Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The night air in Hell’s Kitchen was crisp, carrying the usual mix of city sounds—sirens, distant shouting, the occasional car alarm. But underneath it all, Matt heard something else. A struggle. Quick, sharp breaths. The rhythmic impact of fists against flesh.

He moved, launching himself from a rooftop and landing silently in a dark alley where a group of masked thugs were cornering someone. Except their target wasn’t exactly defenseless.

“Okay, guys, this is getting ridiculous,” the kid in the middle said, dodging a punch with ease. “You really need this many people for one guy? Bit overkill, don’t you think?”

Matt already knew who it was before the webs shot out, yanking one of the thugs off his feet.

Spider-Man.

Matt hadn’t run into him in a while, but even without sight, he could tell the kid had gotten sharper. His movements were tighter, more precise—but his heartbeat was off. He was tired. Maybe hurt.

One of the thugs lunged with a knife.

Matt moved.

His billy club knocked the weapon out of the man’s hand before he could even blink. A few well-placed strikes later, and the fight was over. The remaining thugs lay groaning on the pavement, tied up in webs.

Peter turned toward him, tilting his head. “Whoa! Daredevil! Man, I was just thinking about you!”

Matt smirked despite himself, as much as he hated to admit it, he was staring to have a soft spot for the kid “That so?”

“Yeah! I was, like, ‘y'know who I haven't seen in a while? The really scary guy who can fight like a ninja!’ And boom , here you are! Crazy, right?”

Matt chuckled. “You okay?”

“Me? Oh, yeah, totally. Just, uh… took a hit earlier. Nothing serious. Just one of those ‘maybe sit down for a second’ kind of deals.”

Before Matt could press further, a sharp echo go through the alley. A sound Matt recognized immediately as katanas unsheathing.

“Ohhhhhh yeah, baby! We got the band back together!”

A new voice.

Peter perked up. “Ooh, new person! Who’s—”

Matt sighed. “ Oh no. ”

Wade emerged from the shadows, hands on his hips, looking way too pleased with himself. “Missed you too red!”

Peter gasped, eyes wide behind his mask. “Wait. Is this… is this Deadpool? The Deadpool?”

“The one and only!” Wade spread his arms. “Nice to finally meet ya, Spidey! The names Wade. Man, you’re so much smaller in person.”

Peter crossed his arms looking offended “I am average height man!”

Wade laughed, “yeah, and this fanfic is cannon!”

Matt groaned. This was already going off the rails. “Wade, why are you here?”

Wade gasped dramatically. “Wow, rude . Not even a ‘hi, Wade, how’s your day been?’ Fine, whatever. I’ll just tell you. There’s a weapons deal going down, right here in your little kitchen of hell. Thought you’d wanna know.”

Matt tensed. “Where?”

Wade grinned. “ Ooooh , now you’re interested. See, that’s why I like you. Straight to business.”

Peter perked up. “Wait, wait, wait. Does this mean we’re teaming up? Like, actual teaming up?”

Wade pointed finger guns at him. “You betcha, Baby! Best team-up of the century! You, me, and Horny Boy here, punching bad guys and making bad life choices together!”

Matt looked at Wade sharply “god, never call me that again”

Peter clapped his hands. “Oh man, this is gonna be so cool!”

Matt exhaled through his nose. “Let’s just get this over with.”

And then they where off

Chapter Text

The trio moved across the rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen, Wade leading the way, chattering nonstop. Matt kept his senses sharp, listening for signs of trouble. Peter, for his part, was practically bouncing with excitement.

“So, okay, we gotta call ourselves something,” Wade declared, spinning midair as he flipped onto another rooftop. “Every great team needs a name. The Avengers. The X-Men. The—uh, actually, that’s all I got. But you get the point.”

Peter perked up. “Ooh, I love team names! What are you thinking?”

Wade tapped his chin dramatically. “Well, considering we’re all rocking the red look, how bout we keep things simple Team Red?”

Peter gasped. “Wait, that’s actually really good!”

Matt sighed. “No, it’s not.”

“Shh, Red,” Wade scolded, wagging a finger. “We gotta lock this in. And with a team name comes nicknames. You’re ‘Red,’ spidey here is ‘Webs,’ and me I’m ‘Dead.’”

Peter clapped his hands. “That’s perfect! Bro we gotta!! It even rhymes!”

