同章对照

The entire Augusti high command had gathered around a table near the villa, and none of its members dared to speak.

Allowed to sit between Vulcan and Livia at the mafia princess’ behest, Ryan kept his arms crossed as he observed the scene. The various ‘Olympians’ formed a circle, all of them eyeing their leader warily. Mercury’s mummified head had been placed at the edge near Pluto, while Narcinia sat with her parents. Mars kept an arm behind his chair, clearly the most relaxed of all people present.

And Bacchus...

The man made Ryan curious. The priest never blinked or betrayed any facial micro-expression. And instead of looking at Augustus like the rest, his focus remained entirely on Livia.

Augustus listened to his brother Neptune retelling him the events of last night, his body shrouded in a halo of lightning. It made it impossible to clearly distinguish his face, and the man radiated power in more ways than one. Ryan couldn’t shake the pervading aura of dread around the table, as if everyone worried they might get punished for a minor offense.

Even Ryan didn’t crack a joke. He didn’t know the limits of Augustus’ invulnerability except that most powers failed to work on him. For all he knew, the lightning emperor might be a White interfering with other abilities the way Cancel did; and unlike Vulcan, Augustus struck the courier as someone who killed at the slightest provocation.

Mob Zeus joined his hands, once the tale finished. Obviously, Neptune had presented the attack as an irresponsible prank instead of a carefully prepared suit-rescue mission, but his brother didn’t seem to care. “You summoned me for something this trivial?”

“Dynamis will retaliate,” Neptune pointed out. “The incident was public.”

“They dared to take our son,” Venus spoke up, her wiser husband immediately putting a hand on her arm to dissuade her to speak; all in vain. “This is simply retaliati—”

“His parentage is the only reason Felix’s head isn’t in a bag right now.” The cold certainty in Augustus’ voice made Atom Cat’s entire family flinch. Narcinia, in particular, looked at her feet to avoid facing Mob Zeus. “Abandoning his duties is one thing, but I cannot stand rats.”

“He is your godson, Janus,” Mars said with the familiarity of a trusted lieutenant. He alone didn’t seem to fear Augustus, with the exception of the mob boss’ close family members; enough to use the man's real name.

“He is a traitor who broke my daughter’s heart,” the lightning emperor of Italy replied, Livia’s face a stone mask. “To think I once expected to call him my son-in-law one day…”

“Just give us time,” Mars argued, unabated. “We will reason with him.”

“I shall show mercy to Felix, due to the strong bond between our respective families,” Augustus replied. “But I never want to see him again, and if he takes arms against us, there will be consequences.”

A tense silence fell on the table, Mob Zeus turning his head towards Ryan and Vulcan. While she remained outwardly strong, the courier sensed the Genius clench her fists below the table. The courier took her hand with his own, helping her relax a little.

“You,” Augustus told Ryan, suddenly noticing the Genome’s existence. “Who are you?”

“Quicksave, sir,” the courier said. “I’m immortal, but don’t tell anyone.”

“Gods and men are only equal in one thing, and that is death.” Mob Zeus examined Ryan closely. “You do not fear me as much as you should.”

Ryan waited briefly, in case it was rhetorical, before realizing that Lightning Butt wanted an answer. Augustus did sound a lot less threatening when the courier called him that in his head. “Well, sir, with all due respect,” the Genome said, “I’ve seen far worse than you.”

Augustus observed him without a word, and it started to hurt just looking at this thunder elemental. The silence grew more and more oppressive until Lightning Butt turned his deadly attention to Vulcan, as Ryan’s superior. “What is his power?”

“Alternate reality jumping,” Vulcan lied.

“Lies.”

Augustus said that without raising his tone, but the electrical tension in the air increased tenfold. All gazes turned at Vulcan, while Pluto eyed Ryan sharply.

“What is his power?” Augustus repeated, the crimson aura around him growing in intensity.

“I don’t know,” Vulcan admitted. “I don’t understand it yet.”

Augustus let the silence set in, until Jasmine had to look away to avoid eye damage from the light. The mere unspoken threat of violence cowed the proud Genius. “The wise woman admits her own ignorance, Vulcan,” Lightning Butt said while trying to sound profound, before asking the other Capos, “Who is he?”

“Ryan Romano, real name Cesare Sabino,” Mercury said through the mummified skull. “Son of Freddie Sabino, alias Bloodstream. A blood-controlling Psycho killed by the Carnival four years ago.”

It took everything for Ryan not to make a face of pure disgust, cursing all the times Bloodstream had introduced him to strangers using that name. He had believed in that delusion so much, that he convinced everyone else it was the truth.

