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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
i. BABYSITTER RECRUITMENT

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  OUR LIVES ARE COMPOSED of achievements. From our first breath to our last, we spend every waking moment discovering, growing, experiencing. We're learning to walk and talk, how to present ourselves within our ever-changing society. We're studying the alphabet and counting to 100. Everything we learn makes up our lives, and that becomes part of our history. History has always sustained an everlasting effect on us all, whether it's reminiscing wars, looking at old photographs, or becoming a murderer at two years old.

   Now, the title "murderer" shouldn't be taken too seriously. After all, it was a little... accident. Who would willingly murder their parents anyway? Surely, no one's Terrible Two's were that extreme... right?

   Known for their research regarding cell composition, Athena and Rob O'Dair were famously known as some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s brightest scientists. They passed away on an unfateful Tuesday in the year of 2003 due to a fatal lab explosion. Their deaths came as a complete surprise; however, their case grew more frightening when their murderer was identified as their troublesome two-year-old daughter, Riley.

   Riley O'Dair never intended to kill her parents. Honestly, she didn't even know her lefts and rights at such a young age, so why would she want to murder her parents? Who the hell lets a toddler wander freely in a dangerous lab anyway?

   In a blink, Riley became orphaned at two years old. With no other family to take her in, she should have been shipped off to an orphanage. Instead, S.H.I.E.L.D. voted to take her in — not for the fact that she was a prodigy of legendary scientists, but for the fact that the untimely explosion gifted her with extraordinary powers.

   Raised exclusively by S.H.I.E.L.D. and acting as the world's youngest Avenger, Riley never knew what it was like to have a normal childhood. No days at school, no late nights playing the DS, no Sunday cartoons. When most kids are 11-years-old, they're playing with their friends and going to the park until sunset. When Riley was 11, she was battling Chitauri aliens and defending the Earth against a Norse God named Loki.

   Sometimes, Riley wondered what it was like to be a normal teenager. She'd turn on a movie and daydream being the main character in one, but at the end of the day, her place was with the Avengers. It's where she belonged, forever and always. There would never be a second chance for her, and now that she was older, she was okay with that.

   Honestly, Riley liked her life. She liked being a hero, which she was damn good at, even for a kid. She was helping people every day, making the world a safer place. She lived her life for her late parents, avenging them every time she saved someone else's life. She liked to think they'd be proud of her.

   Riley strutted throughout the Avengers Facility with a reminiscent smile. It had been a few months since she'd been back here. After the whole ordeal with the Sokovia Accords, she needed a minute to breathe, to relax. She'd been traveling throughout the tri-state area, staying in hotels or with her dear friend, Tony Stark. Being back after everything that happened felt strange to the teenager.

   Tony was in one of the sub-levels. He didn't visit often, from what Riley knew, but he needed to see to some things before the facility became storage to some of his "babies" from the newly sold Stark Towers.

   "Mr. Stark," FRIDAY called, her voice booming over the music blasting throughout the floor, "Agent O'Dair has arrived."

   Riley walked through the doors as they slid open for her. A blast of A/C blew against the 15-year-old's face as she strutted forward, her raven hair flying behind her. "I'm back! Feel free to bow or applaud, whatever you're in the mood for," she happily greeted.

   Tony rolled his eyes as he spun around in his chair. "Huh, that's funny. I think your head actually grew a little bit just now."

   "Maybe if it grows big enough, I'll be able to fly, just like you," she retorted.

   Riley and Tony had history, just like any of the other Avengers. For them, they shared nearly a decade's worth of friendship. When he introduced himself as Iron Man and became involved with S.H.I.E.L.D., they clicked instantly, like two puzzle pieces. Riley liked Tony from the beginning because he was a genius. She admired him for his work, and after meeting him, she adored him because he saw her as someone more than her... accident.

   "So, what can I do for you, Tink?" Tony called.

   No matter how many times she heard it, she always smiled at the nickname he gave her years ago. For as long as she could remember, Tony would refer to her as Tinker Bell, or Tink, because while she was highly intelligent and inventive, she was unbelievably annoying.

   Riley eyed him. "You called me here, remember? You going senile, grandpa?"

   "Yeah, yeah," he dismissed. He rose from his seat, kicking it behind him. It went flying directly something Riley had assumed was important, but judging by the way Tony ignored the crashing sound, she was wrong. "I've been looking into your files lately."

   "Do I want to know why?"

   Tony pressed a few buttons, summoning a hologram with a recording. It was zoomed in on its main subject, which just so happened to be her as she battled alongside the Avengers against Ultron. Her lips flickered upward as they watched her fight beside Thor and Captain America.

   "Riley O'Dair," Tony presented, "better known as the youngest Avenger with the ability to manipulate ultraviolet rays. She uses UV rays to become invisible and generate forcefields. Since she likes to keep her identity a secret, the world knows her best as Valor."

   Riley raised her eyebrows, snickering. "I didn't realize you were such a big Valor fan," she teased. "You want my autograph?"

   "Do you even know what Valor means?" Tony retorted. "I mean, you're only, like 12-years-old, so I wouldn't be surprised—"

   "It means to show courage in the face of danger. I picked the name myself, you know," the 15-year-old interrupted, prideful. A yawn soon escaped her, causing her to ask, "Are you gonna get to the point? 'Cause I'm itching to squeeze a nap in between videos."

   "Has anyone told you you're annoying?"

   "Amazing and humble? Yeah, a few times."

   Another recording played. This one was from the day they fought against Steve and the former Avengers in Berlin. The great superhero Civil War.

   Riley frowned, only to cringe when the clip of getting thrown by the Winter Soldier from the sixth floor of an airport played. "You couldn't have picked literally any of my other highlights? Like when I finally got to throw the shield? That's one of my proudest achievements, you know!"

