DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my characters, the changes, and upcoming storylines. (This chapter talks about Snow, who looks like Crystal Reed, and her past ONLY. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. THERE IS A SUMMARY IN BOLD AT THE END. Read that instead. If you read the chapter itself, you don't have to read the summary. BUT YOU MUST READ ONE OF THEM! Thank u 3)
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News reporter:
"…the mysterious disappearance of over fifty citizens in the town of Windfell…"
News reporter:
"…police find the investigation to be a dead end…"
News reporter:
"…the only survivor, a little girl…"
News reporter:
"…the main question;
What happened in Windfell?"
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Charleston, West Virginia, 1993
"The investigation is still ongoing. Our only witness, a twelve-year-old child, who is probably scared out of her mind right now." "Yes, Caren. I can't imagine what it must be like for her, losing everyone she knows like that." "What shocks me most, Al, is that she is as clueless about what'd happened as the cops themselves are, and she was there!" "But where is she now?" "Redling Orphanage-"
William shuts down his computer. He hustles up from behind his desk, walking out of his spacious office.
"Linda, grab your coat and come with me," he tells his brunette, middle-aged secretary, whose mind takes a moment to process the sudden demand as the dark-skinned, forty-eight-year-old made haste to the elevator.
She stumbles off her wheeled chair from behind her glass-surfaced desk, struggling to throw the red, long coat over her shoulders as she scuttled, purse in hand, towards the elevator, which her boss held open patiently.
"Where to, sir?" she asked curiously.
"Redling Orphanage."
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For the past four months, Linda had been working for Chase Realty as Mr. Chase's secretary, after his previous one, who'd been with him for three years, had to move to another country for family reasons.
During the time spent with him, Linda couldn't tell much about him other than what most people already knew, and that he liked his coffee sweet.
William Chase was an orphan. He had a troubled childhood, moving from family to another, earning experience as he went on, but never a stable life.
Eventually, when he was old enough, William built his way up from dirt, to the top. He now owned a real estate company, that had many branches in the united states, as well as his famous orphanage, West Line, which he built in hopes of saving homeless children from a life of hardship, pain, and loneliness.
He was a good man, and had earned the respect of all who worked for and with him, including Linda's. However, his decisions were seemingly always vague, but his intentions pure, and his sense of instinct almost never wrong. Linda wished to learn a lot from him.
At the moment however, she was wondering why they were headed towards Redling Orphanage. Was it because of the girl that was talked about on the news? She was eighty percent sure it was.
She understood why William would be going there, but what she didn't understand, is why he asked her to come along. It was unusual, for him to ask her to join in his endeavors. He rarely leaves the office anyways, except to visit his orphanage.
"Sir. May I ask why you asked me to come along?" she asks as the car moves smoothly, the driver at the front, and William at her side in the back.
He turns to her, a soft smile on his face, as it always was. His hair short, curled, and rapidly whitening. His dark face freckled with darker spots. Still, he had a bright air about him, in his clean, comfy looking suits.
"Patience, my dear Linda. You will see," he replies calmly. Linda nods somewhat apologetically, the curiosity still eating at her.
Patience. One of the hardest lessons a person could learn, if they ever could.
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Soon enough, the car pulls up at the orphanage. Linda and her boss exit, climb up, and into the building.
It was nothing fancy, small, simple. But the reception was nice enough, somewhat decorated, and half-heartedly cleaned. Linda was still wondering what in the world she was doing there.
When the receptionist's eyes fall upon William she smiles brightly. "Mr. Chase! It's a pleasure to have you with us today," she tells enthusiastically.
"The pleasure is all mine," he starts, quickly eyeing the name tag as he reached to shake hands respectfully, "Mrs. Baxter."
The woman smiles at him once more, then begins to move down the hall as he followed intently, Linda close behind. "She's just down this hall. The others are outside playing. She refused to join, and, honestly, I don't blame her," the woman explained, looking back at them momentarily, as if sharing sympathy, "Poor girl. I don't know how anyone could have survived that. It's very nice of you to offer to do this, Mr. Chase. I'm sure she'll more than appreciate it."
But William wasn't looking for appreciation. It was never about publicity. When the press finds out about this though, he'll never hear the end of it, but it wasn't about them either. Never about them.
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William walks through the wood-made double doors. Up to twenty beds were in said room, and at the very end, by a sole window, was her.
"Snow. There's someone here to see you, dear," the woman calls.
Snow stays her silence.
She was sick of it.
The meetings. The press. The questions.
All of it.
They didn't care. She could feel it. They just wanted a story.
Her pain,
her sorrow,
it didn't matter.