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose beneath the mask. He should say no. He really should. But the kid sounded so genuinely thrilled about it that Matt found himself exhaling through his nose instead. “…Fine.”

Peter practically did a fist pump. “Yes! Team Red!”

Wade slung an arm around peters shoulders. “I knew I liked you.”

Matt regretted everything.

—

They found the weapons deal in a run-down warehouse near the docks. Matt could hear at least a dozen men inside, their voices low and tense. Peter crawled up to a vent, peeking in.

“Looks like a lot of bad guys,” he whispered.

“Pfft. We can take ‘em,” Wade said, drawing his katanas.

“We need a plan,” Matt said.

“Oh, right, because we wouldn’t want to go in all reckless and impulsive,” wade said, giving Spidey a pointed look.

Peter huffed. “I plan sometimes.”

Matt ignored them. “I’ll take the ones near the entrance. Webs, take high ground and keep them distracted. Dead—”

“I run in screaming, swords blazing?”

“Close enough.”

Wade saluted. “On it, boss.”

The plan went smoothly at first. Matt took out two guards silently. Peter webbed a few guys to the rafters. Wade… well, Wade was Wade.

“HI, GUYS!” Wade bellowed as he crashed through a window, guns firing. “I’d like to talk to you about our lord and savior— ME! :D”

Chaos erupted. The thugs scrambled for weapons. Matt and Peter sprang into action.

Everything was going well. Until peter got cornered.

A brute of a man slammed him into the ground. The wind rushed out of his lungs as more thugs swarmed him. He tried to move, but a boot caught his ribs, then another to his side.

Pain exploded through him.

“ KID!! ”

Peter barely registered the voice before a blur of red and black crashed into the group.

Wade.

His swords stayed sheathed—he wasn’t playing to kill. But his fists? They were more than enough. He grabbed one guy by the collar and all but threw him across the room. Another got a boot to the face.

Wade stood planted between Peter and the men. He looked over his shoulder at the kid with a slight softness “You good, Webs?”

Peter coughed. “Zero stars. Would not recommend.”

Matt took out the last of the thugs and rushed over. He heard the way Wade’s heartbeat had kicked up, the genuine concern in his voice.

Maybe Wade wasn’t just here for the chaos.

Matt exhaled. “Let’s get out of here.”

As Wade helped Peter up, Matt finally let himself relax. Maybe, just maybe, Team Red wasn’t the worst idea after all.

Chapter Text

The three of them perched on a rooftop, the city stretching out below them. The fight was over, the warehouse cleared, and for once, everything felt… easy.

Peter sat on the ledge, swinging his legs, still buzzing with excitement. “Man, that was awesome !”

Wade leaned against a vent, stretching. “Not bad for our first official Team Red mission.”

Matt sighed. “Don’t push it.”

Peter grinned. Then, because he was Peter, he said, “By the way, my name’s Peter.”

The silence was immediate.

Wade’s head whipped toward him. “damn… well that was… a choice .”

Peter blinked. “What do you mean?”

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kid, you can’t just go telling every person you come across your identity.”

Wade held up a finger. “Yeah, as great as it feels to be trusted, I gotta side with Red here. Secret identity, big deal, yada yada.”

Peter frowned. “Oh… I just thought—”

“It’s not about trust,” Matt said, voice softer now. “It’s about safety. Yours, and the people around you.”

Peter shifted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right. Sorry.”

Wade clapped his hands together. “Welp! Good thing I’m great at keeping secrets. Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers, then immediately lowered one. “Wait, is it two fingers? Whatever, point is—your secret’s safe with me, kid.”

Peter smiled, and that was that.

They said their goodbyes, Peter swinging off into the city, Matt listening until his heartbeat faded into the distance.

Then he turned to Wade. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Wade cocked his head. “Oho, are we having a *moment*, Red?”

Matt ignored that. “I just wanted to say… thanks. …For keeping him safe.”

Wade blinked. The teasing melted off his face, replaced by something unreadable. Then he shrugged. “Don’t mention it, Red. He’s a damn good kid. Not many people like that left in the world, y’know? I just did what I knew either of you actual heroes  would.”

Matt didn’t say anything at first, just listened to the steady rhythm of Wade’s heartbeat. Honest.

Wade turned to leave, but Matt spoke up. “ Matt .”

Wade paused. “Huh?”

“My name. It’s Matt.”

