Villain Retirement

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Just a few moments ago, the interior of the store was drowned with the screams and roars of Hannah. But now, not even a sliver of a breath of that remained. The air, however, instead of getting lighter, became even denser and heavier; the eyes inside the store, all looking down to the floor.

There was also a customer wanting to go in but chose not to as she immediately felt the bad energy lingering on every corner of the store– with the center being the Ross family.

They just sat there in silence, seemingly not even minding the world as their own thoughts were the only things they could see and hear.

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A few more minutes passed, and the sound of a bell once again shingled through the air as another customer entered the store. But as he took his 3rd step, he completely stopped– like a deer about to get hit by a truck.

"..." The young man then quickly retrieved his phone from his pocket, obviously pretending to have gotten a text as he squinted his eyes ever so exaggeratedly. And after a few seconds of this, he nodded and stepped out of the store.

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"That's it. I watched this charade go for long enough."

And what would have been another hour of silence was broken; finally snapping the chain of sighs that made the air heavy. Charlotte, who had been quietly fidgeting with her terminal could no longer stay silent as she lightly slammed her palm on the cashier counter.

"Do you know how many customers I've missed since the four of you chose to loiter here of all places!?"

"Only two for the past hour, Charlotte."

"It doesn't matter! I still lost a potential repeat customer!" Charlotte then stepped out of her counter as she slowly made her way towards Hannah and the others, wagging her finger at Bernard the distance between them shortened,

"I feel like I should beat some sense into you as your previous superior!"

"M… Madam Charlotte," Bernard could not help but lightly stutter as Charlotte suddenly approached them.

"...Charlotte?" Diana then quickly turned her downcast eyes towards Charlotte as soon as she heard her husband's words,

"As in the Shadow Mimic?" She whispered as her eyes slightly widened.

"That's right," Charlotte nodded, "We met once or twice without my mask."

"I remember… so that's why you looked familiar," Diana squinted her eyes, "Thank you for keeping us safe back then… but I think this doesn't involve you, ma'am."

"Oh, but it does," Charlotte let out a small but deep breath as she sat on the table next to the Ross's, "You're in my store, your husband is a previous lackey of mine. I just can't sit still while this child keeps on lying and still hiding things from you."

"...What?"

"Whiteking was the most steadfast and persevering person I have ever seen and worked with," Charlotte continued, "And I believe that a man like that will not be easily swayed by his emotions just because of simple stress…

…Tell them what you're hiding, Bernard."

"...Hiding?" Bernard breathed out, the tone of his voice clearly showing his confusion, "I am not hiding anything else, madam Charlotte."

"What are you talking about, Charlotte?" Hannah raised an eyebrows as she glanced at Charlotte.

"..." Charlotte paused for a few seconds as she looked Hannah straight in the eyes. But after a few seconds, she shook her head and sighed,

"I am talking about you, Hannah."

"...Me?" Hannah's raised eyebrow rose even further, "So this is my fault? I already heard dad say that he became stressed when I was born– are you telling me that I shouldn't have been born, then!"?

"Partly," Charlotte muttered, "You're not just a normal child… and you were definitely not a normal baby."

"...What is she talking about, Bernard?" Diana's eyebrows also began to furrow as she glanced at her husband once more. Bernard, however, was once again looking at the ground; his breaths, loud enough to be heard in the entire store.

He then slowly turned his head towards Charlotte, before once again letting out a long and very deep sigh,

"How… did you know?" He asked, the tone of his voice almost defeated.

"I put two and two together. I've already guessed she wasn't normal even amongst Supers when I copied her powers back in the Festival," Charlotte scoffed, "You're not as smart as you think you are, child."

"..."

"I've controlled fire abilities and powers before; countless times. But Hannah's was not it at all," she continued, "Her power is almost innate. If I am right… she was born with her abilities already awakened."

"...No," Hannah was the one to answer, shaking her head as she did so, "My power awakened early, but I wasn't born with i–"

Hannah wanted to explain her situation, but before she could finish her words, she saw the look on Bernard's face.

