Bruce pointed to the x-ray he'd hung up, voice tired. "This area here had to be totally reconstructed. His bones were in fragments. The only reason he still has a hand at all is because I called Dr Strange."

Tony sat slumped in the chair beside Peters bed; having been in it far too many times, watching helplessly as Peter recovered. He was as tired as Bruce, having stayed up all night waiting for Peter to come out of surgery.

"I've never been happier to have him in our Rolodex, believe me, but please just get to the point and tell me if he's going to be okay."

Bruce nodded, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"Stephen's the best so, yes with his healing he'll be fine. But it will be painful for a while."

Tony looked at where Peter was laying, sleeping soundly under the influence of some heavy ass drugs. His eyes were closed, face thankfully free of any pain. Tony could barely stand to look at his arm.

It had taken far too long to fix him, his fingers broken and torn apart, now held together with pins and splints, stitches running through the skin over his knuckles. God, if Peter didn't heal so quickly he would have been permanently disfigured.

Tony pulled his eyes away from the white strips of bandages wrapped around Peters' fingers and look instead to his feet.

"What about the burns?"

The electric shock Peter had endured had come up from the floor, and his bare feet had taken the brunt of the damage.

Bruce gestured to Peters feet and the pristine dressings covering them like socks on cold toes. "They'll be okay. They're only second degree, but like his hand, it'll be very sore and he absolutely can not use them. He needs to rest and let them heal. Let it all heal."

Tony rubbed a hand over his face, fingers digging into his skull to try and focus. "If this egg keeps affecting him we may not be able to stop him. He didn't stop when he smashed his own hand, Bruce. How are we supposed to keep him from wandering around again? It took stopping his heart to end it last time and we can't do that again."

Bruce took a seat, slumping on the stool as he tapped at a screen beside Peters bed. "I know but we'll figure something out. We always do. And don't go blaming yourself for it either, you may have technically killed him for a few minutes but if you hadn't he would have gotten to the Darr'mor egg and had his hands melted off."

Tony didn't bother arguing. Bruce may have been right but that didn't mean he couldn't blame himself anyway. He changed the subject instead, pushing the focus off him and back onto the broken boy in the bed.

"How's his heart? Any damage?"

Bruce shook his head, flicking through scans and readings. "No, I did an echo and it's fine. No scarring even, which was a genuine concern. Thor did break a few of his ribs when he did CPR and he's going to heavily bruise, but he's alive. That's what matters."

Tony didn't say anything, knowing he'd only get a lecture if he did. Being grateful that Peter had survived seemed like such a consolation prize. Like, sure you failed to protect him and he's seriously messed up but hey, you didn't kill him all the way, just a little.

Bruce had known Tony for a long time and he knew exactly what was going through his head. He kept his voice soft, knowing Tony would only push him away if he offered comfort but unwilling to allow him to wallow.

"Hey, we'll try to warm up the egg, give Peter some time to heal before it affects him again. We'll...I don't know, find some lava and drop it in or-"

Tony scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest like a sulking toddler as he glared at the floor. "Oh, sure. That'll help. You know what Loki said, nothing we have is hot enough. Lava for this stupid space dragon is like putting a tissue on Thor and calling it a blanket."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "You're determined to sulk aren't you?"

Tony lifted his gaze to his friend and raised his eyebrows, stubborn. "Yes, I am."

Bruce shook his head, wishing Tony would try and help solve their problem instead of just sitting there upset. "Moping isn't going to help Peter."

"I beg to differ." Tony was being childish and he knew it, but he also wasn't completely stupid. He was thinking of ways to help Peter and stop the egg, but the same thought kept coming back to his mind. The image of Thor flinging the egg back into the black cold maw of space. No egg, no problem. He hated the thing, he didn't want it in his lab anymore.

A groan came from the bed beside him and his head snapped to the sound, finding Peter frowning as his breaths came in quick pants.

"Peter?"

Bruce leaned over his patient as Tony got to his feet, the both of them watching the teenager eagerly.

Peter still had his eyes shut, scrunching them closed as he gasped, pain and sensation coming back to him all at once. Crap, he hurt. His chest and head and arm and feet and oh god he could feel the, unfortunately familiar, invasion of pins keeping his bones together and the sharp pull of stitches.

His heart monitor beeped too fast as he tried to push past the drugs and wake up all the way, and he felt a wide hand press gently against his chest.

"Just lay still, Peter. Take a breath in through your nose."

Peter did as he was told, relaxing his muscles despite the pain running through them and pulled in a lungful of oxygen that his nasal cannula provided.

