Villain Retirement

"Will I have learned how to love? Will I have learned what it actually means? Would you… love me?"

A second.

A minute.

An hour.

Riley has been talking to Alice's grave for more than an hour now— his questions, just repeating themselves over and over again. Almost as if he was waiting for someone to actually answer him.

But no matter how many questions, no matter how many words and whispers danced in the air, it didn't matter. No one really answered. Riley knows that no one would answer, and yet… he continues.

"Will Hannah and I have even met? It's probable, both of our biological parents are members of the Hope Guild," Riley whispered as he looked at the sky, "But since you didn't kill me, my abilities probably wouldn't have been discovered and I wouldn't have your telekinetic abilities. I would have just been… a normal human until the time I am not."

"..."

"Don't you find it confusing too, Alice? Do you think I would still have these… whispers in my head telling me to destroy lives? I believe I was born for that and only that… but what if I'm not? What would I be doing?"

"..."

"Right? There are so many things that could have happened, and yet here we are and you're down there— neighbors with the people I have killed. I truly and wholly want to have a conversation with you, mother. If you think about it…

…you're the first person I killed."

"..."

"Why, you ask? Everyone's just blaming themselves for what happened. Your mother thinks it is her fault because she neglected you and wasn't much of a mother at all— that's why you made the wrong decisions. Aerith blames herself for not being strong enough to stop you, and Empress blames herself because she couldn't see the truth. Everyone thinks it is their fault, when in truth…

…It really is just mine for being born."

"..."

"You didn't have to die, Alice. I heard of the stories about you and the chaotic and happy life you have led… you deserve to be here rather than a monster like me. What a colorful life you would have had…

…I am truly sorry, Alice Lane."

"..."

"..."

"I guess that's enough," Riley then stood up from the ground, floating away all the dirt and grass that was stuck to the ends of his cardigan, "I want to check if you're down there, Alice. But it would be disrespectful to exhume you."

"..."

"..."

Riley stared at Alice's grave for a few more seconds, before once again calling someone on the phone.

"Louise…

…is Angela with you?"

***

"You were right, Angela. We are seeing each other more and more."

"Stop. Why are we even here?"

"Because I want you to meet my mother."

"...What?" Angela could really only look around the field of graves around her. But as soon as her eyes landed on the gravestone beside Riley, a slight gasp escaped her lips.

"Thank you Louise, but you didn't have to come," Riley approached the Pope and shook his hand.

"Oh, I am afraid I can't take your gratitude, child. I was brought here not of my own free—"

"I am wherever his Holiness is."

"I feel like it is the other way around now," the Pope could only let out an exasperated sigh. He couldn't blame anyone, however, as he was the one who asked Angela to go,

"Alice Lane. If I am correct, then she is your biological mother?"

"That is correct, Louise," Riley nodded, "I need Angela to check if my mother's remains are still beneath this ground."

"You called His Holiness… for that? Why did you not just call me?"

"I do not have your number, Angela. And this space is… inherently sacred. I did not want to intrude on the dead without the consent of someone considered holy. The Pope is the only holy man I know of."

"Your Holiness, you don't need to—"

"It is fine," the Pope quickly raised his hand, "Those who have been buried here no longer have any earthly tether trapping them in our realm."

"..." Angela could really only sigh as she finally opened her eyes; her head slowly turning towards the ground with much hesitation.

"..."

"..."

"There's nothing here," Angela then muttered as she blinked a couple of times.

"The coffin is empty?" Riley quickly said as he looked back and forth between Angela and the grave.

"No…" Angela took in a small gulp as she shook her head, "I mean there's nothing 6 feet beneath us— it's hollow… and deep."

"...Oh?" Riley also blinked a couple of times as he tilted his head to the side.

"..." Angela then turned her eyes towards the other graves… only for them to also be hollow. It almost looked like the tunnels that ants dug, except everything led to whatever it is that was below,

"Everything… is empty."

"I lied, Angela," Riley then quickly said as he looked Angela straight in the eyes, "I did not call you here to meet my mother. I accidentally gained information of an unusual activity happening in this cemetery, right after the bombings happened, possibly also seismic."

"..." Angela focused her eyes down as soon as she heard Riley's words, "It's… too deep for me to see what's on the end. Do you think… the bombs might have done this? Or maybe these tunnels were already here… and the bombs did something to whatever they lead to and… woke something up?"

"Or someone. If I am right, then mother has something to do with this," Riley muttered as he once again looked at Alice's gravestone.

"Alice Lane?"

"No, my other mother."

"...What?"

  "It is a good thing you are here, Pope. Please offer a prayer before we explore what's beneath us."

"What do you mean we?" Angela raised an eyebrow, "I'm not going with you down there."

"Your ability will be helpful, Angela. Or you can just kill me, but that is impossible for you."

"Huh?"

"Go with him, child."

And before Angela could even express her confusion that reached almost the heavens, the Pope placed his hand on her shoulder, "We all have a destiny to play in this world, and I believe we are where we are because it is His will."

"But… fine," Angela could not help but shake her head; her sighs, now racing with her confusion.

"Are you sure all of these graves are empty?"

"Yes, your Holiness."

"Very well," the Pope raised his palms above his shoulders as his lips started to utter a prayer in another language.

"Grant, we beseech Thee, o Lord our god, that the souls of thy servants…"

"..." Riley looked at the Pope, before also closing his eyes and lowering his head. It took more than a minute, but Riley did not really complain as he just waited patiently.

"...ly ghost liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen."

Angela and the Pope gestured a cross, while Riley just kept his hands behind him; only raising his head as soon as he was sure that the Pope was done.

"Shall we go on another adventure, Angela?" Riley then said as a smile started to grow on his face.

As for Angela, she could really only shake her head and sigh, "What eve— !!!"

And before she could say her words, she felt her body being dragged through the ground. As for the Pope, he remained on the surface… once again left alone with Little Riley who was quietly standing beside him.

"You, me. Together again, Louise," Little Riley said as he grabbed the ends of the Pope's robes.

"I thought I was supposed to go down there with them," the Pope lamented as he stared at the hole Riley created."

"You die down there, Louise," Little Riley shook his head as he tightened his grip on the Pope's robes, lightly pulling him away from the hole so that he wouldn't fall.

"Do you see my face?" The Pope let out a long and exasperated sigh as he pointed at his wrinkled face. And hair that grew on them, barely visible from how thin and grey they were.

"Yes, it's ugly. But that is alright, beauty… inside matters."

"...I mean I am old."

"Yes, and ugly. Two things, true at once. I learn."

"..."

***

"How… deep are we?"

"A thousand kilometers."

"...Isn't that already halfway to the outer core!?"

"Almost."

Riley and Angela were surrounded by nothing but rocks. Angela was expecting some magma, but the mantle was just completely made of… solid rock; and Riley was drilling into it like it was sand. Riley didn't really react, of course. He had done something like this before, after all.

If it wasn't for the light that Riley was emitting, Angela was sure that there would only be darkness around them. She couldn't even see the light the sun provides above them anymore, not even a dot.

He didn't believe it when Riley told him— but Riley… should truly be capable of destroying the Earth if he wanted to. He didn't even need to do anything grand, he just needed to reach the core and do whatever it is he does. The only thing he needed was… a push.

Hopefully, no one is stupid enough to do so.

"I am starting to see something!" All of Angela's thoughts completely stopped as her eyes were finally able to see something that isn't rock and darkness.

"What is it?"

"It's… some sort of futuristic giant dagger?" Angela slightly squinted her eyes, "Wait… no. Oh my god…"

Riley quickly turned towards Angela as he heard the shock in her voice.

"It's…

…It's a ship."