同章对照

Ryan felt a pang of nostalgia as he drove on the highway.

It had been more than a month worth of loops since he first arrived in New Rome, and he missed driving into the wasteland, Mad Max-style. The world seemed open to him, all roads leading to a different quest. The courier could never anticipate when he would face a random encounter, whether it was a band of road warriors engaging him in a car chase or a mysterious hitchhiker out for blood. As much as he enjoyed civilization, Ryan was a creature of the road through and through.

The Carnival’s rendezvous point was located near the ruins of Pompei, south of New Rome. It had been quite easy for Ryan and Felix to slip away after the Fortuna incident. Nobody blamed her brother for wanting to take a breath of fresh air after their very public argument.

Ryan felt a little bad about lying to Wardrobe though. He could tell she hadn’t been fooled by their excuses, and knew something was up.

“Something has been bothering me,” Atom Cat said on the seat next to Ryan. The Plymouth Fury followed the Neapolitan coast, the sea on one side of the road, and cliffs on the other. “The Psychos have infiltrated Dynamis, right? If so, they probably have access to my DNA-tracker. They can follow us.”

“They could.” And in a past loop, they did. “But now they can’t.”

“How so?”

“Well, I’m not a Genius with a capital ‘G,’” Ryan quoted Jasmine, “but I’m still a genius.”

The time-traveler had wondered how the tracker worked; how could you track a genome by recording their DNA after all? However, after his discussions with Jasmine in the previous loop, the answer became obvious. Dynamis didn’t track Genomes through their genes, but by the Flux radiation they passively released.

So Ryan modified his car to keep the Flux radiation within its confines, using the method Jasmine pioneered. Of course, it was a poor man’s substitute for his ex’s power armor. Staying in the car wouldn’t cause Ryan to open a gate to the Purple World, but it would make the passengers invisible to Dynamis’ radars.

Hopefully, at least. Ryan still looked into his rearview mirror from time to time.

Felix didn’t ask more questions and looked out of the window, his eyes gazing at the Mediterranean Sea. Ryan could tell his friend appreciated the silence. His sister’s visit had put him in a foul mood.

Speaking of Fortuna, she started sending messages to the courier once again. Much to Ryan’s surprise, only half of them called him an ass and other names; the other half included questions about Felix’s wellbeing.

Aww, she cared!

The constant ringing of Ryan’s phone started to bother Atom Cat. “My sister again?“

“She’s very persistent,” Ryan said. “I know I’m smart, funny, and handsome, but my popularity surprises me sometimes.”

“Fortuna’s power causes almost everything that can go well for her, to do so,” Felix replied with a sigh. “She has never paid for anything, she gets gifts out of nowhere, and she always meets men desperate to worship her. After a while, it became a self-reinforcing loop of narcissism… and I think you broke it.”

Wait, that was it! Men threw themselves at Fortuna, so she took them for granted and crushed on the few ones immune to her charms! If Ryan behaved like the perfect gentleman to soothe her narcissistic ego, she would lose interest and leave him be! All he had to do was treat Lucky Girl for dinner, and overwhelm her with affection until she found another distraction. Kill her with kindness.

“Ryan,” Felix said, apparently reading Ryan’s mind as the courier typed a response on his phone. “Can you do me a favor?”

“If it’s about the cat jokes, then you’re asking too much.”

Atom Cat looked at Ryan, their eyes meeting. “Don’t fuck my sister.”

Ryan lost himself in the blue hue of his friend’s irises, as he prepared an appropriate answer. “Which one?”

“I’m serious, Quickie.”

“Don’t worry,” Ryan replied, putting a hand on his kitten’s shoulder. “If I had to fuck the whole family, I would start with you.”

Felix recoiled in surprise, much to the courier’s amusement. “Shut up and drive,” the hero said while looking at the road.

After a short hour’s drive without getting ambushed by the Meta, the duo finally reached their destination. A lookout-point on a rock, providing an unbeatable view of Pompei. Even the world’s end couldn’t damage the ruins more than Vesuvius did, and while they briefly served as a raider gang’s hideout, they had remained untouched by the wars.

