Villain Retirement

The Superhero Association Tower.

A landmark of hope for the people of Earth—a reminder that no matter what happens, the day will be saved.

For some, it was a shrine. They only needed to look up, and there she was standing tall, Megawoman. The Earth has changed drastically, and yet her statue remained completely unchanged.

Even in the midst of the darkness that the night brings, she shone ever so brightly.

And there, sitting on Megawoman's shoulder, was Hannah. Her hair that was tied in pigtails, flowing with the wind as she stared at the city lights beneath her.

"Aren't you too old to be doing your hair like that?"

"Aren't you too old to be sneaking up on your daughter like that?" Hannah sighed; her eyes, slightly rolling as she shook her head. The tone of her voice was not the same as before—her words were still as sharp, but they no longer contained the harshness they had before.

"I'm never going to be too old for that."

A quiet metallic sound whispered in the air as Bernard landed on the statue's shoulder; his steps tried to be quiet, but there was a weight inside him that made it impossible to do so.

"And I'm not sneaking up on you, you're on top of my office. How could I leave you alone?"

"Hm…" Hannah only glanced at Bernard before raising her knee and resting her head on it, "...Have I congratulated you for that, by the way?"

"There's no need," Bernard sighed as he joined his daughter in looking at the city lights dancing below.

"I still don't know how you did it, Dad. President of the Superhero Association, even with all your crimes."

"Because I was thrown in this position, Hannah—I wasn't granted it," Bernard forced a chuckle.

"Eh, I suppose I know how," Hannah once again shrugged, "The Secretary of Defense, the leader of the entire fucking planet, still has a crush on you."

"..."

"You, Mom, Riley…Me—we are poison to this planet," Hannah then sighed as she closed her eyes, "Sometimes I wonder just how peaceful this place would be without the Ross family."

"It'll just be the same with someone else fucking it up," Bernard breathed out as he sat down, "How are you, Hannah? Have you finally adjusted to all of this?"

"...You're kidding, right?" Hannah removed her eyes away from the city lights as she glanced at Bernard, "Earth is the one that adjusted."

Hannah then turned her head up to look at the moon—and yet in her eyes reflected not a silver sphere, but another world seemingly teeming with life.

New Theran.

The sole reminder that Earth was a completely different planet from before as it completely replaced the Moon.

"We might as well be on a completely different planet, Dad. This isn't Earth anymore," Hannah took in a deep breath as she stared at their new moon, "Even the people are different."

"And your friends?"

"They're hanging in there. Tomoe's doing well in the Academy. Paige is… well, being Paige."

"...And you?"

"I'm hanging in there."

"No, really…" Bernard let out a very long and deep sigh as he looked at Hannah, "How are you, Hannah?"

"...Honestly?" Hannah turned her head down and rested her forehead on her knee, "...I have no fucking idea."

"You really don't plan on going back to being a superhero?"

"What's the point, Dad? It's… all just meaningless now," Hannah forced a chuckle, "How do you expect me to return to this life when we already know what's out there? And Megawoman… Aerith… her entire people were killed right in front of us and we couldn't do anything."

"The people that did that are already dead."

"Not enough," Hannah shook her head, "The themarians were erased because everyone else feared them—what do you think would happen if they start fearing us too, Dad?"

"..."

"We need to do something, I don't know what…" Hannah once again looked down,

"...but we need to do something or we will be erased like the themarians."

"Hannah, you—"

And before Bernard could say something, the watch he was wearing suddenly started beeping in red.

"..."

Hannah and Bernard quickly looked at each other, before just quickly flying away.

***

Somewhere in an empty field, where the blades of grass almost seemed like the sea—more than a hundred silhouettes could be seen casting shadows and making a circle.

The hundred silhouettes were all wearing armor similar to Bernard's Whiteking outfit; all of them just standing in full alert as they stared at the dark sky.

And somewhere inside that circle, Empress and Butcher stood; their eyes, also reflecting the stars.

"Adaeze."

"...Bernard," Empress quickly removed her eyes from the sky as Bernard landed close to her, "Hannah."

