A few weeks ago, in the vast and almost limitless expanse of space, a sound that should not exist was currently echoing through the darkness. One would think it was some sort of a siren, but no.
It was Aerith screaming in frustration.
She has been flying through space for almost an entire year now, without food; without water. Even for her, that was already stretching the limit. No, she knew she would survive… the one she had to worry about was the young man she was currently dragging.
Worry– that was something she thought she would never do or feel for this white-haired young man. But since she has been dragging him aimlessly for almost a year, she sort of feels responsible for his life now.
If only he was wearing his mask and Darkday outfit, then maybe Aerith wouldn't feel as much empathy towards Riley; but alas, seeing him sleeping and floating like this– the only thing she could really see was a child not even a percent of her age.
It's even a miracle he was still breathing… or that he was breathing at all– that was something he was not capable of last time they fought.
It was a year ago– when she rescued the almost unconscious Hannah who was floating in the expanse of space without any will to live. She didn't even talk or try to resist, Hannah just let herself be carried back to the ship.
But that was then that Aerith noticed something unnatural.
A speck of dust floating in space.
How was that unnatural, one might ask?
Because the dust started to multiply– almost like a million flies coalescing with each other; dancing, fluttering in ways that one could never imagine. They almost looked like ink, even. And very soon… a resemblance of a face started to be drawn from that ink.
"!!!" Aerith's eyes almost popped out from how wide they were during that time.
She saw it.
Riley Ross's resurrection.
And it was truly unnatural– even from all the years she had lived, she had never seen anyone or anything recover like that. His flesh wasn't just regenerating, no. It almost felt like the hand of god was sketching him right in front of her… out of nowhere.
And very soon, Riley's entire silhouette was there, right in front of her. She could see some burnt marks and some flesh completely torn away, but soon, those healed; not like a sketch this time, but it regenerated like normal.
"...What?" Aerith blurted out. She then turned her eyes towards Hannah; whose eyes were slightly open… but not really looking towards Riley. She didn't notice him?
"..." And as soon as Aerith realized that, she quickly turned around and slowly started flying away. This is for the best, she thought– the world should move on from Darkday and Riley Ross…
…and the world should also move on from Megawoman.
And that was the time she decided to truly leave Earth, bringing along Riley Ross with him.
But of course, all these memories and thoughts of a year ago were currently meaningless. Because as of days ago; she didn't want to admit it, but…
"...We're lost!"
Aerith's screams once again echoed throughout the expanse of space; causing a sort of ripple to blow away all the space dust surrounding them. It has been a few hundred years since she last navigated through the expanse, but she was confident that she still remembered all the paths she needed to take.
But alas, one should truly not underestimate the cosmos– because even someone as strong as her was just a microscopic speck in this almost endless darkness.
"Where are we going anyway?"
"!!!"
Aerith's screams abruptly stopped as words not from her suddenly entered her ears. She turned around, only to see Riley not floating still in front of her; albeit he was floating vertically opposite of her, naked.
"You… you're awake?" Aerith slightly contracted her muscles, waiting for Riley to attack her. But it did not happen, Riley just floated there staring at her for a few seconds before answering her question.
"I suppose. And I don't remember anything."
"...I didn't ask?" Aerith slightly squinted her eyes as she looked Riley straight in the eyes, "Wait, what do you mean you don't remember anything?"
"I don't remember anything," Riley just repeated, before his eyes started to look everywhere. And after a few seconds, some of the space debris floating far away from them started to fly towards Riley– folding and crumpling as they wrapped around his body,
"You are clothed and I am not, so it didn't seem fair."
"You don't remember anything but you know how to use your powers?" Aerith's eyes squinted even further to the point that they were almost closed.
"Yes, very convenient," Riley nodded several times, "Come to think of it, I could have just taken off your clothes as well so that it would be fair."
"...For someone who has lost his memory, you seem to be very calm."
