Villain Retirement

"Okay, I am just going to say it…

…we're fucking trapped here."

3 days.

Hera and Riley have been on this strange Earth for 3 days, trying to find anything remotely similar to what they know — but nothing.

3 days, they remained completely awake not even sleeping a wink. For the two of them, however, that was not a problem at all as they were beings that were beyond the need to sleep.

"It would seem so, Miss Hera."

The two were currently out in the woods, completely away from any signs of civilization as Hera feared that King might be watching them somehow. But it was just them, and a fire calmly dancing between them. Hera had set up a bed made of leaves, while Riley was just floating in the air with his back facing the ground.

"You know… I don't think anyone is watching us. Let's just check in on a hotel, if I have to sleep on top of dirt again, I would totally lose it."

"But I thought you could adjust to anything, Miss Hera," Riley blinked a couple of times as he slowly sat up in the air.

"Yeah," Hera scoffed, "But it doesn't mean I want to. There are certain… luxuries that a woman needs. Holy shit, you should know that by now, Riley."

"Hm," Riley glanced at Hera, "You should have told me. I could have created you a villa and—"

"No, please. Just don't," Hera rolled her eyes as she stood up, "We're supposed to be here incognito. If you suddenly erected a castle in the middle of nowhere, someone's bound to pick it up."

"But Father's variants are not present on this planet, Miss Hera, "There should not be anyone stalking us from above. The number of satellites I saw when I flew into space is… insignificant."

"There's always someone watching," Hera shook her head before looking at the sky that was covered by the smoke forming from their fire,

"The technology in this world, it's not like it's below ours; they are as advanced as ours before all the alien shit happened, it's just missing something — I imagined our world would also be like this if it did not have Supers and abnormal individuals like your father."

"Hm," Riley nodded as he too, finally stopped hovering in the air and touched his feet on the ground; the dried leaves, snapping as he did so.

"If you think about it, though…" Hera let out a short but very deep sigh; the sound of her breaths and the small movements that crackled the leaves beneath her, whispering through the somber night,

"...Is this what our world will also be without us? Quiet, peaceful — barely any trace of violence."

"Wrong, Miss Hera."

"What…?"

"This world is as violent as ours. I saw it when I was flying above them," Riley shook his head, "None of them are capable of destroying buildings with their fists, their weapons are weaker…

…but their capacity for violence remains absolutely the same, Miss Hera."

"...How the fuck do you even come with that when you were only there for like an hour?" Hera raised an eyebrow.

Riley decided to scout the star system for any signs of extraterrestrial life, but there was nothing. He was going to fly outside the star system but decided against it as he might find himself completely lost.

"I listened to them, Miss Hera. They were annoying, loud, and incredibly complacent — but even the drowning noise could not stop the echo of their savagery."

"Jeez, okay," Hera raised both her palms, "I forgot I was with Mr. Edgy right here. Seriously, how is it possible that someone remains exactly the same as they were half a decade ago?"

"I was told I have changed quite a lot, Miss Hera."

"Yeah, they're blind as fuck," Hera tried to stop herself from chuckling, "I told you before, whitey. This facade of yours might work on other people, but I could see right through you like you're just…"

"..."

"I forgot the metaphor I was going to use," Hera rolled her lips and scoffed, "Just know that I can see right through you."

"I appreciate that, Miss Hera," a small smile crawled on Riley's face as he nodded, "The others would probably be sitting beside me right now and trying to make… intimate contact."

"My taste in men is different."

"Tempo?"

"Fuck Tempo," Hera let out a loud groan as she started walking around the campfire, "Did you know that bitch was actually talking with that alien princess when we were still together? I divorced his ass faster than he could run."

"That fast?" Riley blinked a couple of times, "I did not know the two of you were divorced already, Miss Hera."

"A lot happened when you were gone. Come to think of it… why the fuck did you even return? If I had your power, I would just be somewhere out there ruling an entire people. Or better yet, I would find a planet of my own and terraform it into one big resort — imagine how much dough I would be raking in."

