“Did you really think I would just let go of a big fish like you?”
“No, I was truly hoping that wasn’t the case.”
“…What?”
“Well… since I already killed everyone outside; letting me go…
…would have been awkward for both of us, no?”
A slight discomfort inside Sophie started to crawl out from her bones; almost as if a million ants were trying to dig their way through very carefully. It wasn’t just because of the weird smile that was plastered on Riley’s face, no.
She had dealt with people faking confidence before– this was not it. Riley was… too calm.
“…” Sophie stared at Riley’s smiling face for a couple more seconds, before squinting her eyes as she started to walk back to her desk, “What do you mean you killed everyone outside?”
“It is as I said, Miss Sophie,” Riley did not follow her as he just stood in place, “I have already killed everyone in this building except you.”
“So you say,” Sophie then let out a small but deep breath as she pressed the intercom on her desk, “Todd, respond.”
“…”
“Grayson? Respond; what’s the situation outside?”
“…” Sophie tried to call her men repeatedly, but the only thing she kept receiving was a static that hissed and whispered throughout the room. There was still the sound of deafening music seeping from the cracks of her office, so there should still be people partying below.
Sophie’s eyebrows started to furrow as she slowly opened the curtain of her room, revealing a large window that had a view of the entire nightclub’s stage.
And what welcomed Sophie was an orchestra of light; different colors quickly bombarded her eyes as the music that whispered into the room became ever so slightly louder. And although it was hard to see with all the lights dancing below, there were still people standing everywhere– contrary to what Riley just said to her.
“Pft,” Sophie then shook her head. Of course, the young man in her room was still a student of Mega Academy; one aspiring to be a great superhero that would relight the torch that Mega Woman left kindling. How could he even kill people?
“Nice joke, Mr. R–” But before she could finish her words, she noticed something odd about the people below; they were all wearing the same clothes. Clothes that were so familiar since it was also the same as what Riley was wearing now– a white and black hoodie that almost covered their entire head.
“This is…” And before she could look away, all of the people below suddenly turned their heads towards her.
“!!!”
She immediately took in a short but deep breath. Although it was still quite hard to see, the wide smile on their faces that almost threatened to eat you alive were all the same… No. Their faces were all the same– Riley’s.
“What… is this?” Sophie squinted her eyes to the point they almost closed. Was it some sort of mask? They were also all holding different kinds of weapons; metal bats, knives, guns– and there was one that still seemed to be busy smashing someone’s face in with his bare hands.
This individual was quickly noticed by the group as the nearest one from him tapped him on the shoulders. And as soon as they did so, the busy individual also turned his head towards Sophie– once again bearing the same face as Riley Ross.
Sophie could feel every pore in her body open up as the weird feeling that was crawling from her bones finally made its way through her skin.
It wasn’t fear, no; more like discomfort.
“Riley Ross…” Sophie then finally closed the curtain as she returned her gaze to Riley, “…aren’t you supposed to be telekinetic?”
“As I told you before, Miss Sophie… I am from the cartel.”
“…What?” Sophie could only blink her eyes as Riley casually made his way to one of the seats, before proceeding to wear a pair of sunglasses that he got from the pocket of his hoodie.
“The cartels use all sorts of… creative weapons, Miss Sophie,” the smile on Riley’s face slowly dissipated, “If I use telekinesis, what happened here might be traced back to me.”
“…There are cameras everywhere.”
“I already destroyed them.”
“And aren’t you supposed to be a hero?” Sophie then let out a small but deep sigh as she also relaxed herself and sat on her desk, “There were a lot of… innocent people below. You even killed the guests.”
“Well… yes?” Riley blinked his eyes as if he was confused with Sophie’s words, “That’s what killing ‘everyone’ means, Miss Sophie.”
And soon, another creepy smile slowly emerged from Riley’s face– and with his mouth that was wide enough to eat a whole quarter-pounder, it truly was a sight that even a veteran of numerous wars like Sophie could still not get used to.
But after a few seconds, Sophie also let out a small giggle of her own, “So Whiteking’s son is a little monster… and here I thought you were just a kid trying to get revenge!”
And with that, Sophie suddenly waved her hand. It was only momentary, but everything in the room started to tremble– this shivering, however, was only but a glimpse as every piece of furniture in the room shattered into pieces; their debris and pieces, all shooting to the end of the room.
Even Riley was swept away by this invisible force– his back violently hitting the wall before the concrete collapsed entirely, revealing the dimly lit hallway outside.
“Hm,” this did not seem to affect Riley that much, however, as his head just turned to the side as he looked at… two of his copies that were still clubbing the bouncers guarding the hallway to death.
“…” The two copies immediately stopped as their eyes met with Riley; and with a weird smile, the two then quickly melted to the ground before evaporating into nothing. Riley then casually returned back to the office, hopping on the debris created by Sophie’s mysterious powers.
“That is a very interesting ability, Miss Sophie,” Riley breathed out as he fixed his hood, trying his best for his face to not be exposed too much, “Please tell me…
…How do you categorize your powers? I don’t believe it’s telekinesis. Matter manipulation? No, it is too violent…”
“…” Sophie did not answer Riley, however, as she just remained staring at him as he slowly walked back inside. But after a few more seconds of him just standing there, Sophie’s long and deep breaths echoed throughout the ruined office, her head shaking before she stared Riley straight in the eyes.
“You’re still too wet behind the ears, Mr. Riley,” she then uttered with a small chuckle, “If you think you can beat me now, then you are sorely mistaken. You would need one or two of the Hope Guild if you want to kill me.”
“Is that so?”
“Leave, and I will forget this ever happened,” Sophie added, “You and your little group of friends could continue doing whatever it is you’re doing in my city.”
“It is fortunate, but I could no longer leave here, Miss Sophie,” Riley muttered, “You already saw what I can do.”
“Last warning, boy,” Sophie let out a small but deep sigh, “You are way above your head here.”
Riley completely ignored Sophie’s words, however, as he slowly made his way closer to her; but before he could even take 2 steps, Sophie stretched her hands to the side.
And almost instantly; in less than a blink of an eye, Riley found himself in what he could only compare to be the inside of a blender as everything within his sight collapsed into pieces.
“…” Riley’s eyes were slightly wide, showing his intense curiosity as even the tiniest bit of debris around him shattered into even tinier pieces; and soon, his eyes reflected the lights of the night city as the building of the nightclub was no more– obliterated to oblivion.
Riley once again adjusted his hoodie as his body slowly fell to the ground; his silhouette, hidden by all the ocean of dust and sand that rained everywhere. But still, Riley made sure his face couldn’t be visible. And as soon as he landed on the ruined ground, slight high-pitched cracks whispered in the air as his skin suddenly turned into a sort of silver chrome; revealed by his hand that reflected every light within the vicinity.
“You… have multiple powers.”
And even with all the noise and screams that were coming from the citizens, the words of the silhouette that slowly made its way through the ocean of dust still whispered into Riley’s ears.
“You remind me of that old fucker that used to be in the Hope Guild,” Sophie’s words continued as she slowly approached Riley, “And it is seriously getting on my nerves.”
“You seem to mention Hope Guild a lot, Miss Sophie,” Riley breathed out as he made sure that the dust around them did not fly away.
“Of course,” Sophie let out a small chuckle, “I managed to kill one of them way back– now back off while I am still playing nice. I have already given you enough chances to run away, you should take it this time.”
“That is not going to happen, Miss Sophie,” Riley shook his head as he slowly got into a stance; the silver chrome covering his skin almost letting out a sort of whistle as they started to rattle like scales, “I have truly been bored lately…
…I still want to play.”