"Why… Why am I still here?"
A thud whispered in the abandoned building as Diley dropped to the floor, his knees, giving up on their own as he kneeled on the ground; his hands, trembling as he stared at them.
"I… I can't feel the Boss. I… can't feel anyone," Diley removed the hood of his cloak; his eyes that were trembling almost uncontrollably, now seen by Ellie, "I… I can't feel anyone."
"..." Ellie could only stare as Diley's breaths entered her ears; loud enough to echo throughout the entire floor.
Diley's eyes started looking everywhere, almost as if searching for something that wasn't there as he continued to whisper to himself.
"Boss… where are you? Boss!" Diley started to stutter as he crawled on the ground. Ellie moved to the side as Diley started crawling towards her, only for him to trip and fall face-first on the floor.
Diley, however, did not get up; his breaths, blowing away the dust collected on the floor, "No… no…"
"Diley, you–"
"Go away!"
Ellie quickly retracted her hand as Diley screamed.
"Just go away, leave!" Diley said as he struggled to get up, "You're free! Just go!"
"I–"
"Go!" Diley waved his hand, and as he did so, Ellie was blasted away; only for her to land softly near the doorway.
"..." Ellie stared at Diley for a few seconds as he groveled on the floor. She took a step forward… but that was it. After a few breaths, she turned around, glancing at Diley one last time before leaving the dimly lit room.
"Why… why didn't you take me with you, Boss?" Diley stood up; his breaths, still echoing through the room, "What… what am I even going to do here? I'm alone…
…I've never been alone."
Diley then turned his head towards the view of the horizon from the open window.
"Without you… I have no purpose," and with those words, Diley's erratic breaths started to calm down as the light moisture in his eyes faded away. And very slowly, he stepped towards the horizon– climbing over the window and jumping without any hesitation with his eyes closed.
"..."
"..."
"You stupid fucking idiot!"
"!!!"
Diley then opened his eyes; the sound of the wind blasting to his face quickly registering in his ears. He did not bother with that, however, as he turned his head towards the voice that seemed to be coming from above him.
"Ellie!?"
Only to see Ellie falling just a meter away from him.
"W–"
And before he could even say anything, Ellie grabbed his hand and tightly wrapped her arms around him.
"I can't fucking fly! Do something!"
"!!!"
Diley could only click his tongue as the two of them gently stopped in the air… only a foot away from hitting the ground.
"You stupid!"
Diley's back then fell to the ground as Ellie suddenly slapped his face and jumped down.
"...Why?"-- was the only word that Diley could utter as he looked at Ellie, whose silhouette was being lined up by the celestial lights.
"You think you could just go after locking me up for an entire year!?" Ellie then kicked Diley's stomach, causing him to slightly cough, "No, you're not allowed to do that!"
"You… should have just left," Diley let out a small sigh as he sat up, "You're free. It's over, Ellie."
"Damn right, it's over!" Ellie… also sat on the ground beside Diley, "I'm free… and you are too."
"Me?" Diley blinked a couple of times, "But I'm not human."
"You're more human than that boss of yours," Ellie rolled her eyes, "And if it was him, I would have gladly let him fall to his death… although he probably wouldn't even be hurt by that."
"But–"
"You're different from him, Diley," Ellie then slightly leaned her back on Diley's, "I know you are."
"I'm… free?" Diley doesn't really know what that meant. After all, for him, he wasn't a prisoner.
"Yes, you're free," Ellie then stood up, "Not free from me, of course. But free."
"...Stockholm syn–"
"It's not!" Ellie once again kicked Diley on the stomach, "From now on…
…I'm your boss."
"..."
"..."
"Pft."
"Stop! That was already cringe as it is!"
"Where… do we even go?"
"What do you mean where? I have a brother I haven't seen for a very long time."
"..."
"You're not going looking like that, though. We need to color your hair… and change your name."
"What's wrong with Diley?"
"How about that it's not actually a fucking name!?"
"...What about the Diley Lama?"
"That's the Dalai Lama, you stupid fucking… Agh! Just choose a name or I'll choose for you!"
"...Then choose. You're my boss, right?"
"That…"
"..."
"..."
"Then how about…"
***
"Where is Diana Ross, Bernard?"
"...I don't know."
"Are you trying to hide her? Did you know that she was an alien?"
"...No."
"Did you know that she was the one responsible for…"
"No."
"Were you, in any way, in cahoots…"
"No."
"Scarlet Mage is also missing, do you…"
"No."
"Okay, we'll take a break. Go rest up, man."
"..."
In a glass cage; a size large enough for a tall human to stand up, but not enough for one to fully lay down, Bernard was sitting inside; his arms and torso, bound by a straitjacket. His mouth, covered by a mask.
