"I feel it deep within, It's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become, The nightmare's just begun I must confess that I feel like a monster, I, I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster..." - Monster, Skillet

Chapter Ten

Johnny.

His suit was still smoking as he ran over to join the rest of them. Victor's eyes narrowed in disbelief when he realized his deadly mistake. Even he couldn't have calculated that the missile he fired would miss. Alice was just relieved that Johnny was smart enough to figure out that he could throw off the missile's heat radar. If he was capable of flying, that gave them a huge advantage over Victor. She almost smirked at the thought when she noticed Victor glaring coldly at all of them.

"You missed me," Johnny explained after catching the look Victor gave him. This time, Alice didn't flinch when their hands touched after he reached her side. She looked at Johnny in surprise when he smiled back at her, relief obvious in his eyes. "Had a little relapse huh?" he asked, looking at Ben with a grin. "Welcome back."

"This is gonna be fun," Victor said.

He leaned his head back and raised his arms. Electricity crackled around him, connecting him to all the buildings around him. Victor finally looked at the group and flicked his hand. Electricity was surging right towards them, and all at once Alice suddenly jumped in the way. Pain erupted within her as she was sent flying into a trash can. The force of her crash had sent the trash can flying towards a group of running people.

Sue suddenly raised her hands to form a force field around the people who were running.

Alice winced as she struggled to stand up again. She stumbled to her feet only to see Victor shoot another bolt of electricity at her. Once again, she braced herself for the pain to follow, only to watch as Sue formed a force field around her, blocking the lightning from hitting her. Her relief was short-lived as she realized that Sue could only do so much with the forcefield she created. Her powers were limited just like hers were. It took a massive amount of energy to create a forcefield like that.

"I can't hold it for long," Sue yelled.

Alice spun around and suddenly fired another icicle spear at Victor, hitting him square in the head. Reed had grabbed a mailbox and used the metal end to whack him in the head, temporarily 'disabling' him. The movement had only sent him tumbling forward though, and he quickly regained his footing.

"Alice, move!" Reed shouted. Alice did as she was told, wincing as she realized she must have sprained her ankle. Reed rolled into a wheel-like figure and barreled into Doom. He then formed into a thin sheet and covered Victor. He wrapped himself around Doom, until Doom was almost completely covered. "Johnny! Supernova!"

"I thought we agreed that was bad!"

"Now!"

Johnny ran forwards, flames spreading over him. He jumped up and flew into the air. Reed reached out to Ben, and quickly Ben grabbed his hands and pulled him off of Victor. Johnny flew around Victor, the flames getting higher, brighter and more intense.

All at once Alice was reminded of her time in the testing room. She could already feel the intense heat burning her flesh. Fire and ice didn't mix well. She had learned that the hard way, and now she realized that her very life was in danger. The only thing she could do at that moment was try and ignore the burning sensation. She knew this was for the good of stopping Victor, so she tried to endure the pain that followed.

"Sue, think you can contain it?" Reed asked.

His hand was covering his eyes to protect them from the light. Sue wrapped a force field around the flames, but by the time she did, Alice struggled to breathe. Her lungs ached from the heat and the smoke caused by Johnny's powers. The intensity from the heat was almost overpowering, even through the forcefield Sue managed to form.

"Flame on, kid," Ben said proudly as Johnny continued wrapping himself around Victor.

A drop of blood dripped from Sue's nose as she struggled to contain the forcefield. It broke seconds later as Johnny finally stopped. He grunted and landed on the pavement nearby. Alice struggled to keep herself calm as she realized that icicles were forming around her fingertips.

The flames were starting to die down, revealing what was left of Victor. Alice looked at him in utter horror.

There wasn't much left of him. The supernova flames had caused the metal armor around him to melt. He looked like nothing more than a skeleton of his former self. Victor was struggling to breathe as he looked at them all, eyes blazing with hatred. She couldn't imagine how painful it must have been to endure that kind of heat. With the kind of powers she had, Johnny could have easily killed her had he gone supernova.

"Is that the best you can do? A little heat?" he whispered.

"Time for your lesson – Chem 101," Reed began as he turned towards Alice and nodded. "What happens when you rapidly cool heat?"

She realized what he was implying, and she fired an icy blast at Victor. Steam filled the air as Victor struggled to escape the cold. She waited anxiously as the steam began to fade, knowing full well she had enough strength to keep going until Victor was stopped. The one thing she had learned about her powers was that she could just as easily send the world into a second ice-age, which terrified her. For now, she struggled to maintain control until it was finished.