Strangely though, he did notice Livia’s face softening when Mercury mentioned the Carnival. She glanced at Ryan with what the courier took for a look of sympathy. Augustus’ halo, meanwhile, flashed brighter for a second before returning to normal.

“Bloodstream…” Mars spoke up, remembering something. “Yeah, I remember him. That body-jacking maniac whacked a few of our guys back in the day.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened as if she reached a eureka moment. “Wait, she’s your sister?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ryan replied dryly.

“And all that time I thought you wanted to…” Jasmine caught her breath. “Nevermind.”

Augustus kept his attention focused on Ryan. “What is your power?”

“I told you, sir,” the courier replied. “I’m immortal.”

“Quicksave is a Violet who can affect alternate universes, usually to avoid death,” Livia spoke up on Ryan’s behalf. “His abilities will help me develop mine.”

The emperor joined his fingers together. “You will vouch for him, my daughter?”

“Yes.”

Lightning Butt nodded to himself, before turning to his sister. “I marked him,” Pluto said, smoking her cigarette. “He provided valuable services so far, but if he steps out of line, I’ll whack him.”

After one last cursory glance at the courier, Augustus dropped the subject and turned to Livia next. “My daughter, you approved of this attack?”

“Yes, I did,” Livia replied calmly.

“Then why are we talking about it?”

“Janus,” Neptune cleared his throat. “This is serious.”

“Minerva is my heir and speaks with my voice,” Lightning Butt replied with disdain. “Your role is to advise and mentor her, not to question her orders.”

Neptune joined his hands, clearly unhappy with this turn of events. “Then what, we prepare for war? Even if we win, it won’t be without heavy casualties.”

“There will be no war,” Livia said with absolute confidence. “The Manada will retaliate in a public manner, yes, but Hector will rein in his sons before things degenerate. He is just as afraid of a prolonged conflict as you are, Uncle. Which is why he hired Adam the Ogre to attack us while maintaining plausible deniability.”

“Do you have any proof of that?” Mercury spoke up. “I could not find any evidence, and from what Vulcan told us, Dynamis tried to wipe out the Psycho trash after she drove them out of Rust Town.”

“Yes, I am certain,” Livia said. “I believe that either Adam double-crossed his corporate masters to pursue his own agenda, or Hector decided to erase the evidence.”

“What do we do about the Meta-Gang, brother?” Pluto asked, lighting a cigarette.

“Wipe them out,” Augustus declared. “I want them all dead, to the last man.”

“Is it worth it?” Venus asked. “They ran away.”

“You leave your enemies alive, and they will return to torment you,” Augustus replied, his voice chilling. “I will not take the risk. No man, no problem. Don’t care about the resources needed, don’t care how long it takes, don’t care if it is disproportionate. Kill them all.”

And like that, Lightning Butt signed the entire Meta-Gang’s death warrant. Pluto exchanged a glance with her niece and Vulcan, and Ryan could tell that they had already decided to cooperate to make that judgment a reality.

“What next?” Augustus asked abruptly.

“My retirement,” Mercury spoke through the mummified head.

“That’s a shame,” the lightning elemental said, a hint of emotion breaking through his unflappable demeanor. “Your departure diminishes us all.”

“Eh, it’s about time I pass the torch too,” Mercury replied. “I have the perfect candidate to take over my division.”

“Jamie Cutter,” Mars guessed, Ryan immediately glancing at him. “Zanbato. Good soldier.”

“Jamie has been nothing but loyal and competent since we introduced him into our organization,” Mercury said with pride. “Men respect him, he’s trustworthy, and he gets results.”

Most Capos around the table voiced their agreements, Vulcan included… though with one lone exception. “I am against his ascension.” Bacchus opened his mouth for the first time, his soothing voice somehow cutting through the noisy discussion. “His opinions on Bliss worry me, and my division relies on supply runs from Mercury’s.”

“I was against selling narcotics too at first,” Mercury said with what appeared to be a shrug. “But I knew my place, and so will the boy.”

“Zanbato’s loyalty to our organization will always trump his personal values,” Livia voiced her opinion. “We made him who he is in more ways than one, and he will never forget that. I validate his candidacy.”

Augustus listened without a word, before reaching a decision. “Very well, my old friend,” he told the mummified head. “Zanbato shall take your place as the new Mercury, and you shall be released from service. My home will always remain open to you.”

