Villain Retirement

"It says here you're diagnosed with ADHD?"

"Y… yes?"

"I see. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to take the test."

"...What?"

Silence. The lobby was filled with noise, but only the whistle of silence entered Paige's ears. She has dreamed of this moment ever since the establishment of the Tower 2 years ago… and yet now they were telling her that she couldn't even take the test?

"But… why?" Paige said as she scoured her documents before giving a paper to the receptionist, "I… I have the doctor's permission. I don't see why I'm not allowed to take the test?"

"Because you're not allowed."

"But–"

"Woman, you've been holding up the line!" And before Paige could say anything else, one of the people behind her on the line raised his voice.

"Don't be a Karen and just leave!"

"Please, just wait!" Paige turned around and screamed at the onlookers, "Just a minute!"

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I really can't let you take the test." The receptionist, however, remained adamant in her decision, "Next!"

"Wait, please– I have all you need, why aren't you letting me take the test!?" Paige moved to block the receptionist's view.

"Maybe because I just don't like you," the receptionist let out a small sigh as she shook her head.

"Is it because of my ADHD? Please, I have a letter saying I'm stable enough to take the test!" Paige did not let go, "R… Riley Ross was diagnosed as autistic and he was one of the best–"

"Those were simpler times. And you're not Riley Ross, are you?"

"That's–"

"Don't make me call security on you, ma'am."

"Please! I'm not going to leave, just give me the chance to take the test!" Paige almost hugged the counter as she pleaded, "Is… is it wrong for someone like me to want to help people!? I can go out there and be a hero, but then I'll be arrested since I don't have a license! Please!"

"..."

"It's not my fault we need a license to be a hero nowadays, so please!" Paige continued to beg.

Aerith, who was seated and relaxing in the lobby, was trying her best not to intervene. She thought that with Empress being the new leader of the World Government, things would at least change…

…but it would seem with everything that's been going on, superheroes were becoming more commercialized in a way. Empress might be planning something in the long run, but it shouldn't really matter to Aerith, at least not anymore. As far as the world was concerned, she was already lightyears away.

But still… maybe she should at least help the woman, she seemed sincere enough to–

"!!!"

And before Aerith could even do anything, she suddenly held her breath… as Riley suddenly returned to the receptionist.

"W… what are you doing, you idiot?" Aerith could not help but whisper.

"I think it would be in everyone's interest that Ms. Pearson takes the test, receptionist."

"Y… you…" Paige, who was still tightly hugging the counter, finally let go as she quickly composed herself.

"...And why is that?" The receptionist raised an eyebrow as she heard Riley's words.

"Because this is usually how villains are born, receptionist," Riley then confidently said as he nodded his head several times, "One of the villains in Italian Mafia Reborn became evil because he was rejected by the protagonist's team."

"...What?" Even Paige was a little confused.

"If you reject her now and she becomes a villain, then you would be responsible for creating a villain," Riley continued to nod as his long black silky hair flowed with his head,

"And as a receptionist of the Hero Association Tower…

…you might get fired."

And with those words, Riley left as quickly as he arrived– leaving not only the receptionist but even the ones in line speechless. For some reason… he sort of made sense.

As for Paige, she could only really look at Riley's back, before slowly turning her head towards the receptionist. And as soon as their eyes met, the receptionist let out a small sigh before handing her some sort of card.

"Don't lose that," the receptionist shook her head.

"This is…" Paige instinctively took the card.

"Your registration number, don't lose it. Next!"

"Y… yes!" Paige quickly walked away, afraid that the receptionist might take the number back. And immediately, her eyes darted throughout the lobby, trying to find Riley to say her thanks. And finally, after almost a minute of searching, she found him sitting on one of the chairs… beside a woman.

"Oh…" Paige's feet halted; her eyes, looking back and forth between the black-haired white ninja and the woman beside her. But after a few seconds, she approached anyway.

"T… thank you," she quickly said as she stood in front of Riley, "If… if it wasn't for you, then my dream of becoming a superhero would have probably ended there and then."

"I am only helping my fellow people in the spectrum, Ms. Pearson."

"Ri– Adam!" Aerith almost covered Riley's mouth,

"H… have you forgotten we're hiding your true identity?" She then whispered.

"..." Seeing this, Paige could only let out a subtle sigh as she slightly took a step back, "I… I'm not going to disturb you and your… girlfriend anymore. Thank you again, Adam."

"She's my mother," Riley breathed out. And as soon as he said that, Aerith almost slapped her own face. As for Paige, the edges of her lips slightly rose.

"I… I see," Paige stuttered, "If it's alright, can… can I sit with you guys?"

"No," Riley quickly answered.

"It's okay," Aerith chuckled as she slightly pricked Riley's leg, "Please, it's always nice to talk to future superheroes."

"Ah, thank you!" Paige smiled as she took a seat next to Riley; before her legs suddenly started fidgeting as she looked around,

"I'm actually a little nervous. I don't know if my powers are enough to pass."

"Why? What's your power?"

"Uhm… I'm a little shy," Paige scratched her cheek as she chuckled, but before Aerith could say anything else–

"I have the ability to turn my thoughts into reality."

Aerith almost choked in her own saliva as soon as she heard Paige's words. Even Riley, who was skimming on the tablet Aerith was using earlier, could not help but turn their attention toward her.

"..." Paige furrowed her eyebrows as she realized the two were suddenly staring at her; but after a few seconds, she widened her eyes and burst out in laughter,

"Oh, it's not like that," she chuckled, "I can only turn them into 3D images, like a hologram except… solid for me?"

"...Solid how?" Aerith asked.

"Only I can interact with them," Paige then opened up her palm; and as she did so, a sword suddenly appeared in the air,

"I can touch them," she said as she grabbed the sword,

"But that's just it," she then swung the sword towards the table, only for it to go through,

"I… I know, it looks cool. But they're not really that useful."

"That's actually a very powerful ability, Ms. Pearson," Riley then returned the tablet to Aerith as he stared at Paige from head to toe, "One of the most powerful I have seen. Have you ever killed anyone with it?"

"...What?" Paige blinked a couple of times, "...No. What?"

"You should–"

[Numbers 69 to 89, please go to the 12th floor for evaluation.]

"Ah, that's us!"

And thankfully for Aerith, before Riley could say anything else– their number was called. She could only let out a breath of relief as she watched Riley and Paige leave; still…

…she was starting to have doubts about whether or not they could continue with this plan.

Riley is just… too unpredictable.

She told him not to use his telekinesis and cloning powers-- whether or not Riley would follow suit, however, was another matter. Even when they were fighting, the only powers he actually used were those two plus his size-altering ability.

He said that he had around more or less a hundred, but he doesn't use them because all he really needs is his telekinesis... which Aerith couldn't really disagree with.

Aerith suggested him to just use super-strength and speed since he looked like some sort of sci-fi ninja with his new outfit, but Riley said that would be too boring.

...And that truly worries her.

All of these just so Riley would be allowed to wear a mask out in the public... was it really worth the risk?