3Of Devils and Illusions
The engines of the Stark Industries jet whirred outside the cabin. Inside Peter was slumped against the back of one of the far too white, too plush seats. Happy was across from him. It helped to know that he missed Tony too. That somehow, he wasn't Tony Stark's legacy fuck up. It felt nice to know that after all the craziness since he got to Europe someone was on his side and not just pushing him to step up.
He had to do this. He had to save his friends, save all of London really and make sure that Mysterio didn't do who knows what with EDITH. But, he wasn't sure he could do it alone. Nick Fury had said that there was no one else around to call. But, Mr. Fury was also a spy and maybe not the best people person Peter had ever met. Hell, he seemed to have trusted Beck almost as much as Peter did. What Peter really needed right now was someone he could trust. Happy was great but, he wouldn't be much help in the upcoming fight. No, he needed a fighter-
Peter's brain stumbled to a halt.
"Happy, there's some else I need to call."
"Who May? I know it's not really my place," Happy pursed his lips, "But, don't you think that would just worry her right now?"
"No, not May. There's a guy I know, and well, I think he might be able to help us or at least give me some advice about what to do."
Happy handed his phone over without question and Peter dialed. The phone picked up on the third ring, "Who is this?" A deep voice growled over the speaker.
He should have accounted for the nearly twelve-hour time difference it would be night in New York and in Hell's Kitchen that meant it was the Devil's playground.
"Uh, hi, it's me."
"Peter?" The voice relaxed somewhat, losing the gravel in the vocal chords effect, "I thought you were on your school trip in Europe. Are you back?"
Peter couldn't stop the wave of words from spilling out, "I messed up," His voice cracked, "I really messed up Double D. Mr. Stark trusted me, and I trusted someone I shouldn't have and he's trying to kill me and all my friends. He tricked me into getting hit by a train," A sharp hiss sounded through the receiver. "And I can't trust my senses because he has this weird illusion tech and I need to stop to him, but I'm not sure I can and-"
Peter didn't realize he was nearly gasping for air, until Happy squeezed his shoulder, hard, and gave him a shake. Peter swallowed hard and blinked back the tears threatening to spillover.
A smooth voice cut in again, "I need you to breathe kid. It'll be okay. I'm coming."
"To Europe? Now?" Peter squeaked. That wasn't what he was expecting. Matt was a lot of things but rich wasn't one of them.
"You aren't the only one who knows people with private jets. I'll be there." Peter could hear the smirk in Matt's voice and an underlying tension as he asked, "What's the name of this guy trying to kill you and where am I headed?
"London, and uh, his name is Quentin Beck, but he's been calling himself Mysterio. He's really dangerous Double D. He uses all these drones and projectors to make people see whatever he wants."
"Clearly that won't be a problem for me."
"Did you just- really a blind joke now?" Peter could see Happy's eyebrows raise from his seat as he watched the conversation with interest. "Just everyone thinks he's the next coming of Tony Stark," Peter said bitterly, "He even had me fooled too. He's bad news."
The static in the phone speaker crackled in silence and Peter couldn't tell what Matt was thinking.
"Peter, we all make mistakes it's how we atone for them that matters. It will be ok. I'll find you in London." With that, the call disconnected.
Peter slid the phone back over to Happy and ran a hand down his face. Atone? Yeah, he could do that probably.
"Who was that?" Happy asked as he pocketed the phone.
"He's uh, a vigilante I know." He had to be careful, Matt's identity was his most guarded secret and the man didn't trust very easy despite Peter worming his way into his heart.
"What kind of vigilante?" Happy's voice was laced with concern, "Does May know you're hanging out with vigilantes?"
"No, and you can't tell her." Peter fidgeted as Happy stared him down, "It's Daredevil."
Happy sucked in a breath, "The crazy guy who dresses as the Devil and shot up a church?!"
"That wasn't him," Peter blurted out, "He was framed and then the newspapers all ran horrible stories about him, but he's really good. I met him before the Germany thing while I was still running around in sweats. He tried to talk me out of the whole superhero thing and when that didn't work he taught me how to throw a punch. Said that if I was going to be a stupid kid with superpowers I should be able to at least throw a punch. We hang out and patrol together sometimes."
