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Despite popular belief and the lack of an official support system, the vigilantes were a very close-knit group of people. They even had a group chat with each other plus close family and friends (okay, two or three other people besides the vigilantes themselves, really. Mostly because Foggy refused to be in the group chat and Karen and Matt refuse to give the rest Karen's number.) They knew each other's identities (no one was ever forced to share) and trusted each other with their lives.
Surprisingly, they all met through Daredevil and their association with the Man Without Fear. This isn't, however, a story on how they all met.
No, this story starts when a very panicked Peter texted the group chat.
Guys Tony Stark was just here. He knows. -P
Fuck. -D
Do you need a lawyer? -M
Do you need a good lawyer? -W
Rude. -M
Boys. -C
He's under the impression Aunt May doesn't know, for some reason. -P
He's trying to get me to go to Germany :( -P
Don't you work for Reed? Get him to get Tony off your back. -F
But I'd feel bad! I don't want him to think I only am close with his family for my own gain :( -P
Peter Johnny is like, one of your many sugar daddies. -W
Excuse you! I only have three! Technically four if you count! -P
It's not my fault rich people want to hang out with me! -P
Or, in Johnny's case, date you. -D
I dated Harry for like, two months also -P
Pete, stop collecting rich people (Foggy) -M
Tell Foggy he's mean and tell your boyfriend to hit him for me >:c -P
That would be police brutality. -M
Matt, he's dating a vigilante. -J
Your point? -M
He's also, for some unfathomable reason, in this group chat. -B
-
Peter chuckled and shook his head. At least they knew how to make him feel better. Still, this was concerning. The teen vigilante kept it very close to his chest who he was and only let the Fantastic Four know because he didn't want Johnny to have to hide it from his family.
For someone who wanted to sound impressive and try to convince Peter to come to Germany, Tony really should have realized he was dating Johnny Storm of all people. After all, Val calls Victor Von Doom her uncle and Reed was Peter's boss. Being a personal lab assistant was awesome. Plus, Johnny was amazing.
Speaking of Johnny.
"Pete. Babe. Love of my life. Doom is teaching Val magic." Johnny didn't even give Peter a chance to say hello when he answered the phone.
Wait.
"... I'm sorry what?" Peter squeaked.
"Val was jealous that her brother is a reality warper, and she just had super smarts, so Doom decided to start teaching her magic."
"... First Tony Stark tries to convince me to go to Germany with him, and now Latveria's leader is teaching super genius magic. Okay. This is my life now."
"Repeat that?" Johnny asked, suddenly sounding serious.
"Huh? Oh right, I forgot you're not in the group chat," Peter said, heading downstairs to figure out a snack. "Tony Stark just kinda showed up. For a guy who figured out my identity, he really knows nothing about me."
"There's a group chat?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah? It's basically the Defenders, Team Red, Aunt May, Brett, and Clair. Wade has been trying to get Foggy to join it for months."
"There's a group chat? And you didn't add me?"
"Sorry, you have to befriend Matt first. No, figuring out his identity doesn't count. You're still not allowed in his terf."
"You know he hates me because I'm dating someone he sees as a baby brother!"
"Then perish, I guess," Peter said with a shrug. "Anyway. Yeah. Tony Stark knows, and Matt already asked if I needed a lawyer, which would be hilarious. Can you imagine?"
"... Peter, you should probably get a lawyer."
"Citizen's arrest is legal in New York," Peter reminded. "Which is, technically, what I'm doing."
"Did Foggy or Matt tell you that?" Johnny snorted.
"Does it matter?" Peter asked hesitantly. He heard his boyfriend groan and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah yeah. I'll see you soon. Keep a window open for me!"
-
"You and your friends lead the most ridiculous lives," Johnny decided when Peter swung into the open living room window.
"I just think they're interesting," Peter hummed, quickly removing his mask as the window closed. "I just don't want to go to Germany, so I have to ask Reed if I can have lab time that day."
"And here I thought you wanted to hang out with me," Johnny said dramatically. "I'm hurt, Webs, hurt!"
"That's your own problem," Peter said cheekily. "Don't worry. We can play video games or have a movie marathon, just gotta talk to the bossman first."
Peter smiled and kissed Johnny before going to the elevator. The Baxter building had pretty high-security measures, and they double since Peter told them all who he was. Honestly, the spider-themed hero was touched that they went through all this effort to help hide his identity, even though they really didn't have to. It just reaffirmed the trust Peter had put in them.
Speaking of trust, Peter grinned as he dashed out of the elevator and down the hall, stopping in front of a rather large door and putting in his pin to get into Reed's private lab, which he now shared with the burnet teen.
"Reed!" Peter rushed into the room, the door closing shortly after he passed its threshold. "So, I need lab time because Tony Stark found out who I am and wants to drag me to Germany."
"I'm sorry, he what?" Reed balked from where he was working on something.
"Tony Stark found out who I am, and tried to blackmail me into going to Germany, but jokes on him Aunt May already knows!"
"I'm surprised you're not freaking out more; all of you lot play it very close to your chests."
It was common knowledge in the hero community that the vigilantes never gave out information, never got too close with anyone. It's why it shocked everyone when Johnny first became close with Spider-Man. To this day, besides everyone who knew Peter's identity, Spider-Man and Johnny were just close friends.
The argument about the whole Spidey vs. Peter thing was their first huge argument as a couple. Neither really understood why the other didn't see it their way, and they nearly broke up over it. It was only when both took a couple of days to calm down and actually talked about it like adults that they came to a compromise. Johnny and Spidey cod still flirt and such, but dates and other couple activities like kissing were when Peter was in civvies.
"So anyway," Peter said, expertly changing the subject as always. "Doom is tea thing Val magic?"
"Johnny tell you?" Reed asked as Peter joined him. "Yeah. Sue is amused, Johnny is worried, Franklin is jealous, and at this point, Ben and I are along for the ride."