Wade smiled. “Oh. Well, see ya tomorrow then, Matt.”

And just like that, he was gone.

Chapter Text

The next night, the rooftop felt oddly familiar. Same city, same skyline, same three people standing against it.

Peter landed first, perching on the ledge, swinging his legs. “So, uh, is this, like, our official meeting spot now?”

Matt was already there, arms crossed. “Seems that way.”

Wade strolled in last, hands in his pockets. “Aww, look at us. A bunch of weirdos with commitment issues, showing up to the same place at the same time. It’s almost romantic.”

Matt sighed. “No, it’s not.”

Peter grinned. “I dunno, Red, I think we got something special here.”

Wade pointed at him. “ See? Peter gets it.”

Matt exhaled through his nose. It was way too early for this.

Peter stretched. “So, what’s the plan for tonight? More crime fighting? Or are we just here to admire the view?”

Wade clapped his hands. “Ooooh, I vote for chaos! Maybe some light arson?”

Matt turned his head toward him. “No arson.”

Wade put his hands together pleading. “ Pleeeeeaaaassee ! Like come on Matt, I thought we were connecting!”

Peter’s head perked up. “Wait a minute… Matt ? How come you get to reveal your name but I don’t!”

Matt groaned, he did not expect to get in this deep with these two. “Okay, one; still no Wade, no arson , and two; Do as I say, not as I do.”

Peter crossed his arm and pouted, clearly not actually that upset. “No fair!”

Wade huffed. “Ugh, fine. You guys are no fun.”

Peter tilted his head. “So, like… do we patrol together? Split up?”

Matt considered it. “Covering more ground makes sense, but if we run into trouble, it helps to have backup.”

Wade threw an arm around both their shoulders. “Aww, he cares about us, Webs. I told you he’d warm up to me.”

Matt pushed Wade’s arm off. “I tolerate you.”

Wade gasped. “That’s basically love!”

Peter laughed. “Okay, so we stick together. Works for me.”

Matt nodded. “There’s been some movement in the docks—illegal shipments coming in. Might be worth checking out.”

Wade finger-gunned. “Smuggling ring? Love that for us. Let’s go bust some kneecaps.”

Peter hesitated. “Uh… maybe less knee busting and more, like, stopping crime?”

Wade sighed dramatically. “ Fiiiiiine .”

Chapter Text

The warehouse was dimly lit, the sound of water sloshing against the docks outside. The smugglers had been dealt with—knocked out, webbed up, and left for the authorities. Now, it was just the three of them, standing among rows of large metal vats.

Peter crouched beside one, curiosity piqued. “What do you think they were moving?”

Wade knocked on a vat. “Dunno. Feels like a weird amount of effort for pickle juice.”

Peter found a latch and pried one open.

Then everything changed.

Matt’s head snapped toward him the second the lid lifted, the scent hitting him like a freight train. Sharp. Chemical. Sickly sweet and burning all at once.

His whole body went rigid. He knew this smell.

The memory was instant—searing pain, raw agony, the sensation of something eating through his eyes, burning away everything it touched.

He hadn’t even gotten a full dose. Just a few drops.

And it had taken his sight forever.

Matt’s reaction was immediate, his voice sharp and unyielding.

“Peter, close it! NOW! ”

Peter startled, confused by the sudden intensity in Matt’s voice. But he reacted instantly, slamming the lid shut.

Wade, surprisingly, picked up on the shift in tone. “Okay, what the hell was that, Red?”

Peter frowned. “Matt?”

Matt exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to push past the instinctive wave of panic. “Those chemicals,” he said tightly, his fists clenched at his sides. “I know what they are.”

Peter looked at the vat, then back at him. “What do you mean?”

Matt hesitated. Wade and Peter didn’t know .

Didn’t know why he wore the mask.

Didn’t know he wasn’t just a guy with enhanced senses.

Didn’t know that the same chemicals in these vats had blinded him.

Matt’s fists unclenched, “just… let’s call this in for the authorities, and whatever you do, don’t touch that stuff, no matter what .”

Peter could tell by Matt’s voice that this was not something up for discussion. “Okay, got it” he said, not pushing the question any further.

That’s when Matt heard a heartbeat in the room spike.

He turned over to Wade, who stood frozen in front of the barrels, reading the shipping information over and over again.

His whole body was tense, shaking with something horrible.

