Chapter Two

"There is no word yet on the exposure that Victor Von Doom and the rest of his team have endured during their time in space… the details are still a little fuzzy, but reporters are on the verge of reaching him as we speak…"

The radio switched off as an icicle spear went flying into a nearby target. After hearing about the most recent tragedy revolving around Victor Von Doom's role in the space station, Alice needed something to vent off her frustration. She found that target practice to be the best way of doing so. Even if there was the risk of losing control, at least she could do so in the warehouse where no one else would get hurt.

The warehouse itself was a place that had been abandoned years ago. She found it a couple of years ago after moving out of her parent's place. Once she discovered the usefulness of the warehouse, she kept coming back in the hopes that it wouldn't be demolished. Since most warehouses were either converted into apartment complexes or demolished to be replaced with something new and better, she wanted to make sure that this one was kept out of the hands of such property owners.

A whole week had gone by since that incident. Word spread fast about the accident that ruined Victor's life and likely anyone else exposed to that storm. Alice could only imagine what those people were now going through, if they had survived at all. She knew that the innocent lives at stake would not sit well on Victor's shoulders. Lawsuits were already being pushed on him for reckless endangerment, along with numerous other charges.

Alice let out a heavy sigh as she stopped and slipped her gloves back on. Most of the wall in front of her was now covered in ice. She had been at this for about an hour before she needed to leave. After hearing this bit of news and attending her sister's recital later that night, she would need all the anger management she could get. Meeting her family again after they'd kicked her out was awkward enough. But her father always expected so much more than she could provide. He always seemed to think that her powers would somehow go away if he continued pretending they didn't exist. But she knew otherwise. They weren't going to diminish on her, and she doubted she would ever get the chance at living a normal life.

Why are they making me put up with this? she wondered as she remembered the last time she had been around her parents. Her father had never been kind to her to begin with. After finding out what she nearly did to her sister though, he'd changed his attitude towards Alice completely. She knew their treatment towards her was anything but fair. Yet, she didn't have the courage or the strength to fight back. Not when she knew what she was capable of.

She tried pushing the thought aside. When it came to her family, it was impossible to explain why they did the things they did. Her father had a reputation to uphold. Her mother just went along with it because she had nowhere else to go. As for her sister, well Lana loved sucking in the attention they gave her. That was part of the reason Lana seemed to reach for whatever expectations their parents placed on her shoulders. Lana was the perfect daughter any parent could ask for, whereas Alice was the one who they frowned upon.

Things had only gone from bad to worse by the time the recital was over. Alice had been trying to make a run for it when she was confronted by her father. With most of the crowd congratulating Lana for finally getting accepted into Julliard, it gave Alice the perfect distraction she needed to get away. Unfortunately, life never worked out the way Alice would have preferred as she felt a hand grip her own.

"Where do you think you're going?" her father sneered after catching her. Alice grimaced at the face he made when she turned to face him. Of all the people she feared the most, it was her father. He had a way of intimidating people, and he often did so without hesitation. She was no stranger to the constant punishments he would give her if anything went wrong when she was involved, "You aren't even dressed for this kind of society."

He added the last part with a scowl when he eyed her choice of clothing up and down. Alice nearly rolled her eyes at that. She wasn't exactly able to afford the kind of clothing that he had in mind, so she normally resorted to wearing a hoodie or a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Besides, the clothing she had on hid the scars that he'd left long ago before she was kicked out. She knew if anyone saw them, they would begin to question where the scars had come from, and why she was going out of her way to hide them, along with how thin she was.

"Then why bother inviting me to this if you're so embarrassed by my appearance?" she snapped. "It's clear that you don't give a damn one way or another what happens to me so long as the world doesn't know we're related."

Her mind was already racing as she tried to control her emotions. If she lost control here now, it would only justify what her parents and everyone else thought of her. The last thing she wanted was to give them more reasons to hate her. Her father had always called her out because of her powers. And if she lost control now, she could already imagine what he would do to her.

"Because, whether I like it or not, you're still family," her father retorted through what sounded like gritted teeth. He was clearly unhappy with that notion. It was almost as if her very existence was nothing more than a waste of time for him, "And I've got a reputation to uphold."

There it was. The excuse he used every time when it came to making her life a living hell. A lump formed in the back of Alice's throat as she glared at him. She never did understand why he insisted on inviting her to these events if he did have a reputation to uphold. If he was so afraid of revealing her identity to the rest of the world, then he should have known better than to invite her. She did have better things to do than waste her time listening to him scrutinize her very appearance.

"Look, say what you want about me, but I'm done going to these 'special events'," she said, narrowing her eyes when he scoffed as if he didn't expect that kind of response, "You obviously don't give one crap about me, so why should I bother putting up with you?"

"You don't talk to me like that, young lady!" he fired back, voice raising as people began to notice their argument, "I am the one who made you! You belong to me!"

She felt her heart sink even lower when her father moved to slap her across the cheek. No one bothered stepping in to pull him back. No one bothered calling him out for abuse. She didn't expect them to. Instead, she endured the hit and felt a sting where he'd slapped her. She had gotten so used to her father's reactions that she wasn't even surprised with what he did. Instead, she narrowed her eyes with hate and refused to make eye contact with him.