He was still feeling slow from the pain meds running through him, a little more thanks to Bruce adjusting the dose as he woke, and Peter found it hard to talk, tongue clumsy and thick. "Wha' happened? I don' memember."

Another hand gripped his shoulder and Peter turned his head towards Tony's voice as it came from above him. "That's not surprising since you were actually asleep for the whole thing."

That hadn't helped to clear things up at all. Peter's eyebrows came down over his eyes as he finally blinked them open. "What?"

Tony was there with Bruce, smiling down at Peter as he blinked his blurry vision clear.

"Hey, kiddo. It's good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

Peter took a moment to catalogue everything that hurt but quickly decided that he didn't want to focus on it at all. He hurt so bad and he didn't even know what had happened which just made the whole situation scary.

A small whimper fell from his mouth as his good hand curled into a fist around his sheets. "It hurts. I don't like it."

Tony's face went hard, eyes furious and voice hard. "That's it. I'm going to destroy that egg."

Peter frowned again, wondering if he'd hit his head at some point because nothing was making sense. "What?"

Bruce sighed. "Tony-"

"No, I'm smashing it. It hurt Peter and I won't let it do that again." Tony curled his fingers into fists and went to walk away, only for Peter to grab the hem of his shirt with his good hand and pull him back.

"Wait, are you talking about the dragon egg?"

Tony nodded, eyes dark with guilt as he regarded Peter and the small frown on his face, eyes still just a little glassy. "Yes. It did it's stupid hypnotising thing and made you sleepwalk. You broke through the containment unit, after practically destroying your hand, and made you keep going until you were…"

Tony looked away and Bruce spoke softly as if hoping Peter wouldn't hear. "That wasn't your fault, Tony. We've already talked about it, okay?"

Tony waved a hand as if flicking his friend's concern to the side. "It doesn't matter. It can't hurt Peter if it's dead."

Peters' hand tugged on the mechanics shirt again and Tony looked down, surprised, as the kid croaked out a plea. "You can't kill it!"

Tony's eyebrows furrowed as he searched Peters face for any sign that he was still being affected by the egg, only speaking when he found none. "Why not?"

"It's just a baby, it didn't do anything wrong." Peter's doe eyes were in full adorable force, begging Tony not to kill the thing that almost killed him.

"Peter it hurt you." Didn't he understand? Tony didn't know how Peter couldn't hate the thing, especially since Tony knew how bad the kid's pain was, crinkles at the corner of his eyes giving him away.

But the teenager only shook his head, adamant. "It didn't mean to. It's just trying to survive. It's cold."

Tony fought the very strong urge to roll his eyes because of course Peter would stick up for it.

Bruce, the sap, offered his own opinion. "He has a point."

Tony gave him a very unimpressed glare before going back to the teenager. "It's dangerous. If you had been attacked by a shark would you stick up for it too?"

Peter tilted his head on his pillow, earnest voice breaking down Tony's will. "Sharks don't attack people unless they're forced to. Most of the time it's our fault for being in their space or for messing with their reefs. Plus, sharks don't actually like eating people. Most sharks bite surfers because they think they're turtles. That's why they only take one bite, cause we are so not what they ordered. So, yes. If a shark bit me I would make sure no one hurt it."

Tony covered his eyes with his hand, digging his fingers into his temples as he tried to keep his patience. Of course, he would say that. Why did he expect anything less?

A laugh bubbled up in his chest, falling from his mouth in a burst of giggles. "You are so consistent."

He dropped his hand, feeling considerably better than he had before. Classic Peter, helping in ways he didn't even know he was. "Fine. I won't kill it but we need to come up with a plan to keep you safe until Loki can find it's parents and send it back to them."

Peters breath hitched a little as he shifted in the bed and Tony quickly pulled his thin fingers from his shirt and held them tight instead. "You could tie me down? You have those reinforced cuffs, right?"

Bruce shook his head. "No, you'd just cause yourself more harm. After seeing what you did to your hand I have no doubt that you'd fight so hard you'd dislocate every joint in your arms until you got out. And I love you Pete but you're not humpty dumpty. I don't want to have to put you back together again."

Tony winced in sympathy as Peter looked down at his reconstructed hand and fingers, face paling as he grew nauseous just thinking about it. "I think we've had enough of that."

Peter nodded, eyes wide. "Yeah, me too. But how else are we going to stop it?"

