"Don't forget I know what your son is capable of, Bernard."
"...Are we even needed here?"
Tempo made sure that his words would not even leave an echo to whisper through the hall, but with the sudden silence that surrounded the air after Empress's somewhat cold voice, Tempo's words were heard by everyone loud and clear.
And seeing the look of somber surprise on Hera and her casual nod after, it would seem Tempo also just voiced out her concern. As for Butcher, his eyes were just focused on Empress, seemingly waiting for her next words.
And finally, after a few more seconds of this awkward silence, Empress turned her head towards Tempo,
"I just need your opinion then the three of you can go," Empress muttered as she stood up, "Who here agrees to letting Riley in the guild?"
"Well…" Tempo then looked to the side as he remembered what happened in London. Although he wasn't really taking any flak from what happened– Tempo was sure that it was his own fault. He placed a heavy burden on a child and expected him to understand everything…
…and in the end, Tempo inadvertently caused Riley to land straight on London with V. Tempo was blaming himself every second; not even sleeping right for what feels like an eternity now.
If Riley were to join the Hope Guild… then it would open a chance for Tempo to right his wrongs. And so, with his hand slowly raising,
"I think Riley would be a good addition to the team," Tempo said.
"I agree 100%," Butcher also raised his hand; his bald head nodding several times, "I think I am 72% not alone in this opinion, but most of the members are getting old. We are getting old, Empress."
"Excuse me?" Hera immediately stopped filing as she heard Butcher's words.
"I was not talking about you, Hera," Butcher shook his head; his monotonous tone sounded a little disappointed, "Empress, Whiteking, and I are approaching our 50s soon. The future generation needs to learn from us while we are still capable of teaching them."
"That…" Hera could not help but blink a couple of times as her skin that was slowly turning grey immediately returned to its natural brown color, "...This is the first time I am hearing you sound so human, Butch."
Hera then turned her eyes towards Empress, before eventually nodding as well, "I don't have a problem with the kid joining," she said,
"He seems cool– my agency is actually also interested in making him a model for haute couture publications. Plus, V is kind of guilt-tripping herself, saying she won't return to the guild until Riley gets freed."
"I've heard all of your opinions, all of you can go now," Empress then said as she gestured for the three to leave, "And try convincing V to stop sulking, she's needed out here."
"Right," Hera was the first to leave– not even bothering to clean the dust she scattered from filing her nails.
Butcher was already gone, leaving Tempo sitting there awkwardly beside Bernard.
"...I'll take my leave," and with a throbbing echo whispering in the air, Tempo's silhouette slowly faded from the hall.
"..."
"Hope, turn off the surveillance in this room," Empress then said as she returned back to her seat; her eyes, not leaving Bernard even for a single second.
[Turning off the surveillance in meeting hall A.]
"..." Empress squinted her eyes as she waited for the cameras plastered on the ceilings to lose power; but even as the lights disappeared, her focus was still obviously there.
"You don't have to worry," Bernard then let out a small but very deep sigh as he noticed the look on Empress's face, "Any traces of MEGAN are completely gone."
"Then let's not bullshit each other, Bernard," Empress then quickly breathed out as her eyes once again returned to Bernard, "Tell me the reason why you're still protecting that monster."
"You already know the answer to that."
"Because he is your son?" Empress furrowed her eyebrows, "If my daughter was still alive and I discovered she's a mass murderer, I would end her life in a heartbeat."
"That's just it, Empress. Your daughter died a baby– you will never understand the–"
"Don't fuck with me, Bernard!"
A thunderous explosion then erupted in the air as Empress pushed the large table away– immediately grabbing Bernard by the neck and lifting him up in the air.
"You know full well what I mean."
"And you?"
"Ha?"
"Why have you not revealed my son's identity yet?"
"That…" Empress's eyes began to twitch as she saw Bernard's eyes. And after a few seconds, threw him towards the wall and caused the screens plastered all over it to shatter, "...Because he is Alice's son."
"Pft," Bernard immediately let out a chuckle as he looked at Empress straight in the eyes,
"You really are bad at lying," Bernard then said as he started to walk towards the door, "It was my secret… and now it is ours, that's the only reason you're doing so."
"You…" Empress's eyebrows began to furrow; her cheeks trembling as she heard Bernard's words. But after a few seconds; the trembling stopped as tears suddenly began to trail on her face,
"I am approving Riley's entry to the Hope Guild!" Empress then shouted, "I am going to do what you failed, control and change your–"
And before Empress could finish her words, Bernard… just left.
