Chapter Text
I sit still in my window sill, gazing out at the Queens skyline. The street is busy, a surprising amount of people considering it's 2 in the morning already. Soft candle light reflects in my [y/e/c] irises as I contemplate my current situation.
I suppose I should tell you what that is exactly. I'm leaving home tomorrow. I've been planning my escape for a while now. Well, I shouldn't even call it home, it's just an orphanage. And a bad one at that. I've been living here since my parents passed away in an accident when I was 5.
That was 13 years ago, and tomorrow is my 18th birthday. Hence why I'm "escaping," it's really that I'm just not allowed to stay here anymore past turning 18. So technically I'm just getting kicked out.
Anyways, since I was able to get a job at 15 I've saved up quite a bit of money so I'm hoping I can afford somewhere to live. This is a bit of an ambitious goal considering I'm in New York City, but thankfully my tuition is fully covered for the next 4 years because I'm poor! Thanks NYU!
Oh, yeah, classes at NYU start in a few months. I'll be double majoring in applied physics and electrical engineering with minors in cybersecurity and quantum technology. I'm quite excited for the challenge, and I'm set up to graduate in 3 years since I already have so many credits from AP classes (Thanks Midtown Tech!).
In case you're wondering why I was never adopted, It's because I have two soul marks. That's right: TWO. Which is basically unheard of, so evidently all the couples wanting to adopt didn't want a freak like me. That, and I'm also a "freaky genius" as my acquaintances here call me.
I pull my phone out from my pocket and go back to what I spent practically all day doing: apartment hunting. I found one earlier that was only $500 a month and relatively close to NYU campus. I know, it seems too good to be true but I already gave the downpayment to the landlord...I was feeling proactive, okay? And besides, it can't be too bad. It'll be a roof over my head. And there's some cafe's close by that I can hopefully find a job at.
I huff and decide I should probably just go to sleep already, all my things are packed into my backpack (yeah, it all fits in one bag) and I can leave whenever I want tomorrow. Preferable as soon as possible since I don't want to get yelled at by Carrie (our caretaker) for not cleaning fast enough.
I slip off the window sill and go over to my bed, the top bunk of course, and try to climb up as quietly as possible so the other girls don't get mad at me.
I close my eyes and think of how exciting it'll be to finally explore the city on my own.
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THE NEXT MORNING
I wake up the next morning to the sound of quiet chatter around the room. I open my eyes and squint at the sun flooding in from the window. The clock reads 7:34am.
I sigh and stretch a bit before coming down from my bunk and grabbing my bag, I'll change in the bathroom.
I put on my baggy pants and a sweater and lace up my sneakers. I might as well grab an apple or something for breakfast before I leave. Who knows when I'll eat again since I have to feed myself from now on.
I head downstairs and slip into the kitchen.
"Good morning miss [y/n], finally time for you to go huh?" Maria, the chef, greets me.
"Yeah it is, time really flies. Do ya mind?" I point at an apple in the fruit bowl by her.
"Go ahead hun, take care of yourself out there." She smiles and goes back to preparing the undoubtedly bland oatmeal for the rest of the girls to eat for breakfast.
I grab a shiny red one and skip out of the kitchen, an unusual bounce in my step. I don't think I've ever been so happy!
I put my new apartment's address into my GPS and start walking. It's a 50 minute walk but I don't want to waste any of my money on a bus fare right now. Hopefully this place is livable..
I spend the walk taking in the Queens atmosphere. People walking dogs, buying coffee, businessmen running around. I really do enjoy the city.
Before I know it I've arrived. The building was..rundown. Okay, I mean, it's only $500 a month, and it's just a place to sleep when I'm not at class. I'll be alright. I head inside, hands holding the straps of my back pack tightly.
I ring the buzzer on the outside of the building and find the landlord. She shows me to my new home, gives me the key, and tells me when and where to leave my rent every month.
My new home is small, but it's mine. That's kind of a big deal for someone who's never really owned anything their whole life. It's a studio apartment with a small kitchen, bathroom, and a bed in the corner. Thankfully it came furnished.
Time to really start my life.
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4 YEARS LATER
"Good morning Flo." I smile and greet my best friend as I walk into the cozy Busy Bean Cafe.
"Hey girl," she glances at the clock, "I thought your shift didn't start for another hour?" Florence gives me a confused look.
"Wow, not even a hello? How are you?" I frown jokingly, "I just thought I'd come in early, you know, help you out a bit." I respond, walking past Florence and setting my tote bag down on the table in the break room.
"Oh I see, you came here to use the wifi." Florence rolls her eyes and goes back to making her coffee, "Go ahead, ignore me and play your computer games."
