Villain Retirement

Alistair Reuben.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Alistair Reuben was and is the Father of the Internet… because he in fact is. He was listed as the Father of Technology and the Internet in most educational and history books.

He was a technological savant– a human way ahead of his time. He was able to intercept the plans of some painter-turned-dictator from Austria with the earliest iteration of what would be known as the Internet.

He then found a way to contact Megawoman and gave her this information, which allowed her to cleanly and legally interfere with the dictator's heinous plans and crimes against humanity. He, along with Megawoman, practically ended a stupid war before it began.

Alistair Reuben then, later on, founded Reuben Tech along with his brother. A company that became large enough to be known as a global giant– the biggest one. Perhaps the greatest testament to how wealthy they became was when they bought several other giant corporations.

And as the previous generation used to say– "Reuben almost owned the world." Almost quite in a literal sense as they had monopolized almost everything, either in the shadows or freely in the limelight.

But perhaps what made them even more known throughout even the corners of the world was their acts of philanthropy. They gave free access to technology to 3rd world countries, even providing them a mobile service almost for free.

Of course, the governments did not like this much– but what could they do, really?

Reuben Tech owned most of the satellites hovering in space– that includes the government satellites, which Reuben Tech built themselves.

Alistair Reuben could have owned the world if he wanted to, but instead, he chose to give back to the world– donating or investing 95% of his wealth to the betterment of the less fortunate.

That was the kind of legacy he left behind. But of course, with time– the world forgets. Most of the new generation does not know who he is, only his company and the technology they produced… but that was perfectly alright.

Alistair Reuben was content. He had no complaints even at the end of his life. He knows in himself that he did good to himself and to the world, and that was everything.

Even if his son was not that interested in inheriting his legacy, he was still a good man that Alistair could be proud of. Alistair's grandchildren, however, seemed to have gotten most of his talents and genes.

They were the future of the future, as he himself described them. Suffice to say, seeing his grandchildren grow up to take up his mantle before he dies was perhaps the greatest gift he could receive before he passes away.

He had no regrets. He had lived a full life.

The only reason he was still alive was because of all the medicine and technology injected into his body.

Alistair Reuben was ready to take his last breaths; laying on his deathbed and waiting for death to ferry him away. The machines were the only things that were keeping him alive; even the best hospitals in Canada were not capable of extending his life.

He was just peacefully waiting… waiting for his family to visit him so that he could finally say his goodbyes…

…but they never came.

Instead of his family, instead of death; what visited Alistair was the sound of the hospital panicking. The footsteps were already hurried, as is expected with hospitals– but then it was partnered with screams.

Even his personal nurse was asked to provide support as they would be needing all the help they could get… because Darkday just destroyed Toronto.

Alistair was weak, frail, and dying in a large hospital room. But right at that moment when he heard the reason for everyone's panic, his breaths suddenly became strong– using all of his strength to try and reach for the remote of the large television in front of him.

And there it was, an aerial view of Toronto… completely obliterated. Alistair's already dying heart instantly became broken; thinking of all the innocent people that have died just like that. He was an old man ready to die– the people of Toronto were not.

But then during his heartbreak, his breaths suddenly snapped as a recent memory surfaced in his mind– the last call he received from his son was when he told him they were in Toronto. His trembling hands quickly dropped the remote he was holding, before rotating his body with all of his might to try and reach for the phone on the desk beside his bed.

But alas, he was too weak– his other arm gave out, causing him to fall down to the floor, hitting his head on the desk as he did so; the feces in his diapers, also scattering everywhere.

Someone of his age and condition would have died there… but something kept Alistair going as he grabbed the phone that fell alongside him, quickly dialing his son's number…

…only to receive silence. A silence that he will forever hear.

His son and his family, his brother's family, alongside other millions… killed by Darkday almost in just a blink of an eye.

Of course, Alistair's despair was short-lived. He was going to die anyway, he thought. He was going to be with his family in the afterlife…

…But alas, as if fate was seemingly mocking him– he lived that day. He did not give in to his despair, however, as Megawoman would avenge the fallen families that were snuffed out like they were nothing.

…But alas, as if fate was seemingly mocking him– Megawoman was defeated. It wasn't only hope that died that day, but the world.

Megawoman was the balance that kept the world in check from all the evil; without her, then Darkday would probably kill each and every last one of them.

And so, once again, even in tragedy, Alistair felt relief. With no one to keep Darkday at bay, darkness will soon befall the world and he would meet his family again.

…But alas, as if fate was seemingly mocking him– Darkday announced his retirement.

And so, Alistair just got tired of hoping. His eyes, focusing on Megawoman's crumpled body during the announcement; and with that, the plan that only someone like him could make possible came to his mind.

--The plan to take revenge against a calamity.

Alistair Reuben and Reuben Tech prided themselves for never intruding in the privacy of their billions of users. But for once, Alistair broke that rule.

Reuben Tech had access to almost every piece of information in the world. Data, conversations, footage, the routine of their users… even down to their heartbeat– Reuben Tech has all of these data.

And for once, Alistair used it to spy on the world. He quickly discovered the Government's secret– cloning Megawoman using the ability of a certain old Super. Suffice to say, Alistair used that to blackmail the old female Super; and then paid her to create another batch of clones–Aerith and the others.

That was just the beginning of Alistair's plans, however. Alistair brought the most talented scientists of his company to try and reverse engineer Megawoman's DNA through the clones– or at least how and what made her powers work.

And in the process, they created a serum that would allow someone to inject themselves with Megawoman's powers. And suffice to say, Alistair tried it to himself even though it had not been tested yet.

The serum was a success as the scientists watched as Alistair became youthful almost by the hour– his strength, multiplying by the second.

This was a scientific breakthrough. They could earn billions of dollars with this. But alas, Alistair killed all the scientists involved in the project; burning along with them all the data on how to create the serum and leaving only one who knows how to make it– Alistair himself.

That was the very first time Alistair ever harmed a human being, and it wouldn't be the last.

The serum can not fall into the wrong hands, Alistair thought. His hands were already dirty enough, he could not imagine if it fell onto someone worse.

Alistair then proceeded with his plan.

And finding out Darkday's true identity? It was hard. But at the same time, it was easy.

Alistair could not find any traces of Darkday. When he arrives, when he lives, where he goes– nothing. Absolutely nothing. Almost as if he didn't exist.

And in this world, there was only one single entity that was capable of erasing something or someone from ever existing. A single human that rivaled his entire life's work and corporation– Whiteking.

Whiteking made sure that there were no traces of Darkday anywhere. At first, Alistair thought that Whiteking himself was Darkday, but very soon discovered that it was his adopted son.

It all made sense based on the data they had. One look in Riley Ross's biological lineage, and one could easily make out where his monstrous abilities came from– Ms. Phoenix, as well as his grandmother. The clue was always there.

And so, Alistair– no…

…Julius Reuben was born, a being that was only alive because of revenge.

But of course, even with all of his meticulous plans and schemes, Julius was not stupid enough to believe that he would actually be a match to the entity that defeated Megawoman. And so, the only way to truly defeat Riley Ross…

…was to let the whole world know who he is.

And right now, as he watched as Riley Ross slowly made his way towards him, Julius enacts his last part in the plan.

"This… is revenge for all the people you killed, monster."

"..."

"..."

"...I only asked about you having grandchildren, Alistair.. You did not need to tell me about your life."