"They are not going to get him back where he belongs."

"Of course they are. I've given them all the tools they need."

"I've seen what happens. He ends up in the right reality, but in the wrong time, and cannot handle being alone."

"The boy can control the stone. He will make-"

"Taneleer's message was too cryptic. The boy already knows that he can control the stones. He doesn't know what to do with them, however, and even the power of Stephen Strange isn't going to be enough to get his alternate to the correct place and time."

"Then you take care of it, Uatu."

"I Watch, only. You allowed the wish – and the consequences that come with it. You need to explain to the boy how to get his alternate back where he belongs. And how to do it without hurting either of them, since that would compromise the wish."

The great being scowled with annoyance.

"He deserved the wish."

"I wasn't arguing with you. Of course he did. But with the wish comes the responsibility of making sure it is fulfilled."

Ugh.

"I have other things to take care of."

"You sound like Stark," the Watcher pointed out, and even a powerful, cosmic being could be amused – although taunting one that was the most powerful of all wasn't – necessarily – a bright idea. "Just take care of it. His aunt's concerns are distressing her and those who are waiting for him and that makes me uncomfortable."

"The promise doesn't cover them."

"They make the boy happy, and Tony Stark knows him, now. The wish encompasses them, as well. And every alternative, possibly."

Another scowl, but the Watcher didn't back down. He, too, was incredibly powerful. But he was held in check by restraints placed on him and his ilk billions of years prior.

"I'll take care of it."

"And soon."

"Yes. But I'm not going to do it for them. They need to be the ones who do it – otherwise they will think everything can be done, and that would be dangerous. For them."

"Agreed." A slight pause. "Be gentle with the boy," the Watcher reminded him. "He has sensitivity to powers, despite the protections within him."

"I'm not going to hurt him. I created him."

"I'm just saying…"

"Now who sounds like Stark?"

"Go find something to Watch."

Adroitly, the Watcher vanished, and the One Above All took an instant to decide how best to approach the boy without damaging him, physically or mentally. Then he acted.

OOOOOOOOO

"Are you alright?"

Peter nodded, smiling at Pepper who was settling into her desk. He'd dropped his backpack at his own and was now sitting at his own display.

"Yeah. I was just debating what I want to do, first."

"What are the choices?"

A math test, a module of physics phrases, or I have to bake a cake."

"What?"

He smiled.

"I started a home economics section. I have to be able to do things around the house. Sewing, baking, and other basic life skills."

"You burnt down a cooking school," she reminded him.

"I had help."

"We're not going to chance the baking thing here at the tower. There are too many volatile chemicals on the R&D floors to evacuate everything if it all goes up in flames."

"I'll do the math test."

Pepper smiled, now, amused that she'd had a chance to tease him. She loved it when he looked so cheerful.

"Good idea. We'll bake the cake this evening."

"Because the compound is expendable?"

"Something like that." Sher smile widened as she smirked. "Don't tell Tony. Or Nick."

"Okay."

He turned his attention to his schoolwork. Not so much because he was eager to start doing it, but because he knew that she had a busy day planned and that she would push all of it back to chat with him. The boy appreciated it, but he didn't want her day to be rushed because of a slow start just because of him.

She did enough for him, already, as far as he was concerned.

Before he could pull up the math test, though, his stomach gave a lurch that was almost painful but was almost enough to knock him out of his chair. He started to his feet, thinking that something terrible was going to happen and he needed to protect Pepper.

"No need."

Peter froze – or was frozen – and suddenly everything around him was bathed in a cool blue light. The luxurious office that he and Pepper were in faded away. Not quickly, though. It eased slowly from him being able to see everything around him to there being nothing but blue, and he looked around, uncertainly, trying to attach a face to the voice that had spoken up.

"What…?"

"Don't panic," Alec said, quickly – but Peter heard a bit of an edge in the ancient sorcerer's tone that told him he had no idea what was going on, either.

"He's right," that same voice said. "Do not panic. I am not here to injure you."

The blue shimmered, slightly, in front of him, and Peter took a step back when there was suddenly a person standing in front of them. Taller than Peter, but not by much, he was bald and pale – and naked (without any genitals, though, so it wasn't gross) – and his eyes were blacker than any black that Peter had ever seen. The being exuded power that made Peter's body hair stand up and his skin tingle, but it didn't hurt.

"What's going on?" Peter asked. "Who are you?"

"I don't have a name," was the reply. "I was here before anyone else, and there was no need for names."

"You're God?"

The being smiled, slightly, but shook his head.

"Not as you think of the term. I didn't create the universe; I only regulate it and the life within. But I'm not here to teach you the secrets of the universe and the time we have is – by necessity – short, since I've halted the progression of time, and it isn't something to take lightly. Not even for me."

"Time stopped?"

"Yes."

"Here?"

"Everywhere."

"New York?"

If the being had irises, Peter might have seen those eyes roll.

"Everywhere, Peter Parker. The entire universe has stopped so we can have this conversation."

"Wow. You can do that?"

"And more. If I had only stopped you, then there would be a shift in the time peripherals. Same if I had simply stopped the earth. So to avoid later issues, it was easier to stop the universe."

"Ask him what he needs," Alec suggested to Peter. "If time is short, he doesn't need you asking a bunch of questions and slowing things up."

"I am here to tell you what you need to do to get your alternate self back to the reality that he belongs in – and at the proper location on the time stream."

"You can hear Alec?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

"What does he need to do?" the ancient sorcerer asked, directly, taking the information that he could be heard in stride. If the being was powerful enough to stop the universe in its tracks, it could certainly listen in on conversations between Peter and Alec. "Does he need to retrieve the reality stone from the Collector?"

"No."

"But Taneleer mentioned it," Peter said. "He said that he was supposed to remind me that-"

"That you control the stones, yes, and by default the realities. But this isn't so difficult that you need to possess it, directly. Stephen Strange and Wong will create a spell, which will connect to the artifact. Then your alternate self will touch it. When he touches it, it will be up to you to ensure that the destination is firmly in your mind, so the reality stone can make sure he returns to the correct location."

"How do I do that?"

"You simply concentrate."

The boy hesitated.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"I'm not very good at concentrating… What if I mess it up?"

"That would not be advisable." Peter felt a silent exchange happening between the being and Alec, and then there was a nod. "You understand?"

"I don't-"

"He's asking me," Alec interrupted. "And yes. I've got it."

"That is fortunate." The being looked at Peter. "You must not tell anyone about this exchange."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to be bothered by them asking questions about me that you don't know the answer to – and I don't want you trying to get my attention so you can ask me those same questions."

Which made it sound to Peter like he just wanted to be left alone.

"Yes."

"Oh." He shrugged. "I guess no one would believe me, anyway."

"They would," the being told him. "That's why I don't want you to mention it."

"Alright. Thank you, though. For helping me, I mean. And Pete."

"Yes. Good luck, Peter Parker."

"Are we going to meet, again, someday?" he asked, suddenly smiling. The being gave him a look that made him falter. "I mean… that's how they do it in the movies, right? 'Until we meet again', that kind of thing?"

A slight pause, and a shake of the head.

"We will not meet again, most likely."

There was a muffled noise, and then the blue faded into the regular colors that made up Pepper's office and as it did the being vanished, as well. He stared at the place, now empty, wondering if he'd just imagined it, or something."

"Peter?"

He started, and turned toward Pepper. She was looking at him, curiously.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I was just deciding what I wanted to do, first."

"Do the math test," she suggested. "I'll make sure we have what you need to make a cake, tonight."

He nodded.

"Okay."