"Hm," Hannah also landed near her, nodding her head as she looked at the soldiers standing in a circle,

"Are you sure your people know what they're doing?" Hannah then said.

"I wasn't stupid enough to provoke your brother then," Empress breathed out as she crossed her arms, "I'm not stupid enough to provoke him now that he's more unstable."

"But you are 162% stupid enough to let him back to Earth, Adaeze," Butcher quietly commented on the side.

"Well, we're not on Earth, are we?" Empress then turned around to look at the horizon behind her—and there, Earth could be seen.

"Riley Ross is now the most wanted individual in the entire Universe. This could be considered as us hiding him," Butcher's eyes as well as his bald head still reflected the sky above.

"We're not hiding anyone," Empress scoffed, "And also, if we truly are hiding Outlaws, then we're hiding 3. That vampire, Diana, and now Riley."

"And what did your new friends at the Common Council think about that?"

"They are terrified shitless," Empress smirked, "But since Xra has not committed any crimes since she has been here, the Common Council all just agreed to leave us alone… as long as we keep them in check."

"...And what if they did what they did to Megawoman's people to us?"

"They can't," Empress then turned to Bernard, "We have countermeasures for everything they will throw at us. We are the newest member of the Council, Butcher—but we're definitely not the most helpless one."

"..." Hannah glanced at Empress as she heard her words. And as the two of them met each other's eyes, they just once again nodded at each other.

And very soon, a bright spot of light pulsed from the sky—blowing away all the clouds above them as a ship started to descend to the ground.

No one really said a word, they all just waited for the ship to touch the ground. But as soon as it did so, Hannah was the first to rush toward it; not even waiting for the door to open.

There wasn't really a smile on her face, but her breaths alone were enough to know how excited she truly was. And soon, as the pressure within the ship started to hiss as the door opened, a familiar silhouette reflected in Hannah's eyes.

"..."

Just one, however—her mother's.

"Mom…?" Hannah blinked a couple of times as she looked at what was behind Diana, leaning her head up to see inside the ship, "Where's—"

"Where's Riley Ross!?" Empress was the one to continue Hannah's words for her as she ran past her; rushing toward the ship and almost leaping inside it, "Diana, where's Riley!?"

And as she couldn't even find a glimpse of Riley, the only thing she could really do was placed her hand on Diana's shoulder.

"He's…" Diana sucked in a deep breath as she looked at Empress; her eyes, slightly apologetic, "...on Earth."

"Are you crazy!?" Empress quickly ran away, "You Ross family…

…why do all of you keep making problems!?"

***

"Hm… just like old times. Don't you think so, Aerith?"

And once again, Aerith was in Riley's room back in the Ross Residence; her head, resting on his shoulder as the two of them sat on his bed—basking from the light that entered through his window. And just like old times, Aerith doesn't answer.

"Did you see how different Earth is now, Aerith?" Riley's sighs whispered through the entire room, "You will barely recognize it once you wake up. Although… I wonder if what I saw was even real or just a hallucination."

"..."

"You heard what Mother said," Riley then stood up, before very gently laying Aerith on the bed; supporting her head as softly as he could, "I might have the same thing that Alice had. I wonder if I will become like her too—I might even end up killing sister without knowing it. It's… sort of a scary thought, no?"

"..."

"What was that?" A small smile then crawled on Riley's face as he fixed Aerith's hair, "Why did I bring you back here when I promised you that I would take you away?"

"..."

"Because you broke the promise first, Aerith. You left first," Riley closed his eyes, "I'm returning you home. So please, Aerith… wake up."

"..."

"Now that you're gone, I have come to realize something…" Riley then took in a deep breath and opened back his eyes; a hint of moisture could be seen from them as they reflected Aerith's peaceful face,

"...I am lost without you."

And soon, a single tear emerged from the moisture building up in his eyes… and soon trailing down his cheek.

"I am not used to you not being here, Aerith. You are the thing that completes me, and… I don't think I can go on without you. So, I am going to tell you something—and I am hoping that it will make you want to live again…

…I am the one responsible for your people's death. It was me."