The kick to the ribs landed hard, harder than she'd ever felt in any of the fights she'd been through her life. The alarming reality of the pain had her blinking for several moments, but thankfully she could still breathe. Nails raked across her skin and she grit her teeth. Rules off then, eh? All right...

Pepper grabbed a chunk of the lady's long hair and yanked as hard as she could, pulling the War toward her so she could drive her knee high into the woman's solar plexis. Pepper drove an elbow into her neck when she doubled over and then looked up, scanning the grounds for anyone really, but especially Adam. Why wasn't he here?