[She knows he's curious; Bruce gets the same sort of look in his eye she'd expect to see in Tony when presented with some new scientific marvel to figure out, albeit less gleeful. Yet Bruce doesn't ask, and Pepper's thankful for it. What she's told him broaches on the personal, but not the worst of it. She's had some time to adjust to what had happened, what Killian had turned her into--but not so much that she's willing to expose the wound. Although on some level Pepper wonders if anyone could be more suited that Bruce to understand, she doesn't want to push that boundary. For him they've only just met, and even in their own world, she knows him more as Tony's friend whom she also happens to like rather than someone she'd share more intimate secrets with.

Instead he offers her answers, ones that leave her huffing out a breath as she considers the scope of it all. The confirmation is nothing different from what she expects, but certainly not what Pepper wants to hear.] Not to mention that you'd think they could just send us back the way they brought us here. [Considering that it had happened in the blink of an eye, seemingly with ease, shouldn't the reverse also be true? She leans against the railing, her lips pressed into a tight line as Bruce goes on.]

Well I don't know about you, but I'm planning on putting a call in to my union rep. [It's a bad joke, and Pepper's grin turns apologetic even as the words come out.] It really doesn't make sense. They can do something so incredible, but they can't keep the ship running without resorting to multi-dimensional kidnapping? I just can't see it--but since that seems to be the theme of the day, I guess I shouldn't be shocked.

[Not when everything else has already pushed her into feeling overwhelmed and numb.]