Tony didn't say anything, not having a good answer. Loki had already told them that getting Peter away from the egg wouldn't matter. He could be on the other side of town and still do anything he could to get back to the egg which presented a very troubling image of Peter sleepwalking through traffic or off the side of a building.

Bruce hummed, looking at Tony from the corner of his eye as if embarrassed. "I may have an idea. It's...a little weird but we don't have many options so, you can't make fun of me for it."

Tony narrowed his eyes at him, promising nothing. "Noted. What is it?"

…

Tony shook his head, glaring at his friend. "You're an idiot. No, seriously for someone who has seven PHD's you're a real moron."

Bruce frowned at him, offended. "Tony-"

"This is ridiculous!"

Bruce glared at him, though Tony wasn't looking at him to appreciate it. "Do you have a better idea?"

Tony scowled, looking down the hallway at their work. "You know I don't."

Bruce raised his chin, annoyed. "Then, shut up."

Tony rolled his eyes so hard his head hurt, feeling absolutely ridiculous about their so-called 'plan'. He should have been able to think of something better, he was a genius for god sakes, but Bruce was right and they didn't exactly have a lot of options to choose from. But Peppermint? Really?

…

Bruce looked down at his watch, yawning as Tony took another sip of coffee. "He should be up soon. Friday recorded his first sleepwalk at around- Tony, you've had enough of that, put it down."

Tony scowled at his friend, sinking down into his plush leather sofa that he'd had Thor drag out into the hallway for them to sit in while they waited for the midnight showing of Peters sleepwalking.

"I'm a grown man, Brucie and if I want six cups of coffee I will have them."

Bruce nudged him with his elbow as he grumbled. "Yeah, and I'm the grown man that's going to have to save your ass when you have a coronary."

Tony smacked Bruce's arm back, the both of them wired and grumpy, next to the calm and smiling Thor, who rolled his giant, head-sized mug in his palms happily.

"I quite enjoy coffee. I even told Loki about it. Didn't I, brother?" He lifted one hand to slap on his brother's chest in comradery, spilling the god of mischiefs espresso from his tiny cup.

Loki jumped as the drink splashed over his lap, voice low and deadly. "Yes. You did."

Thor was still smiling as Loki drew his knives from his sleeves and pointed one at his brother's neck, grinning cheekily as he was about to give him a little warning cut.

Bruce suddenly whispered, interrupting Loki's plans as all four men looked to Peter's bedroom door in front of them. "He's coming. Shhh."

Loki sheathed his knives once more and leaned forward, eagerly watching as Peters door creaked open.

The kid's hair was ruffled, sticking up to the side from where he'd slept on it and his eyes were barely open but on he trudged. Bruce winced as he watched Peter shuffle forward, knowing how badly it would hurt when he woke. His poor burnt feet were wrapped in bandages with as much burn gel as he could get inside them.

He made his way out of his room, arm braced tightly in a sling, strapped to his chest so that he couldn't use it. He didn't seem to notice any of them sitting there watching him as he stumbled down the hallway towards the labs.

Except, he wouldn't get very far.

The four men stood from the couch, following quietly behind the teenager, Thor's voice low.

"How does this work, again? He doesn't like the smell of...candy?"

Peter wobbled down the hall, about to make a turn, when he scrunched his nose instead and turned his face away.

Bruce whispered back to the Asgardian, eyes glued to his patient. "Spiders don't like the smell of peppermint so, it can be used as a natural repellent. I was hoping it would work on Spider-man as well and it seems I was right. Tony, you owe me a ride in your suit."

Tony shook his head. "No way, you'll throw up in it on the first turn."

Bruce had been right though. Peter turned his face away and chose the path away from the labs, just like they'd planned and Tony grumbled begrudgingly.

"You can drive the Jaguar."

Bruce smiled, smug as Peter wobbled on his injured feet, down another turn.

The plan was going nicely, even if Peter had bumped into the wall a few times, making all four men "oooh" in sympathy for the kids broken fingers.

Tony gently steered Peter away from the wall and sent him back on course, right to the lounge that they had set up for him.

Thor patted Loki's back as they entered after Peter, voice low and excited. "Your turn, brother."

The god of mischief clicked his fingers, almost bored, as the room shimmered and melted into an image of the labs, complete with a containment unit and egg inside.

Only, this egg wasn't the egg that Peter was searching for. It had been enchanted by Loki to look like the real thing, with a little bit of heat to convince the sleepwalker that he had completed his mission.

Peter made his way to the giant egg and wrapped his good arm around it, using his strength to lift it easily from the projected table.