Tempo was looking straight at him from outside the cage, but Bernard could only see his own reflection. He was the one tasked to ask him questions as he and Bernard, apart from Empress, were the ones closest to each other.
…And that was apparent with the slight frown planted on his face. The only thing he could really do was let out a small but deep sigh, glancing at his friend one last time before leaving the room he was in.
And there, waiting outside, was Hera and Empress. They were in some sort of spacious and luxurious suite, with a living room large enough to be compared to a hotel's lobby.
They were in Hera's house– as their base was destroyed when Megawoman woke up.
"Anything?" Hera was the first to stand up from the sofa as she handed a bottle of alcohol to Tempo.
"..." Tempo only shook his head as he grabbed the bottle and immediately chugged it down.
"Shit… to think Darkday was actually this close," Hera then let out a breath as she let herself fall back on the sofa, "I knew there was something weird about that kid, and Bernard knew? Shit."
"...He told you."
"Hm?" Hera raised an eyebrow as she looked at Empress… who was for the first time, just wearing casual clothing– a dress printed with all sorts of flowers.
"Riley told you who he was," Empress then said as she also chugged a bottle of alcohol, "Remember the time with the homunculi and you lost a part of your memory? He told you. I know because he told me."
"...He did?" Hera blinked, and after a while, her eyes started to widen, "Oh fuck, he did."
"Convenient power you have there," Tempo chuckled, "If my body also adapted to any situation that would ensure my survival… I would also probably forget Darkday's identity… especially when he could kill me with a flick of his finger."
"...Well, I wouldn't have invited her if the only thing she could do was turn gray and muscular," Empress also let out a chuckle, causing Hera and Tempo to look at each other.
"...You okay, boss?" Tempo blinked a couple of times.
"I'm thinking of retiring," Empress then said with a smile on her face, "I'll… just join Bulwark in teaching the future generation. After all, who could be a better teacher than the greatest failure?"
"...You're not a failure," Hera frowned, "You just fell in love with the wrong fucking person."
"..."
"Ah, fuck," Hera then rolled her eyes, "We need another one to audition for Pharos, fuck!"
"...What about me?" Tempo stood up.
"Bitch, I haven't even seen your true face," Hera snarled, "And get rid of the fucking mustache, you can't even grow it properly."
"Well…"
"!!!"
Hera then suddenly leaned back as Tempo removed his helmet– revealing his slightly tan skin, black hair, blue eyes, and long eyelashes.
"You… were Mexican?" Hera gulped; her face, a little blush.
"I'm Filipino-American!"
"Pft," Empress could only shake her head as she stood up, leaving the two to discuss amongst themselves as she walked in front of the room where Bernard was being kept. She was about to open the door, but before her hand could reach the knob…
…she walked away.
She finally walked away.
"Hm…"
And all of these things… Megawoman could hear as her eyes reflected the big blue planet in front of her. She still had a lot of bridges connecting her to Earth, but the thing she wanted to find was not there.
She scoured the entire planet, but there was no longer even a single sign of Diana– No, of Caitlain.
Caitlain Ur, the most prominent scientist of Theran… and also its most wanted person, responsible for the genocide of 7 civilizations.
"Well then…"
The big blue reflecting on Aerith's eyes grew smaller and smaller as she floated away. And very soon, the Earth was a pebble.
"I figured this would be useful," Aerith then grabbed something from her skirt– a mobile phone,
"Well… when you wake up, anyway," she then said as she looked at… the white silhouette floating beside her,
"I apologize… Riley Ross," a smirk then appeared on Aerith's face as she grabbed Riley by the ankle,
"But this time, I'll be the one dragging you around…
…your retirement isn't over yet."
***Villain Retirement, Book 1: Darkday – END***
***
***
***
"Are you just going to mope here for the rest of your life!?"
"M... Ms. Charlotte, please don--"
The screams and shouts of the members of the Baby Crew filled the Ross' Residence with life. They were just previously chatting about what to do next and how to get Hannah out of her room...
...when Charlotte suddenly barged inside the house out of nowhere, rushing straight towards Hannah's room and kicking it down.
Hannah, who was curled in a ball on her bed, only glanced at Charlotte; and as she did so, the entire room started to distort as everything... just started to melt. They didn't burn away, but just melted.
"Go away," Hannah whispered.
"Fuck no," Charlotte, however, stepped forward even as her skin started to sizzle, "You guys...
...I'm gonna turn all of you into actual heroes."
***
A year later, Aerith was still floating in the expanse of space... still grabbing Riley by the ankles. Her eyes, slightly twitching.
"...We're lost, Riley," Aerith then breathed out as she let go of Riley's leg... causing him to float aimlessly,
"We're lost!"
"..." And very soon...
...Riley's fingers started to twitch.
***
***
***
***Villain Retirement, Book 2: Phoenix – START***