Chapter One
Her name was Alice Cooper.
Most of her life had been spent living up to the expectations her parents had set upon her. Where they lived in a thriving community, she lived constantly in the shadows. She had always been different from the rest of them, even from the day she was born. That was why they treated her differently. Her father quickly taught her that being different was like a crime in itself. Nothing good would ever come out of it if anyone caught her doing anything out of the ordinary.
Her sister was the one who usually gained most of their attention. Being the one who was a model student with high grades, close friends and good looks, Lana always seemed to get everything she wanted, and more. Meanwhile, she was pushed aside as nothing more than the family outcast.
She had quickly learned where she stood in the family circle. Eventually, she'd had enough with their treatment and left. Her father had been more than happy with that decision. After searching for weeks and finally finding a small apartment she could call home in New York City, Alice never looked back at her old life.
The problem with living on her own, as she soon found out, was the cost of living. She could barely afford her rent, let alone pay for food and other necessities. She managed to find a minimum wage job at a local coffee shop that was only a couple blocks from where she lived. Though it wasn't the easiest way of life, at least it gave her a chance to live on her own.
Anything was better than living with the same people who wanted nothing to do with her. She realized with a start that leaving had been one of the best decisions she could make, even if it could get difficult at times.
Alice let out a sigh as she stared at the reflection of a twenty-year-old staring back at her. She'd already tied her curly brown hair into a ponytail, but not before noticing how thin she was. Most people barely paused to notice. She wore baggy clothes to help keep them from getting suspicious that she wasn't eating properly.
It's better they don't start asking questions, she reminded herself, knowing that would only lead to disaster. The more people who found out about her, the greater dangers they would be in. She kept to herself for a reason. She didn't entirely have control over the abilities that haunted her. Abilities that had proven too dangerous for the public. That was why she always had gloves on. They were somehow able to keep herself from freezing everything she touched.
When her powers first began to develop, she had been terrified. She had no idea what was happening, or why they had begun developing in the first place. The only thing she did know was that they had led to many arguments between her parents and herself. Her father had been determined to prove that she didn't have powers, even though it was painfully obvious. Her skin grew cold to the touch, and she had to wear the gloves to keep herself from freezing everything she touched. She knew the moment anyone discovered her abilities, they would either see her as a monster, or they would try and control her as some kind of weapon.
Even after her powers began to develop, she was terrified of what she could do with them. She could still remember that horrifying night when she nearly killed her sister while losing control. The whole room had been covered in ice. Her sister had collapsed in a pile of snow, blood seeping from a wound caused by an icicle spear.
She hadn't been prepared for the moment, or for the aftermath that would follow. She'd begged her parents for forgiveness. She kept praying that they would one day realize she hadn't meant to hurt Lana. Of course they never believed her. They called her a murderer, along with other horrible names. At that point, she was beginning to wonder if they were right. After all, what sort of human could wield this kind of power? Certainly not someone like her.
She shook her head at the thought as she walked along the streets and towards the cafe. It was a popular hot-spot for tourists and locals. Acting as both a cafe and a small-scale library, she'd seen quite a few famous faces show up. Most of the customers that stopped by were usually friendly and willing to offer large tips when they ordered anything expensive. That made her job a bit more tolerable, especially since she used it as an escape from living in her shabby apartment.
Once Alice reached the cafe in question, she noticed two other employees leaning over the counter with expressions of delight written across their faces. Megan and Tori had been working at the cafe longer than her, and they only worked there to earn a little extra income. This had become her full-time job and it was also the only means of making money.
Most work establishments wouldn't have hired anyone under the age of sixteen. The only reason she was hired when she was had been because she practically begged for the job, and the manager finally took pity on her. After seeing that she was a more than capable employee at his establishment, the manager had also been willing to give her a full time job since there weren't other places that would hire someone as young as she was.
"I can't believe this is actually happening," Megan sighed in contentment when Alice reached the other side of the counter.
She grabbed her apron and tried to ignore their squealing, focusing on what tasks needed to be finished for that day. Though, Alice's curiosity had been peeked when she saw the headlines on Megan's phone.
'Doctor Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom strike a deal!'
If there was one person in this city that she didn't trust anymore than her father, it was Victor Von Doom. She had never liked his ego, or the fact that he was on the front page of the paper almost every day.
"It says here that he along with a few other people are going to travel to the Von Doom Space Station," Tori went on, her voice full of excitement as she continued reading the article, "This is the first time anyone's ever done something like this!"
