"She was injured," Strange told him, studying the boy's face, looking for any indication that he was overwhelmed. Peter was pale, and his face held that pinched look that Stephen had seen more than once when he was hurting and trying to hide it – or ignore it. "I moved her and Groot to the med lab."

"Is she alright?"

"She is. Are you?"

"No…" Peter shook his head, dropping his hand and hanging his head, just a little. "But I'm almost done."

Stephen stepped forward, looking at the glove, and reaching a hand toward the boy's forehead, to get an idea of just how badly he was being affected by so many of the stones being so close to him.

"How-"

Peter shied away from the touch.

"Be careful," he said. "I don't know if they can hurt you."

"How are you handling having so many so close to you?" the magician asked

The boy held up the glove.

"I made the polymorph into a glove," he said. "The vibranium is helping to shield me."

"Somewhat."

"Yeah."

"Are you using the reality stone?" Strange asked. "Is that what we're seeing? Is the battle paused – or just the two of us?"

Peter smiled; and it was an exhausted smile that made Stephen tired, too.

"You're the only one seeing it. Everyone else is still fighting. The stones are hiding me – and them – from Thanos. For now."

"What are you going to do? What can I do to help you?"

"I need your time stone," Peter told him, and there was just a hint of fear in his eyes. "Then I can finish it."

"It'll kill you…" He didn't even need to be a doctor to see just how badly the stones were hurting the boy. "How can I help?"

"You can't," Peter told him. "It's almost done, though. Please. I promise not to try to rule the universe."

He didn't have the energy to allow the conversation to go on for too long, but there was no way that he'd even attempt to wrest control of the stone from the doctor. It had to be willing, because Peter wouldn't risk hurting him.

Strange drew his hands across the pendant that he was wearing, and a moment later it opened, revealing the green stone that shone so brightly – as if greeting the two of them. Or the rest of the stones. Peter was the last person that Strange was worried would try for dominion over anything – much less something as vast as the universe.

"The cloak can't shield you?"

"Not from the inside," Peter reminded him – unnecessarily.

He lifted the gloved hand, again, and Stephen brought his right hand up, careful not to touch the time stone as he created a simple spell that would levitate it the short distance between them, until it was hovering just over the glove on Peter's right hand.

Peter closed his eyes, and activated the suit's mask once more, and then Strange watched the hand clench into a tight fist as the green jewel came to rest on the vibranium, and then was embedded into the metal as if it had always belonged there. Even with the suit on, he could see how the boy's entire body tensed. Peter went to his knees as Stephen saw the power of the stone flow visibly from the glove up his forearm and upper arm, to his shoulder and then disperse throughout the rest of the slight frame.

"Peter…"

He stepped forward, again, but the teen held up his other hand to stop him.

"I'm okay…"

"Freeze time," the sorcerer supreme suggested "Give yourself a break…"

"I can't. It wouldn't be a break, anyway," was the reply. The mask retracted, again, and Peter's pale face was once more visible, only now there was no attempting to hide the pain he was experiencing. Or he couldn't. "We're close."

"It's killing you."

"No. The power stone might," he conceded as he forced himself back to his feet. "But not until I finish what I need to do. You're sure Natasha's okay? I didn't feel her when I arrived."

"Feel her?"

"Like I did Tony and Pepper."

"You can feel everyone?"

"I can feel everything," Peter said. "I'll explain later."

Or not, he privately added.

"She's fine. I'll go check on her, myself."

"Tell her I love her," Peter requested. And then his eyes lost a little of the pain, and there was a trace of his youthful exuberance for just a moment – and a hint of humor. "You might tell her that you love her, too."

Strange rolled his eyes, despite the circumstances.

"What do you need from me?" he asked, again.

"Nothing. Thank you for trusting me."

He lifted his hand in what might have been a wave – or could have been to scratch his nose, really – and an instant later the sky was once more only as black as the night, and the chaos of the battle for the compound once more raged below him.

