I have the chance to wipe a few crumbs from my lips with a napkin just before Nick Fury strides in. "Sorry for interrupting your meal," he begins, looking at us all. Lila is trying to hide behind Laura and Cooper is just using this as his chance to steal more dessert from his sister's plate. Laura herself is telling Lila that it's alright. Nick's eye darts to them briefly, then settles on me.

"Miss Grey," he greets coolly. "Mr Fury," I reply with just as little emotion as he did for me. "Do you mind if we have a word in private?" He requests. I rise from my seat. "Excuse me a moment," I tell everyone seated before allowing him to lead me out of the room. I notice little Rune trot along beside me, doing her best to keep her tiny claws from clattering on the floor because she doesn't want to be caught. I allow her to keep up the act, happy to have the moral support.

Once we're safely in the next room, Rune hides behind a plant pot at an angle where I can see her but Fury can't. "What is it you wish to discuss?" I question. "I wanted to ask how your one month trial went," he answered. "Remember my offer of a trial period? This was it. It's been exactly a month to this day."

"You were never there when I chose to stay," I say, narrowing my eyes. "And this is the first time you have come here since then."

"I was kept informed about you," he says simply, but I instantly recognise this as a lie. I open a link to his thoughts, not trusting him.

"Mr Fury, we both know that you just attempted to lie to me," I sigh. "You cannot lie to me. How did you really know about me being here for exactly one month?"

He doesn't physically react, but he begins calculating what to say. Eventually his thoughts claim that he might as well just tell the truth.

"That agent I sent to your house while some of the Avengers were having a company picnic there reported back after breaking free from whatever kind of power you used on them."

I freeze at his words. "You are the reason I fled for my life due to thinking it was the only way for me to survive? You are why I had to experience so much pain as of late? And all this for what exactly?"

"For a new Avenger," he said simply. "You have special powers that are going to waste. By not becoming an Avenger, you're letting innocent people die. That's just as bad as killing them yourself."

"Call me what you will, your words mean nothing to me," I snap. "You cannot guilt me into defending a race when they are responsible for the near extinction of my own!"

"Oh?" He cocks an eyebrow. "Tell me about your kind, then." "And why should I? So you can merely exploit my weaknesses?" I hiss. "So that I can understand where you're coming from," he replies. "If there is a genuine reason why you can't be an Avenger, then let's hear it."

I remove the necklace containing my new Asgardian charm, then remove other pieces of jewellery such as bracelets and rings as well just to disguise the true purpose of the necklace. Fury simply watches me.

"Are you sure you need me to do this?" I question him. "I'd prefer it if you simply joined the Avengers," Fury shrugged. "Unless you'd prefer to be a lone vigilante, but I doubt that, so making sure you join the Avengers is the best way to make sure we've got another hero on the clock."

I don't bother to ask what he means by that and instead tap his arm, then hiss in pain as the stone sets in. He looks at it with barely noticeable surprise in the dull eyes of his otherwise neutral face. "Hm... what did removing your jewellery have to do with anything?" He questions.

"Because unlike with my skin, the stone cannot be removed from accessories," I say honestly. This is actually one of the first times I've worn jewellery just because otherwise I can't revive it. It's pointless to waste money on these things if I only ruin them. I had to play nice for the jewellery box from Wanda and I planned to just use it for whatever else I needed space for, but then Loki gave me the charm so I can use it properly now.

He nods slightly. "I see. And how do you get rid of the stone?" I wordlessly go to the sink and wash it away, sighing in relief when I come into contact with the water. He just watched. He's getting ideas about me.

"Do not even think about using this against me," I snap. "I have defeated several enemies, I can defeat you, too, should you choose to make it a necessary evil."

He looks me up and down quickly, his eyes darting as slyly as a snake. Then his thoughts relent. "I still need you on the team. SHIELD's tech division could work on a device that could prevent you from turning to stone."

"I do not want any strange contraptions from a petty group of yours!" I snarl. "I do not trust you. I trust Loki over you! Do not expect me to simply bend to the will of a man who has no reason to be ordering me around like I am a common doormat!"

"A common doormat with powers that are going to waste," he clarified. "A common doormat who has two eyes," I shot back. He paused. I heard laughter behind the door where the others were, Tony's being the loudest. I figured he'd listen in.

He did more than listen in after that; he actually came in, planning to calm us down before 'things got too heated'.

He witnessed the slap that made me scream.