The Emerald Necklace

Chapter 2)

"Agent Lovecraft, you're being needed in the second Cell tract, interrogation chamber.", came Furys voice through the intercom. "Give me a sec.", I responded, putting my map into its right place on the shelf and checking my suit before opening the door and closing it behind me. My new suit. Loved it. And in contrast to the rest of the crew I had a choice as to whether I would want it in black, just like the common ones or, which was the option I chose, in a specific colour. After all I wasn't just an ordinary agent. I was the mental counsellor of the 64, directly ordered by Fury. He had found me at the campus one day, I had been in the first semester of studying, at the age of 17 at that time and had graduated school early with the best grades, however I already had been one of the best students and at that day I had gotten back the first test with all points possible. I, happily, just wanted to leave the campus when he had approached me. "Miss Lovecraft?" I had turned around, not expecting someone to come up to me. "Can I help you, Sir?" I hadn't had seen him on the campus before and he seemed too old to be a student. He had worn a black coat and his usual eyepatch. "You can help me indeed, but first I would very much like to congratulate you on these impressive grades and the best results in the first test." I had eyed him up and down. "Excuse me, Sir, but how...?" He had just smiled at me. "I know many things. If I may introduce myself. Im Nicolas J. Fury, head of the secret organisation SHIELD." After he had explained everything to me, he had invited me on a café. He had been noticing me for graduating school at 16 and picking one of the most difficult courses. He had invited me to join SHIELD as a counsellor as soon as I would finish university. Until then I would receive training in martial arts, sport, and the basic training for agents. From that day on, I was (secretly) one of his favourites. The moment I finished university with summa cum laude, which he was very proud of, I moved to the 64. However, I was working with Fury on a daily basis, leaving home behind to live up in the sky or on the sea. Fury had gotten me a special rank. I wasn't an agent, had the same rights and clearances as a Level 7 agent, but I still had the freedoms of a civilian and could move around or leave whenever and wherever I wanted to. Therefore I had gotten a bigger suite in the carrier. It inhabited a tiny living room, a bedroom and a bath. And I got to choose my own colour, as said. After a long time deciding which colour I should pick, I went for a dark purple with silver lines at the sides of my legs and arms, silver buttons, silver bracelets at the ends of my sleeves and a silver belt. It was a catsuit, just like the other ones but most of the times, I would wear my own jewellery or capes. To add my suit I had gotten wedge heel boots in the same colour which were going up to my ankle. I walked down the corridor in a fast pace. Fury didn't like it when he had to wait, not even for me. While walking I drew my phone from my pocket and logged into my files. I always would record my sessions with every single person, then, afterwards I would take my notes and then safe both in the file of that person. The files I would sort after who that person was. Agent, Criminal, Politician and so on. Then I would sort the files after the year when I started the sessions. That's it, basically. Lots of paperwork but that's fine with me. I never had any sorts of hobbies other than writing or studying. I finally reached the interrogation room and entered. Fury awaited me, sitting in the interrogators chair. I nodded at him and he smirked. "Good to see you Lovecraft." "You too Sir, how's it been?" "Rather tough, but hey, that's the job." I smiled. "That's the job." My phone finally connected to the supervision-cameras and I put it away. I got into my usual position, standing in a corner behind Fury and crossed my arms. Just in time, the door opened, and an agent brought a man in a brown trench coat into the room. He fixed the handcuffs on the table and then left the room. He had brown hair and a face that if you would walk past him on the street, you wouldn't remember, even if you met him again. I couldn't figure out something special about him. And I didn't read his file. I never do before I meet the person and can get myself a first impression without knowing something about them before. Of course I somehow always ended up hearing some chattering and so I almost always knew something about our...guests. Like him. His eyes were scanning the room and I could see them analyse the cameras on the upper corners. Then his eyes went on their journey again until they focused on me. He casually eyed me up and down. Then I felt a shiver in my head. His expression went blank and for a moment he looked like he was lost. "What is she doing here?", he finally spoke. His voice was raspy, dark and he sounded tired, yet on alert. "She's my counsellor. And she stays.", Fury replied plainly. "Who is she?" "None of your concern, as far as I know.", Fury said. I myself was