A flash of lightning and a low rumble of thunder heralded the arrival of Thor, and the flare of the Bifrost accompanied him and the others. It was enough of an oddity that Friday and Vision both made note of it, even as they were trying to deal with the overwhelming swarms of dogs that were coming through the shield more readily, now, even though the thing was still holding strong – all things considered.

"Something is happening, boss," Friday told Tony as they unloaded another volley of mini rockets onto the creatures below. He was still working with Quill and Rescue at the edges of the shield, keeping away from the center areas around the building, since there were allies mingled with those critters and precision strikes weren't impossible, but it was easier to just take out swaths of them at a time and leave the stragglers to the others. "Something on the other side of the shield, a few miles to the north."

"What do we have?"

The HUD changed, adding yet another display of information. Friday's sensors in the Ironman suit were far-reaching, and were suddenly focused on a large mass in the distance. It took a moment in the darkness to realize what he was seeing, but a sudden flash of lightning lit up the sky, and the charging Asgardians.

"Looks like reinforcements."

"Is that a flying horse?" he heard Pepper asked, awed, despite the destruction going on around them.

"Looks that way, Pep," he agreed, as Friday focused on the creature for a moment, before turning back to the charging Asgardians. "Peter must have made it through."

"Thank God."

He knew she wasn't grateful for the reinforcements. Or, at least, she was far more relieved that their boy was apparently safe and sound on Asgard. This was proof. Tony didn't have time to comment – although he agreed with the sentiment, completely.

"They're going to be chewed up," Tony said. "Being on that side of the shield with no way to control how many of those things come at them at a time. Tell Steve what's happening," he told Friday. "Have him send some help."

"Gotcha."

"Magical help," Tony added. He could see the magicians still on the roof – although he knew a couple were much further south, trying to help keep the swarm from making it to the city. "As much as we can spare."

OOOOOO

The place was dark. Lit by only an odd colored moon above them – or maybe just a dull sun, Peter didn't know. It didn't matter, though, because he didn't need a lot of light to see, anyway. The stone had deposited him on the top of an incredibly tall cliff. Two huge pillars and just dark rock all around him. He walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. And down. And down.

"Wow…"

It was probably the highest that he'd ever been, short of being in the jet – and that included the palace at Wakanda that was situated on a peak of its own. Before Alec could reply, Peter felt a tingle. A warning that let him know that he wasn't alone, any longer.

The boy turned, not at all uncomfortable being so high up, or even being on the edge of the cliff like he was. Heights had never bothered him. There was a man walking toward him, dressed in dark robes and face hidden with a deep cowl.

"Peter, son of Richard…"

The voice was soft, and deep, and sent a shiver down his spine. Not to mention that he seemed to know him. Peter wasn't sure what – if any – reply was warranted, but he nodded.

"Yes." There wasn't time to socialize, though. Thor and the Asgardians had almost certainly reached the compound by now, but there wasn't any guarantee that they would be enough to keep the shield from falling, or the defenders from being overrun. "I'm here to –"

"You seek the soul stone," the figure said, coming to a stop only a few feet away.

"Yes." His arm ached, already, and the thought of adding another stone to the glove and making it hurt more wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary, and Peter wasn't one to shy away from responsibility. "I need it to stop Thanos."

"The stone is incredibly powerful," the form said. "And possessing it always comes with a cost."

The form pulled back its cowl, now, revealing a skeleton face instead of a man's. Bright red and startlingly evil-looking. Peter took a surprised step back, but didn't feel anything in his gut that warned him that the skeleton faced man was going to try to attack him. In fact, it seemed to be watching him, curiously, as if weighing him and his commitment.

"Yeah. It's going to hurt…" Peter agreed. "I already know."

He looked down at his hand, where the mind stone and the space stone were both gleaming, surrounded by the dull black of the vibranium glove he was wearing.

"A sacrifice," the form told him. "To possess the stone, a person has to lose the one they love the most."