"Hey! They're not computer games," I scoff, "I'm refining my skills." I smile and sit down on the hard plastic chair, opening my laptop.
Florence mumbles something I can't quite make out as I log into the Busy Bean Cafe wi-fi. I've been working at this cafe for 4 years now. I got the job a month after I moved into my apartment.
It's not crazy but it pays rent and fuels my internet addiction with its complementary wi-fi. Oh, and I met my best friend Florence here.
But, that's not the point here.
I logged into my computer and set up my VPNs. I open my hack site and see what new requests I've got since the last time I checked.
Oh, yeah. You didn't think I was affording living in New York City with just a cafe job right? After about a year of struggling to make ends meet, I decided to put my ongoing degree to use and open up a hacker site where I source information that people need. It's simple, really: people reach out to me through my website, I make sure the request is legit, I get half of the pay upfront, get the information they requested, give them the information, and then I get the rest of the money. It's quite the operation and you'd be surprised how much people will pay to get what they want.
Is it the most ethical side hustle? Probably not. Do I care? Definitely not.
I sort through about 50 new requests and find one that wants me to "find something funny happening at avengers tower pls." Well, that sounds fun. I've never tried to hack the tower before, assuming the security is too advanced for me to break through. But hey, I might as well try. I accept the request and the person pays me $300 upfront. Not too bad considering they're not asking for anything too classified or specific.
I activate my firewalls and get to business, Avenger's Tower here I come!
It takes a while to get into the system, as expected, but I eventually get it. I search through the building's cameras with a small smirk on my face, I'm feeling pretty accomplished already. There's over 1000 cameras in the whole building so it doesn't take me too long to find one in a room with people in it. It seems to be a communal kitchen of sorts. I start scrolling through footage of the kitchen from previous days, zoning out a bit at the lack of excitement.
But then, something catches my eye. No way, Anthony Edward Stark sneaking into the pantry to eat cookies at 3:08am. How classy. I giggle to myself and download the clip, sending it to the person who requested it.
...
At the tower
"Sir, it seems someone has hacked your camera system." FRIDAY, Tony Stark's AI says.
Tony looks up from the mainframe he was working on, "What was that Fri?" he questions.
"Someone got into your security system and was looking through camera footage in the tower. Would you like me to look into who it was?" FRIDAY responds, sounding as unbothered as ever.
"Uh, yeah I would like that." Tony sounds confused as he quirks an eyebrow. He pushes his chair over from his tech table to his computer set up and begins typing furiously.
"What the..." he trails off.
"What's cracking, tin can." Natasha says casually as she strolls into Tony's lab.
"Not the time, red." He says, not looking away from his computer.
He smacks his keyboard a few times, muttering out of confusion.
FRIDAY speaks up once more, "Sir, I cannot seem to get any information about this breach."
"Breach?" Natasha questions, "Did someone actually hack you?" She scoffs.
"Yeah, maybe, I don't know." He responds curtly, not losing his focus.
"Have you tried tracking them?" She asks.
"Have I tried tracking them? Are you serious Natasha? Of course I have, this guy has the thickest firewalls I've ever seen. I can't get anything out of him." Tony responds annoyed.
"Unfortunately, they have left my system and wiped all traces, sir. There's nothing we can do now." FRIDAY tells Tony the bad news and he groans.
Natasha just laughs, "Wow, I thought you were a genius tin can."
"Shut up-" Tony starts but is interrupted by Steve walking in.
"Hey, Tony, practice kindness." Steve says with a disappointed look on his face as he walks into the lab too.
"Steve, you just always know what to say to brighten the mood." Natasha says while laughing.
"Can't you guys see I'm busy, why are you even in here?" Tony rubs his face with his hand and sighs.
"I'm here to see how much progress you've made on my shield, you know since we talked about redesigning the shock absorption-" Steve responds seriously.
"You know what, I don't care. Get out." Tony rolls back over to his tech desk and starts aggressively working on his mainframe.
Natasha walks past Steve and pats his arm, "C'mon Cap, let's just leave him to sulk alone."
...
Busy Bean Cafe
A quiet cackle leaves my mouth as I close my laptop, finishing my task just before my shift starts.
"Hey," Florence shouts from the front of the cafe, "you done hacking? I could really use your help up here."
I quickly stand up and rush to the counter, grabbing my apron and tying it around my waist and throwing my hair into a ponytail, "you can't just say that Flo! Seriously, jeez.."
I walk over to her, "what can I do?"
"Your job." She responds with a laugh.
"Ha ha, you're not funny." I roll my eyes and start making drinks.
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