Chapter 8: HeartBreaker's Answer
Nebula and Rad were cleaning up from their meal when they noticed that Ula was starting to fade. They both gasped in horror as their daughter reached out to them in fear before she completely disappeared. "Nebs?! What's going on?!" Rad asked, panicked as Nebula began to fade away. He tried to hold her in his arms, but as he embraced her, she disappeared.
When Nebula opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. "Good, you're awake" a cold female voice said. "What the? Mom? No wait, HeartBreaker?" Nebula questioned as she saw the woman in the doorway. "Ready for another glorious day of destroying heroes?" she heard Professor Venomous ask as he appeared next to HeartBreaker. "Something wrong? You seem confused" he asked as he put an arm around HeartBreaker's waist. "Where's Solana?" Nebula asked worriedly and they both looked at her in confusion. "Who's Solana?" Professor Venomous asked and Nebula gasped. "Look, we don't have time to play 20 Questions, there is a world of heroes out there that needs to be ruled and you know that we are the only ones that can properly rule it" HeartBreaker said harshly. "You're absolutely right honey" Professor Venomous said as he turned to HeartBreaker. "Now then, Nebula" he then turned back to Nebula. "Get ready, your boyfriend will be here soon" he said and the couple walked off.
"Boyfriend?! I hope it's Rad" she thought as she put on what clothes were available. As she got dressed, she noticed that she was back to being a teenager. When she was finished getting ready, she went to go find HeartBreaker and Professor Venomous, when she was stopped by someone holding a bouquet of flowers. Nebula gasped when she saw who was presenting the flowers to her. "Aiden?!" she questioned and he nodded happily. "That's right sweetheart, I'm here a little early. I do hope that you don't mind, but I just couldn't wait to see you" he said and Nebula took a few steps back. "Wait, are we...dating?" she asked and Aiden nodded and she continued to step back. "No, this isn't right. I don't know how, or why but this isn't right" she said and Aiden frowned as he walked towards her. "Nebula, my dear, you must be feeling stressed after all the butt kicking we've been doing. I'll go talk to Professor Venomous and HeartBreaker to see about letting you stay here while we go to the bodega" Aiden said and before he could walk away, Nebula took a hold of his wrist.
"Actually, I'm fine. I'll probably rest after we get back. So, when are we leaving?" she said quickly and Aiden seemed to believe her. Moments later, they were sent to Lakewood Plaza Turbo and Nebula silently gasped in horror at all the damage. The building that once stood unharmed, was now covered in damage. Windows were broken, parts of the building were missing, there was even graffiti scattered across the walls. Nebula frowned as she noticed that the once bright and peaceful Lakewood, was now dull and dreary. They landed in front of Gar's Hero Supply & Bodega and Nebula tried to contain her excitement when Enid, Ko, and Rad burst through the doors. While Aiden faced off against Enid and Ko, Nebula took that chance to get Rad alone.
"Rad, listen. I know this might sound weird, but all this is wrong. I don't know why or how but something went wrong" she started. "What do you mean? Aren't you scared that your little boyfriend will get mad that you ran off with another man?" Rad spat as he crossed his arms as he urged her to continue. "I'm not meant to be with Aiden. I'm meant to be with you!" she said and Rad's jaw dropped.
"This is gonna sound even crazier, but in the future we got married and had a beautiful little girl named-" she was cut off by Rad. "Ulana?!" Rad asked happily and she nodded. "And you have your own cafe with cats that you opened after you got back from being the captain of the Planet X space force" she explained. Rad went silent as he processed the information. "So we" he motioned to her then himself and she nodded. "And we?" he took hold of her hands and she nodded happily. Before she knew it, Rad's lips were on hers and once she closed her eyes, she saw images of what was supposed to be flashed in her mind. "Please tell me that you saw all that" they said in unison. They laughed before they kissed once more.
"What is the meaning of this?!" they heard Aiden roar. The couple gasped as Aiden yanked Nebula away from Rad. Within a flash of smoke, Aiden whisked Nebula away and threw her against the ground. Nebula looked at him in fear as she trembled. "A-Aiden" she quivered as she tried to back away.
"Baby, look at me
And tell me what do you see?" he sang as he leaned down and took her face in one of his hands. He then pulled away and backed up a few steps.
"You ain't seen the worst of me yet" he held his arms out and smirked
"Give me time, I'll make you regret
The rest" Aiden made a hologram of Rad out of smoke and he quickly destroyed it.
"I've got more in me,
And I will set it free
I can catch the moon in my hand" he raised his hand to a hologram of the moon and destroyed it once it was in his hand.
"They will soon know who I am
Remember my name" Aiden's eyes began to glow and Nebula slowly moved away from him.
"Aim
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna continue to fly
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry" He sang as he noticed her trying to escape. He quickly summoned a rope made of dark magic to capture her and bring her to him.
"Aim
I'm gonna aim for the heavens
Light up the sky like a flame" He made a window appear and Nebula gasped in horror as she saw her beloved plaza suddenly be engulfed in purple flames.
"Aim
I'm gonna live forever
They will remember my name" The people of Lakewood could be heard screaming and Aiden forced Nebula to watch as they tried to escape his flames. She felt as if there was pieces of her mind trying to leave her.
"Remember, remember, remember, remember, remember, remember, remember, remember" Nebula silently chanted as she felt her memories of the life she was meant to be living slowly starting to leave. Aiden scowled and threw her to the ground once more.
"Don't hold me tight,
'Cause you can't make it right
You won't shoot me straight to the top
You denied me love and took all I got
To give
Baby, I'll be tough,
What I gave was not enough,
No
You have hurt my heart 'til it breaks" as he sang, she was a genuine look of sorrow behind his cold eyes.
"Ooh, I got what it takes
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly high
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
Aim
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my…" Nebula watched in horror as the people of Lakewood's eyes began to glow like Aiden's as they mindlessly did whatever he told them to do.
"Aim
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly high
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
Aim
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
Remember my name
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Aim
I'm gonna learn how to fly high
I feel it coming together
Aim
People will see me and cry
Aim
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Aim
Light up the sky like a flame
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Aim
Baby, remember my name
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Aim
I'm gonna learn how to fly high" The now mindless zombies of Lakewood began to continue destroying the bodega and taking down the heroes that tried to stop them.
"I feel it coming together
Aim
People will see me and cry
Aim
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Aim
Light up the sky like a flame
Aim
I'm gonna live forever
Aim" He sang proudly as the bodega's damage worsened.
"Baby, remember my name" he sang darkly as he turned to her. That was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.