同章对照

It ended as well as expected.

With Ryan naked and shackled to a bed, a maniacal Vulcan in a black nightgown on one side, and the plushie on another.

“It was all a trap,” the courier accused the mad Genius, straining against the shackles. “You only cared about the plushie!”

“Very good, Ryan,” Jasmine said, playing with her knife. The inactive plushie looked on while sitting on a chair. “Now, tell me everything you know about it.”

“I would, but I look down on short people.”

“If you won’t talk,” Jasmine put the knife against his chin, and her free hand on his chest, “I will make you squeal.”

“Don’t look,” Ryan told the inactive plushie, trying to avert its gaze. “Please don’t look!”

A phone called in the other room, interrupting the roleplay.

Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. “Gimme a sec,” she said, stepping over an empty condom box before searching for her cellphone among their clothes on the ground. Ryan whistled while she moved out of the bedroom to answer the call.

As it turned out, Vulcan didn’t live in a luxurious villa, but inside her own foundry. She had repurposed the upper echelons of the area into a spacious, soundproof apartment in an elegant steampunk style. Brass pipes and tin gears formed the main decoration, although Vulcan had also embedded a plasma TV in the bedroom’s wall facing the bed. It was rather cozy and she even included a litter for Eugène-Henry, although Vulcan clearly didn’t clean up the place often.

Jasmine eventually returned, rolling her eyes. “Was it Mr. Monsanto again?” Ryan asked.

“Neptune. He’s pissed about last night and wants to call a meeting because he’s a pussy.” She let her nightgown fall on the ground, raised the bedsheet, and slipped below. Her naked skin brushed against the courier’s own, though she didn’t undo his shackles. “Ryan.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t ever call me short again.”

“Come on, Jasmine, be the bigger person.”

Her knife hit the wall behind the bed, a few inches away from the courier’s face. Ryan didn’t even blink; by now, he had learned that her bark was worse than her bite. Though bite him she did…

“You’re lucky to be good in the sack, so you get to live another day,” Vulcan said, resting her head against his shoulder. “How many women have you had?”

“I lost count,” he replied. Practice made perfect.

“I figured as much. I didn’t know you could do that with a tongue.” Jasmine glanced at the rabbit watching them. “Actually, what is that plushie? Some pieces just don’t make sense, and I don’t know what to make of the energy readings.”

“I tried to use it as a probe to explore a higher dimension,” Ryan admitted.

“And?” Jasmine asked, not even questioning the sanity of it. “It worked?”

“Not really. All it did was allow something from the other side to hitch a free ride to our dimension. Now it won’t leave.”

“Wait, you’re saying that your rabbit is haunted?” Ryan nodded, and much to his horror, it made Jasmine even more curious. “That dimension, can you describe it?”

“It’s an area beyond space and time, but I haven’t been able to observe it much.” He frowned. “Why?”

“You know that Red Genomes can manipulate energy? From lightning to wavelengths?” Ryan nodded. “Well, Red Genomes, real Red Genomes, actually emit an energy field around them. Like radiation. This ambient energy, this ‘Red Flux’ can be captured, stockpiled, and then refined to make batteries. That’s how Dynamis makes laser weapons.”

“And you think this energy comes from another dimension?” Ryan asked, suddenly very curious.

“I think so, and Dynamis does too,” she replied with a nod. “The Firebrand knockoff Elixir alters genes so a Genome could perform pyrokinesis, but doesn’t create a link to the Red Dimension. So the body only uses the energy available, that of the human body.”

“That’s how your Fireman armor enhances their pyrokinesis,” Ryan guessed. “You take the batteries meant for laser weapons, and you transfer this Red Flux energy to the Genome’s body.”

“They become just as powerful as the original pyrokinetic Genome the knockoffs are based on, at least as long as the battery juice keeps flowing,” Jasmine said with pride. “Dynamis has been wasting fortunes in an attempt to create a bridge towards that hypothetical Red Dimension, though they haven’t managed to do so yet.”

“That Flux, do you think Genomes with other colors produce variants?”

“I suppose, but I haven’t been able to observe them. Red is energy, so it’s easy to measure it, and since almost all Red Genomes have offensive applications, my power has an easy time with them. But how do you measure life, like with Green Genomes?” She gave him a knowing smile. “Though, if you told me the truth about your power, we could work on it together.”

Ryan let out a shocked gasp. “You know about my true, true power?”

“Look, that bullshit you told Pluto? About how your power really works?” She looked into his eyes. “You were just pulling our legs.”

“I thought we did that this morning.” She chuckled. “Why didn’t you call my bluff?”

“Because I’m curious,” Jasmine replied, stroking his cheek. “You’re smart, funny, and the perfect gentleman, yet I can tell you’ve got your own agenda.”

“I’m just trying to help a friend in need, and find happiness.”

