808 Chapter 808: He Said Please
"That's… Riley Ross?"
"..."
She didn't know whether it was instinct, but Hannah was feeling a little something she definitely doesn't like from her variants. But as soon as she saw all of them staring at Riley with the same look that Nannah was giving him back then, she quickly stood in front of him to block him from their view.
The Hannah variants did not really say anything and just held their breaths for a few seconds, before sitting back one by one, obviously trying their hardest not to show what they were feeling, but failing all the same.
"The fuck…?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as she looked at all the Hannahs, wondering what they were even seeing from Riley. Before any more discussions could arise, however, Diana and the others that were left in the Tournament all emerged and stepped out of the portal.
"Great, so now anyone can just waltz in here? I didn't realize this was a zoo."
"It might as well be with the way all of you are acting," Nannah let out a scoff as she looked at one of the Bernards, "All of you are acting like unsocialized dogs."
"You don't talk to my dad like that! Who do you think you are!?"
"I said that's enough!"
And as the council once again started to express their dissatisfaction with the situation, Bard became livid and raised his hand — and as he did so, several portals started appearing above most of the variants.
"If you will not listen, then return to your worlds now," Bard almost growled as the armor hidden within his flesh slowly started to show itself, "This is a Class-0 event—no, this is a class of its own… and I don't feel like all of you are truly understanding the gravity of this situation."
"All I hear is you spitting out bull."
One of the Bernards stood up and waved his hand, closing all the portals that Bard summoned.
"How is someone like that even a threat!?" He pointed at Riley, "You know what I think is a threat!? Everyone else that stepped out of that portal except Riley Ross! Norinlads? Megawoman? The Queen of Themarians? Hera? Tempo? Xra? And is that a humanoid Cherbi!? And why did you even bring a fucking AI, and who is it even carrying? And most importantly, Diana!? You brought the fucking doctor of doom here!?"
"Hey! You don't talk about my wife like that!"
"That's a variant!"
"Of our wives! You Empress cucks are so unbearable!"
"At least I'm not gay like that one! I mean, Rainbowking, really!?"
"Woah, woah—gentlemen, let's not go there, okay? And if I may say so, Barney is a really cool du—girl, okay?"
"And what even are you, why are you blue!?"
"...How do you even deal with these people?" Bernard just wanted to observe each and every one of his variants. But seeing them arguing without pause caused him to want to just leave there and then. And it wasn't just him—Diana, the themarians, the norinlads, Hera, and the others; they just arrived and they already wanted to leave.
Most of them decided to join this party because they were curious, while Queen Adel just wanted to know if there was a chance these Bernards could help them get rid of Riley. Delivery Man was also there, but only because he wasn't really done with his service yet.
"I deal with them by trying not to deal with them at all," Bard could really only sigh and close his eyes, "But they may not look like it, but they are still the multiverse's best and brightest."
"What are the two of you fucking talking about?" Hannah smirked as she glanced at the two, "I actually don't see the difference between my dad and the rest of them."
"Nice, same," Nannah opened her palm to Hannah, and the two high-fived.
"...I thought the two of you were defending us?" Bernard sighed. Soon, however, he had enough and stepped forward, "T—"
Before he could say anything to his variants again, however, Riley also moved forward.
"White, Red, Blue, Green, Rainbow," Riley's voice was quiet, and yet for some reason, it could be heard throughout the circular auditorium, "I see all of you have donned a spectrum of different colors, each with their own unique set of flaws — but all pathetic like my father."
"..." Bernard did not really know what to feel about that.
"But my father's patheticness could be excused," Riley started walking in circles as he looked at each of the Bernards one by one, "He not only had to take care of my sister, Hannah; he also had to take care of me — any sane man would have lost their mind or taken it, but Father only succumbed to infidelity numerous times, and he also killed his best friend… and briefly lost his mind."
"..." Bernard still did not know what to feel about that.
"But look at him now," Riley then pointed at Bernard, "He stands proudly, while all of you sit."
