Chapter 18: Dark Days From Now On, Scarlet Mage

"Give that back to me!"

Scarlet Mage, now also known as Katherine Read to Riley, immediately grabbed her driver's license from Riley's hand, "Don't you know that it's rude to meddle with other people's stuff!? I have had it with you! At first, I thought you were cute, but now it's just getting too weird!"

Scarlet Mage then wore her mask, before quickly grabbing her purse, which was supposed to be hidden in the glove compartment but was now beside Riley, "Your autism is not an excuse for you to harass me like this, I will report you to the… to… to whoever is doing the punishment in this stupid school!"

"..." Riley did not move from his seat as Scarlet Mage continued to raise her voice.

"And now you're pretending to be Darkday!?" Scarlet Mage then stepped out of the car, "That is the last straw! Do you know of the things Darkday has done!? Don't tell me you actually idolize the evilest supervillain in the world? I was wrong! I was really wrong about you! Gah! I am so stupid! I should have listened to the others!"

The dim basement slightly lit up as Scarlet Mage summoned two balls of fire in frustration, before just letting it disperse as she once again screamed. Riley, on the other hand, still did not move from his seat and stayed in the car.

"I would appreciate it if you get back inside the car, Katherine Read. My clone already got out of the car, so I can't be seen going outside again. I need you to drive us away from here."

"Don't you dare call me by my name! And what the fuck are you talking about!?" Scarlet Mage no longer held any compassion or warmth towards Riley as she rushed back inside the car, trying to pull him out of it. However, as soon as she was inside the car, the door suddenly shut, hitting her on the buttocks and pushing her towards Riley.

"W… what the..." Scarlet Mage could not help but slightly stutter as she quickly pushed herself away from Riley. She then tried opening the door, but the locks quickly engaged themselves.

"The one in your emergency contact, Leslie Read, who is she to you?"

"Are you doing this?" Scarlet Mage once again took off her mask as she glared at Riley, "Bravo, your control is amazing, now open the goddamn door before you get hurt, boy."

"You can't hurt me, Scarlet Mage," Riley shook his head as he remained looking at the front, "You are too weak to do that, don't you remember the first time we met?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I stabbed you in the stomach. If it weren't for Mega Woman arriving, then you would have already died."

"...Are you talking about my fight with Darkday?" Scarlet Mage's eyebrows furrowed even further as she heard Riley's words, "Just don't, Riley. I do not know why you have this delusion of you being Darkday, you--"

"Aha!"

Scarlet Mage could not help but slightly take in a short breath as Riley suddenly smiled and looked at her straight in the eyes, "Now I remember. Leslie Read is probably your mother, Katherine Read."

"W… what?"

"Isn't that what you said during that time? You told me not to kill you because your mother will be left all alone in this world."

"How… how do you know that?" Once again, Scarlet Mage could not help but take a short but deep breath as soon as she heard Riley's words. She was sure that there weren't any video recordings of her altercation with Darkday… no one should know that besides her and Darkday.

She knew what this was starting to mean, but still, it was impossible for Darkday to be here…. It's impossible that Darkday is the boy beside him.

"Because I am Darkday," Riley then let out a long and deep sigh as he turned his head to the roof of the car, "It really feels nice telling that to someone and for them to actually hear m--"

"Enough!"

The inside of the car was enough to light up the whole basement as Scarlet Mage suddenly summoned another fireball, this time with the intent of shutting down the deranged student beside her. If she was going to be punished, then so be it-- but Riley Ross needs to be taught a lesson.

However, before the blaze could even reach Riley's face, Scarlet Mage found her hand unable to move even further as Riley was gripping her wrist.

"You…" Scarlet Mage's hand trembled as the fire hovering on it slowly faded, "...How strong is your telekinetic ability?"

"This is superhuman strength," Riley quickly replied, "And I can't answer your question, I have not really tried testing the extent of the limits of my telekinetic abilities."

"You… also have superhuman strength?" Scarlet Mage's voice was starting to stumble, accompanying the beating of her heart that was now moving erratically, "Are you… are you really Darkday?"

"Yes."

Scarlet Mage's breaths echoed through her car. Riley's voice almost seemed like a muffled whisper; drowned by the sound of her heart as it drummed throughout her entire body. She didn't want to believe it. Everything in her existence wanted to deny it. She had the power to tell if people were lying, but still, she didn't want to believe it.

