Villain Retirement

"Nothing, no signs of Caitlain anywhere. Either she hid her tracks well, or she didn't even bother stopping here… which is odd."

"Perhaps we should just leave, mother?"

"We're getting there. I just need to know where she might have gone."

5 Days. Aerith and Riley have been walking around the streets of Hotis 4J, asking everyone they could ask and anyone that seemed knowledgeable enough of the ins and outs of the small community.

But nothing. There is, of course, a very high chance that Caitlain was in disguise. In fact, Aerith doesn't really know what Caitlain truly looked like, even though they fought before. Caitlain had the tendency to change her looks impulsively and randomly, and she was able to do so with just a push of a button.

It wasn't an ability, but rather a technology she developed in Theran. It was a hologram that was able to fool even the senses of themarians– it produces scent, and gives the illusion of weight as well.

But since Caitlain had spent a couple of decades as Diana Ross, Aerith has a gut feeling that might be her true appearance. After all, it would have been impossible not to slip even once in front of her family.

Her… family.

"..." Aerith turned to look at Riley as the two once again started waking through the street. She wondered if Caitlain also learned to love her family like she did… or was it all just pretend like her holograms?

After all, it couldn't be a coincidence that the person that became her husband was the smartest person on the entire planet. It would have also been impossible for Bernard not to have noticed if Caitlain was in disguise.

Plus, it would have been really awkward to give birth to her daughter if she was still disguising herself; a doctor would have surely noticed something odd being that close.

Still… to think Caitlain would also have a family on Earth– that was something Aerith would have never thought of in a million years; that's why she didn't even bother suspecting anyone that was happily married with children in the first place.

…Happily married.

Was… Caitlain really just pretending? Probably so because she could just leave her family like that.

"..." But then again, Aerith wasn't really one to talk since she left Gary– but at the same time, Caitlain should have been closer to her family. Aerith… wasn't really present that much. But if she was, then Aerith was sure that she wouldn't even have thought of leaving Earth.

"..."

"..."

She made sure to scour the entire planet… but what if Caitlain didn't leave Earth at all? She was able to stay hidden from Aerith for hundreds of years, it would make sense for her to once again easily stay outside her radar.

With everything that's been going on and with Riley presumed dead, Aerith just assumed that she left Earth… but Riley wasn't Caitlain's only experiment on Earth.

There's still Hannah Ross.

If she really is Caitlain's daughter, she wouldn't just leave her behind– whether or not it was out of love or curiosity, it didn't matter. Even if it was a monster like Caitlain, she would've grown attached one way or the other… no, especially since it was Caitlain.

"I was thinking about this all wrong."

"Aeri– mother?" Riley, who was walking ahead, could not help but stop and glance at Aerith as she suddenly stopped walking.

"We… need to go back to Earth, Riley."

"...Earth?" Riley tilted his head as he approached Aerith, "Where's that?"

"I have months to explain to you," Aerith could only let out a sigh as she once again started dragging Riley by the wrist, "First, we need some supplies. I don't want to travel without bringing anything again. We also need to make sure we buy a Universal Compass so we wouldn't get lost again and…"

"..." Riley just let himself be dragged away; his eyes, not leaving Aerith's back even for a single second as she started moving through the market and moving from stall to stall. Even as the things Riley was carrying became a tower of crates, his eyes did not leave her for even a single second.

"That should be enough," Aerith squinted her eyes as she looked at the things she bought. They were enough to tower Riley many times over, but for some reason, her squinting eyes seem to be saying that it still wasn't enough.

But after almost an entire minute of just staring at the crates, she just shook her head and sighed, "Yeah, this should be enough. What about you, Riley? Fancy anything?"

"I only need you, Aerith," Riley said as he leaned out from behind the crates.

"...Thanks," Aerith only waved her hand and scoffed, "Well then…"

Aerith then turned around; her eyes, almost moving everywhere across the streets of Hotis 4J, "Hopefully, next time we come back here, it won't be as much of a dump…

…come on."