"What?" Peter took another step back, suddenly afraid. Not for himself, but for the others. Panic rose in him before he could suppress it, but Alec was up to the task of keeping him centered, and he felt the ancient sorcerer's presence in his mind. Keeping him calm. The mind stone, too, wasn't willing to allow him to panic, just then, and it took steps to soothe. "Tony…"

He couldn't lose him. Even more, he couldn't let Pepper lose him. She'd been so patient, waiting for Tony to be ready to settle down. Had finally married him and had-

The form raised its hand, stopping Peter's train of thought before he could get started.

"A sacrifice to prove that the need is great."

Peter frowned, remembering something.

"Wait. Alec didn't make a sacrifice, and he's here."

The red-skulled man didn't look confused, so Peter assumed he knew about Alec without being told.

"A soul for a soul to leave the soul world," Red Skull told the boy. "Not to possess the stone. That is what requires a sacrifice."

"I'll be the sacrifice," Peter said. "Let me have the stone, do what I need to do, and I'll come back and you can do whatever you want to me."

"No." Alec clearly didn't like that idea. "I could be the sacrifice. You probably don't need me-"

"I don't love you enough for you to be the sacrifice," Peter replied. "Don't get me wrong; because I do like you. Really. But-"

"The sacrifice has been made," Red Skull said, interrupting the conversation. "You don't love yourself enough to be able to make the offer you just made – even if it was allowed."

"Wait. What?" Peter felt a flare of fear, thinking that Tony had been killed without him even asking. "That's not fair. He didn't even-"

"Not Tony Stark," came a ready reply, interrupting Peter's protest.

"But…" Peter frowned. He was almost certain that it had been Tony. Fear ran through him, again. "Pepper? Natasha? Which one?"

She'd warned him, he remembered. Natasha had said that it was dangerous to love someone, and Peter knew it. But it shouldn't be dangerous to the other person. It wasn't fair. Not to them. Had one of them been killed in the battle at the compound while he was gone? Had they been sacrificed for this stupid plan that Peter didn't even know was going to work? Was it even worth the effort and the pain to go through with it if he was going to come home and find that one of them was gone? Lost to him and to Tony – or to Stephen – and never to have a chance to be with them, again?

"Neither." The man raised his hand. Hovering above it – not touching his skin – was a stone. It pulsed with power and Peter felt the familiar presence that he'd grown to know while he'd been in the Astral plain. "Take it, Peter, son of Richard. Use it, wisely."

"But I don't understand," the boy said, not reaching for the stone. "Who was the sacrifice?"

The three had already been named. It had to be one of them. They were who he loved the most. He was certain of it.

"You cannot think of one you loved more?" Red Skull asked. "One who loved you and raised you? Who became mother and father to you when you lost yours?"

Peter frowned; knowing who he meant, immediately, of course.

"May?"

The skull couldn't show emotions, but if it could it might have held compassion.

"There is no rule that says the sacrifice has to happen at the moment the stone is taken. Only that it must be made. She was the sacrifice. The price for you to have the stone. There could have been no other. Take it and go, Peter Parker. The universe demands your help."

Reeling, Peter was drawn to the stone as if being called, and he reached out the glove that held the other two, holding it in place and watching as the soul stone decided where it wanted to settle, and was then brought into the vibranium to join the others. Peter groaned as a wave of agony coursed through him, a reaction to the powerful stone's presence so close – and combined with the others – and the pain drove him to his knees.

It took a long moment before he was able to stand, and was aware of his surroundings, and when he looked around, the red skulled man was gone. He was alone on the peak.

"You're doing great, Peter," Alec assured him, trying to bolster him through the throbbing pain that wasn't just in his hand and arm, now, but seemed to be along his entire right side. "Hang in there."

"We have to find the reality stone…" he said, appreciating the support.

He tried to focus on the mind stone, knowing that he didn't have a clue where to look, and felt Alec's surprise, even as he saw an image in his mind. An image of a world that looked a lot like the one he was already standing on.

"It's here," Alec told him, unnecessarily. "Let's go get it."