Leo the Living Sun was already present, hovering above the lookout’s edge while in his shiny form. What a showoff. Though Ryan's eyes couldn't help but ogle at this perfect fiery form, and that lithe, flaming ass. The courier had slept with men, women, robots, monster girls... but never a sun.

Yet.

A roguish woman with freckles and long auburn hair waited nearby next to an American bike, Ryan recognizing her as Ace, the Carnival’s main teleporter. “Damn, that’s really them,” Atom Cat gasped in admiration, as Ryan parked the Plymouth Fury. “I’m a big fan.”

“Thank you, Felix.” Unlike his favorite kitten, Ryan didn’t flinch as Shroud appeared on the backseat. “Truth be told, we wanted to talk to you for a while.”

“How long have you been here?” Felix asked, spooked.

“Far too long,” Mr. See-Through replied, as he opened the car door. “You drive like a madman, Quicksave.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but there’s only three of you?” Ryan asked as the group exited the car to join the other Carnival members. “You weren’t kidding about the turnover.”

“We’re six, with the others already at work in the city,” Shroud replied, sighing at the courier’s unimpressed silence. “I warned you we needed more time to gather our allies. Mushroom, Radiohead, and the Cossack are in France right now and won’t arrive before a few days.”

“I wish I could open portals that far,” Ace said upon hearing them, before smirking confidently at the newcomers. “But don’t worry, we still pack a punch. What we lack in numbers, we make up in quality.”

“Easy for you to say, you have a freaking sun on your side,” Ryan mused. While the Meta had them greatly outnumbered, they did have greater individual firepower.

The sun incarnate looked at Quicksave with a mix of amusement, and a tiny bit of respect. “Greetings, Ryan,” he said with his sexy, sexy hero voice. “I wanted to thank you for the help you provided to us so far.”

It felt so strange to meet this man again. From his point of view, it had only been four years, but for Ryan, it had been centuries since Bloodstream’s demise. And yet this event remained forever engraved in the courier’s mind.

Ryan couldn’t quite put a word on how he felt about the Carnival as a whole. On one hand, they separated him from Len for countless loops, but on the other hand, they saved him from Bloodstream, and he owed them a life debt. In the end, he leaned towards appreciation. Now that he had reconnected with Len, he would let bygones be bygones.

However, he had also grown to like some Augusti members during his loops, and the Carnival planned to destroy their organization one way or another. What Livia said about her mother’s death also bothered Ryan, who wanted to investigate.

The courier had come to New Rome to reunite with Len, but now… he had the feeling he couldn’t leave the city, even after the Meta-Gang’s destruction. A war was brewing, and too many lives were at risk.

“You were a Carnival plant all along?” Felix asked his teammate, interrupting his thought process.

“I’m more of a wild card,” the courier replied. “A one-man wrecking ball.”

Shroud chuckled. “At least you aim in the right direction. Honestly, at first I thought you came to New Rome to pick a fight with us.”

“I still haven’t apologized for what happened with Bloodstream,” Leo said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “I hadn’t seen you, and when I launched that blast—”

“The alternative was worse,” Ryan interrupted the humanoid sun. After all, he had lived through it once. “Bloodstream was sick and had to go for the good of everyone else. The end.”

“I see…” Leonard sounded surprised by the courier’s response, but didn’t push the subject further. The courier had literal centuries to emotionally process the events.

Felix glanced at Ryan with sympathy. Instead of offering vague bullshit, he simply patted his teammate on the back without a word, for which the courier was thankful. Though paparazzi would probably mistake the scene for something else, if they saw it... “As for you, Atom Cat, I congratulate you for your choice,” Leonard said, nodding at the younger hero. “It must have been hard to leave your family behind and stand for what is right. It takes great courage.”

