Pepper didn’t bother looking at the security camera when
she heard the knock, instead she just reached back and hit the release key for
the doors. With a slight buzz the doors
unlocked and Happy walked in. The office
had been converted into a war room and studio apartment. Pepper stood behind the desk looking out the
windows. The feint hum told him that
they blast screen systems were up and running here.
“How are things going in the halls?” Pepper asked with an
exhausted sigh.
“Pretty good ma’am,” Happy said.
“Happy,” Pepper sighed again.
“Ok Pepper…” Happy sighed this time, “People aren’t
thrilled at the diet we got them on… but we should be able to hold out for a
long time. Security is still solid… Good
call activating House Party…”
“I hope we can keep the drones in the field and not have
to send our people out…”
“We are recycling everything possible Pepper,” Happy
said, “People realize that comfort is less important than keeping the Legion in
the field and the armies off our walls.
Our big advantage is the Arc Reactors.”
“Even those have limits,” Pepper said, “Tony keeps
getting reminded of that the hard way.”
“We still have solar and a few people have rigged wind
turbines on the roof to help out,” Happy noted.
“Eighty percent untouched, ten percent are operational…”
Happy started.
“And ten percent dead…” Pepper finished the thought.
“They have been pulled to help rebuild Armors.”
“Soo,” Pepper turned around and looked Happy in the eyes,
“What do you not want to tell me?”
“I have heard the same thing a few times in the halls when
people think I can’t hear them,” Happy looked at his shoes, “Pepper the First,
The Iron Queen of the House of Stark.”
Both broke into light chuckles. A nervous laughter passed throw them.
“Seriously?” Pepper said looking at her Rescue Armor, “We
are in another dimension and people are making Game of Thrones jokes?”
“Well your majesty…” Happy chuckled a second longer, “That
leads me to my second concern, when was the last time you went near a can
opener and had a shower?”
“Fine,” Pepper said, “Help me out here. System extraction mode engage.”
Happy moved behind the opened back of the armor and
helped Pepper get free of the contraption.
She was in little more than a sports bra and panty by now, but she
clearly needed a shower and the armor needed to be cleaned out.
“Come, send this one down to get washed out and send up
another suit… We need to check you for sores,” Happy said, “Even Tony has to
take off his armor from time to time.”
“Systems,” Pepper called out, “Send Rescue Mark 3 to maintenance
for sanitation and bring up Rescue Mark 2.”
*
The sight of the unmanned Ironman armors walking around
had become almost common in this twisted nightmare of existence… But what was
of note was that it was the hollowed faceless feminine form of one of Pepper
Pott’s Rescue Armors. That intrigued the
dark haired woman greatly… Ophelia Sarkissian, alias Viper, Madame Hydra, and
other, took note of the changing of the armor.
She had taken notes of everything since she had infiltrated Stark Tower
just before it had vanished from Earth and ended up where ever here was. So far she had learned things that would make
her rich beyond belief is she could get back and sell them to AIM or Hydra… but
for now she was just stuck here with the others trying to survive the sieges.
“Sacrificing Osborne was worth it,” Ophelia muttered to
herself before she went back to work.
She had convinced Osborne to put on his Green Goblin
nonsense when word of the Thanos expedition had broken and while she sneaked
inside to record the tower’s defenses Osborne was meant to attack. But she had watched as he bounced off the shielding
and was torn to particles when the Tower had transported from New York City to
well, where ever here was. His death was
ultimately pointless as the locals had marched out armies of their own with the
intent of razing the tower and Ophelia had taken notes of the defenses. Now it was a question of waiting until Stark
or Richards found a way to bring them back to Earth!