“I don’t think that’s all there is,” Jasmine said. “You joined this organization as a stepping stone for something else. It’s fine, I’m not particularly loyal to Augustus either. But I’m pretty sure your power is something world-changing. I don’t see why you would be afraid to reveal its true extent to Pluto otherwise.”

Ryan shrugged it off. “I think it’s a bit too early to talk about that.”

Vulcan sat on his chest, one leg on each side. “Then what will we be, Ryan?”

“I dunno, a summer fling?” Ryan needed to blow off steam after his last encounters with Len and the Meta-Gang, in more ways than one. “I don’t want to get too attached, and you’re probably going to forget me soon anyway.”

“You aren’t going to forget me, Ryan. I can promise you that.” Vulcan stroked the courier’s cheek. If only she knew. “I’m fine with a summer fling, but as I told you before, it’s an exclusive contract. Cheat on me and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“If you can do the fucking before the kill, I would appreciate it.” She lightly slapped him in response. “Hey!”

“You’ve got an attitude problem, but I’ll tame you, Ryan. I’ll tame you straight.” She put both her hands on his ears and ferociously kissed him on the lips, like a lioness marking her territory. “You know how to cook?”

“Yep.”

“Good, because I don’t. We’ve got enough time for one more round and breakfast before the meeting.”

“It’s Jamie who’s going to be unhappy,” Ryan pointed out. “I was supposed to help them clean up the house in the morning.”

“Well, I’m higher in the hierarchy, so that’s an order. Entertain me, minion.”

Ryan stopped time in response.

When it resumed, Jasmine was the one shackled to the bed, the two having switched positions. “Fuck,” she said. “You can actually stop time.”

“You are going to tell me everything about Ischia Island, Miss Sharif,” Ryan said, his body towering above her. “We have ways of slipping past your defenses...”

“Narcinia is fourteen,” Jasmine smirked at him. “She’s too old for you.”

“In this case, I will have to pump you for information.”

Vulcan tried to keep a straight face, but ended up bursting out laughing.

She was kinda cute that way.

---

After dressing up and eating a delicious breakfast, Vulcan carried the duo all the way to Mount Augustus with her mech. Obviously, Ryan had put on the cashmere suit, delighting in its glamour and softness.

Augustus’ estate had looked enormous from afar, but it was even more impressive from above; Ryan estimated it to be around fifty hectares. Located atop a heavily-defended hill, the complex included a vast amount of monuments, the most impressive being a copy of the Parthenon to the east. An enormous, multi-floor Roman-themed villa covered roughly a third of the area, a marble palace worthy of a Roman emperor.

Most of the land, however, had been repurposed into a vast park, including Roman-theme sculptures, flower gardens, Versailles-styled fountains, and even a freaking zoo. “They have giraffes,” Ryan said in ecstasy.

The sheer luxury of the place awed even the jaded time-traveler.

Vulcan ended up landing near a swimming pool close to the villa, though a private sea might have been a better term. The enormous body of water was separated into smaller basins, some with fish, some without.

A group awaited them on a marble terrace, relaxing under the sun. Livia was among them, sunbathing in a one-piece swimsuit next to Narcinia. Augustus’ daughter immediately raised her eyes at Ryan and Vulcan when they emerged from the mech, welcoming them with a warm smile.

Pluto was reading a novel on a folding beach chair near her niece, keeping a mummified head on a small table nearby. She looked oddly peaceful for a mass murderer, though the head’s eyes moving on their own made the sight look quite macabre.

Finally, a group of older people discussed around a table near the villa, drinks in hands. One was a priest in his fifties, with a receding grey hairline and a gaunt face. He was so lanky Ryan could see the bones below the skin, but his black eyes oozed a frightening, almost maddened intensity. His every movement was carefully calculated, and he drank water rather than cocktails.

The priest, whom Ryan suspected to be Bacchus, was talking with a man entirely covered in thick armor. His equipment was heavily inspired by a Roman centurion’s dress, though it covered every part of the body and included a crimson cloak. The helmet included a metal face mask, and the time-traveler couldn’t see the eyes beneath.

The only woman of the group was a blonde woman in her forties, straight out of a playboy magazine; she kept her hair in a bun and wore an ancient Rome-styled dress adorned with gemstones. Though he could see only the lower part of her face and sapphire eyes due to a gold-plated masquerade mask, Ryan noted a family resemblance with Fortuna in that woman’s jawline. She was probably the lucky girl’s mother, keeping her arm around the red centurion’s.

The last man around the table was clearly the oldest, somewhere in his sixties. He had dyed his hair and thick long beard blue, which complemented his eyes. He wore no mask except a golden diadem and dressed in an elegant navy blue business suit including seashells as part of the design.

The old man instantly glared at Ryan and Vulcan upon seeing them, leaving the table with a dark look on his face; much like Pluto and Minerva, the family resemblance was unmistakable.

