Villain Retirement

"Should… we know anything?"

"Yes, that none of you know anything, and the same could be said of me."

"That's… really helpful."

Somewhere, Karina was currently walking beside death; the two of them, slowly marching on a seemingly endless bridge that was made of particles of light of different colors. The particles were coming alive with each of their steps, growing into something before just joining the bridge again and fading away.

Other than the bridge, however, everything around them was a blur. There were images that Karina could almost make out of, but at the same time, they were completely unfamiliar.

"Then can I ask you something else…?"

"What is it, child?"

"You said it would only be me, Dad, and another one already waiting on the other side, so…" Karina then glanced at Riley, who was walking ahead of them even though he had no idea where they were going. And walking beside him while holding his hand was…

"...Why did you have to bring Enel?"

It was Enel, who was just pointing at the images and laughing at them as if he could actually make them out.

"I know Esme was alright with it, but she's Esme," Karina let out a small sigh as she looked at Enel, who needed to take several steps just to be able to walk beside Riley, "Enel's completely powerless, like a normie."

"What is there to worry about if your father is by his side?" Death smiled, "And I would also like to observe him, whether or not he could really see a world above our own."

"Seriously, how many fucking layers do I need to know that we have?" Karina let out a small groan as she turned around to face Death and started walking backward, "All I know is that there's our world, and then the others like it, and then there's the so-called domains that the gods can have but is still within the multiverse, and then there's your world outside the multiverse—"

"Where we are heading to. You may call it the Outerverse."

"Like the comics," Karina raised her finger, "And then there's this place that is further outside of that where the likes of Nothing exists?"

"Hm. We do not really have a name for it."

"Then let me officially call it the Nothingverse."

"That does not really work, since there are other beings that also live there."

"You've got to be kidding me, right? What else is out there other than Nothing?" Karina raised an eyebrow.

"I… do not know," Death shook her head, "The way you treat my existence is the way I treat the existence of Nothing and the others like him."

"Others… Otherverse? No, that does not really work — Furtherverse?"

"That could work," Death pointed at Karina.

"So, yeah. The Furtherverse exists outside the outside," Karina placed her hand on her chin, "And you are telling me that there is something further than that, and my brother can talk to the beings who live there?"

"Maybe," Death shrugged.

"...That's wild," Karina rolled out a breath as she turned around to walk by Death's side again, "What about this place, then? Where are we?"

"We are technically already outside the multiverse," Death slightly crouched to grab some of the particles they were stepping on, "Each particle you see here is a universe."

"Wha—!!!" Karina quickly stopped walking, balancing herself with both hands as she looked at Death with wide eyes, "Why didn't you say anything!? And what the fuck!? Why am I carelessly walking on universes!?"

"You… are not walking on them, it does not work like that," Death let out a small laugh as she saw Karina panicking, "We are powerful, yes — beyond any concepts, and beyond anything you could think of — but we are not all-powerful in a sense that we could just step on universes and destroy them as we wish."

"But technically, you could?" Karina then started walking again; her steps, clumsy and full of hesitation.

"I could, but why?" Death blinked a couple of times before she dropped the particles she was holding; falling like sand before joining the others again and creating a sea of worlds.

"...If only Dad asked the same question," Karina sighed.

"You do not have to walk like that, you know," Death also sighed as Karina's awkward walk was starting to get to her, "This is just a representation of the universes."

"Just how many are there?" Karina breathed out, "And you are telling me… that the gods fucked all of these universes?"

"Yes," Death sighed.

"Why are all of them still so colorful, then?"

"A universe has to be claimed by Ruin in order to truly die," Death let out another sigh; this time a hint of regret escaping along her lips, "He has not claimed any universes ever since I have been gone."

"Your siblings — they've been alive for like an eternity, and you're telling me that just because you and that other guy were gone for just 600 years… they've become different?" Karina raised an eyebrow,

"That's sort of… weak, no?"

"Ah!" Enel, who was walking ahead of them, pointed at Karina as soon as she said that, "One of the Big Eyes said the same!"

