Having completed her training and everything there is to know about her power, Amber packs up her personal items when Damian knocks on her door and she looks up to him. He sits down next to her and hands her a small wooden box. She takes it and opens it to find a necklace with a brown stone.
Amber Strong: What is it?
Damian Northstar: It once belonged to my grandfather. He took it everywhere with him. He believed that the power of this stone can provide protection and strength. He also believes it keeps malevolent spirits at bay.
Amber holds the necklace in her hand as she rubs the stone with her thumb then hands it back to Damian as he puts it on her and clips it behind her neck.
Damian Northstar: I've trained and taught a lot of people that have come here, I've had many great students, but you, Ms. Strong, you are someone special. I don't build connections often anymore, but from the first day I brought you here, I knew you were someone special. You have had that warrior spirit within you from the start, and I am very proud of you.
Moved by his words, Amber hugs her mentor and thanks him for everything he has done for her as he reminds her that she is always welcome there as she has earned her stay. Walking her to the door, the two step outside where Switchblade is patiently waiting.
Amber Strong: You are patient.
Damian Northstar: Check in from time to time. It's going to be rather quiet here without having you two here.
The two bid farewell and hug one more time as Damian sees them off. Amber waves to him once more as he waves back and watches as her and Switchblade leave together.
Walking along the road in silence, Amber kicks at a few leaf's while Switchblade walks alongside her.
Amber Strong: Now that it's just us two, think you can speak a word or two?
Switchblade looks at her, ignoring her request and goes back to facing forward.
Amber Strong: Nobody will know, Switchblade. Just you and I, best friends going into our next adventure.
Amber giggles but Switchblade stays quiet. Amber starts to dance around him like a child would do to ignore their parent, yet Switchblade keeps moving, not even fazed at her attempts to get him to break his silence.
Amber Strong: You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?
Switchblade nods to her question. They continue on when a sudden vision comes to Amber as she stops in her tracks and Switchblade turns to look at her. Her eyes roll in the back of her head, and she relives the night she was attacked, brutalized and left for dead. When she comes back, Switchblade is holding her as she had collapsed and he caught her to break her fall. Amber looks around when she recognizes it and runs down the side of the road as Switchblade keeps up with her and then she sees it - her mangled, crushed car in the same spot when she crashed. She can still hear the screeching tires and the sound of crushed metal, her screams, the gunshot, her attackers laughing as they attacked. She falls to her knees, trembling and shaking. Two years later and she never remembered that night until now and cries in absolute disgust and hatred for those men that did those horrible things to her. Switchblade places his hand on her shoulder that causes her to lash out and throw him to the ground. He puts his hands up to stop her, but she pushes them away and screams in anguish then gets off him and backs away.
Amber Strong: This is where it happened. Nobody goes down these roads anymore because they own it. It all makes sense now why it happened here, because they knew they would get away with it and they did, didn't they?
Switchblade nods to her question as she starts to break down again.
Amber Strong: You were here that night, weren't you?
Hesitating, Switchblade again nods to her question with sympathy and guilt.
Amber Strong: You just stood by and watched? Not event trying to stop them?
Switchblade remains quiet and it only fuels Amber's anger as she approaches him.
Amber Strong: You did nothing? Nothing at all?! Just stood there and let them do those God-awful things to me?! Answer me, you son of a bitch!
Switchblade still remains silent and even he spoke, he wouldn't know what to say. The guilt, the regret, all of it, he still feels. Just like the night before, Switchblade takes his mask off and looks deep into Amber's eyes, not even flinching.
Switchblade: I couldn't.
Amber, enraged, slaps him hard across the face as the tears roll down hers. All she can do is look at him in disgust and betrayal.
Amber Strong: Coward.
Switchblade: You - don't - understand.
His voice almost like a whisper and raspy, but Amber still can't bring herself to understand what he means.
Amber Strong: I do understand and it's clear that you are a coward.
Switchblade: I could not interfere. Had I did, Damian would have been killed.
Amber Strong: What does Damian have to do with this?
Switchblade: To ensure you were never to be found, he created a forcefield that only The Taker knows about.
Amber Strong: Who's The Taker?
Switchblade: The one who organized your attack.