“Zanbato’s power does not fit the theme though,” Pluto mused out loud with an amused smile. “Perhaps he should take another name? Hercules maybe?”

“That will annoy Dynamis,” Venus said with a smirk, both women exchanging a chuckle.

“No, the name stays,” Augustus quickly decided. “But he will change his costume. Vulcan.”

“Yes?” Jasmine quickly spoke up.

“You will build Zanbato equipment worthy of his new divine station,” Lightning Butt ordered. “Costs are not an issue.”

“I will.” She nodded hurriedly, eager to make the invincible man forget the previous incident.

“What else?” Augustus asked, immediately moving on.

“We are close to a breakthrough with Bliss,” Bacchus spoke up, Narcinia shifting on her seat. “I can feel it. A strain pure enough to speak with God.”

“Your obsession with refining this product worries me,” Venus said, glancing at Narcinia. “You overwork my daughter for a pipe dream.”

“It’s fine, Mom,” Narcinia replied with a bright smile. “We are making something wonderful.”

“Indeed,” the priest said with a sharp nod. Ryan realized that he only participated when it impacted the matter of Bliss, and ignored everything else. “This tribulation will soon reach its end. However, I worry about theft. Geist sensed strangers testing our defenses lately.”

“Strangers?” Pluto asked with a frown. “The Meta? Dynamis?”

“He couldn’t tell.” Bacchus looked at Vulcan. “You would have my full gratitude if you could take time to improve our sanctuary’s defensive perimeter.”

Jasmine made a frustrated face. “The defenses I set are already perfect.”

“I am not so certain, unfortunately,” Livia said. “The odds of an attack on Ischia have been increasing lately.”

“Dynamis, the Meta, they can attack that island all they want,” Vulcan snickered. “They won’t get in.”

“I still wish that we review them together,” Livia said with a calm smile. The princess voiced it like a request, but Jasmine knew it was anything but. The Genius breathed inwardly and said nothing.

“Do you need our assistance, Minerva?” Mars spoke up, his wife stiffening at his side. “If anything endangers Narcinia…”

“I do not think your presence will be necessary, at least at this stage,” the mafia princess said, a smile on her lips. “We can handle ourselves.”

Augustus didn’t seem interested in the subject, and the discussion moved on to a boring activity report.

As he listened, Ryan learned more about which Capo oversaw which part of the organization. Bacchus controlled the drug division, which involved Narcinia in its production; Vulcan managed the weapon trafficking, while Mercury handled gambling, casinos, and money laundering activities; Mars and Venus managed the prostitution and pornography wing of the organization; finally, Pluto, meanwhile, handled hits, assassinations, and ‘alternative protection services,’ while Neptune oversaw most of the organization’s legitimate front businesses.

Augustus didn’t say much during the entire conversation, letting his daughter speak in his place. Livia discussed the Bliss production, the organization’s revenues, where to invest, and so on. All in all, Mob Zeus seemed completely uninterested in the logistics of his own empire. He only cared about his family’s authority and those who dared challenge it.

He was a warlord, not a king.

“I think we are finished,” Neptune said upon finishing his own report.

“We are.” Augustus rose to his feet once he had heard enough. Clearly, he was not one to waste time with pleasantries. “Livia will take care of the rest. Do not bother me again.”

The lightning emperor quickly vanished inside the villa without a sound, the crimson halo disappearing with the man himself. Pluto and Neptune exchanged silent glances with Livia as if exchanging a silent message.

Ryan couldn’t explain why, but he had the intuition something was at work there.

“Narcinia, we’re going home,” Venus told her daughter, as she and her husband left the table. Mercury’s mummified head had lost all semblance of life, the necromancer behind the line having ended the ‘call.’ “We'll pick up your sister on the way.”

“I thought she was at Zanbato’s house?” Mars asked, a little surprised.

“No, she stayed at her boyfriend’s place, and wants to present him to us.” Venus shook her head. “She is moving too fast if you ask me.”

“I hope he has powers,” Mars said, with the same tone of a racist father saying ‘I hope he’s white.’

“See you soon!” Narcinia waved a hand at Ryan and Livia. The family politely saluted the other people present, before leaving through the park.

“I will take my leave too,” Bacchus declared, turning to Livia. “Will you test the refined strain, Minerva?”

“I doubt so,” the mafia princess replied with a distant gaze. “I cannot see what happens in alternate realities after I take your bliss strain. The risk is too great.”

“Please give it thought,” the priest argued. “A Blue of your power might be the key to a divine revelation.”

