Wanda was waiting for them when they entered the workroom. Not surprising any of them – considering her ability to see into the minds of those around her – she didn't need to be told what was happening. Vision's inert form was laid out on a specialized table, with curved clear plastic sides and a large assortment of computer links and displays on three sides, leaving the other side clear for Wanda, or whomever might need access to him.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Maximoff asked as Peter walked in with Tony, Stephen, Natasha and Pepper around him, almost protectively.

"I'm okay," Peter assured her.

They'd stopped to get the polymorph, as well as the housing for Peter's suit, from a safe in Tony and Pepper's quarters. That would give him that much more protection, and Pepper had pointed out that there was no sense in not using everything that they could to protect him.

"He should be," Stephen agreed. He looked a little uncertain, though, and was there for more than just to have Peter hand the Time stone back to him. "If it goes as planned, he's not actually going to be doing more than touching one at a time – and only two at the most will be present at any one time."

"Yeah."

Tony winked at Pepper – who also looked worried – and then stepped over to stand by the head of the table, near Vision's head. He rummaged through a drawer built into the table, and pulled out what he'd need, while Peter lifted his shirt and affixed the housing unit to his suit on his hip where it was normally kept. Stephen stepped forward and took the brace off the boy's hand and Peter clenched the hand, carefully, into a fist a few times.

It hurt, but it wasn't too bad, really.

"You alright?" Tony asked, watching.

The boy nodded, giving him and Pepper both a reassuring smile. He looked at Wanda.

"Ready?"

She nodded, as well, her young face hopeful.

"Yes."

She wasn't actually doing anything, but he wanted to make sure she was part of the process – or at least felt as if she was.

Peter turned back to Tony and held out his hand and Tony gave him the polymorph.

"Don't do anything stupid," his father warned him, making the boy smile.

"Once a week is my limit," he assured him.

He focused on the polymorph, and then activated his suit for the protection it would offer. A moment later, the outer area of the black metallic ball shifted, and a single stone came free of the sphere.

"That one's for me," Stephen murmured, stepping up and wiggling his fingers, almost idly.

The green stone rose through the air and floated to the magician, flaring slightly, as if to greet him before it settled into the locket that housed it. A moment later, it closed, and everyone in the room breathed, again.

Peter smiled, relieved, despite his apparent calm.

"Ready?" he asked Alec.

The Mind stone was the one that was most focused on Peter and the one that reacted strongest to him. At least, it usually did. The power stone was aware of Peter, now, too, and had connected with him in a way that it hadn't ever connected to someone, before. He knew (and Alec confirmed) that the power stone was going to be the one that was going to pose them the biggest problem – but not yet. For now, he and the ancient sorcerer were more worried about how the Mind stone was going to react when Peter released it. As such, Alec was making sure that Peter's mind was buffered against whatever it might do.

The boy concentrated, again, and a moment later the Mind stone made its appearance. This stone also flared, and they all winced as they were subjected to the thing's odd greeting to Peter and Wanda. Tony stepped up, now, with a pair of forceps in his hand and he plucked the stone from Peter's palm, carefully, before moving over to the spot by the table, once more.

Peter handed the polymorph back to Pepper, and by the time Stephen had the brace back on the boy's hand, Tony was already stepping back with a soft noise of accomplishment. A moment later Vision sat up, and looked around.

"That was interesting," he said to the room in general.

Wanda made a happy sound and hugged Peter, first. Then she turned to the table and the others all looked at each other.

"Why don't we let you guys have some time alone?" Tony said, more to the rest than to Vision and Wanda. "Give you a chance to get reacquainted."

"Yes," Stephen said. "I'm going to take the Time stone back to the sanctum." He looked at Natasha. "Coming?"

She smiled and nodded, looking at Peter.

"You're alright?"

"Yes."

The sorcerer and assassin vanished the next instant, and Tony took the polymorph from Pepper, and put his arm around her, also looking at Peter.

"We're going to call it a night," he told their son. They needed to put the polymorph back where it belonged, too. Until they were ready to release the other stones. "Don't stay up too late, alright?"

"I won't."

He was going to spend some time with Shuri, though.

OOOOOO

"Are you finished?" Shuri asked when Peter walked back into the lounge.

She'd told him that she would wait for him, there, and she had kept Nutmeg with her, assuming correctly that they wouldn't want the kitten underfoot when they went off to do whatever it was they were doing.

He nodded, smiling to see her cuddling with the kitten.

"Sorry about that. We were getting the Mind stone out of the polymorph so it can get back in Vision's head, instead."

"That is not much of a secret," the princess chided, amused.

"I know. Sorry. We're not too mysterious, are we? Not like the entire nation of Wakanda."

She smirked.

"We have had much more practice. What would you like to do this evening?"

Peter was suddenly restless.

"We could go for a walk, if you're interested?"

"I would like that."

The compound was secure enough that Peter knew there wouldn't be any issue if they walked outside, but he didn't want Tony to worry if Friday told him they were outside. They fed Peter's kitten from the supply of canned food that was stored behind the bar (there were other cans in Peter's rooms) and left Nutmeg eating while they left and headed down the corridor, automatically gravitating toward the gym.

He knew Tony would also prefer that they not go to either of their rooms – although they hadn't been told they were off-limits, really.

