Heart Burn is a fan webcomic by R2ninjaturtle, AKA Raphielle II. Serving as a prequel to Osmosis Jones, it centers on a younger Thrax's backstory and increasingly complicated relationship with Scarlette Cyte, a brain cell girl he meets in the process of trying to take down his first kill.
The comic can be read here,
here, or here.
Heart Burn contains examples of
- Evil Mentor: Lozenge, aka Lozi, the guy responsible for turning Thrax into a virus. He considers himself this, but Thrax is quick to point out that Lozi turned him and then abandoned him almost as quickly.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: What draws Scarlette to Thrax in the first place, with a side of doing it to spite her ex.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: At one point, Lozi asks Thrax if he has feelings for Scarlette and he snaps that he doesn't. The deeply skeptical look Lozi gives him and the one Thrax gives in return says it all. It bears mentioning that this occurs while Thrax and Scarlette are in the middle of a rough falling out; before and after this, they're very clearly an item and neither has any qualms with saying it.
- Self-Made Orphan: Ultimately, Scarlette, who kills her own father to save Thrax, and because he, her father, had stated for public record his intent to track down and kill her. She's nonetheless traumatized by it.
- Situational Sexuality: Lozi propositions Scarlette. Lozi is very gay. Scarlette points this out, but Lozi's simply seeking the heat that generates when two Red Deaths have sex. They end up doing anal, and Lozi thanks her for being "such a good sport."
- Scars Are Forever: All three of the Red Death characters sport one as a reminder of how they were transformed in the first place. Thrax's is in the middle of his back where Lozi stabbed him from behind and Scarlette's is between her hips, since Thrax changed her by having sex with her. Lozi's, mysteriously, is on his neck.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Thrax's home body was a drug-addled, zombified sinking ship, and when offered a chance to get out, this is what he decided.
- Spoiled Sweet: Scarlette is the mayor's daughter, woefully naïve, and prone to making poor decisions, but she's a sweet person at heart and never really wanted to hurt anyone.
- Power at a Price: Red Deaths can start fires on a dime, use heat to instantaneously heal their own wounds, and magic any vehicle into a flaming sports car. The consequence is that they're always freezing and ravenous for warmth.
- Rebellious Princess: As daughter of the mayor and next in line for the position, Scarlette's under considerable pressure to study hard, work diligently, and always make good choices. She lashes out against this by going for a one-night stand with the intimidating red virus who's been eyeing her, a choice she comes to pay dearly for.
- Questionable Consent: Scarlette and Thrax's initial tryst. She's the one who seeks him out and he stops when she tells him to, but she's having second thoughts by that point and more than a little terrified he's going to burn her alive. She definitely doesn't agree to being turned into a virus.
- Was Once a Man: Prior to being turned into viruses, Scarlette used to be a brain cell and Thrax used to be a red blood cell. We never see what Lozi used to be, but he carries a transformation scar and mentions a controlling mentor.
