Villain Retirement

The Supervirus.

That is what Diana called the virus that created the supers of Earth. Riley did not really bother asking her for more information, and Diana didn't seem to have any more information to give anyway.

The origin and cause of the virus are unknown, it was impossible to trace it as Diana arrived on Earth too late—and whatever caused the virus to sprout probably dated back to the dawn of the homo sapiens. She had been on Earth for a thousand years, and she seemed to have only scratched the surface of the planet's mystery.

The infection rate is extremely low, and the only reason it spread the way it did was that people were unaware that it was even a virus in the first place. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to stop it.

One thing was for sure, though—the virus is airborne.

"...Why didn't I know about this?"

"Your parents are inferior, Miss Hera."

"...Excuse me?"

"A virus… that grants special abilities?" 

Nana's eyes widened more and more as she continued to listen to Riley's explanation. Nana was inherently a skeptic—she wouldn't have left her home planet at a very young age and become a scavenger if she wasn't; after all, her family has… means.

If she was told that there was a virus out there that just carelessly grants people special abilities, she would have probably just laughed her way out of the Known Universe. But now, how could she even doubt? 

And how could she even laugh… when she was sitting on the floor with her left hand now a literal cannon?

"If… if it's a virus, then does that mean we can cure it?" Nana then said as she gently and very slowly stood up, careful not to… release any more of whatever her hand-cannon released.

"There is no known cure, Captain Nana."

"Does that mean my hand will be like this forever!?"

"No. You are just experiencing pre-releases, Captain Nana."

"...Why do I feel relieved and weirded out at the same time?" Nana didn't know whether to laugh or not at Riley's wording. But after knowing that her hand would return to normal, the beating of her heart that was almost visible from her tiny pair of bosom started to calm down.

"O… Oh!?" And as her breaths became lighter, the cannon in her hand soon started to wiggle; turning smaller and smaller until her hand began to take shape again. And in just seconds, her hand that she thought was gone forever was waving at her once again.

"It…. it really did turn back to normal," Nana could really only stare in amazement at her hand.

"This… is crazy, Riley."

Nana wasn't the only one whose eyes were popping out of their sockets, Hera also stared at Nana as all sorts of thoughts entered her mind.

"Wait… wouldn't this mean we're infecting everyone that we come across?" Hera slightly gasped as she looked Riley in the eyes, "Isn't that… quite dangerous?"

"How so, Miss Hera?" Riley tilted his head to the side.

"We're infecting people!"

"The humans survived and learned to live with the supervirus, it stands to reason that a more advanced civilization would do even better, Miss Hera."

"That's what I am afraid of! What if… what if they realized we're the source and they start freaking going to Earth to gain abilities!?"

"Then they would die like the rest of the alien invaders Earth has been having the past few years, Miss Hera," Riley shrugged, "We have been on two planets belonging to two different species. Have you noticed what they have in common?"

"...What?"

"They are weak, Miss Hera."

"..."

"Mother and Aerith have mentioned this to me before. But if we were to be formally introduced and registered to the Known Universe, Humans, without a doubt, will belong to the Higher Races."

"But not all of us are equal, Riley," Hera breathed out, "The majority of our population is still normal. And with the supers, there are those that are not even meant for combat."

"But hasn't that always been the case, Miss Hera? I am confused as to why you are mentioning it."

"You—"

"Uh, guys."

And before Hera could retort, Nana interrupted the two of them. They didn't even need to ask why she called their attention, as a few moments later, the lights in the control deck started to flicker and turn red.

"...What now?" Hera closed her eyes, before letting out a hearty sigh and joining Nana in front of her station,

"Why is it doing that?" Hera didn't really understand the things that were popping up from the monitor, but even a toddler knows that they were warnings.

"Something… something is following us from behind," Nana said as she started tapping the monitor to try and figure out what it was.

"Following us from—but we're on hyperdrive. That's possible?" Hera raised an eyebrow, before checking to see if they truly still were on hyperdrive.

"It is. It's just… one has to drive manually and it's almost impossible to find a pilot that good. There… there's only two that I know of that are capable of doing something like that!" Nana's eyes started to widen as she seemed to realize something; her hands, now frantically tapping the monitor. But then, all of a sudden, a large hole suddenly decorated her terminal.