Augustus’ daughter dismissed him without an answer, and the priest responded with a formal bow. “Vulcan, Quicksave,” he nodded at the two before leaving, “I will see you on Ischia island.”

Neptune looked at Vulcan and Ryan with a frustrated gaze, before raising his hands in surrender and leaving for the villa. Pluto moved to her spot near the swimming pool and continued her book where she had left it. “Quicksave,” she said while picking up her novel.

“Yes, Cruella?”

“My niece’s mercy is the only reason you still draw breath,” Pluto replied while flipping her book’s pages. “Never forget that.”

Such nice, friendly people.

“You look adorable together,” Livia told Ryan and Jasmine with a warm smile, once everyone had left the gathering. “It’s another surprise.”

Once almost everyone had left the gathering, Jasmine realized she hadn’t let Ryan’s hand go, and quickly broke contact. “I don’t need help,” she told him, glancing away. “It was nice, but I don’t need help.”

“Sure, I will adopt a hands-off policy then.”

The Genius chuckled. “Your jokes aren’t good, Ryan… but you are, I will give you that.”

“My, but thank you.” The courier winked back, before turning to Livia. “Did you know how everything at this meeting would turn out?”

“Yes, with one exception,” she said with apathy. “When my father turned to look at you. Everything afterward was completely unplanned.”

So she couldn’t read the time-traveler at all. Good. Ryan didn’t know how he could handle someone capable of predicting his actions before he even thought of them.

Still, he felt some sympathy for that girl. Her situation was not so different from his own, living in a rehearsed reality while desperate for new stimuli. And she had probably talked her father out of murdering him on the spot.

“I would appreciate it if you announce to Zanbato the news of his promotion,” Livia said with formal dignity. “I believe he will be less embarrassed if it comes from a friend rather than a direct superior.”

“Sure, that will make more drinks for us when we celebrate,” Ryan replied, though he couldn’t suppress his curiosity. “What did you mean when you say that you made him?”

“We have a war chest of Elixirs,” Livia explained. “Originals that we collected before they could be used, or knockoffs we ‘requisitioned’ from our corporate competition. When unpowered foot soldiers prove themselves worthy of ascension through merit and loyalty, they are granted a potion. Jamie was among them.”

“And about your father? Can I call him Lightning Dad?”

“Not to his face,” Livia chuckled, while Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Rome had co-emperors, one elder Augustus, and a junior Caesar groomed to take his place. He is giving me more leeway as time goes on. I apologize for… well, how he treated the both of you. My father thrived in more violent times.”

“At least he gets shit done,” Vulcan replied, having recovered enough to snicker. “Unlike the suits on the other side of town.”

“I still don’t get why you spoke on my behalf though,” Ryan admitted.

“Call me a good judge of character, but I can tell you are a great friend if treated with respect,” Livia said, a hint of sadness breaking through her composure. “And I can tell you are in great pain, deep within.”

Ryan’s mood turned sour. “Do you want it?” he asked Livia, finding the current situation a little too familiar to his liking. “To follow in your father’s footsteps?”

The mafia princess had an excellent poker face, but the courier had mastered the art of reading micro-expressions over his endless wandering. She was good, but couldn’t quite hide the unease beneath.

“Careful, Ryan.” Livia gave him a strained smile. “Here be dragons.”

奥古斯蒂的高层全都围坐在别墅旁的一张桌前，却没有一个人敢开口。

在黑帮公主的授意下，瑞恩获准坐在伏尔甘与莉维娅之间。他抱着双臂，观察着眼前的场面。一众“奥林匹斯众神”围成一圈，全都警惕地打量着他们的领袖。墨丘利的干尸头颅放在普鲁托旁边的桌沿，纳尔西妮娅则坐在父母身边。玛尔斯把一条胳膊搭在椅背后，显然是全场最放松的一个。

至于巴克斯……

这人引起了瑞恩的好奇。神父从不眨眼，脸上也不流露出丝毫微表情。而且，他没有像其他人那样看着奥古斯都，注意力始终全在莉维娅身上。

奥古斯都听着兄弟尼普顿复述昨晚的事，周身笼罩在一圈电光里。光芒让人看不清他的脸，而他散发出的威势，也远不止来自那层电光。桌边弥漫着一股恐惧，瑞恩怎么也摆脱不了，仿佛人人都担心，稍有差池就会遭到惩罚。

就连瑞恩也没开玩笑。他不知道奥古斯都那副不坏之身的极限在哪里，只知道大多数能力对他都不起作用。说不定，这位雷电帝王是个白色系基因者，能像消除者那样干扰其他能力；而且，与伏尔甘不同，奥古斯都给快递员的印象是，稍受冒犯就会杀人。