Reed's eyes narrowed when he saw the now still figure of Victor. Now, he looked like nothing more than a statue. It looked as if Victor finally got his wish at becoming a monumental pain in the ass. He got exactly what he deserved, as far as Alice was concerned.

"Whoa," Ben breathed out before patting Alice lightly over the shoulder. "You both done good, kids. Come on."

Johnny helped Alice stand up a little straighter. She hadn't realized until now how exhausted she was. All of that fighting had left her mind reeling as she realized what she had done. She had used her powers without losing control. That in itself was amazing to think about.

"I think I sprained my ankle," Alice muttered as she tried walking forward.

The rush of adrenaline had already begun to fade, and she was beginning to feel the pain in her ankle where it was twisted. She gasped and stumbled forward, her hands catching Johnny's as he helped her stand once again.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the way I acted around you," he said thoughtfully. "Your powers are actually amazing, and…" He stopped himself short as a crowd of people gathered around them. Alice couldn't help but find herself blushing when she realized what he was about to say. "Come on, they're waiting for us."

The crowd started cheering for them when they regrouped.

"Man, I love this job," Johnny said with a huge grin.

His arm wound its way around Alice's waist, and once again she couldn't hide the blush that followed. She didn't miss the mischievous look in his eyes though. Or the warning looks from Reed and Sue. She tried shrugging it off as nothing more than a heat of the moment action. But she knew what Johnny was trying to do. It didn't take a genius to know what his intentions were.

"Job, huh?" Ben asked.

"Well, we do have the suits," Reed replied with a shrug.

The audience only seemed to cheer more at that. Johnny took the moment to bow, drinking in the attention they were giving him. Alice rolled her eyes at that, but she couldn't help but grin as she realized they had won. The worst of the battle was over, and to make things even better, she had found a real family. One that would accept her for who and what she was.

…

'Thank you, Fantastic Five!'

Alice couldn't help but read the sign that hung over on a banner across the boat the team was on. Weeks ago, she never would have pictured herself in this situation. Reed, Sue, Ben, and even Johnny had offered her something she never had before.

A family.

It was strange to think that her life could change so dramatically. She recalled the many times when she had been so alone. When she had no one to turn to when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Sue had become a mother-like figure that she always turned to when she needed advice. She even opened up to Reed now. While their relationship was more strained based on the fact that he constantly busied himself with work, at least he was willing to talk to her. Ben had become the caring uncle that looked out for her, and kicked Johnny's ass if he tried hurting her.

Johnny himself was a whole different story in itself.

She wasn't sure what to make of the Torch. There were times when he could be an arrogant asshole and act as if nothing serious happened between them. Other times, he cared enough to listen and provide comfort she had never felt from anyone other than Jacob. Though Johnny wasn't all that difficult to understand, it made his actions that much more frustrating as she saw him around other women. She knew he tried taking advantage of her, and she hadn't allowed him to worm his way into her heart because of that.

"A shot of tequila, straight up, Earnie," she requested after reaching the bar where Alicia and Sue were also standing.

Wearing a light blue skirt and white blouse, Alice tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. After all, she was now officially twenty-one. She planned on celebrating her birthday without the rest of the world knowing. Which wasn't all that difficult when she took in her considerations. She hated the attention people gave each other when birthdays were concerned. The worst part was knowing that the next day, all of that would likely be forgotten.

"You got it, sweetheart," Earnie, the bartender, replied with a smirk.

Alicia and Earnie were two new fiends that Ben had introduced to the team after the battle was over. After their first meeting, Alice had become close friends with the woman who seemed to understand what she and Ben were going through. The transitional change had been difficult at best. Now, Alice finally felt as if she had been accepted by people who gave a damn about her.

"Didn't know you were into the strong stuff," Alicia remarked after looking in Alice's direction.

She couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed as Earnie handed her the glass. She had to admit, a drink was greatly appreciated after last couple of weeks they'd had. Between dealing with the press, and everything else, they managed to find the time to celebrate their victory against Victor.

"Considering what I've been through, there isn't enough alcohol in the world to deal with it," she retorted, glancing in Johnny's direction as she noticed a woman hanging over his shoulder.

"I didn't know you were old enough to drink," Sue put in with a knowing look.

Alice's face blanched slightly, and she ducked her head to try and avoid the accusations that would follow. She didn't want or need the extra attention given to anyone when it came to their birthdays. Besides, these people had given her more than she could have ever asked for.