Peter noticed. “…Wade?…you good?”

Matt could hear wades breath hitch, this wasn’t a joke, or performing.

This was pure, bone chilling fear.

“No.” Matt said.

“No he’s not”

Chapter Text

Wade’s hands were trembling, his usually confident demeanor replaced with something that made Matt and Peter both confused and uncomfortable. For once, he didn’t seem like the Deadpool they knew—he seemed... human .

Peter, trying to ease the tension, gave Wade a nervous chuckle. “Wade, if you’re trying to prank us, it’s not funny. Especially when you’re doing a freaky good act right now.”

But Wade wasn’t playing. His eyes were distant, staring at the vats, and for the first time, there was no mask of humor, no sarcastic quip.

“These chemicals…” His voice was quieter than usual. “They’re being supplied for the Weapon X program.”

Silence.

Peter was the first to speak. “That’s impossible, Weapon X, it’s an urban legend Wade, it isn’t  real.”

Wade just silently shook his head.

Matt exchanged a look with Peter, both of them growing more and more unsettled.

“What’s going on, Wade?” Matt asked, his voice softer now.

Wade trembled taking a shaky breath, swallowing hard. “You guys don’t get it,” he muttered. “You don’t know what this is. What they did. ”

Peter’s confusion deepened. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

Wade’s voice cracked as he said, “You think it’s just a ghost story, huh? Something people talk about, and then it fades into nothing? Weapon X isn’t a story, kid. It’s a place . A program. And I was part of it .”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither Matt nor Peter could speak.

Matt frowned, trying to piece everything together. “I thought it was just a rumor. Something that no one really knew about.”

“That’s because I shut it down,” Wade said bitterly. “Or, at least, I thought I did.”

The anger in his voice was sharp, but it was buried under layers of pain. Wade didn’t want to keep going, but the memory of it all was choking him.

Matt stepped forward, voice steady. “But that doesn’t explain—”

Wade snapped, his voice harsh. “ I WAS WEAPON X MATT! They changed me, I wasn’t just some soldier anymore. I was a weapon . I was cut open and put back together over and over again, until that’s all I was . And I thought if I destroyed it, I could leave it behind. I thought I could forget … but I never did. Not really.”

Peter and Matt were silent, both of them processing the weight of Wade’s words.   

Matt’s jaw clenched as he realized the depth of the situation. He’d always seen Wade as a wildcard, a person with unpredictable motives. But now, he understood. Wade had been a victim .

A weapon .

Wade had never really been a hero at all.

Wade’s words came in jagged bursts, like he couldn’t stop them even if he wanted to. “I—I failed . I failed, and people are still in there because of me . I thought I could fix it, that I could do one good thing with my life and…” His voice cracked, and for a moment, he just stood there, shaking.

Matt, unsure how to respond, just watched. He didn’t know what to say. Every instinct told him to help, but every part of him was terrified he might make it worse .

But Peter? Peter didn’t hesitate.

He just went to Wade, wrapping his arms around him in a tight, unexpected embrace. Wade froze, taken aback by the warmth and sincerity of it.

Peter pulled back just enough to look up at Wade, those bright brown eyes locking onto his. “Wade, you’re not just a weapon,” Peter said softly. “You’ve done so much good in your life. You’ve helped people. You’ve saved people.”

Wade, overwhelmed, shook his head, trying to pull away. “I’m not a hero, kid—”

But Peter held on, refusing to let him go. “You are a hero,” Peter said firmly, his voice full of conviction. “ You’re a hero to me .”

For a moment, Wade couldn’t breathe. He stared at Peter— really stared at him, as though he was seeing him for the first time. This damn kid, so full of hope and light, refused to let Wade fall back into the darkness.

Peter was never big and muscular, his big brown eyes and small, dainty stature always made him Think of a baby deer.  There were times Wade had to stop himself from calling him Bambi, because goddamnit he had a reputation to uphold. And those eyes, hey didn’t look real, too sweet, too pure.

Peter wasn’t judging him for what he had done, for the things he had been forced to do. No. He was looking at him like he was a good person.

Like he wasn’t a killer .

Wade closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath as he finally allowed himself to relax in the embrace. He didn’t deserve it, but for just a moment, he let himself believe that maybe, just maybe , Peter was right.

“You really believe that?” Wade whispered.

Peter nodded, his grip tightening. “I do .”