Villain Retirement

"Mother, perhaps it is time to let me go now."

"No! Never! I am not going to let you go ever again!"

Weird— Riley thought probably for the first time. He had lived for almost 20 years now, and this was perhaps the only time he had never truly gotten what he wanted from another person.

People usually just adjust to him once they become aware of their condition. Of course, there really wasn't much that he wanted in his life.

And if he did want something, it usually involves death. Death of another, or his.

But now, he found himself unable to control the things around him— quite literally.

Alice… was canceling out his telekinetic abilities, and he was canceling hers. The two of them were basically in a stalemate— and if one were to just let go, then the other party would most probably be annihilated.

They were like two rams, pushing each other with their unusually large horns.

"..." Riley could really only look around him, only to see the air itself already shattering; in its cracks, nothing but void.

They were just tiny cracks minutes ago, but now they filled Riley's eyes even more than the light.

'So, something like this was possible,' he thought. He had seen air itself cracking many times before— Empress's powers were something of that nature, after all.

But this? This was different, it felt… familiar. Even more familiar than the woman embracing him tightly.

This darkness, this void… it feels like he belongs in it.

And perhaps he does. Because very soon, in the void that did not even reflect even a tinge of light— he saw his reflection.

Not what he looked like now, no. What he originally looks like— unusually pale skin, white hair, eyes that were almost transparent; a face devoid of anything, really.

The only hint of white in an otherwise completely dark space. And yet, his reflection seemed to be the darkest thing in the void.

It was smiling at him… whispering to kill everyone.

Riley now realized why the darkness felt so familiar to him. This dark reflection of his— he had seen him many times before.

"It's you," Riley then whispered as he looked his dark reflection straight in the eyes before he started scanning his surroundings again; his eyes, slightly squinting,

"But I don't get it, I am not dead. So, why are you here, Overvoid Riley?"

"..." His reflection, however, did not reply or do anything. It just… continued to stare at him, whispering a million words in a single second.

Kill them.

Kill them all.

Hurt them.

Hurt them all.

They belong here…

…with us.

And with those words, another reflection appeared. And then, another…

…and another.

172 shadows.

The very same number of times that Riley had died.

"It is very rude of you to visit me unannounced, Overvoid Riley," Riley then let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head,

"This is my domain, I believed we had an understanding."

And with Riley's voice turning colder, the reflections disappeared one by one until once again, only one remained.

"Do this again, and I will find a way to erase you the next time we me—"

"You! Stay… stay away!"

And before Riley could finish his words, he felt Alice's embrace getting tighter; her eyes… looking at the void.

"You… can see it, mother?" Riley's eyes slightly turned wide as he tried to glance at his mother.

"Stay away! Stay away from us, you monster!"

Alice's embrace that held nothing but affection completely disappeared; replaced by fear; the fear of losing the thing she holds most dear,

"Just… just take me again! Leave my son alone, please! Just leave him alone!"

"..." And very slowly, Riley could feel the weight that was suppressing his telekinetic abilities fade away; he was finally able to push back as Alice's skin very slowly started to shatter.

"I love you, Riley. I love you," Alice almost fumbled with her words as she seemed to be wanting to say a million words,

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to help you control this darkness! I'm sorry you were born with this, I'm so sorry it had to be you! I'm…"

"..." And as his mother poured out everything she wanted to say to him, Riley just stared at her; looking at her arms that never wanted to let him go, covering him from all the darkness that was also staring at him.

"I'm… sorry you had to be born like this."

"You don't have to worry, mother…"

And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Riley hugged his mother back; his eyes, glowing red as he did so.

"...I'm not."

And with those words, Riley suddenly turned his head toward his reflection— torching it with the violent beam that escaped his eyes.

"You are overstaying your welcome, Overvoid."

But alas, the void seemed to just eat and swallow anything that came through it.

But even then, since Alice was very slowly turning her powers down, Riley also followed her rhythm– finally causing the cracks in the air to dissipate.

"..." Riley's reflection in the void didn't seem to mind, however, as it even waved at him before completely disappearing along with the void it seemed to dwell in.

And finally, peace.

"..." The only thing that Riley could hear right now was the chatter of his mother's teeth and the stuttering breaths that were escaping from her lips.

"Mother, it's gone," Riley then breathed out as he tried to push Alice away; and this time, he was finally able to— gently.

He then looked at his mother's face, filled with tears and snot, red to the point it was cherry.

Alice then sniffled as she quickly wiped her face… using Riley's clothes.

"You can see Overvoid Riley, mother?"

"...Overvoid what?" Alice said as she continued to clean her face— and soon, water from the beach started to float towards her face, but not before whatever salt in it was filtered away,

"I'm not crying," Alice then said as the water washed her face.

"You—"

"Who are you anyway? You seen my team anywhere? That douche king said we'll be meeting here."

"I'm Riley, mother."

"Mother? What—" Alice then abruptly stopped talking as she stared straight into Riley's eyes,

"...Oh," she then blinked as her breaths turned heavy again,

"...Hi."

A smile then crawled on her face as her hand very slowly made its way to Riley's cheek. But as soon as she noticed Riley slightly moving his head away, she quickly closed her hand and retracted it.

And soon, her hand turned into a fist as she suddenly punched Riley in the face.

"You pansy brat! I only wanted to touch your face and you're not letting me!?"

"..." Riley could really only blink a couple of times as he stared at his mother— finally, he thought. He was finally seeing Alice as she is in the stories he had heard about her.

"I swear, I shouldn't have left you with Diana! Where's your real body so I can spank your spoiled ass for all the years we've missed before I go!?"

"...Go? Where are you going, mother?"

"I don't have long…" Alice shrugged as she scratched her nose. And although she was trying her best not to let anyone notice, the stutter in her words showed how nervous and scared she was,

"...Diana told me I only have a few weeks."

***

"...Fuck,"

Somewhere back in the Atlantic ocean, Tempo was running in the air, each of his steps causing an invisible ripple to whistle in the air.

And in front of him, running on the ocean, was Viole…

…dragging an unconscious John.