"You're seriously not going to tell me what's going on?"
Peter shook his head, looking at Shuri and Quill, who were at the slurpee machine, debating what flavor was the best. Quill solved it by mixing all of them together into the same cup, while Shuri pretended to be sick as he did so. He turned back to Ned, who had cornered him in the potato chip aisle to whisper to him.
"I can't, Ned."
"It's that scary?"
His friend could read him like no one else – except maybe Natasha, of course. Ned had known him all his life, after all, and despite how close he was to Tony and Pepper, Ned knew him best.
"It's potentially that scary," Peter agreed. "But it might be nothing, at all."
"Then tell me a little bit – just so I don't freak out."
"I can't. You're too smart; you might figure it out."
"Is it aliens?" Ned asked, proving Peter correct almost immediately. "I mean, you have some aliens at the compound, and now-"
"Probably shouldn't be talking about this right here," Peter reminded his friend. It wasn't like they were in the safety of the secured compound, after all. "Not where anyone can hear."
And where there were security cameras to pick up the conversation. Ned looked around, and up at the closest camera, and nodded.
"Yeah. Sorry."
They went around the store, gathering a stockpile of junk food and bringing it to the counter to the waiting clerk – where Quill and Shuri joined them, loaded down with their own necessities and juggling slurpees.
"Jesus, Peter," the clerk said, grinning at just how much garbage the boy was buying. "Is the zombie apocalypse coming?"
Peter grinned, somewhat nervously. He'd been to the gas station so many times, by then, that he knew all of the people that worked there – most of them by name.
"I just have friends in from out of town," he said. "All of them told me they wanted something different."
"How is Natasha?"
She'd been there with Peter enough times that they all knew that he knew her – and (not surprisingly) all of the males – and one of the females – were more than a little interested in her daily activities.
"She's good. Ordered a corndog."
"That's on me, then," the clerk said with a broad wink. "Make sure you let her know I bought it for her, will you?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Ned frowned as the clerk bagged everything up and they headed out the door, with Shuri protectively between Peter and Star Lord until they reached the car.
"I would have bought Natasha's corndog."
"She already likes you," Peter told his friend. "Give Rich his chance."
Ned shrugged, good-naturedly, but he didn't have a chance to talk to Peter, again, privately, as they all loaded into the Pontiac and headed back to the compound, with Shuri sitting beside Peter, now, and shaking her head at Quill – who mentioned that he was thinking of taking up smoking, now that he was old enough to do so, and that maybe they should go back to the store so Peter could buy him a pack. Peter pointed out with a smile that he wasn't old enough to buy them for him, yet, so he'd have to wait – or get one of the adults to take him, later.
OOOOOOO
The lounge was full when they returned, and there was a short moment of confused chaos as the others picked through the pile of offerings to find whatever it was they had put on the list. Tony and Pepper watched, amused, as the Avengers then sat around in their small groups with the military liaisons and the Guardians, the King of Wakanda and one sorcerer supreme and talked about nothing more worrisome than plans for that evening, or training schedules.
Tony pulled Ned and Peter aside after about half an hour.
"I hate to send you home without feeding you a real meal, first, Ned," he said to the boy. "But that's what I'm going to do. I want you home and safe before dark – and I don't want you driving in the city when everyone is out and about getting dinner or going to the movies or something."
The billionaire didn't mention the fact that, technically, Ned wasn't supposed to be driving in the city at all.
"Yeah. It's okay," the younger boy said. "Can I come back, soon?"
"Call, first, next time, okay?"
Ned nodded, and separated to go say goodbye to the others, while Tony and Peter watched, his father resting a hand, lightly, on Peter's shoulder.
"Did he ask you what's happening?"
Peter nodded.
"I didn't tell him, though. I think he's mad at me."
"Walk him out to the car," Tony suggested. Peter would have anyway. "Tell him that he can come out next weekend and watch Pepper trying out the new suit – up close, this time."
"Really?"
"Sure. It's not – technically – a secret, and even if it was, that's something that Ned can see without risking panic in the city. I'm always building new suits, after all."
"Okay. Thanks."