“You said you wanted to meet me for a while,” Atom Kitten said, a little embarrassed. The scene reminded Ryan of an amateur boxer meeting Mohammed Ali by happenstance. “Don’t tell me you wanted to poach me too?”

“Pretty much, yes,” Shroud said.

“I wouldn’t use the term poach, but we are always on the lookout for new recruits, and I feel you have great potential.” The Living Sun marked a short pause, as if considering his next words. “There’s… also the matter of your sister, Narcinia.”

“My sister?” Felix instantly tensed up. “What about her?”

Instead of answering yet, Sunshine looked behind the group as a new car approached the lookout. A black Maserati parked near the gathering, and two familiar faces stepping out of it.

“Quicksave, Atom Cat.” Blackthorn removed the dust off his suit as he walked towards them, Wyvern acting as his bodyguard. “Things make much more sense now.”

Felix didn’t seem all so happy, as he glared at the Carnival. “You called them?”

“We didn’t,” Shroud replied, arms crossed. “They did. Blackthorn contacted us a few days ago.”

“There was a time when our two organizations considered allying against Augustus,” Enrique said, his tone utterly monotone. “Until Don Hector scrapped the proposal, as he always does.”

“Are we all present?” Sunny Boy asked.

“Almost,” Enrique replied, raising his sleeve to look at a Rolex watch underneath. “Though I hope you understand your mere presence threatens us all, Hargraves. If Augustus learns you are in town, he will climb down from his mountain and hunt you down like a dog.”

“He will try,” the Living Sun replied. “I made my decision long ago. I will not die before Augustus’ empire collapses and he faces justice for his crimes.”

“I am more worried about him going after us by association,” Blackthorn replied dryly before raising his eyes. Ryan heard a loud noise approaching from the coast. “But at this point, I guess it is inevitable.”

A heavily-armed helicopter, which Ryan recognized as a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, flew towards the group and prepared to land. The Dynamis logo was painted on the main door, which opened before the aircraft could land.

A towering figure emerged from within the metal husk, almost two-meters and a half in height. This Genome was more machine than man. A bulky, black power armor protected most of his body, except for the head, which was covered by a glass dome. A skull, though, would have been a better term. The Genome’s flesh seemed to radiate with a crimson glow kept contained by the suit, and leaving the bones visible like X-rays. The armor seemed to have even more weapons than Vulcan’s, including an energy minigun incorporated into the right arm, and rocket launchers on the shoulders.

Ryan instantly recognized that colossus for what he was, just by reading the stance and body language.

A warmonger.

“You called him?” Wyvern asked Enrique with a horrified face.

“I had no choice,” the manager replied. While he tried to keep his composure, Ryan noticed the rose on his suit shifting, as if answering the Green Genome’s hidden unease. “We cannot win without his resources.”

“Who is this guy?” Felix asked, a little intimidated by the colossus’ fearsome appearance.

“Alphonse Manada, Dynamis’ VP.” Wyvern clenched her jaw, her eyes betraying her unease. “Alias Fallout.”

Fallout, Fallout… “The butcher of Malta?” Ryan asked, having heard the rumors.

“He dropped a nuke on Augustus in a failed attempt to kill him,” Shroud confirmed, before correcting himself. “Or rather, he was the nuke.”

Wyvern nodded in confirmation. “Hector exiled him to Sicily afterward, under the pretext of an ‘oversea assignment.’ I didn’t know he had returned.”

Dynamis’ Vice-President stepped down from his helicopter, the ground faintly shaking under his sheer weight. “Brother, Hargraves,” he politely greeted the people present with a deep, mechanical voice, before noticing Ryan and his cat. “Who are they?”

“Quicksave and Atom Cat,” Enrique replied.

“Quicksave?” Alphonse recognized the nickname, but for all the wrong reasons. “Bloodstream’s brood?”

Ryan tensed, but surprisingly, Blackthorn immediately came to the rescue. “He’s the one who provided the recording. I do not trust him, but our goals align so far.”

