Villain Retirement

"What I am trying to say is… I am Paige Pearson."

"I admit that I am still slightly confused, Miss Jennifer."

"You are? 'Coz you're like the chillest guy I think I've ever met. To think you really are as they described you are."

"They?"

"Yes."

There was this air of mystery around Jennifer, but at the same time, the mystery did not seem to have a wall at all as she seemed to just be ready to tell everything she knew to Riley. It was a very refreshing sight for him.

After all, most of the mysteries in Riley's life usually just go on becoming a mystery, or if it is answered, they are mostly replaced by an even greater mystery — such was his life. But he did not mind, half of the fun was the mystery… but Riley did not mind being handed the questions at all.

"Who are they, Miss Jennifer?" And so, Riley asked.

"Aerith'Ross, Diana, Esme, Hera, Ahor Zai, Karina, and the previous Paige Pearson before me," and Jennifer answered without even a slight hesitation, "They actually told me more about you, unbelievable things that even I, as the successor of the Creator, could not believe to be true. Isn't it weird, how most of the people you know are just gone in my time?"

"How far into the future are you, Miss Jennifer?"

"Eh, I can't really answer that…" Jennifer tapped her chin with her finger several times before her eyes widened, "Not because I don't want to tell you, I really don't know if it's the right answer. I am from the future, but I am not really from the future — my universe is new and therefore not your future at all. Or perhaps it is, since you are still there."

"I thought I was no longer in your time, Miss Jennifer?" Riley slightly tilted his head.

"Hm… yes and no?" Jennifer also tilted her head to the side as she squinted, "You exist, you're just not… there anymore."

"I'm dead."

"No, no…" Jennifer chuckled as she started waving her hands, "You're alive, you're just… not there anymore. You were sealed away."

"I was sealed away," Riley placed his hand on his chin; a very small smile, slowly crawling on his face.

"O…kay," Jennifer's eyes once again widened as she slightly leaned away, "I don't think that is something to smile about. But it's not any of my business, so just ask. Ask."

"Who sealed me away, Miss Jennifer?"

"Your sister."

"Hannah?"

"No, your other sister."

"I… have another sister?"

"No, of course, it's Hannah, duh…" Jennifer slightly rolled her eyes, but soon enough, a small giggle escaped her lips, "...I'm actually really excited to be talking to you right now, Riley Ross. If you think you're some sort of big shot now, you should know the things you do later on — crazy. Most of it is wack and evil, but hey, it led to some beautiful stuff."

"How did you come to the past, Miss Jennifer?"

"Hmn…" Jennifer clasped her palms together as she nodded, "...That's not something I can answer, I'm not the tech guy — that's big D. And by big D, I meant Diana."

"Aerith'Ross, who is she?"

"Finally!" Jennifer stood up from her invisible seat and she pointed at Riley, "I thought you would never ask! This is the most exciting part, Aerith'Ross and—"

"That is enough from you."

And like lightning just suddenly flashing out of nowhere, a deafening thunder resounded throughout Marleen's domain—no, everyone within the Domain of the Gods felt it, causing all of them to just momentarily stop whatever it was they were doing.

Riley also stopped everything, he even stopped breathing. But not because of the thunder, no — but because of the woman that just suddenly appeared right beside Jennifer, already grabbing her by the waist and both of their feet were slowly leaving the ruined floor.

"Aerith'Ross…" Riley could not help but just whisper as he also stood up from the invisible seat; his eyes, just completely fixated on the complete on the Aerith in front of him. Riley had seen some variants of Aerith a few times, but there was just something different about this Aerith… although he didn't know why, it just felt like she wasn't a variant at all but a completely different being entirely.

And it wasn't just because her hair and skin were as white as his. There was just… something different with her — although she looked like Aerith, she was more similar to Karina in a way.

"You…" Riley blinked a couple of times,

"...You're my daughter."

"..." Aerith'Ross just stared at Riley for a few seconds, before closing her eyes and just flying away… creating some sort of tear in space as she did so. Unlike Jennifer, she did not even say a single word to Riley as she disappeared. Riley was going to follow them inside, but he found himself just passing through it. The only thing he could really do was watch as the portal faded away.

He did, however…

…saw Jennifer nodding at him.

Aerith'Ross… was his daughter? Will be his daughter?

She could only be his and Aerith's child… but Jennifer told him that Hannah sealed her away — so how exactly will the two of them have a child? Themarians can only give birth once in a thousand years, and Aerith already gave birth to Gary just recently.

"Oh…"

And so, once again, Riley found himself with even more questions than before. And he thought that he was finally getting straight answers, only to find himself even more confused than before.

But of course, Riley did not really mind as he just shrugged and waited for Miss Pepondosovich and the others to be back. Unbeknownst to him, however, outside of the Domain of the Gods…

…his question was being answered.

"You're pregnant."

"...What?"

"You're pregnant."

"I heard what you said, I just don't think you understand what you just said."

"What's there to understand, you're pregnant."

"How can I be…!?"

Although the Ross' residence was extremely mundane even with the themarians in it compared to the Domain of the Gods, something extremely bizarre was currently happening inside it. Diana and Aerith may just seem like casual friends who were sharing news with each other, but the news they were sharing was… something.

"It is literally impossible for us to give birth twice in a thousand years, least of all half a century!"

Aerith's voice filled the entire house, causing it to tremble as she cracked the floor just by approaching Diana.

"...You're going to have to pay for that," Diana sighed as she glanced at her broken tiles, "And to refute your statement, no — female themarians giving birth twice in a thousand years has happened before."

"...What? No," Aerith scoffed.

"It has, twice," Diana just nonchalantly shrugged as she sipped her coffee, "Once in my lifetime too. I don't really know how to feel about this but, well… congratulations."

"Are you saying… I'm pregnant with Riley's child?"

"Yes," Diana smiled.

"Why are you smiling…?"

"Because I'll have another grandchild?" Diana just let out a small chuckle, "And royalty at that. I need to make sure Karina doesn't feel left out once that child is born, but that shouldn't be a problem at all since…

…it's a boy."