Seeing this, Empress's eyebrows also began to tremble; the tears on her eyes, sputtering and exploding along with every chatter of her teeth. Empress knew– Empress knew that Bernard was just using. But why… why couldn't she just leave?
"You…
…You fucking douchebag!"
***
"...Everyone seems to be avoiding us."
"It would seem my biological mother has quite the reputation in this prison, Miss V. I suppose they think I am dangerous like my mother."
"...You're not?"
Riley and V were currently walking around their new… neighborhood. Riley had been trying to see if anyone would be approaching them themselves, but so far, none. They've already circled the subdivision once and not even a hello could be heard from any of the other prisoners.
V, of course, was actually quite relieved that no one tried to approach her. Although she was not showing it too much, she was actually starting to get nervous. It was her idea to stay here since she really thought it was not fair for Riley to be in prison, while she, who caused the death of millions of people, was free.
"Can you answer a question of mine, Miss V?"
"Hm?" V then blinked a couple of times as her thoughts were disrupted by Riley's words. This was, perhaps, the first time he was directly expressing his curiosity to her,
"What… is it?" V squinted her eyes; not sure if she really wanted to hear the next words that would be coming out of Riley's mouth.
"If you remove that limiter on your back, would your powers go wild as they did before?"
"..." V instantly stopped walking; her face, slightly shocked at first. Soon, however, a small smile slowly crawled on her face, "Yes. But something like what happened to London won't happen again."
"Why?"
"Because I asked your father to also install a poison that would kill me instantly if ever this thing gets taken off," V said with a smile on her face, "No one… is going to die because of me anymore. My power is a curse, Riley Ross. The reason I chose to be a super is so that this curse would become a blessing to other people…
…but in the end I killed… I killed…"
"I don't remember there being a woman here."
And before the tears that were suddenly starting to build up on V's eyes flow, a prisoner finally approached them– and as is the case with all the prisoners in the top 50, the man walking towards them wasn't wearing a prisoner's uniform.
"And you, freak," the man then spat on the ground as his eyes trailed towards Riley, "You're Alice's son?"
"I believe so," Riley casually said as he faced… the short man in front of them, "Everyone seems to be reminding me of that fact today, dwarf."
"I… don't think they appreciate being called that, Riley Ross," V let out a small gasp.
"...Why?" Riley blinked a couple of times; his slightly furrowed eyebrows almost oozing out the confusion on his face, "Isn't that what they are called, Miss V?"
"Well.. that's…" V could not help but stutter; her eyes, moving back and forth between Riley and the man that just showed up, "I… the last time I searched I think it… was actually o–"
"I see the apple does not fall far from the tree," the short man, however, only scoffed as he approached Riley, his forehead… almost at his crotch, "Alice also had a smart mouth– I let her be because she was a woman… but you?"
The short man then suddenly grabbed Riley's hand at a speed that made the dust around them almost burst away,
"I'll be teaching you a lesson meant for two."
"Riley Ross!?"
V's eyes then slightly lit up in green as Riley and the short man suddenly disappeared in front of her. However, due to the nature of her power, she could still somewhat follow what just happened.
The short man… he just suddenly ran at an extremely high speed, dragging Riley along with him. Unlike with Tempo, however, each of the short man's steps could be felt– causing the ground to shake and tremble with each trot.
V immediately ran and rushed back to their shared new house, but as soon as she reached their lawn– she found that her mecha suit was no longer there.
Did... someone steal it!?
"N… no," was the only word she could whisper as she turned to look back towards the blur speeding across everywhere. She did not have to watch long, however, as the streak of smoke suddenly stopped.
"This is just the beginning, freak."
The short man quickly let out a scoff as he let go of Riley's arm. He was about to turn around to look at Riley; before he could do so, however, he felt an uncomfortable warmth on his neck. He turned his eyes to the fullest, only to see Riley looking at him straight in the eyes– his hand tightly wrapped around his neck.
"I wonder, dwarf," Riley then whispered as his eyes trailed towards the short man's feet, "If you were taller…
…would you have been faster?"
"You–"
The short man was about to say something, but before he could do so… he felt a strange pressure suddenly tugging on both his legs.
"Shall we…
…test that theory?"