Villain Retirement

"They are a descendant of a god, in a sense."

Diana then stretched her arms to the side, enlarging the images of the human-looking race. There were also holographic videos, seemingly showing their way of life and planet.

"They are called the Evaniels. One of the Higher Races— all of them inherently have silver hair. As for the tattoos, you'd be surprised that it is also part of their biology. The tattoos are made of their blood, which becomes sort of like ink that sticks and etches through their skin as they grow—"

"Wait, hold up…"

"..."

Diana quickly leaned her head back; letting out a small grunt as Alice suddenly placed her finger on her lips— No, she didn't just place it, Diana could even taste her finger as she practically plugged it inside her mouth. But alas, Diana couldn't really utter a complaint as she saw the raw wave of curiosity in Alice's eyes.

"...Gods are real?" A small smile then appeared on Alice's face as she glanced at Diana.

"In a sense," Diana just shrugged her shoulders, before closing the information on the Evaniels, "A 'god' is just a term for ancient beings that could destroy a galaxy with just a single breath; inversely, they could also create one with just a single step."

"And suddenly the power levels become wack," Alice let out a playful scoff, "If the humans knew of this, they would probably be shitting their pants right about now."

"And you won't?"

"I already have," Alice said as she leaned even closer to the silver-haired race, "You think I could kill one of those?"

"The Evaniels? Most probably," Diana said as she also glanced at the hologram, "They are fast, but you are capable of shielding yourself if ever I hurl the sun at you."

"No, that's boring," Alice scoffed, "I mean do you think I could take on their ancestor?"

"A god?" Diana let out a small giggle,

"It is rumored in their history and archives that their ancestor could travel to the end of the universe and back in just a blink of an eye. You, and even I, wouldn't even know what hit us. Well, granted if it is even true— history tends to be an exaggeration of actual events. It is rumored that the ancestor of the Themarians could flick a finger, and entire galaxies would bend to his will, literally. I would say that is—"

"Blah, blah, blah," Alice scoffed and rolled her eyes, "These Evaniels, are they stronger than the Themarians?"

"Oh, they are fast— extremely so," Diana smirked and shook her head, "But Themarians would win the fight a hundred times out of a hundred. I snapped one of them in half when I was around Aerith's age. Of course, a war broke down, but it is how it—"

"You talk a lot for someone who is probably tens of thousands of years old."

"The older you get the more talkative you are," Diana giggled, "The same is true for humans. Have you ever met anyone that is above 80 years old that wouldn't stop talking unless you leave?"

"Come to think of it… Wait, never mind that!" Alice waved her hands as she finally walked away from the images of the Evaniels, "If these silver-haired fucks are weaker than Themarians, then I am not interested in them. Show me a race that is actually strong!"

"Well…" Diana let out a tiny scoff as she raised her hand, "...then that narrows and filters the selection quite a bit."

And soon, the holograms started disappearing one by one; the light in the silver hall, once again returning as the colors of the holograms faded away from Alice's eyes— all of them, gone. And all that was left in her eyes was the reflection of Diana's silhouette.

"No one is stronger than us," Diana smiled as she stretched her arms to the side, "We are it."

"..." Alice could really only look Diana straight in the eyes. Although it might seem boastful and even arrogant, she knew Diana's claims were not false. Soon, however, as she got deeper into Diana's eyes… Alice saw a reflection.

And very slowly, she stepped closer to Diana; her face, almost leaning towards Diana's face and causing her to slightly take a step back.

"...What are you doing now?" Diana breathed out as Alice continued to stare her straight in the eyes.

"I know what DNA strand thingamajig I want now…" Alice smiled,

"...Mine."

"...What?"

"Splice my DNA or whatever you call it so I could impregnate myself."

"..." Diana was about to ask if Alice was crazy, but that has already been established the very first day she met her a few years ago,

"That would lead to many complications," and so, the only thing that Diana could really do was go along with whatever weird ideas she had, "Birth defects, anomalies— and the worst part? The baby would have nothing to inherit but… you."

