AN: So, before I even start, I just wanted to warn readers that this is a rewrite. I am planning on rewriting and deleting some chapters (including, sadly, Amazing Spiderman... I might give Spiderman a cameo appearance, I'm not sure, yet), but, I really wanted to rewrite this since I've already started halfway into my Frozen Fire story. There are quite a lot of changes, such as the fact that this is now in third person point of view rather than first. Another is that I've added quite a lot of detail (hopefully), and have changed the way things worked out compared to the original, after all the recent movies came out.

I've changed my mind about not including the Winter Soldier after debating over whether or not it's worth including. After watching Infinity Wars Part 1, I've decided that's probably where I will stop... depending on how the movie series goes.

Chapter One

Strategic Homeland Intermission End Logistics Division was no stranger when it came to receiving numerous reports throughout the week. Some of them were mostly nonsense reports of crop circles showing up on farmlands. Others were more severe threats that were taken care of by their top agents.

The strangest case they had received, though, was in regards of an energy reading they had picked up in Albany, California. The report consisted of an eerie light appearing in the middle of nowhere, and disappearing seconds later. Bystanders who were able to witness the phenomenon had scoured the area minutes later, only to find something that much stranger in the middle of an empty field. One of the bystanders had described it as a baby wrapped in warm blankets.

Phil Coulson let out a sigh of frustration as he leaned against the back of his chair and studied the files in front of him. The baby had since then been apprehended and taken into a secure facility. She appeared to only be a few days old, at best. Babies didn't just normally appear randomly after a light glowing in the distance. Something was off about this baby girl. He was determined to figure out what that something was, especially when they found the golden necklace hidden within the folds of the blankets.

"Did you find anything about her?"

He looked up at the sound of a woman's voice. Maria Hill, a fellow agent, had been looking into the case herself. After all, it wasn't every day something like this happened. When they managed to apprehend the baby in question, everyone had been curious about her sudden arrival. Noting that the baby was alone at the time left everyone wondering where she came from. He had been doing his own research on who her family was since she was taken in.

"Nothing," he answered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Whoever her family is, there's nothing in the database. It's as if she doesn't even exist."

That was enough to catch Maria's attention. She leaned forward, studying the data Phil had looked up so far. The more he looked into it, the more confusing the whole thing got. It really was as if she had appeared out of nowhere. Scientists would have had a field day with her if they found out about her. He had been the first to argue that running tests on an infant was the last thing she needed. If what he thought about her was true, then it was better they wait to run studies on her.

"Look, Director Fury suggested the best thing we can do for this baby is send her to an orphanage, and we would keep an eye on her from a distance," Maria sighed with a shake of her head, "A family might be willing to take her in."

Doubt clouded his thoughts as Phil looked over the data once more. He knew she was right. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't take in every stray they found on the streets, let alone a baby. There were too many security risks to involve raising a baby. Besides, he was busy enough as it was without having to worry about taking care of a baby. She was better off living in a home where she would be raised as a normal child. Given the circumstances of how she ended up in this world, she needed that kind of life now more than ever.

"Alright," he reluctantly nodded in agreement, rubbing his face at the thought of leaving the baby in the hands of strangers. "I'll take her."

Maria placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing this was anything but easy for him. He'd already grown fond of the baby, and leaving her at an orphanage would be a challenge in itself. He hoped they were doing the right thing by dropping her off. Otherwise, he would have to live with that regret for the rest of his life.

…

Dark storm clouds swirled around the night sky as lightning streaked across them, giving off an eerie illumination. The caretaker of the orphanage in Malibu, California, had not been expecting any visits late at night. After hearing a series of knocks on the door, she finally went down the stairs to see who would have arrived so late. It wasn't entirely surprising when people left the babies or children at the doorstep of the orphanage. As sad as it was, it seemed to happen more frequently than she would have liked.

These children didn't ask to be dropped off as if they were nothing. They all deserved a second chance, and a home that wanted them. That was part of the reason she worked at the orphanage. Being able to care for the youngsters meant more than she would ever admit out loud.

What did surprise her, however, was when she opened the door to find a basket sitting in front of it. The woman looked around warily, eyes scanning the area for any signs of whoever might have dropped the baby off. She shook her head in disappointment after realizing this baby had likely been abandoned.

