“We can’t keep doing this Stanley, you have to know that!” blurted the pacing brunette, silent to this point, now finally issuing her piece in the matter.

“Sure we can Issa, the burdens of society are an entirely irrational reason why this has to end!” the man, Stanley, tossed air quotes around the last words leaving his mouth, ensuring Issa knew that opinion was strictly hers.

Stanley attempted to approach the clearly rattled woman, entirely oblivious to the sheer stupidity of his actions. Hoping it would help his cause, a gentle hand reached out to brush across her arm. Presenting her opposing stance in the matter, Issa swiftly disconnected from her partner’s attempted soothing gesture, a once foreign reaction which Stan knew all too well as of late.

“I love you with my entire being Stan, you have to know that. Why the hell do you think I keep failing to do the right thing?” voice shrinking, hands raced to wind anxious fingers through her wild curls stringing out from untamable hair.

“The right thing? The right thing? Would you stop being a damn savior for two minutes to see that there’s nothing wrong with falling in love!” bewildered by his lovers words, the man spun into a frenzy, arms whipping round like a human cyclone.

“That’s exactly why this has to stop Stan! I love you, and I can’t, because according to the public, we’re destined to rivalry and combat. When the spotlight turns to whatever mischievous puzzle you’ve concocted for me, I can’t throw myself into your arms at the end. I have to fight you, and I can’t do that, it hurts too much. I love you too much Stan.” midway through her ramble, Issa’s voice dropped to a defeated murmur, unwavering nonetheless.

“My love is not a scale, if it’s a choice between you and my work, I will eternally choose you. Issa, my darling, please…don’t do this.” his speech cracked from the duress, a single tear resting in his eye, threatening to escape as he sunk to the floor.

Certainty in her expression drifting from view, crossroads in sight, Issa pulled her hand down her face, mind racing to find some impossible medium. “Stanley, please don’t make this harder than it already is. There is no choice here, the city needs us both to hold it up from an inevitable collapse. The savior and the villain, that’s our story my love, and sadly we don’t have the option to rewrite our ending.” the solum tone to her voice a bag of bricks to Stan’s chipped state.

Her choice was made, signified by the gentle kiss she rested atop his forehead, before rotating to face the door, a statue solid in place. Mustering the will to walk away instead of dropping to his side, each step towards the door hurting more than the former.

“In another life my dear, in another life.” Stan allowed this final whisper to escape his lips as the woman who would forever block the only entrance to his heart slipped through a small opening in the dual door to his grand bedroom.