A/N: Sorry about the wait! Not only did I have appointments today, and a head cold, but I'm trying to be a little more careful with this story because it really is going to be epic (for me) and I don't want to screw it up, so I've been thinking through things as I write, trying to make sure of what and where I'm going, next, with it.

OOOOOOO

"What can we do to help?" Quill asked Tony as the group started to break up.

"For the moment? You can tell Natasha what that stone does."

Gamora and Quill both nodded their agreement to that – as did Romanoff, who was talking to Stephen. The sorcerers were going to leave, heading back to the sanctum to start apprising the other magicians in the other sanctums what was going on. Steve was already heading for the door with Clint, and Tony was proud of his people, because they weren't hiding from the threat that they were suddenly facing.

"I pulled the footage we recorded on Xandar," Rocket told him. "It's the same stone, but with someone else using it. That shouldn't make a difference, though, right?" he asked Gamora.

"I hope not," she said, sincerely. "The damage inflicted by Ronan was terrifying – and he isn't as powerful as my father."

"It shouldn't make a difference who wields the stone," Wong told them. "The power doesn't come from the person holding it – only the ability to focus that power and direct it."

Tony stood up, looking at the others.

"I'm going to go make a few calls." They all assumed that the first one was going to be to T'Challa. "Dinner in a few hours."

"I'm going to go get in touch with Nick," Steve said, while Clint moved to sit closer to Natasha, clearly wanting to see what the stone that Thanos might already possess was capable of doing. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Tony nodded, looking at Peter, his hand still holding Pepper's.

"Come keep us company…"

The boy nodded and the three of them left the lounge, with Pepper in the middle, since Tony hadn't released her hand, knowing that she was the one who needed bolstering, just then. She put an arm around Peter, though, as they walked.

"We're not really going to do what that piece of paper says, are we?" she asked Tony as they headed down the corridor toward their quarters.

"Which part?"

"We're going to hide Peter, right?"

"No," Peter answered, before Tony could say anything. "I can't hide from this, mom."

"This Thanos is crazy," Pepper said. "He wants to kill half the universe, if what they're saying is really true." And it was obvious that she believed it. "You're in danger."

"Everyone is," Peter told her. "Not just me. You, and Shuri, Ned, MJ… everyone. You can't expect me to hide under my bed or something and hope that the rest of the world stops him."

"That's exactly what I expe-"

"Pep," Tony interrupted. "This isn't a conversation for the hallway."

Since they were getting some looks as they went by the few people in the corridors, she scowled and closed her mouth, agreeing, but the silence was tense, and the walk was uncomfortable.

"You're going to have to come up with a better argument than that," Alec told him. "She's terrified."

"And Tony?"

"He's worried, but he understands that he can't focus only on your safety – he has Pepper to worry about, as well, and – like you – he doesn't trust the universe to leave her safe and sound if he stands by and watches from the sidelines."

"Yeah."

"Not to mention the rest of the world," Alec added. "You didn't miss how he reminded the others just how close we are to the city and all the innocent people there."

"No, I caught that, too."

Sure enough, Pepper let go of Peter and Tony both the moment they walked through the door of their quarters.

"I want you to send Peter to Wakanda," she told her husband.

"That isn't going to happen," Peter said, before Tony even had a chance to open his mouth. "I'm not going to put Shuri and T'Challa in danger because Thanos is after me."

"This isn't your decision, Peter," Pepper snapped. "You're too young to decide what-"

"Pepper," Tony interrupted. "Peter's right. We can't endanger the Wakandans like that. It's not right. Besides; we're going to have a shield here that's going to be as solid – if not more – than theirs."

"He's our responsibility, Tony," she reminded him. "We have to keep him safe."

"We're going to," he assured her. "I meant what I said; if he comes after Peter, he's going to run into a shitstorm of epic proportions. Every version of the suit that I've ever made is fully capable of being automated, still, and I'm going to get together with Shuri to design a shield around the entire area. Thanos will have to get through me to get to Peter, and you know it."

"Still…"

"Not to mention Stephen and Wong – and whatever other magicians can be brought to bear – as well as Thor, Steve and the others."

She didn't look convinced, really, and – if anything – she looked more worried. The list was an impressive one, she knew, but she didn't know what the unseen army was capable of – and she'd seen what had happened in New York.

"She's just realized that Tony isn't going to hide, either," Alec told him. "But she's more accustomed to being afraid for him than she is for you. You've kindled that maternal instinct and it's a powerful force."

"What do I do?"

"Remind her that you're not going to do anything stupid. It's not going to help, but it'll keep her from trying to drive you to Ohio in the middle of the night."

Peter nodded; he hadn't even thought of that concern, but it was a real possibility, he knew.

"It's going to be fine, mom," Peter told her, sincerely, taking up the list. "Shuri has some amazing tech in Wakanda that you haven't even seen, yet. It's not all shields, either. There are some serious repulser guns – like on Tony's suit, only bigger. Capable of knocking the flying turtle things out of the sky if they come, and anything else he might bring."

Pepper looked at him, and then at Tony, who nodded.

"He's right. If the Wakandans had been in New York when the Chitari came, the battle would have been over a lot sooner and with less destruction. Shuri told me that she's watched the videos from it and created an arsenal specifically with the creatures that she'd seen in mind – just in case they returned. Her intention was the protection of Wakanda, but the same technology can be brought to bear here."

"And we have Carol," Peter added. "She's a good compliment to the Ironman suit, really."

Which might help ease her concerns about Tony, Peter hoped, because if Carol and Tony were back to back, they should be able to overcome anything going at them.

"Still…"

"Watch what happens, honey," Tony told her, softly. "It's going to be alright. I promise."

With both of them turning on her; both so confident and so certain, she had to back down, but she didn't have to like it.

"He doesn't leave the compound," she told Tony. "Ever."

"I have school," Peter reminded her, indignant. "And-"

"No." This time it was Tony who interrupted him. His father's expression was resolute. "She's right. You're the key to everything, according to this prophesy – and you're everything to me and your mom. You don't leave the protections of the compound unless we agree – and school's out for the near future."

"But-"

"Do you really want Thanos to come looking for you at school?" he asked, pointedly. "Because he might, and from what Gamora and the others are saying, it doesn't sound like he'd even hesitate to level the school and all the kids in it – including Ned and MJ – to try and find you. Would you risk that?"

Peter recoiled at the thought of something like that happening, and he knew that Tony didn't like being so blunt with him, but that he didn't have time to be gentle.

"No. Of course not."

"We'll have your schoolwork uploaded into Karen's systems so you don't get behind," Tony assured him.

"Just agree," Alec told him. "There's no other choice, really. He's right."

Now it was Peter who was being faced down by all of them, and it was Peter who had to nod his agreement.

"Yeah. Okay."

"We might be overestimating this guy," Tony told him. "Maybe he'll run into something that will kill him before he even gets an idea of where you are. Who knows? Maybe the stone will turn on him and kill him, if we get lucky."

"You don't think so, though," Pepper said.

"No. Which is why we're going to do everything that we can to be ready for him – just in case."