At noon the next day, a faint series of ripping sounds came from beside the wall of an East End newsstand.
Deadpool finally rubbed the webbing off his mouth.
The process was distinctly undignified.
First, he rubbed the bridge of his nose against the wall until it went crooked. Then he rammed his shoulder into the newsstand until half its canopy collapsed. Finally, using a tiny blade hidden in the sole of his shoe, he cut away the webbing around his mouth bit by bit.
"Ha."
Deadpool drew his first breath.
"Freedom. Air. The same scent as Gotham's sewers. So moving."
He looked down and saw the refund notice beside the wall.
On the back was a chibi Spider-Man stepping on a chibi Deadpool.
Beside chibi Deadpool's head was a tiny "Mmph, mmph."
Deadpool stared at the paper for two seconds.
"You're done for, Spider-Man."
He carefully tore the paper off, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket.
"I'm getting this framed. Right next to the lawyer's letter."
The Maroni Family's temporary base was behind a shuttered pawnshop in Old Town.
When Deadpool arrived with his gun, seven people were already lined up at the entrance.
One wanted his wages.
Two wanted payment for goods.
Three wanted compensation for their cars.
And there was a lawyer clutching a folder, looking as though he had just come back from taking a number at a service window in hell.
Deadpool peered out from the back of the line.
"Excuse me, is this the Maroni bankruptcy liquidation office?"
The people ahead turned to look at him.
Deadpool raised his gun.
"Good news. I'm cutting in."
Nobody screamed.
The man demanding his wages even stepped aside.
"You want money?"
"Yep."
"Get in line."
Deadpool looked at him.
"I have a gun."
The