[Dinoplot - Day 2]

[wildlyconflicted]

Without a doubt, the last 24 hours have been the most miserable of Pepper's life. To think, she'd believed that time she had been trapped in an elevator with Tony, a Vegas showgirl and a chihuahua had been bad. Right now, she'd give anything to be back in that metal box with Amber and Mr. Winky.

The dinosaur that had initiated their group into this mess had eventually gone away, although the four of them had remained treed for at least another hour before daring to climb down. Determining which way to walk had been an impossibility, the sun all but completely obscured by thick, ugly cloud cover as the rain continued. It seemed hours they'd trudged along at a snail's pace, trying to keep the baby quiet and jumping at every errant twig snap, and Pepper can't say for sure they weren't just walking in circles.

The night they spent in another tree, and Pepper had assigned rotating watch duty, although the only one of them who got any real sleep at all was the toddler. They've been hiking through mud and rain since this morning, Cooper, Rachel and herself taking turns carrying the little one. Pepper's beginning to think this may be Hell.

Comments

[sluttylyingliar.livejournal.com]

So...this is awkward. Rachel hangs back under the thick canopy of the trees and decides to just watch this go down. Pepper deserves a nervous breakdown and she's still pretty sure she's going to get a ride at the end of all this.

[notawastedlife]

So... this was awkward. To be a part of. Tony supposed it was deserved, he wasn't the easiest man in the world (well, depending on what sense you meant it in), but still. Awkward.

He let the visor open and gingerly tried to catch her upper arms without gripping any tighter than he would if, say, he wasn't wearing a suit of armor that augmented his strength significantly.

"Hey," he said, "Hey. Easy now. Could we save the smacking for... later? Or the dinosaurs? Later. Let me get you... two... home, and you can smack me around all you want."

[wildlyconflicted]

Still frowning, Pepper lets out a heavy huff but doesn't reply aside from staring up at Tony with eyes much more woeful than angry, which for now probably says enough. For a long, tense moment she simply stands like that, then jerks a look over her shoulder to Rachel.

"Let's go."

[sluttylyingliar.livejournal.com]

Rachel scurries, there really is no better word for it, scurries over as fast and silent as she can, shooting the robot guy a quick look not to piss Pepper off anymore than he already had.

"Okay, so just...hang on, then?" she asks quietly.

[notawastedlife]

"Tightly," Tony said, "hang on... tightly. I'll keep a hold of you, but I need one hand to steer, so..."

He dropped his hands from Pepper's arms, since she'd let up with the hitting, now, and was less likely to injure her hands, and gestured that both of them should step into the space between his upheld arm and body.

[wildlyconflicted]

Holding on tight is easier said than done, especially in the rain, but somehow Pepper isn't remotely worried about that part of it. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tony isn't going to drop either of them, although that doesn't make the concept of being flown back home like this any less daunting. She tucks herself against the suit, cheek pressed to cold metal, and just stares at the pale glow of the arc reactor.

[sluttylyingliar.livejournal.com]

Rachel sort of shuffles in there, trying not to squish Pepper as she wraps her arms around the giant robot arm. This is just...so strange.

"Shit, okay. Shit."

[notawastedlife]

"Please make sure your tray tables are- ah, just hold on," Tony said, and fired up the repulsors, lifting them straight up to hover for a moment as he steadied with the one hand he had, before shooting to above the treeline.

Once there he swooped to horizontal, keeping at what he thought was a reasonable pace for someone with healthy, non-child passengers.

Tony's perception of reasonable pace did not always line up with that of others.

(In particular, traffic officers. People who liked their windows not shattered by sonic booms. Unreasoable people, in other words.)

[wildlyconflicted]

Being able to actually see what's going on is nigh on impossible, Pepper's eyes watering if she turns into the wind. Her hair had been loose and if she opens her mouth she finds herself eating it. The worst, though, is the rain, which was annoying before but stings now that they're zipping through it like a bullet train.

"Not everyone is wearing armor here!" she hollers, although she can't be certain she can be heard at all with the way the wind is whipping over them.

[sluttylyingliar.livejournal.com]

Rachel would throw up, if she had anything in her stomach to do so. Instead, she settles on a mixture of panicked screams and clinging. It feels like she's going to die of a heart attack or exposure before they're going to get anywhere and she squeezes her eyes shut, hoping it'll just be over soon.

[notawastedlife]

Unsure of where Pepper's companion was meant to be deposited, and figuring they should have someone check them over anyway -- more than just a scan with Jarvis's sensors, at least -- he made for the compound, coming around in a wide descending circle to land with care that belied how fast he'd been going moments before.

Once he was sure they were on their feet and fairly steady he stepped back, because there were some queasy looks going about and he didn't want vomit on the suit. It'd clean off, but he'd always know it was there.

[wildlyconflicted]

Momentarily disoriented, Pepper took half a stumbling step back and then caught hold to Rachel in an effort to steady them both. Just being outside of the Compound was a relief, and for the moment all she could think of was getting a hot shower and something to eat.

"Please go take that off now," she pleas to Tony as she ushers Rachel inside.

[sluttylyingliar.livejournal.com]

Rachel heads in unsteadily, hovering in the doorway to make sure Pepper was actually coming in. There are people swarming around, fairly chaotically, and she just blinks at everyone. Everything is just completely surreal.