叙述结束，黑帮宙斯合起双手。显然，尼普顿把这次行动说成了不负责任的恶作剧，而不是一场精心筹划的西装营救任务，不过他兄弟似乎并不在意。“就为了这点小事，你们把我叫来？”

“迪纳米斯会报复。”尼普顿指出，“这事已经闹得人尽皆知了。”

“他们胆敢抢走我们的儿子。”维纳斯开口道。她丈夫比她明智得多，立刻把手按在她胳膊上，想劝她别说下去，却毫无用处。“这不过是还以颜——”

“菲利克斯的脑袋还没被装进袋子，唯一的原因，就是他生在你们家。”奥古斯都语气里那股冰冷的不容置疑，让原子猫全家都瑟缩了一下。尤其是纳尔西妮娅，低头看着自己的双脚，不敢面对黑帮宙斯。“擅离职守是一回事，但我容不下告密的耗子。”

“他是你的教子，雅努斯。”玛尔斯说道，语气里有一种深受信任的副手才有的熟稔。除了这位黑帮头子的至亲，似乎就只有他一个人不怕奥古斯都——不怕到敢直呼对方的真名。

“他是个伤透了我女儿心的叛徒。”意大利的雷电帝王回答。莉维娅的脸犹如一张石头面具。“想不到，我还曾指望有一天能叫他一声女婿……”

“再给我们一点时间。”玛尔斯毫不退缩，继续争取，“我们会跟他讲道理。”

“看在我们两家深厚交情的分上，我会对菲利克斯网开一面。”奥古斯都回答，“但我永远不想再见到他。如果他拿起武器与我们为敌，就一定会付出代价。”

紧绷的沉默笼罩了整张桌子。黑帮宙斯转头看向瑞恩和伏尔甘。她表面上依然强硬，快递员却察觉到，这位天才在桌下攥紧了拳头。瑞恩伸手握住她的手，让她稍微放松了一些。

“你。”奥古斯都对瑞恩说道，仿佛这才注意到这个基因者的存在，“你是谁？”

“快存，先生。”快递员说，“我是不死之身，不过别告诉别人。”

“神与人只有在一件事上平等，那就是死亡。”黑帮宙斯仔细端详着瑞恩。“你对我的畏惧，还远远不够。”

瑞恩等了片刻，想着对方或许并不需要回答，随后才意识到，闪电屁股是在等他开口。在心里这么叫他，奥古斯都果然就没那么吓人了。“这个，先生，恕我直言，”基因者说道，“我见过比您可怕得多的。”

奥古斯都一言不发地看着他。光是盯着这个雷电元素生物看，眼睛就已经开始疼了。沉默变得越来越压抑，直到闪电屁股将那致命的注意力转向瑞恩的上司伏尔甘。“他的能力是什么？”

“平行现实跳跃。”伏尔甘撒了个谎。

“谎话。”

奥古斯都说这话时并未提高音量，空气中那股带电般的紧绷感却陡增了十倍。所有目光都投向伏尔甘，普鲁托则锐利地盯着瑞恩。

“他的能力是什么？”奥古斯都又问了一遍，周身的猩红光晕愈发强烈。

“我不知道。”伏尔甘承认，“我还没弄明白。”

奥古斯都任由沉默持续，直到贾丝敏不得不移开视线，免得双眼被光芒灼伤。仅仅是不言而喻的暴力威胁，就让这位骄傲的天才低了头。“聪明的女人懂得承认自己的无知，伏尔甘。”闪电屁股故作高深地说道，随后问其他分部头目，“他是什么人？”

“瑞恩·罗马诺，真名切萨雷·萨比诺。”墨丘利借干枯的头颅说道，“弗雷迪·萨比诺的儿子。弗雷迪的别名是血流，一个操控血液的疯魔，四年前被嘉年华杀了。”

瑞恩用尽全力，才没让脸上露出极度厌恶的神情。他在心里把血流每一次用那个名字向陌生人介绍他的事都咒骂了一遍。那人对自己的妄想深信不疑，竟连其他所有人都被他说服，信以为真。

不过，奇怪的是，当墨丘利提到嘉年华时，瑞恩注意到莉维娅的神情柔和了下来。她瞥了瑞恩一眼，快递员觉得，那眼神里似乎带着同情。与此同时，奥古斯都周身的光晕骤然亮了一瞬，随即恢复原样。

