asthehawkflies | [#000] Appointments

[He doesn't mind talking for a while if it's going to set her at ease. The more comfortable she is, the more comfortable she'll be shooting.]

It's... a gun is a weapon. It's something separate from yourself. My bow is more like an extension of myself. It's part of me, we're one thing.

[He gives a soft laugh.]

More usefully, a bow is a lot more effort to shoot.

Actually, it is pretty useful. This isn't the first time I've heard someone say something like that.

[I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one.

It helps Pepper understand, at least to some degree, just what Clint means.]

Sometimes I have to wonder if that isn't a bad thing. How easy it is to fire a gun, I mean. Not that I really have an easy time with it, but--you know.

Yeah? I've been using a bow since I was ten or eleven. It's kind of second nature by now. I can't imagine not being able to.

[Even if he lived long enough to retire or take a desk job, he could never give that up.

He's silent for a moment when she says that, thoughtful.]

Maybe. I've seen innocent people get killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and certain parties didn't care who they hit.

Having a weapon makes some people think they're above everyone else.

Considering how long it's been, I can definitely see that. Tony's only been Iron Man for a few years, but he already feels the same way.

[Has even within months of inventing the suit. Pepper might be more reluctant to share that much, except Tony made it a matter of public record in their world, and she gets the feeling she can trust Clint besides.

The image he describes is exactly the same as what Pepper has in mind, and she nods in silent consideration. Again, it's a subject that hits pretty close to home for her, considering what Stark Industries used to be famous for.

But Pepper doesn't have the problem he describes; instead, her issue right now is hesitance. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, even if she can easily see where it might be necessary. It makes her take a longer look at the gun in her hands.]

I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea after all.

Quite a difference between sticks and string, and the Iron Man suit, but some situations mould you, forge a connection.

[A suit connected to the most advanced AI the world has ever seen. He could see how you would feel a connection to something like that.

He frowns a little when Pepper voices her hesitance, and his expression softens.]

That's not necessarily a bad thing. No-one wants you to be in a position to need to use this. And honestly, it isn't a fail safe. Weapons never are.

It's up to you.

[A grin plays over her lips briefly when Clint mentions being molded; the words honestly can’t be more true. Being Iron Man has completely changed Tony in every sense, and for the better at that. He can’t stop being a superhero now, and Pepper’s already learned not to ask him to.

She isn’t sure if Clint’s kindness makes this easier or harder. But then she recalls the image of Tony standing down against the droids, simply leaving with them for her sake, and she shakes her head.]

No. I need to do this. [She can’t let it happen again. Especially not what happened on the draft.] I have to be able to protect myself somehow, and this is a good start, even if it isn’t perfect.

[He smiles back and steps away a little when she comes to a decision. It's not something he's gonna force or push on anyone.]

Alright then. This I can definitely help with. Let's see you shoot.

[She nods, fitting the earmuffs back in place before she turns to the target. Letting out a slow breath, she lifts the gun and tries to aim it like Clint’s instructed. She’s even prepared for the recoil of the gun. This works against her though, and Clint will likely notice that Pepper closes her eyes just before she pulls the trigger. Her body’s tense, in part because of nerves and in part to make sure the gun doesn’t go flying up like it did the first time she fired.

She gets off a couple of rounds, then glances over at him. Hopefully it’s enough for him to get an idea of where she might need to improve—which she clearly does, considering her shots are pretty far off of center.]

[He watches carefully, making a few mental notes about what they needed to work on. He gestures to her to take of the earmuffs and speaks when she does.]

Okay, it's not brilliant, but it's all definitely fixable.

So first, you're closing your eyes before you fire. We'll work on that first. I need you to fire again, but open your mouth really wide before you do.

I'll definitely settle for fixable. [A grin plays over her lips, but it's brief. Clint wants to help her improve, so she's definitely paying attention--

Even if she doesn't quite get it.]

What? Open my mouth?

[He gives a soft laugh, and shakes his head.]

It sounds real stupid, i know.

If you open your mouth really wide, you tend to keep your eyes open really wide and you'll notice more if you try to close them.

Well, I’m not going to argue with you. [Because, yeah. If not stupid, certainly ridiculous. But there’s a logic to it, supposedly, which leaves Pepper the task of getting over the mental image.]

This is going to feel so weird. [Which she’s certain won’t help her aim at all. She glances back at Clint, not entirely sure she wants him to watch her doing this, before she finally just does it. Mouth open, point, shoot.

Turns out he's right. But it still feels weird.]

[He gives her a lopsided smile, raising an eyebrow expectantly, because he's the instructor here. And hell, he's seen worse.

She fires again, and yeah, he can see the difference already. Good.]

Better already. That's something to keep doing until it just becomes instinct to keep your eyes open.

The other problem is flinch. You anticipate the kick of the gun, so you pull react and it drags you off target.

Or motivation to keep them open in the first place. [Seriously, Pepper does not want to think about how she looked firing the gun just then.

The flinch is a little harder to think about. She looks down at the gun, then to Clint again.]

The first time I fired it, I didn’t realize how much kick it had. I wasn’t ready for it at all, and it jerked my arms up pretty badly.

[So she’s been compensating—too much, apparently.]

Well, that too. [He flashes her a grin because yes, she had looked ridiculous, but everyone did. At least she hadn't had him teaching her alongside a group of recruits.]

It happens to the best of us from time to time. So...

[There's a spare magazine and it's easy enough to switch out some of the live rounds to pop caps, mixing them randomly, the first few are caps.]

Try this. They're pop caps. Just to get you used to it.

[Thanks for the moral support there, Clint.

She watches him fiddle with the ammunition, then offer her the magazine. Pepper takes it, needing a minute to switch it out with the one currently in her gun.]

And the caps don't make the gun jerk like bullets do?

[Clint is the most supportive. He still thinks it looks pretty funny.

He watches her change the magazine, keeping his expression carefully neutral.]

No. They don't have much pull to them.

[#000] Appointments

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