Villain Retirement

"You're going to have Alzheimer's."

"..."

"..."

"It's already starting. Approximately 6 months from now, you will start experiencing the signs."

Alice could really only hear a single thing— her son's weak and tiny breaths. Judging by the movement of Diana's lips, words were still coming out of her mouth; but none of them seemed to reach Alice's ears. It was only her son… her son was the only one she was hearing.

The tiny vocal pouts, his lips that were puckering and clicking— those were the only sounds that Alice was allowing herself to hear. And almost as if her future flashed before her, all sorts of images entered her mind.

Riley's first steps; his cry as he learns the very first lesson of pain in his life. His first words— Alice always imagined it would be something that would piss her mother off. Maybe a curse word?

His first day of school… and if she was anything like his mother, then he probably wouldn't last long; or more specifically, the others won't last long with him.

But she… she would stand by Riley no matter what, holding his hand in every step he makes; good or bad, she would be there to guide him to a path he likes.

He's going to have his first crush, his first love, his first heartbreak— and then eventually, Alice will stand by his son's side for the very last time as he marries the person he would be spending the rest of his time with. She always imagined it would be Diana's daughter, that's why she wanted a son in the first place.

And there and then, Alice can finally let go of her baby's arm.

What happens after that, well… that's up to Riley.

"..."

"..."

"...What?" And after a second of this filtered silence has passed, Alice finally turned her eyes to Diana; a whistle, almost piercing her ears as the words bombarded her.

But still, even with the reality of the world returned to her, she chose to ignore any and each of the words that were coming out of Diana's mouth as she let out a… chuckle.

"Alzheimer's… pft," Alice shook her head as she gently caressed Riley's face, "Did you hear your godmother's words? I wish you could already respond so I can have someone to laugh with."

"This is serious, Alice." Diana stood up from the bed, before dragging a chair closer so her eyes could be at the same level as Alice's.

"Yeah, right. When's the punchline?"

"What?"

"You and I both know that you could easily science my brain and fuck up whatever is causing this Alzheimer's bullshit," Alice shook her head, "You can just—"

"I can't."

"You can just do some—"

"I ca—"

"What do you mean you can't!?" Alice then let go of Riley; who still remained floating close to her bosom, before very slowly and gently floating towards the crib next to her bed, "You can fucking mix and create different DNAs of different races like some sort of drug dealer but you can't prevent a disease that's supposed to be for old people!? What the fuck are you telling me!?"

"I…" Diana let Alice's breaths calm down before she looked her in the eyes again, "I could probably prevent it…"

"Then why don't you!?"

"I could probably prevent it and even cure it… if you were a normal human," Diana closed her eyes, "...I just need another with the same exact condition as you so the ship could pinpoint what exactly we need to remove. It needs to have a precedent or a part—"

"Then let's abduct a super from a mental institution!"

"That's… the problem, Alice," Diana opened her eyes; the reflection on them, landing on Riley's crib, "...Supers are uniquely different from each other, right down to the deepest parts of their DNA. Even if there was another super that has dementia, their… inner workings would be quite different from you…

…I can't prevent you from falling to this illness."

"..."

"..."

Alice didn't really know what to say as she just turned around to look at Riley.

"You… you should have told me before Riley was born. Why… why would you even allow me to have a child if… if I'm not even going to be there for him?"

"I… can accelerate his growth if you want to. You can still experi—"

"Get the fuck out."

"Alice, I—"

And before Diana could finish her words, several clangs and thuds started to whisper in the air; the floor beneath them and the IV bag beside Alice's bed, also soon started to tremble violently— No, it wasn't just the room; not just the hospital… not even just the neighborhood they were in.

The entire world felt a tremble that very moment.

"Get the fuck out or I will fucking destroy this very planet you consider a treasure."

"..." Diana could really only let out a sigh as all the objects in the room started to float, all except the crip holding Riley,

"I… truly am sorry, Alice. And I… I'm always here if you need to find me."

"I don't."

And with those words, Diana disappeared from the room; leaving only a torturing silence as the trembling world finally calmed down. This torturing silence, however, completely faded away as a cry whispered to Alice's ears.

"Riley!" Alice quickly rushed towards Riley, leaping over the bed as she gently lifted him up from the crib, "It's okay… it's okay, don't cry…"

"Don't… don't cry," Alice whispered as she cradled Riley; her breaths, stuttering almost erratically, "It's alright… don't… don't cry."