She bent down, carefully picking the basket up and taking the baby inside before the wind and rain made it too cold. While the baby herself was wrapped in warm blankets, she didn't want to take any chances. Once inside, the woman was able to get a good look at the newborn.

The baby was small, even for a newborn. The top of her head was covered in downy black hair. Blue eyes stared back at her curiously. The woman couldn't hide the small smile that followed as she found herself growing attached to the baby already. There was something oddly charming about the way those eyes seemed to drawl her in.

"Ada," she whispered out the name, blinking in surprise as it came so suddenly.

She didn't know where, or how the name had played across the back of her mind. But, the baby seemed to coo at the word, and it fit her nicely.

Once she had finished settling Ada into a warm crib, and she changed the baby into a onesie outfit, the woman noticed something sticking out in the basket. She peered into it, taking hold of an envelope with words written on the back.

'Please do not open until your sixteenth birthday', it read.

The woman couldn't help but smile warmly at Ada, who was now fast asleep. She had a feeling that Ada was going to have a special destiny. One that even she had no part in.

…

Ada studied her reflection carefully, making sure that everything was in check. She always got up before everyone else. Not only was it a force of habit, but Ada had quickly learned that the early bird caught the worm. She used that terminology to her best interest, often getting first dibs on breakfast, and just about everything else. Most of the other kids who lived in the orphanage had quickly grown jealous over the fact that she managed to get everything she needed without too much argument. They tried arguing with the staff, but the staff would always remind them that if they wanted first dibs on whatever was offered, they needed to be faster.

Staring back at her was a young girl with long, raven-black hair and brown eyes. Said young girl was short, with few freckles covering her face, and a look that said she wanted out of this place. With today marking her sixth birthday, Ada knew the odds of getting adopted were getting slim. Few people wanted to adopt an older kid. She had quickly learned while staying at the orphanage that adults preferred adopting kids who were younger and kids who listened to adults.

She let out a sigh and tied her hair into a ponytail, remembering some of the pranks that other kids pulled on their birthdays. Quite a few of the kids here had quickly learned not to pull pranks on her, the hard way. She often earned 'time-outs' as punishment for beating up a kid for being rude to her, or anyone she was close to. It wasn't as if she meant to hurt anyone – it usually just happened without warning. Self-defense was the one thing that she taught herself while at the orphanage.

Though, it was also part of the reason she had so few friends. The housekeeper, Heather, was one of the few adults that she ever talked to when she felt the need to. Her other friend happened to be Maggie, a young girl with light blond hair and brown eyes who also happened to be her roommate They'd been in the orphanage for as long as they could remember, and their friendship was based solely on the fact that Maggie enjoyed her company.

"Ada, come on!" She winced at the sound of Maggie's voice. Ada turned to see the little girl hopping at the doorway, practically bouncing with excitement. "Today's the day!"

She added the last part with a clasp of her hands, rubbing them together as if this was the greatest day ever.

"For you to calm down and stop acting like someone on a sugar high?" Ada asked, tilting her head in amusement when Maggie's face fell.

Everyone always said that she acted as if she was older than she looked. Ada had never taken it seriously. She supposed that was why she didn't get along very well with most of the kids, here. Maggie was the exception to that rule. She tolerated Maggie more than anything else. They were forced to share a room together, and Ada had to learn how to enjoy the girl's company since they spent the most time together. The good news was that Maggie didn't treat her like the other children did.

"Come on, Ada! Emily said that more people are coming in to interview us for adoption," Maggie told her. "Maybe one of us will get adopted… or, we could both be adopted together and become sisters!"

Ada almost laughed at Maggie's enthusiasm. She had to admit, it was contagious. Despite Maggie's enthusiasm though, Ada couldn't help but think back to all the other failed interviews. Every adult that went through those doors looked at her as if she was some kind of freak. She'd been able to answer each question easily, and she had scared a few of them with her intelligence. Ada couldn't necessarily blame them for being afraid. She'd quickly learned that people were afraid of the things that they didn't understand.

She let out a sigh and followed Maggie down the stairs once she was finished getting ready. All the children at the orphanage had to make themselves look presentable in the morning. Ada knew that this rule went along with the lines of getting adopted. The more presentable they looked, the higher chances they had of winning someone over.

