Villain Retirement

"Why… are you suddenly asking me about both your mothers?"

"Because I gained information in prison that Diana and Alice may have known each other while Alice was in prison."

"This… is the first I heard of that."

"Diana Ross might also be a super, Miss Empress."

"...What?"

Even with the wind that was violently blowing through her face, The confusion and surprise in Empress's voice could still be heard clearly and cleanly. If there was land that she could probably land on below the skies, then she would have probably already fallen from the sudden revelation she just heard.

Diana Ross… a super?

"You… heard that from prison?" Empress almost stuttered her words.

"Yes, Miss Empress," Riley nodded; his still hair, almost a contrast to Empress's hair which almost shivered from the resistance of the violent gust, "That is why I can not fully trust the information. After all, the prison is filled with liars."

"...Why not just ask your father?"

"Bernard and I have not really gotten the chance to talk to each other, Miss Empress. If I am right, then he is most probably avoiding me."

"..."

"If you know nothing about Diana, then can you answer another of my question, Miss Empress?"

"What is it now?"

"Why do you think Bernard allowed me to do all the things I did?" Riley asked as he slightly tilted his head towards Empress, "He could have helped stop what I have become and what I will become, Miss Empress."

"Because he is your father," Empress replied without any hesitation.

"For that reason alone?"

"And because Bernard is an insanely troubled man," the tone of Empress's voice slowly became sedated, "A truly broken man. He was already like that even before your sister was born– A man with that kind of knowledge always be alone no matter how many people surround him. And the only thing keeping him sane are his children."

"But to keep a monster like me free in the first place is already insanity, Miss Empress," Riley shook his head, finally allowing his hair to slightly flow in the air, "Alistair Reuben was the closest one to ever really make a difference. Unfortunately for him, he hurt my sister."

"..."

"Don't you find it funny, Miss Empress?"

"Hm?"

"That the people who had the capacity to end me were all humans?" Riley let out a small and very short sigh.

"Megawoman was not."

"Megawoman can not end me, Miss Empress," Riley once again sighed, "None of you can. At the very least, it is what I believe. But I suppose none of those really matter because I am now truly without end– or at least until Megawoman says otherwise."

"...What do you mean?"

"I believe Megawoman is immortal. And therefore I am."

"You… copied Megawoman's powers?"

And this time, Empress stopped her flight– causing the cloud beneath her to be blown away into almost an arc.

"I suppose, Miss Empress," Riley also stopped; but unlike with Empress, he did not disturb any of the natural forces around him, "I believe I already told you that you were right in your assumption that I can copy the powers of those that are super-abled in one of our previous conversations? Of course, I would copy Megawoman's powers."

"But… to what extent?" Empress's breaths started to slightly stagger as she looked at Riley's entire silhouette.

"All of them."

And with just those words, the fear that Empress have been securely hiding deep within her started to surface; almost like a shadow that was eating away the candle that she so dearly tried to cover.

And with the light fading, so did Riley's white exterior– replaced with nothing but the dark. Throughout their interactions, Empress has almost forgotten that the entity she was talking to was nothing but a monster.

But still, there was something that Empress truly wanted to know, even if it would cause it her life.

"...How?" Empress then let out a long and stuttering breath.

"Hm?" Riley tilted his head.

"How are you able to copy people's powers?" Empress gulped, "I know your grandmother can copy abilities by having physical contact with another super. I am not too sure to what extent, but hers is temporary… but you… how do you do it?"

Of course. Empress knew that what she was asking Riley was not something he would probably give away meaninglessly, but–

"I die, Miss Empress."

"...What?"

"Each time I die, I live again having the powers of the one who killed me," Riley blinked a couple of times as he faced Empress,

"It is quite a powerful ability, don't you think?"

"...What?" Empress started to slowly descend from the sky as she heard Riley's words,

"Are you… fucking with me right now?"-- Were the only words she could muster. Why would he just casually say that to her, someone who took an oath to end his life? Why would he reveal something like that…

…and so casually?

Was that it? Was he joking?

And as soon as she thought of that, Empress started to force out a chuckle, "You… you're fucking with me, right?"

"No, Miss Empress," Riley once again blinked a couple of times, "My penis is not in any of your orifices. I thought we were talking about my ability?"

"What the fuck…" Empress's breaths stuttered as her body continued to descend, "Why… why was someone like you granted a power like that? Why… you? And how… how does a power like that even work? How… how can you even come back to life when–"

"I do not know the answer to that question, Miss Empress," Riley shook his head as he also descended and followed Empress, "How does your power work?"

"You…" Empress was no longer looking at Riley and was just instead shaking her head as she looked down.

"At first, I thought my powers were just telekinesis. But when Replica Ricky stabbed me when I was just starting as Darkday, he killed me. I didn't think I lost consciousness…

…I just knew I died. And– are you still listening, Miss Empress?"

"Y… Yes?" Empress only turned her eyes as she instinctively answered Riley's question.

"Okay. Talking to you reminds me of my talks with Megawoman, it is quite comfortable. Maybe because you were one of her students?" Riley let out a small smile as the two continued to slowly fall,

"And so, when I was reborn, the knife was still lodged in my back…" Riley then continued his story, "...Diley pulled it out and operated it on me, closing the wound just as Diana and Bernard taught me."

"Diley?" Empress's words just floated in the air, "Your… clone?"

"The very first one, Miss Empress," Riley nodded; almost as if proud of himself, "And like how I know I died, I know how to use Replica Ricky's abilities. But since I was still confused, I decided to ask for Replica Ricky's help. He tried to escape for some reason, so Diley and I put him in the arctic. Did you know I also shared this info with Megawoman?"

Empress no longer knew what to believe as Riley's words keep on piercing her ears. The information that was being shared with her right now was truly only something one could watch in a movie.

A being that grew stronger every time it died? Then wouldn't the name Phoenix suit Riley more than his own mother? But why…

"...Why did it have to be to someone like you? Why was someone like you granted that–" And before Empress could finish her words, a realization came to her as she replayed Riley's story over and over in her head.

"Wait… Wait," Empress's descent to the ground stopped; the sea, only meters away from their feet now, "If you gain the powers… doesn't that mean… doesn't that mean that…"

Alice Lane… killed Riley. On that day 17 years ago… Riley died. Then wouldn't this mean…

"All of this…" Empress's lips started to shiver as she looked at Riley, "You… I created you?"

"...You're not my biological mother, Miss Empress."

"No… I could have stopped… I could have stopped you from ever becoming Darkday," Empress forced out a chuckle as tears suddenly trailed on her face, "I was… I was there… I could have stopped…"

"Yes. Grandmother Charlotte told me the story, Miss Empress," Riley nodded, "But I believe I would have become Darkday either way. It…

…is just what I am meant to be."

"...No," Empress shook her head as memories of Riley as an infant surfaced from her mind;

His smile, albeit always creepy even back then, was a smile of happy innocence.

The way he liked to be cuddled.

His high-pitched waves of laughter that whispered throughout their previous base.

The little words he learned every day and always tried to use to talk to the others…

"Oh… no," Empress covered her face as her frustrations came out like a wailing woe,

"You… you weren't meant to be a monster."

All these years of Empress masquerading as a hero; all these years that she tried to save people. All this time… she wasn't able to save the one life that would have truly made an impact on the entire world–

"You…"

Empress then turned to look Riley straight in the eyes,

"...You were meant to be the best of us."