“I see.” Alphonse Manada examined Ryan closely, the courier waving a hand at the borg in response. The vice-president didn’t even acknowledge the gesture, all business. “And his sister?”

Ryan glared at the tincan, while Enrique answered, “I let her go.”

“You let her go?” When Blackthorn wouldn’t respond, even under his elder’s fiery gaze, Dynamis’ VP shook his skull. “You have always been too soft for your own good, brother. About time I came back to the mainland.”

“What do you want with Len Sabino?” Ryan asked, a dangerous edge in his tone.

“That is none of your business,” Alphonse Manada replied angrily.

“Her technology is impressive, you will agree,” Enrique said hastily. “After her stunt with her bubble prisons, I wondered about hiring her for security purposes. An undersea prison might be the best solution to keep Psychos under lock and key.”

Ryan could smell a lie when he heard one, but Leo Hargraves coughed and took over the discussion. “Gentlemen, please. We gathered you to discuss how to deal with the various criminal groups in the city, and we strongly suspect Dynamis might be supporting them.”

“Suspicions?” Felix snorted.

“Quicksave provided a recording where the Meta’s second-in-command declares having been hired by our CEO to harass Augustus’ forces,” Enrique explained calmly, Wyvern crossing her arms in quiet fury. “Considering Psyshock showed an intimate knowledge of top-secret Dynamis projects, and other circumstantial evidence, I assume the intel is genuine.”

“It is,” Shroud confirmed. “I have scouted the Meta-Gang’s territory, though I could not get close to their headquarters without the Land noticing me. They used repurposed Dynamis drones, and some of their unpowered mooks carried laser weapons.”

Though it clearly infuriated him to do so, Enrique kept digging his company’s grave. “I asked Devilry to investigate, and some of our technicians have been reported as missing. I believe either our CEO directly sent them to supply the Meta-Gang with Genius-made tech, or Psyshock used the opportunity to enslave them.”

Alphonse Manada listened to everything in silence, and when he finally spoke, it was with a tone of pure, unrestrained disgust. “Our father has betrayed our trust, and that of all of New Rome. We have nothing to do with this mess, I assure you.”

“Good,” Ace said, before clearing her throat. “Well, it’s bad, but hopefully that means we won’t have to fight?”

“We intend to hit the Meta and destroy them, before turning our attention to the Augusti,” Leonard declared. Ryan noticed that he avoided mentioning the bunker to the corpos, which was wise. Perhaps they hoped to destroy the base before the Manada siblings noticed its existence. “Will you interfere?”

“No,” Enrique replied.

“Yes,” his brother said, causing everyone to glance at him. “I will not stand by and let someone else clean up our father’s mess. I will personally remove that stain on our reputation.”

“Ah, I see now brother,” Blackthorn guessed. “You suggest a coordinated strike?”

“Il Migliore will support us?” Leonard asked.

“They and my elite security team,” Alphonse added. “We will surround the Psychos and wipe them all out, even if we must fight these animals street by street.”

“Now he’s speaking my language,” Felix whispered to Ryan. Indeed, the courier was surprised by the borg’s decisiveness. Though he was clearly a closet supervillain considering his fashion sense and bloodthirsty behavior, the courier might consider calling upon him in a future loop if things went well.

“I have some reservations,” Sunny Boy said. “If the Meta-Gang has infiltrated your organization all the way to the top, then the more people involved, the greater the risk of a leak.”

“We will only inform our most reliable heroes and officers,” Enrique argued. Which, when reading between the lines, meant ‘those loyal to us and not to our CEO.’

“A wise choice, but you forget a detail,” Shroud argued. “Psyshock will use hostages, and he can transfer his mind from one body to the next.”

“He can do that?” Wyvern asked with a frown. “I wondered why he killed himself fighting Quicksave’s group, but this makes more sense.”

“Unfortunately, we have no means of properly canceling his ability,” Shroud sighed, taking this personally. “He has started transforming homeless people into thralls and giving them weapons. A frontal assault will lead to casualties, while a small strike team can decisively behead the Meta’s leadership.”

