Vision was sitting in a corner of the workroom, his hand splayed against a display, and the rest of his body completely still, eyes closed as he concentrated on the activities going on that only he and the Rescue suit (and Pepper, obviously) could see. He opened them when Peter thundered into the room, however, and managed a slight smile when he saw the newly formed glove on the boy's hand.

"Very resourceful," he congratulated Peter.

"Will it work?"

Peter didn't ask how Vision knew what he'd done – or what he was planning. The construct was one with the mind stone, after all. The mind stone knew, now, what Peter was planning – at least as much as Peter knew – and that meant that Vision did, as well.

"There's only one way to find out."

Vision looked at the table beside him and Peter saw that the tools that he would need to remove the mind stone from Vision's forehead were already laid out in a neat bundle. Peter stepped forward, hesitating, even though he knew he didn't have a lot of time.

"Are we losing?" he asked, knowing Rescue would have a good idea of what was going on inside the shield and out.

"It isn't looking promising," Vision told him. "They are going to breach the shield, eventually. The number of invaders throwing themselves at it will eventually overpower the energy production. It'll fail a segment at a time, but it's inevitable. I suggest you hurry, if you're going to be back before it's too late to do any good."

"it might not, anyway," Peter pointed out, reaching for the closest tool – even as the mind stone flashed the proper sequences in his head to give him the instructions for removing it from Vision without doing any more damage than necessary. "I might not be able to handle the power when it comes free."

"Then you will have failed," Vision said, calmly. "But at least you will have tried."

"Don't tell Pepper what I'm going to do," Peter requested, stepping up to stand in front of him. "It would only distract her – and Tony – and worry them."

"I will not." His eyes met Peter's. "Is there anything that I should tell her? Or them?"

"That I'm going to Asgard, and that I love them."

"Hurry."

With a deep breath and a few motions, Peter popped the mind stone free of Vision's body – which immediately slacked and grew an awful pale color as the power of the mind stone was removed from him, leaving him no more life-like than Friday or Karen – although still incredibly complicated and fully functional as an AI for Rescue.

With the stone in between a pair of technical forceps held in his left hand, Peter pressed it against the new glove, and watched in fascination as the nanites formed a pocket for it. And then he felt a surge of power course through the glove, leaking over into his hand and then down his arm. The pain was intense, and he gasped and went to his knees, unable to hold himself up.

"Easy…"

The pain faded into a dull ache, and Peter groaned, forcing himself back to his feet, looking at the glove. The gem was firmly embedded in the vibranium, now, and the stone was suddenly singing in his mind, muted but definitely happy to be so intimately close to him, now. It was a lot like the cloak in that respect, but Peter knew that if it wasn't for the vibranium protecting him externally and Alec buffering him internally, he'd have already been fried.

"It worked."

He couldn't help the surprise in his voice, even though Alec was the only one to hear him.

"There's no time to pat yourself on the back," Alec told him. "Let's get to the gym."

Peter glanced at the still form of Vision for just a moment, and then bolted for the door – and the corridor beyond.

OOOOOO

The spot wasn't large, but it was swarming with creatures forcing their way through the shield, their bodies – for the most part – being destroyed by the energy they were exposed to, but a few still making it through every few moments. Maw and Nebula ignored the destruction and the corpses that were piling up on both sides of the shield.

"I can dim the power for only a moment," Maw told her. "Don't hesitate or it'll close on you."

She nodded, unconcerned, and eager.

"I'll be fine. Do your magic and get me through the barrier."

She waited, ignoring the snarling creatures and the cries and yelps as they were continually decimated by the energy.

"Once through I'll hide you until you're out of my view," Maw told her.

"I'm ready."

She was confident and didn't need to be shielded from her foes.

The Maw waved his hand, his face impassive as he watched the power ebb for a moment. Nebula's very nature allowed her to feel that happening, and she dove through the barrier, surrounded by another swarm of the creatures. Many of them died, but she rolled to her feet, preening as she glanced at the Maw, successfully.

Then she ran for the building, dodging enemy and ally alike in her single-mindedness to find the control room and bring the shield down. It was what her father wanted, and she wouldn't fail him like her sister had.

OOOOOOOO

The gym was empty when Peter reached it. Empty of people, but filled with supplies that had been gathered in expectation of a defense of the compound. Weapons, mostly, but medical supplies that might be needed later, and Ironpig's pen, which was empty, now. Peter didn't hesitate; he ran across the room, avoiding the boxes and crates and triggering the spell that caused the portal to form, while at the same time reacting to Alec's sudden suggestion that he might need just one more thing that he hadn't grabbed on his way to the gym.

Peter's hand closed over the teleportation rock even as he ran through the portal, one moment in the gym, and the next stumbling into the wide open field just outside the Asgardian city that loomed above him, magnificently.

OOOOOOO

"Peter just left the grounds," Rescue told Pepper, the same instant that Friday was relaying the same message to Tony.

"Which direction?"

Tony was watching the HUD, but didn't see any sign of the boy in any direction.

"He went through the portal."

"The one in the gym?"

"Yup."

"Thank God." Tony switched his attention to a more external conversation. "Pep? You heard?"

"He went to Asgard?"

"Yes."

Vision was confirming it, and as promised, he didn't mention that the boy had stopped for the mind stone. Nor did he mention Peter's desperate plan.

"Good."

Now they knew he was safe, and could focus their attention on the battle, completely.

OOOOOOOO

Gamora left the roof, realizing as she watched the battle taking place below her that Thanos would be planning on taking out the shield at its source. Which meant he'd have someone going for the command center if he could get them through the shield to do so. With the amount of creatures making it through, the odds were in favor of someone getting through. There were people responsible for guarding the room, but they'd need help.

Her weapon in hand, she entered the command room, passing two SHIELD agents who were guarding the entrance, and finding several more inside, monitoring the battle – with Nick Fury standing close by. The director of SHIELD didn't miss her entrance, and his eye narrowed, slightly, at the expression she wore.

"Something I should know about?" he asked, even as she looked around, checking for any indication someone was there that didn't belong.

"Just making sure…" she replied. "Have you seen anyone…?"

"Not in here." They both turned and watched as Peter's kitten suddenly strolled through the door as if he owned the place – which he probably thought that he did. "Are you expecting someone?"

Gamora looked around, again, ignoring the kitten, who had jumped up onto a table, and then onto a shelf, gaining upper ground – which wasn't unusual for him.

"Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me."