“血流……”玛尔斯开口，像是想起了什么，“对，我记得他。那个抢人身体的疯子，当年干掉过我们几个弟兄。”

贾丝敏瞪大了眼睛，仿佛突然恍然大悟。“等等，她是你的妹妹？”

“我不想谈这个。”瑞恩冷冷地回答。

“可我一直以为你是想……”贾丝敏吸了口气，“算了。”

奥古斯都的注意力始终集中在瑞恩身上。“你的能力是什么？”

“我说过了，先生。”快递员回答，“我是不死之身。”

“快存是紫系基因者，能影响平行宇宙，通常是为了避免死亡。”莉维娅出声替瑞恩说话，“他的能力能帮助我进一步开发自己的能力。”

帝王十指交拢。“你愿意为他担保，我的女儿？”

“愿意。”

闪电屁股兀自点了点头，随后转向自己的姊妹。“我给他下了标记。”普鲁托抽着烟说道，“到目前为止，他做的事都很有价值。但要是他越界，我会宰了他。”

奥古斯都最后随意扫了快递员一眼，便不再追问，转向莉维娅。“我的女儿，这次袭击是你批准的？”

“是的。”莉维娅平静地回答。

“那我们还在讨论什么？”

“雅努斯。”尼普顿清了清嗓子，“这事很严重。”

“密涅瓦是我的继承人，她的话就代表我的意思。”闪电屁股不屑地回答，“你们的职责是为她提供建议和指导，而不是质疑她的命令。”

尼普顿合起双手，显然对事态的走向很不满意。“然后呢，我们准备开战？就算打赢，也必然伤亡惨重。”

“不会开战。”莉维娅语气笃定，“没错，马纳达家会公开报复，但在事态恶化之前，埃克托就会管住他的儿子们。叔叔，他和您一样害怕旷日持久的冲突。正因如此，他才会雇食人魔亚当来袭击我们，自己则保留置身事外的余地，让人无法坐实。”

“你有证据吗？”墨丘利开口问道，“我没找到任何证据。而且按照伏尔甘的说法，她把那群疯魔垃圾赶出锈镇后，迪纳米斯还试图将他们赶尽杀绝。”

“有，我很确定。”莉维娅说，“我认为，要么是亚当背叛了他的企业主子，去打自己的算盘；要么就是埃克托决定抹去证据。”

“超能帮怎么处理，我的兄弟？”普鲁托点起一支烟，问道。

“斩尽杀绝。”奥古斯都宣布，“我要他们全都死，一个不留。”

“值得吗？”维纳斯问，“他们已经逃走了。”

“让敌人活着，他们迟早会回来折磨你。”奥古斯都的声音冷得刺骨，“我不会冒这个险。人没了，麻烦就没了。别管需要多少资源，别管要花多长时间，也别管是不是小题大做。把他们全杀了。”

就这样，闪电屁股给整个超能帮签下了死刑令。普鲁托与侄女、伏尔甘交换了一个眼神。瑞恩看得出来，她们已经决定联手，让这项判决成为现实。

“下一件事？”奥古斯都突兀地问道。

“我退休的事。”墨丘利借干尸头颅开口。

“真遗憾。”这个雷电元素生物说道，一丝情绪打破了他始终不动声色的姿态，“你的离去，是我们所有人的损失。”

“唉，也该轮到我把担子交下去了。”墨丘利回答，“接管我这个分部的最佳人选，我已经有了。”

“杰米·卡特。”玛尔斯猜道。瑞恩立刻朝他看去。“斩马刀。是个好兵。”

“自从我们把杰米带进组织，他一直忠心耿耿，办事得力。”墨丘利自豪地说，“弟兄们敬重他，他信得过，也办得成事。”

桌边大多数分部头目都出声赞同，伏尔甘也不例外……唯独一人唱了反调。“我反对提拔他。”巴克斯第一次开口，那柔和的声音不知为何穿透了嘈杂的议论。“他对极乐的看法让我担忧，而我的分部要依赖墨丘利的分部运送物资。”

“我一开始也反对贩毒。”墨丘利说着，动作看起来像是耸了耸肩，“但我知道自己的本分，那孩子也会知道的。”

“斩马刀对组织的忠诚，永远会压过他个人的价值观。”莉维娅发表了自己的意见，“是我们成就了今天的他，而且不止在一个方面。他永远不会忘记这一点。我认可这个人选。”

奥古斯都一言不发地听完，随后作出了决定。“很好，我的老朋友。”他对那颗干尸头颅说道，“斩马刀将接替你，成为新的墨丘利，而你将卸去职务。我的家门永远向你敞开。”

