Rune Etched Dart

December 23, 2015:

Pepper has a surprise visitor on the ledge outside her window

Stark Towers - New York

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

There's an overly large raven caught in the eddies outside Stark Tower, that Pepper can see should she look outside. Should anyone look carefully, or not so carefully, there's an arrow caught in its wing.

The bird banks, flaps feebly and struggles to make the ledge outside Peppers window, beak pecking weakly on the pane as it slumps to its side.


With all of the highly reflective surfaces in her office, there is no way that Pepper did NOT see that raven. And by the time it's settled on the ledge outside her window, Pepper has told JARVIS to unlatch the window. She pushes her chair up under the window then opens it carefully, trying to not startle the bird.


As the window opens, the birds struggles weakly, but does startle. Pepper will make out the arrow, more like a dart than a full blown arrow, caught in it's wing. From a distance, it seems like the dart is made from a wood and seems to have something inscribed upon it.

Lifting its head, the birds eyes fix on Pepper and it caws softly …

Pepper can pick up and take it inside….


Pepper Potts hesitates, then reaches to move the bird from the windowsill to the seat of her chair as gently as possible before pushing the chair slowly clear of the window. Once it's clear, she closes the window. "JARVIS? What happened here? How do I..?" She's tempted to call someone — anyone — who might know how to get an arrow out of a living body without making the damage worse. Maybe someone at an archery range? Or… Mr. Gleason!


The bird looks weakly at Pepper and then starts to peck at the arrow. Clearly it wants it out and it wants it out.

Careful inspection will show that, the arrow can be withdrawn, it will cause some bleeding but given the birds insistence, Pepper should just do it …


No hunting arrowhead, just a sharpened point? Oh thank god. She hastily rushes to get the first aid kit from her private washroom, then gets out a wad of gauze and with that in her hand carefully supports the bird's wing before visibly cringing as she pulls the arrow steadily but not overly quickly. Please don't snag on something. Please don't snag on something. She's too freaked out to really realize how … rational the raven is being.


The arrow drags, catching as Pepper withdraws it but with careful manipulation it is soon free and the raven seems to breath a sigh relief sagging on the chair, panting.

With blood oozing from the wound, one might be worried that the poor creature might meet its demise … but the bird raises itself and hops off of Peppers chair, slowly transforming as it does.

Between one moment and the next, first theres the wounded raven and then there is Astryd, strawberry blonde hair shrouding her face, a wound under her left arm, oozing blood "Thank, Lady Pepper." the tone is low, the hint of pain evident "I couldn't shift while that thing was there."


Pepper Potts grimaces, drops the arrow the moment it's free, and then just gapes as the raven becomes Astryd. "What the…" Thankfully, she recovers quickly enough and tosses the handful of gauze aside to pull a fresh batch. "Here, let me help." She's reaching to try and do something about that wound.


Astryd sways on her feet, as a raven she had lost a lot of blood. As Pepper reaches to address the wound, she turns to expose the side, lifting the tunic so the wound can be seen.

"Clear the blood, rinse the wound in saline and put a dressing over it…" the Valkyrie instructs and only barely remembers to add "please."

Gazing down at the dart, waiting for Pepper to finish her ministrations, the Goddess frowns "That … should not have caused me so much trouble." No mention yet of how she had come to be pierced.


Pepper Potts does the best she can, considering her first aid skills are limited to dealing with Tony's workshop accidents. "What happened? How did you get shot?"

She's keeping her calm for the moment, but she can already feel it — she's going to fall apart spectacularly as soon as she calms down.


"Reconnaissance" Astryd replies to Pepper as she dresses the wound. "I came across some people who wished to detain me, rather than kill." Gesturing to the dart on the ground, she puts her free hand on Peppers desk waiting for the woman to finish.

When the wound is dressed, Astryd bends to scoop up the dart and inspects it. Pepper can clearly see it now, it's covered in runes. Runes that are painstakingly etched in the shaft … and Pepper may recognise them as Asgardian.


Pepper Potts blinks at the dart — it looks much smaller now that it's not stuck in a bird's wing — and the runes inscribed on it. "They made that specifically to catch you. That's…" She reaches to rub her forehead, but stops and looks at her hand for a moment before heading toward the washroom.


"…. clever." Astryd finishes Peppers statement for her, as she turns the dart over in her hands, still inspecting the runes etched so finely on the thin wooden bolt. "The bolt is made of Rowan and these runes…" the grey eyed takes a seat and watches as Pepper heads to the washroom "are ones of binding and weakness. Though sloppily done. Had more than one of these hit me…."

Had the runes been carved with more care, Astryd could well in the hands of her enemy. "My thanks for opening that window, Pepper. You … I can see why Fenris trusts you."


Pepper Potts leaves the washroom door open while she washes her hands. "Well, I'll be honest with you. This is not the first time I've had a random visitor arrived with injuries. JARVIS, please postpone my next conference call by fifteen minutes, and see if there's a spare room on the residential floor."

"Postponed, Miss Potts, and there is a suite available on the same floor as Mr. Reha."

"Perfect. Thank you, JARVIS."


Astryd glances up at the disembodied voice and then looks to Pepper as she speaks with it… She might be Asgardian and potentially unused to such marvels, but she's been on Midgard for hundreds of years "Is your assistant listening to everything we say, Pepper?" of course … JARVIS has to be an assistant, not an AI … not with that level of sentience.

"Residential room? It's not needed…" the pale, ashen woman demurs although there's a flicker of recognition for Jims name "… I just need a little to recover…." Which is probably why Pepper asked for the suite.


Pepper Potts returns still drying her hands on a towel. "Yes, it is. You need to rest and give yourself a chance to recover. And while I wouldn't at all mind if you just lay down here on my couch, I think you'll be far more comfortable in a proper bed. IF you're feeling up to it, I can show you to the suite now."

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