067; Hero (for newagedavinci)
Note: While this is a prompt for my hundred fic challenge, it is also an event in the Time for Cocktails timeline. This is backdated to 04 July wherein a battle ensued at the Stark Expo between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko's drones during the fireworks display, destroying the Oracle dome and an adjacent structure. The following events are in-character and part of the verse.
It's said that time slows down in times of crisis. Pepper never gave it much thought before a blinding flash of white hot light flared. A deafening boom followed like thunder after lightening, ripping through both ground and air with enough violence to send her flying across what was left of the Oracle dome. She hit the ground hard, sliding through shards of glass that rained down mere minutes before. The sting of a thousand tiny cuts tore through her thoughts until Pepper slammed into the remnants of wall. Air rushed from her lungs and pain lanced through chest leaving her gasping for breath.
The world swam slowly back into view, her head throbbing as her eyes strained to focus. A ringing in her ears muffled the on-going sounds of the raging battle and the distant pop of fireworks. She was almost thankful for that, her head hurt so badly. Her lashes fluttered and Pepper tried to push herself up, but a blinding pain shot up her spine. Stars flashed before her eyes and her hand slipped in bloody glass, causing more of it to bite into her side and face.
The short fall back to the floor sparked a new hurt stabbing through her. It was all she could do to stay still and breathe. Helpless, Pepper watched in seeming slow motion the people around her trying to recover. Some were bruised and bloodied, groaning in pain on the ground. Some were trying to pull themselves to their feet. Some were still fleeing, trampling those who couldn't move underfoot while others stared back at her with blank, dead eyes. The muted roar of repulsors sounded closer and an ominous rumble shook the ground beneath her. Pepper strained to look skyward in time to see what was left of the building tumbling down.
Her heart raced and every sensation heightened, just like it had when she'd stared down Obadiah's weaponised suit two years before. Just like in Monaco when the car in which she sat was being thrashed to shreds. Tony had been her hero then. In the nick of time, he'd swooped in and drawn Stane's fire from her. Just in time, he'd stopped Vanko from delivering another blow that would've cut her and Happy apart. He'd saved her, then. Even now as Pepper watched the rubble plummeting toward her, she found herself thinking Tony would be her hero. Just like before, just like he always was. She knew he would be with an unwavering faith rooted in her bones.
She didn't know how much concrete and steel buried her or for how long she screamed, if she even screamed at all. Pepper thought there would be more pain. For a single, maddening moment it was unbearable. Then warmth radiated through her broken frame followed by a chilling cold and then... nothing. Absolutely nothing. There should have been more pain. She watched with a numb detachment as her hands scrabbled, trying in vain to free herself from the rubble. A thousand questions assaulted her mind: Why was there blood on her hands? Whose was it? Hers? When did she... Oh, yes, from the glass. Why didn't it hurt? God, was she going to die like this?
The familiar sound of repulsors drew Pepper from her mind. A blur of red and gold touched down heavily just as tears spilled from her eyes. Did he stagger or was it just her teary vision that made him wobble. The visor of his helmet opened and he stared down at her for what seemed like hours. He looked so... Pepper couldn't recall him ever looking so sad. She tried to smile and finally he dropped beside her. She reached out a hand, blood bathing the bright glow of the arc reactor red. It was so hard to move, so exhausting.
It hurt so much to breathe. At least something felt like it should. Pepper reached up higher to press he hand to Tony's cheek. Why did he have to look at her like that? Darkness closed in around her, fading her vision quickly. "Tony... Knew you'd find me," she rasped. "You're my hero..." Before the words even died on her lips, Pepper's eyes fluttered closed, the faint smile vanished, and her hand fell listlessly to the floor.
It's said that time slows down in times of crisis. Pepper never gave it much thought before a blinding flash of white hot light flared. A deafening boom followed like thunder after lightening, ripping through both ground and air with enough violence to send her flying across what was left of the Oracle dome. She hit the ground hard, sliding through shards of glass that rained down mere minutes before. The sting of a thousand tiny cuts tore through her thoughts until Pepper slammed into the remnants of wall. Air rushed from her lungs and pain lanced through chest leaving her gasping for breath.
The world swam slowly back into view, her head throbbing as her eyes strained to focus. A ringing in her ears muffled the on-going sounds of the raging battle and the distant pop of fireworks. She was almost thankful for that, her head hurt so badly. Her lashes fluttered and Pepper tried to push herself up, but a blinding pain shot up her spine. Stars flashed before her eyes and her hand slipped in bloody glass, causing more of it to bite into her side and face.
The short fall back to the floor sparked a new hurt stabbing through her. It was all she could do to stay still and breathe. Helpless, Pepper watched in seeming slow motion the people around her trying to recover. Some were bruised and bloodied, groaning in pain on the ground. Some were trying to pull themselves to their feet. Some were still fleeing, trampling those who couldn't move underfoot while others stared back at her with blank, dead eyes. The muted roar of repulsors sounded closer and an ominous rumble shook the ground beneath her. Pepper strained to look skyward in time to see what was left of the building tumbling down.
Her heart raced and every sensation heightened, just like it had when she'd stared down Obadiah's weaponised suit two years before. Just like in Monaco when the car in which she sat was being thrashed to shreds. Tony had been her hero then. In the nick of time, he'd swooped in and drawn Stane's fire from her. Just in time, he'd stopped Vanko from delivering another blow that would've cut her and Happy apart. He'd saved her, then. Even now as Pepper watched the rubble plummeting toward her, she found herself thinking Tony would be her hero. Just like before, just like he always was. She knew he would be with an unwavering faith rooted in her bones.
She didn't know how much concrete and steel buried her or for how long she screamed, if she even screamed at all. Pepper thought there would be more pain. For a single, maddening moment it was unbearable. Then warmth radiated through her broken frame followed by a chilling cold and then... nothing. Absolutely nothing. There should have been more pain. She watched with a numb detachment as her hands scrabbled, trying in vain to free herself from the rubble. A thousand questions assaulted her mind: Why was there blood on her hands? Whose was it? Hers? When did she... Oh, yes, from the glass. Why didn't it hurt? God, was she going to die like this?
The familiar sound of repulsors drew Pepper from her mind. A blur of red and gold touched down heavily just as tears spilled from her eyes. Did he stagger or was it just her teary vision that made him wobble. The visor of his helmet opened and he stared down at her for what seemed like hours. He looked so... Pepper couldn't recall him ever looking so sad. She tried to smile and finally he dropped beside her. She reached out a hand, blood bathing the bright glow of the arc reactor red. It was so hard to move, so exhausting.
It hurt so much to breathe. At least something felt like it should. Pepper reached up higher to press he hand to Tony's cheek. Why did he have to look at her like that? Darkness closed in around her, fading her vision quickly. "Tony... Knew you'd find me," she rasped. "You're my hero..." Before the words even died on her lips, Pepper's eyes fluttered closed, the faint smile vanished, and her hand fell listlessly to the floor.