Villain Retirement

Chapter 307: Brother

It was a scream. A scream that pierced even the silence of space itself– and one might even say that it resounded throughout the entire galaxy…

…or at least that was what it felt like.

"No…"

Bernard was still kneeling on the floor, despite Megawoman no longer holding him down; Butcher's knife, as well, was no longer planted on his neck. Instead, both Megawoman and Butcher evacuated the members of the Baby Crew that were sprawled on the ground.

But since Butcher was not as fast as Megawoman, she ended up carrying him as well while he carried two others. And in just the span of seconds, the only people left in the room were Whiteking… and his two children.

"This… this isn't happening," Bernard could stare as the fire surrounding Hannah continued to flicker; and with each flicker, the flames changed color.

Red, orange, red, orange, blue.

Even from meters away, Bernard could feel the heat coming from Hannah's body– even activating his suit's automatic defense system as his helmet emerged from his pauldrons. Bernard wanted to take it off, but his own armor was not allowing it.

"This isn't happening," Bernard then started to crawl on the ground as approached the two… but instead found himself getting farther away instead. And soon, a hole was blasted into the wall and Bernard could finally see that Megawoman was pushing the entire ship away.

"Wait… wait!" The rockets on Bernard's feet then started to let out fumes, but before they could combust, they broke into tiny little pieces; he turned his eyes towards his children, only to see Riley staring at him.

"I'd just like to say, Bernard." And even with the almost deafening hiss that was starting to reverberate everywhere, Riley's voice could still be heard,

"This isn't probably your fault… maybe."

"No… no… no!" Bernard then rushed towards the two even as the entire ship moved… leaving Riley and Hannah where they were floating still, "M… Megawoman, please… please save my children!"

"I… already did."

But alas, very soon, Riley and Hannah emerged from the ship.

Megawoman glanced at Riley for a few seconds as their eyes met, before letting out a small sigh and continuing to push the ship away from them.

"Your flames… are still alive even in space, sister," Riley then whispered into his sister's ears, "I always knew you were special. You… could even breathe here."

"..." Hannah, however, remained unresponsive as her eyes completely turned white. She seemed to want to say something, but only murmurs and groans whispered from her lips.

"It's… only us now, sister."

The blue ice that Riley plucked out from Earth once again showed itself, this time, surrounding them like some sort of colossal ring; Riley could not really pull them close, as they would probably only melt… as even his skin was starting to crack.

And around them, was only silence.

But soon, Hannah's head started to move.

"I…" She whispered, "I…

…fucking hate you."

"...I know, sister," Riley, however, only tightened his embrace; even resting his face on Hannah's blazing shoulders.

"Why… why would you do all those things?" Hannah's voice was almost ethereal; fleeting but echoing. And soon, the flames that were drowning her body settled on a bluer color.

"I… honestly don't know, sister," Riley said as his suit completely melted away– his slowly charring skin, now reflecting the flames coming from Hannah's body.

"You… you're not going to be let off that easily."

But soon, the echoes became stutters,

"You… you're going to rot in prison for the things you've done," Hannah's white eyes then soon regained their colors, "You… don't deserve death, Riley."

"I never did, sister. That is probably why I was born the way I am. I was born to inflict suffering, and to suffer myself."

"...Why?" Hannah then finally pulled herself away from Riley; Riley, however, grabbed both her arms, not letting the two of them separate, "Let… let go."

"This is the only way, sister," Riley smiled, and once again– it was a smile that only Hannah has seen, "This has been the only way since we were children. Do you remember that, sister? When you shielded me when the water heater exploded."

"If… I knew what you will become, I wouldn't have saved you," Hannah still tried to pry Riley's arms away, but as she did so, the flames on her hands seemed to grow hotter; causing her to immediately let go.

"But you did," Riley then once again pulled himself closer to Hannah, "You… saved me."

"Let go."

"No," Riley shook his head as he once again rested his head on Hannah's shoulder, "This time… this time it's my turn to save you, Hannah."

"I said fucking let go!" And as Hannah's screams reverberated in the air, the color of her flames became purple.

"Hm," Riley took in a small but very deep breath as the cracks on his skin scattered almost like shattered ice.

