Erin Hicks woke at her desk. She was already an hour late for school but she wasn't worried about it. She was a brilliant student and ready for far more advanced classes than the ones provided at her school. However, it had been hard enough to get into the one she was in. It had taken a lot of donations and fake emails to convince the school that her parents were… there.

But they weren't there. Erin's mother had just packed up one day and left, leaving her three year old genius child to fight for herself. She did, of course, or else there would be no point in telling you this. However, the way she chose to make the money to survive was not on the top of most people's dream job list.

Erin got up and got ready for school, not bothering to even bring the useless weight they call a textbook.

When she arrived at the school, the halls were silent and the classroom doors were shut. She waved at the attendance worker who smiled and shooed her to her class. Erin walked in the room to find the T.V. on with every student's eyes glued to the screen. She rolled her eyes, assuming it was the ridiculous news broadcasts that the school made but she froze when she heard a reporter announce,

"Once again, an anonymous character known only as Ma'at, the Egyptian concept of justice, has hacked into the bank of the one and only Tony Stark. Stark declared he was on the lookout for the thief that has stolen thousands of dollars from him. If I were you, Ma'at, I'd watch your back."

Just as the reporter was finished, a tall dark man strode into the room. "Hicks," Fury said simply. Erin nodded and followed him out. This can't be good, she thought.

Fury led Erin into the principal's office. He sat her down in a chair and went to stand next to a young man while Principal Jennings paced the room. Erin sat quietly, tapping her foot and smiling, despite the fact that these two strangers were staring at her. Finally Jennings stopped moving and spoke up. "Miss Hicks, this is Director Fury and agent Parker from S.H.I.E.L.D." Jennings glanced at Fury's menacing eye patch and began pacing again.

"Do you know why you're here, Erin?" Fury sighed, taking control of the interrogation. She shook her head innocently. The young man with Fury, Parker, whispered something into his boss's ear and Fury nodded. "Yes, I think it would be best if we contacted your parents." Before she could stop herself, Erin sat up in her seat, objecting, "No you can't—I mean they're out of town." Fury nodded, catching her mistake. "Well, they left you a way to contact them if there is an emergency, yes?"

Erin looked up into his eye and shrugged, defeated. She knew she couldn't win. "Well yeah. But I left it at home. Didn't think I'd need it since phones aren't allowed at school anyways." Fury smiled. "Mr. Jennings, we will escort Miss Hicks home." And with that, he led her out of the school and into a black, discouraging car.