Tony nodded, watching as Ned hugged Natasha, who kissed his cheek and made him blush a furious shade of red that even Ned's complexion couldn't hide.
"I've told you I love you, right?"
That made Peter smile.
"Once or twice, maybe."
OOOOOO
"So Tony isn't mad at me?"
"Nah. He knows you're looking out. Can't fault you for that, really – but call, next time, so you don't have to sneak in, okay?"
"Yeah." Ned shrugged. "I bet he still would have said no if I'd have asked, first."
"Maybe."
Peter stepped up to the car, and opened the door for his friend, but Ned hesitated, his expression suddenly serious.
"Should I be worried about you?"
Peter affected nonchalance.
"Me?"
His incredulous tone made Ned smile. Like it was the craziest thing to think that Peter might be neck deep in trouble, or something.
"What do I tell MJ?"
"That I'm not bleeding, and I don't have Mono. Tell her I'll call her, tomorrow evening – or she can call me."
"Okay."
"Thanks for coming out, Ned."
The boy smiled, and looked like he wanted to hug his friend – he knew Peter wasn't being completely honest with him, after all – but he didn't. He just nodded, instead.
"I'm your guy in the chair, right?" he reminded Peter. "Call me if you need anything. You know I'll come running."
"Yeah." He did know. "Drive safe."
OOOOOO
The ship was enormous. And surrounded by a lot of smaller ones, all holding countless creatures in their metal holds. Designed as shock troops, for the most part, and mindless to the extreme once unleashed. They were merciless, dog-like, mostly, although there were others that were simply indescribable, with even a small amount that could fly.
A terrifying horde to release on a population that dared to try and resist their destiny.
"We're close, Thanos."
"I can see that, Maw."
He was standing near the navigation station, after all, and a small, blue world was on the display, spinning lazily, and unaware of what was heading their way. The Titan smiled, satisfied, and never drew his eyes from that image, even as he flexed the gauntlet on his hand, reveling in the power that coursed through his arm – despite the fact that it stung, just a bit, as if the stone was irritated and wanted to remind him that he wasn't its master, merely the one wielding it, at the moment.
The boy was on the planet. He'd guide the Titan to the other stones. Thanos didn't need to master them – he just needed them to submit to him long enough for him to make the one motion that would complete his lifetime's work. His moment to make the universe balanced, again, once and for all.
"Reports indicate the planet is teeming with life," Maw said. "How will we know where the child is?"
"I already know," Thanos told his underling. "I'll guide the way once we're closer."
"Yes, Thanos."
OOOOOO
Peter had been having a very good dream. Him and Tony flying; Peter using webbing to latch onto the Ironman suit and hanging from Tony's grasp with one hand, whooping with joy at the speed they were going as they shot through the sky, his thoughts going from the flight to the events of the evening before.
Shuri and T'Challa had left – taking Ironpig with them – and Tony had cooed his piglet, rubbing his ears and giving the princess a litany of instructions on how to care for the guy. For her part, Shuri had been understanding, and had promised Tony that she and her mother would care for him as if he were part of the family.
Which had made T'Challa roll his eyes and mention, amused, that he was still too little to make a decent sized pork chop. Tony had smiled, handed the piglet over and had then stepped back to allow Stephen to make his portal to send the Wakandans home.
"Your sister is amazing," he reminded the king, who smiled in pride. "If you guys need anything, you know all you need to do is ask."
"I've begun assembling border tribe warriors and the Jabari are already in the capitol," T'Challa told him. "We will be ready when you need us."
"Thanks."
They said their goodbyes, and then Tony had spent a quiet night with just his wife and son, allowing them to keep him from being moody about sending his piglet away, and cuddling up to Pepper, while Peter chased down his kitten and began picking up the things that Nutmeg had knocked to the floor in his folk's private quarters.
The dream ended abruptly, and Peter came awake with a start, looking around his room with a sudden feeling of dread.
"Easy," Alec said, calmly, into his mind. "Don't panic. Get up, and get dressed, and then go wake the others."
"What's happening?" Peter asked, even as he saw an image flash into his mind, put there by the mind stone.
A huge figure, with a gloating expression on a very expressive face.
"Thanos is here."