ISSUE# 1: THE MISSING ASSET

LOCATION: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

TIME: 6:45 A.M.

The sun is out and the October wind is developing a bit of a chill. Most people who are walking around are wearing sweaters or jackets at best. Agent Caulson and Skye walk towards to another weird crime scene.

From afar, the two look like a mismatched couple: Caulson wearing his tailored cobalt blue suit while Skye is wearing a grey hoodie, black jacket and jeans. At first glance, people who have assumed that they were father and daughter.

"So what do we got today, A.C.?" asks Skye as her eyes were plastered on her Smart Phone. She trails behind Caulson by a few steps and her fingers are texting at mad speed.

"A few days ago," begins Caulson. "a S.H.E.I.L.D. transport was attacked while carrying a Priority Red asset to an important conference in Downtown Chicago."

"Again?" asks Skye as she places her phone back in her jacket pocket. "What kind of an asset?"

"One of the few select scientists that S.H.E.I.L.D. keeps hidden under wraps. He did work for us back in the day. In exchange, we kept him off of the grid and under the radar."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

At that moment, Caulson passes a Data Pad over to Skye. The Visual readout of that Data Pad displayed the detailed portrait image of a middle-aged Caucasian male. His face contained wrinkles and lines that gave him a puppy dog face with dark curly brown hair on top. He had a smile that gave him an overall look of a warm and friendly grandfather than a lab coat-wearing scientist.

"Doctor Adam Kane." informs Caulson. "Decades ago, he was considered pioneer of genetic research - manipulating DNA in order to treat diseases and ailments. Until one day, his experiments started to produce unexpected results. He helped us on several projects and become a close confidant of ours."

"So I'm guessing we're here to figure out who his kidnappers are."

"That's correct." affirms Caulson. "Director Fury has passed this down through the pipeline and it came across my desk. Now, it is up to us deliver on this." A nearby police official hands him a clip board and a pen. He signs the paper attached to the clipboard while Skye pulls her eyes away from her phone and gazes at the crime scene.

What looked at first to be a Public Library now lay in smoldering ruins. The only thing that remained was the frame of the building and some of the furniture that is charred black. In the middle of the room was a battered S.H.E.I.L.D. SUV. From the looks of it, both the driver's side and passenger side door were ripped off of the hinges. But by who? Or what?

The other members of Caulson's team were already there. FitzSimmons were using their high-tech instruments to examine the specifics of the crime scene while Agent Mae and Ward were getting their hands dirty.

"Alright, Team." says Caulson. "Report."

"Sir," acknowledges Agent Melinda Mae as she walks over to Caulson with a cup of coffee in each hand. As she hands Caulson one cup of coffee, Skye extends her hand for the other, but Mae pulls it away in a swift motion.

"Agent Ward and I have found a total of two bodies on the scene. The first one is sitting in the passenger side of the SUV." says Mae as she points with her coffee. Mae nods at the charred skeleton that sat in the car. Simmons examines the corpse while wearing a white lab coat and matching pair of white rubber gloves.

"We're you able to identify it?" asks Caulson.

"The tissue on the body is burned pretty badly so it would take us awhile." says Agent Mae.

"Okay," accepts Caulson. "As for the second body?"

Agent Grant Ward walks over to Caulson with something in his hand. "The second body was just as badly charred, but I was able to find this near it."

Agent Ward hands over a sandwich bag that contained a small thin rectangular object within it. Even though part of it was burnt, Caulson was able to tell that is was some form of Identification Card. It contained the basic picture and name on it as well as water mark of a familiar logo.

"He was a member of the Genetics Security Agency." says Ward. Ward must have been able to read his emotions on his face because he soon nodded while replying. "It looks like Genomex has their hands in this."

"Genomex." echoes Skye. "The Bio-Tech firm which operates as a secret branch of U.S. intelligence."

"According to my informants," volunteers Ward. "They've been conducting a secret human genetics program which had the unforeseen consequences of producing men and woman with mutant ability."

"Were those informants of yours at all crazy?" scoffs Skye.