Since when were those two ever interested in science? Alice wondered with a roll of her eyes.
Both Megan and Tori were the type of girls who were into the latest trends. She highly doubted they understood the reasons behind this venture. From what she gathered through the article, Doctor Richards was trying to find out more information about a cosmic storm that happened in space. She had been skeptical about such an occurrence, especially when he mentioned that the storm could have benefits to human biology. If there was one thing she had learned over the years thanks to her powers, it was better not to change the structure of genetic code.
She was familiar with most of the names they'd listed off. Though, the only person she had ever met in person was Doctor Reed Richards. He'd nearly knocked her over one time at a medical convention she was dragged to. When he finally noticed her, her father had noticed as well. Being the upstanding citizen he was, her father had grabbed hold of her before she could further damage his reputation. Though he rarely resorted to abuse while out in public, he would stoop to that level if it meant putting her in her place.
"Can I have a caramel iced coffee?" Alice was shaken from her thoughts when Megan called the order from over her shoulder.
This had to be her favorite part of the job, and the only way she could use her powers in public. Alice had the chance to use them by freezing the drink without using the machine. Most people didn't even bat an eyelash when they watched her preparing the drink. In fact, they added a tip every now and then when she served them their drink. Megan and Tori had been on the vent about how she would often receive extra tips. They'd even complained to the manager about it, but he'd always turn their argument around and claim that tips were generous offers made by the customers. Unless they started getting their acts together, they were stuck with their minimum wage jobs.
"Here you go," she said once she was finished, handing the drink over.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the costumer in question.
His name was Jacob Matthews, a long-time friend she had gone to school with for years. They had been the best of friends, and they usually did everything together in school. There was even a point where they had talked about taking it the next step. But, Alice didn't want to make things awkward between them, especially if she ever lost control of her powers. As far as she was concerned, Jacob happened to be the only other person in the world who knew about her powers. She preferred keeping it that way when she thought of how difficult it would be to hide from a world that knew about her powers.
She could still remember the day when she first told him about her powers. At first, Jacob had been shocked at what she was capable of doing. But he eventually began to accept that she was different from everyone else. In fact, he thought it was incredible that she had such powers. Alice always hated having to wear the gloves, especially since everyone would question why she wore them even during summer. She did her best to hide them when she could, but there was only so much she could do.
"Hey, Al, how's it going?" he asked with a sheepish grin once their eyes met.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling wary that a visitor happened to stop by at that moment.
"Thought I might stop by and see an old friend," he shrugged, eyes brimming with amusement as she narrowed hers, "Come on; we haven't talked in like what, a month? Figured you could use a friend."
Alice looked around the cafe warily. It was usually dead around this time of the day. Friday nights were usually the busiest times of the week, because they had so much going on. Between trivia, karaoke, and a few other fun things, there was a reason this place was so popular. Alice had quickly learned that that was the best time to work, because she often made some of the best tips. Customers were often amazed with how quickly she finished making their orders, and how efficient she was with them as well.
When they first began working at the cafe, Megan and Tori had been jealous over the fact that she had been given more hours. The problem was, they would never know what it was like to live on their own. From what she had been able to gather, both had parents who worked full-time jobs and made decent paychecks. The only reason they worked in the first place was because they needed to learn 'work discipline', or whatever excuse their parents made.
"Sure," she replied before taking off her apron, "I'm taking my thirty minutes," she called.
Tori and Megan were too busy paying attention to the article to notice as she leaped over the counter with ease. She knew better than to admit out loud where she spent most of her days off. Ever since her father had kicked her out, Alice had been teaching herself self-defense. She spent a lot of free-time in an abandoned warehouse where she could try and practice her powers. The problem was, she still had no way of controlling them. Each and every time she tried reaching her full potential, she nearly destroyed the warehouse in the process.
I'm never going to get anywhere unless I learn how to keep them under control, she thought bitterly.
A small part of her knew that she would never fully have control over her powers. Her fear of letting them consume her, and of unleashing them upon the world always led to disastrous results. She'd learned over time that her powers were based off of how strongly she felt. The stronger her anxiety or her anger was, the less control she had over them.
Jacob watched with interest as she sat down in the booth across from him. It really had been a month since they last saw each other. His parents had always treated her well. At least, until they found out she had been kicked out of her own home. The moment they found that out was when they changed and decided to cut all ties with her, including Jacob himself. Though, Jacob always managed to find some way of going behind their back just to see her again.
