Villain Retirement

Heavy.

Riley has carried things with more weight in his life— with the Guardian Force probably one of the heaviest. He could carry a tank using just a single finger because of the strength he gained from Aerith…

…but now that he was carrying Alice up the stairs, it almost seemed as if the weight was enough to pull him down to the core of the Earth; each of his steps, a story of its own.

He had thought Alice meant nothing to him; he was vocal about it, and words of indifference escaped his mouth several times. He couldn't care less about Alice Lane, and yet now, staring at Alice's face, it seemed as if it was all a lie.

Telling her that he loved her was a lie— that much Riley knows to be the truth. But did he really not care for her? Why does it seem like he does?

He had only known his mother for a full day, and the time they had spent together could even be counted on a single hand; ephemeral, even. And yet why?

Why does she seem so heavy? Why was she literally pulling Riley down?

He could use his mind to lift her, but it didn't seem right— Alice Lane was the only being in existence that was able to completely neutralize Riley's telekinetic abilities; it makes sense, it came from her. In a way, she probably knew how to control the power even more than Riley.

It felt… disrespectful using the power on her.

"Mother," Riley then let out a small whisper as his eyes remained on Alice's face, "I wonder if; you didn't die, would the life you have wanted for me—for us come true? Would I have been a normal human that smiles not only at the thought of death but of happiness? Would… I have been happy? I truly can't imagine such a thing happening. It feels…

…weird."

Riley continued to talk as he made his way up to the bunker. He didn't really stop or take a pause, and just carried his mother straight to his house… where almost a dozen people were waiting.

Diana, Tempo, Butcher, Empress, Charlotte, Hannah, Tomoe, Paige, Katherine, and Karina— all of their eyes, quickly looking at Riley as he entered.

"She's dead, everyone," Riley then casually said as he walked into the living room where everyone was just sitting on the sofa or anxiously standing at the corner of the large room.

No one really had an answer to Riley's words; their silent breaths, just echoing through the air. Riley looked at each of them for a few seconds, before making his way to one of them.

Charlotte quickly approached him and stretched her arms— but Riley just walked past her.

"I believe you have the most right to bury or cremate her, mother."

Charlotte could really only watch as Riley handed Alice's body to Diana. She wanted to say something but just chose to stay quiet. Riley is right, after all— even though she was her mother, she didn't really treat Alice the way a mother should. But still… she could not help but feel helpless.

She wanted to do right by trying to enter Riley's life now, but Riley threatened to kill her if she insisted on doing so.

"..." Charlotte then looked to the side as she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to see Empress looking at her with a sense of pity. She failed as a mother— she thought this was alright since she was serving the world and saving its people, but this was wrong.

As a consequence of her indifference and negligence, Darkday was born. She… should really start atoning for her mistakes.

"Do you want me to revive her again?" Diana softly whispered as she gently placed Alice's body on the sofa, "It's possible, but it will take more of the supers' essence— you need to kill thousands to—"

"Mother!?" Hannah quickly interjected as she heard her mother's words.

"...Or we could use all the Guardian Force you're hiding," Diana quickly changed the direction of her sentence; her eyes, looking at one of Riley's pockets.

"No," Riley shook his head, "Those who died should remain dead. I do not want her carrying the burden of seeing the things I am seeing— death is a gift of peace, she deserves at least that."

"You call it the Overvoid?" Diana slightly squinted her eyes as she looked Riley in the eyes.

"Biological mother told you?"

"...Yes," Diana's eyes became sharper. But after a few breaths, she shook her head and looked away, "We should talk about it later, I'm taking Alice back to the ship and preserving her body there. I…

…wish for her to be immortalized in one of Theran's moons."

"Wait!"

Charlotte could not help but raise a word as soon as she heard Diana's words, "You're… not going to bury her here?"

"...No," Diana let out a small sigh as she looked at Charlotte, "It's not only my wish, it's also hers."

"...What?"

"She said… it would be cool," Diana then closed her eyes as a smile crawled on her face, "She… didn't want to be buried amongst foolish mortals, is what she told me."

"..." Charlotte turned to look at her daughter's body as she heard that; and after a few stuttering breaths escaped her lips, they also turned into a smile,

"That's… just like her, isn't it? You don't need my permission, I'm just… I thought I would have more time with my daughter, that's all."

"She wanted you to be there."

"W… what?"

"She forgave you, Charlotte. The two of you may not have had the chance to talk, but she forgave you."

"That…" Charlotte once again glanced at her daughter's body, before a hint of tears started to trail down her face; she quickly wiped them away, however, before nodding several times and biting her lip,

"I… I will go, of course I will go," Charlotte almost whimpered, "But… only if Riley wants me to."

"I don't really care, biological grandmother," Riley only shrugged, before turning to look at Diana again,

"We are going to Theran, mother?"

"Hm. We're going to have to take the long and quiet road there since I'm… kinda banned there, you see," Diana then let out a small and awkward giggle before sticking her tongue out, "Your mother… did some crazy things when she was younger, you see."

"I heard from Aerith, mother."

"Oh my," Diana held her cheeks, "I hope she didn't tell you everything, now I'm a bit shy."

"..." Everyone could really only look at each other as they saw Diana covering her face. She always acted like this— but now that all of them knew she was a Themarian, it just… feels ominous if anything.

"Anyway, who else wants to come?" Diana then said as she looked at the people inside her house. And as soon as she did so, Paige and Tomoe raised their hands.

"Me! Me!"

"I promised master I will help him in his revenge. We will travel the expanse of the universe together to annihilate the horned cat people."

"I'm afraid my duty keeps me here," Empress carefully approached Alice's body, gently brushing her cheek and fixing her hair, "I… already buried my friend once, I'm not going to do it again. And I don't really have a choice but to stay. The evaniels are still here and I need to deal with the aftermath of what Riley did."

"Same, same," Tempo sighed as he shook his head, "I had enough weird aliens in one lifetime."

"Hm," Diana nodded, "Anyway, the ship will land in front of our lawn 3 days from now— anyone can join us. The more the merrier, after all."

"Mom…" Hannah could really only let out a sigh as she hit her own forehead. If her mother is a Themarian, then she should at least act like one, she thought,

"...we're not going on a picnic."

***

"Isn't this Riley Ross!? What is he doing on this planet!?"

Somewhere on a planet far, far away, Raleerus was currently standing on top of a mountain.

"There… shouldn't be a mountain here."

"Are those… Blutans? This many… why…"

"No one… no one is answering, I think everyone… everyone's dead. It's them! Those… those are all Blutan corpses!"

And in the air, circling Raleerus, were a dozen Guardians; and it is as they said. What Raleerus was standing on was not actually a mountain, no— but a mound of a billion corpses.

"..." Raleerus then very slowly turned his eyes toward each of the Guardians surrounding him; his eyebrows, turning into a frown, "It's you guys…

…I heard your group was involved in Diley's death."