C579 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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As the chaotic aftermath settled, Peter, who was contemplating all of the ways he would torture Homelander if he even dared to go anywhere near his wife, noticed familiar faces on the sidewalk. Billy Butcher's scowl and Hughie's nervous demeanor caught his attention. He decided to walk over, feigning ignorance as he and MJ passed by them whilst returning to their hotel.
“Wait!” Billy called out just as they walked by, stopping the super-powered couple.
"What?" Peter asked casually, a mischievous glint in his eyes. MJ observed the interaction with a curious look, unaware who these people were just yet.
Billy, sizing up Peter, finally mustered the courage to speak. “Mind having a chat, mate?" He says, turning to eye the many onlookers who were still staring at Peter. “Preferably somewhere without prying eyes…”
Peter, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, nodded in agreement. "Sure, why not. Follow us back to our hotel. We can talk there."
As they strolled back to the hotel, MJ on Peter's arm, the onlookers speculated about the unfolding drama. The crowd's murmurs persisted, but they didn’t follow Peter, as they were far too scared of what he might do should they anger him in any way, shape, or form.
Entering the hotel, Peter gestured for Billy and Hughie to follow him up to his room. Taking an awkward elevator ride up to their floor, Peter almost laughed as he watched both Billy and Hughie stand on the complete opposite end of the elevator, clearly scared of him even though they themselves no doubt came to ask him for help.
‘Well, I guess it’s hard not to be scared after seeing what happened to A-Train.’ Peter thought as he smiled, trying to calm his two guests. “You don’t have to be so scared, I only cripple idiots who piss me off, so you should be fine…”
Of course, in Billy and Hughies perspective, Peter suddenly smiled, bearing his teeth at them like a predator before casually threatening them, which only made them even more frightened than before as they began to sweat profusely.
MJ could t help but roll her eyes at her husband’s behavior. She knew that he was obviously having fun scaring them like this, and even found it a bit amusing herself.
Soon enough, the elevator doors slid open, revealing the hallway leading to Peter and MJ's hotel room. As they stepped out, Peter was the first to notice Queen Maeve, a Wonder Woman wannabe, standing outside their room. Her gaze was fixed on the door, a mix of confusion, shock, and fear etched across her face.
Peter exchanged a glance with MJ, silently questioning the unusual scene. However, his attention was diverted as he noticed the broken hinge on the door. The realization struck him… Queen Maeve had attempted to break in, and was most likely kicked out by Dobby.
Walking over, Peter couldn't suppress a smirk as he assessed the situation. Queen Maeve, hearing incoming footsteps, turned to face them, recognizing Peter and MJ from the footage she had seen earlier. Without delay, she lowered her posture into a defensive stance, ready to fight at any moment.
As they approached, a popping sound echoed in the corridor, and Dobby appeared between them, his tiny fists clenched as he glared at Maeve, who flinched upon seeing the little devil once again.
"Bad Lady! Stay away from Master and Mistess, or Dobby will send you flying again," Dobby warned Maeve, his large eyes glinting with determination. His appearance shocked Billy and Hughie, freezing them momentarily in disbelief.
Billy, breaking the silence, muttered to Hughie, "What the bloody hell is that thing?"
Hughie, equally baffled, shrugged. "I have no idea..."
Queen Maeve, her confidence shattered, took a cautious step back. Dobby's small stature didn't deter him as he held his ground, a force to be reckoned with in the eyes of those who witnessed his protective stance.
As Peter approached, Dobby cowed his head and said, "Master, this evil woman tried to take Lady Star away, so Dobby taught her a lesson."
Peter, amused by the turn of events, nodded in approval. "Good job, Dobby. We appreciate your diligence." He said patting the bald elf’s head, which he loved more than anything. “I’d Starlight still asleep?”
Billy and Hughies eyes widened as they heard this, wondering why Peter Starloght was here as well. “?”
Dobby nodded his head. “Yes, sir. Dobby made sure nothing interrupted her sleep.”
“I see, good job.” Peter said, casing Dobby to beam up at him in find excitement. “Why don’t you go back and watch over Starlight. I’ll handle it from here.”
Nodding his head with a happy smile on his face, Dobby popped away, returning to his guard duty, leaving the corridor devoid of his presence.