Happy still didn't look entirely convinced.
"Just trust me. I know I screwed up with Beck, but Double D isn't like that. In fact, he said he'd meet me in London."
Happy frowned, "I really hope you're right about this Peter."
Peter nodded. If there was anybody left in the superhero world he trusted it was Daredevil.
Mysterio was lying on the ground in front of him. He couldn't see where Daredevil was, but Peter was sure he was fine, probably trying to find his way up her right now. The man was great in the skies but his billy clubs had nothing on Peter's versatility with his webs.
Knowing him he was probably breaking the drones with a never before seen glee. Matt took technology that invaded people's privacy especially personally. According to Foggy, it was on Matt's dream case to sue the technology monopolies in Silicon Valley for infringing on people's rights.
He shook the thought off as he looked down on Beck. The man looked worse for wear with the drones firing wildly around him some of the bullets from earlier had definitely grazed him if not hit him full stop. Peter gulped he didn't like bullets and he didn't like hurting people.
"Peter, the world needs the next Tony Stark." Beck said coughing wetly., "They need something to believe in."
"That's not going to be you. Tony Stark was a hundred times the man you are." Peter said his voice angry. He had no right. Not after everything that had happened, how dare the man try to compare himself to Tony. "I trusted you! I thought you were good, but you just manipulated me. You manipulated everyone to get power."
Beck shook his head. His bruised face looking at him with pity, "Oh, Peter you're so trusting. So good. So weak."
His spidey senses tingled. Illusion. He readied to twist away not sure what was coming as the image of the battered man in front of him dissolved into blue light.
The cold metal of a gun pushed against the back of his scalp. Peter's body moved. He ducked and brought his fist up sending the gun flying. Mysterio's eyes widened in surprise as he backed away a swarm of drones rising to fill the hall.
"Fire!" He ordered, and the glass hallway erupted in bullets. Around him, Beck's voice boomed: "Peter Parker, I gave you the chance to walk away! But you just couldn't let this go and now you have to die."
The hallway darkened, and green mist crept closer. Peter couldn't trust his eyes as he bobbed and weaved, letting his instincts take over completely as metal crunched under his fists.
"You might want to rethink that plan." A gravelly voice said from behind Beck. Then the illusion sputtered to a halt with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen standing right in front of him.
"What are you? How could you see through the illusion!?" Beck said a look of terror crossing his face for the first time as Daredevil starred him down blood dribbling down his chin as he grinned wolfishly at the man.
"Some people call me the Devil." With that Daredevil pivoted his weight back and jumped over the fire coming from the drone on the outside of the glass. He backflipped and landed to the right of Beck and threw a punch catching him in his fishbowl helmet.
The glass cracked under his fist and Peter saw Beck's eyes widen as the glass and the fist smashed into his jawbone. Beck flew into the hallway railing. Droplets of blood rolled down his cheek. Glass embedded itself in his skin from the force of the punch.
Beck shook himself off and tried to stand. His feet wobbly under him before he collapsed again, "The world needs something to believe in!"
Daredevil cocked his head to the side as he appraised the beaten man in front of them.
"It already has God and Spider-Man it certainly doesn't need you. Web him up, kid." Daredevil's head tilted towards the man as he stepped closer.
"I'm uh- actually out of webbing." Peter could practically see Matt rolling his eyes under his helmet. He sighed and pulled duct tape out from somewhere in his suit, which honestly, how did that even work with the leather that tight?
Peter grabbed the roll of tape and approached Beck pulling the EDITH glasses off his face and sliding them on his own.
"Biometric scan Peter Parker confirmed."
"EDITH. Execute the drones."
"All units?" The AI's voice asked.
"Yes, execute all drones."
From their place in the building, Peter could see all the Stark Tech drones abruptly stop hovering where they were and fly up, returning to the satellite from whence they came. He let out a sigh as he took the glasses off and pulled off a strand of tape.
He started on Beck's legs, wrapping them tightly as Matt hummed his approval behind him. He secured the wrists then stepped away, taking in his work. Although it wasn't quite as satisfying as seeing someone tangled in his web, he had to admit seeing Beck trussed up like a turkey was satisfying.
"I take it you know where we can drop this guy off?" Matt asked from behind him.
