Ned was sitting at the usual table with Peter and the oddest assortment of people that he could ever have imagined meeting (outside of a Star Wars cantina video) when Tony walked into the lounge. The young man watched, uncertainly, as Stark walked to the bar, first, and poured himself a cup of coffee, and then walked over to the table.

It was one thing to tell Peter that his mom had sent him to check on his friend. It was another to face down Tony Stark, however – especially without an invitation and knowing that something was up – or there definitely would have been. Sitting between Drax and Peter and across from Mantis and Groot, Ned had to admit that it was probably worth whatever reprimand he was going to get.

"Hey, Tony…" he said, putting on his best innocent expression.

The billionaire wasn't fooled for a minute, of course. He smiled at the attempt, though.

"Ned. How are you doing?"

"Oh." He was a little surprised by the casual tone – and lack of annoyed expression. "I'm good. Thanks. I was, you know, just checking on Peter. Since I hadn't seen him in a while."

"Yeah? How's your mom?"

"Good."

Tony smiled, knowing that Ned was expecting to get reamed, but unable to be angry with the guy for being a friend and wanting to make sure Peter was alright. They should have allowed Peter a chance to explain – a little – why they were keeping their son out of school and at the compound. It might have kept this play from happening.

"I see you met some of our guests."

Ned smiled, too; relieved. Tony didn't seem too annoyed.

"Yeah. It's pretty incredible."

"True." Tony looked at Peter. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Pepper?"

"She's fine. She'll be here in a minute."

"That was amazing."

"Was she in the blue and silver suit?" Ned asked. There were a million things that he wanted to know, of course – especially when he was surrounded by freaking aliens – but Pepper meant a lot to him. No one had actually said it, but he was intelligent, after all, and it seemed like an Avenger kind of thing that Tony might do; making a suit for his wife. "Is it new? Did you make it for her for her birthday? She didn't want a party, but she's okay with-"

"Yeah, Ned, she was in the suit, giving it a try."

"It's called Rescue," Peter said, excited that Tony was sharing the information with Ned and didn't seem to be too annoyed by Ned's presence. "Tony's been building it for almost a week now, and it just got finished. That was the first trial."

Ned's eyes grew excited and he looked at Tony.

"She flew on her first try?"

Tony was smiling, now, with pride.

"Yes. She did. Gotta fly before you learn to walk, right?"

Ned smiled at that.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't how it works."

"It worked for her," Tony pointed out.

That made Peter grin, because he liked seeing Tony so proud of Pepper.

"Yeah, it did."

His father looked at him.

"What does Ned know?"

Meaning, Peter decided, correctly, Tony wanted to know what he'd told his friend.

"Nothing. I just introduced him to these guys and told him about Peter and Gamora."

"And Rocket," Ned added. "But I'm waiting to see that one before I believe it."

"He is real," Mantis confirmed.

"And believable," Drax added. "He has no reason to lie."

Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and turned his attention to Ned.

"What's going on is pretty hush hush," he said, seriously. "So even though I know you can keep a secret, it's not one that I'm willing to allow you in on. Got it?"

"I wouldn't tell anyone," Ned assured Tony.

"I know, Ned. But it's dangerous for you to know."

"Flash said his dad told his mom that you guys put some kind of shield around the compound – and some of the surrounding grounds."

"He shouldn't be telling anyone anything," Tony said, frowning. He made a mental note to talk to Grady about keeping the reservists from telling their families what they were seeing. "But, yes, that's something you can know about. We have a new shield."

"To keep someone out?" Ned asked. "Or to keep someone in?"

"That's part of the secret that you can't be told."

"Aww." Ned looked at the aliens around the table, and decided not to press his luck. "I can't tell MJ about them?"

"I am groot?"

Tony looked at Peter, who blushed.

"She's a friend."

"His girlfriend," Ned added, amused at the way his friend was blushing.

"Kind of," Peter confirmed, which made Groot smile.

"In answer to your question," Tony replied. "No. Not MJ, not your mother. No one. Understood?"

He was using what Peter privately thought of as his Authority Voice, and his expression was serious enough to back of the tone of voice. Ned nodded.

"Yeah. I won't tell."

So much for Facebook and taking photos of them.

"You can tell MJ – and your mother – that you saw Peter and that he's healthy and whole, but for reasons that we didn't tell you, he won't be coming to school for a little while."

Ned looked at Peter.

"You didn't get Mono, did you?"

"What? No."

"We just need to keep him close," Tony told Peter's friend. "If you would be willing to bring in classwork, though, once a week, until we're through this, that would be appreciated."

