Italics is the story/the past while regular font is the present day.
When Ash hacked into the elevator to get to Cupid's place, Ash acted like a pro, as if she had done it plenty of times. Which she had, and it all started on one sunny day in March.
"Happy birthday!" Jack exclaimed as he shoved a badly wrapped box into Ash's hands. Ash looked at the green wrapping paper, torn in certain spots covered by clear tape, and had been loosely tied together with a white ribbon.
"...thank you, Jack," Ash replied as she gently untied the bow and tried to conceal her hesitation with a big grin. "You didn't have to get me anything, you know."
"Yeah, I did. You got me this awesome hoodie for my birthday," Jack glanced down at his blue, frost-covered hoodie. He had worn it every day since Ash had given it to him, and she had a feeling he would continue to wear it for years to come (which he did). "So I had to get you something just as cool."
Ash ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a shiny, brand-new tablet. "What- how did you get this?!"
"I have my ways," Jack winked mischievously. Ash shook her head and decided it was better to not know how Jack got his hands on the piece of technology. "You said you wanted something to draw on, so I got one that's supposed to be compatible with cool art apps and it even has a stylus."
"I see that," Ash laughed at Jack's excitement, and twirled the emerald green stylus in the air. "Thank you. I love it."
Jack beamed proudly, unaware of the series of events that he had unintentionally caused.
"Really? Do you have to be so dramatic?" Ash interrupted. Jack sighed. The Guardians had asked for Jack and Ash to tell them the story about how Ash learned to hack, and Jack had insisted on telling it because Ash tended to 'exaggerate'. "I mean, 'unaware of the series of events you had unintentionally caused?' Seriously? You caused everything and some of it was very much intentional!"
"Who is telling the story?" Jack crossed his arms and glared daggers at Ash. She sighed and leaned against Bunny, the latter of whom patted her shoulder comfortingly before he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"So your birthday is in March, huh? Anything in particular that you want?" Bunny asked, both as a way to calm her down and to figure out what to get his girlfriend for her birthday. She chuckled and mouthed the word 'later' then waved her hand at Jack to tell him to continue the story.
"Now, if there are no more interruptions…"
Ash rolled her eyes but remained silent as Jack continued his tale. Though, in all honesty, the story was more about Ash than it was about Jack. But she wasn't about to spoil her brother's fun, no matter how dramatic he was.
"Ash!"
Ash groaned in annoyance but set down her tablet and looked at her brother expectedly. "What is it, Jack?"
"I need you to help me with something," Jack stated. "I made an email- don't look at me like that, I'm just getting with the times- but I forgot my password."
"What does that have to do with me?" Ash asked. Jack smiled sheepishly before he looked around as if somebody was listening in on them despite the fact that the two Seasonals were in Ash's cottage. "This isn't gonna end well for me, is it?"
"Pssh, I don't know what you mean," Jack waved off her concern and leaned against the wall casually (or what he probably thought came across as casual). "I just want you to help me get into my email."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"...by hacking into it? I mean, you have a tablet and I know you've got a computer somewhere. And you're always bragging about how great you are with technology," Jack hoped that Ash's ego would come out to play (for once) so he could get what he wanted.
Ash sighed, and while she knew full well what Jack was trying to do...she had to admit that it worked.
"Fine! Give me your username and I'll see if I can figure this out," Ash turned on her tablet and opened up an incognito tab to see if there was a Wikihow or something. AN: I know nothing about hacking so I'm going to be as vague as possible. And for whatever reason, there is a Wikihow for hacking into some email website. I just thought I should mention it. "Wait, is your email account on the Immortal Web or the Mortal Web?"
"There's a difference?"
"For someone trying to get with the times, you'd think a teenage boy would know that there are two types of webs; one for the Spirit world and one for regular mortals."
"Shut up."
After about half an hour of googling different Wikihows/blogs, downloading apps, and making fun of Jack for his username, Jack_Frost_Is_Real, Ash managed to retrieve Jack's email password as well as his passwords for other websites.
Unfortunately for the Spirit of Spring, Jack spread the word about Ash's newfound hacking skills. One after another, spirits and other immortal beings came to her to ask for "small" favors. After she had realized that the pushy beings wouldn't quit bugging her until she complied, Ash gave in.
But she had made it clear to everyone that they only got to ask her for a hacking favor once every ten years (including Jack, who was upset because he hadn't been told that rule until after his request).
The requests varied from retrieving passwords (which, really, if people just saved their passwords to Google, nobody would have to bother Ash) to deleting stuff from social media and even messing with other people by editing their blogs.
Though Ash had complained, she had to admit to herself that it was kind of fun. Thrilling, even, because there was always the chance she'd get caught (either by mortals or immortals) yet she never did.
At one point, she wanted to hack into a website for reasons that aren't important (aka Jack didn't know nor did he care).
But somehow or another, she hacked into the FBI. And they were not happy about it.
"How do you 'accidentally' hack into the FBI database?" Bunny looked at Ash incredulously, unsure if he should have been proud of her or slightly terrified.
Ash shrugged. "I was trying to hack into the FCI, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale aka the World Canine Organization. I made a typo and accidentally got into the FBI."
Bunny opened his mouth, but then shut it and just shook his head. Jack snickered at the astounded look on North's face before he continued the story.
Thankfully, since Ash had been smart and used her account she'd made on the Immortal Web when she had hacked into the database (as she did every time she hacked into the Mortal Web, as opposed to when she hacked into the Immortal Web while she used a Mortal account). AN: I'm getting kind of tired of writing 'web' so much.
And that meant despite the efforts of the police and government, the trail went cold because, in their eyes, Ash didn't exist. Even so, she vowed to quit hacking...at least until she and a certain group of Guardians needed to get into Cupid's place.
"This is all your fault," Ash stated after she unplugged her computer and turned off her tablet. Jack looked around in confusion before he finally pointed a finger at himself. "Yes, you."
"How is this my fault?"
"You're the one that got me the tablet, Jackie."
"So the lesson to learn from this is that it's always Jack's fault," Bunny smirked. Ash let out a laugh while Jack huffed indignantly and crossed his arms. "I mean, really? All that happened because ya couldn't be bothered to remember a password?"
"That is funny, but I have one question. Well, several actually, but this is my first one," North looked around at Jack, Ash, and Bunny before he continued. "What's an email?"
"I call dibs on not explaining it!"
"Ash, come on!"
"You wanted to tell the story, so finish telling it," Ash grabbed Bunny's hand and told him to open a tunnel, which effectively left Jack to explain what an email was to the out-of-date Russian.
He sighed to himself as he scooted around to get more comfortable. 'This is going to take a while.'
AN: This references chapter 7 from Bunny's Springflower. Let's be honest, if you haven't read my other stories, then you're probably already confused from the last nine chapters and hopefully have realized this is a sequel story. If you have any requests, leave a review or PM me. I hope you enjoyed! Until next time...
- Kitkat Out!