"Let's take a look at this." says Ward as he points towards the driver's side door that was missing from the SUV. The metal around the hinges looked warped as if extreme stress was placed on it. The entire object looked as if it was twisted from the vehicle.

"Look closely at the indent marks." instructs Ward. Caulson kneels by the piece of evidence while placing on a pair of white rubber gloves. He then lifts the door and inspects the dents. To Caulson, it looks like five penny-size dents that warped the area of the door under extreme stress. The dents were three inches deep each and within an inch of each other.

"Are those… finger imprints?" asks Skye as she tilts her head at the evidence. "Like the indents of someone's hands on the door?"

"So we're looking for an unregistered gifted individual who exhibits superhuman strength." says Caulson. "See if you could get identification off of these finger dents and match it with any known name within the Index."

"I did." replies Mae. "Nothing came up. At least nothing on the Index."

"Great." sighs Caulson. "Another unknown gifted."

"Cool." says Skye. "I-I mean.. How awful."

"Sir," called a disembodied voice that had a thick Scottish accent. "You should take a look at this." Caulson followed the voice through the back of the library. Under the charred rubble, they were able to find access to some stairs that let underground. The rest of the team followed Caulson as he went down the steel spiral staircase. As soon as they hit the landing, they soon realized that they now stood in the center of what looked to be a bomb shelter.

They were furniture also present within the room. Couches were spread around and computer stations were were cabinets lined around the wall and stacked with ration packets and jugs of water. Agent Ward was able to spot three industrial sized med kits. A pile of second-hand clothing was sprawled in the center of the room. On the computer terminal was equipment that was used for making fake I.D.s.

"What is this place?" asks Skye. "Some sort of… hideout?"

"Sort of," says Caulson as he looks around the scene. "This library was a front for a Mutant Safe house. This is usually a place where young mutant runaways go to. In case if they want a new life; to start fresh."

Skye could understand that. She could think of several moments when she wanted to start a new life; to gain a new identity.

Agent Caulson looks at the far wall notices a tag spelled diagonally from left to right in giant black ash letters. It says: THE STRAND LIVES!

"Skye," says Cualson. "I want you to find out who this 'Strand' is. Go through any back channel you can and cross referece it with any other databases known to man."

"Right." replies Skye as she takes out her smart phone again.

"Team," says Caulson as he studies the ash letters. "I think we just found our kidnappers."

They walk over to Fitz who is standing yards away and has his back turned towards them. Caulson cannot understand why Fitz does not wear a lab coat out in the field. The light from the Safe house shone on his golden brown curly hair and pale skin. He has his head down, looking at an object that is in front of him.

"What is it, Fitz?" asks Simmons as she walks towards him.

Fitz doesn't answer, but instead turns his head to look at her. His eyes meets hers and says it all. It is rare that Fitz is at a loss for words so this must be serious.

Caulson stops next to Fitz and his eyes falls upon a life-sized icy blue cryogenic container. It had contours and a large aluminum handle.

"I used my instruments to analyze this object." Says Fitz.

"And what did you get?" asks Caulson.

"Not much except that there is something… alive in there."

"It won't tell you what?"

"No, sir."

"Well," says Ward. "Then there is only one way to find out." Fitz gulped and knelt down to the object. He held his hand against the box and felt the icy coldness of it.

As he did this, Ward reaches at his side and un-holsters his side-arm. As he comfortably places the weapon in his palms, he nods at Skye and Simmons to step back. Fitz looks up at Ward and nods at him. Beads of sweat roll down his forehead as he then places his shaking gloved hands onto the lever and pulled it down. Instantly, a hissing sound escapes as the lid popped up off of the container and their faces was met with white smoke.

Everyone except for Caulson, coughed as they wave the smoke from their collective faces. As soon as the gas dispersed, they all noticed the same thing: that there was a naked teenage girl lying inside the container. Her dark brunette hair curved around her back as she lie on her side with her knees pulled up to her chest completing the fetal position. The inside of the box was lined with a white quilted material which was formed ergonomically to fit around her body.

For five whole seconds, silence fell on the entire team until Skye spoke up.

"Quick question," says Skye. "Am I the only one who sees a naked girl lying in the box?"