William understands her silence.
He understands.
The older man takes small steps towards her, as the two women stand by the door.
She was pale by nature, but even more so now. Her dark, soft hair. A sad mess. Her clothes. Over-sized, and worn out, clearly not her own. Her chocolate-brown eyes, fixated on the window, flashes of memories before them as her young mind attempted to comprehend her uncomprehend able situation.
William crouches down beside her, looking out the window as well, witnessing the other children play, attempting to predict what the girl beside him thought of that view. He turned his eyes to hers, which were far and in a distant place,
and he realized just how much she would need his help.
"What a day, huh?" he starts, a smile decorating his graceful features.
His opening confused the young girl slightly. She wasn't expecting it.
"Almost feels…heavy…Doesn't it?" he asks, hoping to get her talking. She stays silent,
but he knows
she's listening intently.
He carries on his attempts. "The fear. The pain
…The frustration."
Snow's eyes grow teary. Not because he was bothering her, or pressuring her, like everyone else seemed to be doing lately,
but because he was right.
And, more importantly,
he was genuine.
"I lost my mom and dad too," he shares,
and alas,
she turns to him.
He holds his smile, and explains. "Car accident…It
…took a while
to accept…"
...
"Did it stop?"
she asked quietly, voice hoarse,
broken.
William furrows his eyebrows at her.
"…The pain?" she utters, sole tears sliding down her cheeks as she felt her chest squeeze uncontrollably, and her head spin.
William feels his heart sink at her question. Experiencing pain, and watching someone endure it were two very different things. He thought carefully about his next words.
"…With time, and friends
…Yes
…It did," he assured firmly, nodding.
The child across him does not have the strength to hold it all in anymore, as if her dying heart recognized William as a source of comfort, even if miniscule. She loses control and begins to sob heatedly.
William, knowingly, pulls her into his arms. "There you go. It's okay," he comforts, rubbing up and down her shivering back. "It's alright.
You're not alone anymore."
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Charleston, West Virginia, 1994
West Line Orphanage was a state of the art building. Constructed with up to eighty rooms, three floors, staff dorms, and a massive playground surround by natural sights, built near the adjacent forest.
That was where Snow was to stay for the while to come. William had been keeping a close eye on her, considering her emotional state after what had happened, he wanted to make sure she'd find the ability to fit in,
and,
eventually,
move on with her life.
However, William was constantly on the move, so, on several occasions, he'd send his young, and friendly secretary, who he knew had a motherly side, Linda, to keep him informed, and make the girl feel safe.
At first, Linda found this slightly irritating. She didn't sign up for babysitting when she got the job.
But, she didn't mind as much as she thought she would.
Snow.
For the first few months, she was quiet. Mostly by herself. Still trying to accept her new life.
To accept what had happened…
The other kids weren't making it easier for her. They didn't bully her per se. Occasionally mock her, yes. But, really, the problem was her. She just didn't feel like she belonged there.
It wasn't home.
Snow was an only child. Her parents had been trying so hard, and when they finally succeeded, when they finally had a baby, they cherished her with all their hearts. Gave her so much care, and love, and attention.
And so,
all of a sudden,
all of that was gone.
Like someone had taken the one thing that had mattered most to her, and she could never get it back.
When Linda explained the situation to William, he himself began visiting the girl, trying to get her to open up, to make things easier.
And,
though slowly,
it was working.
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Three months later, things were looking up. Though there were only three people that Snow had trusted most,
it was enough.
There was miss Sally, one of the caregivers. She was always nice to Snow, and would keep the other kids at bay.
Most importantly, Snow, despite not being able to explain it, could literally feel that Sally's kindness was genuine, every time they'd touch. Snow could tell. Sally wasn't doing it as an obligation, she was doing it because she actually cared. And, during that time, Snow really needed that. Snow also knew, as fact, that Sally had no ulterior motives, like the news reporters that interviewed during the incident, the ones that just wanted a story to tell.
Then there was Linda, who was always full of energy, and quite talkative when it came to kids. She would start, and Snow would always end up talking,
and,
eventually,
laughing.
Last, yet foremost,
there was William.
His wisdom and keen eye had managed to deduce that Snow was of strong senses. She was open minded, and brilliantly intellectual.
She enjoyed his company most, mainly because he treated her like an adult. And what child doesn't like being treated as a grown up?
However, it was because of his keen eye and intellect that he was the one to notice first.
Her
…abilities.
They were small incidents, happening every now and then.
It was a rough day at work for William. A heavy corporation problem with the sales. The next day, he visited the orphanage, still bothered by the issue. He looked the place over as usual, then retired to playing chess with Snow, their favorite hobby. While arranging the pieces, their hands had accidently touched.
