That's it for this week. Tune in next Friday for the exciting continuation of Pepper versus the Black Knight!
A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.
Tom Hanks
Pepper stood at the edge of the forest and swallowed hard, once, twice, thrice. She felt the same way that she felt before any battle, nervous, excited, sweat pooling at the base of her spine, palms itching lightly. Tigliath growled low at her side and she felt slightly comforted.
Is this the first time I am going into a fight without Tony by my side? She recalled her memories and nodded to herself. Yes it is... okay Pepper, don't panic! You can do this. Come on! You have to do this! Tony could be hurt or injured or...
She swallowed hard again, not wanting to complete her own thought.
She grabbed the sword hilt at her belt, to assure herself she was armed. When she had returned to Stark Keep, Pepper had been at a loss for what armor to wear. She usually would have worn leather or light chain mail but her instinct had kept telling her, this was going to be a fight like no other.
So when the serpentine voice had told her to wear Tony's armor, initially she had balked but then the voice had told her firmly that she had to because Tony needed her help.
The voice had returned at intermittent intervals and Pepper was starting to think she was talking to Tony's Dragon of Ryunn. Which just increased her fear of what had happened to him.
So she had grudgingly tried on Tony's chest plate. It hung on her because he was obviously broader than her but it would definitely protect her. She just walked a little stiffly, in order to bear its weight.
Pepper had refused to wear Tony's gauntlets or helmet or leg guards because she did not want to wear herself down with too much armor. She had her own broadsword and round shield.
I feel like a walking iron castle but I know... the chest plate will deflect any sword blows...
She looked at Tigliath who was clearly in the mood for a fight. Jarvis had thankfully found the big cat's armor set and they had fitted it on him. Jarvis had objected to Pepper going alone but there was no time to look for Happy and she did not want to take Jarvis either, so she had insisted she would at least start the fight, while Jarvis tried to fetch Happy.
Pepper tied her long hair into a neat bun, unsheathed her sword and walked into the forest. Tigliath had taken the lead and she followed him stealthily. As she walked, she went through the pre-battle routine that Tony and her would normally do together.
Hands loose, feet loose and limber... sword balanced, she moved the sword quickly from one hand to the other, I favor my right hand... she stretched out her hand with the sword and swung it in an arc.
I cleave, I cut, she took a step back and thrust the sword forward powerfully, I stab...
Then she sighed deeply and whispered to herself, "May your blade meet every target true."
Tony would always say this to her but this time, she had to say it to herself.
Pepper saw that Tigliath was leading her towards the meadow Tony had shown her. The flat grassy patch where the mighty oak fell during a thunderstorm... the one with the dead trunk in the middle...
She slowed down and held her sword in front of her. Tigliath's fur was raised on his back and he was growling viciously now. Pepper looked ahead as the meadow came into view, the afternoon sun shining down on the grass.
She gasped as she saw Tony between two tall trees, at the edge of the clearing. His arms were chained to their trunks and he was on his knees, his head bent on his bare chest.
"His Arc... am I too far away? Why is it so shining so dimly... wait! Tony!"
She yelled, "Tony! Tony! Are you alright?! I am coming!"
As she stepped out onto the flat grass, ready to break into a run, he lifted his head, stared at her in shock, then yelled back in warning, "Pepper! Don't! It is a trap! Pepper, go back! Run away!
She stopped in place, heart thumping, brain dimly registering Tony's bruised face. Something red was twinkling at her from the tree he was chained to but she couldn't make out what it was.
"Tony?!" She asked hesitantly, Tigliath growling angrily by her side. Even the big cat did not take a step forward and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight.
Then she saw something huge and dark emerge from the shadows behind Tony. "Tony!" she yelled as a tall figure pulled him by his neck painfully and made him stand.
Tony yelled back at her, "Pepper! Watch your flank! Watch you-"
His words were cut off because the figure punched him hard in his sides and he wheezed and sagged against his chains.
She screamed in anger and raised her sword at the dark figure. "Hey! Why don't you come out here and fight me! You coward! Come on!"
The figure stepped out from the shrubbery and she gulped as she saw a muscular, tall hooded man, wearing a black tunic with a red symbol painted on it. He had a huge axe in his massive gloved hand and with the other, he pulled Tony's head back hard.
This made Pepper see red. Her palms were burning hot now and she snarled at the figure. The man raised his gloved hand and crooked three fingers at her in a come-hither gesture.
She stepped forward and Tony yelled again, "Pepper! Don't! He's not human!"