Tony had to admit he was impressed. He hadn't thought it would work but apparently, Bruce had been right when he'd proposed the idea.

"Peter and the egg don't have a psychic link, it's just the instinct to protect and warm it. So, all we have to do is convince him that he has the egg, there's no reason for him to actually get it. As long as he thinks it's the right one, it'll work."

Loki's mouth quirked up in a smile as he watched Peter waddle down the hallway with the fake egg, heading back to his room to protect and warm it.

Tony shook his head, smiling too as they carefully followed the kid. "Poor little guy. I know this is mean and I'm supposed to be his mentor and all but...Friday, record this, will you?"

The AI complied, security cameras sending the video to Tony's phone as it recorded Peter walking away with his prize.

Bruce frowned, whispering admonishingly. "Tony."

The mechanic shrugged, still laughing. "What? It's funny."

Thor chuckled beside him, wide smile lighting up his face. "It is quite amusing. Loki used to play tricks like this on me all the time. I remember one night, after a lengthy battle, he enchanted my nurse to look like a lovely maiden, with beautiful hair and magnificent bre-"

Tony cleared his throat, and Thor moved on. "Anyway, I was about to ask if she'd like to see Mjölnir when Loki lifted his charm and I realised I was being tended to by an argmendion ogre. He was not as friendly as Loki's charm made him out to be."

Loki snickered, proud of his trick. "That was a good one."

Bruce narrowed his eyes at the gods. "When you say you were about to show her...him, Mjölnir you do mean your hammer, right?"

Thor just smiled and Bruce shook his head. "Gross, man."

Tony smacked the back of his hand against Thor's giant bicep as Peter turned into his doorway. "Guys, look. I think it's worked."

Peter carried his egg over to his bed and set it down in the middle of the mattress, eyes blinking, glassy and tired. He climbed on top and curled up over the faux egg, like the mother Darr'mor would have to warm it. The men watched as Peter curled up around it and pulled his blankets to cover himself and his egg before he sighed contentedly and fell back to sleep.

Bruce smiled. "See, I told you it would work. No damage this time."

Tony looked down at his phone, laughing under his breath. "Yeah, except for this video. I'm so sending this to Ned."

….

Peter woke slowly, pain registering as his dreams dissipated. He hadn't had any of his normal dreams, like the ones where he fought with the Avengers or even the decathlon he was forced to go to naked and with no warning that he'd have to answer the questions in French.

It had been something about a beautiful woman who turned into...Thor swinging his hammer around? He'd never had that one before.

Peter blinked his eyes open, grunting as his feet burned and his arm ached. When had his bed gotten so damn uncomfortable? What was he laying on?

A familiar voice met his ears then, warmed with barely contained laughter. "You okay there, Pete?"

Peter looked over to where the avenger was sitting in a chair at the end of his bed. "Mr Stark? What are you doing in here? Why do I hurt so much?"

Tony pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh at the poor boy as he pointed to what Peter was curled on top of. "You uh, you went for a little wander last night and we couldn't have you getting hurt again so...we gave you what you wanted. Kind of."

Peter looked down, frowning in confusion. A small squeak left his mouth and Tony couldn't hold it in any longer and he burst out laughing.

"Mr Stark? Why the hell am I snuggling with a watermelon?"

After Tony had finished laughing they made their way back to the real egg in the lab, where Loki was lounging on a chair, cutting up fruit as if there weren't poisonous chemicals all around him.

He smiled when the two walked in. Well, Tony walked in, Peter was carried by Thor so that he wouldn't have to hurt his feet. Loki lifted an apple, eyes lit with amusement. "Good morning, Parker. Would you like this apple? Or how about this pear? Does it look particularly cuddly to you?"

Thor held Peter in a bridal carry, one-handed, and used his other to shove Loki so hard he fell off his chair and onto the floor.

"Shut up, Loki."

Loki recovered, getting off the ground and brushing himself off as Thor placed Peter down in a chair.

Bruce looked up from his computer, equations and calculations running through his head. "Loki, have you located the eggs parents yet? Can we send it back to them now?"

The Asgardian in question went back to cutting his fruit, languidly leaning against the bench as he answered, not bothering to look up. "I found them yesterday, a little after you told me the plan for last night."

Tony's jaw dropped, eyebrows burrowing towards his eyes as he glared, voice hard. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have already sent it back by now!"

Loki shrugged, uncaring of Tony's anger. "The plan sounded amusing. I didn't want to miss it. And I was right, it was very funny."

The god laughed, unaware of the chair Thor had thrown as it soared towards his face.