Villain Retirement

"I knew this would fucking happen!"

"No, you didn't! I am getting tired of your nonsensical comments, Hannah! No one knows anything about your brother anymore, no one!"

"And whose fucking fault is that!?"

"...Should we stop them?"

"Let them—Wait, I've received a report that someone sighted Riley Ross!"

Back in Shirtless Hannah's penthouse, or what they decided to call her for the duration of Elevator Hannah's stay, Nannah—short for Native Hannah. As for the native Bernard, they all decided to just call him Bard, as that is what he was actually called by the few friends he had in this world.

Nannah has been watching her other-world counterpart from the comforts of her sofa. And of course, she now changed into a shirt. Hannah was making a fuss for almost an entire hour now… and she sort of agrees with her. The only thing she found quite irksome was that she was arguing with her mother… without fear.

"Ack! I don't know anymore, let's just wait for Riley here! I'm sure he's just going to magically appear somewhere uber-casual eating ice cream or whatever!" Hannah let out one final grumble as she walked away from Diana.

Silvie, who had been trying to calm her down from the start, could really only bow her head and apologize to Diana even though she wasn't doing anything.

"Hannah, this is no one's fault but Riley's, you know that," Silvie calmly reasoned as she followed Hannah.

"Of course, I fucking know that. Everyone knows that, he's Riley!" Hannah blurted out before she sat on the sofa, causing Nannah to awkwardly scooch away; not knowing whether to stand up and leave, or just ignore her completely.

"Why are you being like this, Hannah?" Silvie also sat down, but on the coffee table in front of the sofa, "I know, Riley's also helped me quite a few times. But that doesn't change the fact that he's still… evil incarnate—I don't want to say this, but we should be rooting for Chihiro to win against him."

"...Win?" Hannah wryly chuckled as she looked at Silvie, "Wait… you guys think you can still win against Riley? Silv, you know firsthand that's fucking impossible. I thought we already agreed to this, you don't defeat Riley, you adapt to him. When you live in an area that has storms 5 days a week, is the first thought you have defeating the fucking storm? No, you learn to live with it."

"Actually, you can just manipulate the weather."

"What was that?"

"The weather, Dad developed a way to control the weather," Nannah, who had been casually listening on the side, joined in on the conversation.

"It was a metaphor," Hannah rolled her eyes.

"So was mine," Nannah also rolled her eyes, "What I meant to say is that Riley seems to listen to you. If he really is as abnormally strong as you say, then the only thing we—you can really do is control him."

"That's not going to end well," Hannah let out a small sigh as she shook her head, "Riley is not one you can control, he's the one doing controlling behind the scenes. Honestly, like what the fuck… the guy's a fucking headache."

"If you don't want to deal with him anymore, he can stay here," Nannah subtly glanced at Hannah's face, "He seems to like it here and he hasn't really caused any trouble."

"That you know of," Hannah scoffed as she leaned her back on the sofa. And as soon as she did that, Silvie could not help but just place her palm on her forehead—she knew what was about to come,

"And what's your deal in the first place?" Hannah then raised an eyebrow as she looked Nannah in the eyes.

"...We just try to save as many lives as we could, even if it's not from our univer—"

"I'm not talking about that. I could care less if you kill another version of us as long as that version is some sort of psychopath that would end up killing billions."

"...But earlier you said—"

"Fuck what I said. I changed my mind—if you can save a lot of people just by killing one innocent person, then I would probably do it."

"I won't," Silvie joined in on the conversation.

"That's because you're the next Megawoman," Hannah waved, "And I'm not here to discuss morality. Well, I am—but not about that."

"Hm?"

"Were you seriously just trying to fuck our bro—Riley? I mean, what the fuck?" Hannah forced a chuckle, before sticking out her tongue in disgust, "He's my brother, like… what the fuck? Ew? That's fucked up."

"..." Nannah did not respond and just looked at Hannah, before sighing and shaking her head, "He's not my brother. And if you're going to be so blunt about it, then so will I—yes, I was trying to fuck him."

