Secrets

Chapter 1

"See you tomorrow Cleo..." One of the other waitresses says and i give her a small smile. I sigh walking out the door the cold wind hitting my face and i pull my scarf tighter around me... I make the 4 blocks to my crappy apartment dragging myself up the stairs... 

My life didn't used to be like this... I had a beautiful home... Love... Friends... a job i loved... Everything you would want in live... But in one freak accident in the lab i worked that all changed... 

I could see the disgust in my finance's eyes... He thought i was a freak the fact i could manipulate people although i never do and the fact i could read his every thought... Made him leave me... He couldn't handle the new me... Even my closest friends dropped me or saw me like some sort of gimmick... 

I could have easily manipulated everyone to love me... But i didn't want to it wouldn't be real... Why create an illusion for yourself when you know deep down inside, they despise you... So, i used my powers for the last time and made them forget me... 

That was until i one day walked home from my job at this little diner and i saw a man, he had a gun pointed at another man and had this evil grin on his face... His mind was loud, and he was going to kill the other man so i compelled him to lower the gun and a minute later all sorts of agents appeared and arrested the man... I used the chaos and confusion and slipped out and went home...

I put the key in my front door but pause... I can feel it... Someone is in my apartment... I concentrate trying to figure out who it is... It is the man i can hear his thoughts about the day i saved him... He is curious how i did it... I open the door... and walk in... He turns around and is holding a picture of the dog i used to have... 

"It is not nice to break in people's apartments... Even if it is a crappy one..." I said leaning against the wall crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Welcome home Ms. Celestino..." The man said smiling at me and i sighed. "What do you want? MR..." I said wanting to know his name... "Fury... Nick Fury..." He said smiling holding out his hand for me to shake but i ignored it...  "What do you want Mr. Fury..." I said and he put his arm down... "I was curious..." He said sitting down and pointing at the chair opposite of him for me to sit down... I sat down knowing he was no threat to me... That was one good thing about all of it... I could keep myself safe... 

I said nothing... "I was curious how you were able to make a man who has wanted me dead for years... To put down his gun and sit on his knees with his hands behind his head..." He said studying me... "I asked nicely..." I said looking at him and he chuckled... "You asked nicely..." He said more to himself than to me...

He looked at me and i went into his head wanting to know his intentions... I could not detect some evil plan... It was more caring... I could see a woman in his mind... She was not alive anymore and i could see i reminded him of her... "I am not her..." I said and he looked at me surprised... "Your daughter... I am not her..." I whispered and he sat back in the chair looking at me... "How?" He said and i smiled. "You know how Mr. Fury..." I said and he chuckled. 

He stood up and i did the same. "Ms. Celestino..." He said and i sighed. "Please... Cleo..." I said and he smiled. "Cleo..." He said... "I have a proposition for you... and i want you to think it over before you say no..." He said and i was intrigued..." 

"The Avengers..." He said and i immediately cut him off... "I have no interest in joining... I dont like using my powers... I only use them when i feel threatened... In emergencies..." I said and he sighed... "I know... I have looked into you, and we have found no evidence you ever used them for your own gain..." He said and i looked at him surprised not knowing what to think about the fact he had been looking into me... 

"As helpful as i think you would be for them i wont force you to... But they need an assistant... Someone to organize their day to day live at the compound... I wanted to offer you the job... I think you would do well and could handle the different ego's..." He said and i chuckled... "Why?  Because i could influence them? I dont do that you know... I dont like it... I dont like making people act differently than they are... It will never end well..." I said and Fury shook his head... 

"Why me?" I ask and he smiles... "Because i feel like we can trust you... And like i said it is a group of big ego's and i think you can handle it... Think about it... and let me know for the end of the week..." He said handing me a card... "It is a life in position... So, you can leave this place... It pays well... You would be answering to Mr. Stark..." He said and i looked at his card... "If i consider this... Can we keep my powers between you and me..." I asked and he smiled. "I won't tell a soul..." He said and i chuckled. 

"Mr. Fury?" I said as he was about to walk out... "What if i say no...?"  He grinned... "Then this conversation never happened..." He said and walked out the door... I sighed and looked at the card putting it on the dresser in the hallway... I walked to the kitchen and saw a brown folder lying on the counter... In it was a contract and some photos of what looked like a big studio... A dollar amount what would be my salary... and a job description... 

I read it all and had to say it sounded too good to be through... I was to basically run their household... I didn't have to do all the heavy lifting myself but it would be more of a coordinating role... Basically, make sure everything ran smooth... 

I sat down on the kitchen counter and looked around me... With that salary i could easily keep this place just in case it didn't work out... So, i would have a place to get back to... 

I sighed and made myself something to eat... The job offer never leaving my mind... I was intrigued... But could i keep up the facade of being a normal person between these people who had seen everything and nothing... I was mostly worried about the woman called Wanda... I needed to make sure she couldn't read me... To make sure she could only see what i wanted her to see... 

I sighed again and cleaned up my mess... I was tired... I had worked a 12-hour shift dealing with rude customers... Maybe it was time for a change... Working for the Avengers couldn't possibly be worse than what i did now... I took a quick shower and got into bed... I had put the card on my bedside table and held it looking at it while i laid in bed... 

The thought of having to work another 12-hour shift tomorrow at the diner became more and more ridiculous... I pulled out my phone and took a deep breath and i texted Fury... "I'll do it..." I send him and my phone immediately rang.

"Meet me tomorrow at 11 at the compound for me to introduce you..." Was all he said before hanging up again...  I groaned... That meant i had to rent a car to get there because the compound was outside the city... I went online and rented a car for me to pick up in the morning... Then i emailed my boss that i quit... I wanted to anyways he was an asshole...

I closed my eyes trying to sleep... Tomorrow everything was going to be different and part of me was anxious and part of me was excited...