And soon, tears started to trail across Alice's cheeks; falling, but never reaching Riley as she prevented them from doing so. These floating pebbles of water between her and her son were not tears, but a vow.

A vow that no matter how short, no matter if the sands of time were trickling down quickly— sadness will never fall on Riley. She will make sure of it… her time together with Riley will only be filled with moments of happiness.

"It's okay… Mommy…

…will always be here."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I'm starting to see things, D. Things that aren't there… things that have already happened."

And Alice did fill Riley's world with happiness for as long as she could. But too short, it was too short. 2 years felt like a blink of an eye— no… if it was a blink, then at least Alice could have probably stopped it by just closing her eyes forever. But no, as all things… it was inevitable.

And Alice, for the first time in two years, met with Diana again.

"Just… just last night, I almost drowned Riley in the tub," Alice's voice was weak, almost a cracking whisper as her eyes couldn't even look at Diana as the two of them were once again in the very cafe that Alice's decision changed everything,

"I… I forgot I… I put him there because it was his bathtime and I… I laid…. I laid down in the tub because I thought I…

…he was under me in the water, D. For… for almost 5 seconds, I…"

"..." Diana couldn't really say anything. Because she knew anything she would say meant nothing— she knew that now because she too, started to change. Hannah was just supposed to be another project for her, a fun curiosity of leisure.

But when Riley was born, Diana also tried what it would be like to actually… try and be a mother— to know why Alice was dearly clinging to it. And now she knew… children are a weakness, a bane to her existence, a mistake. But even then, for a reason that Diana couldn't explain herself…

…she just knew that she would do anything to protect her.

"I need you to take care of Riley once I'm gone."

"...What? You're not dying, Alice."

"I am, I need to," the tone of Alice's voice did not waver as she looked Diana straight in the eyes, "I'm dangerous, D. I can feel it, soon I'll start losing my mind completely. I might accidentally destroy this world, but that's not the thing I am worried about. This weird fucking planet could go fuck itself— I don't want to hurt my son again."

"Alice, that—"

"Promise me. Fucking promise me that you will take care of him like he is your own— No. He is your son as much as mine, we… we made him together."

"I… I didn't create him, Alice. He—"

"Promise me…

…promise me that you would take care of him."

"..."

"..."

"And then not even a week after that, Alice died."

"Do you seriously think we would believe you? That what… Alice really was just crazy and tried to kill his son?"

"Mentally ill, please use the proper term."

Back in the Mur Lav'ir inside Diana's ship, the breaths that were echoing through the silver hall were heavy— almost enough to be an entire mountain. The gazes of everyone in the room, however, were all completely different from each other.

Aerith's was of disbelief.

Diana's was of mourning and regret.

Riley's was… just looking back and forth.

"You can't expect us to believe that," Aerith scoffed; her hand, just gently placed on Riley's back.

"I don't expect anything at all. I just… want Riley to know what really happened. It wasn't because she hated you, it wasn't because she saw you as a monster. She was just…

…sick– of unsound mind. That is all it ever was."

"And what about Riley!?"

"What about my son?" Diana muttered as she once again looked Riley in the eyes.

"Why… why is he like this?"

"..." Riley slightly squinted his eyes and leaned away as he heard Aerith's words.

"I… I mean why did he become… a murdering sociopath?" Aerith couldn't really find any words to soften what Riley is, "You did something to him. Maybe placed a strand of the other savage races and—"

"...No. The only thing I did was make it possible for him to be born."

"..." Riley still didn't say anything as he just returned Diana's stares.

"...What?" Aerith squinted her eyes as her head slowly turned towards Riley.

"Believe it or not, child. The world doesn't revolve around me or you. Things can just… happen. Things that we can't control." Diana sighed before once again facing Alice's body, "I wish I could take credit, but no. It's just unexplainable. It is… 

…just what it is."

"Are you telling me that Riley is—"

"Just like her mother," Diana let out a small smile as she gently brushed her hand on Alice's cheek,

"Sometimes the universe just has a way of making things… weird. Planets just dying without reason, galaxies popping out of nowhere. And sometimes, if something aligns just at the right or wrong time. Something is born...

...No grand scheme, no secrets, no one spinning the wheels or holding the threads.

Alice and Riley—

—the ultimate freaks of nature."