She froze and furrowed her eyebrows at him,
stating
that he was upset,
as a fact.
Her words weren't the problem, it was when they were said that had caught his curiosity.
The second they touched.
…Why?
She then asked him if he was okay.
He confirmed so
and shook the topic off.
That was the first time he'd noticed.
It happened at least two more times,
and he'd never dared ask her about it.
If it was just him and his imagination, he wouldn't want to put any ideas in her head, until he was sure of whatever there was to be sure of.
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It was the annual Hike Day in West Line. They were right next to a forest, so they used that advantage to show the children some greenery, teach them to follow orders, and work as a team.
But Snow?
She hated it…
The last time she was out in such greenery,
was the day her parents died.
Just a few minutes before, to be precise.
Snow and her family were used to having occasional picnics.
The day was clear. The sun, warm.
There was laughter,
so much of it.
No one ever could have guessed what was to come.
It started
with a voice,
calling her.
Snow.
She didn't know why.
She didn't know how.
But she'd found that she'd followed that voice, to an area not so far into the forest,
or so she thought.
The memory was vague. Unclear. She only remembered one thing.
A stone. Small. Round. It's surface gold of color…and seemed to move before her eyes, like a lava lamp.
That was the last thing she saw before she'd lost conscious,
and awoken
to find
that,
where her parents once sat,
…dust…
…Nothing but dust.
…She had every right to dislike the orphanage's hike day. And as it went on. As she tried not to think. As she tried to smile. To push past the pain.
She heard it…
That voice.
That damned voice again.
A whisper.
Speaking her name.
She would have called it her imagination. But she could hear it as clear as day!
Could it be real?
She had to be sure.
…And that was when they'd lost her.
A few minutes into the hike, William himself taking lead, one of the caregivers were taking a count of all those present.
When they realized she was missing, William couldn't help but panic slightly. The trail they followed was safe, but if she'd wandered off trail…not so safe.
He ordered the caregivers to return with the children, while he attempted to find her, trying heartedly to keep his fears and concerns for the precious girl at bay.
He needed to find her before wolves started crawling out of their den for a fierce hunt.
…However…
They found him.
A lone wolf stood directly in front of William, growling threateningly. Ears pulled back. Grey hairs standing to give the wild beast more volume.
Then
…it jumped.
William's eyes squeezed shut reflexively. He fell to the ground,
…opened his eyes,
and…
Nothing…
Nothing but dust falling to the ground.
He heard sobbing from beside him, and snapped to see Snow, crying her eyes out.
So scared,
she was sure to faint.
William scuttled off his feet to her. He pulled the child into his arms and shushed her softly as he attempted to comprehend what had just happened.
And that was when it hit him.
Suddenly,
the line between reality,
and myth,
blurred in his vision.
He saw.
He believed.
And he'd be a fool to ignore it. It would cause her more harm than him.
The incident of Windfell
…The death of all those people
…It was because of her
…Of what she was capable of…after she touched it.
That stone.
He didn't know about the stone. But he knew about her powers now.
Even though he was confused. Even though he was scared. He could tell, it was much, much worse
for her.
That day, he made the decision.
She was just a child. She wasn't aware what she was capable of.
But that didn't make her any less dangerous.
She couldn't stay with the other kids anymore, William decided.
And so, he took her in.
As his own to keep safe.
As his own to raise.
…As his own to train.
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Charleston, West Virginia, 2007
Years passed. It was difficult to adjust, at first, for both Snow and William,
but that quickly changed.
They had too much in common for things to stay complicated.
William's house was in a remote place. He was no fan of crowds, or the nagging of the press. He preferred the quiet.
It was fortunate too, because the two-story house with the big back yard, made things a lot easier when it came to the main reason the two merged lives.
It was time to come out with the truth…Well…half of it.
William attempted to comprehend the situation from the girl first,
but she knew nothing.
She understood nothing.
So,
it was up to him to figure things out.
The horror in her eyes…It was what encouraged him every day.
To help her.
To be there for her.
And with the time that had passed,
they grew closer.
William had never thought about settling down, or never found the chance,
but watching Snow grow
right before his eyes
…It meant a lot
…for the both of them.
Time may not have shown all of her powers, but it showed the most evident, and the most dangerous.
A small,
but lethal list.
First, there was the emotional connection she had with the people she touched. Soon enough, and with practice, she'd found that she could communicate with them as well. Not mentally per se. In truth, they still weren't sure what it was, or where it was she went when she would speak to someone, as William himself, even if he was all the way back at the company.
