Eva hummed the score of Cherevichki as she wandered along the HQ corridors, coffee grate in her hands. She was thinking about what Vision had said to her the other day; even if she had admitted it at the time, she was happy, an emotion that had been practically alien to her before. It was weird, that her resting feeling was actually a nice one, as opposed to a few months ago when she had just been sort of perpetually gloomy. She knew she was still quite crappy, of course - but there was something nice in knowing people liked and loved her regardless. It made the world seem a little bit kinder. The only times she got close to how miserable she had been before meeting him was when they were all out on a mission, and she was stressing over whether or not they would come back alive.
It was Sam she worried about the most, and not just because he was her boyfriend. His PTSD still woke him up most nights, and she knew he would be far too happy to take the bullet for one of his teammates. He was reckless, too; he wasn't one of the original Avengers, wasn't the government's version of Iron Man, and he felt he had the most to prove.
Still, she thought, it's not like he can't look after himself. He is Falcon, after all. I recall him mentioning that to me, once or twice...
"Yes, I'm tryi- no, of course sir, I understand. Just give me more time."
Eva halted as she heard the voice of the administrator round the next corner, seemingly on the phone to someone. She knew it would be wrong to listen in, but whatever Vision said she was still comfortable with the fact she was a terrible person, so had no problem with creeping slightly closer.
"No, nobody has any idea, sir. I can remain- I understand. Yes, sir." There was the sound of a door slamming nearby, and footsteps coming from another direction. "I have to go."
Eva peered round the corner, watched as the administrator hung up her mobile and tucked it into the pocket of her skirt. Trying to appear normal, she straightened her shoulders and strode forward, just as Security Pete came round the opposite bend.
"Morning, administrator," she said brightly, handing her a cup of coffee. "How're things?"
"Good, good," said the woman distractedly. "If you'll excuse me-" her heels clacked as she power-walked away.
Weird, Eva thought as a dishearteningly familiar security guard came into view from the direction of the slamming door.
"Morning, Pete," Eva beamed.
"I hate you."
"That's nice, dear. Have a nice day!" she called after him. "Douchebag."
She dropped off the Avengers' orders in the conference room and exited the building, pulling on her bike helmet as she left. The administrator's conversation bugged her, although she couldn't quite figure out why; it had sounded like a business call, which was nothing out of the ordinary.
She returned to the coffee shop, mentally prepared herself for yet another shift of serving Guys-In-Your-MFA, and forgot about it until almost midday.
"So this poor girl," the college man continued as Eva whipped up his order, "she's completely neglected her underlying symbolism through the piece, and there's nowhere near enough focus on the protag's boyfriend, who's much more interesting than the main character herself, and she spends half the damn story on her damn phone-"
Eva dropped the mug. "Holy shit!"
"Pardon?" he asked, blinking owlishly in the way certain people did when they realised that the world did not, in fact, revolve around them.
"That's it!" she exclaimed, "you're a genius!" She looked down at the shards on the floor. "Whoops."
"Why am I a genius?" the man asked, cautiously.
"Oh, nothing. Go sit down, sir, I'll bring it over in a minute." She'd figured out what was wrong with the image of the administrator on the phone.
All Avengers employees used patented Stark© earpieces.
Of course, many of those who worked there had phones for their private lives, but that hadn't been a personal call. So the administrator had another employers- which was understandable, many people juggled jobs these days, but she had a full-time position. And what's more, she didn't want anyone to know about it…
The question was, of course, what to do next. Eva's first thought was obviously to go to one of the Avengers, but an overheard phone call was hardly evidence and besides, they would be much more likely to believe the administrator than a gardener. No, she would have to investigate further, and she knew that if Sam or Vision found out they would stop her immediately due to the risk of danger, and the matter would be pursued no further.
No, if Eva was going to do this- and she was, of course she was, no self-respecting token normal friend of superheroes would leave this alone- she would have to be sneaky.
To: Alvie in Wonderland
I need you to teach me how to hack xxx
A/N dun dun dunnnnn!