[Author's Note: CHAPTER TWO~ And it's a long one! Bare with me, everyone. This is a test run. See, here we are introducing an OC by the name of Lucy who will help guide around young Jack through most of this adventure. And yes, I did mean "we"! This tale is actually going to be a sort of duet piece crafted by myself and another talented writer who is the proud creator of Lucy: ~tryst2000

Again, reviews are what makes the world go round, so please leave one! Oh, and keep a sharp lookout throughout these upcoming chapters. You never know who might turn up.~ ]
-Love IcicleJack


•~• CHAPTER TWO: FORBIDDEN FRIENDSHIP •~•


Don't ask questions. Don't poke around. Don't do anything stupid, like getting yourself killed. Those had been her only instructions when Sitwell had sent her down to the lab. At first, she had been almost offended that she had been chosen for such a ridiculously easy job. Escort an individual from and back to their quarters from now on? Of course, it was far better than having to fetch memos and coffee for her superiors, but this was child's play, to be polite.

That is, until she saw the lab itself. Reinforced steel doors barred her way at nearly every turn down the winding corridors, each having their own specific entry code, all of which she had written hastily on her arm with black Sharpie. As she neared her destination, the thin sweater she wore did little to keep her body heat in and she was shivering before she could get the final door opened. Why did I ever leave the West Coast? She thought bitterly, cupping her hands around her mouth and blowing on her fingers to warm them. This was her first true experience with winter, with temperatures dropping faster than they could be tracked, ice that turned every flat surface into a walkway of terror and frost that completely froze over windows and windshields, blinding the world to the white wasteland outside.

It didn't feel much different in here than it had out there. But why would the lab be kept so cold? Nothing could possibly survive for long down here in such temperatures. Unless the whitecoats had done another experiment, like the others had spoken about.

It had been quite the buzz among the favored few, stories of a new super soldier, but one that outranked Captain Rogers, no contest needed. Agents and interns alike had their own theories about what had happened, on what Fury could be hiding down in the lab. It wasn't until that very moment that she remembered those rumors, how she had scoffed at them, dismissing it all as gossip of the feeble-minded and gullible. Now she was starting to wonder how gullible she had been to believe her superiors and wave it all off as merely being rumors.

The door opened with a whoosh, a blast of Arctic air nearly sending her tumbling over as she tried to take a step inside the room. If it had been cold before, it felt closer to Antarctica in here. Her cheeks immediately reddened from the cold and her teeth chattered, but only for a moment as she caught sight of the boy. Of everything she had expected coming down here, that had been the last thing on her mind. But one look and she knew, without a doubt in her mind, that this was no ordinary human boy.

His hair was a ghostly shade of pure white, almost translucent. The same could be said for his pale skin, although there was a faint bluish tinge to it, akin to frostbite. But his eyes caught and held her attention. They were glacier blue, the brightest and clearest blue she had ever seen before. It wasn't normal for someone's eyes to be so blue and bright, but she failed to entertain that thought for more than a moment. She had a job to do and if this was the super soldier she had heard about (although she doubted it, seeing as he wasn't more than a child), she had best look as professional as she could.

"I'm Lucy Donahue. Agent Sitwell sent me down here to take you back to your quarters. I'm your escort from now on," she spoke as clearly as she could, concentrating on keeping her teeth from chattering. "Do you have a name? Something I can call you by?"

The boy had been dozing prior to her arrival, allowing his mind to escape where his body could not. However, as the heavy entrance to his exercise room was opened, the child lifted his gaze to see who it was that had finally chosen to enter. Now, he had expected someone older. Someone who would round behind him and give a shove without any verbal commands. For that was how it had always been. But, instead, there was this... this girl. She must have been about his age, and looked at him with kind, thoughtful eyes instead of the blankness he normally spotted.

However, his mouth fell open in shock when she addressed him. In fact, he looked over both shoulders to make sure that she wasn't talking to someone else. The realization overwhelming him, the experimental boy lowered his sights to the floor. "Frost. My name is Frost." It was clear from the tone of voice that he felt unworthy of the conversation.

