Rising from the Ashes

Party Crashes

Ash's POV

With the quick, and technically early, stop by the D.R.E.I. to drain my radiation into the machine before the party, by the time I made it back to my room, Nat was already there ready for the party in a black and white dress with black heels and around her neck, on a gold chain, was a gold-colored, rectangle-shaped pendant. She was looking at the wooden creature that was a work in progress going on the third day since I started making it.

"What's this thing supposed to be?"

"I don't know... I've been dreaming about it for the past few nights so it must be significant somehow..." I fingered the feathery antennae and bushy tail details on the animal.

"Alright then, let's do this." Nat clapped her hands together, making me gulp slightly as my nervousness increased.

An hour later I was dressed in a navy blue dress with quarter sleeves and a brown belt looping twice around my waist, white stockings that led into black flats that secured to my ankles with an elastic strap, and wearing a gold bracelet along with my pendant.

After putting some basic makeup on my face to "accent my eyes and cheekbones" as Nat described it, she successfully, albeit very painfully, detangled my hair and was working on straightening it when I asked,

"What do people even do at a party?"

"Y'know I'm not really sure. Never really been to a party that didn't involve having to take out a few guests or hosts."

"Oh..." I smiled nervously as Nat finished and pinned in a red bow, making me grimace a bit.

"Is the bow absolutely necessary?"

"Not really, but it looks cute, it goes with your... abnormally large eyes."

As Nat began straightening the bow on my head and smoothing out stray strands, I stayed silent for a couple of seconds before asking,

"Hey Nat?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is it that you act tougher around the others, but around me you're..."

"Not as?"

"Yeah..."

"I dunno... To be honest, you're kinda what I would've hoped for if I could have a kid of my own."

"What do you mean 'if you could have'?" I questioned curiously as she began combing through my hair one final time, almost regretting asking from the way she seemed to tense up before relaxing again,

"I uh... I can't have kids... in the place I was raised in... when we finish our training... we're made sure to not be able to have kids for the rest of our lives..."

"That's... awful..." I gave Nat a sympathetic look before placing my hand on hers and gripping it assuredly, "Y'know, you've always been like a mom to me."

"And Bruce would be your dad?"

This made me pause and widen my eyes before the response slipped from my mouth,

"Ummmm..."

"'Umm?' It's pretty obvious, I mean he's been taking care of you all these years."

"Yes, but... I'm not actually his daughter... I'm just an alien who literally fell into his life... if anything, I'm his obligation..."

"Hey," Nat turned me to face her with a deadly serious tone and expression, "Do not talk about yourself like that, you hear me?"

I nod rapidly for fear of her fury before she catches her tone and says more gently,