"I fucking hate you, Riley! I hate you so fucking much! Let go! Let go, you fucker!"

"I am truly sorry that it had to be you, sister," Riley closed his eyes, "I'm sorry that I became your brother."

"I said, let go!" Hannah then once again pushed Riley away, this time, however… the shoulders she pushed instantly shattered into ash.

"...Eh?" Hannah's eyes turned wide as Riley slowly floated away from her; his arms, now separated from his torso. Riley, however, still had a smile on his face.

"Look at that, sister," Riley chuckled, "My arms aren't regenerating."

"No… no, no, no," Hannah's eyes looked everywhere, "You… you need to pay for your crimes in prison."

"There's nothing to pay, sister." Riley's dismembered arms then started to move, almost connecting themselves back to Riley's torso, but not quite, "I… enjoyed the things I did, putting me back in a cage is not going to change that."

Riley's hand then gently placed itself on Hannah's cheek, "I… also enjoyed the times I have spent with you in the Academy, sister. It was probably the longest time I've gone without thinking of killing anyone."

"Who… who am I even talking to right now?" Hannah's voice once again became stutters. In truth, there have been tears that have been wanting to come out from her eyes since earlier– but were not allowed to as they evaporate as soon as they emerge.

"You lied to me, Riley," Hannah muttered as she touched Riley's hand… only for it to completely shatter into ash, "I… I thought it was you and me against the world, Riley. I always thought that everyone… everyone would betray me. But not you…

…not my brother."

"..."

"But you… you've been lying from the start. I hate you, I fucking hate you for that. And dad knows? What… what's with that?"

"It's nobody's fault but mine," Riley sighed, "I had you, I had loving but very suspicious parents, I… had friends. If it were any other human, they would have flourished into the brother you deserve."

"Why… why did you have to come into our lives?"

"...You should probably ask Diana for–"

"Why would you do all of these things, Riley!?" Hannah screamed, "You should've just hidden it until the end. You should've just left quietly with Megawoman and we could have separated… we could have separated like normal siblings do. Not… not like this, this is fucked up. We should be crying, we should be reminiscing the stupid things we did… and then I wave goodbye for the last time!"

"But… aren't we doing that now, Hannah?"

"..."

The purple flames that once covered Hannah's body… slowly faded away. The heat, however, grew stronger even as the color disappeared– it was almost as if the space around Hannah started to distort.

"Please…" Hannah's voice once again became sedated; she tried flying away, but was unable to as there seemed to be an invisible arm embracing her, "We… we can go through this together, Riley."

"We are," Riley's breaths started to become heavy as his skin slowly started withering away, "And I'm sorry that we are."

"No…" Hannah gasped.

And very soon… a tear was able to survive as it floated between the two of them– not Hannah's…

…But Riley's.

"Oh," Riley hummed, "Look at that, sister."

"That… that's not fucking fair," Hannah covered her mouth as her eyes trailed towards the single tear; the pain on her face, now visible with the flames gone, "That's not fair."

"Thank you, Hannah," Riley then floated his other arm towards Hannah's face, covering her eyes, "Even through this, never once did you not call me your brother."

"B… because you are my brother," Hannah closed her eyes, refusing to look at Riley's hand that was withering away, "Please… please... No… oh god no…"

"Sister…" A whisper then floated through Hannah's ears,

"I… truly do wish I could have at least said I love you."

"No… no…" Hannah's eyes remained closed, "Let… let's just go, okay? I'll go with you and Megawoman. We can leave, we can just go. I'll… I'll go with you to make sure you wouldn't do stupid things, okay?"

"..."

"Riley, I'll go with…"

Hannah opened her eyes… but all that remained was darkness.

"Riley?" Hannah blinked a couple of times; the invisible embrace that wrapped around her arms, no longer there.

"...Riley?" Hannah flew away, her eyes, desperately trying to catch a white silhouette– the asteroids that dared blocked her path… instantly withering away.

"Riley!?" Hannah screamed. And very soon, the space that was distorting around Hannah also faded away.

"...Riley?" She whispered; the tears that she dearly wished for, now floating from her eyes.

"..."

And yet no one answered.

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