"My dad got a job offer at some company in California," he began once they were both settled.
Alice rose an eyebrow in surprise. His dad had always been a tech-geek. There were plenty of companies that he could have worked for in the city. Apple and Stark Industries had companies located in California, along with numerous others. She knew they had been looking for better-paying jobs outside the city for some time. The last time Jacob had stopped by for a visit was when he said his dad lost a promotion to some younger coworker who managed to weasel his way forward. Alice couldn't necessarily blame them for wanting to move on to a bigger and better career.
"Which company?" she asked curiously.
"He didn't say," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee before setting it down, "All he told me was that it's a higher paying job, and that they're willing to pay for housing costs. That's why he's planning on moving in a week from now. Mom finally agreed with him when she saw how much more he's making compared to the other company."
Her face fell with realization when she understood what that meant. She couldn't imagine her life without her best friend. While they might not have seen each other for a month, that didn't mean she never thought of him. To know that she might never see him again only left her wishing there was more she could do to keep him here. As selfish as it sounded, she wanted to keep at least one friend around that was willing to listen to her.
All I've ever known is that I'm just an outsider to the world, she thought bitterly.
"And, you're going with them," she sighed, looking down at the table guiltily.
She didn't mean to sound selfish. It just hurt knowing that she wouldn't have anyone in her life. She had no family. Her one and only friend was moving away and he would likely forget her with his new life. It happened to everyone eventually when they drifted on in their lives. Her own life would never amount to much when she thought about it. Not unless she somehow got lucky and found enough money to go to college. She could barely afford her rent let alone pay for classes and books.
Jacob took her by surprise by clasping his hand around hers. He knew why she wore the gloves. It wasn't just for the protection of those around her. She couldn't afford to give herself away and let the government find out. That would only end in disaster.
"Alice, the last thing I want is to leave you," he said as if he'd read her thoughts. She flinched at the look he gave her. After everything she'd put him through, along with everyone else she cared about, she wouldn't blame him for wanting to leave, "Look, I tried talking things over with my dad. Maybe we can work things out… maybe you could go with us."
She couldn't hide the ghost of a smile that followed at his encouraging words.
"Jacob, be honest with yourself," she murmured, pulling her hand back, "I don't think your parents would ever approve of my staying with you, or them."
He simply returned the gesture with a sad smile of his own. Truth be told, they would never let her anywhere them if they had a say in the matter. She couldn't be trusted with people, as far as they were concerned. His parents had lost whatever trust they had in her when they discovered that she had powers that were so dangerous. While she understood why his parents were so protective of him, it still hurt to know that they thought she would hurt Jacob on purpose.
"You're my best friend, Alice," he reminded her, "I'm always going to be there for you, no matter what."
That's what they all say, she thought bitterly.
She tried pushing the thought aside. Thinking about it wouldn't get them anywhere. Besides, if Jacob was willing to keep in touch with her when he moved away, she wouldn't deny him that. She tried keeping herself upbeat. This was good for him and his family.
"You'll have to let me know if you get a good tan while you're there," she said.
Her response earned a look of surprise from Jacob when he realized she was willing to accept that change.
He could only grin at that. They had jokingly called themselves the pale-skinned freaks because they were both pale as ghosts. Neither had ever really spent any time out of the city, aside from trips the school would send them on. Alice herself was already naturally pale because of her powers, and she doubted she would ever get the tan that most women dreamed of.
"God, I'm gonna miss your sense of humor," he laughed as they both stood up.
"I'm going to miss you too, Jacob," she whispered back.
Her heart began to sink as they both stood up. Jacob didn't waste another second wrapping his arms round her in a tight embrace, as if he knew that this was likely the last time they would see each other in person.
Most people shied away from the cold sensation she gave off. Jacob was one of the few who chose to ignore it. She could never thank him enough for being such a good friend, and for putting up with her for all these years. She wasn't the easiest person to get along with simply because she didn't trust too many people. Jacob was one of the few people who saw her as more than just a monster or a freak with powers.
Once Jacob parted ways with her, Alice couldn't help but feel more alone than ever in that moment. She knew it was better she didn't make any friends. The more people she knew, the higher chances she had of hurting them in the end. It was always better this way.
AN: So, I finally got around to rewriting the first part of this story. I plan on rewriting all of my stories, except for Five Times. This one, however, is in desperate need of an overhaul. It'll probably be darker, and rated T for language, along with numerous other reasons. Please, let me know what you think of this rewrite! Reviews are greatly appreciated!