Long Odds and Risky Options

Strange hadn't exactly explained what the "one chance" entailed, but somehow it involved bringing Peter back from the dust... and picking up an unexpected traveler.Also hunting for supplies on an alien world with unknown dangers, 'cuz fate likes to mock Tony for that childhood dream of being an "awesome space explorer."

So picture this: There's this fic exchange with a 1000-word minimum, and I've written some 12,000 words while cramming in as many of the prompt ideas as I possibly can......but the deadline's like two days away and I'm looking at all this cool stuff I came up with and going "Um... this is never going to get actually finished in time."So I decide that the only realistic option is to shelve the work I've done and whip out a quick replacement piece. You know, nothing fancy, just maybe a couple thousand for just one or two prompts and there you go. And over the course of two days, that "quick replacement" turns out to be, um... 13,000 words.Yay me, I guess?I mean, they kept pushing back the deadline and so I got a lot more time to expand it and polish it up and I think the fic turned out great, and I'm thrilled to have been pushed to explore that scenario as well, but... how does this even happen?Anyway! So this is my original attempt, the piece that had some 12k words before I shelved it for a couple weeks. And it's nowhere near finished, and now that there's no deadline it's just gonna go on the massive pile of WIP that I've got going, but it does have a good five chapters mostly put together. Just, since I have the time to go over them and fix them up and polish them and all that, I'm gonna avail myself of that time. Eventually.(I've got things to do this month that aren't this fic. So it'll be a while.)So here you go, PrairieDawn: an attempt to hit even more prompt highlights than Pulled from the Abyss did. Enjoy.P.S. My usual style is to tag the major stuff on the fic itself, then give chapter warnings for less prominent elements. But of late I've been slipping a bit on the tags, just due to low batteries (for time and attention/focus). If you notice something that ought to be warned for, please point it out!P.P.S. Another title I'm not sold on. Might change. But I've said that on several fics, and I can't recall ever actually changing a title except for Bargains (because it was way too long before), so most likely won't.