What she did next would change her life for the worse. Her father was taken by surprise when she grabbed him by the wrist. Her eyes were still narrowed with hate when she glared back and pushed him to the floor, hard. She ignored the appalled looks everyone else gave them when her glove slipped off in the process, leaving blue marks along his wrist. She was tired of putting up with the horrible treatment she endured from him. Each time they confronted each other, it always seemed to end in chaos like this. Tonight was no different as her father looked at her with renewed horror and disgust.

"I belong to no one," she retorted in a voice that seethed with anger. "I'm done letting you control my life."

Alice didn't give her father a chance to say something back. She spun around and pushed her way through the crowd that slowly began building as more people saw what happened. The moment she left that building was when Alice realized too late what she did.

What is wrong with me? she thought bitterly, suddenly wishing a hole would open up and swallow her. She really was nothing more than a freak. Someone who would never belong in this world, just like her father always claimed.

She understood the gravity of the situation as she continued walking, all too aware that a cab was out of the question. Her life had already been in shambles before this happened. Now that people knew what she could do, they would try and lock her up. She would always be on the run once her father gave her away. She had no doubts he would stoop to that level.

Her legs trembled at the thought when she reached the Brooklyn Bridge. There were so many times in life when she thought of just ending it. Maybe her life would have been better that way. She knew that was never the easy way out life, but at least she couldn't hurt anyone else in the process.

"Hey! You think you've got problems? Take a good look, pal." Alice froze at the sound of a deep, grated voice. She turned to see someone sitting on the bridge nearby. While they were wearing a cloak, she could see that they were bigger than the average human. A man stood nearby, dressed in a work suit while shakily holding a suitcase that must have carried his life's work. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed for the first time the stranger in the cloak looked as if he was made of some strange, orange stone-like material. "I said, stop!"

The tall guy had gotten up as the man in the suit stumbled closer to the edge, flinching in fear. Her body reacted faster than her mind, lunging towards the man who was about to slip and fall. His eyes widened in terror when he finally noticed they weren't alone.

"P-Please, don't let that thing near me!" he stammered as she struggled to pull him up.

He was heavier than she expected, and she realized with a start that they were both slipping.

"That's a bit rude, don't you think?" she snapped, knowing the taller guy could have just as easily hurt the terrified man if he had his way. She flinched after feeling someone tap her shoulder, turning slightly to see the guy in question standing behind her, "I can't hold on much longer!"

The guy helped pull the man in the suit up until he was back on his feet. Suit-guy wasted no time in running into traffic, too disoriented and terrified to care where he went. Alice only rolled her eyes at the sight as she realized he was probably terrified of the both of them.

Of course, things didn't get much better when a tractor trailer skidded to a stop to avoid hitting the guy running into traffic. The bigger guy stepped in front of the truck, slamming his shoulder into the truck before it could cause more damage until it skidded to a stop.

This day just kept getting better and better. Alice let out a sigh of frustration when she noticed the oil spilling from the truck as it careened to its side. Cars skidded to the side as cops arrived moments later to a chaotic scene. The whole bridge had changed from a peaceful night of walking to that of chaos, and Alice was caught in the middle of it.

"Who are you?" the tall guy turned to face her.

"Alice," she replied, grimacing when she felt his gaze boring through her, "Alice Cooper."

I shouldn't have gotten involved, she reminded herself. Now there was no escaping the curious, fearful looks of people watching from the background. She couldn't help but cringe at the thought, knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape so easily if there were cameras involved. If word got out to the press that she had powers and that she had been involved with this incident, they would never leave her alone.

"Name's Ben Grimm," the tall guy introduced himself after noticing she hadn't shown much fear around him. She'd already gotten used to her fair share of the weird and unusual circumstances of her life. Alice watched with interest as he turned his attention back to the truck driver. "Sorry, 'bout that, bud," he apologized as the truck driver tried freeing himself, "You mind unbuckling your seat belt?"

She couldn't help but wince as the cops began surrounding them just as the truck driver frantically fumbled with his buckle. It was stuck, and it took the two of them to free him from his situation. The cops were already demanding that Ben put the truck driver down. Still holding onto the seat itself, Ben did just that when Alice noticed a little girl standing in the middle of the crowd.

Panic swept through her when she noticed that sparks erupted from the truck when Ben dropped it. She ran faster than she thought possible; the only thoughts running through her mind was to protect the girl from the flames that began erupting from the sparks. She knew she would never forgive herself if someone wasn't there to protect her. None of these people asked to be part of this mess, and she couldn't help but feel as if she was somehow responsible for starting it.

The panic only worsened as she felt a sharp pain from the heat of the fire. Not for the first time, she wondered why she was putting herself through this. Fire and ice never mixed well together, as far as she was concerned.

"I can't control it," she whispered after wrapping her arms around the girl to protect her from the intense heat.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt her powers beginning to spiral out of control. It wasn't until she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her that she stopped. Alice blinked a few times when she realized that the heat had died down. Instead, she felt a swell of warmth from whoever was holding both her and the little girl.

