Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of the Marvel stuff.

A/N: Yeah, so fixed some errors, didn't change anything major. Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up soon. I have like two multi-chaptered stories going on and my inspiration can be sparse so sorry about that.

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Chapter 1 Mystery

…

Phil Coulson had been aware for quite some time that the world wasn't what everyone thought it was. He had seen and been through too many things that challenged his previous perception of the universe. He knew people had powers and he knew that aliens existed. He had been at S.H.I.E.L.D. long enough to partially understand that the universe was bigger and phenomenally more complex than any human being could perceive. So when Director Fury had requested that he accompany him on a trip to New Mexico, he didn't particularly question why.

The last time Coulson was in New Mexico it was to investigate a 0-8-4 that ultimately led to the arrival of Thor. He didn't quite know what to expect this time. Fury had told him that this was to be an exchange that wouldn't be reported to S.H.I.E.L.D. whatsoever. Coulson did question Fury about this.

"I don't understand, sir. Isn't this a S.H.I.E.L.D. visit?" Coulson tentatively asked. Fury had brought along only Romanoff and Barton, neither seemed too concerned about the motive of the visit.

"Yes and no," Fury answered. Coulson looked at him with furrowed brows. Natasha and Clint were manning the Quinjet. They took a brief look at each other as if they knew something that Coulson didn't. Fury frowned a little and led Coulson away from the front as if about to tell him some unpleasant news. "I've been informed by an old friend that there's someone in New Mexico that I need to meet. He gave me some general information on this person and by the sound of things, well, I don't know if this is someone that should be on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar."

"But sir…"

"All I am willing to disclose at the moment is that this person is a minor and might possibly have abilities that have yet to be documented or studied," Fury cut in.

"But sir, if this minor has abilities then she should be reviewed for the Index," Coulson argued. Fury was quiet and then sighed.

"I have been told that this is a delicate situation," Fury concluded. Coulson was hesitant but then nodded his head in understanding. Fury stared hard at Coulson for a second before nodding and then heading back to talk with Romanoff and Barton.

"So where in New Mexico are we going?" Coulson abruptly asked.

. . .

They landed on a small airfield outside of a town near the border of Arizona and New Mexico. They were in the Navajo Nation. Coulson had never been there and looked around not knowing what to expect. There was desert for miles and large rock formations that framed everywhere you looked. Fury had said that it was a delicate situation and Coulson wondered if it had anything to do with the locals.

There were two trucks waiting for them that had the Navajo Nation Seal on the doors. A man wearing a suit and a turquoise necklace greeted Fury like they were old friends. Coulson looked at Barton and Romanoff as they surveyed their surroundings as if looking for possible threats but Coulson had a feeling that there weren't any. The man and Director Fury were speaking in hushed tones. Coulson watched the exchange closely trying to figure out just what was going on. Finally Fury turned to them and the man smiled at each of them politely.

"This is Agent Coulson," Fury gestured as Coulson came forward to shake the man's hand. "He will most likely be in charge of what concludes today." Coulson looked at Fury questioningly but Fury had moved on to introduce Barton and Romanoff.

"You all can call me John," the man brightly said. "Shall we?" He gestured to the trucks and Coulson followed Fury into the first one while Barton and Romanoff piled into the second. Coulson looked at Fury in question but Fury gave him one stern look and Coulson knew not to question.

Coulson had no idea what was going on, all he knew was that Navajo Nation officials were driving them out into the middle of nowhere. Every now and then they passed a house but the land was sparse with life and the road eventually became dirt. They were now following a dirt road, up hills and down canyons. Half an hour passed before Coulson saw a house in the distance.

It was a modest house with children toys out front and a trampoline. There were a few cars out front and one off to the side that looked like it was being worked on. Coulson thought the place looked pretty normal despite being in the middle of nowhere. As they approached an elderly woman came out the front door.

"Now, Fury, as I said this is a delicate situation. This is the home of a Navajo family. They have a little girl that we believe to have special powers. I know how S.H.I.E.L.D. works, you know I do, and I don't believe that this calls for an evaluation of the Index. But, I trust you Fury, and I know how dangerous situations like this can be and this child needs to be protected," John explained. Coulson was beginning to understand why exactly they were there. They got out of the trucks and approached the elderly woman.

"Ya'at'eeh, Ama," John greeted the elderly woman in Navajo. The woman replied in Navajo and seemed to only speak Navajo. Coulson discreetly looked around for anything unusual. Suddenly, the elderly woman called out loudly and there was a scurrying of footsteps. A young girl came running into view, a broad smile on her face, and giggles pouring out of her mouth. She was followed by a young man with similar features.

The girl took in the strangers and a frown formed on her face. Coulson got the sudden feeling of dread and he couldn't understand why. The girl looked no older than sixteen. She had dark brown hair and startlingly amber eyes. There were scars that crisscrossed along her arms and legs, and a particularly big scar on her forehead.

"Hello," the girl spoke. Her voice was very much that of a child's with bells and soft echoes.

"Hello Anna," John spoke slowly. The girl tried to smile but only managed a grimace.

"John, who are these people?" The young man spoke up. He took a step forward as if shielding Anna from whatever might happen. John held up his hands as if in surrender.

"Michael, these are some friends of mine who work for a government organization that deal with special cases. They are only here to meet Anna and nothing more," John explained. Michael eyed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents menacingly as if daring them to come closer. Anna looked at them curiously, catching the eye of Coulson. Coulson felt a rush of curiosity and briefly moved forward as the foreign feeling rushed through him. It was gone as soon as it came. Anna placed her hand on Michael's arm and he looked at her.

"Who are you?" Anna smiled.

"We are from the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D. We were told that you may have some unique…abilities and our organization specializes in these type of matters. We would just like to know more about you," Fury patiently explained. Anna nodded and took a step forward.

"What would you like to know?"

…

"Is she safe?" Coulson demanded. The man on the other side of the phone sighed. It's been a week since S.H.I.E.L.D. ended and Hydra came to light.

"Yes, she is safe. There has been no activity or sign that Hydra knows about her," the man replied. Coulson closed his eyes and let out his breath. He had been so worried that somehow Hydra would have gotten a hold of her.

"Okay, keep me updated," Coulson ended the call and stared at the wall. He was in charge of keeping her safe, of making sure that she stayed off the grid but the harder things got the more he wondered if he needed her help. The world was changing at a faster pace and Coulson was struggling to keep up. Anna was a mystery. She was an unknown that was familiar and with the rising threat of Hydra, Coulson wondered if she would be safer by his side.

Coulson thought of that day, the day he met her. Her abilities had been powerful then and he couldn't imagine what they were like now.

. . .

A/N: In all the time since I first posted this chapter I've gone through like a billion different plot points and I finally landed on one that I like so hopefully I can get this going again before I lose focus. The plot I landed on actually would have required a rewrite because I don't see the whole Navajo thing playing into it but I didn't want to completely change the story and I like this aspect so I'm going to see if I can work it in somehow. If anything it would mostly just be like her culture and spirituality used in the story, not actually the location. Just FYI.