“That’s Neptune,” Jasmine pointed out the obvious.

“I could tell,” Ryan replied, waves starting to form out of nowhere in the swimming pool. Clearly, he was jealous of the courier’s better suit. “Can he drain the water within us with a thought?”

“Thankfully not.” His girlfriend smirked. “He’s an Orange, so organic matter interferes with his power. Besides, he is a macro hydrokinetic. The bigger the water volume, the greater his control. The priest is Bacchus, the couple is Mars and Venus, and the mummified head is Mercury.”

“I imagined him taller.”

“Mercury is a paranoid loon who doesn’t leave his home,” Vulcan snickered. “He can reanimate corpses and command them, so he sends them on missions.”

“Ryan, Vulcan!” Narcinia waved a hand at the couple upon noticing them.

“Welcome to Mount Augustus,” Livia said, though she didn’t rise up from her longchair. A true queen. “We were just discussing yesterday’s events. I admit you were right, I couldn’t anticipate anything like it.”

“Did we win a prize?” Ryan asked. “Personally, I would settle for a statue in my honor.”

“Marble or gold?” Livia replied with a wink, examining his suit. “I love it. It’s classy.”

“Ooh, I could add a few flowers if you want!” Narcinia told Ryan.

“Nah, I used all my weed killer on Blackthorn,” Ryan said, Jasmine smirking.

The banter was interrupted by a very furious Neptune. “You little, irresponsible brats!” he snarled, pointing a finger at Jasmine and Ryan. “I should drown the both of you right now!”

“Can you do it in Coca-Cola?” Ryan asked innocently. Much to his surprise, Vulcan didn’t smash his foot to silence him, and instead bantered back.

“It’s like being drowned in acid,” Jasmine told him. “Diabetes acid.”

“Yes, so my death will be quicker.”

“Do you have any idea what you did?” Neptune thundered. “Vulcan, you and your soldier could have sparked an all-out war!”

“Uncle, they did it on my orders,” Livia spoke up calmly. “I will take full responsibility for this.”

“It was still stupid,” Neptune snarled. “Blackthorn labeled your prank as a terrorist attack, promising retaliation.”

“Enrique must have suppressed the part where I undressed and put on the suit,” Ryan said.

Pluto, who had listened to the conversation, clearly struggled to contain her laughter, much to Ryan’s shock. Neptune glared at her. “Am I the only one here having a problem with this fiasco?”

“We were young too, Silvio,” Pluto replied, more amused than anything. “What’s wrong with letting them indulge a little?”

“I strongly suspect Hector Manada to have hired the Meta-Gang to harass us,” Livia said, all business. “This was a calculated attempt to put them back in their place.”

“By stealing a suit?” her uncle asked with heavy sarcasm, clearly not believing his niece.

“Did you summon us to bitch about it?” Jasmine asked with a shrug. “‘Cause we got important work to do.”

“There is also the matter of Mercury’s replacement,” Livia explained.

“As we discussed in our previous meeting, I stand by my decision to retire,” the mummified head spoke with an old, weary voice, startling Ryan. “I’ve grown too old for this.”

“Marco, last time I met you in the flesh you were lively for someone past pushing ninety.” Ryan turned towards the speaker, Mars. The Roman cosplayer had risen from his table to meet the group, his wife holding his arm. Bacchus followed his hands behind his back. “You’re still one of our best.”

“I personally know someone older than you with a youthful attitude,” Pluto said while giving Ryan a knowing smile.

“I’ve lived through three generations of the Camorra, children, yours included,” the talking head said. “I’m weary, I’ve earned more money than I could ever use, and I have no family left. I believe it’s time I buy a private island and spend the rest of my days drinking margaritas on the beach.”

“This will wait until after their punishment,” Neptune said, still glaring at Vulcan and Quicksave.

“For what, giving Dynamis their due?” Venus spoke up, greeting Ryan and Jasmine with a nod. “Did you see Felix during your attack, Vulcan?”

Vulcan shook her head. “No, only Blackthorn. They didn’t react fast enough to send heroes after us.”

“A shame,” the centurion greeted Ryan before shaking his hand. “Greetings, I’m Mars, though you can call me Luca. I appreciate you looking for my daughter at that party.”

“We had goat fights,” Narcinia said innocently.

“Oh by the way, what happened to Shub-Niggurath?” Ryan asked with concern. “Is she alright?”

“A guy and his girlfriend took her home,” Narcinia said. “They said they would put her to good use, but when I asked which one, they just put a hand on my head and smiled.”

Mars burst out laughing, while Venus glared at her husband. “I’ve got enough with a cat,” Jasmine whispered into Ryan’s ear. “I’m not taking a goat.”

