Like Tony, Pepper is loathe to leave, but she can't exactly help Valdis if she can hardly stand up straight. That, and her lungs are informing her that she's about to lose the battle with staying conscious if she sits here any longer. Although the stinging smoke is making her eyes stream with tears, Pepper can still see that Cain's back is no longer the charred mess she had seen.

"Wha -!" Pepper catches what Tony says, and she's about to demand an explanation when he yanks her off the floor. The vertigo immediately gets worse, but having Tony next to her keeps her from falling again.

Pepper glances over her shoulder as they duck out of the flaming room, hoping against hope that Valdis and Cain are following behind them.