She tightened her grip on the statuette, swallowed as she crept further from the room she’d been held in.  Anyone could appear, Killian or some henchmen, maybe that man that Happy had so mistrusted, and she kept her eyes ahead for that reason.  But as it turned out, the shock would come from behind, forcing Pepper to turn sharply when Natasha called her name.

“Stay away from me!”  The words were out of her mouth before she got a good look at the speaker, the makeshift weapon raised threateningly.  But fear gave way to confusion when Pepper recognized the other person in the hall, someone who she hadn’t expected to see there.

“Agent Romanoff?"  That got Pepper to lower the statuette, though she didn't drop it completely.  "What--what are you doing here?"