“Well, I admit I’m torn,” Ryan whispered back, shuddering. “I don’t know where she has loitered…”

“Back to the important subject,” Neptune cut through the chit-chat. “Tensions with Dynamis are at an all-time high and they can’t tolerate a direct attack on their HQ. They will strike back, if only to keep face.”

“War now would be a tragedy,” Bacchus said, his voice soft and soothing like honey. He had remained silent for a while, listening to everyone. “Thanks to Ceres, we are on the verge of achieving Heaven. A conflict with Dynamis will interfere with that.”

“You and your ‘Heaven,’” Venus rolled her eyes.

“He is right though, war is bad for business,” Mercury said.

“It’s not always about the money, old man,” Pluto replied icily. “Sometimes, it’s about respect.”

“Do you want Alphonse Manada back in town?” Neptune sneered at his sister. “Because they will recall that madman if we push them too far, and then there will be blood in the streets.”

Ryan didn’t say anything while they argued, trying to assess how every member of the Augusti high command fit in. They were clearly divided into a moderate, business-minded faction and more brutal warmongers. Narcinia said nothing, too young to assert herself, but her presence at this gathering implied that she served a key role in the organization. And Livia oversaw the group discussion like a lioness observing her pack.

Though in the end, Ryan’s main quest was to destroy the lab and settle his deal with Shroud. “So, how did a priest end up making drugs?” he asked Bacchus. “I don’t think that’s very Catholic.”

“God works in mysterious ways,” the priest replied calmly. “All sins are forgiven, if done to reach Heaven.”

“I don’t think that’s how religion works, Father.”

“Ryan!” Narcinia nagged him, before turning to the priest. “He doesn’t know what he says, Father Torque!”

“It is fine,” the priest replied, his eyes peering into Ryan’s own with disturbing intensity. The courier suddenly realized this man hadn’t blinked once in the entire conversation. “You may not believe in God, but I assure you, It does exist. I’ve seen It with my own eyes, in all of Its divine glory.”

“It?” Ryan asked with a frown, while Jasmine rolled her eyes.

“Don’t get him started with this,” Venus interrupted them. “As for the Manada, we should have wiped them out years ago. That clan has been nothing but a thorn in our collective foot.”

“Honey...” Mars tried to calm his wife.

“They took our son!” she complained. “In the old days, we would have slaughtered them for less!”

“Felix is just having a rebellious phase.” Ironically, for a god of war, Mars seemed rather laid-back. “He is a naive boy transitioning into a mature man. He will come back into the fold, eventually.”

Livia’s eyes turned to cold steel upon hearing this. She grabbed a towel to cover her shoulders and rose from her longchair. “He won’t, and there will be no punishment for yesterday night.”

“Livia—” Neptune began.

“That is for Father to decide,” she interrupted her uncle, “and you know he will see things my way.”

Neptune flinched. “You called him?”

Livia nodded slowly, while the air grew oppressive. An electrical tension spread through the atmosphere, like during a thunderstorm’s approach. Everyone tensed up except for Livia herself.

The villa’s doors slowly opened, everyone staring at them in utter silence. Even Ryan, who was usually unflappable, remained still.

A towering, shining figure stepped through the threshold. A faint halo of crimson electricity surrounded his body, making it difficult for people to look directly at him. When he focused though, Ryan began to distinguish the shape of an aging man wearing a toga beneath the electrical shroud.

But when the courier looked into this man’s cold gaze, he realized that age hadn’t dimmed his brutality one bit.

“My daughter,” Augustus said, his voice echoing with the sound of booming thunder. “Why have you called me?”

结果果然和预料的一样美好。

瑞恩赤身裸体，被铐在床上，一边是穿着黑色睡裙、满脸疯狂的伏尔甘，另一边是那只毛绒玩偶。

“这从头到尾就是个圈套，”信使一边挣动手铐，一边指控这个疯狂的天才，“你在乎的只有玩偶！”

“很好，瑞恩。”贾丝敏把玩着手里的刀。尚未启动的玩偶坐在椅子上，静静看着。“现在，把你知道的关于它的一切都告诉我。”

“我倒是想，可我就是看不起矮个子。”

“你要是不肯说，”贾丝敏把刀抵在他下巴上，空着的那只手按住他的胸膛，“我就让你叫出来。”

“别看。”瑞恩对没启动的玩偶说，试图让它转开视线，“求你别看！”

另一个房间里响起了手机铃声，打断了这场角色扮演。

贾丝敏重重叹了口气。“等我一下。”她说着，跨过一个空避孕套盒，开始在地上两人的衣物之间翻找手机。她走出卧室接电话时，瑞恩吹了声口哨。

原来，伏尔甘并不住豪华别墅，而是住在自己的铸造厂里。她把厂房上层改成了一套宽敞、隔音的公寓，走的是雅致的蒸汽朋克风格。黄铜管道和锡制齿轮构成了主要装饰，不过卧室里正对着床的墙上，还嵌着一台等离子电视。这里相当舒适，她甚至给欧仁-亨利备了猫砂盆，只是显然不怎么常打扫。