"...Dad? What are you not telling–"

"No…"

And once again, Hannah's words were interrupted; this time, by the loud gasp that escaped from Diana's lips. She was already covering her mouth, but still, the heavy breaths that were seeping out from the crevices of her fingers were enough to pierce Hannah's ears.

Hannah seemed to want to say something, but as Diana's eyes began to tremble as they turned to Bernard, the only thing that Hannah could do was furrow her eyebrows. And soon, tears started to trail on her mother's face.

Hannah then looked at her father, only to see his head looking to the ground even more now.

"I see," Charlotte then let out a short but very deep sigh as she slowly made her way back to the counter, "So that's why you're following the government despite your obvious dislike to them… I am starting to understand you more and more now, kid."

"What is she saying, dad?" Hannah could not help herself anymore as she saw Charlotte leaving with a sigh, "What are you still hiding from us?"

"That's–"

Bernard was about to speak up, but before he could utter another word, he felt his wife's grip holding his arm; her head, shaking as she looked him straight in the eyes.

"You know what it is, mom?" Hannah gasped, "I think I deserve to know what's happening… especially since I think whatever this is you're hiding is about me."

"Is sister also adopted, parents?"

"No, she's not!" Diana almost choked as Riley, who had been keeping quiet on the side, suddenly spoke up, "And nothing happened!" She bellowed, the trembling tone of her voice made it obvious that they were, in fact, hiding something.

"I'm turning 20 in a couple of months for christ's sake. Tell me, mom!"

"The day you were born–"

"Bernard, no!" Diana still wanted to stop Bernard from speaking up. But this time, Bernard removed her hand as he looked Hannah straight in the eyes,

"The day you were born…" He repeated, "...there was a fire in the hospital you were in. 22 newborns died that day, and there was only one survivor."

"I know that news already," Hannah breathed out, "I was the only survivor since I was later found immune to–"

And once again before she could finish her words, she saw the expression full of weight on her father's face. And soon, as she saw his trembling eyes, she realized what it meant.

"I… had to put a limiter in you," Bernard then whispered, "It's implanted in your left arm to prevent your powers from going out of control."

"...No," a small trembling smile crept on Hannah's face, partnered by a weak chuckle that almost choked her breaths, "I… Did I… I killed 22 babies?"

"No!" Diana quickly embraced Hannah in her arms, "You did not do anything!"

"..." Bernard could only look to the side as Hannah's eyes became blank, "The government knew what happened. They hid it… so in return, I had to build things for them. I had… I have to do things I am not proud of…

…and how could someone like that deserve the love of someone like you?" Bernard's voice cracked as soon as his eyes landed on Diana.

"..." Diana could only close her eyes as soon as she heard her husband's words. As for Hannah, her blank eyes started to tremble; her breaths, once again drowning the air with a certain weight of gloom.

"Doesn't… doesn't that make me a monster?" She then uttered.

"No, sister," Riley quickly answered her, "A real monster would not be reacting the way you are now."

His words, however, seemed to just pass by Hannah's ears as she suddenly stood up; her steps almost shaking the entire floor as she rushed out of the store.

"H… Hannah!" Diana was about to follow Hannah, but her hand was grabbed by Bernard.

"This is your fault!" Diana said without a second thought as the sound of her slapping Bernard on the cheek echoed throughout the entire store. But it was almost as if she was the one hurt as her legs gave in.

"Please excuse me, parents," and even with this, Riley nonchalantly stood up from his seat as he nodded towards Bernard and Diana, "I shall leave the two of you to wallow in regret and sadness."

"Riley… I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize to me, father. As I said, your affairs are your own."

And with that, Riley truly did leave the store, not even offering his mother any comfort. And as soon as he stepped out of the store, Silvie, Gary, and Tomoe were already there waiting for him despite saying they would go somewhere else.

"Hannah just flew away using her boom boom powers, bro!" Gary quickly bellowed, "Isn't that like not allowed?"

"Where…

…did she go?"