Villain Retirement

Several claps of thunder howled through the training hall; only hampered by Gary's violent breaths as he continued to punch Riley's face.

"I. Am. Not. Weak!"

With every word he uttered, he struck. But Riley just remained there standing, completely unfazed no matter what— unmoved even by a single millimeter.

"But you are, Gary. Didn't you say it yourself? You're a side character."

"Shut up!" The entire training hall soon started to tremble as a barrage of strikes rained down on Riley's face; Gary's arms could no longer be seen as only the ripples they caused remained.

"But you're wrong, Gary. You're not even a side character now,"

Riley's voice, even with thunders that drowned anything, still echoed through the air,

"You're just a nobody, Gary Gray."

And as soon as those words reached Gary's ears, his fists stopped mid-air; trembling, weeping.

"Son of Megawoman. Friends with the strongest supers of this generation. You are even the only man in a group full of women. If it were any other, they truly would have been the main character,"

Riley's sighs of disappointment whispered in the air,

"You must be so disappointed, Gary Gray."

"..." Gary's eyebrows began to tremble; his face turning into a snarl as he showed his chattering teeth.

"Your father was killed by the evilest supervillain in the world. And your mother did not even seem to care. Your story should have been one of revenge…

…but poor, poor Gary," Riley's head started to weave from side to side as his voice turned into a hum,

"You're just a joke. You can't even scratch a single hair of mine."

"..."

"All this time, the man responsible for your father's death and many others were just right beside you. We rode motorcycles together, you ate the food I cooked, we fought together…

…How does it feel, Gary? To know that you were just a puppet whose strings could have been severed at any time?"

"You were our friend!" Gary then roared as he waved his hand, "I loved you, man! You… I considered you my brother! We… we were close, you and I. We spend each day together! Just why…

…why can't you be human for once!?"

"I was never your friend, Gary Gray. You're weak. Why don't you ask your mother for help? Afraid she won't even acknowledge you?"

"I am not weak!" Gary once again closed his fist as he punched Riley in the face.

"...Gary?"

As soon as he did so, however, another voice echoed throughout the training hall; this time, filled with a warmth that was completely absent in the hall.

"...Chihiro?" Gary blinked several times as he turned his head towards Golden Fox. A few moments later, however, he once again raised his voice, "Get out of here. Riley…Riley's here!"

Chihiro, who was just wearing a casual dress could not help but take a few steps back as she looked around,

"There… there's no one here but us, Gary."

"Huh? What—" Gary quickly looked at his fist, only to see Riley's face not there,

"He… he was just here."

"When… when was the last time you went outside, Gary?" Chihiro slightly stuttered as she looked Gary in the eyes.

"..." Gary looked back and forth between Chihiro and the empty air in front of him. But after a few moments, he let out a breath and shook his head,

"That's none of your concern."

"The others are worried about you. I'm worried about y—"

"The others don't care about me!" Gary did not let Chihiro talk, "They don't care about me now that Riley is back! He… he's just walking around everywhere like he's not the evilest piece of shit in the world!"

"Gary—"

"Even Silvie is just letting him be!"

"You… you know how Silvie is," Chihiro sighed, "She is very straightforward when it comes to the law, and Riley is no longer wanted."

"Then what about Bella!? What about Katrina!? What about everyone else!? Oh yes, I've seen the way people look at him," Gary violent waved his hand,

"Just because he ended the House of Super, it doesn't mean he's a hero!"

"...He's not."

"Then why are the people treating him like one!? They idolize him like… like a fucking celebrity! Have… have they forgotten that he's a mass murderer!? He—"

And soon, tears started to trail on Gary's cheeks; his mouth, no longer able to utter any other words as his breaths filled his throat. His heavy gasps, almost uncontrollable.

And as soon as Chihiro saw this, she quickly rushed toward Gary and wrapped her arms around him.

Gary quickly surrendered to this warmth as he fell to the ground, letting out a scream that caused the entire hall to quaver.

Chihiro didn't say anything, she just tightened her embrace.

Gary gritted his teeth, trying to stop the tears from falling, but failing miserably.

"You…" He was about to say something, but suddenly… he saw Riley in front of him; his hand, already moving toward Chihiro's head.

"Leave us alone!"

Gary's eyes immediately lit up, letting out a wide beam that scorched the walls of the training hall.

"Kh!"

Chihiro could really only push him away.

"Where are you!?" Gary roared as he stood up, "Where—"

And then, his eyes landed on Chihiro, only to see her cheek and ears… burnt. Her eyes, looking at him with fear.

"Wait… I didn't—"

And before he could say anything, a portal appeared beneath Chihiro.

"W… Wait!"

