AN: So great catch by Griffindor-Mom, because MJ has been to Wakanda to play the scavenger hunt game when Shuri was sick. Thanks! Now to decide how to fix that with minimal repairing. So you will all probably want to go back and read that last update, again, before reading this one – although there were no profound changes. Thanks again for the catch.
OOOOOOOOO
"Let me guess…" an amused voice said from somewhere above and behind Peter. "Your cat stole something that didn't belong to him and has hidden it…"
Peter smiled and pulled himself out from underneath the shelving unit that was in the far back corner of the closet closest to the swimming pool.
"He didn't steal it," the boy told Steve, nodding a hello to Bucky, who had walked into the fairly large closet with his friend.
Rogers looked at the wallet in Peter's hand.
"He needed to borrow gas money?"
Another smile.
"Maybe he wanted to buy beer."
Steve reached down to offer a hand to Peter and the boy caught it, easily, getting to his feet.
"I can't believe you're leaving him alone with us for a week," Bucky told him, shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how screwed we are?"
Steve rolled his eyes, visibly trying to decide if he needed to check the language in the sentence and deciding that he didn't.
"I'd think the Avengers can keep track of one small kitten…" Peter said, grinning. "You have him outnumbered, after all."
"If you ask what's the worst that can happen while you're gone," Rogers told him, holding up a hand. "I'm going to throw you in the river right here and now."
"I wasn't going to." Peter knew better than to throw that challenge out to the universe, after all. "I was just going to say that someone should be able to always have eyes on him to keep him out of trouble."
"We're earth's mightiest heroes," Steve pointed out, pretending to be superior as he said it – which made Bucky smile. "We have other things to do."
"I'll make sure to let Nutmeg know."
"When are you leaving?" Barnes asked as they all left the closet and headed for the lounge.
"I'm not sure," Peter admitted. "Whenever Stephen wants to open the portal."
"Probably tonight, then," Steve said. He shook his head. "Things are sure going to be quiet around here without you."
His way of telling Peter that he was going to miss him. It made the boy smile, again, but this time it wasn't as cheerful as it was pleased. It was good to be wanted, after all. Especially when it was Captain America, right?
"I have a feeling Natasha and Tony have already figured out a way to keep track of what we're doing," he said. "I know they haven't low-jacked any of my clothes, but Ned and I both have watches that will let them keep track of things – at least a little."
"You're probably not wrong," Steve agreed. "I have to admit, I'm shocked that you're being allowed to go alone."
"It wouldn't be much of a trip if he had all of the Avengers along for it," Bucky said. "Sticking their noses into things and telling him not to do something dangerous."
"He's not going to do anything dangerous," came a new voice from one of the side corridors, and all three of them stopped to allow Natasha to catch up with them – although she was obviously close enough to have heard Barnes' comment. "Are you?" she asked Peter, pointedly.
"Of course not."
"Which was really the only answer you could give her," Alec said, amused.
"Right?"
Romanoff hooked her arm through Peter's, affecting a cheerful smile that wasn't completely sincere, he decided.
"She doesn't like the idea of you being in Wakanda alone," Alec told Peter. "But she understands the need to allow it to happen, since T'Challa has entrusted Shuri to the Avengers."
"Yeah." He gave Natasha a reassuring look. "We're going to be really careful," he promised.
"I know."
"Tony won't be happy if something bad happens," he pointed out to her. "So nothing bad will. Right?"
Reminding her of the wish that he'd made. He saw her eyes narrow, slightly, and then widen just a little.
"I suppose that's true."
Steve frowned.
"I won't be happy, either…"
"I know." Peter grinned, excited despite the concern his Avenger aunt and uncles were displaying. He got nervous when they left on missions, so it was probably the same thing, right? "Nothing bad will happen."
"And you promise not to get eaten by anything…"
"Yeah."
OOOOOOOOOOO
They were just walking into the lounge when Peter was suddenly accosted by the cloak. The ancient artifact threw itself around his head and neck, cheerfully crooning into his mind and so intent on him that it ignored Natasha, who separated herself from the boy to avoid getting whapped by the excitable fabric.
"They're going tonight, then?" Steve asked, noticing Stephen sitting at the corner table with Tony and Nick. MJ and Ned were both at the bar just then, talking to Pepper.
Stark nodded. He hadn't missed Peter's arrival, of course – or the cloak's reaction to it.
"It's more convenient for T'Challa if they come in their early day," he told them – although most had already heard the reasoning. "He can avoid too much ceremony, this way, and there'll be less people around for all the formalities that can't be skipped over."
Peter managed to free himself of the cloak's tight embrace and walked over to Nick, handing him his wallet and taking his kitten from the man in exchange.
"The less formality the better," he said, pressing his face against Nutmeg's furry cheek, which made the kitten purr. "So we'll stay on the palace tonight and leave, tomorrow, then?"
"Correct." Since everyone was gathering, Tony decided to make sure they all understood the plan. "Although, it'll be – technically – all day today, since it's close to morning there. T'Challa tells me that the guides are laid on and they're gathering the equipment that will be needed for your safari. You'll make your manners with T'Challa and Ramonda – and any other nobles who happen to be around – and spend the day going over the rules that he and Okoye are going to be having for the safari."
"Not all day, though, right?" Ned asked. "I mean, that's a lot of rules."
Peter smiled and shook his head.
"Shuri will show us around," he said – although Ned pretty much knew the basic plan. Not as much as he'd know if he was living at the compound like Peter and was always in contact with Shuri – and, vicariously, with T'Challa. "Maybe show us some places that we haven't seen and I'm going to go see the kids at the orphanage."
And check on Sirah for Steve and Tony, just to make sure she didn't need anything. She was, technically, Peter's responsibility, after all, since he'd been the one to bring her to earth.
"That sounds fun," MJ said. Of the three of them, she had had the least amount of exposure to Wakanda and was looking forward to seeing all of the things that Ned and Peter had described to her – and had shown her pictures of – first-hand. "My folks told me to call when we get there…"
Tony smirked. While Peter had been looking for Nick's wallet, he had explained to the girl that they weren't going to fly to Wakanda, but were instead going to utilize one of Stephen's portals. Not only to get the ease of instant arrival, but he reminded her just how rough the flight to Montana had been for Ned, and the idea of subjecting the boy to an even longer flight was just cruel. MJ had been excited about the idea, and not at all nervous. She'd watched Stargate, after all, and knew all about wormholes – and had done it, before, so now it was old news, right?
As old news as something that insanely techy could be, really.
"You can call them in the appropriate amount of time," he told her. "Friday is going to make sure that while they're keeping track of your location during your 'flight', they will be shown the appropriate distances and times that a flight to Wakanda would be on the Quinjet. She'll drop the governing when you 'land' and then you can call and they'll be able to see that you're in Wakanda, and they can keep an eye on things from there."
"They won't be the only ones," Nick said.
Tony shrugged.
"Not even close." He was resigned to the trip, though, and was even looking forward to hearing all about it when Peter returned. "We're waiting for T'Challa," he told them, and he looked at Peter. "Give Pepper your cat and go get your stuff, okay?"
"Yeah."
"I'll help him," Ned offered.
"I'll help him," Natasha told him with a slight smile. "We don't want you to miss your portal because you two got engrossed in a video game."
Ned rolled his eyes, but neither he nor Peter denied the possibility.
"Okay."