Villain Retirement

"Why… did I fail?"

Everyone truly thought they would finally have the first student and prospect of the new Hero Academy and Association. But alas, Riley once again failed someone in front of them.

"Megawoman can not be evil — Megawoman is not Megawoman because she is strong, Megawoman is Megawoman because she is kind."

"But you asked me a situational question, Sir!" Pietro could not help but stand up from his seat, "I… I know that Megawoman can't turn evil, she's been my idol ever since I was young and I still even have figurines of—"

"Okay, Pass."

"...Sir?"

"You pass."

"Riley…?"

Silvie was just about to plead Pietro's case, but before she could even do so, Riley was already gesturing to Pietro to get off the stage. It wasn't only her, everyone was sorely confused as to what just happened.

Did… they just need to compliment Megwoman, and they will pass? If so, then should they also try applying to the Academy?

"Why… did you pass him?" Silvie leaned closer to Riley and whispered.

"Because he has figurines of Megawoman, Silvie," Riley nodded, "He said he still has them, I would like to see them in the future."

"You… passed him because of that?"

"And because you approved of him as well, Silvie."

"M… Me?" Silvie wanted to stop the smile that wanted to form on her face as she heard Riley's words.

"Of course. I did tell you, you are the one failing or passing them, Silvie," Riley nodded, "But of course, he also passed because he has figurines of Megawoman…

…Next!"

And so, the applications continued, with more and more being allowed to sit down and pass. And very soon, everyone suddenly turned quiet as a species from another territory stepped onto the stage and sat down on the chair.

"My name is Ambrucx," the woman's snout slightly flinched as she looked at Silvie and Esme. Her ears, however, were completely still on the top of her head, "Thank you for making me sit."

"It says here you are from… Roaring City?" Silvie then read Ambrucx's file; her eyebrows, slightly knitting, "That was just on the news, it's where the villain known as Arguar the Warclaw started his rampage?"

"Yes," Ambrucx's cat-like ears slightly flinched as she looked at Silvie, "I was the one who stopped him and made him flee."

"...And you want to be a superhero because of that?"

"No," Ambrucx shook her head, "My newborns were near the hospital where he started his rampage, he killed all 4 of them. For 600 years, I carried them in my womb…"

"..." Silvie could not really say anything and just turned to look at Riley to see if he would stop her, but Riley seemed even more intent on listening to Ambrucx than anyone else in the restaurant.

"For 600 years, I kept them safe, even fought in the war…" Ambrucx touched her belly; her claws, slightly revealing themselves, "...And yet not even days after I gave birth to them, their small bodies were ripped apart. Just a few days they weren't close to me, and they were gone…

…I want to be a hero to prevent my situation from happening to someone else."

"I am sorry for what happened to you," Silvie took in a deep breath as she looked Ambrucx in the eyes, "And thank you for sharing that with us. Riley?"

"What are you going to do if you see Arguar the Warclaw again, Miss Ambrucx?" Riley then asked, "Are you going to do the same to what he did to your children?"

"Margrea Oath prevents me from doing that," Ambrucx shook her head, "But it doesn't prevent me from humiliating him to the point that he would want to take his own life, and that is what I will do once we face off again, Mr. Zero — whether as a hero, or just a mother who wants to avenge her children."

"Interesting," Riley placed his hand on his chin, "You pass."

"Riley…" Silvie then once again leaned closer to Riley and whispered, "...Are you sure? Revenge is… never a good start."

"It is fine, Silvie," Riley just nodded before gesturing to Ambrucx to leave the stage, "Everyone needs their archenemies. Next."

And as Ambrucx left the stage, another one stepped up — and to all the diners' surprise, the next applicant wasn't immediately asked to leave and even sat down; this was perhaps the first that two people were allowed to sit consecutively.

"My name is—"

"Gary Gray," Silvie did not let the man sitting on the stage finish his words. How could she, when it was a variant of a person whom she used to be very close with? Even Katrina, who was waiting tables, could not help but completely abandon her table as she stared at Gary's variant.

"You… then you also have a son…?" Gary turned to look Silvie in the eyes.

"What…? Oh, no," Silvie squinted her eyes in confusion for a moment but quickly realized what Gary meant, "I'm… not a variant of the original Megawoman."

"I see…" Gary closed his eyes and shook his head, "Sorry that I asked even though you should be the one asking me questions."

Seeing Gary all serious and not making jokes made Silvie feel a certain way — almost as if making her realize that no matter what happens now, they truly were never going to go back to the way it was.

The friendship they had back then — Hannah, Katrina, Tomoe, Bella, Chihiro, Gary… and even Riley. It was nothing but a dream now. And sometimes when she wakes up, she even needs to force herself to remember their names.

"It's alright," Silvie then let out a small sigh before smiling, and for the first time throughout the entire interview, "I'm sorry too…

…but you fail."

"What…?" Gary could not help but just stand up as he looked Silvie in the eyes, "...Why? I know you know who I am, you know what I can do for the people."

"I do," Silvie closed her eyes, "Your variant is a dear friend of mine — and I don't want the same thing that happened to him, happen to you. Live a different life, Gary."

"I'm completely different from the person you know," Gary shook his head, "Even if we were similar back then, that was 600 years ago. Humans can change in a year, how much more 600? I mean no disrespect for this, Megawoman…

…you weren't my friend, and you don't know me at all."