"Frost?" Her tone, which she had tried to keep friendly and kind, suddenly was colored with confusion. "Frost, is it? No first name or anything?"

That was absurd. Who didn't have a first name? Sure, she had met the few odd people in her life that had been known by their surname only, but even they had given names. This boy must have had one too.

From the tone of his voice alone, she could hear something that sounded almost as if he wasn't used to being talked to in such a way. Perhaps that was why she had been told not to ask questions. Oops. Questions led to more questions. Those led to answers best left alone. But curiosity was Lucy's middle name and by God, she was incredibly curious about the boy called Frost.

Hands clasped behind her back, she waited for an answer. But she could feel her fingers starting to go numb from the cold, the freezing air biting harshly at her nose.

He caught her eyes momentarily before averting once more to the tiled flooring beneath them. For a moment, the boy pondered what she could possibly mean by her questioning. But, then, he straightened his posture, and tapped the printed numbering on his shirt. "I don't have a first name. Only humans have first names.."

Frost sighed before allowing his shoulders to slump as well. Even though the memories of any other life were suppressed so deep he had no recollection, the boy had been able to sort out the fact that he was inferior towards the agents and scientists that worked around him. Lucy's conversation brought him great joy, but at the same time he felt as though it was wrong. For what if someone saw them? Would he get in trouble? Frost had always feared what would happen if he disobeyed his orders.

Only humans have first names.

For some odd reason, that sent a chill that had nothing to do with the cold down Lucy's spine. Of course he had to be human. He wasn't some strange humanoid being from another planet. Well, as far as she knew of, he wasn't. But that didn't give him any less of a right to a first name. Her fiery temper was revving to let loose, to say exactly what she thought.

At the very last moment, she swallowed those words back, thinking of who was watching the room. One wrong word, a single phrase said against the agency, and that was it. She was terminated. As long as they were in here, she had to act like an agent.

Clearing her throat, she gestured toward the door, kept ajar with a doorjamb. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you back to your quarters for the night, Mr. Frost." The words felt fake, practiced, as if someone else had spoken them, not her. It was a feeling she hated but bore without complaint. What else could she do?

In a way, he was almost thankful that she had decided to finally do her job and escort him back to his own space for the only privacy he ever received. Not to mention the fact that the hours he was granted for sleeping were slim as it was. While this girl was nice, and a grand break from the rudeness he was faced with every other time, Frost was exhausted and not in the mood socializing. However, really, that was mostly due to the fact that he barely knew how to hold a conversation as it was.

Giving her a small nod, the boy shifted himself just a few steps before stopping. Lucy was here to escort him, after all, and even though he knew the path by heart he seemed to still need someone to guide him. His equally white teeth grit as he thought of the answer. SHIELD didn't want him doing anything but what was required, and so all the agents had been sent to make sure he didn't wind up somewhere he shouldn't. Or heaven forbid that the teenager have any fun. But, no. Humans had fun. Experiments such as himself, did not.

Now that he was standing so close, the intern could see for herself how young he was, hardly a man, little more than a boy. If she had to guess at his age, he had to be at most a year younger or older than herself. He was a head taller than her and his lean muscles were vaguely visibly through the sleeves of his shirt, not what she had expected from the " next-gen super soldier" that had been all the rage only days ago.

Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second and she looked away, not sure what to think as she led him down the corridor. His eyes seemed so...sad. It was the only word she could think to describe it. What did they subject him to, to keep him in this state? Surely Captain Rogers hadn't been treated in such a way. True, things had changed immensely in seventy years, but what happened to peace on Earth, goodwill toward men? Apparently, that only applied during the holidays.

Speaking of which... Once they were farther away from the lab, closer to Frost's quarters, Lucy leaned in toward him. Not by much, by a centimeter or so. She was hoping his hearing was above average, so she wouldn't have to speak so loudly. "Would you mind if I gave you a first name? Just because you don't think of yourself as human, doesn't mean that you don't deserve to have one."