"Yeah, well, I'm not a fan of birthdays," she muttered under her breath, taking a sip of her drink as Sue merely rose an eyebrow and shook her head. "I've always hated the extra attention people give one another during their birthdays."

She may have finally started opening up to them, but that didn't mean she still had her moments. There were times when she couldn't bring herself to share everything. That was when keeping her emotions bottled up came in handy at the gym. She spent endless hours there, usually practicing her powers until she was exhausted. Usually, Sue or Ben would find her down there, and they would bring her back up where she could recover on the sofa or her bed.

Relief swept through her when Sue decided to drop the subject. Reed chose that moment to join them shortly after Ben arrived, while Johnny tried getting the numbers of the women surrounding him. Alice rolled her eyes at the sight, and she finished the last of her drink before setting the glass aside. Some things never changed.

"Look, I've been crunching over the numbers on the machine, and if I could rework the power—" He didn't get the chance to finish as Ben cut him off.

"Forget about it, egghead," Ben snapped. "I'm good as is."

"Better than good, baby," Alicia put in, making all of them laugh. He went over to clink his metal cup against hers, but instead made it shatter. "You just need to work on your touch."

Alice couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was good to see Ben with someone who actually cared about him. Especially since he'd already suffered his own fair share of hardship.

"Mm… I like the sound of that," Ben replied, wrapping his hand around her waist.

Sue took in a noticeable deep breath as she watched them. Alice found the whole situation a bit awkward and uncomfortable as she ordered another round. She had never been in a relationship herself. While Johnny had tried pulling a few moves on her, she constantly pushed aside his affections for multiple reasons. His reputation made her nervous. The way he acted around all the women tonight was just another reminder that she couldn't trust him. Not in a serious relationship at least.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Reed asked, taking Sue aside.

"Sure," she replied before following him off the deck.

Reed was practically sweating from nerves as he looked at Ben for support. Before the party had started, Alice overheard Reed talking to Ben about proposing to Sue. She was already aware of what would happen next. It was all a waiting game now, and she hoped Reed knew what he was doing.

Sue's eyes widened in amazement when Reed pulled out a ring from his pocket and knelt down. Alice held her breath as she waited for Sue's answer when Reed asked for her to marry him.

By now she had turned invisible, and everyone was waiting anxiously for her answer. Reed glanced at Ben uncomfortably before gesturing to Sue after an awkward silence followed.

"Uh, you kind of have to say something," he suggested.

"Oh, aha, yes," Sue replied with a laugh. Everyone breathed out sighs of relief. Alice had to laugh when Reed tried kissing her, only to have her say, "that's my nose, genius. These are my lips."

Then she pulled his lips onto hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Awe, she's kissing him," Ben cooed at the sight, his arm wrapped carefully around Alicia's waist.

They deserve each other, Alice thought, knowing that things couldn't have worked out better for all of them. Knowing that much, and what the future held in store for the team, Alice couldn't help but wonder if things would always be this upbeat.

"Hey, no more wisecracks about the way I look," Ben said, looking at Johnny accusingly.

Alice rolled her eyes when Johnny patted Ben on the shoulder, brushing his way past them. She doubted the tension between Ben and Johnny would ever fade. They finally started getting along, but there was still the occasional cat fights they would get into. Something told her it was only natural they would fight, especially since their personalities clashed all the time.

"Hey, call me Mr. Sensitivity," he replied. Alice would recognize that mischievous look in his eyes anywhere. "Okay," he started as he pushed his way through the crowd, "wide load coming through! Everyone move! He's huge!"

"Hothead," she muttered under her breath and crossed her arms.

"Come here, Mr. Sensitivity!" Ben shouted as Johnny jumped into the air and 'flamed on'. Alice had to laugh at their antics. They were like siblings, arguing all the time when they had the chance. "Show off!"

Johnny flew high in the air before turning in a different direction. He used his flames to create a Fantastic Five logo in the air as everyone cheered their congratulations. Alice watched the scene in amusement.

Alice couldn't help but smile as she noticed that everything came together at last. Despite what she had been through nearly twenty years of her life, she finally felt at peace. And for the first time in years, Alice felt as if she finally belonged somewhere. She finally found a home, and a family.

AN: This is the last chapter for this part of the story. I plan on adding the second movie, which has been changed dramatically. Bits and pieces of Alice's past before she got her powers will be added, and what led to her family disowning her. The song 'Monster' by Skillet is probably one of my favorites, and, kind of explains the Alice feels throughout the story. I'll probably post it sometime tomorrow, or during the weekend. Thanks to everyone who read this, so far.