Villain Retirement

"Then since I beat you once…

…do you want my seed, Aerith?"

"...What?"

"I believe it's a metaphor, Aerith. In this case, my semen is the see—"

"Yes, I know what that means! And the only thing you are giving me is a headache!"

"...Pft."

"You… are you actually laughing?"

Perhaps even more so than meeting Riley in the most unexpected of places, Aerith was more bewildered by the sound that was whispering in her ears. Riley Ross… laughing at something other than murder?

It hasn't even been that long since they last talked to each other—with their last proper talk being on Diana's ship, and then before that was when he plotted to kill her son in the evilest way. In fact, Aerith should be angry right now, she should be putting her effort into actually trying her best to cause Riley to disappear, but no.

She wasn't even mad. Annoyed maybe, but that was it. It almost feels like in a way, Riley was sort of her responsibility. She thought that if he was in Theran, he wouldn't be able to do the things he had been doing back on Earth.

But no—even in the threat of him being trapped by themarians and eternally killed over and over again, he still tries to find a way to kill someone. He never stops actually doing what he set out to do—kill everyone.

Riley is someone that should be stopped. The only reason she even helped him find his way to Theran when he was left behind was to prevent him from wreaking havoc someplace else. At the very least, he wouldn't be able to rampage here.

Riley Ross has to be stopped, she knew that. But now, seeing him laughing and actually showing emotions…maybe he was growing? If so, then maybe it was possible to point the direction he grows.

Instead of forcefully stopping him on his path to destruction, maybe they could guide him? Guide him to a path that would not necessarily be good, but at least to neutrality?

"..." Aerith then once again glanced at Riley as they walked. And seeing his peaceful face, Aerith could really only shake her head off of the thoughts filling it. Katherine tried to guide him to the light, and look at what happened to her.

Of course, Aerith wouldn't be as susceptible as Katherine—her mind was already weak from the start; the temptation of being with someone as enigmatic as Riley overpowered her desire for good.

"How long has it been, Aerith?"

"Hm?"

"How long has it been since it has only been the two of us?" Riley said as he looked around. And aside from Osk's settlement which was still a good kilometer away from them, the presence being wrapped by the snow around was truly only them.

"Oh, I don't know," Aerith shrugged, "I remember you perversely trying to wipe my body clean back in the base of the Hope Guild."

"It is good to know that moment also holds a very special place in your memories, Aerith."

"...What? No," Aerith breathed out her frustration, "Look, kid. I know you have this weird obsession over me because I'm Megawoman, but the image on your head? That's not me."

Aerith then stood in front of Riley, placing both her hands on his shoulder as she looked him in the eyes,

"I am just a person that is so exhausted, I was willing to be sent to Eternal Death without a fight."

"Silvie mentioned you exchanged your life for hers," Riley returned Aerith's gaze, "I freed her from the castle, by the way."

"I know," Aerith closed her eyes and sighed, "I met her a few weeks ago—she's no longer in Theran. And apparently, so are Scarlet Mage and your daughter."

"...Interesting."

"What do you mean 'interesting'!? All of us came here together and now we're all scattered everywhere!"

"Yes, that is your fault, Aerith."

"Wh—"

"If you weren't arrested by your own family, then all of us would be together."

"We got separated because a little evaniel princess wanted revenge on you for killing her brother and a hundred of her people!"

"Then I suppose we are both at fault, Aerith."

"You—No, there's no point arguing with you," Aerith took in a deep breath as she let go of Riley, "What are you planning now, exactly?"

"Nothing. I was just waiting for something to happen, Aerith," Riley placed his hand on his chin, blatantly showing that he was lost in thought, "I was hoping to wreak havoc during your execution and kill several themarians during the chaos. But since you are free, that won't be happening anymore. I suppose I'll just do the same, but when they try to forcefully bring you back to the castle."

"...Are you not going to have a memorial for your mother?"

"I do not know where her corpse is, Aerith—and Alice is a stranger to me. Diana is the only one that has the right to enact the ceremony, being her best friend."

"Then why not find Cait—Diana or your sister? Why are you alone again, Riley?"

"I am not alone, Aerith. I am with you."

"Because I found you, Riley," Aerith rolled her eyes, "And I have other plans."

"Then my plan is to help you with your plan for now," Riley shrugged.

"No!" Aerith once again screamed in frustration, "Stop always going with the flow. You need to have something you do on your own."

"Then I will start turning everything into nothing, Aerith."

And as soon as he said that, the snow around them started to tremble; several pillars, protruding from the ground and slowly taking in the shape of Riley—hundreds of them.

"Everyone," Riley then said as he clapped his hands, "This is my order. Venture out into the universe and kill every—"

"Stop!" Aerith also clapped her hands—as she did so, a large energy orb emerged above them. And without even any warning, several beams of energy raged forth onto all of Riley's clones, pinning them all to the ground as they very slowly disintegrate from the raging red.

"...Fine," Aerith's exasperated breaths violently escaped her lips as her energy orb disappeared. She then once again placed her hand on Riley's shoulder; her face, almost exploding from the sheer frustration filling her head, 

"...You follow my plan for now."

"Hm," Riley just casually nodded his head, before all of his clones fully disintegrated and melted back into the ground,

"You are very easy to manipulate for someone so old, Aerith."

"I am not that old!" Aerith once again groaned as she pushed Riley away, "Come, follow me. We have business with Osk."

"Hm. Operation Aerith and Riley starts no—"

"No. There is no operation Aerith and Riley, just Operation Aerith, you understand?" Aerith placed her finger on Riley's forehead, 

"Do you understand?"

"I suppose," Riley just shrugged as he nodded his head again, "This will be fun, Aerith. We're once again together in an adventure outside of Earth."

"Shut up, you're my assistant. You follow my orders, you got it?" Aerith scoffed as she started to walk towards the settlement.

"Aerith, you never really made me answer your question."

"What?"

"Of why I am obsessed with you?"

"That was just a rhetoric, you don't need to—"

"Because I am in love with you, Aerith."

"...Shut up, just follow me. You don't even know what that means."

"Oh…" Riley lightly grasped his chest as he watched as Aerith continued to walk away; her back, blanketed by the white snow, but still drowning everything with her brilliance,

"...But I do think I am."