Riley wasn't lying, not then, not now, not this time.

Riley Ross is Darkday, or at least he believes himself to be him. But seeing the abnormal strength he was showing now, it was most likely the former.

Scarlet Mage's breaths became more and more fettered as her eyes darted towards Riley's hand, "Please… let me go," she whispered.

"L… let me go," Scarlet Mage whispered, "I… I won't tell anyone about--"

"But you will," Riley let out a sigh, "Not until you hear what I have to say."

"W… what? What are you saying?"

"I will torture Leslie Read," Riley then said as he once again looked Scarlet Mage straight in the eyes, "I will rip her tongue first, so the only things that would come out of her mouth are the gurgling shrilling scream as well as the blood that is slowly drowning her lungs. She would feel it slowly collapsing, but she won't die. Not until all of her limbs are slowly ripped from her body, not until the only way she could crawl is using her neck."

"N… No--"

"It is quite possible, I have already done it," Riley continued, "Of course, if I have underestimated your… love for your mother and still try to expose my identity, I could just kill everyone that knows. But please don't tell my sister, I quite like her."

"Why… why not just kill me then?" Scarlet Mage once again stuttered, her teeth almost hitting each other as her head trembled uncontrollably.

"That would be exposing myself. And also, did you not hear what I said during the broadcast? I am retired," Riley let out a small sigh, "I'm not a villain anymore."

"W… what?"

Being a villain was not something you can just turn on and off, Scarlet Mage wanted to rebuke, but couldn't. For some reason, she found Riley more talkative and eloquent when he was like this-- ironically, it was almost as if he was normal. It was also the same when he announced his retirement to the world as Darkday.

Was this the real him? Was Riley himself whenever he is Darkday?

"So instead of killing you, I decided to let you live," Riley nodded to himself as he let out a satisfied smile, "You should pass me just because of this, this is a very superhero-like thing to do, yes?"

"W… what?"

"I always wanted henchmen like some of the other villains. So, you work for me now, Scarlet Mage," Riley said with a smile on his face, "Congratulations, you're my first subordinate."

"W… what?" Was the only word that Scarlet Mage could really say, "Do… do you really think that I would work for someone like you? I would rather die!"

"Then dear old Leslie would be left all alone in this world," there was a slight change of tone in Riley's voice as if imitating Scarlet Mage, "Now please, drive to the front of the mall."

"You… you're fucking evil," Scarlet Mage muttered.

"I suppose," Riley nodded, "That's just how it is. Please drive, Scarlet Mage, or you will see your mother's tongue beneath your pillow tomorrow."

"..." Scarlet Mage closed her eyes in lament as she tried to calm her shivering body. She truly did not expect this kind of development. Not at all. For Darkday to have infiltrated the Academy, and for him to even be the son of one of the core members of the Hope Guild…

...Is Whiteking also a villain? If so, then Darkday's roots in the government probably go way deeper than she could ever know. If the only thing she could do now was obey Darkday, then she should do so-- not only for her sake but for the safety of the others.

She would wait patiently for a chance to strike, but for now…

...she drives.

"Where are you going? Just go from here."

"..."

Scarlet Mage, who was about to exit the car to go to the driver's seat, could not help but click her tongue as she scooched her way to the front, proceeding to turn on the engine and drive out of the basement.

She could not help but let out a long and deep breath as soon as she saw the scenery outside. All of these children, these people, merrily going on about their ways without knowing that they were in the presence of the most heinous supervillain in the world.

Meanwhile, that same supervillain was currently hiding on the rear seat.

"Please stop daydreaming," Riley said as she noticed Scarlet Mage's eyes roaming around, "It makes you look suspicious. Please drive to the front of the mall."

"..." Scarlet Mage only shook her head in response as she did what Riley asked of him, "Now what?"

"It should be here any second now," Riley said.

"What are we waiting fo-- What the fuck."

Scarlet Mage did not need to ask, as she quickly realized what they were waiting for, or more specifically, who-- it was Riley himself, walking out of the mall along with his sister and two other students.

"It's my clone," Riley muttered, "I ordered it to go out while you were unconscious to avoid suspicion from the cameras."

"I could see that!"

If ever she needed any more proof that Riley Ross was indeed Darkday…

...this was probably it.