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『 eight. THE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD CHRISTMAS EVE 』
CHRISTMAS HAD ALWAYS BEEN A HARD YEAR FOR THE KEENERS. Hallie had hoped and prayed that this year would be better. And it lived up to expectations. Well, to the expectations that she knew was really going to happen. Perhaps even lower. After all, this Christmas someone had broken into their home, they met several homicidal maniacs, and Hallie had been shot. It definitely made it a horrible, no good, very bad Christmas. That was only going to get worse.
"Kid, hey," someone said shaking her shoulder. "Come on, stop playing dead. It's not cool." Hallie groaned, turning over to face the source of the voice and the person disturbing her sleep to see Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit with his face plate revealing his face.
Still lying on the ground she said, "This is payback for hitting you with the baseball bat, isn't it?"
"Yeah, sure, lets call it that. I'm gonna get Pepper, I need you to stay here and stay out of trouble." Tony said.
She noticed he was leaning over her and only leaving when she gave a thumbs up, feeling as though if she got up she would vomit. She stayed quiet relaxing on the metal ground and gathering her bearings for when she did stand up. She could hear Tony and Pepper talking somewhere behind her but didn't move. As long as no one attacked her, she reasoned, she'd be good lying there so she wouldn't get in the way of anything. However, as she hears struggling behind her she flips over (the act immediately causing her to question it as she once again felt as though she would hurl), and noticed Tony trying to get Pepper out, she tried pushing herself up to try and help but then something else catches her eye.
Out of the wreckage, a flaming hand bursts, giving Hallie no time to shout a word of warning to Tony, who has to withdraw his hand to try and pull the hand from his suit. He pushes Tony off balance and away from Pepper, and moving to pull himself from the hole he had made as Hallie watches in surprise and shock from the sidelines.
"Is this guy bothering you?" He says, looking over to Pepper as he points to Tony. He pulls himself all the way through and ran over to stand over Tony who was still on the ground. "Don't get up." He heats his finger, before pressing it to the chest of Tony's suit and continuing on, "Ooh. Is it hot in there? Stuck? Do you feel a little stuck? Like a little turtle, cooking in his little turtle suit." Pepper calls to Tony, watching from beneath the wreckage and Hallie seems to finally come to her senses. He doesn't notice though and looks back at Tony, grinning maniacally. "She's watching. I think you should close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close your eyes. You don't want to see this." He commands.
