Saving Grace

Seventy One

Pepper called Tony as soon as she got home, with Grace standing next to her. Happy was on the other side of the room, worried as the rest of them. Rhodey was still dealing with things elsewhere, but Grace told him what Tony said. Peter still hadn't shown.

Bruce came not long after, and Grace hugged him, a few tears falling. He told them the whole story — Thanos attacking a ship full of homeless Asguardians, Thor, and, shockingly, Loki, then Doctor Strange and Wong, the spaceship and the aliens, calling Steve from Tony's dropped phone.

He also mentioned a new hero fighting with Tony, one he only got a glimpse of but never spoke to. He was in a red and blue suit with what Bruce thought was a spider on the front.

Grace nodded, hopefully saying, "Yeah, yeah, that's Peter. That's Spider-Man. Do you know where he is?"

Bruce shook his head. "No. Tony sent him to follow Strange last I heard, and Strange went up on the ship."

"But Dad said he sent Peter back here. And he isn't here."

Bruce didn't know what to tell her.

Nearly an hour has passed since then with nothing new. Peter still isn't back, and Grace has suggested going out to look for him more than once, but everyone else insists that they stay there. She suspects Peter did what her dad first told him to do — follow Strange — but it's likely her dad doesn't know about it. Or, at least, he didn't when he was on the phone.

Pepper has gone to her room, on the phone with people from the media, answering questions about Tony and his disappearance. Happy is dealing with security matters.

Rhodey, meanwhile, is talking with a board of members of the government and military via projection, and Grace is sitting there, out of sight but listening.

"Still no word from Vision?" Secretary Ross asks. He's leading everything.

"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh," Rhodey replies.

Ross adds, "On a stolen Quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals."

Rhodey sighs. "You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?"

It's then that Grace spots a Quinjet — the Quinjet — landing outside through the window, and Ross' next words barely reach her ears.

"Rhodes, your talent for bullcrap rivals my own."

"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here," Rhodey replies as Grace stands, heading for that jet, knowing who must be on it. But she doesn't have to go far; they meet her halfway, already inside the building.

Nat, Wanda, Steve, Vision, and Sam. Vision is being supported by Sam. Nat's hair is blonde. Cut short, in a bob. Steve has a full beard.

"Where's Rhodes?" he asks Grace, not exactly meeting her eye. Wordlessly, filled with worry and happiness all at the same time, she turns and leads them back to where she was before.

"You have second thoughts?" Secretary Ross is asking Rhodey.

He looks up, spots them all entering the room, then turns back to Ross. "Not anymore."

Steve, Nat, Wanda, Vision, and Sam all step forward, into Ross' line of sight. "Mr. Secretary."

Ross stands there, silent for a moment. And then he approaches the group. "You got some nerve. I'll give you that."