FROM THE ASHES - L. Laufeyson [1]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Prince of Darkness is a Gentleman

When she opened the door, she was slightly surprised when Ethan sauntered into her apartment asking a boatload of questions.

"Where have you been? Why couldn't you tell me where you were? Why were you in a fire? How do you not have any burns? What happened to your face? Who hurt you?"

The list went on as he looked her over for any more injuries, aside from the bruise that Natasha had given her, that still had yet to disappear.

She simply stated that she was fine, that the bruise was nothing, and that he would explain what had happened to her only a couple of days ago. Adaline led him over to the couch where she held his hand and explained what she could.

Adaline didn't bother to mention the things she had learned today after opening her mother's box, since she was still trying to understand that information for herself; she just explained that after running into a burning building she had passed out from overusing her abilities. She explained how she had then woken up the next day at Stark Tower and had been there for the past few days.

Adaline didn't bother mentioning meeting any of the Avengers aside for Tony Stark, and she certainly didn't bring up what she and Loki had experienced in those few days that she was there.

"Hold on," Ethan exclaimed before standing up and placing his hands sternly on his hips. "What do you mean when you say 'abilities'?"

As Adaline stood with a tiny smile beginning to form on her face, she placed her arm out in front of him, before letting a small flame form in the palm of her hand.

Ethan stared at her with an unpleasant grimace on his face, before raising his voice and asking when she had planned on telling him.

She replied saying that she wasn't sure she ever would have, and that it all depended on how their relationship would progress. Seeing that he was getting angrier as time went on, she put out the flame and began to walk toward him.

As Ethan put his hands behind his head in distress, he walked farther away from Adaline

"So, I've been dating a freak," he scoffed. "You're just like those 'Avengers', with their weird talents and their superiority complexes."

Adaline recoiled at his accusation as he continued his tireless tirade. "I can't believe this," he said before turning to leave and slamming the door behind him.

Once he left, Adaline fell down to her knees and let the tears run freely down her cheeks. She hadn't expected a man like Ethan to reject her so harshly. Adaline realized she obviously didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

After a few minutes of sitting with her knees pressed against the stone cold floor in the suffocating silence of the empty apartment, except for the hiccupped sobs that escaped her chest, she gathered the strength to stand. As she made her way to go lock the door, she thought about what to do now.