贾丝敏终于翻着白眼回来了。“又是孟山都先生？”瑞恩问。

“尼普顿。他对昨晚的事很火大，想召集大家开会，因为他就是个怂包。”她任睡裙滑落在地，掀起床单钻了进去。赤裸的肌肤蹭着信使的身体，却没有替他解开手铐。“瑞恩。”

“嗯？”

“不许再说我矮。”

“好啦，贾丝敏，做人总得有点高度嘛。”

她的刀扎进了床后的墙壁，离信使的脸不过几英寸。瑞恩连眼皮都没眨一下；到这会儿，他已经摸清了，她叫得凶，咬起来却没那么狠。虽然她确实咬了他……

“幸好你床上功夫不错，就让你多活一天。”伏尔甘把头靠在他肩上，“你跟过多少女人？”

“记不清了。”他答道。熟能生巧嘛。

“我就知道。我都不知道舌头还能那么用。”贾丝敏瞥了一眼看着他们的兔子。“说真的，那只玩偶到底是什么？有些零件根本说不通，那些能量读数我也看不明白。”

“我试过把它当成探测器，去探索一个更高的维度。”瑞恩承认道。

“然后呢？”贾丝敏问，丝毫没觉得这想法有什么不正常，“成功了？”

“不算成功。唯一的成果，就是让那边的某个东西搭了个便车，跑到我们这个维度来 。现在它赖着不走了。”

“等等，你是说你的兔子闹鬼？”瑞恩点了点头，可怕的是，这反而让贾丝敏更好奇了。“那个维度，你能描述一下吗？”

“那是个超越时间和空间的地方，不过我没能观察到多少。”他皱起眉头，“怎么了？”

“你知道红系基因者能操纵能量吧？从闪电到波长都行？”瑞恩点了点头。“其实红系基因者，真正的红系基因者，会在周身释放出一个能量场。就像辐射一样。这种弥散在周围的能量，这种‘红色通量’，可以被捕获、储存，再经过提炼做成电池。迪纳米斯就是这么制造激光武器的。”

“你觉得这种能量来自另一个维度？”瑞恩问，顿时大感兴趣。

“我这么认为，迪纳米斯也一样。”她点头答道，“仿制的火种灵药会改变基因，让基因者获得控火能力，却无法建立与红色维度的连接。所以身体只能动用现有的能量，也就是人体本身的能量。”

“所以你的消防员装甲就是这么增强他们的控火能力的。”瑞恩猜道，“你拿来原本给激光武器用的电池，把里面的红色通量能量输进基因者体内。”

“这样一来，他们就能和仿制灵药所依据的原版控火基因者一样强大，至少电池供能不断，就能一直维持。”贾丝敏自豪地说，“迪纳米斯已经白白砸了大笔钱，想搭一座通往那个假想红色维度的桥，可至今也没能成功。”

“这种通量，你觉得其他颜色的基因者也会产生对应的变体吗？”

“我猜会，但我还没能观测到。红色就是能量，测起来很容易，而且几乎所有红系基因者的能力都能用来攻击，我的能力分析起它们来也很轻松。可绿系基因者涉及的是生命，那又该怎么测量？”她露出一个心照不宣的微笑。“不过，要是你肯告诉我你的能力究竟是怎么回事，我们可以一起研究。”

瑞恩震惊地倒吸一口气。“你知道我真正的、真正的能力？”

“听着，你跟普鲁托胡扯的那一套，说你的能力其实是怎么运作的？”她直视着他的眼睛，“你就是在逗我们玩。”

“我还以为我们今早就在玩这个呢。”她轻笑了一声。“那你为什么没拆穿我？”

“因为我好奇。”贾丝敏抚摸着他的脸颊，答道，“你聪明、风趣，绅士得无可挑剔，可我看得出来，你有自己的算盘。”

“我只是想帮一个需要帮助的朋友，再找到自己的幸福。”

“我觉得不止如此。”贾丝敏说，“你加入这个组织，是为了拿它当跳板，去做别的事。没关系，我对奥古斯都也没多忠心。不过我很确定，你的能力足以改变世界。否则我想不通，你为什么不敢向普鲁托透露它真正的极限。”

瑞恩耸了耸肩，没接这个话头。“我觉得现在谈这个还有点早。”

伏尔甘跨坐在他胸前，两条腿分在身体两侧。“那我们算什么，瑞恩？”

“不知道，一段夏日艳遇？”最近跟蕾恩和超能帮打过交道之后，瑞恩需要发泄一下，而且不止一种意义上的发泄。“我不想投入太多感情，反正你大概很快就会把我忘了。”

