Villain Retirement

"And please, lower your tone while addressing me…

…child."

And then, the peace that encapsulated the silver hall disappeared. There weren't any changes, not even the air. But Riley could feel something building around them, almost as if it was causing the entire hall to tremble; but then again, everything remained still.

The walls were still as clear; the floors, immaculate. Alice still lied still even with Little Riley on top of her— everything was the same. But Riley knew… something was different.

And soon, he found out what.

A being that he thought was once as still a mountain; unmovable, unstoppable. A being that no matter what Riley did, she did not even utter as much as a petrified or intimidated whisper. But now…

…he could hear Aerith's breaths almost flowing through his ears. She seemed...

"Are you nervous, Aerith?"

And of course, Riley could not believe what he was seeing— he had to ask.

"...Shut up," Aerith then said as she once again let out a deep breath. But after that, no more. Her muscles started to relax as her gaze turned towards Riley,

"I'm just… thrilled," she forced a chuckle, "You have no idea how long I have searched for her. There are times that I have even almost forgotten my goal… and nothing's going to stop me from accomplishing it anymore."

"..." Riley turned to Diana as Aerith continued to talk, only to see her shrug at him; a smile plastered on her face as she looked him straight in the eyes.

"Caitlain'Ur…" Aerith then took a step forward as her breaths finally calmed themselves, "...On behalf of our race, I am here to arrest you for committing 7 acts of intentional genocide, destroying their inhabitants as well as their home planet, leaving the biome with no chance to procreate."

"Big words," Diana, on the other hand, did not leave her position even for an inch, "Are you sure you're not just here because you're angry at me for beating you?"

"..."

"I remember you being more bouncy, guileless, and callow. You were so cute back then," Diana giggled as she covered her mouth; adjusting her glasses it slightly moved, "But of course, not as cute as my daughter."

"The daughter that you left behind," a smirk quickly crawled on Aerith's face, "Or is she even your daughter? Maybe you just made her as well?"

"Last I checked you also left your offspring here. At least I cared for my daughter," the smile on Diana's face did not disappear,

"But I digress, I am not here to argue. I had thousands of years of peace and I have started to appreciate it… and truly, you don't want to fight me here, do you?"

"..."

"This planet will be destroyed faster than any of us could even blink. Just a snap, and it will be gone."

Aerith's eyebrows began to furrow as Diana raised her hand.

"And why did you even come back to this planet?" Diana then let out a small sigh, "Did you know that someone from the Higher Races is on their way here? You've probably alerted them of your presence, and then the bombs that the humans let go off just made it easier for them to track us."

"I came back because you're here," Aerith looked Diana straight in the eyes, "This planet is not safe with you here."

"I have been here for more than a thousand years, child. You've been here for what? 300?" Diana once again let out a small giggle; before winking at Riley for some reason, "I would probably be here for another thousand years if it wasn't for another themarian meddling affairs she should not."

"You are dangerous, Caitlain."

"And you're not?" Diana once again turned her eyes towards Aerith,

"You're a child playing on an anthill, Aerith. One wrong move, one tumble, one trip… and this anthill goes down."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"No, it didn't happen because I am here," Diana let out a long and deep sigh, "Contrary to what you want to believe in, Aerith— I value the Earth and humans way more than you. It is not in my interest that it disappears."

"You are playing god."

"I am. If not me, then who?" Diana removed her glasses as she took a step forward, "This is it, Aerith. This is the place I have been looking for all this time. This time, I am not going to make the same mistake I did with the last 7— no…

…I suppose I already made an error," Diana once again sighed as she looked at Riley, before turning her eyes to Alice.

"I… got sidetracked by the planet's inhabitants," she then whispered; her eyes, containing a bit of… despair as they reflected Alice's silhouette, "I…

…made a friend."

"A friend?" Aerith furrowed her eyebrows, "What does someone like you know about having a friend?"

"More than you would think," Diana scoffed; her eyes not leaving Alice, "Everything started to change. I didn't want to admit it…

…but I got attached," she then said as she looked at Aerith.

"Interesting." The one who reacted, however, was Riley— who finally broke his silence after just looking back and forth between the two themarians,

"You got attached to your experiments, mother? Did you get attached to me?"

"You… are not my experiment, Riley," an almost exasperated breath escaped from Diana's lips as she forced them into a smile, "You…

…you're just supposed to be the child of a loony, insane woman," Diana then breathed out as she approached Alice's body. She was about to touch Alice's face, but Aerith grabbed her wrist before she could do so.

