Paper Hearts

The scene began in a large warehouse with a youthful figure sitting alone by a table - surrounded by stuffed animals and inanimate objects, the table itself was bare save for a single box with a cake inside, the cake having green icing and red lettering spelling out "Have A Nice Day".

"You're evil.. always have been.. always will be.." a dark voice echoed from all around, the ghostly image of a grinning woman with long golden hair and glowing blue eyes appearing from nowhere.

"S-sure.. whatever.." the youth said, staring down at the cake - a single candle flickering atop it.

"People like you don't change, face it - once you've gone this far.. there's no going back.." the ghostly image proclaimed, flashbacks of destruction and ruin - of pain and misery.. the youth laughing manically, enjoying every moment of the apocalyptic imagery.. yet it was all a memory.. the real youth simply stared at the cake.

"..who said I was changing? I -" the youth frowned slightly.

"Everybody hates you.." the ghostly image interrupted - flashbacks of great battles, of the youth being torn down and beaten, even of him being launched into space itself.

"Nova likes me.. heck.. she loves me.." the youth protested, standing up and clenching his fists.

"Nova doesn't love you, she just hates the world as much as you do.." the ghostly image states, showing flashbacks of Nova and the youth - each flashback showing them abusing one another in different ways: each seeming to laugh at the acts, even as they grew more and more disturbing.

The youth growled and tossed the table over, forming tendrils where his hands used to be and lashing them out, smashing the chairs apart, sending stuffed animals flying in several directions as the cake splattered on the ground.

"Face it, Kane, sooner or later Nova will move on.. she'll grow bored of you.. or find someone else.. someone she can truly care for.. you were just a desperate attempt to find something meaningful.. a cheap thrill for a goddess that was so utterly alone that she'd do anything to feel "happy" again.. people like us don't get to be happy.." the ghostly image continued, showing an image of Kane laying alone in a barren wasteland, nothing else around for miles but darkness.

"..I'm happy.. I'm always happy.. you'll see: we're not like you.. we can be happy.. me and Nova.. we're not like you.. you're the lonely one.. so obsessed with something you can never have: a dead man no less.. I may be a sick freak, mother.. yet at least I don't lust for my own blood.." Kane snarled, only to yelp as he flew off his feet - struck by an incredible force that knocked him into the air and crashing down on the hard floor below.

"Watch your tongue, Kane - I'm nearly reborn.. my power is growing.. soon I shall be rid of this limbo.. when I come you will learn respect.. or I will crush you like the mistake you are.." the ghostly figure warned.

"..H-ha.. you're not so tough.. face it, mommy.. you're jealous - I did something you could never do.. I fell in love.. and you know what? she loves me too! .. I'm done hiding it.. I'm done trying to be something I'm not.. you tell your Watchers I'm through with them.. I'm through with you.. I have a family now.. we'll be happy together, that's all that matters now.." Kane snapped, standing up shakily.

"Oh Kane.. you disappoint me.. not long ago you and Nova were sending Anomaly to devour worlds and aiding in the destruction of this multiverse.. now you are starting to sound like my poor deluded brother.. don't tell me you're trying to redeem yourself?" the ghostly figure chuckled.

"Of course not! I'm just through with taking orders from you.. or the Watchers.. from now on I'm doing things my way.. that means raising my family: taking care of Nova and Anomaly.. keeping my "son" fed and keeping my queen happy.. if that means breaking a few worlds in the process, hey.. that's comedy.." Kane growled.

"Nova will eat you alive Kane, the moment you show weakness.. Anomaly too.. you are a sad, pathetic little man.. biting at the heels of titans.. go ahead: dream your little dream.. in the end it is fantasy.. you'll never change: she certainly won't.. in the end you'll embrace what you are.. or you will curl up and die.. either way, you're "family" will never be.. men like you don't get to be happy.." the ghostly figure declared, disappearing into the shadows.

As the image faded Kane collapsed onto his knees and his hands returned to normal, looking around for a moment he sighed and took in his mother's words - she was right, of course.. he was being a fool.. after everything he'd done.. everything she had done.. to imagine a future where they were simply being together: raising a child.. it was madness..

"..hearts are like paper.. fragile.. easily torn yet almost impossible to repair once the damage is done.. oh Nova.. I hate you so.. why did you have to make me this way? why do I love you? when I know it will never be?" Kane thought to himself.

"..I will find Anomaly.. try to care for him.. then I'll come for you Nova.. mother's right.. you'll eat me alive.. yet I suppose that's kind of funny.. right? ..you'll still be my queen.. no matter what.. we really set the world on fire.." Kane continued to think.

"..it's not redemption.. it's you and me.. together against the whole damn multiverse.. they made us what we are.. spat on us.. tore us to shreds.. if only I could explain - together we could be happy and if anyone ever tried to stop us we'd tear them apart.. make our own little world: you, me and the kid.. our sanctuary - where it's fun.. all the time.. where no one can hurt us again.." Kane thought.

"..but who am I kidding? it's all a dream.. people like us don't get to be happy.. no matter how much we laugh.. I'm sorry Nova.. maybe someday you'll understand -" Kane sighed, getting up and heading out of the warehouse, to the dark streets beyond.