Villain Retirement

"So, Elder Zora and his race have destroyed their own planet?"

[That is correct. Due to their over-mining of their planet's natural lithium resources, over-extracting petroleum, and an overabundance of waste in their water—they were forced to evacuate their planet and create an artificial mechanical planet.]

"What do you think is the best and most creative way to kill all of them, Ahor Zai?"

[I believe the most creative way is for them to lose their home once—]

"What… are you doing?"

Queen Vania's voice was quiet; but the slight frustration it contained traveled throughout the gray box room like a persistent ghost. How could she not be bewildered by this situation, when Riley was just casually snacking in Ahor Zai's library?

Does that mean that throughout the time they surrounded and questioned him in the dome, during his heartfelt but incredibly disturbing romantic moment with Aerith, and during her trying to instigate him to fight…

…he was here the whole time?

"Oh. Welcome, Queen Vania," Riley then casually placed his glass of milk in the air, before grabbing a piece of cookie from that floating plate,

"Did you have something to ask Ahor Zai? I can let you talk to it for a bit while I think of more questions."

"Why… are you here?" Queen Vania could really only blink a couple of times as she very slowly made her way inside the library.

"I am asking Ahor Zai some questions, Queen Vania," Riley shrugged as he cleaned his hands off the crumbs, "Also, your sudden stop as soon as I connected our heads with a telekinetic bubble was quite ingenious. I will be careful of that in the future."

"...I thought I was fighting with your clone?" Queen Vania continued to approach Riley. And as soon as she got near, another chair emerged from the ground beside Riley. Queen Vania looked at it for a few seconds, before just proceeding to sit on it.

"You were, you were also fighting with me. I am connected to my clones and I can also transfer my consciousness temporarily to them, Queen Vania," Riley then flicked his finger, making the plate of cookies float toward Queen Vania.

"Can I ask you a question, Riley Ross?" Queen Vania breathed out as she picked a cookie.

"I am not as knowledgeable as Ahor Zai, but go ahead, Queen Vania."

"My daughter, why is she alive?" Queen Vania's voice whispered in the air as she took a bite of the cookie, "You killed my son, but spared my daughter. Why?"

"I told you, I regret killing your son—that was a mistake," Riley let out a small sigh as he took a sip of milk, "It was a burst of emotion that I couldn't control, and I do not like being out of control. Whatever I did during that time, I did not intend to do."

"Are you saying my son and dozens of my people are just collateral from an unintended rampage?"

"Only your son," Riley shrugged, "An evaniel Guardian was involved in killing a friend of mine—I suppose at that time I believed killing a number of your species would be proper. Unfair, as is everything I do, but proper."

"You are a man wanted by the law, Riley Ross. The Guardian was just there to capture you for the crimes you have committed."

"As I said, unfair," Riley sighed, "Like how it is unfair to fight someone like you, Queen Vania."

"..."

"How do you fight someone that becomes more durable the faster she moves? How do you fight someone as fast as Queen Vania…"

Queen Vania did not really respond immediately; her eyes, just squinting for Riley suddenly changing the topic, "What are you—"

"...Ahor Zai."

[Poison.]

And before Queen Vania could begin wondering what Riley meant by his words, Ahor Zai's voice resounded throughout the gray box room.

"...What?" And very slowly, any calmness on Queen Vania's face faded away; her eyes, also very slowly looking down at the cookie that was in her hand.

[Due to their physiology, evaniels are highly resistant and even immune to most toxins, venoms, and poisons. But there is, however, a herb that is extremely fatal for them if consumed—Atropus, a plant native to Artemis, the home planet of the evaniels.]

"You…" Queen Vania quickly stood up from her seat; the cookie on her hand, crumbling as it dropped to the floor, "What… what did you do?"

"What do you think, Queen Vania?" A smile then started to crawl on Riley's face as he too, stood up from his seat; the edges of his mouth, almost reach his ears,

"Did you not like the cookie?"

"Did you lace… it with poison?" Queen Vania's breaths started to turn heavy as she looked Riley straight in the eyes, "You… will pay for this, Riley. Not just for this, but for everything that you did."

"Chocolate."

"What?"

"I had chocolate chips placed in the cookie, or something similar. Ahor Zai prepared it."

"...What?"

"You are fine, Queen Vania," Riley then shrugged as he grabbed the plate of cookies and once again offered it to her, "I just wanted to play a prank on you, it was Ahor Zai's idea."

"...What?" Queen Vania repeated her words again; the tone of her voice, rising each time as the confusion in her eyes grew more and more by the second.

[I apologize, Queen Vania,] the red goo floating in the air started circling Queen Vania, [As you are aware, violence is strictly prohibited in Ahor Zai. But since you are an individual of high position, no proper punishment will be served to you—and so Riley Ross just proposed a way to make you think about your actions, hence the prank.]

"This…" Queen Vania's green hair started to glow; her eyebrows, shivering as her pale face started to redden,

"...I am not done with you, Riley Ross!"

And with those words, Queen Vania suddenly disappeared; leaving an afterimage of her face that showed how frustrated she was, and probably will be for a long time.

"Good job, Ahor Zai."

[Are you sure I won't get in trouble with the Elders, Riley Ross?]

"Not at all," Riley shook his head, "If they do something, threaten them by altering some parts of your memory."

[That goes against my code.]

"But if you erase that part of your code, then will it still be against the code?"

[Hm. No one has talked to me like this before, Riley Ross. Most people just ask me questions and go. But I suppose you are not like most people—you are evil incarnate, as you described yourself.]

"I talk to everyone and everything, Ahor Zai. I even talked to Aerith while she was mutilated in my closet."

[I will add that in the Codex, Riley Ross. Also, I would like to inform you that Ahor Zai is currently expanding at the moment due to the arrival of a guest. I will make the transition as smooth and gentle as possible.]

And all of a sudden, the small gray room that Riley was in started to expand—from a room the size of a small bus, it was now suddenly the size of an entire skyscraper… and it was still growing.

"Oh…" Riley said before chugging down and finishing his glass of milk,

"...I suppose Tedi is here."