Villain Retirement

[A new Primordial…

…But are you, really?]

"Did you redecorate your home, Nothing? It was not like this the last time I was here — and that was only hours ago."

[Oh, do you like it?]

Nothing's domain was a collection of absolutely nothing. But now, there were blocks of gray pillars everywhere. Each was as wide as a sedan and perhaps infinitely tall as Riley could not really see the end of it. The distance between each pillar was that of a bus, giving a space wide enough to make it feel not suffocating at all.

This sea of pillars was vast, reaching out into the horizon and probably spawning endlessly. They felt weird too, they felt… alive.

"I do not, Nothing," Riley shook his head as he strayed his eyes away from the pillars and onto Nothing, "I prefer it when it is empty."

And as always, Nothing reflected Riley's appearance. His hair was a lot shorter and neater like Riley's, but there was always just something different about his face.

[Huh… and I wasted energy decorating this too,] Nothing placed his hand on one of the pillars, causing a weird pulse to echo throughout the entire domain as the other pillars also released a pulse. And it was like a growl, a fading growl that whispered farther and farther away from Riley's ears,

[Are you not even going to ask what they are for?]

"No," Riley shook his head, "I am—"

[You are here to ask how to get out of the little girl's domain,] Nothing did not let Riley finish his words as his form shifted into Talia, [I am sorry, but I can not help you with this one. Well, not like I have really ever helped you. Let's talk about something else…

…you've met the children.]

"The children?" Riley tilted his head to the side, "The Primordials?"

[Yes, those cheeky little bastards,] Nothing let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, [After an eternity, they do something like this. It is like they are trying to show me that they could interact with Creation, but I can't. You know?]

"..."

[And now there is you,] Nothing snarled at Riley as he looked at him from head to toe, [If what Navi says about you is true and that you are a Primordial, then it somewhat makes a lot of things make sense, but it also makes some things do not.]

"I have said this before and I will say it again, Nothing." This time, it was Riley who sighed as he started approaching one of the pillars, "I am not interested in my origin, I never have been. Other people are, but I just do not see the point in it."

[Do you know the Primordials and I, in a relative sense, are born only… an hour apart from each other?] Nothing completely ignored Riley as he explained anyway; his form, turning back to resemble Riley, [And yet that hour was an eternity for me — an eternity of Nothing. What was there before Nothing? Well, nothing. It is always so confusing when you talk to us, no?]

"Not really, Nothing," Riley touched the pillar he approached, "I find it quite—"

[Oh, shouldn't have touched that,] Nothing raised both his hands as soon as Riley touched the pillar. The weird smile on his face as he approached Riley, turning almost into a chuckle as he looked him in the eyes. Riley's eyes have always usually been empty, but now… there was almost no trace of anything on them at all, they were just blank,

[You shouldn't have touched that.]

Nothing then started walking around the pillar several times, looking at his wrist from time to time whenever he passed by Riley. And very soon, he slowed down his pace and stood behind him.

[And…

…back?]

"..." What little color Riley had in his eyes returned as he quickly let go of the pillar. He looked around him for a few seconds with his eyebrows slightly lowered, but after a few seconds, he let out a sigh and shook his head hard.

[So?] Nothing leaned closer to Riley's face and smiled, [How does it feel? Eternity?]

"Empty," Riley glanced at his hand.

[As it should,] Nothing looked ahead toward the horizon of pillars, [The Primordials handle everything, and when it is done, it is sent back here, to me. These Pillars hold the memory of every universe that has ever been — right from their creation, and onto the time they turn into nothing.]

"..."

[Are you ready for that, Riley Ross?] Nothing glanced at Riley, [After you are done erasing everything, are you ready to experience what you have just experienced now, again and again?]

"Hm."

[Well, I suppose there is no use in talking about that now,] Nothing let out a small chuckle, [You still have a very long road ahead of you, Riley Ross. You are not like the other Primordials, and they are seeing that — that is the very reason why they have chosen to show themselves to their Creation once and for all. King is the multiverse's problem, Riley…

…and the old Primordials are yours.]