And with those words, Aerith's feet started to leave the ground. And as soon as they did so, most of the people around them started to let out a… universal gasp.

"I thought we shouldn't use–"

"Doesn't matter, we're leaving anyway."

And that gasp grew louder as Riley also started flying away, along with the multiple crates of supplies and necessities that Aerith bought.

Maybe if Riley just took a second to stray his eyes away from Aerith, then he would have noticed that a majority of the people below; no matter what race… were bowing to them.

"..."

"..."

"They left?" Outside the gates of the city of Hotis 4J, Ruman the Gatekeeper's sigh of relief was enough to travel through the end of the line. Finally, he thought– some good news.

[Yes, just now.]

Ruman could not help but stand up from his booth, causing the one in front of the line to slightly back away; its face, obviously afraid of Ruman's sudden action. The ones behind also started backing away– but to their surprise, Ruman didn't even look at them as he suddenly left his booth.

"Good. That's very good," Ruman then whispered as he placed his wrist near his mouth; his four eyes, almost glimmering as he nodded several times, "Contact the Bureau of the Higher Races. Tell them…

…we saw two of their children wandering around the city."

***

"...Where did you get the chair?"

"You're the one who bought it, Aerith."

"...I did?"

In the expanse of space, Aerith and Riley were once again traveling at an unknown speed; the small planet of Hotis 4J, already only a small dot behind them. Riley…

…Riley was currently seated on some sort of fancy chair; the metal crates of supplies Aerith bought, beneath his feet like some sort of platform.

"So… why are you using it? It's mine," Aerith furrowed her eyebrows, "I asked you if you wanted to buy anything and you said no."

"I'm your son, Aerith. What is yours is mine, no?"

"...You look like a villain in one of those comic books back on Earth," Aerith could only roll her eyes as she hastened her flight; surprisingly, Riley was able to keep up without a problem. Most probably because of the invisible 'wire' that Aerith could feel tugging on her ankles.

"Villains look cooler then?"

"...No," Aerith once again glanced at Riley, before letting out a small sigh as she looked at the apparatus attached to her wrist.

Things… just got a little complicated.

Last time, she took a year just to get to Hotis 4J because she took a wrong turn and got lost. But now that they have a viable map and knew which direction to go, the compass said it would only take them 3 months– even if they rested in between.

Aerith didn't really plan on coming back to Earth while the current generation still existed, especially not with their walking calamity following behind her…

…But Caitlain was a bigger threat. If left alone, Earth would surely share the same fate as the other 7 planets she destroyed.

"Riley… once we land on Earth," Aerith then stopped flying completely as she turned to face Riley, "I want you to remember that you don't kill."

"It is okay, mother. There are fates much worse than death– like being tortured until your dying breath."

"I mean it. You're not a villain, you're not a monster. Do not be what the universe has dictated you to be."

"And what am I in your eyes, Aerith?"

A lost child– was what Aerith wanted to say. But in the end, she just let out a sigh and continued flying away… because if she said it, she would be wrong.

Because right from the start, Riley always knew what he was and never once shied away from it. His purpose was clear because he was… created to be that way.

If anything, it was everyone else that was lost. She, Caitlain, Bernard, and all the people that surrounded Riley Ross as he grew up.

It was easy to blame Caitlain because she was responsible for creating a literal monster. But Bernard, the Hope Guild, and even her.

Everyone seemed to be so ashamed of what happened to Ms. Phoenix that never once did they try to reach out to Riley.

Empress told her that Riley could have been the best hero the world– no, the universe has ever known if only he was adopted by the right people, and Aerith couldn't agree more to that.

Maybe all of this was a second chance?

A second chance for the phoenix to rise again from the ashes in the form of Riley Ross, becoming the guardian that would protect Earth forever?

"..." Aerith then once again took another glance at Riley, only to see him staring at her with the edges of his mouth almost reaching from ear to ear.

"..."

Well… It could also be the rise of a phoenix that would scorch the entire universe.