"Wh—" Hannah could not help but almost freeze there and then. As for Silvie, she was trying her best not to seem amused by the conversation. After all, she was one of the people that also had to get used to the bluntness and carelessness of Hannah's mouth—and now, Hannah was finally experiencing what she had been experiencing for years.

"That's disgusting!" Hannah once again forced a chuckle. This time, however, there was a certain crack and hesitation in her breaths.

"And how is that fucking disgusting…?" Nannah lifted her legs and faced Riley, "He and I didn't grow up together."

"And you got swooned over because someone finally understands you? Well, news flash—she knows you because you are me," Hannah also turned to face Nannah, "He doesn't understand you, he knows you."

"It's… not just that," Nannah's voice lowered, "I… felt a certain connection to him. The kind of connection that even if I was blind when he first approached me, I would still feel attracted to him—I know you know what I mean."

"...What?"

"As you said, I am you and you are me," Nannah looked Hannah in the eyes, "Even if our memories and past are different from each other; the things we like, the things we like would not differ that much from each other—I have been to thousands of different universes and that remains constant…

…even the things that we love."

"..."

"If just by being with him for a few days already made me feel like this—like I could no longer live without him—even fully knowing the horrible things he had done in other universes…

…I don't know how much more you feel. You, who has been with him your entire life."

"You're fucking crazy."

"...So are you," Nannah did not back down, "You're the one moving from universe to universe to try and find a world-ender."

"That's because Riley is our problem to deal with. We couldn't let another universe suffer for the mistake Mom and Ae—for the mistake we did."

"Stop changing your mind again and again, Hannah. You can't live without Riley Ross, because deep down he is the only person we can really connect to."

"What the fuck are you even saying?"

"I am saying Riley Ross is not the only one with a problem in his mind," Nannah tilted her head to the side as she tapped the temple of her head,

"You seriously never wondered why you can't connect with anyone? Why we always seem to just tend to make enemies? Why we're… like this?"

"Speak for yourself, I have a boyfriend. He turned out to be some sort of freak with a messiah complex, but I did."

"Reuben? They are just a way for us to feel normal because they're almost our equals. I have seen so many Hannahs get broken trying to force a connection that's not there. But Riley? Oh no, no, no…

…I know how that brain of yours works—I've physically dissected a few of them," Nannah was about to tap Hannah's forehead, but Hannah grabbed her wrist before she could do so.

"You, really? But you're so weak." Hannah slightly raised her head.

"You have no idea what I am capable of."

"Then show me. What, can't do anything without daddy's armor?"

"I just let my guard down earlier," Nannah's eyebrows started to lower.

"Then go grab your armor right now."

"Fine," Nannah once again did not back down; her eyes, now looking down at Hannah as she stood up, "Whoever wins gets to keep Riley Ross in their universe."

"Riley's not a thing," Hannah also stood right in front of Nannah; their foreheads, almost butting with each other, "Do it, then. Call your armor, I'm waiting."

"..." Silvie, who was just sitting on the table and watching the entire thing unfold, could not help but once again cover her face. She already knew this would happen—what she did not expect, however, was the whole thing about Riley.

Hannah is overly protective of Riley, even from the very first day they met. She thought that it was just normal given Riley's condition and since he is her adoptive brother…

…but could there really be something there?"

"Wha—" Hannah quickly noticed the way Silvie was looking at her, "Nothing's happening! You know how close Riley and I are!"

"...Too close," Silvie squinted her eyes.

"There's nothing there!"

"What… did I miss?" And while the Hannahs were on the verge of going to war with each other, Gracy, who had been put to sleep by Aerith, finally woke up…

…only to be put to sleep again.

***

"The final… boss?"

Once again, in another universe, a different Chihiro who was only wearing office attire adjusted her glasses. She was just taking a break and relieving herself in the comforts of the toilet—but suddenly, a floating message popped up in front of her… as well as Riley Ross's face.

"What am I—"

[Preparing to send you to another universe.]

"...Huh? Machina, what are you-" And before Chihiro could even react…

…a hole opened up in the air in front of her, even though she still hasn't completely closed hers.

"W…

…Can't you let me wipe first!?"