OOOOOOO

"Well done…"

"Yeah. They're helping me."

He could tell. The time that he'd spent in the Astral plane had given him the opportunity to connect to all the stones, not just the mind stone, and it was coming into play, now. They were killing him; he was strong, but the stones were so powerful – and getting more and more so as he added each one – but they were doing what they could to mute their effect, and between that, and the vibranium and Alec, it might be enough.

He knew instinctively that if they were being coerced they could have killed him, singularly, or flared up as a group and simply snuffed him out.

"Good thing that they like you, then, isn't it?" Alec said, trying to keep the pain in Peter's head from overwhelming the boy – and trying to distract him from that pain.

"Yes." Especially since they had a few more conversation to have – now that he was ready to make his final play in a game that he hadn't even known he was playing until it had been far too late to even think of forfeiting. He looked down at the glove he was wearing. "Let's finish this."

OOOOOOO

Thanos was waiting.

He was a little amazed (although he'd never admit it) at the defense of the small area, and the tenacity of the humans that were doing the defending. He'd expected the stronghold to fall to his army long before the night was over, and it just wasn't happening. They had more talent than he'd assumed they would, and although he still had plenty of blood to use up, he was growing impatient.

The titan stepped through the opening in the shield, ignoring the creatures that swarmed around him, still pouring in, only to be mowed down by overhead fire, or the slashing weapons of the oddly dressed warriors, or the magical attack of the ones who had shockingly defeated the Maw and his contingent. A motion above him drew his attention, and he watched with a scowl as the red and gold armored man soared past him, followed immediately by the blue and silver form that had been so destructive to his army.

They weren't firing, just then, however, and the powerful being saw them come to a landing on the roof of the building. As he watched, the two turned, looking behind them, away from the carnage below. A moment later a smaller figure stepped up between them. Dressed in black and wearing a mask, but Thanos' eyes narrowed, suddenly alert. Only one thing would bring the two of them out of the sky to form what was so obviously a protective stance.

Or one person.

With his eyes only on the three forms on the roof, he made a motion with his huge double-bladed staff and two of his great ape creatures immediately assumed a position that allowed him to climb up their bodies, making his way to the roof of the building to stand only a few yards from the three. The rest of the roof was empty; the massive guns that had decimated his armored turtles were now silent, and even the wizards and the rest of the defenders were gone.

It was only the four of them.

Feeling smug, knowing his victory was now at hand, Thanos turned to the crimson and gold figure, first, unable to keep from taunting him.

"I take it you've had a change of heart…?" he asked, not bothering to hide his arrogance.

The helmet on that suit retracted, revealing Tony Stark's head and nothing more. The human didn't look worried, but Thanos knew it was only an act. Stark was a born showman; he'd already figured that out. They'd lost, they were just trying to figure out a way to keep him from claiming the boy, now.

"Not exactly," Tony said. "Let's just say we've come to bargain…"

The titan snorted, amused.

"You only have one thing that I want. Give him to me and I'll make your end quick. Make me take him and I'll make sure that you're the last person on this stupid, little, stubborn world to die."

Now the blue helmet opened, revealing a woman.

"We might have something else you want," she said, calmly.

She looked at the boy between them, and the right hand came up, the gloved fist closed over something. The hand turned over and the fingers opened, revealing a stone. A slightly orange stone that glowed from within with power.

Despite himself, Thanos couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped his lips. Then his eyes narrowed, again, but he couldn't take them off the jewel. His own gauntleted fist clenched, reflexively, and he looked at the still-masked figure, looking much smaller than the two armored forms that flanked him.

"It's true then…" he murmured, more to himself than to the boy – or the adults. "You can command them."

The boy nodded behind the mask, but didn't say anything. Thanos smirked, turning his attention to Stark.

"You should have had him use it against me, Stark," he said, his voice low and more dangerous than ever. "There'll be no bargain. I'll take him, and the stone."

And he raised his gloved hand, the power stone flaring as he turned his not inconsiderable will onto it.