"I call that a win!" Alice then let out a breathy chuckle as she grabbed Diana's shoulders, "Imagine, a baby that carries my genes and my genes alone! It would be the cutest and strongest baby in the entire universe!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? It would lead to many complications," Diana raised an eyebrow as she removed herself from Alice's grasp.

"Then science the shit out of it, isn't that what you do!?"

"..."

"..."

"Let's say I do this for you…" Diana rolled her eyes as she started walking away, with Alice of course being a tail, "...It would just create a normal human. He might not even be susceptible to the Super strand."

"Trust me, D. It will be the strongest baby in the entire universe."

"I might as well just make you a clone, that would be easier," Diana sighed and shook her head.

"No, it needs to come out of my vagina."

"..." Diana could really only look at Alice, before once again shaking her head, "When do you want it?"

"...Now?"

"..."

"..."

Diana was invited to have coffee by Alice. It was supposed to just be a casual meeting between the two since they haven't met in person for a while ever since Alice got out of prison— but to think the meeting would be the very thing that changes things for the both of them for the rest of their lives, even Diana.

Because less than a year later, Riley was born.

"Say hello to grandma, my cute little Lucifer!"

"No! I already told you that you can't name your son that!"

Inside a hospital room, just a few moments after she gave birth, Alice was gently cradling the extremely pale baby in her arms; his skin was as if one could already see his pink flesh. It didn't matter to Alice that he looked weird, or that he wasn't normal.

He wasn't supposed to be— he is the most special baby in the world.

"..." And Charlotte saw that— she saw the way her daughter looked at her son. And right there and then, she knew that Alice would forever change,

"Let's… leave them for a few minutes," Charlotte then gestured to the doctor that was in the room; both of them, quietly stepping out and leaving Alice some time with her baby alone.

But as soon a few seconds after they did so, the door once again opened— with a nurse suddenly stepping inside the room unannounced and just casually standing beside Alice's bed.

"Do you want to hold him?" Alice, however, only smiled; not even looking at the nurse… who turned out to be Diana.

"...No." And although the tone of Diana's voice was stern, there was still a little warmth that could be heard seeping from her lips as she stared at the pale baby, "Are you really going to name him Lucifer?"

"...Why not?" Alice giggled as she gently caressed her son's cheeks.

"He's going to get bullied in school."

"Please, you named your daughter after your ship."

"..."

"..."

"Pft."

Alice then quickly covered her mouth as she tried to suppress the laughter that was trying to come out of it.

"..." Diana could really only shake her head and sigh, before sitting beside Alice and looking at the baby in her arms, "Your son has macrostomia, and and an absence of melanin. It's nothing that we can't fix. It's common to have complications since no procedure is perfect…

…But I have to say, even with those conditions, he looks quite—"

"What are you talking about? He's perfect," Alice only shook her head as she continued to stare at her baby, "What… do you think I should name him?"

"That's a decision only you can make. Name him Lucifer if you want… after all, by all definition— you are his only parent, no one else."

"Hm, you heard that my little…" Alice continued to stare at her baby's face,

"...my little Riley. You came from me and me alone. And I will not let anything in this world hurt you…

…nothing in this world will hurt you."

A small tear then slowly emerged from Alice's eye as she caressed Riley's face. Her lips, almost trembling at the thought of her baby being harmed.

"You were right, Diana," Alice breathed out as she glanced at Diana, "This… this is different. It… it changes everything."

"Hm," Diana only smiled and nodded. But after a few seconds, the smile on her face completely faded away; replaced with furrowed eyebrows.

"...What's wrong?"

"There's… something you should know."

"Is it bad news? Whatever it is, it can wait," Alice chuckled.

"It can't," Diana shook her head as she held Alice's hand, "It's already been waiting for months."

"...Hm?" Alice could really only blink a couple of times as she heard the slight shift of Diana's voice.

"When… I tested your blood and spinal fluids, my ship detected an abnormality."

"...What's new?" Alice let out a sigh of relief as she heard Diana's words, "We both knew there was something wrong with—"

"You're going to develop Alzheimer's."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"