▂▂▂▂▂ act one , chapter one
INVISIBLE AS SHE
Central City , 2016 ▂▂▂▂▂
❝ms. anders, it's quite lovely to meet you. i can pay for the milk if you'd like.❞
WHAT DID IT mean to be invisible? If you were to search what it meant via Google, invisible was 'unable to be seen; not visible to the eye,' basically implying that if something was invisible, it could not be seen — if you didn't know any better, you would think that no matter of any kind was there. Think about it. If there were something beside you that you couldn't see, you would ignore it; this hypothetical thing was nonexistent to you, so you would never pay any attention to it.
But what about a person? Could a human being become invisible, what Google called being 'unable to be seen.' Every day, there are people who go about their lives claiming that they're invisible amongst the vast majority of the people that make up our planet. Children would claim they were invisible when other kids wouldn't play with them — ignore them. Adults claimed invisibility when they weren't recognized at work for some mediocre achievement they had made. All around, people insisted they were invisible, but nobody actually was invisible, were they? Nobody on Earth could say they could disappear out of sight without a trace.
That was until this little thing called the particle accelerator exploded in Central City in 2014.
For two years, people with these extraordinary abilities began popping up all around the city, displaying their capabilities, whether it be for good or evil. The Flash was arguably the most notable of these enhanced individuals, saving the city multiple times. It was from this particle accelerator that these meta-humans, as they were called, could do what they did, and while it was amazing to some, it did cause dangers.
Elle Anders was a victim of the explosion from S.T.A.R. Labs back in 2014, along with several hundreds of others, and from the dark matter flowing through her veins, she gained the ability to vanish into thin air. Unlike people before who had argued that they were invisible in their superb everyday lives, Elle actually was invisible. With just one singular thought, she could hide from her surroundings. Once obtaining this ability, Elle struggled to maintain her somewhat normal life while balancing her invisibility for two years. So far, Elle would like to say she has it under control — there were only a couple of mishaps every few months compared to the dozens of mishaps every day when this oddity first occurred. In the beginning, Elle hated her powers, but after a tiresome process, she gained control of her abilities and learned what benefits they brought to her complicated life.
Being able to do what she could reminded Elle of her life. She was indeed one of the people that claimed they were invisible in this world, but she felt she had good reason to do so. Her life was nothing short of difficult from the moment she was born. At birth, her parents had treated her as invisible, simply leaving her in the hospital so she could be someone else's problem, and from then on, it only got worse. Through foster home after foster home, Elle felt like her worth — her importance — was equal to that of a grain of sand in a never-ending desert. The people who took her in didn't see her as a person; they barely saw her at all, thus why she considered herself invisible.
And after gaining the ability to turn invisible, Elle never thought that to be more true. Elle Anders was invisible. Her life didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It was funny in a twisted sort of way — she had always been invisible even before she gained the ability to be.
However, she will admit that she didn't feel invisible when she was around the few people she knew cared about her.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Reagan. Happy birthday to you!"
Elle grinned widely as she watched the six-year-old before her blow out her six wax candles wedged in the small ice cream cake sitting atop the collapsible table. The girl blew rather forcefully, and Elle would almost guarantee that some saliva must have been sprayed on the cake.
There were only four people in Elle's life whom she cared for, and they were all standing around the tiny table, admiring the kindergartener that sat at the only chair accompanying the table. That was Reagan; she was this adorable little girl with a pure heart who would rather read a bedtime story to you because she was just that giving. She had the biggest eyes that only emphasized her cuteness, along with mid-length brown hair that was always put into pigtails. Today was her sixth birthday, and she could not be more ecstatic even if she tried (like she wasn't always beaming anyway.)
"Oh, I forgot to grab the knife to cut the cake. Don't move." Amy Parlour sat her ancient Polaroid camera on the table and hurried to the kitchen about five steps away in the small apartment to retrieve the missing utensil. She was the kindest, most hard-working woman Elle had ever met, willingly giving the Anders girl refuge in her home despite her and her family's current situation. When she wasn't with her kids, Ms. Parlour worked as a second-year resident at Central City Hospital, enduring long hours to provide for her three kids and Elle.
