Riri Williams' request for MIT to extend her grant for another year is denied, and she is expelled from the school after the school's deans note her helping other students and schools plagiarize their work in exchange for money. Riri takes off in her new suit of armor to her hometown of Chicago, where she is still grieving the deaths of her best friend Natalie and stepfather Gary from a drive-by shooting. Riri shares with Natalie's brother Xavier on how she wants her talents to be taken seriously. She is recruited by "H.R." John to join the gang of his cousin Parker Robbins, also known as The Hood. When she visits the Hood's hideout, Parker tests Riri by trapping her in a gas-filled elevator, which she narrowly escapes. Initially denying his offer to join their next three heists, she relents when he offers financial compensation. At home, Riri lashes out at her mother Ronnie over the loss of their loved ones, and Ronnie tells her that she has unprocessed grief she has to deal with. Riri's grieving during her brain-mapping of her AI leads to it being a digital recreation of Natalie.