Villain Retirement

"But if you were to see it in action, even just for a glimpse, even if it was just briefly explained to you…

…will you be capable of replicating it?"

"..."

"..." Bernard did not really answer Tedi immediately, he just looked at everyone as they all continued to stare at him. But after a few seconds, he let out a loud but very brief sigh.

"But I haven't seen—"

"Woah!"

And before Bernard could finish his words, the floor right at the center of the meeting hall started to tremble, causing Elder S'adar to move away. And soon, almost as if Ahor Zai was spitting something out from deep within it, a large, silver and somewhat metallic frame emerged plopped out from the floor.

And as the inside of this rectangular frame started to distort the space within it, Bernard's eyes started to squint as he leaped over the table and walked toward the frame; his eyes, curiously reflecting the distortion.

"This… is the Dark Prison?"

"And so?" Tedi's hologram appeared beside Bernard, and almost as if there were only the two of them inside the meeting hall, Bernard immediately started discussing things with Tedi and asking him several questions that the others couldn't really follow.

But finally, after what seemed like an entire minute, Bernard once again went silent and just started circling around the Dark Prison.

"With the materials available to us right now…" Bernard then started muttering as he continued to examine the technology in front of him,

"...I might be able to replicate it 1-to-1."

"Then that means the Bernard of the other universe can too."

And without any delay, Tedi immediately looked at the other Elders, almost as if she was already expecting and waiting for Bernard to say that. Ultimately, however, her eyes landed on Queen Vania.

"Your god was right to warn us, Queen Vania—opening Portals to other dimensions would always end up putting us at risk—or in this case, we put the other universe at risk by giving them Riley Ross. But whatever the case is…

…we have opened something we are not yet ready to ope—"

"I think I can make it smaller."

"..." And before Tedi could finish her dramatic statement, Bernard suddenly started talking to himself.

"...Smaller?" And of course, Tedi could not help but be curious with his words.

"Yes," Bernard placed his hand on his chin as he seemed to be deep in thought, but after a few seconds, he placed a finger on the frames of the Dark Prison—and as soon as he did so, the frame collapsed.

[What are you doing!?] Tedi's original body could not help but scream as she saw the device she and Diana worked on just crumble and fold. Her rapid thoughts did not last long, however, as she soon calmed down as she realized Bernard's suit of armor was tinkering with the coalescing frame; crawling across it like a million tiny arms.

More and more parts were being removed from the frame, dropping like nails on the floor as Bernard's eyes continued to move without pause. And very soon, a ring found itself wrapped around Bernard's thumb.

"That…" Tedi's hologram immediately leaned her head closer to Bernard's finger, "...Please tell me that works."

"It should," Bernard also looked at the ring, "But only I can use it for now as it would require an astronomical amount of energy. In short, I am the battery—or rather, the Guardian Force. Well…

…there is a chance that it won't work. But you don't have to worry, I can help you create your outdated version again."

"...I forgot you were a Guardian."

"I'm not," and with a small smile crawling on his face, Bernard opened up his palm and stretched it forward. And as he did so, a small crack could be heard forming in front of him. And soon, a literal crack tore the space in front of him, a tear that opened like a window, revealing the very same void of the Dark Prison.

"My god…" Empress could not help but take in a small gulp. But unlike the rest of the people in the hall, her eyes weren't reflecting the void, but rather Bernard. And of course, Bulwark noticed this and immediately pinched her on the leg.

"I believe the previous outdated model also could not change the portal's location in the other universe, correct?" Bernard said as he looked at Tedi, who hesitantly nodded in response.

"Well…" Bernard then very slightly tilted his palm to the side, and as he did so, the view inside the crack started to shift—and there, they finally saw the rest of the so-called 'void'...

…only to find it was not a void at all.

"That's… land," Elder S'adar whispered everyone's thoughts.

"You could control the portal's…" Tedi almost gasped in awe as he looked back and forth between the ring and Bernard's face, "...Maybe you could also solve time travel? Riley said that Nothing told him that it was impossible, but maybe you—"

"Why am I detecting Riley!?"

And with everyone still processing what was happening in front of them, Diana suddenly swooped in inside the meeting hall; practically piercing the ceiling as she landed right beside Bernard. And she wasn't alone, as Ahor Zai's avatar also made her presence known as it emerged from the floor like a fairy.

Diana then turned to look at Bernard, then toward the Elder, then at the parts of the previous Dark Prison scattered on the floor…and then finally toward the Portal.

"...Oh," she then muttered as she started looking back and forth between the Portal and Bernard. And soon, a long and deep sigh escaped her lips as she smiled,

"This is why I didn't want you in this project," Diana said in frustration as she looked her husband in the eyes, "You're just… too good that it's scary."

"Well… at least I'm good for something."

"Your—"

"We need to decide something!"

And before Diana and Bernard could continue their… talk, raised her hand and her voice,

"Riley Ross does not belong in that Universe, I vote to retrieve him," Empress's voice was clear as she looked at each of the Elders, "Seeing what our Bernard Ross could do, perhaps it is possible for him to connect to another universe and throw Riley there, preferably truly empty this time."

"We can't make more bridges," Elder Apo chimed in as he also raised his hand, "What Elder Tedi said earlier is valid, we are not equipped to handle other Universes when we can't even fix our own."

"Then we keep Riley here," Empress's hand remained raised, "Riley Ross is our monster. Our monster, our responsibility…

…All in favor of bringing him back?"

"Hm," Tedi let out a small scoff as she raised her hand without any hesitation.

"I agree," Elder Apo also raised his hand.

"Well, we're all going to die sooner or later…" Elder S'adar raised his hand, "...I want to try fighting the devil once."

"..." As for Queen Vania, she just shook her head and crossed her arms, "I am voting not to retrieve Riley Ross…

…but to make sure the other universe does not get a hold of our technology to travel across dimensions."

"Everyone is in favor," Empress then turned to look at Bernard, "Whiteking, is it possible for you and Diana to get us close to Riley?"

"..." Bernard started waving his palm, shifting the view of the Portal as he did so. He then turned to look at Diana, who nodded in response as she looked at her watch, which was lighting up and beeping.

"Yes," Bernard then said,

"...I believe I can."