"Don't forget the milk, Mommy!" Reagan shouted, nearly blowing everyone's eardrums out.
"You know if you keep drinking milk, you're gonna turn into a cow," remarked Grace Parlour from where she was leaning against the wall, the middle child of the family who took it to heart. She was independent, always caught in the middle of arguments (which rarely ever happened in the Parlour apartment), and always made jokes about how she was the neglected one.
"What?" Reagan exclaimed, her head snapping to her older sister. "That's not true... is it?"
Her face contorted in thought as Aiden, her older brother and the eldest of the Parlour siblings, laughed from beside Elle with his arm around her shoulders. "No, that's not true. You just might moo for a couple of days."
When Reagan's jaw dropped to the floor, Elle took her chance to assure the new six-year-old, moving from next to Aiden to beside her, crouching down to her level. "Don't listen to them. You're not gonna turn into a cow or moo."
She looked between the two siblings, who were sharing amusing looks, her eyes lingering on Aiden longer than Grace. Aiden was why Elle was here, celebrating Reagan's sixth birthday. They had met in freshmen year of high school, and Elle had just gotten removed from her worst foster home yet. Even though Elle knew she was lucky with staying localized in her home city, meaning she didn't have to move schools, it didn't mean that she had friends. It was all a part of Elle feeling invisible — no one liked to talk to her, and she had just started high school, making things ten times worse.
Though, there was one person on a very dreadful day who decided he wanted to sit with Elle, and that was Aiden. Despite what everyone thought, he wanted to sit with the girl who was always alone, looking as though someone had just killed her puppy. And the rest was history. The two clicked instantly, becoming close friends until Aiden eventually grew a pair and asked Elle out, and well... that's all history, too.
Here they were, three and a half years later, and things couldn't be better between them. As soon as Elle turned eighteen in August, Aiden and his mother demanded that Elle stay with them and not be stuck out on the streets. Even though Elle resisted, knowing the financial situation that the Parlours were in, she should've known that no one would say no to Amy Parlour if the older woman had anything to do with it. They lived in a small apartment, barely big enough for the four of them, Elle knew, so she was more than happy to take the couch on account of Amy refusing to let her sleep in Aiden's room, claiming that 'she does not need no grandbabies right now.'
Like his sister — his entire family, really — Aiden had a heart of gold. That was one of the qualities Elle liked best about him. Aiden was selfless, always looking out for other people, and the nicest human being Elle had ever met in her eighteen years of life. He was just so kind; there wasn't any other way to put it. That's why he walked up to Elle freshmen year; that's why he offered her a place in his small home. He was sweet, and giving, and supportive. Elle was confident he would've put forth the same offer to a stranger; she was just lucky she was the first person he thought of.
And Aiden was smart too, extraordinarily brilliant — easily had been picked as the valedictorian of his and Elle's 2015 class. He wants to be an engineer, too, and he's studying to be one at Central City University, where he was rewarded a full-ride scholarship. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have been able to attend, but he was and in the middle of his freshmen year.
Ms. Parlour returned to the table with a half smile, dimming the grin on Elle's, and when the older woman came beside her beginning to cut the cake, she realized why that was. From where she was beside Reagan, Elle stood up, looking anxiously at Aiden, who had come to the same realization as her.
"Mommy, you forgot the milk," Reagan chastised innocently.
Stopping from where she had just cut the first piece of cake and set it on a paper plate, Ms. Parlour looked apologetically at her youngest daughter, cupping her face in her palm. "Oh, baby, we're out of milk."
Reagan's face fell, but only momentarily, as she perked right up. "Well, then, why don't we go get some."