And Peter would have a chance to see his friend, sometime. Not as often as any of them would like, but it would be better than nothing.

"Yeah. Of course."

Tony looked at Peter.

"I know Pepper has already called the school to let them know that you're not going to be there right away. We'll have her set it up with the teachers that you can get some classwork, and maybe a copy of the syllabus so you won't be too far off from what the other kids are learning. When we get you back in class, we don't want you behind."

Peter nodded, but then turned toward the entrance, where a large group of people were joining them, almost all of them from the roof of the compound. Including Shuri, T'Challa, Peter Quill, Gamora and Rocket, as well as Stephen, Natasha and Clint. The military people, Fury and Steve weren't present, which made Peter think they were still working on the rail guns placements.

Ned grinned when he saw Shuri and the others that he knew, but his smile froze when he saw Rocket, who was talking to Clint, just then.

"Holy sh- moley…"

Natasha wasn't the only one to smile at that. She slid her hand along Peter's shoulder as she walked behind him to find a chair, joined by Strange.

"Hey, Ned."

"Hi, Natasha." Ned had a crush on the assassin and they all knew it, so it would take something incredible to make him not devote all of his attention to her. A walking, talking racoon wearing clothes definitely qualified. "That's Rocket?"

"No," Rocket said, sarcastically. "I'm the other talking racoon that happens to be a demolitions expert. Ricardo."

Ned blushed, but grinned.

"Awesome."

Shuri smiled, too, walking over to greet Ned with a hug when he stood up to receive it.

"It is good to see you, Ned. How are you?"

"Great. You're working on the new shield?" he guessed.

"I am. I finished it, yesterday. I am now assisting – in a minor capacity – with rail gun placements on the roof of the compound."

"Rail guns?" Ned echoed, looking at Tony – who shook his head with a sigh, and turned to Quill.

"Didn't you want to ask Peter something?"

Star Lord smiled, and nodded.

"Can you take me back to that gas station? I'm out of junk food."

"And you want another ride in his car," Gamora added, rolling her eyes.

It was all she'd heard of, to the point that she'd gone and checked out the vehicle, carefully, just to make sure that it didn't have any special properties. As far as she'd been able to discern, it was shiny and red, but wasn't anything that special.

"And I want another ride in your car," Quill admitted. "Your dad already said it was alright."

"He did?" Peter asked, looking at Tony, somewhat surprised.

"Not me alone," Tony replied. "Pepper agreed. Peter hasn't had a lot of chance to see the things that he's missed out on since he was gone, Shuri deserves a chance to have a ride – if nothing more than to thank her for all the hard work that she's done to help us out, here, and Ned can go along so he can assure himself that you're alive and well and not being held against your will."

Although he sort of was.

Shuri smiled, looking at her brother.

"May I?"

T'Challa glanced at Tony and nodded.

"Yes."

"Shotgun!" Ned said, quickly.

Quill shook his head, giving Ned a wry look.

"The ladies always get the front seat, kid. Didn't your mother teach you that?"

Ned grumbled, making Shuri smile and preen – pleased. She was still new to the tradition of calling for the front seat, and always forgot to do so.

"Thank you."

"You can't leave until Pepper comes," Tony told all of them. "She wanted to talk to Peter, first."

"I'm here," came the voice from right behind him, and Pepper walked up to the table with Wanda and Vision both with her. She smiled at Ned as she brushed Tony's shoulder before taking the seat beside him. "Tell me that you have a legitimate reason for being here…"

"I brought Peter some homework."

Pepper shook her head, looking at Tony.

"You didn't tell him anything?"

"Nope."

"Good." She turned her attention to Peter. "Did you see me flying?"

"You looked amazing," he told her, sincerely. "Made me want to be able to fly, too."

"We could make an adjustment to your suit," Shuri told him.

"No." This was Tony – and Pepper had opened her mouth to say the same thing, at the same time. "His feet are far enough off the ground when he does his own thing. I'd like to keep it that way."

Peter shrugged and Shuri smiled.

"You're going to take Peter to the gas station?" Pepper asked her son.

"Yes. Want anything?"

"Bring me back some gummy bears, will you? Chocolate covered ones, if they still have them."

Peter nodded, and stood up, looking at the others.

"Any other requests?"

"Some m&m's."

"Licorice – but the black stuff, not the red."

"Twinkies."

"I am groot."

"A slurpee."

"Corndogs."

Peter wasn't the only one to smile and he shook his head.

"Let me get something to write with."