Finally! As you strip off the last of the painters tape, you can finally say you are done with your mountain retreat. It was a side project you started early in you career, and as the years rolled up, many of the plans updated, your mountain retreat is done.

Having now retired, he used was done. A nice shower later to to wash off the sweat and finally done. In your comfy clothes, you finally find ready to relax. Finally using that coffee machine and a recipe you bookmarked on tiktok and finally sitting down to finally break into your first book on your long reading list (Will Wight... don't judge me!) you prepare for retirement.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM*

Your sigh is audible and long suffeing. Looking at your security system, you see something you dreaded. Omega Lady. And she looks to be looking for a fight.

"Can I help you?" you ask, trying to sound as pleasant as you can to an unwelcomed guest

"Come out and face me! How dare you build a lair here! Fight me! I won't let you threaten the city from this keep!" Omega Lady yelled, looking for where the voice was coming from. Confused since she couldn't see cameras, or speakers.

"What are you talking about? Threatening? Please leave my property."

"This mountain is not your property! Get out here you fiend!"

"Um yes. It is. Bought from the government, legally. So please leave"

Omega Lady just floated there a bit, actually she dropped a few inches, looking flabbergasted.

"Wha... What?? How? With your ill gotten gains? You thief! I will break into your lair and bring you to justice!"

You let the silence play out... in fact you actually pumped some white noise through the speakers, just to highlight it.

"Do you have a warrant? Or evidence? What are you on?"

Omega Lady actually sounded surprised. "Warrant? No! but look at this! a mountain stronghold! on a mountain overlooking the city in the valley! You are a fiend and villian! Submit to..."

You BLAST a loud horn out the hidden speakers.

"I am at my abode, duly filed with the city, with blueprints approved. On my mountain, bought from the government. So you are now trespassing on my property... and while I do see you floating, I will note that this also includes the airspace around it. This "lair" as you call it, is insulting as I spent years building this retirement abode. Now you and I may have had some epic battles, but that was in the past, I am now retired, and you are interfering in my retirement. No please leave before I call the police on you... and won't that be embarrassing"

Omega Lady look, for lack of a better term, gobsmacked... She actually landed and just stared.

"But your crimes! And how can you afford this! Through ill gotten gains!..."

"As much as you like being pompus and sanctimonious, I will let you in on some information. And I suggest you go with the proper authorities before slandering me. Any all crimes have been pardoned, on the condition of my retirement, which I do intend to honor. As for gains? I did have a life outside or little... arguments. All my taxes are paid and my money is mine completely earned cleanly, as much as it makes you tighted your arse in those, admittedly fashionable tights. So please leave and go bother someone else."

Omega Lady was stunned, then looked like she couldn't believe this. She got an intense look and then flew off. You managed to catch her putting her finger to her ear and mouthing something, probably making a call.

Smiling you go back to your new living room, grabbing your coffee and finally sitting down, with a smile before cracking open Unsouled. You look around at what you built, with your pardon hanging on the wall (yes asking for a copy to frame was maybe cliche but hey it was earned) along with you shaking hands with some world leaders, a picture that you agreed to never release, taken in private.

Yes everything you said was correct. You invested money from some creations you patented and sold and that is how you could afford all this. And you will continue to do so. Not the violent ones that caused danger and destruction. The ones that were necessary to help people. A weird duality you devoloped. As for the pardon, well, it was sure a coincidence that Omega was away from the world was threatened. And as much as you didn't like heroes, when the government came to you, with distaste asking you to help from a very dangerous threat, you agreed. You did have some family, and you agreed on the conditions for a pardon, the mountain to be bought (you were already building this place so might as make it fair) and filing the bluprints of this place with them (most of them, had to keep SOME things from them, for old times sake. You also agreed to retire, so they can get a win.

You didn't want notiriety or applause. No you really are looking to retire. Ok maybe if a villiain wants some advice you will do so, but yeah. This is the best outcome. Maybe in a few years you might feel the urge to conquer the world, but that is done and you just want to maybe live and play with your nieces and nephews who you just got to know. Retirement can be good. Now if only Omega Lady can be convinced to let him be. Or should he say Helen. His sister in law is a great person in her civilian persona, but seriously family shouldn't fight. Glad his mask and voice modifiers kept his secret identity.

You know, when people think "hell," "plain of oblivion,"Limbo," and all other ominous sounding punishments, they think endless pain and suffering, torment unending. But really it is soooooo boring.

I mean don't get me wrong, it hurts a lot. But after what seems like an eternity, it gets tedious. There is only so many times your body and soul can be rent and eaten and put back together before it just background noise.