“你可忘不了我，瑞恩。这点我能保证。”伏尔甘轻抚着信使的脸颊。要是她知道就好了。“夏日艳遇我没意见，不过我之前就说了，这是独家合约。你敢背着我偷吃，我就干死你。”

“要是能先操，再弄死我，那就感激不尽了。”她轻轻扇了他一下作为回应。“喂！”

“你这态度有问题，不过我会驯服你的，瑞恩。把你驯得服服帖帖。”她双手捂住他的耳朵，凶狠地吻住他的嘴唇，像一头标记领地的母狮。“你会做饭吗？”

“会啊。”

“很好，因为我不会。开会前还来得及再来一轮，然后吃早饭。”

“杰米可要不高兴了。”瑞恩指出，“我本来答应早上帮他们收拾房子的。”

“那我级别比他高，这就是命令。取悦我吧，喽啰。”

瑞恩的回应是暂停时间。

时间恢复时，被铐在床上的成了贾丝敏，两人已经互换了位置。“操，”她说，“你还真能暂停时间。”

“你得把伊斯基亚岛的一切都告诉我，谢里夫小姐。”瑞恩居高临下地俯视着她，“我们有的是办法突破你的防线……”

“纳尔西妮娅十四岁了。”贾丝敏冲他坏笑，“对你来说，她太老了。”

“既然如此，我只好在你身上好好榨取一番情报了。”

伏尔甘试着绷住脸，最后还是放声大笑起来。

她这样还挺可爱的。

---

穿戴整齐、享用过美味的早餐后，伏尔甘驾驶机甲，载着两人一路来到奥古斯都山。瑞恩当然穿上了那套羊绒西装，尽情享受它的华美与柔软。

奥古斯都的庄园从远处看就已经大得惊人，从上方俯瞰更是壮观；瑞恩估计，面积大约有五十公顷。这片建筑群坐落在一座防守森严的山丘顶上，内有大量纪念性建筑，其中最醒目的是东面那座仿建的帕特农神庙。一栋庞大的多层罗马风格别墅占据了大约三分之一的面积，那是一座配得上罗马皇帝的大理石宫殿。

不过，大部分土地都被改成了一座广阔的公园，里面有罗马风格的雕像、花园、凡尔赛式的喷泉，居然他妈的还有座动物园。“他们养了长颈鹿！”瑞恩欣喜若狂地说。

这地方奢华得连见惯一切的时间旅行者都为之震撼。

伏尔甘最终降落在别墅附近的一座游泳池旁，不过称它为私人海域或许更贴切。这片硕大的水域被分隔成若干较小的池子，有些养着鱼，有些没有。

一群人在大理石露台上等着他们，悠闲地晒着太阳。莉维娅也在其中，穿着连体泳衣，躺在纳尔西妮娅身旁做日光浴。瑞恩和伏尔甘一出机甲，奥古斯都的女儿便抬眼望来，以一个温暖的微笑迎接他们。

普鲁托在侄女身旁的一把折叠沙滩椅上看小说，旁边的小桌上摆着一颗木乃伊脑袋。作为一个屠杀过无数人的凶手，她看上去平静得出奇，不过那颗脑袋的眼珠还在自行转动，让这幅画面显得相当阴森。

最后，别墅旁的一张桌子周围，几名年纪较大的人正拿着饮料交谈。其中一位是五十来岁的神父，灰发的发际线已经后退，面容枯槁。他瘦长得让瑞恩能看清皮肤下的骨头，黑眼睛里却透出一种骇人的、近乎疯狂的狂热。他每一个动作都经过精心斟酌，喝的也不是鸡尾酒，而是水。

瑞恩怀疑这位神父就是巴克斯。他正在和一个全身裹在厚重盔甲里的人交谈。那人的装备明显借鉴了罗马百夫长的装束，不过铠甲覆盖了全身上下，还配着一件猩红色斗篷。头盔附有金属面甲，时间旅行者看不见底下的眼睛。

这群人中唯一的女人是个四十来岁的金发美女，简直像直接从《花花公子》杂志里走出来的。她将头发挽成髻，穿着一袭缀满宝石的古罗马式长裙。她戴着镀金的化装舞会面具，瑞恩只能看见她的下半张脸和蓝宝石般的双眼，但仍从她的下颌轮廓看出了几分福尔图娜的模样。她大概就是那个幸运姑娘的母亲，手臂正挽着那位红衣百夫长。

桌边最后一个男人显然最年长，大约六十多岁。他把头发和浓密的长胡子都染成了蓝色，恰好与眼睛相衬。他没戴面具，只在头上戴着金色冠环，身上是一套雅致的海军蓝西装，设计中还融入了贝壳元素。

老人一看到瑞恩和伏尔甘，立刻瞪了过来，阴沉着脸离开桌边；他与普鲁托、密涅瓦一看就是一家人，那份相似绝不会认错。

“那是尼普顿。”贾丝敏说了句显而易见的话。

“看出来了。”瑞恩答道，游泳池里已经无端泛起了波浪。显然，他在嫉妒信使的西装比自己的更好。“他能不能一个念头就抽干我们体内的水？”

