Villain Retirement

Somewhere in the green and empty fields of the Academy, Riley and Hannah walked alone. Unfortunately for the students in the class, they could no longer be part of the drama that was just starting to unfold.

Hannah wanted to talk to Riley alone— and since he really had nothing to do as of this moment, he obliged her. Not before, of course, asking his previous companions.

Paige and Tomoe were glad to give the two some space; as for Princess Vera, she was currently touring the Academy with Varen, in hopes to further her knowledge about the humans.

And so— finally, after what seemed like forever, the two siblings had the chance to be alone.

"Could you be inhaling illegal substances that would cloud one's judgment, sister? Perhaps a certain cannabis plant?"

"...What?"

"That is the only reason why you would want to talk to me alone."

"What? You're the one on drugs! And why are you so far away!?"

But alas, even as the two talked, Riley was deliberately maintaining a 3-meter distance between them.

"Because I am trying to keep my distance from you, sister," Riley answered without any visible expression on his face. A few moments later, however, his eyes widened as he started looking everywhere,

"Could it be you set up a trap to kill me again, sister?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Can't we just talk?"

"I don't think we have anything to talk about, sister."

"You don't need to keep your distance from me, Riley. Everyone knows who you are. They know you're Darkday, and they know you're my brother," Hannah said as she stopped walking, "Nothing is going to change that anymore, unless if you find a telepath powerful enough to erase all of our memories."

"..."

"Look…" Hannah let out a very long and deep sigh as she tried stepping closer to Riley; but once again, Riley also stepped back at the same time to the point it looked completely synchronized,

"...The crimes you've done can never be forgiven. And I'm sure you're not even asking for forgiveness. And I will never forgive you for everything that you have done, Riley. You fucking betrayed me, lied to my face all our lives."

"Technically only around 20% of our lives, sister. I didn't become Darkday until I was—"

"The fuck? You turning into Butcher now? Let me say my piece first," Hannah clicked her tongue as she waved her hand a couple of times,

"You see the thing is… the world has to live with you right now. We're forced to. That tall bitch practically gave you a free pass for everything that you did and everything that you will do. That's fucked up, so fucked up."

"..."

"You can just imagine how Gary and the million others that you've hurt think about that. It's a slap to their faces— and you even literally slapped him the other day in front of so many people."

"I know, I was there."

"...You're never going to stop hurting people. You will continue to kill just for the heck of it."

"I suppose."

"You are evil, you're vile. You manipulate people."

"Only from time to time, sister."

"I am so sorry, Riley."

"...Hm?" Riley could not help but tilt his head from the sudden change in Hannah's tone.

"I will never forgive you for what you've done," Hannah took in a long and deep breath as she closed her eyes, "But I'm sorry that I didn't see. I was supposed to be your big sister but I didn't fucking see the monster you were becoming."

"It is not your fault, sister."

"You see, that's just it. It is. It's everyone's fault…

…You were surrounded by people that just didn't care enough," Hannah's voice slowly started to waver,

"And it just doesn't make any fucking sense. Mother's a themarian? Like, what the fuck? And as if that wasn't enough, she just had to be a crazy themarian scientist? I thought dad knowing you were Darkday and keeping it for years was already madness, but that?"

"Mother is not crazy, she is just cursed with knowledge and too much curiosity, sister," Riley sighed and shook his head, before looking Hannah straight in the eyes, "I know what it feels like to be so obsessed with an idea that everything else doesn't matter. Right now, I am obsessed with wanting to rule the people over me."

"You don't even know what that fucking means, Riley. Rule them so you could hear them scream on command? The fuck kinda freaky shit is that?" Hannah scoffed, "I swear, that Paige woman is putting some bullshit in your head."

"To be fair, sister. She wanted me to rule so the world would be at peace. But honestly, I do not see the point in that kind of world. What is the point of the life of others if not pain and death?" Riley shrugged, "But at the very least, she understands me."

"Because she's fucking loose in the head."

"So am I."

"Exactly," Hannah forced a chuckle, "The two of you are fucking meant for each other. Where the fuck are you finding these women when I can't even meet a guy that's not secretly ancient?"

"Because you have a horrible personality, sister."

"Y—"

"As said by father, not me."

"..."

"..."

"...Why did it have to become like this?" Hannah then suddenly sat on the grass beneath them; her eyes, looking at the fake sky that covered the Academy,

"Don't you just fucking wish to be done with all of this? My brother's a psychopathic mass murderer, my mother's a fucking alien… and what's worse, my dad's a fucking cheater! At least mom never cheated on him, you know? Fuck!"

"You truly are the strongest person I know, sister."

"...Ha?"

"Most would have already chosen to kill themselves with the things you have experienced," Riley let out a small sigh as he too sat on the grass,

"I heard Victoria did, that is why Charlotte is keeping a close watch on her at all times now. She wasn't able to take in the pressure and stress when she learned who I was."

"...Don't go there, Riley," Hannah's voice slightly deepened.

"...Go where?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at Hannah, "Oh, it's alright. It is my fault that she tried to commit suicide."

"Stop."

"You don't want to talk anymore, sister?"

"I don't want to talk about people taking their own lives," Hannah's eyebrows began to furrow, before laying herself down on the grass as she let out a very long and deep breath, "Out of all the atrocious and evil things you have done, causing someone to want to take their lives is just… different."

"Oh," Riley muttered before letting out a short but deep breath, "It is a good thing I haven't told you about the times I have killed myself, sister."

"W… what?" Hannah stuttered as she looked her brother in the eyes, "What did you say?"

"'Oh, it is a good thing I haven't told you about the times I have killed myself, sister.', sister."

"...When?" Hannah seemed to want to sit back up, but for some reason, didn't have the strength to do so.

"When we were younger," Riley casually said, "The first time was when I first felt the urge to kill someone. The second time was when I actually killed someone. The third time was—"

"...Why?"

"Because I felt embarrassed, sister," Riley said as he looked to the side, "I know you wouldn't like it and you would be very disappointed if you found out."

"So you tried to kill yourself?"

"No, I killed myself. I value your opinion above all else, sister."

"You… you should have just come to me," Hannah's voice started to tremble as she looked at Riley's face; completely calm and unperturbed with what he was saying,

"If… if you valued my opinion above all else then you should have come to me. I… I would have asked you to stop."

"The moment I realized that I was not going to listen to you if you told me to stop killing and hurting people was the 13th time I killed myself, sister."

"You…" Hannah could not even utter the words she wanted to say as a loud gasp escaped her lips.

"Obviously, none of my attempts to stay dead worked," Riley then let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "I just wake up again and again, with the urge of wanting to hurt and kill people growing even stronger. Sometimes I think that maybe it— sister?"

And before Riley could finish his words, a sniffle whispered to his ears as Hannah suddenly covered her face with both hands.

"Sister?" Riley tilted his head as he looked at Hannah from head to toe, "I apologize, I shouldn't have talked about suicide. To think it truly affected you this much…

…I did it again, I hurt you just by being near you. I should—"

"Don't… don't you dare fucking leave," Hannah's muffled words seeped from the gaps in her hands,

"You… will stay here, okay? Don't run to another planet, stay here."

"But Aerith and I are—"

"Bullshit. You will stay here— face the people that you've hurt. See what you did to them. I…

…I will help you."

"..."

"..."

Riley did not really know what to say, and could only just stare at his sister as tears continued to seep from the outlines of her hands.

And as she said, Riley just stayed there, quietly sitting beside his sister.

Well, 3 meters apart.