Maeve, unable to contain herself any longer, turned to Peter and asked. "What the hell is that thing?"
"He's a house elf, and he's under my employ," Peter explained, enjoying the bewildered expressions on Billy and Hughie's faces. “You can think of him as a magical butler or maid.”
Billy and Hughie, still grappling with the unexpected turn of events, exchanged uncertain looks. They couldn’t help but wonder what Peter meant by that. After all, magic wasn’t real and neither were elves. Immediately, they began to doubt whether they should even be here, asking for this crazy persons help.
Even Maeve was looking at him as if he were insane. “…”
Ignoring the bewildered looks from the group, Peter turned around and gestured for them to follow. "Let's not bother Starlight while she's sleeping," he said, leading the way through the hotel corridors. The others trailed behind, exchanging glances of confusion, besides Maeve, who wasn’t whether Peter was talking to her or not.
After a few steps, Peter turned back around, breaking the silence that had settled. He looked at Maeve and quirked an eyebrow, "You planning on standing there all day, or are you coming with us?"
Stunned and unsure, Maeve hesitated for a moment before breaking from her shock and trailing behind the group. The entourage made its way through the hotel, drawing curious glances from guests and staff.
They reached the roof of the building, a quiet and secluded space with a panoramic view of the city. Peter took a seat at the edge of the roof, MJ sat beside him. He looked at Billy, Hughie, and Maeve, a casual expression on his face. "So, what brings you all here?"
Hughie fumbled for words, uncertain of how to approach the situation. Billy, turning to Maeve, seemed reluctant to speak in her presence. Seizing the opportunity, Peter prompted Maeve, "You seem to have something to say. Spit it out."
Maeve, realizing the need to explain, revealed, "The Seven were sent out to find Starlight after last night's incident at Vought tower. I’m just here to make sure she’s okay and bring her back, that’s all." Billy and Hughie's eyes narrowed, curiosity piqued.
With a direct question, Hughie asked, "What incident?" Billy nodded alongside him, clearly just as curious as his new friend.
Maeve hesitated, understanding the consequences of disclosing privileged information. However, before she could deflect, Peter casually cut in, "The Deep's dead, and Translucent's in the hospital."
Maeve tried to intervene before he could say anything else. “Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how many lawyers are on Voughts payroll? Don’t just reveal things like that, or else you’re likely to get sued into bankruptcy.”
Peter shrugged off her concerns. "I don't care," he said without a care in the world, which shocked her as most people would be deathly afraid of Voughts wrath.
Billy, intrigued, asked the crucial question, "Who did it?" He wanted to know who to thank. After all, both the Deep and Translucent were in his naughty list.
Peter, unfazed by his admission of murder and assault, replied with a grin, "Me and my beautiful wife here." He spoke in a casual tone, his arm wrapped around MJ’s waist.
Hearing Peter admit to his deeds, Billy felt a surge of gratitude for their timely meeting. He realized that having individuals like Peter and MJ on his side could be crucial in his mission to take down corrupt supes, especially the formidable Homelander.
As the rooftop conversation continued, Maeve spoke up, her voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and a hint of desperation. "Can I take Starlight back to Vought? She needs to answer some questions and get briefed in the whole situation.” She asks, too scared to go near that hotel room again. “Also, my boss wants to meet with you two, if you’re willing…"
Peter, leaning against the rooftop's edge, declined with a shake of his head. "Starlight needs to rest. And I’ve already spoke to your boss. I'll meet her tomorrow."
Maeve nodded, caught in the dilemma of wanting to leave and wanting to check on Starlight, feeling a sense of responsibility to her fellow female superhero.
Peter, sensing her internal struggle, urged, "You can go. We'll handle things here."
With that, Maeve excused herself, “I want to make sure Starlight is okay, so I’ll get my own room here and stick around until she wakes up…” she said and walked off back into the hotel, leaving no room for disagreement.
With her gone for the time being, Peter turned to Billy and Hughie, who’ve clearly been waiting for this moment.
MJ was the first time break the silence. "So, what do you want?"
Billy, without hesitation, declared his life’s mission. "I want to kill Homelander!"
A/N: 1600 words :)