   "Uh-huh," dismissed Tony, completely ignoring her complaints. He paused the video, using his hands to zoom in on a red-and-blue figure. "You remember him, right?"

   Riley paused, studying the paused frame momentarily. "Uh, yeah," she confirmed. "Bug-Boy, right?"

   "Eh, close enough. The kid's name is Spider-Man." He pulled up another image. This time it was of a smiling teenage boy with matching brown hair and eyes. Tony put the images beside each other. "This is Peter Parker. Great kid. He's smart, about your age, born and raised in Queens. Oh, and he has this aunt—"

   "Do not finish that sentence," Riley interrupted, afraid of what weird thing was about to come out of her friend's mouth.

   A devious laugh escaped Tony. He almost continued just to spite the girl, but he refrained. "Peter Parker is Spider-Man," Tony finished.

   Riley leaned against a nearby counter, her elbows propped. She always hated Tony's little presentations simply because he always ended up saying things she already knew. Then again, she supposed it was relevant. You know, for plot issues.

   She didn't remember anything significant about the so-called Spider-Man. Albeit brief, they hardly shared a formal introduction. They met as heroes, not themselves, not that there was much of a difference to Riley. That being said, she didn't know if she could really say she knew Peter Parker.

   "Good for him," replied Riley. "Now, can we talk about the new rooming situations? 'Cause the last time I was neighbors with Vision, he walked in on me—"

   "Don't see how that's my problem," he dismissed, waving a hand. "You're technically his mom... sister... aunt person."

   It was true that Riley had briefly assisted in the creation of Vision, but she wouldn't go that far. Not unless it benefited her or made for a decent joke.

   "How come that argument didn't count when I tried to ground him, then?" she queried.

   He shrugged. "You can work that out with him later. You'll have to wait before you get settled in here again."

   "Uh, why?"

   "Well," Tony drummed his fingers across the tabletop. "it's a long story. Lately, I've begun to grow... hm, a little worried about our friend, Mr. Parker. He's a good kid, don't get me wrong, and I've left him under Happy's rather unwatchful eye—"

   "A horrible mistake, really."

   "—But I'm beginning to think that just letting him loose wasn't my brightest idea. Sure, he's a good kid and can sorta make decisions for himself, but I know there's no way Happy can keep up with him. Seriously, have you seen that guy's EKG?" he continued, disregarding her regularly scheduled side-comments.

   Riley didn't understand. "Okay, so why don't you do it?"

   "Do I look like I have the time to do that?"

   "...Aren't you going to Bali next week?"

   "Anyways, the point is," Tony went on, "I was hoping you'd be interested in doing some spy work for me. Nothing over the top. I just want some inside information regarding what Mr. Parker's up to. All you've got to do, really, is keep an eye out for the little guy. Make sure he's adjusting well to this hero stuff and keeping up with his responsibilities. He's still a kid, I don't want him to think he's doing this thing fulltime now. It's just for a little while."

   With pinched brows, Riley stared at him, and he simply stared back. They could almost hear the gears turning and clanging in her head. She was almost offended by the simplicity of his request. She'd fought aliens before, and he wanted to demote her to taking care of some teenager? Hang on a second.

   "Wait," started Riley. "You're putting me on babysitting duty?"

   "Yeah, pretty much."

   "No way," she immediately opposed, scoffing. "Hell, no! Tony, I'm an Avenger. I'm a freakin' S.H.I.E.L.D. agent! I graduated high school when I was 10! Do I look like someone that wants to babysit a random kid?"

   Tony sauntered to her side, clamping a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I get where you're coming from. But this is important. Besides, you don't have a choice."

   "Yeah? And why's that?" she dared.

   "I'm glad you asked!" exclaimed Tony, returning to her files that were scattered across the table. "See, it says here that since your parents died and you were taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D., you never had another proper legal guardian."

   Riley declared, "I'm my own legal guardian."

   "Yeah, according to this cool thing called the law, you're not old enough for that," smugly retorted Tony. "So, I've decided to step up as your legal guardian for the sake of your mission. Don't try and sass me, young lady, or you're grounded."

   "No way," Riley argued. "You can't ground me! Is that even legal?"

   Tony shrugged. "Aw, don't be that way, daughter," he teased, almost too amused by the power he held over her at that moment. "You can check the paperwork if you're so opposed, but it won't change anything."

   Riley's jaw dropped. "You're joking," she grumbled. "You're seriously adopting me for the sake of your personal agenda? You're such a dick."

   "Now, is that any way to speak to your father?p he taunted. "You start next week. While you're waiting, I suggest you look into the Midtown School of Science and Technology. You'll love it."

   Riley's eyes widened. "Oh, hell no!" exclaimed the girl. "First, you're recruiting me to babysit a teenager, and now, I'm gonna be stuck with a bunch of nerds?"

   Riley released a groan as Tony pointed out, "You are a nerd, stupid."

   "I'm getting emancipated!"

   "You're grounded!"

   "I'm so sticking you in a nursing home when this is over!"

   "Yeah? Do it after your chores!"

   "Shut up, Tony!"

   Life is strange, unpredictable. Chaos lurks in every corner. We never know what to anticipate as we continue discovering, experiencing, and growing. Riley thought she had gotten pretty good at expecting the unexpected. War, murderous robots, superhuman soldiers—she was ready for just about anything. She was trained to be ready for anything.

   But this? Babysitting a teenager? Getting adopted for the sake of her friend's personal agenda? Riley never could've predicted this. She always wondered what it was like to have parents, but this definitely wasn't what she had in mind growing up.

   Fine. If this was what the next few months of her life would look like, Riley would just have to suck it up. It's not like she had anything else going on, not until the government called for the Avengers to step in again. She just hoped she could pull this off.

   Well, there's always a first for everything.