Then, there were the things they'd discovered together. Apparently, she could conjure force-fields. It came in handy when there were logs to push.
She could also heal things, like wounds, wilting plants, and herself. It was the only ability she didn't completely despise.
Oh, and flying. She loved that. But, unfortunately, was unable to use it most of the time. Apparently, it wasn't okay for passing planes to see a flying human being.
And last, the dust. Now that was almost unexplainable,
but it happens.
This one ability
took the most out of her time.
To control it, keep it in check,
but,
mostly,
learn how not to use it.
Because,
at some point,
she'd figured it out…
She was the reason her parents were gone,
or, at least,
that was how she saw it.
No matter how many times William would try to convince her otherwise.
She was never convinced.
Deep down,
she was scared of herself
…Deep down
…she hated herself.
And that feeling
...stuck with her
…for the rest of her life.
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Days pass, and the time they didn't spend training, they spent bonding, even if unintentionally.
She'd brought color to his life. Going home to find someone waiting for him, meant a lot.
She'd indulge herself in many hobbies, but only stuck to a few.
Cooking was one of the things she was naturally good at. She knew she got that from her mother.
Reading. That was new. She picked it up from William himself. And it became her favorite. But she wasn't into the fantasy, fake stuff. Knowledgeable books were her cup of tea. Theories. Biographies. Shakespeare's foreign language!
And then there was the company. The more Snow came of age, the more William had her over at the company, teaching her all about the business.
Why?
Because, as she came of age, so too did he. William was never one of strong health as a child, due to the harsh environments he was put in.
He knew it was only a matter
of time.
The company.
He could have anyone as successor,
but he wanted it to be Snow. He knew she was sensitive when it came to the people she loved
…when it came to losing them.
He didn't want to be a weigh on her shoulders.
He'd give it all to her,
so
when he was gone,
something would hold her up
…Something would keep her sane.
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Charleston, West Virginia, 2010
It happened.
Third of July, 2010
…She lost him…
Pained.
Hurt.
Alone…
She mourned,
for a whole year,
leaving the company in the hands of Linda.
Shocked?
Not as much as she should have been.
As if he'd been preparing her, without her consent,
for that very day.
Still.
It was too painful.
The house…
Everything reminded her of him.
It was too much.
She tried…
…She couldn't.
So…
She moved.
To a small apartment in a regular building-block. Running the company from under the shadows…just like he'd asked her to.
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Charleston, West Virginia, 2011
It was only the year after, when she was discovered by S.H.E.I.L.D.
She was on a business trip in another state. An accident had occurred on the bridge she was driving on. A lumber truck tumbled over.
An entire school bus of children, would have drowned into the lake, had she not risked
exposing herself
for their lives.
But exposed
…she was.
For a while, they only kept tabs on her,
and when Nick felt she had what it took,
he revealed himself to her.
He introduced himself, and what he stood for. He gave her an offer,
to work with him,
to save people's lives,
to become a hero
…and she refused it.
Snow was afraid of what she was capable of. She didn't know where her limits lied. If she'd have agreed. If she went on missions,
and lost control
…If she hurt someone
…She'd never be able to live with herself.
Nick was expecting her refusal. He didn't hold it against her though.
He had something else in mind for her. Something far bigger and far more important. Something that, when the time was right
…he knew
…she wouldn't refuse.
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(This is the SUMMARY. Do Not Read if you've already read the chapter. Read if you haven't.)
Snow. Born in a town called Windfell. An incident occurred in that town, that resulted in the mysterious disappearance of more than fifty people, including her parents, but not her.
What happened? Well, Snow was with her parents that day. She heard a voice call her name and followed it to a strange, golden-colored stone. She fainted, directly after touching it. Then she woke, to dead parents, and dead townspeople.
A man named William Chase, owner of the branches of a real estate company called Chase Realty, and a famous orphanage named West Line, which he had built, because he was an orphan himself once upon a time.
With time, the two grew close. He discovered her powers, which were: Emotions-reading. Communicating with others, supposedly mentally. Force-fields. Flying. Healing and turning living things to Dust.
He took her in. Kept her safe and protected. Taught her how to control her powers, and raised her as his own.
When he died, the company was passed down to her. On a business trip, Snow's powers had been exposed as she attempted to save a drowning school bus full of children, using her powers.
People quickly dismissed the rumor that few actually saw, but S.H.I.E.L.D. never forgot. Nick Fury himself had met with Snow once, telling her all about S.H.E.I.L.D, and offering her a chance to work with him that she refused. So he kept her in mind for other, bigger things.
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