The Avengers Academy (ON HIATUS)

New York, New York

I have to thank uris_aesthetic for help inspiring me for this chapter. Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~Five's POV~~~~~~~~~~~

I dial the number in the ad. After 3 rings, someone answers.

"Stark Industries, how can we help you?" A man's voice says in a bored tone.

"Hello, yes I'm calling about the Internship? I saw the ad in the paper and decided that it would be good for me to win," I say.

"Well for starters, you need to sign up in order to be considered, and in order to be considered you have to come to Stark Tower. Interviews will be from 4-7pm. Dress appropriately. Oh, and I need a name," the guy says.

I pause. I can't go around having people call me five, now can I? I start to say something, but then I remember I don't care what other people think.

"Five. Five Hargreeves."

There is silence, then, "I asked for a name, kid, not a number. Is this some kind of prank?"

"Why would I waste time with childish things like pranks if I'm trying to do this internship? Does that make any sense to you?" I sigh.
"Hargreeves, then. F. Hargreeves."

"See you then, F. Hargreeves," the man says, then hangs up.

I glance at my watch. I have two hours to kill before the interview, so I think about what to do next. Delores isn't here with me, but I know what she'd say if she was.

"Don't go drinking right before your interview, Five. It would be a terrible first impression for you to show up drunk. Also, you're still considered a minor in this world. You look like you're fifteen, you have no parents, no home, and no money."

I smile just thinking about her. I decide to listen to her imaginary advice and not go drinking.

Instead, I am going to try and find some coffee. A little caffeine never hurt anyone.

I walk down the sidewalk, not teleporting this time. I walk until I smell the delicious aroma of freshly ground, steamy black coffee. I follow my nose to a place called "Coral's Cafe." I stand outside the window breathing in the scent of the scrumptious coffee. I stand there for roughly five minutes, then I go inside.

The building has a nice sea-green and blue theme, specifically on the walls. The wall directly accross from the entrance is black, and looks like a chalkboard. There are reviews with people's names. There are a few yellow lights hanging from the ceiling. 

"Out of all the things I missed while I was away, this is the one I missed most," I say.

"Well, you didn't miss much, pal. This is just like every other cafe on the street, an I'm not just saying that because I work here. Ask any of the locals."

I look to find the girl at the register smiling at me. She looks to be about 16 or 17, and has ash brown hair with hints of blue at the end. She's wearing a light blue "Coral's Cafe" apron that matches her hair. Her eyes are a tad bit greener than the walls.

The only customers are a teenage girl with her books trying to stay awake studying, and a mom with her young son who is eating a pastry.

I look on, slightly surprised. "Oh, did I say that out loud? Well, I was just talking about coffee. It smelled great, so I decided to come and try it."

"What kind would you like? No, wait, let me guess: black coffee, half-decaf, with just a little sugar," she says, that same small grin on her face.

I stare, but not so much that it looks weird. "Hmm. How'd you guess?"

She shrugs. "You just seem like a no-nonsense type of guy. So, one black coffee, coming up."

I sit at a nearby table and wait.  Less than five minutes later, she comes over with the coffee and sits.

"So, why no coffee for so long? We're you at boarding school or something?" She asks, glancing at my outfit.

I hold up one finger as I savor my first cup of coffee in 40 years. I think on how to answer her questions. I don't know her that well, but something tells me she is one of those people that you feel like you've known forever.

"Something like that. It's pretty good coffee, if I do say so myself. But then again, this is my first time having it in a while. How do you think it tastes?"
I ask, recalling the monstrous thing I had to eat to survive my first few weeks in the post-apocalyptic world.

She thinks for a minute, then shrugs. "It's okay, I guess. I have had better coffee, but it depends on your preference. A few days ago we had one customer who came in and said 'congratulations, you did it, world's worst cup of coffee!' Then, another time, we had some customers come in saying this was the best coffee they had ever had. I wasn't sure if it was a prank or not, though, because one of them looked super drunk."

I nod as she tells her stories. So far, this is the most interesting person I've met. Not that I would tell her that. I glance at my watch and see that it's 3:30, and the interviews will start soon. I stand up.

"It was nice meeting you. How much do I owe you for the coffee?" I ask.

"$2.50 is your price, sir," she tells me. "It was nice meeting you, um..."

"Hargreeves. What's your name?" I question.

"Coraline," she answers.

"Like the-----"

"I know, I know, but I wasn't named after the book or movie. In fact, I was born way before it was even out," she says.

I shake my head, confused.  "No, I was talking about the name of the Cafe. Coral is short for Coraline, isn't it?"

She smiles slightly. "Yes, my grandma's name was Coraline, but we called her Coral. My parents decided to name me after her because supposedly I 'shine like the brightest coral in the sea.'" she adds, rolling her eyes.

"Anyways, I hope I see you again sometime, Hargreeves," she says as I walk out the door.

"Yeah, you too..." I reply.

A small voice in the back of my head says 'What about Delores?' I shake it off. I'm not cheating on her. Besides, I don't even know this girl. And it's not like I would have feelings for anyone else, anyway.

I call a taxi and have them take me to Stark Towers. It's slightly more expensive then I had hoped, but I plan it so that I am in the lobby by 4:55.

I am going to nail this interview.