Villain Retirement

"Zero…?"

"Hm…"

"Are you… worrying about the test?"

Back in Riley's now renovated apartment, Riley was currently sat and the bed; a white blanket, almost melding against his waist as he was completely only skin underneath. Perhaps the only contrast was Liza's pinkish hand as she gently grasped Riley's cheek so he would look at her, who lay beside him naked in bed.

"Zero, you know… I feel like a slut saying this…" Liza then forced out a chuckle as she smiled at Riley, "But I'm fine with a clone. You… shouldn't have sent your clone to the Academy if you were only going to think about it."

"I am not thinking about the Academy, Liza," Riley let out a small breath; returning Liza's gaze before removing her hand from his face. And with another breath, Riley gently rested his ear on Liza's belly, "I am thinking about the baby."

"W—Oh," Liza almost gasped, but instead just smiled as she caressed Riley's hair, "I had a check-up earlier, the baby's fine."

"That is good, Liza," Riley blinked a couple of times, "But I was thinking about my baby with Aerith."

"W—Oh…" Liza's eye twitched as her hand that was gently caressing Riley's hair almost pulled the strands out, "I… I see."

"Does that make you upset, Liza?" Riley sat up as he felt Liza's grip on his hair tighten, "That I think about my baby with another woman when I am with you? If so, then I apologize — but I do believe she is about to give birth in a few weeks, and I will not be there, and that disappoints me greatly."

"Oh…" Liza did not really know what to feel right now. In one perspective, Riley had the baby before the Blink, and that was a very long time ago. On the other, it didn't really matter since Riley was still fully and obviously in love with Megawoman,

"...Can you make me a promise, Zero?"

"That depends, Liza."

"I know I said that it wasn't important before and that I didn't… that I didn't care," Liza closed her eyes and slightly sniffled, "...But please, promise me that you will be there for our child. You'll be there to witness his birth, and you'll be present in his life. You don't need to be present in mine, but please… be there for our baby."

"I suppose I can make that promise, Liza," Riley nodded, "And if you stay by my side, I see no reason why I would not be present in your life."

"It's just…" Liza once again let out a sigh as she lay back down on the bed and let herself fall; her blanket, unable to contain her large breasts as they bounced when she did so, "...I'm slowly starting to learn that you, Zero, Riley Ross, you…

…you're bigger than all of this, bigger than this world, bigger than this life."

"..."

"The 600 years that I've lived, it won't be anything to you at all," Liza covered her eyes, "And now that my time is moving again, I'll just be… a speck of dust in your memory that may as well hold infinity. As for our child, I don't know how long it'll live — and I know, I know this is horrible for me to say…

…but I hope he dies before you become what you are again, Zero. I hope he lives in the time that you are seen as a hero, as the man who revived the age of hope."

"..." Riley could really only glance at Liza as her trembling hand grabbed his arm tight; both of them, fully knowing that wouldn't be possible at all due to his true nature. But…

"I will try, Liza."

"Zero…"

"For your child, and Katrina's."

"...What?"

***

"Look at the moon, Renna. It shines ever so deeply, calling for us, it's kindred. But does it not make you wonder? Are our visage reflecting it, or is it reflecting us?"

"Mother, Lucy's autism is showing again."

"Renna! Don't call your brother that."

"He is not legally my brother, Mother."

"Hmph, animals will never understand the beauty of immaterial life — but they will."

Somewhere on the terrace of a building that overlooked most of New York, a boy whose skin was as white as snow, and long silky hair that almost reached his ankles. His hair was white, even whiter than his pale skin.

His arms were stretched to the side while he stood on top of a bench; his clear eyes, almost imitating the moon reflecting on them. But most importantly…

…he was naked.

"What the—Lucifer! Why are you not wearing any clothes!?"

And as soon as the boy's mother stepped out onto the terrace and saw her son with his hair swinging along with other parts that shouldn't be seen, she quickly rushed to grab and drag him inside.

"Unhand me, Liza!" The boy, Lucy, was quick to struggle; flailing his arms and legs wildly as Liza, whose face now held a more mature aura, was having none of his silly tantrum,

"Unhand me!"

"For the millionth time, Lucy — I'm your aunt. Don't just call me by name," the big-breasted woman who was not actually the boy's mother bellowed.

"You are but Katrina's inferior variant!"

"And don't call your mother by name," Liza could really only let out a small but very deep sigh… before just throwing Lucy inside the apartment, causing him to roll violently on the floor before being stopped by a wall that was already slightly cracked.

"Hm, finesse," Lucy then covered half his face with his fingers spread as he kneeled down into a pose.

"You should have been aborted by Aunt Katrina," Renna, who was almost a replica of her cousin if it wasn't for her softer and more feminine face, just let out a small sigh as she looked at Lucy; the tone of her voice, extremely monotonous and devoid of any emotion.

"Stop it, Renna," Lucy sighed as he stood up, "Your envy of my beauty shows whenever you are mad. It's fine, I would be mad too if I was inferior to you."

"None of us are better than the other, Lucy," Renna walked away, "Biologically, we are almost twins."

"I know, catch up," Lucy chuckled before he just casually made his way to the living room and sat on the sofa, "Be quiet, my inferior, it is time to watch my show."

Lucy then turned on the large TV, quickly switching it to his favorite show. But not even 3 seconds after he started it, Renna snapped her fingers; causing the feed on the screen to lose signal.

"What have you done, Renna…?" Lucy, however, instead of raising his voice, just rushed toward the large TV and started hugging it before glancing at his cousin, "I need to watch it, bring it back."

"No," Renna just walked away, "I destroyed the streaming platform's data storage, it will be impossible to bring it back up tonight."

"..." Lucy could really only close his eyes in defeat as he heard that, "Why do you torture me so, Renna?"

"Because you are torturing my eyes — please get dressed," Renna shook her head, "And please, pretend we do not know each other tomorrow. I do not want to be associated with you on our first day in Hero Academy."

"Hmph," Lucy scoffed as he finally let go of the TV and just pointed at Renna, "That will be impossible, they would smell that you are my inferior version as soon as they see—"

And before Lucy could even finish his words, Renna just left the living room.

"..." And as he was now alone in the living room, Lucy just looked at his reflection on the blank screen of the TV, "Well…"

Lucy then held the reflection of his face on the TV. But after a single breath, however, his hand just went through it and he started strangling his reflection.

"It's true…" Lucy smiled as he looked at himself being strangled, "...you should have been aborted. Your existence is nothing, just another waste in this universe filled with so much light. I—"

"Lucifer! If I come out of the living room and you're still not dressed, I am going to tell your mother!"

"Hm…" Lucy let out a small breath as he pulled his hand out from the TV,

"...Maybe tomorrow. For tonight…

…I hunt."

***

"That's him, right…? Paragon's son?"

"He… looks like a princess."

"You should see his sister. I mean, damn. They don't look human at all."

"...Is Paragon even human?"

"Shh, don't let him hear you."

"Hm…" Lucy was now walking around the campus of the Hero Academy, where students and staff members alike were looking and staring at him. He was ignoring everyone, however, as he just walked confidently with a smile on his face.

His stride, however, was suddenly interrupted as a girl blocked his path.

"H…H—"

Before the girl could even say a word, however, she was pulled away by her friends.

"Girl, what are you doing…? Didn't you hear what he did to the proctor during the entrance exam? He…

…he almost killed the proctor!"