now eying him up and down, finding nothing that I could use to analyse him in any way. Then I recognised the cuffs. Magic restraining cuffs. That was his thing, hugh? And then I remembered the strange sensation in my head. The stranger hadn't said anything since Furys last response. He just kept looking at me. Finally Fury turned around and looked at me. I still was standing there just like the second he came in. "Do you know him?" I shook my head. "No Sir." "Then why...?" I let my hands fall to my sides and came a few steps forward until I was standing right next to Fury. "He is probably wondering why he cant see my mind, not to speak of reading it." The stranger stared at me. Fury too. "What?" I smirked. "You know...those cuffs restrain his magic so he can't read minds, but he still can see them, their colour, their aura. But not mine. That's what he is talking about." Fury seemed to accept it. Not very much like our new companion. "How..?" I smirked at him. "Mr?", I began. After a few seconds he finished my sentence. "Herl." I smiled. "Well then, Mr Herl, you do understand that you're on the wrong side of the table to ask questions, right?", I said with a stern voice, placing my palms on the cold metal of the table and bending over it to come nearer to him. Slowly he nodded. "To make this clear. You are going to answer every question Mr. Fury will throw at you, no matter how intimate or uncomfortable, understood?" He nodded again. I retreated to my previous position and Fury began the questioning. "How did you get these powers?" Mr. Herl shrugged. "I don't know." "When did you get them?" Herl shrugged again. "I cant remember." I smirked. "He lies.", I said. Fury nodded while Mr. Herl stared me down the third time. "See, this is why I like to have her around. She's got a talent for these things. Now answer the damn question. I've got better things to do than pick on you all day." Mr.Herl turned his gaze back to Fury. "I think I've already said enough." I sighed. "Let me guess. Given that obviously you're not very skilled in using this power yet, I would say you've had it for about 2 months, the exact same time you quit your job and started blackmailing people. I guess reading their minds and finding out their darkest secrets was easier and more beneficial than working." Fury nodded. "Makes sense." "And, Mr. Herl, no I can't read minds, I know people. How they work, how they think, express things. Therefore I know that you are not overly comfortable of fond of your powers, probably because they had negative effect on your private life." He didn't move but I could see the slight glimpse of anger, sadness and fear in his eyes. "I guess the ability of reading minds doesn't come in handy when you accidently find out secrets that you wish would've stayed hidden. Your wife?" Still he didn't response. But I saw his eyes dart to the left for a moment. I didn't need more. "Your wife then. Another partner or did she just not love you anymore? A secret pregnancy?" I waited for a few seconds. Then I smirked. "A secret lover, nasty business. But killing her was overreacted. That would explain why you moved all of a sudden and within a day. Where did you hide the body?" Silence. "The bodies? You killed both?" No reaction. "The bodies it is then. Where?" Finally he met my gaze. Terror written on his features. The he finally answered my question. "Near the rivers bank behind the shelter." I smiled. Fury turned to the one-way mirror and motioned for the agents to take him to a cell. The second the door closed behind them Fury stood up, a wide grin on his face. "That was the best you ever did." I smiled. "Still feels false." He shrugged. "It'll go away eventually. This time, I think, you even beat Romanoff." "Come on, Sir, that's a little" "True. It's true. He didn't answer one question. But thanks to you Ive got all the information we need." "Sir...you know he's one of them, right?" He nodded. Another normal human that had gotten powers all of a sudden. This one had chosen to start a criminal life. The reason we found him. I already was on my way out of the room when I heard Fury behind me. "Lovecraft?" I turned around. "Yes sir?" "I just wanted to say Im very glad I picked you seven years ago. You've done wonderfully since the first day, you know that, right? I just wanted to thank you." I raised an eyebrow. "You haven't joined the self-support-group, have you?" He chuckled. "No...I just thought to myself that I should thank you more often yesterday and wrote me a note. Just to keep the love up in the team." I grinned. "Well...I thank you for this fun life." "You call this fun?" I shrugged. "Better than sitting in an office listening to people rambling about their strange dreams or their daughters strange behaviour." He laughed. "Your abilities and knowledge would be absolute wasted. And this world doesn't need any more wasted people." I nodded. "That's a little cryptic...you sure you don't wanna join the self-support-group?" He chuckled. "Nah, Im good." I smiled and then left the room to go back into my room to continue my study and notes on another one of my patients.