Chapter 187 - 187: Growing Older

"What… happened here?"

Everyone's eyes were wide as they entered the penthouse of Tomoe's mother. It was already eerily quiet when they landed on the helipad, but now, what welcomed them as soon as they opened the door was darkness.

There was also some sort of… putrid smell; almost like the smell of a dead cat. It would have already been weird if it was just that, but a sort of citrus smell also accompanied it– almost earthy in a way.

And with the hallway completely dark and devoid of any light, the members of the Baby Crew could not help but halt their steps; turning their words into whispers.

"...You hear anything, Gar?"

"How many times do I have to say that I don't have super hearing?"

"Why are you so useless even though you're Megawoman's son–"

"Shh!"

Gary immediately shushed Hannah before she could continue her words as Bella and Aerith were present. He could probably tell Aerith that he was Megawoman's son since she was basically family in a way. Bella, however, was still just a temporary member of the Baby Crew and was just somewhat dragged into the situation.

"Shh!" Hannah then also shushed Gary… who was just breathing heavily, "Hear that? What is that noi–"

And before Hannah could once again finish her words a light suddenly drowned their eyes, and except for Hannah, the others could not help but squint their eyes. They immediately looked towards the small click that whispered into their ears as soon as they recovered, however.

And there, at the wall was Riley, his hand on the light switch.

"What… are you doing, Riley?" Hannah whispered loudly.

"Being a normal person, sister," Riley said.

"That–" The others could only groan as they heard Riley's words. It was true that they already made quite a lot of noise when they landed on the helipad, so whatever stealth they were trying to do was basically meaningless.

"Now the others could see where they are going, sister."

"Yeah, yeah," Hannah then waved her hand as she stood up straight. Her eyes, however, once again turned wide as soon as she realized that the walls were filled with red streaks.

"Is this… blood?" Bella then whispered.

"What… happened here?"

Hannah then hastened her steps, speeding up as she rushed deeper into the penthouse. Her steps were still careful and light; hugging the corners of the wall as she looked for any signs of movement before she proceeded any further.

The others followed behind her as well, mimicking her movements. Soon, however, all of them could not help but flinch as they heard a quiet wailing whispering in the air, a cry.

"Who– Silv!?"

Hannah then quickly pushed herself from the wall as soon as she saw Silvie trembling on the ground; facing the wall as her cries grew louder.

"What happened, Silv!?"

The rest of the Baby Crew also rushed behind Hannah as soon as they heard her words– and as soon as they saw Silvie, they could not help but jump back as her face was covered in red.

And it wasn't only her face, almost her entire body was covered in it.

"W… what happened?"

"Y… you guys? You… you're back?" Silvie's stuttered breaths coarsely whispered into everyone's ears; her eyes, clearly shaking with the tears that were falling from it, trailing down on the thick red liquid on her face.

"...Thick?" Hannah furrowed her eyebrows as she gently brushed a finger on Silvie's face; Silvie, on the other hand, quickly hugged Hannah and bawled her eyes out.

"What happened!? Who did this!?" Bella then immediately looked around to see if there was anyone else; but since most of the lights inside the penthouse were still off, she couldn't see if there was anyone else in the room.

"W… wait," Aerith then stuttered, "The… the kids, where are they?"

"They…" Silvie flinched as soon as she heard Aerith's words, "They…"

"Wait," Hannah then whispered as she pinched the red liquid in her fingers, "This is…

…paint?"

"Attack!"

"!!!"

"What the–" Gary quickly covered his face as a sudden gush of red drowned his entire vision.

"..." Gary wanted to retaliate, but the only thing he could do was kneel to the ground. After all, how could he even fight back against obviously abused and deformed children who were just playing?

"Megawoman Formation Version 6!"

Bella, Aerith, Tomoe, and Hannah were not safe as well as the other young Silvies started climbing and crawling on the walls one by one; most carrying balloons with paint inside, raining them down on the Baby Crew without hesitation.

Perhaps the only one that was safe was Riley, as the paint just trailed and floated millimeters from his skin and clothes. Aerith rushed to stop her sisters; but alas, they seemed to be faster than before as they scattered through the dark parts of the penthouse.

"T… Tomoe," Silvie then stood up and wiped the tears and paint from her face, "Please… please forgive me."

"Hm?"

Riley then once again turned on all the lights inside the penthouse… finally revealing its walls and furniture that were covered in all sorts of colors– even the paintings of Tomoe's mother were not safe.

"I… I tried to watch them but–"

"It's fine, Silv," Tomoe, however, only smiled as she looked at her mother's ruined paintings. She then looked at the running children, before raising her thumbs up,

"Good work, children."

***

"...So, that's what happened?"

