Adopted by Michael Fassbender (EDITING IN PROGRESS)

Chapter 18

"Hey," I looked up to see dad standing in the doorway with the reddest blotch on his cheek, accompanied by some scratches, "woah, you get in the middle of a cat fight?"

Dad laughed, "Something like that. I... I broke up with Luna actually, and she- uh," he motioned towards the marks, "well, she did that."

I nodded, turning back towards my laptop. This history essay about Napoleon's flaws and mistakes in the French Revolution can wait another day.  Shutting it, I drummed the lid. "So, you want to talk about it?"

"No, I want to talk about what you said to Luna earlier. About your whole family being gone?" Dad stepped into the room, heading towards my bunk bed. 

"I won't question how you heard that, because you probably came home at the time I- uh- I yelled at her." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'll tell you, but I have one condition and one condition only: you tell no one. Not unless I allow it. Are we good?"

"Crystal." 

I nodded, "Alright then. I was seven when my family died. My mum and dad worked in a bar, my brother in the army, my sister a bookstore. My mom hosts a family reunion every year, maybe around Christmas time. One year, we ran out of food, which wasn't unusual." I took a breath. "Dad sent me and my brother to get some food from a nearby market. When we came back, the whole bar was on fire. We were gone for probably half an hour. Christian, being the stupid hero, went in there to try to bring back any survivors..."

Many Years Ago

"Oh, my god, Christian!" I gasped, dropping the bags full of junk food. The two of us watched as our father's bar was completely engulfed in flames. 

My older brother took my shoulders, holding me at arm's length. He looked like he was going to fight. "Listen to me, Q, you get help and you stay back. I'm going to see if anyone is still in there." He pulled off his jacket, tossing me his dog tags.

I shook my head. "No, no. If you go in there, it will be suicide!" 

"Well, I have to try, don't I? I can't just stand here and watch as the damn building collapses." Christian ran off, leaving me to stand here. Alone. 

I went after him, but he was pretty fast. He entered the building, but after that. An explosion. The blast threw me off my feet. "Argh." I groaned, sitting up. "Christian! CHRISTIAN!" 

Present

"The police told me that somebody had set fire to the place. Splashed gasoline on all the exits before he set the place on the fire."

It looked like dad was at a lost. Then again the way I described it was brief and without that much emotion. I let the information sink in, waiting for a response. He thought for a second, before asking, "Did they find out who it was?"

"...No."