

As I soothed the still-nervous pair, the door to the shelter opened—and Peter stepped in.

“Sorry, guys! Took a little longer than I thought.”

“Hey, Peter! You are okay!”

Ned ran up and hugged Peter.

…Ned doesn’t usually go for hugs. I guess that’s just how worried he’d been.

As I watched absentmindedly, I realized Gwen’s hand was trembling in mine.

…Oh no.

“Peter, why didn’t you come to the shelter with us? Did you forget something?”

Gwen asked, smiling at him.

…No. She wasn’t smiling at all.

She was furious.

Peter didn’t notice.
He seemed relieved that Gwen was smiling—or so he thought.

“Ah, Gwen. I’d left some valuables on the beach and—”

SMACK!

A loud slap echoed through the room.

…Gwen had struck Peter across the face.

Peter landed on his butt, and Gwen glared down at him.

“Why would you do something so dangerous, you idiot!”

She stormed off, her footsteps heavy with anger.

Ned glanced at Peter, then ran after Gwen.

He was probably more concerned about her than Peter right now.

…It couldn’t be helped.

I decided to leave Gwen to Ned and focus on Peter’s emotional support.

I walked over and stood beside him.

He was… yeah.

He looked genuinely shocked, sitting on the floor.

Can’t blame him.

Gwen might joke around and playfully nudge Peter from time to time—but I’d never seen her hit someone like that.

She must have been really worried.
Really angry.

“Peter?”

I spoke to him as he stared at the door Gwen had just walked through.

He blinked and turned toward me.

“H-haha… sorry. I guess I really worried everyone, huh.”

To be honest, I hadn’t been worried about him.

But that was only because I knew he was Spider-Man.

For a normal friend, reacting like Ned or Gwen would be the natural thing to do.

And once again, I was reminded that I wasn’t really a natural part of this group.

Still, I couldn’t let Peter know that—so I said what he needed to hear.

“Yeah… I was worried.”

“…Sorry.”

Peter hung his head, clearly crushed.

He’d gone out of his way to help people—and couldn’t tell anyone.

No one could understand.

And with his nature, he wasn’t even good at covering it up.

I wanted to encourage him.

But… how?

Should I do what Ned did and… hug him?

…No. Getting hugged by a girl you don’t have feelings for would just make things weird.

Unlike Ned, I wasn’t the same gender as Peter anymore.

…And I was something in-between. Something vague and undefined.

“…Michelle?”

Peter’s voice was nervous as he looked up at me staring silently.

“I just… don’t know how to cheer you up. That’s all.”

I told him the truth.

Peter gave me a tired, slightly exasperated smile.

“Just having you here makes me happy.”

“...Really?”

I tilted my head at what sounded like a strange rationale.

Is just being beside someone considered a form of encouragement?

I didn’t have the knowledge—or the experience—to answer that.

After a moment of hesitation, I decided to talk about Gwen.

“Peter… please don’t be mad at Gwen.”

“I’m not. I could never be.”

“She was just really worried. That’s why she got a little angry.”

“...Yeah. It’s my fault.”

Seeing Peter hang his head like that made my chest tighten.

Because he…
He’d been helping people.
And still...

So many things rose up in my throat—but I forced them back down.

Saying them wouldn’t help anyone.

Revealing his secret would only hurt Peter.
No one would be happy.

It would be nothing but my own self-satisfaction.

…No one truly understands him.
Not even himself.

He just accepts being blamed like this.
Truly believes it’s his own fault.

So, at the very least—I want to be the one who—

“Peter, you’re not the one at fault.”

—I want to be someone who understands him.

That’s what I thought.

“...You think so?”

“Yeah. I don’t know the reason but—”

That was a lie.

I did know.

I knew his secret, one-sidedly.

“I just don’t think you’d do something like this without a reason.”

“...Nah, I might disappear without a reason. I’ve caused trouble plenty of times.”

Peter tried to dismiss my words.

He probably didn’t want this to circle back to him being Spider-Man.

I could tell he was carefully avoiding saying anything that might hint at his identity.

But the way he clumsily tried to dodge it… it actually made me smile.

“…Michelle, why are you laughing?”

“Fufu… no reason.”

Maybe I’m just as bad at covering things up as he is.

We’re both carrying secrets.
But I’m the only one who knows his.

It does make me feel a little guilty.

But my secret… can’t be found out.

Because the moment it is—
That will be the end of everything between me and them.

“Come on, Peter. We need to catch up with Gwen.”

I don’t want to lose them.

I don’t want to be hated.

So even if the day comes when we part for good… I’ll never tell them.

…Even if I never see them again.

I want them to remember me as their friend.

I reached out, took Peter’s hand, and helped him to his feet.