Numerous sighs echoed throughout the penthouse as Silvie finished telling them how the once glorious and immaculate penthouse looked like it turned into the bad part of town. Perhaps the only clean thing left was the table they were currently gathered at.

"Y… Yes," Silvie nodded, "We were just going to borrow and use the paintings to train… but as you can see– Huk."

Silvie once again covered her face in shame. How could she, the most perfect clone of the greatest superhero that has ever lived, not even be able to handle children?

"You guys! Look at what you did to our oldest sister!" Aerith let out a long and deep breath as she once again rushed towards the younger Silvies, slapping them all on the butt. Some of them, however, still continued playing– their giggles, filling the air with a certain joy.

"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!"

"You dare try to slap Megawoman!?"

"We are mighty!"

"..." Hannah and the others could not help but blink several times as the young Silvies started doing somersaults as Aerith tried to chase them.

"Just… what did you teach them, Silv?"

"You can't catch someone who will become– oh?" And before the young Silvies could make Aerith tire herself out, they all suddenly floated into the air. The large window of the penthouse leading to the pool also opened up; the children, all floating straight towards it… and dropping straight towards the pool.

"Ack! So cold!"

"This… this cold does not bother the Mega Children."

"Together we are strong!"

"Awu! Awu!"

"..."

"G… guys!?" Aerith was about to rush towards the children, but Hannah stopped her.

"Relax," Hannah muttered, "It's just my brother."

And as soon as Hannah said that, Aerith took in a large gulp. The fact that it's Riley Ross who did it is exactly why Aerith was worried. She had been watching Riley for a while now, but it would seem the others do not know of his violent nature. Riley had already threatened to kill her and the other children twice… and that was just within an hour of them meeting.

And if she even dares to say anything about that, Riley also threatened to kill them.

"You don't have to worry," Hannah let out a small sigh, "My brother is gentle even if he looks like that."

"Is… Is that so?" Aerith could only stutter as she still checked on the other Silvies outside the pool; but it would seem her worries were nothing, as the children seemed to be having fun swimming even with the freezing temperature.

"Right…" Silvie then stood up, "Why… are you guys here? I mean, I appreciate you saving me but I was expecting you guys to be gone for a while."

"...It's Christmas, Silv."

"Chri– what?" Silvie then looked outside, "Is that why it's so noisy last night?"

"Yeah, Christmas eve," Hannah breathed out, "Gary and Tomoe celebrated it with mom."

"Oh…" Silvie muttered as her eyes still continued to stare outside, "...Why isn't it snowing?"

"Welcome to LA," Hannah chuckled.

"It hasn't snowed here for a long time, Silv," Tomoe also answered; her mood… seemingly at its peak as shown with the smile on her face… which was honestly quite uncomfortable, Silvie thought. Tomoe rarely smiles; did… she really hate her mother that much?

"I'm… really sorry for making a mess, Tomoe," Silvie once again sighed as she approached Tomoe.

"It's alright. At least we don't have to redecorate that much for Hannah's birthday celebration."

"Birthda– It's also your birthday today!?" Silvie's words suddenly became filled with excitement as she turned her focus on Hannah.

"That's right, bitches!" Hannah then suddenly jumped from her seat; stretching her arms to the side and revealing the bottles of alcohol she was holding, 

"We're gonna get wasted tonight!" She then roared as she rushed towards the penthouse's bar.

"She… seems hyper?" Silvie stuttered.

"She and that Julius guy are officially done," Bella answered her with a sigh.

"Oh…" Silvie also let out a sigh of her own, "I never had a boyfriend before so I don't really know how– What are you holding?"

"Oh, this?" Bella then lightly waved the bouquet of flowers in her hand, "Hannah told me to bring it– the flowers are innocent, she said."

"Hannah… likes flowers?"

***

[You dare to slap I, Megawoman!?]

[Can't catch me! Can't catch me!]

"This confirms it, then. The children of the forest are really with them."

"How many times do you need to confirm it, Alistair?"

"..."

Julius and his brother were still in the office they previously were, listening in on the conversation of the Baby Crew.

"Let's do it now while they are together… or are you hesitating?" Archibald, Julius's brother breathed out; the tone of his voice slightly containing a tinge of impatience, "Don't tell me…

…you actually have feelings for the girl? She's a child, Alistair."

"That's exactly it, the others are just children, Archie."

"We've sacrificed too much already to hesi--"

"Enough."

"Enough!?" Archibald slammed his trembling hand on the armrest of his wheelchair, "We need to proceed with the plan!" 

Julius's eyes slightly trembled from his brother's words; a few seconds after, however, he shook his head and stood up from his desk,

"No, we can't proceed with the plan yet," Julius then said as he looked at a collection of photo frames plastered on the wall. "We…

…need to wait until they are in a crowd of people."