Sunflower

66

“We don’t know that!” Nat said as she turned to Bucky in fury. “Just because she was on the footage, or someone who looked like her, doesn’t mean she did it. For all we know, it was not even her.”

“Amber,” Tony said, grabbing my attention. “Where did you go after that? For the past four and a half years?”

“Outside of town.” I leaned back in my chair with the blunt answer. “I’ve been many places.” I laughed. “I was in Germany with Baron and Emrys for a few months. After that we went to Spain, then Russia. We visited China and then Australia. After that we went to Canada, then Peru then North Korea, South-Africa and then Russia again. All that in about eight months actually.” They all looked at me as I chose my next words carefully, with a smile. “Then we settled in in New Zealand. For about a year and a half. We had our reasons. Emrys thought it’d be smart to move again, so we went to Canada again, for about six months. Lived in South-Africa for five months. Moved to Namibia for two, travelled to China, and London in four months. Returned to New Zealand for a year or so. Visited Hawaii and then took a fun tour to London again. Then went to Peru and moved back, living outside of town for the last three or four months.” I smiled. “Now I’m here, strapped in a chair in Loki’s old cell, while you guys look at me as if I’m the animal-”

“You attacked us Amber. I wouldn’t suggest you being the innocent one here today. It doesn’t work that way here. We are supposed to be family,” Bucky interrupted, digging his hands into his pockets.

I smirked. “Really? From my view you attacked me. And I’m sure I might have thought you were someone else for a second then. Because my family would never be this arrogant. And for what you care-”

“Where’s Baron Amber?” Tony interrupted, making me look at him.

I smiled. “He’s around.”

They didn’t seem to respond or show any emotion, which made me sigh and lose my smile. I looked at them with no emotion.

“Let me go,” I insisted, my hands still busy with the cuffs.

Tony sighed, while walking back to the door. “We’ll find him Amber. Him and this Emrys guy.”

Tony vanished off, with Bucky and Bruce following after him. Natasha stayed, and seated herself on the bench, looking me in the eyes.

“Emrys is your brother, isn’t he?” she asked, looking at me as my eyes met hers’. I shook my head up and down. “Isn’t he dead?” she asked, looking at me, basically begging me to answer an unasked question.

“No.” I sighed. “He’s alive. And don’t go thinking I knew all along. I didn’t. I only found out the day-”

“The day you ran away?” she interrupted. The audacity.

I glared at her. “The day I learned the truth about you people.”

Natasha sighed, tears forming in her eyes. “Come on Amber. What happened to you? This is not you.”

I smiled, shaking my head. “I changed since I left, and I had my reasons.” I saw her look at me, upset, yet confused. “You really think I don’t know?” I asked rhetorically with a chuckle. “I’m not stupid Natasha.”

Nat sighed, clearing her throat. She had tears in her eyes but tried hiding them. “Amber, please. You-”

“You were my best friend Natasha,” I interrupted, suddenly feeling sadness and pain. “I’m sorry that I left without telling anyone anything, but I had my reasons. And for once don’t make me the animal. You guys were a part of my reason to run off.”

The room fell silent for a while. I kept plucking on the cuffs as Natasha stared at me with tears. She took deep breaths, thinking of what exactly I was speaking about. She felt her eyes tear up more but tried her best not to show any emotion except her stubbornness.

I felt bad for her, but at the same time I was more mad than anything else. I wanted to blow this entire compound down, but yet I would never get the guts to. This was still one of the first places I have ever felt at home. I couldn’t do that to myself.

After a couple of minutes, Natasha gave in and spoke. “Why did you run off with Baron? After everything he did to you. You could have run off with anyone else, but why Baron?” she asked, standing up and walking up  to the glass.

I sat back again, feeling how I finally unlocked a part of the handcuffs.

“His father was hunting for me- the white witch. He needed me again. Baron was also a prize for Hydra. His father wanted his head for letting me know about the agents looking for me. Baron warned me about it, but also has other reasons to leave.”

I looked down, my eyes staring at my stomach. Within seconds I looked back up at Natasha, my eyes begging.

“You have to let me out, please. I really need to be somewhere,” I pleaded, but Natasha knew she wasn’t allowed to.

She looked at me with hesitant eyes, knowing I was honest.

“Amber,” she began off, her voice broken and frail. “I really want to, because I know there is something out there for you, but I’ll be dead if I even think about it.”

I sighed, laying my head back. “Natasha-”
Suddenly an intercom went on, and Tony’s voice interrupted me. “Natasha get out of there. You’re being switched out.”

With a sigh, Natasha gave one glance at me before turning around and walking out the door.