At that, glances were hesitantly shared between the elders. Reagan's innocence was so sweet, naive, and unaware of all the adult problems that her family was facing. Elle, in a way, envied how her mind worked — they needed more milk, so why don't they just go and get more milk? Besides Reagan, everyone in this room knew about the struggles, but when Ms. Parlour said she had saved enough to buy an ice cream cake for Reagan's birthday, it didn't seem to matter so much. The six-year-old had an obscene obsession with milk, and Elle knew it would crush her if she could have one of her favorite things and not the other. So she wasn't going to let that happen.
"I'll go get some," she offered.
All the attention went to her as Aiden asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Elle nodded unconfidently, but luckily, Reagan didn't seem to pick up on that. "I'll be back in no time."
"Elle, sweetie, you don't have to do that—" Ms. Parlour immediately went to refuse.
"No, no, no. It's okay," Elle reassured before looking back down at Reagan, lightly twirling one of her pigtails around her hand. "It's for the birthday girl.
Reagan once again was beaming as happy as could be. "Hurry back. Before the ice cream melts."
The Anders girl returned her delighted expression, releasing the girl's hair from her grasp. "I will."
After venturing across the small, quaint apartment, she made it to the door, her hand on the knob ready to turn it clockwise, but she was stopped by Aiden, who rested his hand atop Elle's. He looked at her worriedly, not wanting her to go out alone — it was past nine, and while this wasn't Star City, there were some creeps around.
"Hey, you want me to go with you?" Aiden asked in a whisper.
"No," Elle shook her head. "I'll be fine."
He let out a breath. "Do you even have enough?"
Elle dug through her jeans pockets and then the pockets of her zip-up jacket, coming out with three dollars and seventy-one cents. Both the teens knew it wasn't near enough money, especially if Elle was going to the overpriced convenience store three blocks down.
They shared a despondent look, and Elle shook her head. "I'll ask the store clerk to lower the price or something. Don't worry." Aiden was unconvinced, so Elle added, "And if not, I'll use my invisibility."
When Elle first discovered her abilities, Aiden was the first person she went to, spilling her guts about everything from how she felt when the particle accelerator exploded, sensing the dark matter flow through her to the outcomes that came of it. He knew everything and how Elle used her powers — she wasn't a criminal by any means, but she did occasionally shoplift if she or any of the Parlours were in need of anything. And even though Aiden disagreed, he knew Elle's heart was in the right place.
And that's why he sighed, nodding down to Elle. "Okay, just please be careful."
"Yeah, I will be."
Both leaning forward, their lips met in a kiss that lasted a little longer than a moment. Elle's hands instinctively moved to the boy's chest as his did her face. They only broke apart when they heard Reagan's yells, both their heads towards the girl to see all eyes looking at them.
"Aiden, stop! Elle has to go get my milk," she reprimanded as she was turned around in her chair.
Her brother removed his hands from Elle's face, raising them in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. She can go now."
"Thank you," Reagan asserted, and with one chuckle leaving Elle's throat, she opened the door and left the apartment.
Elle had no clue that as soon as she shut the apartment door and began strolling down the hallway toward the elevator, her life would change forever. This day had been typical — great, even with it being Reagan's birthday and all but little did Elle know that the biggest surprise of her life was just down the street, stepping in front of two criminals' van.
Having visited the Parlour's apartment for three years and then living in it for four months, Elle made her way swiftly to the elevator, pressing the button with the one on it. When she reached the ground level, she exited, passing the front desk worker a nod as she departed the rickety apartment building.
Walking through the streets of Central City was also something that Elle was familiar with, having lived her whole life here. Despite everything she's endured in this city, Elle still loved it. Maybe it was because it was the only place she had ever known, but still, she liked living here. Elle passed a closed Big Belly Burger and CC Jitters, the expensive coffee place she could never afford, looking inside, wondering if any milk was in there. That would make her life a lot easier, but alas, she knew there was no way to get inside, so she trekked down the streets until she arrived at the convenience store.
