"Who decides that?" Peter asked, curiously – and uncertainly. He didn't feel all that worthy of many of the amazing and wonderful things that had happened to him. "You?"

"I'm the one granting the wish," the thing pointed out.

Good point.

"Do I have to do anything?"

"No." He felt himself shoved, just a little, and then felt Alec respond to that mental connection, as if throwing out a challenge of his own to the relic. There was a moment of surprise, and then amazement. "You do seem to have some talents, don't you?"

"I didn't have anything to do with most of them."

Since many of them were attached to his Spiderman abilities, and that had been as freak an accident as one could ever have come up with, Peter couldn't take credit for those abilities. But he was smart, and that was his to call his own.

"You really think it was an accident that that spider happened to be in the right place at the right time?"

"What?"

"The universe knew it was going to need you, and that it was going to need you to be talented, and enhanced," came the reply. "So it set the events in motion that would put you in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to support you."

"I-"

"Is he worthy, or not?" Alec interrupted. "We don't have all day."

"Of course we do," the sphere told the ancient sorcerer, amused. "Time has stopped – and will stay paused while I decide my next step."

Peter started to say something, but Alec was ahead of him – and it appeared that the long dead magic user hadn't known that the sphere was as conscious as it seemed to be.

"Your next step is to grant Peter his wish," he told the crystal. "If you really can, of course."

An amused snort and Peter felt it as well as heard it. It was a good thing he was accustomed to having conversations going on inside his head, between the cloak, and the power stones, and Alec, of course, he didn't quite freak out as much as he might have if it was all new to him.

"Of course I can."

"If I'm worthy," Peter said, wanting to ask more about what it had meant by the universe starting everything.

The universe wasn't a person, was it, that it could make decisions, and actions?

"You're worthy," the sphere conceded – and maybe it sounded grudgingly impressed. "You saved half the universe, after all, and maybe more than that since there would definitely have been others lost in the aftermath of Thanos' snap. Creating the light like you did pretty much puts the capper on that question – even if I wanted to quibble."

"The stones made the light."

"The stones made what you wanted them to make. You wanted your friends to be healed, and they knew that. You wanted Natasha to be whole, in a way that she never had been, and they knew that, too. The rest was just an extension of it. They're the most powerful force in the universe, for the most part, but they can go a little overboard if you give them free reign, like you did."

"It's a good thing, though," Alec said. "The light has healed everything it touches."

"Not everything," the sphere disagreed – and Peter knew it was right. "It took out Thanos' army, and all who followed his crazy notions. And it continues through space even as we speak, taking out any current – or future – threat to the people Peter loves."

"How does it know who's a threat?" Peter asked, curiously. "People out in space don't even know who I am. Or where earth is. If-"

"The stones worked together," the crystal reminded him. "The space stone, the time stone… they all know what will happen, and where, and if events will pose a threat to your people." There was a lot of respect in the thing's tone. Maybe even some awe. "I expect some may escape, simply by avoiding the light if they can, but your world is going to be safe for a very long time. Maybe for as long as it revolves around your sun."

"Wow."

"Make your wish, Peter Parker. I have other things to do."

"Like what?" Alec asked, torn between amusement and maybe a little awe of his own. "Sit around on a shelf in a collection until the next super kid comes along who needs a wish granted?"

"I really could wish for anything?" Peter asked, a little overwhelmed at the thought.

"Not more wishes," the sphere corrected. "But other than that, yes. You want to live forever? Want to be able to fly? Have all the riches and power of your little blue world? I can grant it."

"I don't want any of that."

"He needs to have his sterility corrected without losing his abilities," Alec told the entity in the crystal. "Fix that."

"Is that your wish?" it asked Peter.

"No."

"Peter…"

"Ready?" the boy asked.

"Of course."

He closed his eyes, uncertain if it was required, or not, but you always closed your eyes before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, right? His hand tightened, carefully, around the fragile-seeming sphere he was holding.

"I want Tony to be happy."

"He's already happy," Alec pointed out, and if he had eyes – or ever had had eyes – he'd have rolled them. "Make a different wish."

"Excellent choice," the crystal said, approvingly. It flared in Peter's hand, and there was a bright spark of light. Peter felt a jolt go through him, and maybe through the others, he wasn't sure, and then the light dimmed to nothing more that the same very faint glow that the crystal gave off, normally. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for," the thing told him – and Peter felt Alec give a jolt of surprise. "Well done."

The extra presence in his mind vanished with the light in his hand, and Peter opened his eyes, and looked around at the others – who were all watching him.

"Are you alright?" Tony asked his son, wondering how he'd managed to look so pale in only time it took for a breath.

Peter smiled, feeling happy, himself, even though the wish hadn't been for him.

"I'm good. You?"

"Of course."

Tony frowned, and stepped up, but the Collector moved even faster, closing the single step needed to make sure Peter noticed him.

"I'll take my bauble back," he said, holding his hand out, expectantly.

"Of course."

Peter gave it over and Pepper stepped forward, as well.

"Did it work?" she asked. "Did you make the wish?"

"I don't know…" Peter admitted.

"Are you tired?" Tony asked, putting his hand under the boy's arm to support him – just in case. "Any magic-induced exhaustion?"

Peter shook his head.

"I'm a little bit dazed, I guess. But, no, I think I'm alright. I don't feel tired, or anything." He looked at the Collector. "Thank you."

The Elder being shrugged. He hadn't cared for the idea of coming there, had he? But the courtesy was appreciated.

"You're welcome."

"But were you worthy?" Natasha asked with a smile.

"He lifted Thor's hammer, right?" Steve said. "Of course, he's worthy."

"One way to find out," Tony pointed out. He guided Peter back to the bed, worried that he was going to collapse, or something. "But I think it can wait."

No surprise to any of them that he was far more concerned that his son was healthy, than that he was worthy. Tony already knew Peter was amazing, after all.

"Are the any side effects to this wishing rock?" Pepper asked, also looking more worried than anything. "Is he-"

"He's fine," the Collector said.

"Stephen?"

The sorcerer supreme nodded, stepping forward.

"I'll check him out, Tony."

"I feel good," Peter assured them all. He did sit down, though, and he smiled. "I'm sorry you all got woken up, though."

Especially T'Challa. It must have been disappointing to be sent by your ancestors to see something that was way too anticlimactic.

"I was already awake," the young king told him. "But Okoye is not happy that I told her to remain outside, so I am going back to my camp – and my bed. I will see you all in the morning, and then you can explain what happened."

"I'm leaving, too," the Collector said. He looked at Natasha, though, raising an eyebrow with a challenge. "Unless you want to make a wish, also?"

The assassin smirked.

"I'll pass."

The Elder being tucked his sphere back into a pouch and then pulled out a different device. A moment later he was gone.

"Well that was interesting…" Wong said.

"Yes." Tony looked at Peter, relieved that he wasn't pale, at all, now, and was actually looking at ease. "You're okay? You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Then we're going back to bed. If you need us, though…"

"I'll call you." Peter looked at Natasha, well aware that she was probably going to decide to stay, and maybe sleep with him – just to make sure. "I'm good."

"Maybe I'll stick around…"

"You're not going to convince her to leave, you know," Alec said, amused.

Peter agreed.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."