Padding along behind the girl, Frost couldn't seem to stop himself from looking towards his escort. She wore such strange clothing, modern fashion of the world above, but something that he had never before. His eyes studied the detailing of the sweater that draped her shoulders, and the curled brunette locks that bounced as she stepped.

In fact, he had been so involved in trying to understand her odd appearance, that he had barely heard her offer for a first name. "W-What?" He asked. Wait, don't ask anything. Frost had learned that the very first day he had been present in the lab's sectors.

'Where am I?' 'Who am I?' Oh, then he had been so deathly curious of the area around him. But, with each attempt to reach an understanding, a sharp pain rocketed from his shoulder. By Dr. Remons orders, Frost was to be sedated every time he dared ask a question. So, he associated his curiosity as pain, and all but stopped trying to contact the lab coats all together.

"A first name.." He repeated, unsure of whether it was wise to have this girl offer him a name. Gulping, he walked a little faster so that he could whisper a reply back. "I don't think that's wise."

Not wise? Not wise to give someone a name, something that didn't sound harsh and unforgiving, like Frost? How could one not want a first name?

"Why not? You're allowed one, I'm sure," She turned a corner, looking around to confirm that they were alone, weren't being overheard. "Or maybe just a name I could call you by. I mean, it's your choice, I can stop talking about it."

Now she was babbling, something she tended to do when she was nervous. She had never been one to be nervous around anyone, but Frost made her so. It was hard for her to understand why. Was it because he seemed cold, aloof, unreadable? Was it because the boy was a mystery, something that couldn't (or shouldn't) be understood? He intrigued but intimidated her.

The pair stopped outside of his quarters, Lucy standing awkwardly for a moment as she tried to warm her arms again. The chill hadn't left her bones yet and she felt as if ice had seeped into her very being. She glanced up at Frost, offering a small smile. "You know, there's a song that they sing around the holidays. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose," The faint memory of the cold air in the lab had given her the idea. "Can I call you Jack?"

Lucy, you expect too much of him. He knows nothing of holidays, or chestnuts, and certainly can't fathom why someone would be nipping at your nose. However, the name Jack seemed to resonate well with him. In fact, it fit so well that for a moment the boy wondered if his name really was 'Jack Frost'. However, that just couldn't be.

"I'd like that. Jack.." He repeated quietly, glancing down both ends of the hallway before watching the door to his quarters. Like the other rooms, it was made of heavy steel and had a single block window that was barred just as heavily as a prison would be. Normally he would have entered without hesitation, but today the boy was tempted to stall. After all, once he entered the room would be locked down until morning. No escape, and certainly no one to talk to.

"L-Lucy, right?" Oh what was he doing, trying to talk to the girl? But desperation filled his voice. Jack for once in his life was happy, but also fearful that it would end far too soon.

This wasn't a living space for someone. As far as she could tell, it was a prison cell, and a poor one at that for someone who was supposedly the next super soldier. The whitecoats were treating Frost as if he was nothing more than property, hardly deserving of comforts that most humans enjoyed. Again, the intern was tempted to speak her mind, to say what she really thought of all of this.

I can't, she thought, weighing the consequences in her mind. Far too much was at stake to just blatantly disrespect the agency, especially with one of its' newest creations right beside her. Again, she held her tongue on that issue, but her calm was hiding a storm.

"Yeah, that's right. Maybe we should reintroduce ourselves?" She held out her hand, wondering if he would know what that meant. As far as she could tell, he wasn't very knowledgeable about much. The confusion about the reference to the Christmas Song, she had noticed that immediately. "Hi, I'm Lucy. Nice to meet you."

He did indeed give her hand a puzzling look, but the gesture of a handshake wasn't completely foreign to him. In fact, Director Fury had shaken hands with him once or twice. Though, that was probably just a means of easing his already overbearing conscious. But, while he was hesitant, after a moment of getting over his awkward jittering, the boy takes her hand up in his.