"I… don't think I'm proud about anything," Bernard whispered as he started looking around.
"Why are we even listening to this albino? If he is as dangerous as you say he is…
…then he needs to be locked up and disposed of!"
And as soon as one of the Bernards pointed at Riley, walls of glass suddenly emerged from the ground, completely trapping Riley Ross in it.
"..."
No one, however, in Riley's group did anything; some of them even closing their eyes and shaking their heads. As for Hannah, she just looked at Riley and let out a very long and deep sigh.
"See!? Your… primordial can't even get out of a fucking glass!"
"Great…" Hannah shook his head as she looked at Bernard, "...A bunch of people like you, protecting and deciding the fate of the multiverse. I'm sorry, but I am going to say this now, Dad — you shouldn't be deciding anything."
"...I agree with you on that."
"You might be able to solve that warp thingy with your eyes closed, able to replicate multiversal travel and put it in a small ring — but you are stupid as fuck when it comes to everything else," Hannah continued to rant, "I mean… you were one of the first people to know about Riley killing people, and you chose to fucking hide it—no, you enabled it."
"I said I already agree with you," Bernard could really only let out a breath as Diana tried to comfort him.
"But it is true that Riley can't get out of that box," Bard then turned to look at Riley as he just stood there, "Something is different about him."
"His powers are currently sealed by that girl," Chihiro joined in on the conversation as she pointed at the unconscious Paige, who was still being gently carried by Ahor Zai, "Who should also be in your persons of interest."
"Bard — we are not seeing the threat you and this variant of ours just dutifully told us a while ago. Where is the multiversal threat you speak of? It's just a helpless boy in a cage."
"Then all of you are lucky," Bard followed up as he tapped on Riley's cage, "But once that girl wakes up and decides to—"
"Hm… Riley? What—why are you in a cage?"
And almost as if on cue, a small whisper could be heard yawning across the auditorium. Everyone then very slowly turned their heads to Paige, who was now removing herself from Ahor Zai's arms and looking at Riley.
"What is going—!!!"
Paige was still groggy, and yet as soon as she saw Queen Adel suddenly standing in front of her, she could not help but almost yelp.
"What are you doing!?"
"Getting rid of that child before she could unseal Riley Ross!"
Fortunately for Paige, Aerith and Diana were quick to come to her aid and completely blocked Queen Adel from doing whatever it was she was going to do.
"You're going to kill an innocent child!?" Aerith tightened her grip on her mother, and Diana was just trying to de-escalate the situation.
"Innocent!?" Queen Adel screamed, "Are you blind and deaf!? That innocent child is the only one who could stop Riley Ross from destroying everything, and yet she loves him! She needs to die before—"
And before Queen Adel could finish her words, the glass that was confining Riley Ross completely shattered—no, disintegrated.
"..." Queen Adel could really only close her mouth, before slowly glancing back at Paige, only to see her palm pointed at Riley Ross.
"...Why?" - was really the only word that Queen Adel could utter as she pushed Aerith and Diana's arm away — no longer saying anything else as she just stood on the side with Xra and the other bystanders.
"Good morning, Paige," Riley nodded to Paige, before once again looking at all the Bernards until his eyes settled on Bard.
"I just need to prove to them that I am a multiversal threat, Bard?"
"No, you don't need to do that," Bard quickly shook his head as he started gesturing to Riley to calm down, "Please… Hannah, talk to your brother."
"Riley…" Hannah also started shaking her head, "...Don't you fucking—"
"But he said please, Sister."
"God fucking damn it, Rile—"
And with those words, Hannah and the others finally know where they are as Riley completely split the building they were on in half.
"Oh," Riley slightly wiped the droplet of blood that dripped from his nose, "This building is made with themarian materials…
…impressive."
The building was in the middle of… nowhere, really. What surrounded them was nothing but a horizon of darkness — with hints of something cracking across the far distance.
It was one of the universes that have already went through its end - a dead universe.
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