Villain Retirement

"What did you say your name was again?"

"Jobedin."

"We'll handle your request, Jobedin."

As far as his facial expressions could go, the worm-like humanoid, Jobedin, smiled as soon as he heard Hera's words. Although he didn't really expect much from the two strangers, it was better than nothing.

Jobedin is a famous tradesman—if a customer gets apprehended and arrested while dealing with him, then his reputation would suffer drastically. It also helped that one of the strangers was a local… and a good-looking local at that, she would, for sure, have a way to get Nana and her crew from their current predicament.

"Thank you, thank you!" Jobedin wagged his neck along with his head, "I will send you the coordinates now, thank you. And please… don't tell this to anyone."

"Y–"

And before Hera could even respond, the screen immediately switched to a map; presumably showing the location where Nana and her crew are being held.

"Why did you accept, Miss Hera? I already refused it," Riley's quiet and not-so-subtle sigh pierced Hera's ears as he stood behind her, "We should not be prioritizing the side quests and should do the main quests instead."

"...You play video games?"

"I used to dabble. But no, I only stated something Gary would say in the situation, Miss Hera."

"That idiot really has a large influence on you… and you're probably the only person where I am not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Every influence is good, Miss Hera. It is only up to the influenced whether or not he or she would take it positively and harness it."

"...Since when did you become so wise?" Hera could really only roll her eyes before focusing on the map, "Anyway, we should think of a plan to get Nana and her crew out."

"Why?"

"...Because we owe her at least that? And besides, it's your fault she's being apprehended in the first place."

"If this was Earth, would you try and rescue someone being held by customs?"

"The… the laws are looser here."

"Is law your measure for moral—"

"Stop it with the Gandhi stuff!" Hera rolled her fists in frustration, "Nana knows who you are! Do you think she'll really try to hide it from the authorities if they pressure her!?"

"But I am not trying to hide my identity, Miss Hera. There is no need for—"

"Can you just stop!?"

'What the fuck was she doing!?'-- is Hera's current thoughts as she stomped her foot on the floor and stared Riley straight in the eyes. It's true that she had some leeway for dealing with Riley since he has taken a liking to her and because he considered her a proxy to Aerith…

…but suddenly lashing out at a literal killing machine?

"I have had it with your childish shenanigans!" But still, she could not help herself.

"You are a selfish little prick that only thinks about himself! You think just because you're on the fucking spectrum or whatever that excuses your behavior!? And I don't even blame your parents or the people around you, because most of the people around you are actually decent people! It's you! You are the problem, Riley Ross! Your refusal to just outright change even though every opportunity is and has been presenting itself to you so many times!"

"..."

"You fucking psychopathic murderer that probably gets off seeing blood and flesh! You're disgusting! If I had the choice of just leaving you here, I would. But I can't because destiny or fate or whatever seems to want us to be together right here and right now. I am stuck with you and it's fucking not fair."

"..."

"What? You think I actually like you? No," Hera let out an almost maniacal chuckle,

"I am afraid of you, Riley. I am so freaking terrified of you. And you know what? I bet you— Paige, Tomoe, Scarlet Mage? The women you think are with you because they accept who you are? I bet they are even more afraid than me… They abhor you, Riley. They are staying with you because, like me, they have no choice. We are your hostage…

…everyone on Earth is your hostage."

"..."

"You have no one, Riley Ross. Your sister? Do you really think she's by your side because she loves you and cares for you?"

"..."

"No. Fuck no. She's beside you because she knows that if things go sideways, she is probably the only one that has a chance to stop you. Out of all of us, out of all the people in the Universe…

…Hannah is your greatest and most pitiful hostage."

"..."

"Everyone could see it. All of us are just tolerating you because we have no choice. You are Death itself, Riley. No, no, no…" Hera once again laughed manically as she wagged her finger at Riley's face, "You are Destruction. Because you don't just stop at death, that's not enough for you, oh no. You need to obliterate and destroy everything."

"...Okay," Riley looked to the side.

"Okay!? That's all you have to fucking say!?" Hera, however, immediately grabbed his head and faced it in front of her again, "Say something! Be a human for once!"

"What is there to say, Miss Hera?" Riley leaned his head back and sighed, "Everything you said, I already know."

"And that is what's so frustrating about you, Riley! You know… You know and you refuse to change! Over and over again, like a broken tape you just repeat everything. You said you are trying to be human, but there is more to being human than imitating the way we speak and our actions, Riley. You— just what is it!? Just what is it that would make you tick?"

"..."

"Your biological mother died, your closest clone died. What needs to happen to you for you to actually change!?" Even after more than a minute of screaming, Hera's voice showed no signs of weakening,

"Even the worse characters in fiction have more character development than. Even the freaking clown terrorist got depressed and changed when his adversary died, but you!? What will it take to change you!? I don't even care if it's for the better, just change!"

"..."

"Who has to die for you to change!? Hannah!?"

"Me."

"What?"

"I am the one who has to die for me to change, Hera. I—"

"Ack, stop it with the pity party," Hera just stuck out her tongue and scoffed as she heard Riley's words, "That might work on your harem, but that emo-shit just doesn't do it for me, okay?"

"..."

"I don't even know why I am talking to a literal doormat. I am going to try and see if I can get Nana and her kids out, you can just stay here if you want."

And with those words and another scoff, Hera walked away; not even looking back as her steps became faster and faster until she was out of Riley's sight.

"..." As for Riley, he just stood there.

"..."

"..."

"...Hm," he then nodded to himself several times, before just looking up to nowhere in particular.

"..."

"Well…"

A heavy breath then escaped his mouth as he turned toward the map on the screen, the beeping noise it produced, causing his lips to slightly twitch downward. He stared at the screen for a few seconds…

…before suddenly punching it.

***

"Oh, shit. Oh, shit."

Outside in the crystal streets, the only thing that Hera could hear was the beating of her heart which was probably loud enough to echo throughout the entire planet. If her nerves could also talk, then they would probably be wailing and screaming at her right now.

Did she just lash out at Riley and asked him what would make him tick? Riley? The literal time bomb… she asked what makes him tick?

"Stupid, stupid," Hera muttered to herself, not even realizing that she was pushing other people to the side as she continued to walk the streets… and unfortunately for her— one of the people she happened to bump into was a guard.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

"What? Get the fuck out of my— Oh."

And so, with that, Hera also found herself locked up.

"..."

"...Is that you, Hera?"

"Yes."

"...Why do you look like a local?"

"Long story."

And it just so happens that her cell was beside Captain Nana. Like most of their infrastructure, even the cells were made of crystal—with circular holes on them probably for air circulation.

And as they were crystals, Nana and Hera could see each other quite… clearly.

"I actually came to get you out… legally," Hera sighed as she leaned her back on the wall, "You… didn't say anything about our friend, did you?"

"Friend?" Nana blinked a couple of times, but widened her eyes as soon as she realized who Hera meant, "No! No, of course not! You have to believe me, I—"

"I believe you," Hera once again sighed as she looked at Nana's panicking trods, "What about your children? You think they're going to say something?"

"They don't know anything," Nana shook her head, "I didn't tell them who he is."

"And where are they right now?"

"They… are being interrogated. They won't say anything, I promise."

"It's fine, it's fine. We need to worry about how we can get out of here," Hera started to look around, "We can't just escape—I don't want to be committing crimes on a foreign planet."

"What… what about our… friend?" Nana's voice became quieter as she subtly stepped closer to Hera's cell.

"What about him?"

"...You think he'll get us out?"

"Honestly, I don't know if that will be a good thing or not...

...for this planet, I mean."

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