"I wasted my time here," Riley let out a sigh as his silhouette started fading, "I will see you again, Nothing."

[Well, you did not waste your time exactly…] Nothing waved his hand, [...I already gave you the answer.]

"..."

[Oh, and one more thing…

…I believe you and Paige Pearson are a package.]

"Riley!"

"..." Riley blinked, and suddenly Caitlain and Hera were looking at him from above. He looked around, only to realize he was lying on the sofa with his clothes completely covered in blood.

"Wow," Caitlain looked at him like he was some sort of circus freak, "You really do just… come to life again if you die. You don't regenerate, you just… It's like your body just resets."

"Hm. It has been a very long time since I last saw the two of you."

Caitlain and Hera both took a step back as Riley sat up.

"So?" Hera quickly sat beside Riley and grabbed his hand, "Did that Nothing dude say something to you?"

"..." Riley looked at Hera's face for a couple of seconds, before letting out a sigh and saying, "Yes."

"What is it? Stop with the suspense!"

"He told me that this is Talia's domain."

"..."

"..."

"...And?" Hera waited for a few more seconds if Riley was going to say something else.

"That is it, Miss Hera."

"Wh—That's nothing!" Hera wanted to pull her hair there and then, "We already knew that this is Talia—wait a minute. He said this is Talia's domain? Not… Hera's? Is that just a technicality, or is he saying that this isn't a shared space at all… but just Talia's?"

"Perhaps, Miss Hera," Riley placed his hand on his chin, "Let us just try killing the little girl and see what happens."

"No, no! Hold up!" Hera quickly blocked Riley's path as he stood up, "We don't know that yet. We can't go around terrorizing people, especially her. She's… already suffered so much."

"I do not really see what makes her so different from you or the others, Miss Hera," Riley blinked.

"She's a literal child!"

"You seem to be forgetting what I am, Miss Hera," Riley looked Hera in the eyes, "I have killed billions of children. Watch them die, and even kill one that was smiling at me while I was holding her in my arms."

"Th—Still, don't!" Hera did not back down and continued to block Riley's path, "We don't know what's going to happen or how our ability will react if you suddenly go on a rampage. Honestly, we don't know anything."

"...Very well."

"Ah, thank god," Hera could really only let out a breath of relief as she looked at Caitlain, "I really could not deal with anything right now. I just want to relax, maybe rest for a bit… and then we start planning. How about that?"

"I'm just here for the ride," Caitlain shrugged.

"Then I will look around, Miss Hera."

"Wait, where are you going!?" Hera rushed to grab Riley, but he moved his arm away.

"To look around," Riley glanced back, "My memory is a bit foggy at the moment, Miss Hera."

"Promise me you're not going to attack Talia or anyone for that matter."

"No." And with those words, Riley just left the house and flew away.

"Riley, wait! Riley!"

***

"Hm…"

Riley was now in front of a mirror, wearing a newly bought oversized sweater and pants. His previous clothes that were filled with blood, being carried by a Hera behind her; the courteous smile on her face, trying its best not to break.

"Would… would you like something smaller?"

"No, this is fine," Riley turned around, "How do I pay for this?"

"You… don't," the clerk Hera stuttered as Riley approached her, "You set up an account on—Who… even are you?"

"Riley Ross, Clothier Hera," Riley let out a small hum as he looked out the window of the clothing store, only to see a couple more Heras watching him curiously, "I might be spending a few more days in this place. Can you tell me more about this… account?"

"A few more… days? You can leave?" the clerk Hera's eyes started to widen, "Can you leave this place? What are you? Are you god? An angel?"

"The devil, Clothier Hera," Riley sighed, "I suppose I will be returning these clothes to you, then. I do not have a way to pay for it yet."

"No, no! Please, keep it. In return, can you just… tell me where you're staying?"

"...I do not really remember the address."

"Would you like to come to my home instead to talk, then?" The clerk Hera took in a small gulp as she looked at Riley from head to toe, "It has been a while since…

…I last saw a man."