Author Note - This is a story I wrote on ao3 over the summer and I had a lot of fun with it so while I'm writing up the sequel I decided to post Part 1 up here so you guys can read it. Let me know what you think!

Tony was a bundle of nerves. He was sitting in the nicest limo he had ever been in, the only limo, and eating snacks he couldn't even pronounce. The only problem, he was sure he was here for only one reason. He had hacked into Justin Hammer's "secure" bank information last week. Hardly took him any time at all. He didn't take a lot, just enough to feed him for the month. His parents were busy with the bills.

So when the limo pulled up next to him on his walk home from Burger King and he was pulled inside by the goon stereotype, he was scared. Then when he saw richest man in America, Justin Hammer, sitting across from him, he mentally kicked himself and calculated his best chance for survival of jumping out of a moving vehicle.

"Kidnapping is illegal." Tony smiled at the man. Hammer picked at his teeth and looked down at him.

"So is stealing money. My money." He held out candy bar to the boy. "Honestly, it was quiet impressive. When we traced the signal to your shitty little apartment and got all the information on the happy family. We thought it was one of your parents but your dad is too focused on his drinking he can hardly keep his job and your mom- well she's lovely." Hammer smirked as Tony glanced around and pretended to read the foreign writing on his candy.

"I won't tell if you don't." Tony eyed Hammer while he fidgeted between the large man who threw in and the locked door. The older man's smile widened.

"You're 15, kid?"

"Yes, but not a kid. I did manage to get into your oh so secure bank account. Didn't you set up that security yourself?" Tony glared. He knew he should learn to keep his mouth shut. He was kidnapped and he couldn't help himself. He pulled out his phone.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Hammer said as he straightened his tie, anger filling his eyes. "Little kids go to school."

"Shouldn't you be updating your network security? Just gained access to Hammer Industries Secure Files. What is 'Project Mare'?" Tony held up his phone. He was an idiot. A genius, but an idiot. Anger the scary people who picked you up off the street, brilliant Tony. "Graduated last year."

"I like you." Hammer murmured. The sharp look in his eyes said otherwise. The limo pulled up in front of his building. Tony grimaced at the thought of all the wrong people who will see him climb out of here. "I have grown up things to go do, but I'll keep in touch."

OOOOOO

With that the door unlocked and Tony was shoved out. As he frowned at the limo speeding away he was tempted to stick his tongue out (okay, he did). Then he noticed how dark it was.

Tony ran into his building and ignored the smells of beer and piss. He ran up the stairs and down the hall, stopping just outside his door and listened. He heard the quiet whir of the tv and the angry mumblings of his dad on the other side. With a deep breath he entered.

His mom was passed out on the couch with a small stream of drool dripping off her chin, nothing surprising. Howard was watching some comedy through the static of their television, empty bottles of beer at his feet.

"Where the hell have you been?" Howard said as he glanced up.

"Nowhere. Just being productive." Tony said. Trying to quickly slip past and get to his room. Howard stood and grabbed him by the arm.

"I asked you where you've been." Tony tensed up, recognizing the look in his father's eyes. Drunk anger. He couldn't get out of this no matter what he said.

"I was just out getting something to eat." Tony whispered. It was the truth, usually the truth hurt less.

"Are you saying I can't provide for my family? You could eat here." Howard's grip tightened and he slammed Tony against the wall.

"There isn't anything here! You blow everything on alcohol and mom spends it all on drugs!" There is was again, his mouth. And there was what it usually brought him, a fist to the gut.

"I work my ass off at that damn garage so you can live here. You're just ungrateful." Another fist, this time to the jaw. Howard stumbled back then. Falling into his chair and reaching for his beer.

Tony locked the door to his room after he entered. He left the light off and slowly made his way through the maze of books he had stacked around. Once he fell into his bed he simply held his stomach and rubbed his jaw until he fell asleep.

OOOOOO

The next morning had its usual feeling of wrongness. Howard would be at work, fixing cars making the apartment seem peaceful. His mom would be scrubbing the kitchen and humming to herself. Tony touched her shoulder gently after she had been washing the same spot on the counter for ten minutes. She blinked at him with a gentle smile and went back to her scrubbing.

Tony sat down in front of the tv with his engineering textbook. He may not be able to afford college, but he could still learn. The news was talking about how the Avengers saved the west coast from an invasion of lizard people. Tony chuckled and flipped his book open when his phone vibrated.

Kid,
I'm done with my grown up things so why don't you leave the playground and come join us for lunch. We have business to discuss.
JH

Great. First, he hacks into the bank account of one of the richest men in the world. Then, just to show off, into the servers of the company that builds weapons for the military. And now he wants to have lunch? Tony was sure he was getting arrested. Or killed. Either way he was still being mocked. Couldn't stand for that.

Twenty minutes later he was in another limo, which he decided was the worst vehicle in the world. It took him straight to one of the tallest buildings Tony had ever seen with "HAMMER" written across the side. He went straight to the top where the billionaire apparently lived in a penthouse that cost more money than Tony knew he would ever make in his life.

"Ah, Tony Stark. Lovely to see you again." Hammer sauntered over to pat him on the back. Tony tensed, but quickly relaxed. "Meet one of my board members, Obadiah Stane." A large bald man walked over and shook his hand.

"I heard so much about you, Mr. Stark." Stane grinned coldly. Tony had a bad feeling about both of these men. He was most definitely going to be killed. Learned his lesson. Never hacking again.

"Well, lunch is already on the table." Hammer dragged Tony by the shoulder to a large dining room with windows taking up the entire wall. Tony slipped out from under his grip to look out over the view of the city. All the buildings were nicer, cleaner than the ones on his side of town and he could see over all of them. "Don't smudge the windows!" He heard Hammer whine behind him.

Tony turned and sat at the large table. He didn't recognize any of the food that was set before him. Probably foreign, Tony lived off of burgers and potato chips. Still, food was food.

"You do realize Hammer Industries has one of the most secure wireless networks on the planet?" Stane said as he threw his tie over his shoulder.

"If you say so." Tony chuckled. He poked at the gooey…. vegetables(?) in front of him.

"Well, it does. I designed most of it myself." Hammer huffed.

"And you got into it in under 5 minutes on a cell phone." Stane smiled at him. "No one's ever got in before, you understand."

"And you want to congratulate me with goop?" Tony took a nervous bite, not that bad. Hammer groaned.

"No, Tony. We think you can do more!" Stane said, his booming voice filling the room.

"Like juggling?" Tony smiled.

"No, we want you to hack SHIELD."