Work Text:
Panel 1: silhouette of a man in a bedroom doorway at night. The man is Aaron's step father. Caption reads: "from the moment you have your first temper tantrum to the moment you die, you're always gonna hear those three words..."
Panel 2: the image is zoomed out. In the foreground, a child (Aaron) is lying in bed, facing away from the door. He is crying with a black eye, and he is afraid. Caption reads: "...life isn't fair."
Panel 3: the boy is now around 17, on a bus, wearing a yellow beanie and still bruised. He is looking at his phone. Caption reads: "I always hated it."
Panel 4: closeup of Aaron's phone. Texts read: "You're running away?? Do you even know where you're going?" "no i havent found a place yet. ill be ok tho." Caption reads: "because I know it. I know that I'm always gonna be jumping out of the frying pan..."
Panel 5: An adult Aaron is in a burning building, alone amongst corpses. He is on fire, looking at his arms in horror, because he knows he should be more than in pain. He should be dead. Caption reads: "...and into the fire."
Panel 6: Present-day Aaron is in a therapists office, laughing slightly at his own joke. Caption reads: "Heheh."
Panel 7: Returning to the flashbacks, Aaron, now Incendium, is robbing a convenience store at gunpoint wearing a mask fashioned from his yellow beanie. Caption reads: "But it sucks, you know? Cause I feel like I know that more than anyone."
Panel 8: In an alleyway, a police officer is pointing his gun at Incendium's back, shouting at him. Incendium's face is in the foreground. Caption reads: "Maybe it's true, and maybe it isn't,"
Panel 9: Flashback to Aaron's childhood. The panel looks similar to the previous one, with a scared young Aaron in the foreground. His stepfather is shouting at him from behind. Caption reads: "But when people beat me down and have the gall to use that tired old line on me..."
Panel 10: Incendium has turned around to face the officer, and is pointing his gun towards his own head. Caption reads: "Nothing makes me angrier."
Panel 11: Incendium pulls the trigger, but instead of a bullet, fire comes out and covers Incendium in flames. Caption reads: "I want to be the one standing over THEM."
Panel 12: closeup of the officers terrified eye and the reflection of fire in it.
Panel 13: Incendium is pinning the officer against the wall- the officer screams from the pain of the fire. Caption reads: "I want to see them at their most pathetic."
Panel 14: Incendium is drawing back his fist. He looks absolutely furious. Caption reads: "and when there's no hope left, when they grovel for mercy,"
Panel 15: Incendium is walking away in the background, and he officer is knocked unconscious in the foreground. Caption reads: "I'll just tell them..."
Panel 16: Large panel, entirely black. Caption in the center reads: "...life isn't fair."