[Pepper can't quite decide how she feels about Billy taking on the task of announcing the portal's failure. On the one hand, while he had an important role he hadn't been one of the three creators, and he shouldn't bear the responsibility of it. Yet he is the only one of the four who actually ran the test in a position to let those in Luceti know, and for better or worse that is a burden off of Tony's shoulders when he wakes up.
And with that in mind, she locks her reply to Billy only despite knowing there's no point to it; word travels fast in any contained group of people, and too many villagers had a vested interest in this project. Still, Pepper puts forth the effort, in case someone looks at this who hasn't heard. She doesn't want to broadcast this, even if she wants Billy to know.]
Tony's still unconscious. [It speaks to how tired Pepper is that she blurts that out first, before she thinks to ask about Billy himself.] How are you doing?
[voice, filtered]
And with that in mind, she locks her reply to Billy only despite knowing there's no point to it; word travels fast in any contained group of people, and too many villagers had a vested interest in this project. Still, Pepper puts forth the effort, in case someone looks at this who hasn't heard. She doesn't want to broadcast this, even if she wants Billy to know.]
Tony's still unconscious. [It speaks to how tired Pepper is that she blurts that out first, before she thinks to ask about Billy himself.] How are you doing?