Ryan clenched his fist, as he felt an ominous sense of déjà-vu. It was the first Rust Town raid all over again.

“There will be a conflict in the streets even if you miraculously defeat Psyshock and Adam,” Wyvern pointed out with a grim face. “The latter can barely keep his men under control, and without his unifying presence, they will probably rampage around.”

Enrique cleared his throat, commanding everyone’s attention. “Both strategies are not necessarily exclusive. The Carnival can focus on hitting the Meta’s leadership while our larger force surrounds their headquarters and contains Adam’s men.”

After a short moment of silent consideration, Leo Hargraves glanced at his teammates. “What do you think?”

“I could quickly transport groups around town,” said his teleporter. “Like during our battle with Mechron. If we coordinate properly, I think we can hit them hard before the Meta-Gang can prepare a counterattack.”

Though Shroud remained silent, Ryan sensed his gaze on his back. The glass manipulator probably weighed the pros and cons of involving Dynamis directly. On one hand, it would make destroying the bunker easier, but on the other, it increased the risks of discovery.

Eventually, the risk of Big Fat Adam getting his hands on orbital weaponry was too overwhelming to ignore. “When would you be ready?” Sunshine asked the corpos.

“Tomorrow,” Alphonse declared.

“That’s way too soon, Al,” Enrique protested.

“The longer we wait, the greater the risk of discovery,” the Vice-President replied with a grunt. “Father will grow cautious once he learns I have returned.”

“We can quickly mobilize, especially since Devilry is with us,” Wyvern told her manager. “By the time Hector learns who our target is, he will have no choice but to go along. I’m sure he will protest, but in the end, he can’t publicly support Psychos. Results will speak for themselves.”

“Brother.” Alphonse turned towards Enrique, his tone heavy. “Once we deal with the Meta and make them talk, you know what we must do. I can forgive Father’s cowardice, but treachery? Never.”

For the first time since Ryan had met him, Blackthorn let out a long, heavy sigh. It reminded him of a condemned sinner bracing himself for judgment day. “I hoped it wouldn’t come down to this, Al.”

“Father had his chance. For our company to survive, Dynamis needs new management. A firmer one.” Alphonse observed his brother and waited for him to commit. “Do I have your support?”

Blackthorn marked a short pause, before cautiously answering, “Yes.”

Wyvern’s eyes narrowed as she listened. “Enrique, are you suggesting…”

“A coup,” Blackthorn confirmed. “Once the Meta are dealt with, we will remove Don Hector from office whether he likes it or not.”

“It will be a civil war,” Wyvern warned. “Hector won’t go down without a fight, and our heroes—”

“Will make the right choice, or pay for the consequences,” Alphonse Manada said with an angry growl. “Corruption, fame, and greed have poisoned our ranks for too long; they let the Meta and the Augusti make fools of us. It’s time we purge the rot away, Wyvern. We cannot rebuild a functional post-war government on these foundations.”

Blackthorn glanced at the Carnival. “Where do you stand on this issue?”

“We will see,” Leonard replied. “After what he did, Hector needs to be deposed, and we will act to protect innocents from the crossfire.”

“However, this seems like a private matter between you boys,” Ace said with a smile. “And we have our own fish to fry.”

“Augustus?” Alphonse snorted. “You miscalculate, Hargraves. He’s our common enemy, and once Father is out of the picture…”

“If we succeed, brother,” Enrique pointed out.

“Yes, yes,” Alphonse Manada snorted, as he returned to his helicopter. Clearly, he had made up his mind long ago. “We will keep in touch. Brother?”

“I will serve as a liaison between everyone,” Blackthorn replied.

“Thank you.” And without wasting time, Alphonse climbed back on his helicopter and flew away. Ryan couldn’t explain why, but that man’s behavior reminded him of Augustus… and he didn’t appreciate it one bit.

“I like him,” Atom Cat said, glancing at Alphonse’s helicopter vanishing in the skies. “He gets shit done.”