“幸好不能。”他女朋友勾起嘴角，“他是橙系基因者，有机物会干扰他的能力。再说，他操纵水的能力作用在宏观层面。水量越大，他控制得越好。那个神父是巴克斯，那对夫妻是玛尔斯和维纳斯，木乃伊脑袋是墨丘利。”

“我还以为他能高点呢。”

“墨丘利是个疑神疑鬼、从不出门的疯老头。”伏尔甘窃笑道，“他能让尸体动起来，听他指挥，所以都是派尸体出去执行任务。”

“瑞恩，伏尔甘！”纳尔西妮娅看到这对情侣，朝他们挥了挥手。

“欢迎来到奥古斯都山。”莉维娅说，却并未从躺椅上起身。真有女王风范。“我们刚才正在谈昨天的事。我承认你说对了，我完全没能预见到这种事。”

“我们赢了，有奖品吗？”瑞恩问，“我个人要求不高，给我立座雕像就行。”

“大理石的，还是金的？”莉维娅眨了眨眼，打量着他的西装，“我喜欢。很有格调。”

“噢，你要是愿意，我还可以给你加几朵花！”纳尔西妮娅对瑞恩说。

“算了，我的除草剂全用在黑棘身上了。”瑞恩说，贾丝敏露出坏笑。

暴怒的尼普顿打断了他们的说笑。“你们这两个不负责任的小混蛋！”他指着贾丝敏和瑞恩咆哮道，“我现在就该把你们两个淹死！”

“能用可口可乐吗？”瑞恩天真地问。令他大感意外的是，伏尔甘不但没有狠狠踩他一脚让他闭嘴，反而接起了玩笑。

“那就跟淹死在酸里差不多。”贾丝敏告诉他，“糖尿病酸。”

“对啊，这样我死得快一点。”

“你们到底知不知道自己干了什么？”尼普顿暴喝，“伏尔甘，你和你手下那个兵这么一闹，搞不好就会挑起全面战争！”

“叔叔，他们是奉我的命令行事。”莉维娅平静地开口，“这件事的全部责任由我承担。”

“那也一样愚蠢。”尼普顿怒声道，“黑棘把你们的恶作剧定性成了恐怖袭击，还宣称一定会报复。”

“恩里克肯定把我脱衣服、换西装的那段给压下去了。”瑞恩说。

一直听着他们说话的普鲁托，显然正拼命忍笑，这让瑞恩大为震惊。尼普顿瞪向她。“难道这里就我一个人觉得这场闹剧有问题？”

“我们也年轻过，西尔维奥。”普鲁托答道，语气里更多的是好笑，“让他们稍微放纵一下，有什么不对？”

“我强烈怀疑，是埃克托·马纳达雇了超能帮来骚扰我们。”莉维娅一副公事公办的口吻，“这是一次经过周密考量的行动，要让他们摆正自己的位置。”

“靠偷一套西装？”她叔叔讽刺地反问，显然不信侄女的话。

“你把我们叫来，就是为了抱怨这事？”贾丝敏耸了耸肩，“我们可还有正事要忙。”

“另外还有墨丘利接班人的事。”莉维娅解释道。

“就像上次开会时谈过的，我坚持退休的决定。”那颗木乃伊脑袋用苍老、疲惫的声音开了口，吓了瑞恩一跳。“我已经太老，干不动这行了。”

“马尔科，上次见到你本人，你一个九十多岁的人，精神头可足得很。”瑞恩转向说话的玛尔斯。这个玩罗马角色扮演的已经从桌边起身，来到众人面前，妻子仍挽着他的手臂。巴克斯双手背在身后，跟了过来。“你仍然是我们最出色的人之一。”

“我就认识一个比你还老、心态却年轻得很的人。”普鲁托说着，意味深长地朝瑞恩笑了笑。

“孩子们，卡莫拉三代人我都见过了，也包括你们这一代。”会说话的脑袋说道，“我累了，挣的钱这辈子都花不完，也已经没有家人了。我觉得，是时候买座私人岛屿，在沙滩上喝着玛格丽特度过余生了。”

“那也得等惩罚完他们再说。”尼普顿说，依然瞪着伏尔甘和快存。

“惩罚什么，惩罚他们给了迪纳米斯应得的教训？”维纳斯开了口，点头向瑞恩和贾丝敏致意。“伏尔甘，你们袭击的时候见到菲利克斯了吗？”

伏尔甘摇头。“没有，只有黑棘。他们反应太慢，没来得及派英雄追我们。”

“可惜了。”百夫长向瑞恩打了个招呼，随后与他握手。“你好，我是玛尔斯，不过你可以叫我卢卡。谢谢你在那场派对上帮忙找我女儿。”

