Well, okay, true. But he can look out for himself, Valdis, gosh.

Tony's heart leaps in relief when he hears Pepper's voice. "We're here!" he calls back. "Get Cain and get out!" Getting out is the priority right now - they can't waste time trying to regroup in all of this.

"Be easier if you got off me," Tony grumbles in a lower voice when Valdis tells him to go. But he's not going to wait for around for her to heal enough to be mobile again. He squirms out from under her and looks around, trying to see Pepper, or an exit, through the smoke.

Then he hears a sob of agony behind him, and looks back. "Valdis?" She... doesn't look so good. There's a gaping wound in her side that's pouring blood, and Tony doesn't see any signs of it closing up.

"Hey," he croaks, feeling a stirring of concern, "shouldn't you be healing faster?"