Chapter 1053: Mission

"Hera!? Hera is here!?"

"Who's that with her!? Is it another actor?"

"Why does he look like that...? Is he playing for a role or something?"

"Quick, someone search him!"

While Hera was finding all of this problematic and trying her best to cover her face, Riley was quite intrigued that people were finding the way he looked weird - how long has it really been since someone commented on his looks?

Ever since he traveled across the expanse of space, his pale white skin and hair have become completely irrelevant. After all, there were races that had 6 limbs and 6 eyes.

And now, Riley could not help but just be amused.

"It would seem some nasty rumors are about to come to light about you, Miss Hera."

"Are you seriously finding this amusing right now?" And of course, Hera, the master of reading people's emotions, was quickly able to see what Riley was thinking at the moment, "We should go."

"No," Riley quickly shook his head as he also leaned closer to Hera, "If you go now, you will only fuel the rumors that you are a pedophile, Miss Hera."

"You're practically 30-plus years old or something!"

"Stop justifying it, Miss Hera," Riley sighed before he just casually stood up and approached the crowd who were slowly gathering around their table, "It is not what everyone thinks, Hera and I are not dating."

"Riley, no-"

"Did you hear that!? He said they are dating!?"

"What's your socials!?"

"Are you an actor? Where can we watch you!?"

"Stupid, he's obviously a model."

"Hm..." And as the people starting snapping photos of him and their advances becoming more aggressive, the only thing that Riley could really do was just take a step back and once again sit beside Hera, "...It would seem that did not work, Miss Hera."

"Of course, it didn't," Hera could really only lower her face so that no one could take a photo of her disappointment, "Seriously, for someone as popular as you, you've never learned how to control your image - the fans will always think what they want to think of you. It doesn't matter what you say, they will find a way to twist it."

"Is that so, Miss Hera?" Riley let out a quiet sigh as he stood up again. Hera wanted to stop him this time, but she was still not able to.

"Riley! What are you doing now...?" Hera whispered loudly, "You-"

"Yes, Hera and I are dating," Riley then let out the most tame smile he could as he addressed Hera's fans, "If you have any questions, Hera will answer them for all of you."

And as soon as Riley said that, the crowd gave out a collective squeal. And it wasn't just because they were the first to hear the news, but also because Riley had this sort of aura around him which caused all of them to just lose their breaths.

He looked almost ethereal, and yet the way he carried himself had a lot of weight in it. "Then, Hera. Is this-"

"But not now." And before any of the fans could start approaching Hera, Riley blocked their path while still carrying the smile on his face, "Because right now, I want to spend time with her it's not every day that we get to be together in public. I would like to just spend a few more hours with her like we are normal people...

...please?"

"!!!"

And as Riley slightly tilted his head to the side, everyone just followed his long white hair as it brushed along his shoulder; his slightly elongated ears, almost making him look like some sort of Tolkien elf.

Most of them nodded their heads and took one final snap. There are some, however, who persisted in wanting to ask Hera some questions.

"Just one question, Hera! Are you-"

"Well, I only ask once," Riley then once again blocked the persisting crowd. This time, however, he gracefully waved his hand, causing the stubborn people to be very gently and lightly blown away back to their seats. And as soon Hera's more civilized fans saw that, they could not help but once again update their socials.

Even though they hadn't even seen a quarter of a percent of Riley's powers, they were already posting about him being one of the most powerful supers in the world... all because they wanted to fulfill a fantasy between Hera and him.

"Well then..." Riley then went back to his seat; his face filled with satisfaction, "...I suppose I handled that quite well, no?"

"My god..." Hera could really only groan in frustration; this time hiding her face not because of her fans, but because of what Riley did, "...This is gonna blow back on my face."

"Did she just say she wants his boyfriend to blow something on her face!?"

"What the―!?" And as soon as Hera heard that, she just quickly grabbed Riley by the wrist and started running out of the restaurant. As soon as he did so, however, her more persistent fans started following them into the street, causing more people to notice them.

"I forgot how popular you were, Miss Hera." And while Hera was doing her best to run away from the fans-turned-paparazzi without transforming and ruining her dress, Riley once again found all of it so amusing as he looked back at the crowd following them like zombies, "As expected of someone who voiced a character in Italian Mafia Reborn." "That's my least popular work!" Hera said in frustration, "Can you just fly us out of here!?" "Very well," Riley just shrugged before he suddenly stopped running behind Hera. "Eep!" And of course, as Hera was gripping his wrist, she could really only let out a small yelp as she found herself being pulled back slightly violently toward Riley. But of course, he was gently caught by Riley before just being lifted and carried like a princess,

"Don't... don't give them more material! Wait... you're doing this on purpose, aren't you!?

"I do not know what you are talking about, Miss Hera," Riley just shrugged before finally flying away. Not before, however, turning around toward the crowd and bowing his head to them, once again giving them an opportunity to snap some photos.

"Damn it! Take us to where there are no people!" Hera just covered her face to prevent anyone from taking a photo of her again — unfortunately for her, even if she covered her face, everyone already knew it was her. The two did not really say anything to each other throughout their flight, it was only until Riley landed on a rooftop that Hera had something to

say again...

...how could she not when Riley landed right in front of her mansion?

"How... do you even know where I live!?" Hera quickly commented.

"I know where all the members of the Hope Guild lived during this time, Miss Hera," Riley shrugged, "Just in case I needed to eliminate any of you, I can do so from the comfort of my

home."

"...How did we even survive fighting you?"

"Because I allowed them," Riley shrugged, "As for you, you will always find a way to survive even if you do not want to, Miss Hera - we are quite similar in that regard."

"Fuck no," Hera scoffed, "I want to live, that is why my abilities are all-how did you even know that was there!?"

Hera could not help but just scream as she saw Riley just casually picking up her spare key that was hidden on one of the fake stones she had scattered beside her porch.

"I know things, Miss Hera," Riley just once again shrugged as he opened Hera's door, "Are

you not coming in?"

"What the—I'm the one who should be saying that!" Hera said as she snatched the key from Riley's hand and entered the door.

"Okay, thank you for inviting me inside your house, Miss Hera."

"You-Argh!"

Suffice it to say, Hera was frustrated beyond words. She was, however, about to be more

frustrated when she found out about the paparazzi who were actually in front of her gate and recorded Riley entering her mansion... which was just several minutes later since it was

already in the news.

"Oh no, oh no, no..." Hera quickly turned off the TV as she saw the news. As for Riley, he was just helping himself with a bottle of milk, "...We need to do something about this."

"I do not really see the point, Miss Hera," Riley just shrugged, "This reality would just reset once I am gone - it is funny how our perspectives would change just because of a simple fact, no? It is like when you can quickly save and load your progress in a video game - you can

afford to be completely reckless."

"Well, this isn't a game! This is literally my life!"

"Their lives, Miss Hera," Riley shook his head, "You are no longer one of them."

"That..." Hera could not help but just close her eyes and breathe out heavily, "...Damn it. What

do we even do now?"

"What we came here to do," Riley then once again opened the TV, quickly changing the channels until he reached a station playing Italian Mafia Reborn, "Try and bring people out of

this reality and into our own."

"You're not seriously telling me...

...that you want to bring the cast of that show?"