There is so many other ways to punish someone, but endless suffering? So unimaginative. But a lonely apprentice shouldn't say such things. I mean normally. But after what seems like many years what else to think about.

Being apprentice to a mage, I guess I can think about the magic I was supposed to be learning. I mean repeated the principles thought to me by... my master... oh yeah... forgot about him. Like I said, many years it felt like...

Yes... I remember him. One of the faces before being sent here. That whole party we traveled with. Me being a lowly apprentice was treated as a mule sometimes. A camp attendant at others. I mean they weren't all assholes but they didn't see me as an equal. My master did see me a student teaching me...

But yes. Magic. Learned what was thought. Observed the spells. And when the pain became just like white noise, I went and thought it all through. All the principles that was taught. Make sense of them. And eventually practice it. I mean what else am I to do with all this time on my hands? Go mad? Already went there. Got better. Twice.

Of course as an apprentice, I watched the others in our group. Even sparred with them now and then, for all the bruises I earned it didn't do THAT much good. But like I said, what am I going to do with all this MaDdEnInG tImE on my hands? So I practiced on these creatures who were tormenting me. Got quite good too... where did these weapon come from again?

Oh right! The cursed fighters who would sell their souls to survive this battle or this war...Sheesh. So angsty. At least you chose to be here. Me? Not so much. I was sent down here. That damn master! Lend him power my ass. Now that I had so much time I can now decipher the Circle he used. Sacrifice. In order to banish that foul beast, they finally lured it into that trap we made. That circle was supposed to banish it. And well... it did. So I guessed no supposed about it. But they all knew it would mean a sacrifice.

hmmm. I guess that makes sense. Why they all treated me better that last leg of the journey. They found the Tome that had the circle. Master deciphered it. And they decided...

Whoops. Burned these things all around me. Got to control my temper. Magic is such a moody thing. So my Master would say... but that Circle... hmmm.

Can it work the otherway?

******

Ok that took a while. The math! And all while with this damn headache from all this pain and torment. Seriously. But I worked it out. Took some time. Did have to find enough demons and fould beast and some cursed fighters to power that thing. Almost went mad again trying to gather them all. Actually took less time. All those eons of practicing paid off.

Now. Lets see if I can banish myself back to my home.

This Circle brings back memories. What did happen to the beast that started this? *growls from inside head* Oh right... merged with me when banished and is now my constant companion and a reason I have more power and strenght. Yes, I know Fluffy. You are a fierce hunter. We will hunt on the outside.

So this Circle. Right. So figured out how not to sacrifice anything to return me. So hurray for advancement in the arcane. I should write a paper. But it does take a lot of power and these components I gathered from these foul beasts will help. No, they are not sacrificed! They return back after a time. Like me. They do look put upon now that I beat them a couple times.

Ok my dread companion beast Fluffy. Ready? Lets go back...

****

Ow. ow ow ow. That stung. Yes I know I said it doesn't affect me but that is the mind altering kind of pain. This is that lemon on a papercut kind of sting. Really now. But... I am back? Yes. that looks like the town we cornered that beast... sorry Fluffy... in...

I look like a vagabound. I mean I have rags on and look like hell... I mean there were some nice looking parts but never mind. I look like the poor in some of these towns always have. But... wasn't this town abandoned? Why it was chosen. The town center was the trap... Looks lively and well lived in...

The center of town... there was no fountain... Wait... there is a statue.

"Dedicated to the Victims of The Foul Demon Beast,"-*proud preening growls*-"Who was banished forever by Arcane Master Tobias, Sword Saint Elias, Saintess..."

What?

"...May the many names of the victims of this town live on in the rebuilt city..."

So many names... That one looks familiar... oh right... *mad giggle*... it was mine... No! Wait... no Mad giggles. We are sane again. They are mocking giggles...

So I am forever immortilized as victim. Not even an honored Apprentice? Just a name on the side of a fountain that people sit on? At least the water is clean enough. Wow is that my reflection? I didn't have these slit like eyes or hair that had white streaks. At least my youth is the same. I look... hmmm interesting. Can I change my eyes a bit? Oh... ok yeah some conentration. Normal eyes, beast like eyes. Yes.

Hmmm I better find out how much time has passed. What happened after. What happened to dear, old, Master. And see about revenge. Or forgiveness. Eh. I got time. I mean I guess I could give them the pain and torment they gave me... but like I said. So unimaginative. So boring. I bet I can come up with better. If they deserve it I mean.

My all time favorite line was from Ben 10. Met someone who was lost in time after an experiment. "At first I went mad of course, but after a few millennia I got bored with that, too, and went sane - very sane."