Maggie kept humming to herself as they walked down the stairs. With the building being three stories high, exercise wasn't an issue. Girls were placed on one floor, and boys on the other. The bottom floor was used primarily for essentials, such as the kitchen, rooms for interviews, and entertainment rooms where the kids could keep themselves busy. The caretakers usually filled the room with things that were donated to the orphanage with hand-me-downs. Because of that, most of the material in the entertainment rooms were run-down and looked as if they'd seen better days.

Once they reached the bottom floor, Maggie led the way into the kitchen. Ada frowned when she noticed how empty the kitchen was. Usually at this hour, Emily, another caretaker of the orphanage, was up and making breakfast. She realized with a start that it was probably too early for that. Most of the children slept in until around seven. Ada had always been an early riser, and while Maggie would complain about it most of the time, she did try to keep herself quiet during those early morning hours.

"So, I've been planning on keeping this a secret, since most of the kids usually use this day for pranks and all of that fun stuff," Maggie rambled on as she reached the refrigerator. Ada rose an eyebrow in surprise. Kids weren't usually allowed in the refrigerator unless they had permission from one of the caretakers. With food in such low supply, everyone was limited to what they could eat, "I wanted to make this day especially special."

When she turned around, Ada's jaw dropped in disbelief. Maggie was holding two cupcakes in her hands. One for her, and one for Ada. Both were covered in rainbow frosting and sprinkles, with a tiny 'Happy Birthday' plastic band placed on top. She felt her heart swell with joy at the sight. Not too many others in the orphanage went out of their way to do something so kind. Maggie was one of the few kids at the orphanage who went out of her way to make sure that everyone was happy, especially those she was good friends with.

"Maggie… how did you—"

"Miss Emily helped me make them," Maggie explained with a sheepish grin, "When I told her what they were being made for, she said that she would help me out. We made enough for everyone to have one, but, I especially wanted to make sure that we got our share this morning."

"Maggie, you're the best friend I could ever ask for," Ada exclaimed, giving her a huge bear hug after Maggie set the cupcakes on the counter.

Maggie returned the gesture, laughing at the prospect that they were friends. It was difficult enough trying to bake something at the orphanage. Because food was in such short supply, the staff usually used whatever was donated to the orphanage. Ada had no doubt that Emily had been the one to agree with Maggie's idea.

"Well, are we gonna eat them, or not?" Maggie asked cheekily.

Neither needed to be told twice as they dug into their cupcakes. Ada relished the sweet flavors, ignoring the frosting that now covered her lips. She'd carefully pulled off the plastic bit, eyeing the sparkling lettering curiously as she wondered at the fact that Maggie went out of her way for just this occasion. Breakfast normally consisted of cereal, oatmeal and cheaply made meals, so, the cupcakes were a nice treat for both of them.

"Ada, there's someone here to see you!"

Her eyes widened at the sound of Emily's voice. Ada exchanged a look with Maggie before putting the wrapper in the trash and cleaning up the frosting on her lips. Emily had warned her the other day that someone was planning on stopping by to visit her. She knew it was probably just the usual tirade of visitors, so, she didn't think much of it when Maggie wished her good luck.

She took a deep breath as she wandered down the hall and to the door on her right. She sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that this would go well. As much as she loved Emily, Heather and Maggie, she wanted to get out of this place. More than anything, Ada wanted a family.

Ada opened the door hesitantly, unsure of what to do or say when she finally opened it fully and saw who was sitting on the chair across the room. She recognized the man immediately from all the stories about him on the news. She let out a rush of air, feeling her heart nearly skip a beat when said man looked at her curiously. He was the one person she expected to see the least. Seeing him left her wondering what the heck led him to coming to the orphanage in the first place.

"So, you're the kid they've been talking about so much?" he deadpanned after a few seconds of awkward silence followed.

"Uh… who's been talking about me, sir?" she asked, wincing at the nervousness of her own voice.

"You know, for a six-year-old, you sound more like an adult," he nearly snorted in amusement as he gestured for her to take a seat. Reluctantly, Ada did just that, "Look, I'll be honest with you, even I don't know who sent me the papers regarding your existence. All they wanted was someone 'responsible' to adopt you."

He added the last part with quotations, and Ada rolled her eyes at that. She highly doubted he of all people would be deemed responsible as far as raising a child would go. She could already imagine the hundreds of questions people would ask in regards of her getting adopted by none other than Tony Stark. Most children would have been excited with the prospect. After all, he had a lot of money to his name, and he was a genius in his own right. Yet, Ada frowned when she looked at him warily.