"They did?" Death quickly turned to look at Enel before looking up, "Interesting, are you saying they could hear us right now?"

"..." Enel did not really say anything else as he was quickly distracted by all the lights; pulling away Riley to point at the images appearing around them.

"To answer your question and the curiosity of those who are watching us…" Death then turned to look at Karina, "...The only time us Primordials have been apart is our birth — we are all completely different… people, but we are one and the same in the sense that we are a collective unit. One can not function without the other. You have seen what happened to the universe in my and Elementia's absence."

"..."

"I am telling you this now, but all of you were actually on the verge of ceasing to exist there and then," Death closed her eyes.

"...What?"

"Elementia," Death then looked Karina in the eyes, "He embodies everything that you touch and everything you need to survive. That is the reason for the so-called Blink, in just the span of a millisecond, half of your population disappeared — if Celestial did not act as fast as she did to shoulder Elementia's job, then all of you would have perished there and then—no, not you. Riley Ross's children are different."

"Wait, so… you're saying…" Karina's breaths started to turn heavy as she realized something, "...that if this Celestial chick did not do anything… then I would have been the only one alive until you and Dad came back?"

"Yes," Death answered without any hesitation.

"We… were that close to being annihilated, and we didn't even know it?" Karina did not really know how to react anymore — she was now playing in a field that was league's above her own, even as Riley's child, "I feel like…

…we're just toys being played with."

"We are all just pieces working together," Death smiled, "From the most insignificant nano organism living in a microscopic universe to us, the Primordials — in the grandest scheme of things, we are all just equals."

"Oh my god, you did the speech," Karina covered her face, "But seriously, if you brought Enel… couldn't you have just brought my other brothers and sister too?"

"You want to expose them to the potential dangers of the Outerverse?"

"You brought my younger brother! And what is even out there!?" Karina raised both her hands, "It's just that... I've wanted to spend more time with them, you know? It's like they've only been introduced and now I'm separated from them, for god knows how long. And you said the Outerverse is empty!"

"Was empty," Death almost hummed.

"Stop being so cryptic and just tell me!"

"The Outerverse is not like the multiverse," Death let out a sigh as she gestured to Karina to just continue walking, "It is a plane, several planes which correspond to a certain Primordial. All of them are connected to each other, or more specifically, compressed. We exist in different planes, but at the same time, we live in one."

"You said that fully knowing of how confusing it still sounds."

"It sounds more complicated than it is," Death shook her head, "Imagine a door that is always there no matter where you walk, but you can never reach that door unless you intend to — and that door leads to wherever you need to be at that moment, that is how the Outerverse works…

…worked."

"You mean it's different now?"

"Completely — it has become similar to your world," Death sucked in a deep breath, "And the reason so is that the one who made it so is from your world — Paige Pearson. We are nearly there, only a few more steps, you will see for yourself the world she created."

"You are being very weird about this," Karina said; light, soon started veiling them as they arrived at their destination, "But who did you say we should be wary again?"

"The Eternal Child," Death shook her head, "But you do not have to worry, he only wakes up when something interesting happens."

"Something interesting…?" Karina raised an eyebrow as Death's silhouette and hers soon disappeared due to the bright light, "...Like now?"

"...I hope not."

Karina felt her consciousness fading away — no, if anything, she felt herself waking up as the bright light faded away, and soon, the scenery of a city appeared before her. A city she had not seen before, but still familiar due to all the planets she had been on.

And if there was one word she could use to explain it… it would be fantasy.

"Aunt Paige… what have you done this time?" Karina took in a small gulp. She had really only known Paige for a few years, but she knew of how… weird she could be if she wanted to. But she also knew how kind she was, there was also a time Paige took care of her when she ran away, sheltering and hiding her in her orphanage.

"Riley Ross, Karina Ross, and Enel Ross," Death then let out a sigh as she stood in front of the three, "I would say I welcome you home — but I too, barely recognize this place. For now…

…let's just meet with your friend, Riley. I am sure she is eager to meet you again."