"I have not seen MJ," Shuri said, idly, as they turned the corner. "Or spoken with her. How is she doing?"

Peter shrugged.

"She's mad at me."

"Why? Or is it private?"

"Because she says I'm reckless and do stupid things to get myself hurt. And I keep secrets from her."

"Which you must, of course."

"Yeah. She doesn't like it, though."

"It must be difficult for you," she commiserated. "Keeping the balance of what you can tell your friends and what you cannot."

She knew she was in on a lot more of what was happening than others were allowed. Of course, she had to be.

"Yeah. Especially with what's been going on, lately. I can't tell anyone about the light, or how I hurt my hand – and when MJ asked me what I did to hurt it she didn't like that I didn't tell her, immediately, and told me not to lie to her. Which I wasn't going to," he added. "I just wasn't going to be specific."

"Does Ned know?" she asked, as they walked into the gym.

"No. I can't tell him, either." He sighed, and walked over to lean against the elaborate pen that was Ironpig's enclosure. The piglet wasn't there, though, which meant that Tony had probably stopped there on his way to his quarters and taken the piglet back to their quarters with them. "Ned isn't mad, though. Not like MJ."

"I am sorry."

"Me, too. She isn't right for me, I guess," he said, shrugging helplessly. "She doesn't like me being Spiderman – and I can't stop doing that – and she doesn't like me getting hurt."

"Which you have no control over, of course."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm bad luck, though, everyone knows that – or they're figuring it out. MJ is just later to the party and is only just learning it."

There was that self-pity thing again, he realized, trying to give himself a mental shake to clear it. His friend was going home the next day and he was unloading his troubles onto her instead of doing something she could enjoy a lot more. It only made him feel worse, though. Not only was he a lousy boyfriend – presuming that he and MJ were actually an official item – but he was also a lousy friend.

She didn't seem annoyed, though, and Shuri reached out and took his uninjured hand in her own.

"You are not bad luck, Peter Parker. You are amazing. It is difficult to be all the people that you must be; the son of a superhero, an up and coming superhero in your own right, a high school student, as well as a friend to those around you. Yet you handle it. Not easily, all the time, of course, but you do. I am always impressed."

"I wrecked the car because I was upset," Peter admitted to her. "I never should have tried driving it when I was angry, but I did. I could have killed myself by how badly I'm handling things."

"It is an unusual situation," she reminded him, squeezing his hand. She kept hold of it, and led him over to the bleachers, sitting down and pulling him down to sit beside her. "You are looking at it the wrong way, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You cannot possibly deal with everything if you pile it all together, Peter my love. It is too much for anyone – even someone as gifted as yourself – to handle. Separate them. Make them less daunting. The car was damaged, but it can be fixed, right?"

"Yeah. Tony built the Ironman suit in a cave, as I was reminded. If we can't find replacement parts for it, he can help me manufacture them."

"And you have already been told that your hand is going to heal without issue?"

"It hurts a little, but it's already much better – thanks to you. I'll have some physical therapy, Stephen says, but it'll be fine."

"And the stones are already being returned to where they belong?"

"We took care of two of them, so far," he confirmed. "Vision was the important one. Wanda was so worried about him."

"So everything is beginning to straighten out, then." She leaned against him, lightly. "T'Challa tries to handle everything in a lump – like you were – and mother has to constantly remind him that problems are less insurmountable when you divide them into more manageable parts. If it is good advice for a king, then it is good enough for you, right?"

"Yeah." He leaned sideways into her, and sighed. "And MJ? Any advice on what to do about her?"

"I am not the one to ask," Shuri admitted. "I cannot be impartial enough to do more than tell you that if she is trying to make you feel bad – or guilty – for doing that which you must, then she is not being a friend."

"You can't be impartial because you're my friend?"

He wondered if he should ask Ned what he thought. Peter knew Ned was pretty insightful – and he knew more about girls than Peter did. Or, at least, he seemed more worldly.

"Because I am enamored of you Peter, and a terrible liar. Which means I cannot tell you that I think she is right for you just to make you feel better."

Peter sighed, again.

"I'm going to miss you."

She smiled.

"I will miss being here. I have a suggestion for you, however, which might help with one of the other problems that your Avengers are facing…"

"Oh?"

"You do not want to allow Sirah to go back to the man who owns her?"

"No. Steve, especially, doesn't like the idea of sending her back to him. But she's an alien, even if she doesn't look like one, so much. She has an implanted translator, so she can speak to anyone, but she doesn't know enough about our world, so she can't just be turned loose to try and fend for herself."

"She could come back to Wakanda with me. I spoke with mother. If she wanted, she could become one of the servants in the palace – they are not slaves, and make a good deal of money to take care of us. I, personally, would suggest that she be offered a position at the orphanage that I took you to when you were visiting. She was very good with Clint's children, and might find a place where she could thrive."

Peter felt a surge of relief. Not only because it would find the alien girl a safe place to be – and Wakanda was safer than anywhere, really – but it kept her away from the compound, as well. Peter had enough girl troubles. The last thing he wanted was Sirah hanging around touching him and giving him the moony eyes that she'd given him, before.

"I'll bring it up with Tony, tomorrow," he said, smiling. "I think it's a great idea." He hugged her. "You're a genius. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"A time or two. Yes."