"Why do I get the feeling that this was forced?" she retorted, earning a look from Mr. Stark.

"Most likely because it was," he shrugged as if it didn't matter. "So, what's your story?"

For a moment, Ada didn't know how to answer. She found herself fumbling as she recalled the story Heather used to tell her. The only thing she did know was that her mother had left her at the orphanage doorstep with nothing more than a name.

"I never knew my mother, or my father," she admitted warily, "Guess they wanted nothing to do with their kid, so they thought dropping her off at the orphanage was the next best choice."

Mr. Stark actually frowned at that, and he leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"So, your parents decided to drop you off because they didn't want you," he guessed, and at her nod, he shook his head. "I was told by the caretaker that you don't have many friends."

"Most of them are afraid of me," she muttered, dropping her gaze as she thought of the many instances where she got into fights with them, "They like pulling pranks on other kids, and they learned the hard way that I'm not an easy target."

"It might also have something to do with your attitude, kid." Ada looked at Mr. Stark in surprise, but then she realized that he was smirking now. "What about your other interviews? What do most of those people think when they see you?"

"Like I said, they're usually afraid of me," she shrugged. "I think I scare them away because I tend to act and talk more like an adult than my actual age."

Mr. Stark gave a slight nod, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. This was actually the longest Ada had lasted in an interview. Most of the other times, the adults who tried talking to her were too exasperated to go on. They'd just given up and refused to go any further than that. She had gotten used to the interviews ending on a sour note. By now, she'd learned that they would never likely accept someone who would mouth back at them. They wanted an obedient child who wasn't going to act out like she sometimes did.

"So… what are you thinking?" she asked warily when she noticed he was quiet, again.

"I'm thinking… that you're going home with me," he replied.

Ada just stared at Mr. Stark as if he'd grown wings. She knew Mr. Stark was infamous for throwing wild parties, and for being a party-animal in general. Raising a kid was something she didn't think he would have planned for anytime soon. Yet, here he was, staring her down as if that was exactly what he had in mind.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, you're coming home with me," he repeated himself, this time more clearly. Ada clamped her mouth shut, looking at Mr. Stark for the longest time as he stood up. "Pack your bags, I'll be waiting in the living room."

It only took Ada a few seconds to register that he really meant what he said. She finally collected her thoughts, shaking her head as she followed him out of the room.

By now, most of the kids were already awake as the day drew on. Ada looked around anxiously, until she spotted Maggie standing there, waiting by the staircase. The little girl's eyes widened when she saw Mr. Stark for the first time. Neither said a thing as they ran up the stairs together. Once Ada had grabbed her suitcase and started packing what little clothes she had, Maggie seemed to understand what was going on.

"Ada, take care of yourself," she whispered after pulling her into a warm embrace. Ada couldn't help but return the gesture, feeling a lump form in her throat at the thought of leaving Maggie behind. "I'm glad someone finally adopted you."

"I hope the same could be said about you, Maggie," Ada whispered back, "You of all people deserve a family."

Tears brimmed the edge of Maggie's eyes when they pulled apart. Ada really did hope Maggie would find a home, and a family to take her in. The little girl had so much to offer; probably more than she ever would.

Once she had finished packing, and headed down the stairs, she spotted Mr. Stark still waiting for her. Ada blinked in surprise when she saw Emily waiting there, as well, with an envelope in hand. Emily offered a warm smile as she reached Ada, handing her the envelope in the process.

"Heather wanted to make sure this was given to you, when you were adopted," the older woman explained.

Ada eyed the envelope curiously, wondering just what could be inside. She tried shaking it, and heard something bouncing within. That only fueled her curiosity. When she moved to open it, she noticed there was a note on the back.

'Ada, please do not open this until your sixteenth birthday, – C.'

Who is C? Ada wondered, frowning at the thought. She held back a sigh of frustration after sticking it in her suitcase. She was never the patient type; something told her that waiting would be more challenging than she would have liked.

"Tell Heather I said goodbye, and give her a hug for me," Ada said once she was finished getting ready to leave.

"I will," Emily reassured her with a warm smile, "You be good for your new family."

With those parting words, and a wave goodbye, Ada followed Mr. Stark outside into the sports car he'd driven, leaving the orphanage behind her. This was going to be the start of a new life. Little did Ada know just how exciting this new life would be.