The Thief

1: Pumpkin Head

Ember's P.O.V.

I roll out of bed groaning, my head feels like someone has mistaken it for a piñata. Stupid headache!

The cieling creaks and I look up, groaning again. I should probably get round to repairing this place at some point.

After I ran away from home, I spent some years living on the streets before I found my new home. An old abandonned hut in the woods. I fixed it up and made it habitable, but it's sometimes hard to keep up with the constant repairs needed to stop it falling apart.

Grabbing my rucksack and an apple, I head outside. The sun was shining today and the birds were calling out to each other across the forest. I smile and whistle loudly, hearing the birds echo the sound.

I had found Ghost a couple of years ago. He was a stray husky who had been abused by his owners. I stole him some food and he hasn't left my side since. I see myself in him somehow. He was mistreated and beaten until he ran away into the night. Just like me.

Ghost bursts out from the treeline, sprinting straight at me. That dog has more energy than a little kid on a sugar rush. He leaps up at me, licking my face. Laughing I start walking back towards the city, I need to get some supplies

***

New York City is the perfect place for a thief like me. It's big enough that you can keep going to new areas to avoid being noticed, and the streets are do packed that you can lean against a wall and steal enough money to last a month.

I breath in the city air and scan the streets, searching for someone who seemed to have a fair amount of cash. I spot a red haired woman across the street wearing a leather jacket and jeans, her clothes look like expensive brands and she walks around in the way that all rich people do. Thinking that they are the best thing that has ever happened in this country.

Quickly, I scribble on a piece of paper with a grin on my face.

I cross the road, shoving my hands in my hoodie pockets and taking a deep breath. I point my head towards the floor, pretending I wasn't paying attention, and angle towards her.

I had left Ghost in the woods and most of my face is covered by a hood. I had no obvious features, so even if she works out that I am the one who stole from her, it would be nearly impossible to track me down.

Suddenly, I feel myself crash into her and I slipped my hand into her pocket, shoving her money into mine stealthily and swap it with the note I wrote earlier. It's so much fun to mock rich people sometimes. I pretend to trip over and then stand up again.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to crash into you. Are you okay?" I ask meeting her eyes. I was an experienced thief and knew how to lie without getting caught.

The woman gave me a harsh look. "I'm fine, but you should pay more attention to where you are going or you're going to get yourself hurt." I nod and apologise again before walking away.

Rich people! They won't accept any blame, even if it was someone else's fault. I sort through her money, taking the bank notes. I throw the rest in a nearby bin, I was wearing gloves so it didn't matter if the police found it or not.

She had a fair amount of money on her so I stop at a local store and buy myself some food. I would steal it but then I'm more likely to get caught.

I wonder around picking up more money until it's late afternoon. Time to head back before Ghost gets lonely.

***

Natasha's P.O.V.

Walking into Avengers tower, I head straight for the elevator. Clint should be up there by now. I shoot up the floors, curious how his mission went.

JARVIS greets me and I step out of the elevator to find Clint grinning at me. "Unfortunately for you Tasha, I managed to track them down by the end of the first day. I think you owe me twenty dollars." He holds his hand out smirking.

I sigh and reach into my pocket trying to find my money but all I find is a slip of paper. Frowning, I pull it out and unfold it.

Maybe you should stop walking around like you own the place pumpkin head, or somebody might take your money.
Oh wait...
;-)

Growling, I slam the paper down onto a table and head to the nearest computer, determined to track this thief down. That girl who crashed into me must have been the one who stole my money. How could a kid steal from me without me noticing? And pumpkin head? She was going to pay for that. Even Tony wouldn't dare to mock me.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Clint pick up the paper and read it. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Great, he finds it funny!

Then, the worst possible thing happened; Tony strode in. He looked at me puzzled before Clint hands him the note. His laughter wakes up everyone in a twenty mile radius. Idiot. Now I'm never going to hear the end of this.

A/N Thank you for reading. I will update soon.

-TheBookThief11