{Chapter Thirty}
Trigger Warning: Mentions of abuse.
Amber stood outside the lab a phone pressed to her ear as she paced speaking in hushed tones to the person on the other end. To those who could see her, she looked to be having an argument, which was not completely wrong. The voice on the other end of the phone snapped at her causing her to sigh squeezing her eyes closed.
"I'm sorry, but I have to work." She spoke softly her voice trembling in a flustered manner slightly as she pulled the phone from her ear and hung up.
Amber took a shaky breath as she leaned against the wall of the Helicarrier her eyes held closed tightly not hearing the sound of boots on the floor.
Her attention was caught when a voice sounded from beside her, "That didn't sound like a very pleasant phone call." Amber chuckled at the deep voice, her eyes opening with a sigh.
"Don't start, Fury."
Director Fury shook his head, moving to stand beside the young woman, "I'm not starting anything."
"Yeah, well you sound like Clint.," Amber smirked looking up at him causing him to smile at her with a chuckle. Fury stared at the woman before sighing sadly but dropping the topic, "Do you need something or did you just come out to give me relationship advice?"
Fury looked over at the woman with a slight sigh, "We need you to go in and talk to Loki for us," Amber looked at him her eyebrows raised, "We were going to send in Romanoff but due to his clear fascination with you, I decided you might be able to get through to him better."
Abby nodded pushing herself off of the wall and moving to do her job. Before she walked away Amber stopped to look back at the director with questioning eyes.
"Is it true?" The question caused Fury to look at her confused allowing her to elaborate, "What Thor said about my birth parents. Is it be true?"
When Amber was nine she found out that she was adopted by the Bartons. It was difficult for her to know that there was a whole part of her life that she didn't know about. When she joined S.H.I.E.L.D she decided to do some research about her birth parents. All she could find was her birth mother, who died in a house fire when she was six months old. There was no record of a father and Amber was adopted two months after she was orphaned.
Fury had worked to help the young woman but there was no way to find her biological father no matter how much digging they did. "It could be. We've still not been able to track down your biological father, so it is possible."
Amber nodded with a small frown before leaving towards the room where Loki was being held. She made her way into the room quietly so stuck in her own mind she had barely even realised she had made it to the room.
She watched as Loki paced, only stopping when he realised she was there. He turned to her with a smirk, "There are not many people who can sneak up on me."
Amber stared blankly at him as his cold eyes landed on her his melancholy smirk sending a chill down her spine but her face was completely blank betraying no emotions.
"But you figured I'd come," She replied in a low voice.
"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend. As a balm. Maybe even a sister," Loki smirked as Amber's jaw clenched in frustration clearly pleased by the effect he was having, "And I would cooperate."
Amber continued to stare at him blankly as she spoke, "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton."
"I would say I've expanded his mind."
"And after you've won," Amber spoke stepping closer to the cage they were holding the god in, her voice still not giving away the concern she was feeling for her brother, "Once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?"
Loki smiled widely looking at the young woman almost amused, "Ohh. The protective little sister. Tell me Agent Barton are you always this assertive, this strong when facing oppressors?"
Amber frowned slightly her eyebrows furrowed finally revealing some emotion to the god.
"You see," Loki spoke, "I've heard all about you. Everything and anything I want to know your brother tells me. However, I want to hear about it from you. Let's call it sibling bonding, starting with your father."
Amber stared at her eyebrows raised, "You want to discuss my father," The woman shook her head making her way towards a chair and sitting on it, "My father was an abusive drunk. When my mother died, I was six and the abuse turned onto me and Clint. When I was ten Clint left home got a low-paying job and took care of me. He was twenty-two and couldn't have a normal life because he was busy playing the full-time parent. After a couple of years of mandatory therapy I learned to get over my daddy issues and move on with my life, so if you're wanting to break me down, try using something a lot better than my father."
"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked ignoring her last statement.
Amber smirked slightly before replying, "Not let you out."
"No, but I like this. Your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."
The blonde gave a nonchalant shrug, "He's family. I tend to try to protect my family."
"Really?" Loki asked standing as he spoke and making his way towards her, "So you don't plan to continue the cycle of violence your father started with your mother. Before he moved onto two young and impressionable children."
Amber tensed slightly at the god's words her eyes widening a fraction. She bit the inside of her cheek trying and failing to keep her composure.
"Oh yes!" He chuckled, "Barton told me everything. Every hit, kick and break. All the times you claim to be over the abuse you suffered as a child and yet you fail to escape it. Every dream, no matter how small or young that you continue to ruin. You're pathetic. You surround yourself with people you think care about you and continue with your perky attitude to hide the scars and bruises. You lie and tell them your okay, that things have changed when truly they're worse than they have ever been. And while doing this you fail to do the one thing you promised to do; protect your family."
Amber stared at the dark-haired god ad he stood right in front of her the only thing separating them, a piece of glass. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she fought to keep her mind calm.
"I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you and the one you care about. Slowly, intimately, in every way, he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams I'll split his skull. This is my bargain you mewling quim." Loki growled at the young woman.
Amber turned facing away for him as she whispered in a broken voice, "You're a monster."
"Oh, no. You brought the monster." Loki chuckled.
Amber's head shot up at those words and she turned to face him. Calmly she reached up and wiped away the single tear that had fallen, a smirk making its way onto her face, "So, Banner. That's your play."
Loki looked at the woman in shock, "What?"
Amber walked out of the room speaking into the comms, "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab I'm on my way. Send Thor as well." Before leaving the woman turned back to Loki a wide smile appearing on her face as she allowed her perky attitude to return, "Thank you. For your cooperation."
Loki watched a scowl on his face as the woman left anger radiating from him at the fact that he was tricked by nothing more than a child.
Amber left the room closing the door behind her. With a long sigh, she leaned back on the door looking down at her shaking hands. She tried her best to catch her breath and regain her composure lifting her sleeve to glance at her watch. She hadn't been home in over twenty-four hours.
Taking a deep breath the woman pulled her sleeve back down ignoring the large bruise on her wrist from where she had been held so tight she was worried it was going to break. As she made her way back towards the lab, Amber pulled out her phone, her heart sinking at the amount of missed calls she had. Her eyes glimmered with fear as she put her phone away and attempted to push her thoughts away.
But there was no escaping them.
Hey guys!
If you felt the need to skip this chapter due to the Trigger Warning at the beginning then here is a little summary so you don't miss out on anything:
The chapter started with Amber arguing with someone on the phone. Then Fury told her that they needed her to talk to Loki. In this chapter we learned that Amber is adopted, her birth mother died in a house fire and there is no record of her biological father. While talking to Loki, Amber spoke about her adoptive mother dying when she was young. When she was ten and Clint was twenty-two, Clint got a job and looked after Amber on his own after escaping their father. She and Loki also spoke about her relationships now and how she was failing to protect her family.
I have so much planned for Amber's character. I wanted to use this chapter to reveal as much as I could without revealing too much. I'd love to hear your guys' predictions and opinions about the book.
Thanks!
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