Villain Retirement

"So… it all started when my pops met Megawoman."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're not going to have me skip this part?"

"No, Gary."

"I… I see. Has anyone ever told you that you're a very good listener?"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

"So… It all started 20 years ago when pops met mother…"

30 years ago, with the rise of the media and the commercial use of the internet, also came the rise of the popularity of anything Superhero and Supervillain related. From all the news outlets, the magazines, the newspapers– everything talked about the feats and crimes of the Supers.

TV shows, cartoons, and even movies. The world, in a way, became a world of Supers. There also came an influx of Superheroes which completely overwhelmed the number of Supervillains– how could they operate, when the majority of those who awaken their powers have been influenced by stories of heroism?

There was almost a point where it was impossible to become a supervillain. This was the time that Megawoman became dormant– giving way to the members of the Hope Guild to flourish.

Of course, most of the supers who wanted to be heroes did not last; most of them returned to their normal lives at the first sight of blood and violence. They were so engrossed with the idea of being heroes that they completely forgot that they were fighting evil.

Only those who really had the need and the urge to do good retained their sense of heroism and continued on despite the bloody path they were taking.

But due to this sense of pride, the mortality rate of Supers also rose. Super-to-super crimes were at their highest, and the Government seemed to even encourage it as they started putting ranks and tiers of the Supers. This was also the first time that a Super… wore a suit that was sponsored by a huge company.

A big logo plastered on his cape… that hero didn't last a week. They found their body mangled, wrapped in the very cape that was supposed to have given him wealth– no one wanted to endorse a brand after that.

But of course, the Government as well as the huge company did well in covering their involvement with everything that had happened, even shutting down the press for a few months for the people to forget.

"What does this have to do with Megawoman, Gary?"

"Shh… just wait!"

"I remember that happening."

"...You do?"

"I was the leader of the Hope Guild 30 years ago," Charlotte, who was now sitting with Riley and Gary, could not help but let out a small but very deep sigh; her eyes, as if looking at a past long gone, "My daughter was going through her rebellious phase that time… I remember clearly– that was the first time Megawoman openly went against the Government; those old fools sitting on their fancy chairs probably sharted on their seats."

"I… I'm the one telling the story!" Gary then said as he tried to cover Charlotte's mouth, but he was quickly slapped on the face.

"..." And now, with his cheeks slightly red, the only thing he could do was wipe the tears threatening to fall on his eye and continue his story.

A decade later, sometime during the 90s, Megawoman was thrown in prison for opposing the Government. She asked them to stop colluding with the big-name corporations and selling out the identities of their Super citizens and was put on trial instead for defaming the Government.

Public opinion started to sway and the Supers became targets of the frustrations of the normal citizens– calling them freaks, aliens, and all other sorts of vilifying words. But of course, that trend too quickly passed.

The 80s and the 90s were, in a way, a colorful time for all the Supers. That was also the time that Megawoman would meet Gary's father, he was an officer in the prison that they put Megawoman in.

"Things just happened… and somehow, pops made Megawoman fall for him."

"...You told us the history of the 80s and you skipped the parts of how Megawoman and your father met?" Charlotte's eyes could not help but twitch as she tried her best to stop the urge of hitting Gary on the face again, "What do you mean things just happened!?"

"T… that's all I know, I swear!" Gary bellowed, "And then a couple of years later, they had me."

"...So that's why Megawoman was gone for almost an entire year. 2002, right?"

"Y… Yes."

"So Megawoman's species also takes 9 months to give birth?"

"...Yes?" Gary could only blink a couple of times from Riley's question.

"Interesting, you may continue with the story."

"Hm," Gary nodded; the small smile on his face, however, slowly faded, "And as Miss Charlotte said… she was only gone for a year before returning back to her so-called duties… not even half a year after I was born."

Gary then let out a small but awkward laugh, "I… I told you, we weren't that close. I understand, of course– before she's my mother, she's Megawoman."

"...Kid," Charlotte could only let out a small but deep sigh as she heard Gary's slowly sobering words.

"But really… I understand," Gary repeated, "I know she loved me. My pops told me I got into an accident when I was a baby because I was curious about my powers. I… placed my hand in some sort of electric grater… and to cut a long story short…

…I bled a lot."

"..."

"So, you were stupid even back then, Gary."

"I… I was a child!" Gary quickly retorted, "A… anyway, my pops brought me to the hospital since I lost a lot of blood– that's when the Government discovered my identity."

