"Hello, Peter my love."

He smiled as he always did. Who wouldn't like to be reminded that they were dating a beautiful princess, after all?

"Hi, Shuri."

She was better at calling him by endearments than he was calling her any, but luckily she understood and never seemed to mind.

"Why are you up so late?"

She, of course, was more than capable of doing the math in her mind so she knew what time it was at his home as readily as she knew what time it was in Africa.

"Just watching everyone play cards and winding down." He was settled on his bed, wearing the t-shirt and sweats that he would sleep in, and Nutmeg was on his belly, purring himself to sleep. "I was thinking about you, and thought I'd call and see how you were and what you were doing."

Which made Shuri smile, and that made Peter happy.

"I am getting ready to go run a practical test on the left quadrant shield," she told him. "But I am in no hurry."

"Is it fluctuating?"

"No. It is just something I do every now and then – just to make sure there are no issues." She grinned. "We wouldn't want someone sneaking into Wakanda and stealing your zebra, now would we?"

"No." He ran his fingers along Nutmeg's back, and the purrs grew louder, still. "Hey… can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"If you didn't know me, but I knew who you were and wanted to get your attention, how would you suggest I went about it? Hypothetically."

"I don't know you?"

"Right. How would I get your attention?"

"You could show up at the shield with Tony. That would do it."

Peter shook his head, grinning.

"Say I didn't know Tony, either. I'm still Spiderman – and it isn't a secret, so everyone knows – maybe even you? What would I need to do to get you to want to at least meet me? Not to be my girlfriend," he added. "But because we should know each other."

Shuri shrugged, taking his question seriously since he didn't seem to be teasing her.

"I am uncertain. It is not like someone who doesn't know me can just walk up and introduce themselves, after all."

"And you don't leave Wakanda very often."

"I would never leave if my brother and mother had their way." She smiled. "Speaking of which, we will be ready Friday morning."

"Good. I'll make sure that we are, too."

"If Spiderman were known to the world, he might be known to me," Shuri told him. "I suppose if he had some kind of YouTube video and mentioned wanting to meet me, it would not be impossible that I would be curious enough to actually demand T'Challa invite you to come for a visit."

"Would he let him?"

"He allows you," she pointed out. "And you are him."

"True."

"Is this for a school assignment?" she asked, curiously. "Some kind of hypothetical alternate reality scenario?"

"Something like that." He had actually decided that if Tony and Stephen were going to go looking for the figurine that they needed to use to get Pete back where he belonged, then he'd better start trying to help him out as much as he could when he got back to his own reality. And he wasn't the only one who thought that Spiderman meeting Shuri would be a good way to unite the Wakandans with the rest of the world – and hopefully the Avengers, as well. "We were just curious."

"And if I did not already know you," she countered. "But I wanted to meet Spiderman. How would I go about getting your attention?"

"You could post on my social media and I would come, immediately."

"What if you did not have social media?"

"Then you could call me and tell me who you are. I'd come."

"You seem so certain."

"Because I'm curious and you're exotic."

"And because you are a teen-aged boy…"

He didn't deny it.

"Exactly."

She rolled her eyes, cheerfully.

"Neanderthal."

OOOOOOOOOO

"You're taking Stark?"

Stephen nodded.

"Unless you can come up with a good argument not to."

"What if something happens and you get attacked, or something?" Wong asked. "His AI won't work away from the satellites that feed it, right?"

"Correct," Strange acknowledged. "But Tony's suit doesn't depend on the AI. It simply makes everything automated. He still controls all of the systems. If we needed his firepower, it would be available."

"And if he needed to get home, quickly, because something happened to you?"

"That's where the rebound spell comes in."

"You've never actually used it, though."

"I don't anticipate needing to use it, this time, either," Stephen said, shrugging. "It's simply in the case of an emergency. If I'm not available for some reason to bring us home. The spell gets triggered, and he ends up here. Then he will be in a position to get you alerted so you can come find me."

"Following the same spell."

The sorcerer supreme shrugged.

"It's called a rebound spell for a reason." He settled at the table across from his friend. "I don't see any real concern about bringing him, really," he said. "The place isn't completely safe, but there weren't any magical enchantments as far as I felt, and the only creature that seemed to pose a danger was the fog one – and it vanished as soon as it seemed to realize I wasn't dead already. Besides, Tony's scanners will be useful if your spell fails for some reason – or just plain doesn't work."

It was something that Strange had discussed with Tony over cards, only hours earlier.

"My spell will work."

"It'll be nice to have the failsafe."

Wong had to shrug at that.

"True." He pushed a scroll over to the other man. "This is the spell. Trigger it when you're there, and the figurine should glow a slightly green color."

"There are a lot of things there," Strange said, reaching for the scroll. "That would help."

"Can Stark use the sensors in his suit without his AI?"

"They're not satellite based," Stephen answered. "I asked him that, as well. He said it wouldn't be an issue."

"Then his suit could track the green color if you can't find it, right away."

"As long ago as this relic was supposedly swallowed, I imagine it won't be right next to where I landed near the marble."

"And you're sure you can find it, again?"

"Shouldn't be a problem."

He wasn't sorcerer supreme for nothing, after all.

"And what did Pepper say when he volunteered?"

Wong was very impressed with Pepper and made no attempt to hide it.

"She didn't argue."

Of course, Stephen was sure that they were having some kind of conversation – in private – about him offering to go on what might turn out to be a dangerous mission.

Wong's expression made it clear that he thought the same thing.

"How about Peter?" he asked. "Or the other one… Pete?"

"Pete volunteered. Tony kept Peter from even opening his mouth or raising his hand."

"Peter's ability to feel magic would be helpful."

"But his innate curiosity would certainly get him into trouble. You wouldn't believe this collection. It was almost more than I could resist."

"You'll record it, somehow?" Wong asked.

He was curious, too – of course.

"I'll have Tony record it, properly," Stephen promised him. "You don't mind guarding the sanctum?"

"No. Of course not. When do you go?"

"Early morning," Strange said, standing up. "With luck, that will give us time to get the thing back here so we can try to figure out how to use it to get Pete home."

"We could ask Peter to ask the mind stone…"

"I intend to do just that – as long as he doesn't touch the figurine while he's doing it."

"Good call."

"I'm off to bed," the sorcerer supreme told him. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Sleep well."

Wong watched him leave the library, and looked at the cloak, which hadn't joined Strange.

"Don't be trying to smuggle anything back here," Wong told it.

The ancient relic didn't bother to reply – even silently. Instead, it floated off, clearly above being told what to by a mere mortal.

Even a talented one like Wong.