He'd seen the place before. Not actually in person, but close enough. Enough that he knew what it was he was seeing, and he recognized the odd-looking man who was seated in the uncomfortable looking chair, clearly deep in through and somewhat troubled. As if the man realized that he was being watched, his head came up.

"We meet again, Peter."

He wasn't actually there in front of him, this time, though.

"Hi, Taneleer. What's going on?"

The ancient frowned.

"How did you know something was going on?"

"Just a hunch. Is there?"

"Someone is looking for you."

"Me, specifically?" the boy asked. "Or the cause of the light?"

"The cause of the light. He doesn't know who you are, but he's sending his minions out to try and figure it out."

"Oh."

"One of those minions approached one of my servants, seeking information about you." The collector smiled. "He offered me anything," he added. "Said I could name my price, basically."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. Despite the offer, I have no intention of breaking any kind of truce that I have with you by giving information about you away for a mere bauble. Or two. Besides, there's something immensely satisfying about knowing more than a demon."

"A demon?"

Another smile.

"The minion was a demon. A minor one, but definitely a demon. Its master is a bit more serious a matter, but I doubt you'll need to worry, really. Dormammu would be foolish to leave his dimension to seek you out, personally. He would give up much power, if he did – and run the risk of the mind stone figuring out what he's up to and finding a way to strike him down."

The boy was silent, engaged in a conversation that Taneleer couldn't actually hear, but definitely suspected was happening. Then he nodded.

"Have you told anyone about me? Anyone who might be willing to sell that information for a bauble?"

"No. Your secret is safe with me, child. I'll keep an ear out, though, and will try to find a way to notify you if I hear anything that might be concerning for you."

"I'd appreciate it. Thank you."

"You're welcome." There was a hesitation. "How is Sirah?"

"She's great. I'm going to see her, soon, just to make sure she doesn't need anything."

"Send her my affections when you do."

"I will."

OOOOOOO

He woke with a start, sitting up in his bed.

"Well, that can't be good…"

"No. But it isn't as bad as it could be."

Alec didn't sound worried, really, and that calm kept Peter from rushing to Natasha's bed.

"There's a demon looking for me," Peter pointed out. "I don't know how it could be much worse than that."

"It's still looking," the ancient sorcerer said. "Which means that it hasn't found anyone willing to sell it the information that it seeks. We know who it works for, too."

"Dormammu."

"Correct."

"Do you know who that is?"

"No. I wasn't actually there with Taneleer – anymore than you were. It's harder to get information from someone's mind in that sort of situation. Even for me. But you know a couple of men who could probably find out who he is – if they don't already know."

"Stephen and Wong."

"Correct. The Collector mentioned dimensions. That is right up the sorcerer's alley, so to speak."

"This sucks…" Peter said, reaching for Nutmeg, who came to join him on the bed – probably coming from his living room where he'd almost certainly been knocking things off of shelves. The kitten purred when peter began petting him. "I have to tell Tony and Pepper that a demon is looking for me, now. That's going to worry them – just when things were starting to get somewhat normal."

"Things are never going to be completely normal with you," Alec pointed out, making Peter scowl at just how cheerful he sounded. "I wouldn't worry too much about this, though. We know that Dormammu isn't going to come at you, directly, and the stones will do whatever they need to do to protect you from anyone who would."

"I don't want to gather them up, again."

"You won't need to."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's been done, now, Peter. There are still many places in the universe that haven't heard anything of what happened, but many that have, and spread the story further and further. The knowledge that it's been done, and could be done again, is a deterrent. And a way to keep you from needing to do it, again."

"Oh." He hadn't thought of that, but with Alec's explanation had come an image of the light, spreading as it went. A constant reminder of the power of the infinity stones and a warning to those who might be tempted to think they were just trinkets to be infatuated by. "Maybe I don't need to tell Tony, then."

"Oh, you need to tell him. Him and Pepper, both. And then you need to talk to Wong and Strange."

"Ugh."

"Wait until morning, though," he suggested.

"Yeah."

He didn't want to go rushing into their bedroom like a little kid who'd had a bad dream. Even though it was almost exactly what he felt like, just then.

"It'll be fine."

OOOOOOOO

"Wait… what?"

"Don't panic," Peter said, quickly, looking at Tony and then over at Pepper. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

"There's a demon trying to find out where you are?" Tony said, his brow furrowed in concern – and a bit (a lot?) of disbelief. "How is that not as bad as it sounds?"

"He hasn't found out the information that he's looking for."

"You mean no one's told him where to find you."

"Right. And they might never," he added. Peter hadn't gone back to sleep. Instead, he'd stayed up trying to come up with the most painless way to let Tony know what he'd learned. "The Collector is the only one – aside from the Guardians – who even has any idea how to find me, and he said that he wasn't going to say anything."

There was definitely a twitch happening above Tony's right eye, now. He glanced at Pepper, who was quietly watching – and looking a bit worried – and then back at Peter.

"You're grounded."

"What? Why?" Peter was startled by the change of subject. "Because a demon is looking for me?"

"Because you went to this Collector guy's place, again."

"No. I didn't project, this time," Peter said, quickly – and a little defensively. "I just was there. In a dream. I don't have any control over what I'm dreaming about… Alec says it was just the mind stone connecting us."

Stark didn't look convinced – but he did hesitate, as if he hadn't actually considered that.

"So we need to find out if Stephen and Wong know who this Doormat is."

Alec snickered in Peter's head, but the boy didn't think there was anything to be amused about. He liked having his phone, and didn't want to lose it, again.

"He's just reacting," Alec assured Peter. "Let him get over the worry, and talk to Stephen, and he'll see that you didn't do anything."

"That's what Alec suggested, last night," Peter said. "He thinks that Wong or Stephen might recognize the name."

"If they don't, they might be able to find it in their library," Pepper added.

Tony nodded. He looked at his watch, and then at Pepper.

"What do you have going on, today?"

"Nothing," she replied, looking at Peter before turning back to him. "We're going to wait around here until Stephen weighs in on this."

Which meant that they weren't going into the tower, right away. It was clear that Tony approved. Whether because he understood that she wanted to be around to hear everything first-hand, or if he just wanted Peter close by – just in case – it didn't matter, really.

"I'll call him after we're done eating, and see if he's free to come talk."

"And Wong."

"And Wong," Tony agreed.

"So… I'm not grounded?" Peter asked.

His father frowned.

"I haven't decided, yet."

Ugh.