"Are you okay?" a blond guy, tall and muscular, stood in front of her after the flames died down.

She couldn't stop the heat from rushing to her cheeks as she recognized who he was. Though it had been likely out of sheer instinct, the fact that he helped her in the first place left her feeling more embarrassed than she would ever admit out loud.

"I-I'll be fine," she stammered.

The ends of her hair was still smoking from where the fire threatened to kill them both. Alice didn't leave from her spot until the girl was reunited with her mother, who looked frantic beyond belief.

So much for staying out of the action, she thought bitterly. She wasn't expecting any of this to unfold when she spotted a firetruck flying down the bridge.

One of the firefighters happened to be clinging to the ladder when it slid loose from its hinges and almost fell over the edge of the bridge. Alice felt her stomach drop at the sight. She knew the longer she stayed, the higher risks she had at getting caught by the police surrounding the area. That hadn't stopped her from trying, though.

"You're the freak they were talkin' about over the radio," one of the cops finally noticed her and grabbed her wrist. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she guessed what he was referring to, "You've got a lot to answer to, kid."

"Please, those people need help!" she snapped as she desperately tried to pry herself free from his grip while glancing in the direction of the firefighters.

Figures that my father would use this as a ploy for the cops to get their hands on me, she nearly rolled her eyes at the thought after realizing he was the one who likely gave them the lead.

The cop merely ignored her plea; it was just another painful reminder that these people would eat her alive when this was over. Swallowing hard, Alice knew she had no choice but to use her powers against him. She did the only thing she could think of to escape their grasp.

"You're comin' with us!" the cop shouted back, unnerved by the glare she threw him.

She didn't bat an eyelash as she lifted her glove just enough to aim the palm of her hand in front of him. The cop stopped dead in his tracks when he tried pulling out his gun. Just as he managed to try and pull the trigger, he realized that he couldn't. A thick coating of ice began to cover the handle, along with the barrel of the gun.

"I'm sorry, about this," she whispered before putting her glove back on.

She turned in time to see that the fireman had been saved. Relief swept through her as she noticed that while he was shaken from being rescued, at least he and the others were safe. Though it also left her with the realization that she would need to explain why the cop's guns had been frozen solid. She winced at the thought as she tried running multiple explanations in the back of her mind. At that point, Alice knew it was pointless to try and escape. These people had seen everything she could do, and running away now of all times wouldn't make things better.

"Are you okay?"

Alice flinched when she recognized the voice of the blond guy once more. Johnny Storm. He was nothing more than a reckless playboy. Women idolized him. Alice heard enough stories to know that he was one person to avoid at all costs. The other two who were joining him were a different story.

"I think you have some explaining to do."

She refused to look up as she spotted Doctor Reed Richards. She couldn't. Not after freezing that gun and nearly losing control. The woman standing beside him frowned when she noticed just how shaken Alice looked. She was ready to say something when the crowd began splitting up.

Another woman emerged from the crowd. Alice finally looked up, narrowing her eyes when Ben stepped forward, as if he recognized the woman looking at him with fear in her eyes. She did something that caused Alice's heart to wrench with pity. She held out what Alice assumed was a ring, and she put it on the ground in front of him.

He leaned forward, desperately trying to pick the ring up as the woman shook her head and turned to leave. Alice couldn't help but look in Ben's direction as she moved forward, bending down to pick up the metal band. Ben looked at her in surprise, despite the obvious pain from that moment as she placed the ring in the palm of his hand.

"I swear to you, I will do everything in my power, until there's not a breath left in me – you're gonna be Ben Grimm, again," Reed promised.

Ben gave him a stiff nod before turning to look at Alice. She recognized the look flashing across his eyes. A silent plea that everything would go back to normal, and he'd have his old life back. She knew that look all too well. She understood full-well what he was going through.

"Thanks, kid," he whispered as she gave him a much needed hug.

"Do you know her?" Reed asked in surprise as the others looked equally stumped.

"Name's Alice, right?" Ben looked at her curiously as she backed away and refused to make eye contact.

She was surprised that he hadn't shied away from the piercing cold of her skin. Most people refused to make any physical contact because of that.

"Yes," she nodded, her voice tight with wariness, "My name is Alice Cooper." She paused for a moment, "We met once, at a convention in the city."

She glanced in Reed's direction, and though she didn't make eye contact, he seemed to register a faint memory of running into her, literally.

"You froze that cops gun, didn't you?" the woman who looked like she could pass for Johnny's twin sister – Susan Storm – asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she muttered, looking down at the ground once more. "I'm not exactly proud of what I can do."

Reed looked at her thoughtfully. She knew she was leaving a lot out, and she would likely have to explain herself before she was given a chance to move and change her name. She was relieved though, when he decided to leave it be for now. It had been a long enough night as it was. She suspected that they weren't going to give in so easily once the mess was cleared out on the bridge. And Alice was dreading the moment when she would have to explain where her powers came from. Because even she didn't know the truth. The only thing she did know was that they were the reason behind this mess, and that her life had gone from bad to worse.