Peter nodded, then realizing his mistake vocalized his affirmation, "Yeah, Nick Fury."
Beck growled at them as Peter approached. He had a wild look in his blue eyes. "You think this is over! I'll ruin you, Parker. I'll ruin you."
Matt was suddenly stepping in front of him and slamming Beck's head into the ground.
"Don't worry he's not dead. He's only going to wish he was." The devil growled grabbing Beck's incapacitated wrists and jerking them over the man's head and behind him painfully. There was a pop and the unnatural grinding of bone against bone sounded in the air. Beck screamed.
Peter flinched at the unbridled violence. Sure, he knew Beck was a bad guy, but seeing Matt smile as he dished out pain had the hair on Peter's neck standing on end.
He watched Matt lean in resting his mouth close to Beck's ear. If not for his super senses there's no way he would have heard the next part, "If you so much as think of going after the kid I'll know, and I'll find you. Trust me there's nowhere you could hide from me. Your illusions mean nothing to me and if I have to find you next time just know there are worse things than death." Then Matt brought his knee up painfully into the other man's nose and Beck promptly passed out.
Matt frowned, "Peter?"
"Ye-yeah, Mr. Daredevil."
Matt sighed, "I'm sorry you had to see that. But, I've had too many people I care about hurt from threats by men like him." The red steel-toed boot nudged the unconscious man, "I'll have to be dead before I let something like that happen to you. Remember the talk we had about secret identities?"
Peter nodded stiffly. That was part of the reason, after everything with the Vulture, he'd been so reluctant to come out as an Avenger. This whole incident with his friends just proved he was right, but then he'd been gullible enough to share it with Mysterio anyway.
Matt seemed to read his mind a slipped a hand over his shoulder, "You did good today, kid, just because you're a hero doesn't mean you're never going to make mistakes. Come on call someone to pick this guy up and then let's get out of here. The last thing I need is rumors of a Daredevil copycat in London."
"You sure? Because I think Beelzebub on a bridge has a nice ring to it." Peter said, with a grin.
"Whatever you say Night Monkey."
Peter groaned, "You heard about that?"
Matt smirked, "Foggy printed the blog post. We already have it framed on the office wall."
"Ugh, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to live that down." Matt hummed in agreement as Peter flipped out his phone and first called Happy and then Fury. Happy sounded close to tears hearing that everything was fine. Fury was as nonplussed as always and assured him they'd be by briefly to pick up Beck.
Matt stood by the far wall trying to look innocent as he undoubtedly eavesdropped on the conversation.
"Everything's squared away." He stated, "I need to get going. The last thing I need is whatever SHIELD is calling themselves these days on my tail. You need a ride back to New York?"
Peter shook his head, "No, I don't think I'm quite ready for this vacation to be over. There's something I need to do first."
Matt gave him a knowing smile and Peter's heart fluttered. There's no way he could know. He'd never so much as mentioned MJ to Matt.
He coughed awkwardly, "How'd you get here so quick anyways?" Matt gave him a little smirk that clearly said 'I-know-exactly-what-you're-trying-to-do-and-I'm-letting-you-get-away-with-it'.
"Let's just say Danny Rand owns a private jet and loves smashing robots with his fists nearly as much as I do." Matt grabbed the railing and looked about ready to jump out into the London skyline and back to whichever way he came.
"I- I'm really glad you came Double D."
"Anytime kid. Now next time why don't you wait till you're back in New York to find trouble." With that Daredevil leaped over the railing into open-air disappearing.
Peter found himself smiling. It was nice knowing that even now after everything that happened and the funeral that someone still had his back. Now he just had to convince Happy not to tell Aunt May.
AN: Okay, can we all just agree Daredevil is basically the antithesis of Mysterio. Can tell when he's lying and won't fall for his illusions because he can't see them. No? Maybe it's just me. I just needed a fic with someone taking care of Peter in the mess that was Far From Home and who better than New York's other high swinging red-clad vigilante? This is what was rapidly written within 4 hours after seeing the movie. This is my first time writing Matt Murdock and really digging into Peter Parker and a lot of the characterization is inspired by Candlesneedflame's fabulous series the teenage vigilante's guide! Let me know how I did and what I can do to improve! Hope you enjoy!
