SHIELD (A Captain America Story, Book 1 of the SHIELD Series) COMPLETE

Chapter 3: Dreaming

June 13, 2000

Tony Stark was coming back from a walk, doing quick calculations on a touch screen device. 

"Four hundred miles per hour to the nth, times pi squared, allowing for 300 kilograms of force per second..." Tony mumbled to himself, blissfully unaware of the world, until he saw something strange that stopped him in his tracks. 
​A girl, perhaps 12 or 13, was sitting on the steps in front of his security gate. Her hair and clothes were a tattered mess and her skin was streaked with ash and dirt, but she didn't look homeless, instead looking like one of the children whose photos they use to drum up money for refugees in war-torn countries. He stepped closer, but she didn't acknowledge him, just continued to stare blankly into the sky. 

Tony shrugged and stood over her for a second to finish his calculation, then put his device away.

He was about to open the gate and forget about her forever when she spoke.

"Your calculation's wrong," The girl said, still looking up at the clouds.

"Excuse me?" Tony turned to look at her.

"Your calculation," The girl said again, "It's incorrect."

"And how would you know that?" he asked condescendingly.

"Go ahead, check," The girl replied, still not looking at him. "The variable on the fourth step is out of place. You made it positive instead of negative."

Scoffing, Tony glanced down at the touchscreen in his hand. "Oh, yeah? What would an eighth grader know about—" He stopped talking and stared, shocked, at the touchscreen. The girl was right.

"The answer is 12,347 miles per hour," the girl said casually, "Give or take." 

Tony abandoned the screen and did some mental math, and realized she was right. He slid the screen back in his pocket, making a mental note to fix it later as he sat down on the steps next to the girl, who still hadn't looked at him. 

"How the hell did you know that?" Tony asked. "You're, what, thirteen?"

She turned and fixed him with a stare so serious it seemed very out of place on her skinny, dirty face. Even more disconcerting than the glare, however, was the fact that her eyes were an unnatural light purple color.

"I don't know how I know. I just do," the girl replied matter-of-factly. "It's part of me." 

"The ability to calculate advanced physics models in your head?" Tony raised an eyebrow, "That's a part that most people don't have." 

The girl said nothing. 

"Okay. Let's try this," Tony leaned toward her. "You have some place to stay besides, you know, out here?" 

She shook her head. 

"Are you a runaway? Foster system? Grew up on the streets? There's no one looking for you?" 

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I grew up on the streets," she repeated slowly. "There is no one looking for me." She looked so tragic Tony found himself having to cough and look away before he felt, like, an emotion. 

"How about this," Tony offered. "You come work with me for a few hours, and maybe you can stay in my house for a few nights," he looked back down at her. Her eyes narrowed at him, doubtful. 

"Hey, it's up to you," he stood back and put his hands up, "But trust me, it's a lot nicer than the steps." She considered him for another moment before finally nodding. He held out a hand but she ignored it, scrambling to her feet on her own. 
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January 4, 2002