“不过斩马刀的能力，跟这个名号不太搭。”普鲁托带着玩味的笑容，若有所思地说道，“或许该给他换个名字？比如赫拉克勒斯？”

“那可有迪纳米斯气的了。”维纳斯坏笑道，两个女人相视轻笑。

“不，名字不变。”奥古斯都迅速拍板，“但他的行头得换。伏尔甘。”

“是？”贾丝敏赶紧应声。

“你要给斩马刀打造一套配得上他新神位的装备。”闪电屁股下令，“费用不是问题。”

“我会的。”她连忙点头，巴不得让这个无敌的男人忘掉刚才那一出。

“还有什么？”奥古斯都问道，立刻转入下一项。

“我们在极乐上即将取得突破。”巴克斯开口，纳尔西妮娅在座位上挪了挪身子。“我感觉得到。一个纯度足以让人与上帝对话的品种。”

“你对提纯这东西如此着迷，让我很担心。”维纳斯看了一眼纳尔西妮娅，说道，“就为了一场白日梦，你让我女儿没日没夜地干活。”

“没关系的，妈妈。”纳尔西妮娅露出灿烂的笑容，“我们在创造一样很美妙的东西。”

“确实如此。”神父干脆地点了点头。瑞恩发现，他只在事情涉及极乐时才会参与，其余一概置之不理。“这场磨难很快就要结束了。不过，我担心有人行窃。幽魂最近察觉到，有陌生人在试探我们的防御。”

“陌生人？”普鲁托皱起眉头，“超能帮？迪纳米斯？”

“他无法确定。”巴克斯看向伏尔甘，“如果你能抽空加强圣所外围的防御，我将感激不尽。”

贾丝敏满脸不快。“我布置的防御已经完美无缺了。”

“遗憾的是，我没有那么确定。”莉维娅说，“最近，伊斯基亚岛遭受袭击的概率一直在上升。”

“迪纳米斯也好，超能帮也罢，想打那座岛，随他们打去。”伏尔甘嗤笑道，“他们进不去。”

“我还是希望我们一起检查一下。”莉维娅平静地微笑着说道。公主说得像是在请求，但贾丝敏知道，根本不是那么回事。天才暗暗吸了口气，没有说话。

“需要我们帮忙吗，密涅瓦？”玛尔斯开口，他身旁的妻子绷紧了身体。“要是有什么会危及纳尔西妮娅……”

“我认为没必要请你们出面，至少目前如此。”黑帮公主唇边带着微笑，“我们自己应付得来。”

奥古斯都似乎对这个话题毫无兴趣，讨论随后转入了枯燥的业务汇报。

瑞恩一边听，一边进一步弄清了各位头目负责组织的哪些业务。巴克斯掌管毒品分部，纳尔西妮娅参与其中的生产环节；伏尔甘管理军火走私，墨丘利负责赌博、赌场和洗钱；玛尔斯与维纳斯打理组织的卖淫和色情产业；最后，普鲁托负责雇凶杀人、暗杀以及“另类安保服务”，而尼普顿则掌管组织用作掩护的大部分合法生意。

整场谈话中，奥古斯都没怎么开口，都是让女儿代他说话。莉维娅讨论了极乐的生产、组织的收入、投资方向等等。总的来说，黑帮宙斯似乎对自己帝国的具体运作毫无兴趣。他只在乎家族的权威，以及那些胆敢挑战权威的人。

他是个军阀，不是国王。

“我想，事情都说完了。”尼普顿汇报完自己的业务，说道。

“结束了。”奥古斯都听够了，站起身来。显然，他不是那种会把时间浪费在客套上的人。“剩下的交给莉维娅。别再来烦我。”

雷电帝王悄无声息地迅速消失在别墅内，猩红的光晕也随着他本人一同隐去。普鲁托和尼普顿默默与莉维娅交换眼神，仿佛在无声地传递某种讯息。

瑞恩说不上来为什么，但他直觉这其中另有文章。

“纳尔西妮娅，我们回家了。”维纳斯和丈夫离开桌子时，对女儿说道。墨丘利的干尸头颅已经彻底失去生气，另一头的死灵法师显然结束了“通话”。“路上再去接你姐姐。”

“她不是在斩马刀家吗？”玛尔斯有点惊讶地问。

“不是，她昨晚住在男朋友家，还想把他介绍给我们。”维纳斯摇了摇头，“要我说，她进展得太快了。”

