Villain Retirement

VR 1064

"Stop it... please, stop it."

"Do you not see it, your potential?"

"I don't want... I don't want this!"

"Then kill yourself, Victoria."

"That..."

Horrifying was not even a word enough to describe what V was feeling right now. But of course, she could actually describe it. Her powers were leaking completely and she could do nothing to stop it, like how she could also do nothing to stop Riley from flying her across cities; the electricity, the lightning that was rampaging from her body, ravaging everything within her sight.

She wanted to close her eyes but was unable to do so as something seemed to be keeping them open. Riley could have just ripped her eyelids apart so that V could already know there was no hiding from this, but he kept them intact to just give V a sense of... hope that she could close her eyes.

But she can't. She can't escape the fact that her powers are currently shredding someone's skin. There were families trapped in their cars, dying so slowly until the electricity started to burn through the car; their screams, looping inside her head again and again-no.

"Please... please, stop this."

"You could just stop this yourself, Victoria," Riley shook his head as he continued to carry V by the head, letting her see all the carnage her powers were doing, "Kill yourself."

"I'm..." V gritted her teeth. And after a few seconds, she opened her mouth and tried to bite her tongue; but of course, Riley was actually not going to let V kill herself, at least not in the way she wanted.

"What is wrong, Victoria?" Riley smiled, "Are you truly not going to sacrifice yourself?" "You... you monster! Just kill me! Kill me!"

"All it takes is just one single spark, Victoria," Riley let out a small but very deep sigh as he pulled V's head closer and whispered to her ear, "Let all of your powers out in a single burst." "I can't..." V's tears evaporated before they could even trail down her cheeks.

"You could," Riley smiled, "These people would die either way you would be ending their suffering, and yours."

"That..." V whimpered; the green lightning that was crackling everywhere, getting even stronger with each streak. All V wanted was to be a hero, and now, her powers were being used to kill thousands and thousands of people,

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, everyone... I'm so sorry..."

V was finally allowed to close her eyes; light, now completely drowning her body, as well as Riley's.

"I'm... I'm taking you with me, Darkday! Know that you were defeated by all of us!"

And with those words, V let out all of her strength in one single swoop. Almost like cracking her entire existence and letting out one final spark which reverberated throughout the entire world.

And soon, she felt herself losing consciousness. Filled with regrets and sorrow, yes - but the relief that lives would never be lost again because of her overcame everything. She dies, still, for the people.

"Huh...?" Or so she thought.

Vonce again opened her eyes; waking up, and the first thing that welcomed her was the face of Riley smiling widely at her. She did not even move; tears just started trailing down her temples as soon as she realized that this evil beside her would not allow her to die at all, and just forever hate herself for what she had done.

"Good morning, Victoria."

"No."

"Do you want to see what you've done?"

"No... no."

V started shaking her head vehemently, not even wanting to move at all and just staring at the sky above her. Riley, of course, very gently lifted her up and once again pried her eyes open; this time, using his hands to do so.

And there, V just saw a crystal desert; reflecting the already fractured sky above them and just adding to the chaos. It was almost as if she woke up on a different planet.

But she knew... she knew that this was the aftermath of what she had done. The sea of crystals reflecting in her eyes may as well just be the souls she had taken.

"W...why...?" V could barely form a word; each of the breath escaping her lips was a culmination of a million stutters, "Why... why are you so evil...? You... you look like you're barely even older than me. So, why...? How can you be so evil? Why... what sort of... what sort of things have you experienced for you to become like this?"

"You should never try to find an excuse why someone is evil, Victoria," Riley let out a small sigh as he removed his hands from her face and patted her head, "Evil is evil, no matter what - and I am the worst of them all."

"Just kill me..." V whispered weakly.

"I will. I just want you to cherish this moment, Victoria," Riley let out a small chuckle, "Relish in it."

"I... I will never, never forgive myself for killing thousands and thousands of people."

"Thousands?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at V; a small hint of confusion forming on his face, "You did not kill thousands of people, Victoria."

"You mean... no... no," V gritted her teeth, "Did I... did kill everyone in the city? Millions of people... millions, I—"

"Billions, Victoria."

"W... what?" V's breaths became even more stuttered, unstable, "What... what do you mean?"

"I underestimated just how strong you actually are," Riley sighed, "I have never really used your powers, but I might start using them no-"

"What are you trying to say!?" V let out a scream that echoed through the sea of crystals surrounding them.

"You killed all of them, Victoria," Riley sighed, "You killed everyone on the surface of the planet, everything. The cute little animals too. I am actually thinking of restarting the entire trial — but that would mean Hannah 2.0 and our parents might return here, so perhaps not."

"I killed... I killed everyone?"

"Not all of them," Riley shook his head, "I could feel 2 still alive, Victoria. You know, I might actually try to find you outside. I believe it would be an experience to meet you again, seeing as how you are probably the person I have hurt mentally the most. What-"

And before Riley could finish his words, V suddenly disappeared.

"Oh...?" And as Riley started looking around, he felt his vision slightly shift. As soon as it did so, however, he took a deep breath and looked at the reason why - Tempo, punching him right on the cheek with a weight even stronger than a normal themarian's punch,

"...Interesting."

"The fuck...?" Tempo's eyes widened as he realized that Riley was actually looking at him. Riley was about to grab his wrist, but he ran away before Riley could do so; his silhouette, instantly disappearing into the horizon.

"I knew it," Riley smiled and nodded, "The strongest member of the Hope Guild."

And with those words, Riley also ran; the sound of a pulse, thumping in the air as he too,

disappeared into the horizon...

...to try and chase Tempo, fairly.

"Hello, Tempo."

"What the fuck!?"

And of course, Riley actually caught up to him in no time at all, running beside him while he

was carrying V. His eyes could really only widen as he hastened his steps, moving away from Riley in the blink of an eye- and for the very first time in his life, he had to look back...

because someone was chasing him.

But of course, this was already within their expectations.

"Empress," Tempo raised his voice as he spoke slowly, "Now!"

"Hm?" and before Riley could even wonder what was going on, Empress suddenly emerged from the crystal ground; her fists which seemed to be filled with an almost infinite amount of her power, meeting Riley's face which was going at a speed impossible to measure.

And with a roar from Empress, the two made contact.

Tempo did not have time to even see the outcome as the ground just began to tremble and

crack. He had to keep running, if not, the shockwave would literally shave him into a pulp. He

ran, and he ran, until it all finally calmed down...

....and what awaited him was Empress.

"Emp-!!!"

Half of her body, completely gone. The only thing he could really do was watch as she

dropped to the ruined ground.

"I have to give credit."

And as he heard Riley whispering in his ear, the only thing he did in response was gently place

Von the ground.

"If it were me from before, all of you might have actually won - but of course, only the

battle. I would have always found a way out," Riley smiled, "I respect you a lot, Tempo. I know how you tried to save Diley when the people from outer space appeared. And for that...

...I give you a quick death."

"Can I request a quick death for the kid too?" Tempo just fell onto his knees as he looked at V.

"She is already dead, Tempo."

"Oh, then-"

And before Tempo could even finish his words, his head dropped to the ground and rolled

toward V.

And with that, Riley finally got the chance to wipe out Earth, and it was more fun than he had

imagined.

"Now then," Riley then looked at the sky, "To Theran. But first...

...everywhere else in between."

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