Villain Retirement

"The situation outside seems to be subsiding, Megawoman."

"Oh, you don't have to worry. We'll go and save some people soon, I'm just waiting for something to arrive."

"No, it's nothing. It's a surprise."

"Oh, look! They're talking about you again."

Back in Megawoman's room in the Hope Guild, Megawoman was once again lying on bed with the oxygen mask attached to her face. Riley didn't really know whether it had any effect or not, but he still returned the mask since it might be more comfortable for her.

Riley also grabbed one of the TV from the meeting hall and placed it in Megawoman's room so she could watch the news. Well, she was still completely unconscious with her eyes closed, but Riley was sure she could hear everything.

After all, until now, she still has not let go of his hand. It made everything difficult to do, but Riley didn't really seem to mind. He was ready to share everything with Megawoman.

Riley has been trying to open several topics to see if Megawoman would react again like she did when he mentioned something about her race– but nothing. He even tried mentioning Theran again, but Megawoman no longer responded.

He even tried prying Megawoman's hand open… but found himself having a very hard time in doing so. If he was right, then the Megawoman sleeping right now was much stronger than the one he fought in the Battle of Toronto.

"..." A small smile slowly crawled on Riley's face as he imagined her waking up already. He was looking forward to finally talking to her, sure… but he was more excited in fighting her again.

"...Just when did I get so attached to you, Megawoman?" Riley then let out a small breath as he glanced at Megawoman's face,

"I know when you got attached to me," Riley muttered as he raised the hand that Megawoman was grabbing, "But for me, I do not know exactly when. Was it when we fought to the death? Was it during our talks? Or maybe because you're the only one that could possibly feel what I feel?"

"..."

"Just kidding," Riley then let out a small chuckle as he dropped his hand back on the bed, "You and I are nothing alike…

…You are more human than I am, Megawoman."

"..."

"Do you think– Oh."

Riley blinked a couple of times; abruptly stopping his words as he looked to the side.

"..." And he remained like this for a couple of minutes… until the door suddenly opened, revealing Ellie who was holding some sort of paper bag.

"Hello!" And Diley was also with her, suddenly leaning his head out of the doorway and slightly pushing Ellie to the side as he stepped to Megawoman's room.

"Ellie has what you asked for, boss," Diley then trotted towards Megawoman and Riley; his eyes, almost glimmering and glittering as he stared at Megawoman's face,

"It… really is her, Boss," Diley then immediately moved to the corner of the room, his somewhat exaggerated sniffles, whispering in the air.

As for Ellie, the only thing she could really do was move deeper into the room. Of course, the room was by no means deep, but it almost felt like she was walking through a very wide field as she saw Riley– no. As she saw Megawoman holding Darkday's hand.

These two people were someone that she never thought she could actually reach… but now they were in front of her. Ellie knew that what the Dark Millenium told her were lies since Darkday wasn't even really the leader, but right now… she didn't really know who to be afraid of.

Megawoman or Darkday. Dark Millenium ingrained in her mind that Megawoman was some sort of alien that was trying to conquer the Earth little by little– and that all the history about her being kind to humans was all fake.

And seeing her holding Darkday's hand like this…

…maybe that was actually true?

Maybe Darkday and Megawoman were actually just playing with the people and were actually partners? A lot of thoughts raced inside Ellie's mind, almost to the point that she was even forgetting to breathe.

"Ms. Croft?"

She only woke up from her stupor when Riley's voice entered her ears. 

"W… what!?" She didn't notice it at first because of the paper bag blocking her view, but Riley's hand was already reaching toward her– causing her to suddenly take a few steps back in panic.

"W… what are you going to do to me!?" Ellie took in a short but very deep breath, "I… I promise I won't tell anyone that you and Megawoman are actually in cahoots together, please don't kill my brother!"

"..." Riley and Diley looked at each other as Ellie's stuttering words echoed in the room,

"The things I asked for you to purchase, Ms. Croft," Riley then said as he turned to face Ellie again, "I wish to have them now."

"What… do you plan to do with these?" Although Ellie was a bit hesitant, she still carefully dropped the paper bag on the floor as she once again took a few steps back, "Are you… trying to create some sort of evil concoction!?"

Diley, who was staying quiet on the side, could not help but almost snort as he heard Ellie's words; he recovered himself just as fast, however, as he slowly made his way to Ellie.