“但愿他有超能力。”玛尔斯说道，那语气就跟一个种族主义老爹说“但愿他是白人”一模一样。

“回头见！”纳尔西妮娅朝瑞恩和莉维娅挥了挥手。一家人礼貌地向其余人道别，随后穿过园林离去。

“我也该告辞了。”巴克斯说着，转向莉维娅，“你愿意试用提纯后的品种吗，密涅瓦？”

“恐怕不会。”黑帮公主目光疏离地回答，“我看不见那些平行现实中，自己服下你那种极乐之后会发生什么。风险太大。”

“请再考虑一下。”神父劝道，“像你这样强大的蓝系基因者，也许就是获得神启的关键。”

奥古斯都的女儿没有回答，只示意他可以走了，神父便正式鞠了一躬。“伏尔甘，快存，”离开前，他朝两人点了点头，“伊斯基亚岛上见。”

尼普顿满眼恼火地看了伏尔甘和瑞恩一眼，随后举起双手作投降状，朝别墅走去。普鲁托回到泳池边原来的位置，接着读她先前放下的书。“快存。”她拿起小说时说道。

“什么事，库伊拉？”

“你还活着，唯一的原因就是我侄女心慈手软。”普鲁托一边翻着书页，一边回答，“永远别忘了这一点。”

真是一群和蔼可亲的好人。

等其他人都离开桌边，莉维娅温柔地笑着，对瑞恩和贾丝敏说：“你们在一起真般配。这又是个惊喜。”

直到人都走得差不多了，贾丝敏才发现自己还攥着瑞恩的手，连忙松开。“我不需要帮忙。”她移开视线，对他说，“你这样是挺好，但我不需要帮忙。”

“当然，那我以后就不插手了。”

天才轻笑了一声。“你的笑话不怎么样，瑞恩……不过人倒不错，这点我承认。”

“哎呀，那可真得谢谢你。”快递员朝她眨了眨眼，随后转向莉维娅。“这场会上发生的一切，你都事先知道？”

“是的，只有一个例外。”她淡漠地说，“我父亲转头看你的那一刻。从那之后，一切就全在计划之外了。”

这么说，她完全看不透这个时间旅行者。很好。瑞恩可不知道该怎么对付一个连他自己还没想到，就能预测他行动的人。

不过，他还是有些同情这个姑娘。她的处境和他并没有太大区别，生活在排练过的现实里，拼命渴求新的刺激。而且，很可能正是她劝阻了父亲，才没让他当场杀了自己。

“如果能由你把晋升的消息告诉斩马刀，我会很感激。”莉维娅端庄而郑重地说道，“我想，比起由直属上司通知，让朋友告诉他，应该能让他少一点拘谨。”

“没问题，这样庆祝的时候，我们还能多喝几杯。”瑞恩答道，却还是压不住好奇心，“你说是你们成就了他，那是什么意思？”

“我们储备了一批灵药，以备不时之需。”莉维娅解释，“有些是我们在被人使用之前收集来的原版，有些是从企业竞争对手手里‘征用’的仿制品。没有能力的基层成员，只要用功绩和忠诚证明自己值得晋升，就会得到一瓶灵药。杰米就是其中之一。”

“还有你父亲呢？我能叫他闪电老爸吗？”

“别当着他的面就行。”莉维娅轻笑道，贾丝敏则翻了个白眼。“罗马有过共治皇帝：一位是年长的正帝，称为‘奥古斯都’；另一位是被培养来接班的副帝，称为‘恺撒’。父亲正在一点点给我更多自主权。我得为……嗯，他对待你们俩的方式道个歉。我父亲是在一个更暴力的时代如鱼得水的人。”

“至少他真他妈办得成事。”伏尔甘已缓过劲来，能再度嗤笑了，“不像城另一头那帮西装革履的家伙。”

“不过，我还是不明白，你为什么要替我说话。”瑞恩坦言。

“就当我看人很准吧。我看得出来，只要受到尊重，你就会是个很好的朋友。”莉维娅平静的神情里透出一丝悲伤，“我也看得出来，在你心底，你非常痛苦。”

瑞恩的心情沉了下去。“你想这样吗？”他问莉维娅。眼下的情形熟悉得让他不舒服。“沿着你父亲的脚步走下去？”

黑帮公主极擅长不动声色，但在无穷无尽的漂泊中，快递员早已精通察言观色，能读懂最细微的表情。她掩饰得很好，却依然没能彻底藏住内心的不安。

“小心，瑞恩。”莉维娅勉强朝他笑了笑，“此处有龙。”