"I thought you were already earning a lot of money, Miss Hera?"

"I'm in debt," Hera covered her face, "I am fucked in debt. The cost of the building, the cost of maintaining it — and my previous loans from practically destroying entire cities…

…I'm drowning in debt."

"But I thought you were pardoned from all of that?" Riley curiously blinked, "You are part of the Hope Guild."

"Was," Hera raised a finger, "Was part of the Hope Guild. When the group was disbanded, the fucking government and the banks were all on my ass. Those ungrateful little bitches."

"Hm," Riley placed his hand on his chin, "I wonder how much I owe to them?"

"..." Hera could not help but quickly look at Riley; her eyes completely blank as they reflected Riley also looking at her with an even more blank expression. And after a few seconds of staring at him, Hera almost choked on her own breath as she tried her best to stop herself from bursting into laughter,

"You… you're serious?"

"Yes," Riley seemed confused as she turned Hera's gaze, "I imagine I owe them trillions."

"Dude," Hera covered her lips as she giggled; her extremely smooth and black hair, bouncing on her shoulders, "You… you owe them more than that. You destroyed countries, you destroyed Mars. Not to mention the other shit you destroyed. I mean, fuck, Riley — you have committed hundreds of genocides. I don't even know how we're having such a casual conversation. If it was someone else, I bet they would be shitting themselves."

"Are your abilities not telling you that I'm dangerous, Miss Hera?"

"For now," Hera closed her eyes, "I'm actually probably the only individual in the entire universe that will survive you, you know. Well, except my variants — but thank god I haven't met a single one of—what are you doing?"

And as Hera opened her eyes, she could not help but quickly lean back as Riley's face was now suddenly right in front of her face.

"Is it still telling you that I am not dangerous, Miss Hera?"

"No," Hera looked Riley in the eyes, "But I don't need it to tell me that you should start respecting other people's space."

"Hm," Riley very slowly backed away, "Your abilities are truly convenient, Miss Hera. Are you sure you do not want to kill me?"

"No, and also…" Hera then looked behind Riley, before subtly glancing behind her, "...How long are we going to pretend that a bunch of people didn't surround us a minute ago?"

"We are being surrounded, Miss Hera?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he started looking around.

"Wait… you don't really know?"

"No," Riley shrugged, "I had my telekinetic field off, and I am completely relaxed since there is no one that could harm even a single strand of our hair in this world, Miss Hera."

"Jeez, really?" Hera bumped Riley's arm as she stepped forward,

"Guys, stop with the hiding and espionage. We could see yo—"

And before Hera could finish her words, a small bomb found its way between her and Riley. And with a breath, it exploded and let out a blinding flash that… did absolutely nothing. Both Riley and Hera just stared at it.

And not even a second after, multiple red dots painted Riley and Hera's torsos as a group of men in black tactical suits started stepping out of the bushes and trees; their rifles, all pointed at them.

"In position! Restrain them, restrain them! We should—"

The one commanding the platoon abruptly stopped approaching Riley and Hera as soon as he saw them casually looking at him.

"Hold! Hold your positions!" The man raised his fist as he ordered his men to stop. He then looked back and forth between Riley and Hera, refusing to lower his weapon as he stared at them,

"Reveal yourselves! Do you have any identification on you!?"

"Calm down," Hera raised both her hands in the air, before very slowly reaching for her pocket. As soon as she did so, however, the soldiers started firing at them.

"..." Hera's eyes started to squint as she glanced at Riley, "Are you going to do something about this?"

"N—"

"Wait, no!" Hera quickly realized what she just said as she quickly covered the soldiers from Riley's sight, "Forget I said anything and please don't do anything!"

"I wasn't going to do anything, Miss Hera," Riley also squinted his eyes as he returned Hera's gaze, "Who do you think I am?"

"A mass-murdering hobo," Hera once again raised her hands in the air, "Stop. Lower your weapons. We…

…come in peace!"