"Jack. Jack Frost." Suddenly, a small smile curved on his lips. Normally, it wasn't such a big thing to see a teenager smile. But, for Frost.. it was something that had almost never occurred. His hand trembled slightly, almost afraid that he'd ruin the moment, but then he continued on. "It's nice to meet you."

As if the timing couldn't have been more horrible, though, footsteps began echoing down the corridor. Great. Just great. Jack knew full well that he would be in trouble if they were caught talking. And so, he released his grip on her hand and slipped into his room. It locked with a heavy click behind him, but the boy didn't care. Instead, he just remained watchful towards that tiny window.

She turned away from the door, her heart giving a nervous pitter patter as a tall, thin agent rounded the corner, looking almost bored and disinterested with everything. His dark suit, while bleaching the color from his pale skin, matched the ebony hue of his locks, slicked back yet still somehow tousled in disarray. That is, until he came to a stop outside Jack's room, his amber eyes flashing with an envious glare for a split second before he looked to Lucy.

"So you're the one assigned to be Frost's caretaker?" The agent sneered at her, as if she was nothing more than an annoyance, chuckling darkly as he looked her over. "

Forgive me if I stare. I knew you were young, but even then I was expecting someone a little more, well...more."

The intern's eyes narrowed, wanting to argue with the man. Since she had first arrived, everyone had belittled her because of her appearance, her age, her lack of abnormality. But would she be here, part of an organization that took only the best of the best, had she not proven herself worthy? Rising to take the bait would prove nothing save that she was not in control of her emotions. Ignoring his insult proved otherwise.

If the agent had been expecting a response from Lucy, he didn't seem to want to hear it. Instead, he stared at the steel door, his expression cold and calculating now. Her mind raced as she watched him, clearing her throat to break him from his trance. "Sitwell said that I was recommended. By a superior. They thought that I could handle the situation well enough on my own." By her logic, that was explanation enough. Not many dared to argue with the higher-ups on SHIELD's pyramid.

He laughed, the sound eerie and echoing in the relative silence of the hallway. "'Handle on your own?' You've no idea of what he is, do you? Of course you don't, you're nothing but a child," With a roll of his eyes, the agent continued down the corridor, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Be warned. When the time comes, know where you stand when it concerns him."

"What do you...?" Too late. He had disappeared down into the lab, the sound of his footsteps growing fainter until she could no longer hear them. Her mind was abuzz with confusion, her hazel eyes flicking toward the door, where Jack was kept captive behind. What had he meant about not knowing who he was?

No, that hadn't been what the mystery agent had said. What. He had said what he was. In a way, it was true. She had blindly followed orders, without knowing a thing about the individual she was now going to be spending her time escorting to and from places. Research, that was what needed to happen. Research on Frost, to find out what SHIELD had done to him.

But not today. Today, she was done with her duties. It was time to go home. "I'll be back in the morning, Jack. I hope you sleep well." Hesitating, almost unwilling to leave him all alone, Lucy made her way back through the twisting hallways in silence.

Little did she know, that as Lucy turned to leave, disappearing down the hallway she had come from, a little hand was pressed against the glass. Frost watched her go with dread, wishing, praying that she would actually come back tomorrow. He had never felt this way before, a longing to be treated with that rarity of kindness. But he was.

Turning back towards the broom cupboard of a room, the boy found that he could no longer look at it the same. Days past, and he had crawled into bed without thought. But now, he wondered why he had to sleep at this specific time. Why instead couldn't he have talked to Lucy? A haunting instruction echoed through his mind.

You are not human. Not worthy of talking.

Frost clawed at his head, now having taken up a good rhythm of pacing. His fingers curled around his frosted hair roots and tugged in distress. Why was everything such a mess now? Calming after a few rounds of walking the perimeter, the teenager then came up by the only furniture in the room—a bed— and plopped down on top of it. One thing was for certain. There would be little sleeping tonight. But, instead, the boy conjured frost on the bedspread to make out a simple message.

"My name is Jack Frost, and I long to be human."