Broken - (Loki x OC)

[Awakening Truths]

               Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep

               I lazily turned off my alarm clock. 7:30. It's the earliest I've ever gotten up since I graduated high school. I closed my eyes again, momentarily relishing the idea of more sleep, but the anticipation of today's event jolted me awake. Today is the day I can finally leave my mother's apartment, the suffocating place I've reluctantly called home. The mere thought of escape propels me out of my uncomfortable bed.

               In the kitchen, the sight of my mother cooking eggs and bacon catches me off guard. Her culinary efforts are a rarity. "What's the occasion?" I jest, fetching a plate and glass from the cabinet.

               "You're finally leaving for good. That's the occasion," she utters, placing an egg and three pieces of bacon on my plate. Her expression betrays a hint of relief at my departure.

               My relationship with my mother has always been strained, largely due to my rebellious nature. Throughout high school, I gravitated toward troublemakers, finding camaraderie in their misguided adventures. My rap sheet boasted a litany of misdemeanors—break-ins, shoplifting, underage drinking, even reckless driving. But behind each transgression lay the weight of peer pressure and a longing for acceptance. Yet, my mother's constant absence and criticism only fueled my defiance, leaving a chasm between us that widened with each argument.

               Fatherless and abandoned by a mother consumed with work, I sought solace in my grandmother's nurturing embrace. She filled the void my mother left, nurturing me with love and guidance until her untimely passing when I was fourteen. Bereft of her comforting presence, I drifted into a tumultuous existence, seeking validation in all the wrong places.

               "I still have no idea where I'm going. I can't afford an apartment, and my job history isn't stellar," I remark, settling at the table.

               "That's on you, Elizabeth. You should've shown more commitment," my mother retorts, joining me with her own plate.

               I chuckle sarcastically. "The streets it is, then?"

               Her stern gaze meets mine. "This is serious. It's time you learned about your father."

               My interest piqued, I pause mid-bite. "My father? Don't tell me you expect me to shack up with a stranger."

               "He's not a stranger. It's time you knew the truth," she replies solemnly, prodding at her eggs.

               "Does he even know I exist?" I interject.

               My mother's gaze falters. "No. He left before I knew I was pregnant."

               Great. He doesn't even know I exist. "So, he abandoned us," I conclude bitterly.

               "He didn't know. But I have proof," she continues, producing a folder from the cupboard. "DNA tests. They're yours, to convince you."

               I raise an eyebrow. "Convince me of what?"

               "That your father is Tony Stark."