"People of my condition do not express emotions that well."
"...You're not lying, are you?"
"No," Riley shook his head, "I do not even remember my name, A– woman."
"A… woman?" Aerith slightly floated closer to Riley as her eyes remained planet on his, "You–"
But before she could finish her words, she noticed something. The things that were wrapped on Riley's body… were some sort of metal. And not just any metal, some even had letters inscribed onto them.
"Let's talk about this later…
…we're near!"
***
And so, back to the present.
Riley and Aerith were now in some sort of dining hall. The walls seemed to be made of metal, but at the same time, there were traces of something else on them; a texture and color similar to wood. Everything just looked like they were plastered carelessly, in a way.
The table they were sitting at was also the same, made with different kinds of materials seemingly compressed together.
"I know, it's a shit hole. But the food is nice, eat," Aerith could only let out a small sigh as she noticed Riley staring everywhere.
"...Can you tell me who I am again, mother?"
"..." Aerith could only stare at Riley with her mouth still open, spoon right in front of her lips. But after a few breaths, she just once again let out a sigh and drop her spoon,
"You're my son, Riley. We were traveling and you hit your head with an asteroid. You used to work… in law enforcement. You save a lot of people because that's your job and you never kill."
"...That's it?" Riley blinked a couple of times.
"I'll tell you more once we finish eating, so eat."
"And where are we?"
"..." Aerith was about to pick up her spoon again, but could only let out a small groan as she once again focused on Riley.
"We are in Hotis 4J, one of the thousands of landmarks in the cosmos. I suppose you could treat it as a pitstop of some sort," Aerith leaned back as she too, finally looked around,
"It wasn't like this hundreds of years ago. There were plants and stuff," Aerith sighed, "But I suppose it wasn't profitable enough to be taken care of. Now it seems to just be a stopover for vagrants."
"Hm…" Riley nodded as he started eating; but as soon as the tip of his tongue touched the food, he quickly retracted his head and placed the spoon back on the table,
"I think the taste of the food is most lacking in this place, mother. I am confident I could cook better if I have my tools."
"...I thought you didn't remember anything?"
"I remember that," Riley shrugged.
"Wait…" Aerith once again looked Riley straight in the eyes, "Are you sure you don't–"
"It's them!"
And before Aerith could finish her words, a familiar voice thundered throughout the entire dining hall. Everyone eating in the hall quickly turned their heads towards the noise, only to see the purple-skinned humanoid responsible for entry into the gates of the city, Ruman.
And behind Ruman, were several armored individuals– armored to the point that they almost looked like robots. But from all the species and races that were here, perhaps it wouldn't be farfetched to think they actually were.
And then, everyone then turned their heads towards where Ruman was pointing– all except two, because they were the ones being pointed at.
"Don't do anything rash," Aerith could only whisper as she stood up with both her arms in the air, "We don't want to attract any attention, just follow my lead."
"Okay, mother," Riley nodded as he too raised his hand in the air and slowly stood up.
"You two!" Ruman then stomped his way towards Aerith and Riley's table, "Arrest these two in violation of Code 522! You thought you could just enter the city!?"
"What is it saying, mother?" Riley could only glance at Aerith as he could not understand a word Ruman was saying.
"Just relax. They…
…are just taking us to our hotel."
***
"Quite a small hotel they have for us, mother. One might think we're in jail."
"..."
And so, Riley and Aerith were now inside some sort of… metal box. Perhaps that was really the only way to describe it. No windows, no furniture, not even a visible door.
"Well then," Riley then slowly sat on the floor… before proceeding to lay down, "Have a goodnight, mother. You need it more than me because you've been dragging me through space for an entire year now."
"Wait… how do you know that?"
"I've been awake the whole time, mother."
"Then why didn't you say anything!?"
"...Because I forgot how to do anything. I don't remember anything, mother."
"You--"
Suffice to say, Aerith was doing her best not to just burst through everything right now.