"Yes."

"..." Ellie could only take in a long and very deep breath as she saw the growing smile on Diley's face.

"We are going to create a poison that would eradicate all life on the planet using tamarind," Diley ominously said as he brushed his upper lip with his tongue.

"W… what!?"

"Oh yes," Diley nodded as the smile on his face grew wider and wider, "And with the free-range eggs we asked you to buy, we are going to create a monster– mixing chicken DNA with Megawoman and Riley's DNA."

"..." The fear on Ellie's face quickly disappeared as Diley's words entered her ears, "You're just going to cook, aren't you?"

"Oh wow, you're a genius," Diley then let out a giggle as he rushed towards Riley, placing his hand on Riley's shoulder as his giggles turned into a fit of laughter, "I… I told you she's the most fun amongst the guests, boss."

"We're cooking marinated soft-boiled eggs, cut in half and slathered with tamarind sauce and pork rinds, Ms. Croft," Riley then stood up as he let out a sigh; the paper bag on the floor, slowly floating beside him as he did so. Riley did not grab the bag, however, but instead gently lifted Megawoman from the bed instead.

"Let's go to the chicken," Riley then softly said as he gently crossed over his bounded hand in front of Megawoman so that he could comfortably carry her.

"...Are you sure you don't want me to cook, boss?" Diley muttered.

"No," Riley quickly shook his head,

"I… want to do this for her."

***

"...Why didn't we just take some of the eggs from the prison?"

"...Prison?"

"...The Guesthouse."

"Oh, because it wouldn't be authentic if the ingredients aren't from their country of origin."

"...What?"

In the lobby of the base of the Hope Guild, Ellie and Diley were currently seated at a table. Ellie, of course, still felt her heart beating faster than it should. But she had already spent almost a year in the Guesthouse with Diley talking to her almost every day.

She knew that Diley was just Riley's clone, but she could not help but stare at him and think that he… seemed even more human than Riley. The way he talked, his emotions– everything he did was so far away from being monotonous, from being Riley.

"Are… you sure you aren't the original?" Ellie then accidentally blurted out as she looked back and forth between Diley, and Riley, who was currently preparing in the kitchen.

"..." Diley glanced at Riley as he heard Ellie's question, "Now, what made you think that?"

"You just seem much more… authentic," Ellie muttered.

"4 years."

"Hm?"

"I have been in this world for about 4 years," Diley then turned his eyes back to Ellie, placing his elbows on the table as he leaned, "And in those 4 years, the number of people that grew in the Guesthouse became more and more. I learned how they talk, I learned how they processed their pain, their sadness, their happiness."

"..."

"I learned to be with people, I learned how to be them," Diley breathed out, "Boss didn't have that luxury until he entered the Academy."

"...But he has a family."

The corners of Diley's mouth slightly lowered as he shook his head, "The Ross's is what's wrong in the boss' life."

"...What?"

"We were homeschooled, and I could probably count the times we were able to go outside and socialize with other people," Diley said as he looked at his fingers, almost as if truly counting, 

"And then to top it all off, we were trained in different sets of martial arts. We weren't even able to express that we're tired and hurt because… we just weren't simply capable of expressing that yet."

"..." Ellie could only furrow her eyebrows as she listened to Diley's story, "...Are you actually blaming them for becoming what you– what Darkday is?"

"Oh no," Diley chuckled as he shook his head, "That's purely on us, I would know because there's this whisper inside my head…

…I'm just saying they made it easier for us to become what we are."

"...Does he also feel like that?" Ellie said as she looked at Riley.

"Who knows. He knows what we feel and what we see, but we only know what he wants us to know," Diley shrugged, "And what I do know…

…is that I was able to move away from the Ross's when I was brought into existence and be with other people. The boss had to stay another 4 years with them...

...I am just a version of the boss if he was given the chance to interact with other people."

"But… what about his sister?"

"Hannah is special," a smile returned on Diley's face, "Hannah… was the only thing in our lives that made sense. She was the only one that truly tried to make an effort to understand us. The only reason why we're not giving up on the whispers that we're hearing is probably because of her."

"These… whispers," Ellie took in a small gulp, "What are they saying?"

"It's an urge, much like a thirst," the sides of Diley's mouth began to tremble as he looked Ellie straight in the eyes, "Telling us over and over again…

…to kill you. All of you."