Chihiro didn't really say anything and just shook her head as she disappeared through the portal.

"No!"

"And now, you've even hurt the woman you love…

…pathetic."

"Riley!" Gary quickly turned towards the voice, only to see Riley once again standing there.

"Do you want to hurt me? Do you want me to experience the same pain you're feeling right now?"

"You… you're going to pay for this!"

"Come find me then, I'm in Shelter 12," and as Riley said that, his silhouette slowly melted away and disappeared into the floor.

"Riley!" Gary's eyes turned red as he leaped into the air, shattering the ceiling of the training hall and not even caring if there was anyone above it.

He just continued through his path like a juggernaut, rampaging the grounds he walked on until he reached the shelter… in which he proceeded to break through the door as he barged inside.

"Riley!" He roared. His eyes, turning everywhere until they finally landed on their target. It didn't even take long; after all, everything else was dark and Riley was really the only thing he could see due to his rage.

"Riley!"

Gary leaped, destroying the floor behind him as he moved towards Riley, "You're going to die!"

He locked his fists as he went straight for Riley's chest— and this time, his fist went through.

"Gary, no!"

"What have you done!?"

And then almost like a whistle moving through his ears, the blinding rage he was experiencing dispersed, revealing everyone and everything else.

A small smile crawled on Gary's face as he saw his arm, half of it penetrated through Riley's chest.

"I got you…" He whispered, "...I got you now!"

Gary then turned to look at Riley's defeated face…

…only to see Chihiro's weeping eyes. But soon, however, any emotions her eyes held completely faded away.

"...What?" Gary blinked a couple of times, before turning his eyes towards Riley, who was actually standing behind Chihiro.

"What?" Gary's eyes then looked back to Chihiro, "Why… why would you protect—"

"Gary!"

Gary then felt himself being pulled away as Silvie's screams pierced his ears. She quickly pinned him down to the ground, shattering the floor in the process.

As for Chihiro's body, it was suddenly encased in a block of dark ice.

"Medic!" Tomoe's voice shattered through the entire shelter as she placed her hand on the ice; her voice, obviously trembling as she stared at Riley. She remained like this for a few seconds; her eyes, slightly wavering,

"Medic!"

As for Riley, he was just standing there and looking at Gary.

"No… no," Gary shook his head as he returned Riley's gaze, "Why, why would you do this, Riley!?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Gary," Riley, unexpectedly, answered him quickly, "Why would you do this to Golden Fox?"

"I… I'm going to kill you!"

"Enough, Gary!"

Gary could feel himself burrowing deeper into the floor as Silvie continued to pin him down,

"Stop, you… you've done enough," she then said; her voice, stuttering as tears started to trail on her face, "Just… Please just stop."

"Silvie, take him out of here!"

"No, no, no. W… wait… wait, wait!" Gary dug his arms through the floor as he felt himself being dragged into the air by Silvie. But alas, he could really only resist so much,

"Wait… it… It's not me! It's Riley! It's Riley Ross!" Gary roared— and all of a sudden, a sort of ripple burst forth from his body, causing Silvie to be blown away.

"..." Gary's eyes turned wide from this as he quickly stood up; perplexed, but still looking at Chihiro through the block of ice she was confined in.

He then turned to look at everyone that was in the shelter, only to see all of them looking at him like he was some kind of…

…villain.

Even the princess of the evaniels was there, looking down on him as if he was a laughing stock.

"Gary," Hannah then stepped forward with both her hands in the air, "Don't you dare fucking run away."

"I…" Gary seemed to want to say something, but then just shook his head… before running away— his speed, dramatically faster than before.

"Do you want me to stop him?" Vera whispered as she watched Gary go through the door.

"No, this is an affair between humans," Hannah shook his head as she blocked Vera with her arm,

"You okay, Silv?"

"I… think so," Silvie blinked a couple of times, confused as to what just happened.

"Tomoe…" Hannah's voice then turned meek as she looked at the block of dark ice, "...Is she alive?"

Not only her, but everyone in the hall was looking at Tomoe. But alas, with her letting out a small but deep breath and shaking her head, they could really only put their heads down.

Tomoe, however, was looking at Riley; almost as if asking if this was his doing. Riley just shrugged his shoulders, however, before also touching the ice that now served as Chihiro's casket.

Katrina, who was the closest amongst the Baby Crew with Chihiro, could not help but close her eyes and let the tears go.

"...What do we do about Gary?" Although Bella's breaths were obviously ragged and weak, her voice was still clear as she moved beside Hannah.

"Baby… crew," Hannah also closed her eyes and let out a very deep and very long breath,

"...Get ready to hunt Gary Gray."