The bell dinged above her head as she entered, the door having been held for her by an older gentleman with dark skin and a gray beard. Wanting to return to the apartment as soon as possible, Elle went straight back to where all the drinks were against the back wall. She scanned all the shelves behind the transparent doors until she came across the milk cartons, and when she saw the prices, she could've passed out right there. These places always hiked up the prices because they knew if you shopped here, you were desperate; Elle berated the stupid smart marketing team in her mind. For the smallest carton of milk, the lowest price was five oh five, which was very unfortunate because Elle only had three dollars. Despite what Elle had told Aiden, she knew the clerk wouldn't drop the price for only her, so she knew what had to be done.
Elle looked around her surroundings, ensuring no people were around her before she opened the door and grabbed the milk as inconspicuously as possible. Once it was in her hand, she double-checked around her and then took a deep breath, focusing on her surroundings before letting out a breath and blending in with her surroundings.
In her mind, Elle thanked God that she was able to turn the milk invisible as well — Elle could make herself disappear with no problem; it was when she was holding objects that she had trouble (which was peculiar to her because she could make the clothes she wore disappear without an issue .) She hadn't entirely perfected that skill yet; it only lasted about a minute or so, and she had to be laser-focused.
Slowly and very, very carefully, Elle walked down the aisle aligned with the door, staying focused on herself and staying out of sight as long as possible. She had made it through the aisle — ten more steps, and she was home free, but now, she had to go past the store clerk and through the door, hoping that they just ignored the way it magically opened by itself.
Five steps. Elle was so close!
She shifted her eyes from the door to the clerk, who was luckily busy with a customer and the line behind her.
One step. Elle had made it to the door, reaching her arm to pull on it, wincing at how loud the bell seemed to ding. Unbeknownst to her, all eyes turned to the door; the clerk stopped scanning the woman's food as he held a pack of Sour Patch Kids.
"Hey! Who's there?" He questioned through a raspy voice.
The door was halfway open, and Elle froze in the doorway, trying her absolute hardest to be invisible and hoping she could get out of this unscathed. But Elle should've known better; life always seemed to be out to get her. She had lost focus, and she flickered like an old T.V. trying to get itself together until, eventually, she was fully visible with the stolen carton of milk in her hand.
As she tried to act as innocent as she could, Elle turned slowly toward all the prying eyes of the customers and the clerk, who looked quite angry. To be quite honest, Elle was surprised he didn't call the cops right away because she was a meta-human. She put on a trusting smile and spoke with a pleasant voice that was an octave above her usual.
"Hi, you're all probably wondering what I'm doing walking out the door with this unpaid milk carton." She chuckled nervously between her words, reading all the expressions thrown at her, ranging from absolutely pissed to curious about what was going to happen next. The absolutely pissed person was the store clerk, so Elle knew she wasn't getting out of this. "Well, it's funny..."
And so she bolted out the door, sprinting down the streets of Central City with her stolen carton of milk for her six-year-old friend's birthday cake. Elle didn't know whether anyone was following her, but that seemed to be put in the back of her mind when, suddenly, a man in a long brown coat was in front of her. If Elle threw on her brakes a second later, she would've run right into the man, tackling him to the ground.
"Ms. Anders, it's quite lovely to meet you." The first thing Elle noticed about the man was that he had a British accent, her head turning in wonder at the difference in voice, not catching the device the man was pulling from behind his back as he nodded down towards the milk carton in her hand. "I can pay for the milk if you'd like."
The next thing Elle Anders knew, a prominent white light flashed in her face, and she fell to the ground unconscious.
a/n
ahhhhh, i can't believe i'm actually doing this!! i forgot how exciting it is to be working on a new story. so far i'm done writing episode one, but i'm gonna try and post on a schedule as best i can. i hope y'all are just as excited as i am. tell me what you think so far!!
well, that's all for now
-annie
12/3/23 — made a few changes/fixes and added a paragraph to this bc i didn't mention aiden's intelligence at all and that's a big part of his character