“我们还斗了山羊呢。”纳尔西妮娅天真地说。

“哦，对了，莎布·尼古拉丝后来怎么样了？”瑞恩关切地问，“她没事吧？”

“有个男的和他女朋友把她带回家了。”纳尔西妮娅说，“他们说会好好利用她，不过我问要怎么用，他们就只是摸摸我的头，笑了笑。”

玛尔斯放声大笑，维纳斯则瞪了丈夫一眼。“有一只猫就够我受的了。”贾丝敏在瑞恩耳边低语，“我可不要山羊。”

“好吧，我承认我也挺纠结的。”瑞恩低声回应，打了个寒战，“谁知道她都在哪儿鬼混过……”

“回到正事上来。”尼普顿打断闲聊，“我们和迪纳米斯之间的关系已经紧张到了前所未有的地步，他们不可能容忍有人直接袭击总部。哪怕只是为了保住脸面，他们也一定会还击。”

“现在开战，无疑是一场悲剧。”巴克斯说，声音如蜜般柔和，令人心安。他之前一直沉默着，听所有人发言。“多亏了刻瑞斯，我们离天堂只有一步之遥了。与迪纳米斯的冲突会妨碍我们。”

“又是你那套‘天堂’。”维纳斯翻了个白眼。

“不过他说得对，战争对生意没好处。”墨丘利说。

“不是所有事都关乎钱，老头。”普鲁托冷冷地回答，“有时候，我们要的是尊重。”

“你想让阿尔方斯·马纳达回城？”尼普顿冷笑着问妹妹，“我们要是把他们逼得太狠，他们就会把那个疯子召回来，到时候街上就要血流成河了。”

众人争论时，瑞恩一言不发，试着判断奥古斯蒂高层各个成员的立场。他们显然分成了两派：一派温和，重视生意；另一派则更凶残，好战。纳尔西妮娅什么也没说，她还太年轻，不敢发表自己的意见，可她能出席这场聚会，就说明她在组织里扮演着关键角色。莉维娅则俯察着整场讨论，宛如一头审视狮群的母狮。

不过说到底，瑞恩的主线任务还是摧毁实验室，履行和裹尸布的交易。“所以，一个神父怎么就干上制毒了？”他问巴克斯，“我觉得这可不怎么天主教。”

“上帝行事，奥妙莫测。”神父平静地答道，“只要是为了抵达天堂而犯下的罪，一切皆可得到宽恕。”

“我觉得宗教不是这么运作的，神父。”

“瑞恩！”纳尔西妮娅责备了他一句，随后转向神父，“托尔克神父，他不知道自己在说什么！”

“无妨。”神父答道，目光紧紧盯着瑞恩的眼睛，那份狂热令人不安。信使忽然意识到，整个谈话期间，这人连一次眼都没眨过。“你或许不信上帝，但我向你保证，它确实存在。我亲眼见过它，见过它那无上的神圣荣光。”

“它？”瑞恩皱眉问道，贾丝敏则翻了个白眼。

“别让他打开这个话匣子。”维纳斯打断他们，“至于马纳达，我们早几年就该把他们灭了。那个家族一直都是我们所有人的肉中刺。”

“亲爱的……”玛尔斯试着安抚妻子。

“他们抢走了我们的儿子！”她愤然道，“放在以前，哪用得着闹到这一步，我们早就把他们杀光了！”

“菲利克斯只是在叛逆期。”讽刺的是，身为战神，玛尔斯却显得相当随和。“他是个天真的男孩，正在学着成为成熟的男人。终究还是会回到我们身边的。”

听到这话，莉维娅的眼神冷硬如钢。她拿起一条毛巾披在肩上，从躺椅上站了起来。“他不会。另外，昨晚的事，谁也不会受罚。”

“莉维娅——”尼普顿开口道。

“这件事由父亲决定，”她打断叔叔，“你也知道，他会赞同我的看法。”

尼普顿一怔，气势弱了下去。“你叫他来了？”

莉维娅缓缓点头，空气随之变得压抑。一股带电般的紧绷感弥漫开来，仿佛雷暴即将来临。除了莉维娅本人，所有人都绷紧了身体。

别墅的大门缓缓打开，所有人都望向那里，一片死寂。就连平时泰山崩于前也不改色的瑞恩，都一动不动。

一个高大、发光的身影跨过门槛。猩红色的电流在他周身形成一层淡淡的光晕，令人难以直视。不过，瑞恩凝神看去，渐渐辨认出了电幕下的轮廓——一个身穿托加袍、上了年纪的男人。

可当信使迎上那冰冷的目光，他便明白，岁月丝毫没有磨去这个男人的残暴。

“我的女儿，”奥古斯都开口，声音回荡，如雷霆轰鸣，“你为何叫我来？”