UNKNOWN GUEST

#16 Her Attention(Candies)

I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a couch. My head still throbbed, but the pain had eased a little. I felt better, more stable. As I tried to sit up, a voice broke through my fog of recovery. "Good morning, Roberts."

Startled, I turned my head to see Agent Romanoff—my mom—sitting on a couch behind me. She had a ipad in her hands, intently reading something about the Tesseract.

I cleared my throat and sat up, trying to shake off the last vestiges of dizziness. "Hello, ma'am. When did you come back from your mission?" I asked, forcing a casual tone.

She raised an eyebrow at my question, then rolled her eyes slightly. "It's been three hours. I've been to India to recruit the big guy."

I nodded, curiosity getting the better of me. "So... did he agree?"

A faint smirk touched her lips. "It seemed so. Now, tell me, what were you doing in that Tesseract building?"

I cleared my throat again, searching for the right words. "Ah... I was with Mr. Hawkeye. He said it was some training."

She looked down at her pad, avoiding my gaze. I could sense she wanted to ask something more. After a moment, she sighed and asked, "How did Barton get compromised?"

I took a deep breath, trying to recall the details clearly. "Loki, this... weirdo Asgardian, appeared from a blue portal. He had this strange spear with a tip that was sparkling with a golden glow. He placed the tip on everyone's chest, and they seemed to turn to his side. I think it has some power to manipulate the human brain."

She nodded, her gaze softening slightly. "I heard Director Fury is hurt. So, what about Barton? Did he get hurt too?"

Of course, she was worried about him. I managed a small smile. "No, his eyes just turned black."

She fell silent, her attention drifting back to the tab she had been reading. I stared at her, feeling a pang of disappointment. Was that all she was going to ask about? I was hurt too! My head—wait, she probably can't see...

I reached up, brushing my hair aside to reveal the bandage on my forehead. The cut was right above my left eyebrow, clearly visible. I cleared my throat softly to grab her attention, but she simply raised her eyes briefly to look at me, then returned to her device.

A sinking feeling settled in my chest. Was she just focused on Uncle Clint and Fury, not on me? Her own son? I suddenly realized that in this moment, I wasn't her son here. I was simply an Agent of SHIELD under training with her friend, Agent Barton. To her, I was probably just another operative.

I sighed in acceptance, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness. My role in this world was limited, and I wasn't as significant to her right now. She was caught up in the bigger picture, and I was merely a part of it, not a priority.

I sighed and turned my gaze to the glass window, watching the vast expanse of the ocean below. The rhythmic hum of the ship provided a soothing backdrop to my thoughts. After a few minutes, I heard the faint rustle of fabric as my mom, Agent Romanoff, stood up. She placed her pad on the table with a soft thud and began to walk towards the door, but then she stopped, turned on her heels, and walked back towards me.

She extended her hand, and I looked at her, puzzled. In her palm, there were a few wrapped candies. I glanced up at her face and saw a faint, familiar smirk—a signature expression that only my mom could pull off. 

"These are pain-reliever candies," she said. "You'll like them."

I averted my eyes, feeling a bit self-conscious. Clearly, she had noticed my wound and the subtle attempts I had made to get her attention. I could feel my face flushing, a mix of embarrassment and relief.