"..."

And what's worse, was that it came from her hand cannon.

"A pre-release. It is quite common for people who have just awakened their abilities, Captain Nana."

"No… no, no!" Nana covered her mouth with her normal hand, "We… we need to escape!"

[Overriding controls. Deactivating Hyperdrive in 3…]

"...Oh no," Nana's voice turned almost monotonous as the barriers that covered the windows of her ship started to retract. What awaited them, however, was not the darkness of the expanse of space—but a violent light that seeped through the windows and drowned each and almost every millimeter of the Taladier.

It wasn't a star, no; as very soon, the light started to dim, which allowed Nana to see what it was—her worst fears actualized.

"The Bloodcruiser."

"That's… a fitting name." Hera blinked a couple of times; her eyelids, which created another thin and translucent layer to shade her from the sudden burst of light, slowly returning to normal as she stared at the large ship that was now floating in front of them.

The spaceship was similar to the shape of an Earth's naval ship—except more ominous because of the weird bright red smoke that it was emitting from everywhere.

"Let me guess…" Hera then slowly turned her head toward Nana, "Pirate Queen Xra?"

Nana didn't really return Hera's gaze as she just very slowly nodded and gulped.

"...Ever noticed how shit just happens whenever we have a serious conversation?" Hera then turned to Riley.

"As I told you, Miss Hera. Trouble finds me because I am the—"

"Last boss, I know. I know," Hera sighed and rolled her eyes, "So… what's the plan here?"

"They've… hijacked our controls," Nana muttered. And almost as if on cue with her words, the Taladier started flying toward the Bloodcruiser.

"Riley, do something!" Hera said as her light brown skin very slowly started to turn grey, "My body's acting up, these guys aren't inviting us for a friendly meal."

"..."

"We… we're going to meet the Pirate Queen?" Nana's entire body shivered; her hand cannon, instinctively retracting back to her normal hand just from the sheer thought.

She knew this forced journey of hers would be crazy—she practically had a Ranker as a cargo, after all. But her hand turning into a cannon? She hasn't even fully processed that and now her ship is being pulled straight to the jaws of the Bloodcruiser.

It all just really feels surreal at this point, like a dream.

"Yes… this… this is a dream."

"Don't lose your mind now!" Hera quickly said as she saw Nana smiling, "Riley, why aren't you doing anything!?"

"Hm," Riley only hummed in response as a part of the Bloodcruiser started to open up. And like a whale swallowing a fish, the Taladier didn't really have any choice but to just be swept to the inside of the space mammoth.

"...We're really doing this, huh?" Hera's body started to grow in size; her muscles, almost emitting a scratching sound as they contracted, "This should've been a vacation."

Hera's eyes moved and scanned the hangar, but aside from more than a dozen other ruined ships, the surprise attack she was expecting never really came. And instead, the Taladier just gently and carefully landed at the very center of the hanger that was free of any debris and clutter.

And with the sound of a hiss, all of Taladier's hatch and exit points opened up.

"W—"

And before any of them could even say anything, the three found themselves suddenly falling as the Taladier… split and was torn into pieces.

The three of them managed to land unscathed on the cold steel floor, except for Riley's whose feet were still really only floating and inches away from touching the floor.

"Riley, why did you do that!?" Hera raised her voice as she looked at Nana, only to see her eyes trembling as she looked at the remains of her ship.

"I did not do that, Miss Hera. I don't enjoy destroying the property of others."

"What? Then—" And before Hera could finish her words, a spot of light landed meters in front of them, revealing a group of people that were just looking at them with different expressions on their faces.

And right at the very center of them, was a familiar woman that Hera has seen before— Pirate Queen Xra, and in her hand… was Little Riley.

"Boss, I—" And before Little Riley could finish his words, Xra suddenly bit off his head.

"Well then…

…Nice to finally meet you."

***NEW BOOK***

Author here, I just came from the future to announce that I have a new book called 'Frankenstein Untold'. It's probably the last book i'll be writing in a while if it doesn't work out. Do give it a try if you have time!

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