"Because you were carrying Megawoman's blood."

"Hm," Gary nodded, "I needed her blood. And you know what pops told me? Mother swooped into the hospital and bit her hand as soon as she saw me… she was trying to offer her blood. But I think her blood was being contaminated by our air or some shit like that, I don't really know all the details but a special syringe was needed to take her blood– something strong enough to penetrate her skin. And–"

"Whiteking."

"What?" Gary could only stop his story when he heard Charlotte muttering something.

"Whiteking was already in the Government's hands at that time," Charlotte said as her eyes started to widen, "Project Forest… It started with getting Megawoman's blood. The timeline matches. All of these things were happening behind the scenes and the rest of the Hope Guild and I weren't even aware of it."

"...So even my story involves Whiteking?" Gary took in a small gulp as he looked at Riley, "Your dad is starting to look hella sus, bro."

"I'm adopted."

"...Right," Gary squinted his eyes, "A… anyway, that's my life… I was quite a rebellious one since, you know. But it was my life…

…and Darkday destroyed it."

"..."

"When I saw him throwing my mother's body during the ceremony, I wanted to kill him… I wanted to destroy him… I was there sitting on the front," Gary then muttered, his eyes almost looking at the past, "But I was too scared to do anything… I couldn't even run to hug my mother's mangled– I was too scared. The Government approached me and told me about Project Forest then…

…and here we are. I volunteered to watch over Silvie because she…" Gary let out a small chuckle as a tear started to trail down from his eyes, "She…

…is the only family I have left in this world."

"..."

"...You kids heard that?"

[We did.]

"What the!?" Gary then almost jumped from his seat; his eyes scanning everywhere from the sudden voice that whispered in his ears.

"Hannah and the others," Charlotte then said as she showed her phone to Gary, "I had MEGAN call her earlier to listen to your story."

"...Megan?"

"The A.I thing in our phones, I don't know how to use all this fancy technology so I have her do everything," Charlotte sighed, before squinting her eyes and staring at her phone, "...Whiteking probably has something to do with this as well."

[We heard everything, Gary.]

"S… Silv?" Gary then muttered as he heard Silvie's voice, "I–"

[I'm still mad at you for hiding it.]

"That's–"

[But… we're family.]

"..."

[You heard her. Now come over here so we could beat your ass! And don't forget to take Riley with–]

"He's gone."

And before Hannah could finish her words, Charlotte interrupted her, "I can see their backs disappearing as we speak."

[What? Rude, alright. See you tomorrow, Miss Charlotte.]

[Thank you for doing this, Miss Charlotte.]

"...Don't mention it," Charlotte then said before flipping her phone close,

"Glad to help," she then whispered as she looked at Gary and Riley's disappearing silhouette outside the store,

"...Family, huh."

***

"Steve! You didn't tell me Gary is Megawoman's son! Steve!"

The sound of Bernard tapping on the Headmaster's door echoed throughout the long hallway; the noise did not last long, however, as the door seemed to have automatically opened for him.

"Steve! Why didn't you tell me– Steve!?"

Bernard once again raised his voice, his words, however, reached no one as the office was empty. The only thing that Bernard could do was click his tongue in frustration as he entered the room.

"Where'd that dumbass go now?" He whispered as he walked towards the window that overlooked half of the campus. Of course, Bernard knew Prophet would be busy– after all, the entire area around the Academy was basically almost a wasteland right now.

The Academy was trying its best to make sure that the students' lives remain unaffected by what just happened– their efforts were ineffective, of course. As the battle between Darkday and the Hope Guild is all the rage on the internet right now.

And so, with a sigh, Bernard could only shake his head and turn around– but as he did so, something on Prophet's desk caught his eyes.

"This…"

Photos. Photos of the battle between them and Darkday. Bernard was going to ignore it since it might just be going into the records… however, there were photos that seemed to focus on specific moments that shared a single similarity.

Moments when Darkday's skin was slightly exposed from having his suit torn.

"Bernard, what are you… doing here?"

"Steve."

Bernard then quickly turned his head towards Prophet, who seemed to have just entered the office– the door behind him, still open. Prophet squinted his eyes a little as he was shocked to see Bernard inside his office; his eyes, however, quickly returned to normal as he saw what Bernard was holding.

"Did you need me for something?" Steve then let out a small but deep sigh as he took one step forward.

"These photos…

…why are they on your desk?"