"..." Riley slightly squinted his eyes as he felt himself almost being pulled towards Aerith's grip— No, it wasn't only him. It was almost as if the entire hall itself and everything in it started to distort and bend towards her hand.

"Relax, Aerith," Diana, however, only shook her head, "I didn't come here to fight."

"..."

"..."

And after what seemed like an eternity, the hall returned to its peaceful and still state; with Aerith letting go of Diana's hand.

"I do not get it, mother," and as soon as everything returned to normal, Riley also stood close to Alice's body, "You met Alice in prison, correct?"

"Yes," Diana giggled, "I met her there— a unique individual even amongst the inhabitants of this world. Since you know about that part already, I suppose you also know about the experiments I conducted in the prison?"

"I suppose, but not entirely."

"Alice is not a part of that experiment," Diana quickly said as she looked Riley straight in the eyes, "But she knew about it… and she didn't care. She said they were criminals anyway, at least they would be useful for a science project."

"..."

"That's what she called it," Diana once again chuckled, "A science project."

"And what is this science project, mother?"

"..." Diana did not answer Riley just quite yet, and instead turned to look at Aerith first, before once again focusing on Riley; her eyes, almost glistening as she once again looked him in the eyes,

"I am creating a race that is stronger than the Themarians."

"...Why?" Riley tilted his head.

"Because she's insane," Aerith scoffed.

"Because the universe has stopped moving," Diana raised her voice as she once again raised her hands, her eyes looking around at the silver hall almost as if she was seeing past them.

And maybe they were, as Riley could somewhat see the reflection of the universe in her eyes. Not entirely and not literally, of course-- but that is what it seemed like.

Diana always had this kind of gaze in her eyes-- ever since he was little, her eyes always told Riley that out of all the people in their house... she was the one who knew most.

Riley thought it was just how mothers are. Because as Bernard explained to him, even if he is right, Diana will never be wrong.

And now, Riley understands why.

"The universe has become stagnant. The hierarchy, unchanged for eons."

"..."

"The Themarians are the undisputed strongest in the entire universe, Riley. And because of that, we have not evolved past what I— what we should all consider our primal instincts. I am certain there is more to us… but right now, you are looking at it, Riley…"

Diana then suddenly backed away, before standing beside Aerith and stretching her arms to the side,

"We are it. You are looking at the strongest beings in the entire universe. Do you think you have seen what Aerith could truly do? Has she told you what happened during our battle?"

"Caitlain. He—"

"We erased an entire system, a galaxy."

"An empty galaxy," Aerith quickly said as she looked at Riley.

"A galaxy that has the potential for life," Diana also turned to look at Riley, "What I am trying to tell you is that we are it. We are the strongest beings in the entire universe."

"...Even amongst these so-called Higher Races?" Riley tilted his head.

"Even amongst them," Diana smiled, "There are those that are faster than us, there are those that are smarter, larger… but no one more powerful. Megawoman is not just the Earth's mightiest superhero— she is also one of the universe's mightiest warriors…

…We are the pinnacle of the universe, Riley. Simple and efficient, and so therefore utterly boring."

"And apparently insane. Are you done with your villain's monologue?" Aerith scoffed as she walked towards Riley and stood beside him, "I'm sorry, Riley. If you were expecting some sort of grand scheme, you'll be luckier with the humans. I told you before…

…themarians just tend to be all psychopaths."

"...I actually just wanted to ask a question," Riley casually said as he looked back and forth between Aerith and Diana.

"Pft," Diana once again giggled as she heard Riley's words, "I… suppose you want to know what really happened to her, why she did what she did?"

"Not really," Riley shook his head, "It already happened. I was just curious about one thing— I have seen her once in my vision, perhaps a dream but not exactly. I thought I was initially going insane because it apparently runs in the family. But now… is it because she is actually alive and is reaching out to me, mother?"

"She… appears in your vision?" Diana once again quickly wore her glasses as she looked at Alice, "That is… interesting. But it makes sense, the two of you are connected."

"Hm?"

"I told you, Riley. You are not my experiment. If anything, you could be considered as her experiment," Diana said as she looked at Alice's face, "Not in a literal sense, of course. She just wanted a child for some reason. I assume you've heard I injected her with something?"

"Yes," Riley nodded, "A sort of IVF."

"Well, it didn't come from me…

…everything is from her."