[ She's silent for a long time after that question because it's a real question and the answer isn't one she wants to give. Isn't one he's going to like, not with that tone in his voice and the tension in his body. She knows Tony, by now. She knows how he blames himself, how he coils everything that could potentially be his fault and stores it away and uses it as fuel in the most self destructive way possible.

There's a vicious part of her that wants to strike back at him because it was his fault, somewhat, he did this and he should know the extent of it. But mostly she just feels empty, doesn't want to hurt him and knows she's going to whether she answers or doesn't, knows that this is setting her back every moment she's holding it in. ]

You can't do sensory deprivation on an empath so long as they can access someone's mind. It just - it doesn't work. Takes away the point of it, and I was so raw by then I couldn't have stopped feeling people's minds if I wanted to. [ Beat, and she clears her throat. ] So they shut it off. Flipped a switch and I couldn't feel - anything. Anyone. [ It's disorienting even in the memory of it, head still bowed as a tremor runs up her spine. ] Amplification, that was just. For fun. Experimenting with what would happen.

[ This isn't helping. ] If you're blaming yourself, don't.