The figure just stood still. Then Pepper gasped as she saw four soldiers, dressed in black, faces covered by helmets, emerge slowly from the bushes around the meadow.
Tigliath growled and she said tightly, "Easy boy... we got this."
One of them shot an arrow straight at her and she blocked it easily with her shield. Then he ran towards her, knife raised and Pepper blocked the blow with her shield.
She pushed the soldier with her shield and when he backed away, chest exposed, she stabbed him through the chest in a single, clean blow. He fell to the ground and Pepper caught her breath. The other soldiers just stood there, weapons lowered and she heard someone clapping loudly.
It was the dark figure, by Tony's side. He was clapping at her jeeringly and she scowled at him. Then he spoke in a deep, slightly foreign voice, "Well done! Well done! First blood drawn! I must say Stark," he shook Tony by the neck firmly, "you have trained your Lady well."
Then he laughed maliciously, the sound muffled by his large hood that obscured his face.
He knows Tony?! Who is he? What does he want with us? No time for that now... she noted as the soldiers raised their weapons and began to close in on her.
Pepper assumed a defensive position, Tigliath crouching menacingly by her side. "Well," she said firmly, "Come on boys, let's dance!"
Tigliath struck out with his paws, guarding her back and she in turn, minding his. Two were in front of her, one faced Tigliath behind her. She blocked the first one's axe with her shield, then clashed swords with the second. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the axeman come towards her side, so she pushed the swordsman away and turned to dodge the axe.
It missed her narrowly but she was close to the axeman, so she nimbly shoved her elbow in his face. Pepper heard a snapping sound and hoped it was the man's nose.
Tigliath was busy taking on the other soldier, so she left axeman moaning there for a second and parried swordsman with her shield.
He fell for her parry and she shoved her sword viciously through his chest and pulled it out. He fell to the ground as well and Pepper turned to face the axeman. Except there was another soldier standing next to him, crossbow raised.
Pepper swallowed hard, feeling her heart slow with dread.
Is my mind playing tricks on me? Didn't I stab this man in the chest? Didn't I see him fall?
The crossbowman shot an arrow straight at her and she stepped sideways just in time. It grazed her ribs and would have cut her deeply but Tony's steel armor protected her.
She absently tapped the steel lid of the Arc in the armor and raised her shield. Pepper was feeling tired now, the hot sun, Tony's heavy armor and the need to keep holding the shield up, all contributing to her fatigue. She recounted the men quickly, as they circled her, trying to make sense of who she had killed and whom she hadn't.
Crossbowman, pikeman, he's the one who faced Tigliath... I distinctly stabbed someone, then axeman and swordsman... I killed swordsman...
She looked down at her sword and once again, a feeling of dread crossed her. There is no blood on my sword... how... how is that possible?
As if he understood her confusion and wanted to answer her, the crossbowman tugged off his helmet and Pepper shrieked with horror.
"He... it... where is his face?! Oh my god! What foul sorcery is this! Good Lord!"
The soldier in front of her, had an eggshell colored head but it literally had no face, no ears or eyes or any facial features for that matter. With its neat round hairless head, it looked like a freshly painted staircase banister, its whiteness shining.
It tilted its neck at her slightly and she screamed at its appearance, the blank whiteness of its empty face frightening her.
The axeman did the the same with his helmet. Tigliath growled in response to her scream and Pepper tried to calm herself.
"Pepper!" She heard Tony yell. "Pepper! Use your power! They aren't human! Blast them away, Pepper, you can fight them, do not fear them!"
The dark figure who had been leaning forward on his axe, straightened, turned towards Tony and boxed him hard on the jaw, exclaiming loudly, "That's enough chatter from you, Stark!"
Pepper saw Tony's head loll on his shoulders as he seemed to have been knocked out cold. The sight of him beaten and bloodied, filled her with rage and anger.
Her vision turned orange and her palms turned deathly warm. She pulled off her gloves and clenched her fists with anger. There was a warmth flowing through her and she suddenly felt a fiery blaze light up in her chest.
She remembered the day they trained together, when the fire being came from her.
Tony had called it a Phoenix...
She concentrated on the memory of the fiery winged beast, its magnificent tail streaming behind it in a glorious blaze and felt her heart race.
She absently noted that one of the faceless ones had brought out a small beaker of brown, goo-colored liquid and was swirling it lightly.
Pepper felt calm, composed and focused. She could feel the Phoenix surge through her, shrieking now.
It whispered firmly to her, We are one, you and I, we are one, two sides of the same coin, we come from the fire and we return to it. It shall burn all those who hurt what we love...
"Yes," she whispered back. "Yes."