Wyvern clearly didn’t share his opinion. “He does, but he doesn’t know when to stop either. If Alphonse becomes CEO...”

“I know,” Enrique replied. “But the die is already cast.”

“Felix, can I talk to you for a minute?” Leonard asked Atom Cat.

“About my sister?” the hero asked, as Sunshine invited him to walk away from the group for a private discussion. The living sun probably didn’t want the others to eavesdrop. Shroud, meanwhile, started discussing with Ace about the operation, bouncing off ideas how they could coordinate to surround Rust Town.

Ryan decided to interrogate Shroud about Livia’s mother, only for Blackthorn to focus on him next. “Don’t think I have forgotten you, Romano.”

“Of course you haven’t. Without false modesty, I’m unforgettable.”

“You planned all of this,” the manager accused the courier. “I can feel it in my bones. Yet I still do not understand your end goal. Nothing in your file indicates you went out of your way to settle a grudge against the Meta-Gang until you arrived in New Rome.”

“Do I need a reason to hate the Meta-Gang?” After what Hannifat Lecter had done in the previous loop, the time-traveler simply wanted him dead on principle. Ryan had promised Jasmine that he would kill Whalie in every single restart from now on, and he would follow through.

“I do not believe hate is your only motive,” Enrique said, his tone sharp and icy. “You have a hidden agenda, though I cannot fathom it yet.”

“Does it matter, Enrique?” Out of all the people present, Wyvern seemed to swallow the pill the least gracefully. “We have more pressing problems.”

“Hence why I let it slide so far,” the manager explained himself. “But make no mistake Romano, you will explain yourself once the dust has settled.”

Wyvern scratched her head. “Once the dust settles… your words say it all, Enrique.”

“Do you regret it?” Blackthorn asked, his tone softening. “You can still sit this out.”

“Never.” The heroine shook her head. “I joined Il Migliore exactly to run operations like this, and I’ve been waiting for your father to retire for years. If anything, I should rejoice that we can finally act as heroes, instead of pretending that we are. However…”

“You dread to see Alphonse in charge.”

“I want to protect New Rome, not see it turned into a battlefield. Your brother doesn’t stop until all his enemies are dead.”

“He can’t be that bad?” Ryan asked, the embarrassed silence that followed quickly telling him otherwise. “Can he?”

“None will say Alphonse doesn’t believe in a cause bigger than himself,” Wyvern said with a forced smile. “But if his father hadn’t sent him into exile, Dynamis and Augustus would still be at war. I want to see the Augusti crumble as much and their drug factory on fire, but it won’t be without civilian casualties. It’s… I’m torn. I’m truly torn.”

“Unfortunately, the more I consider it, the more I believe a conflict is inevitable,” Enrique said with a hint of regret. “Our respective visions of the future cannot coexist.”

Ryan’s thoughts turned to Livia, and her desire to reform her organization. “You could wait for Augustus to retire. The next person in the line of succession might be friendlier.”

“I thought we could reach an agreement with Augustus’ daughter once she took over the organization, yes,” the manager conceded. “But the situation is too unstable. Augustus' kind never goes into quiet retirement; once he learns our father sent the Meta-Gang after him, and he will know, he shall strike back. And let’s not talk about his feud with Hargraves.”

“I just don’t get it,” Wyvern said, hands on her waist. “Why would Hector risk so much by allying with someone like Adam?”

“My father believes he can buy everyone’s loyalty, if the price is right,” Enrique replied. “Money or knockoff Elixirs, it makes no difference for him.”

“But why does he prevent us from striking while hiring monsters to do it in secret?”

“I suppose my father believes he can outlast the competition while secretly weakening it. At least, until Augustus’ tumor kills him, and Dynamis can strike his organization without fear of retaliation.”

Ryan, who had stopped paying attention to the conversation, abruptly froze in place. “Come again?”

瑞恩开车驶在公路上，心头忽然泛起一阵怀念。

从他初到新罗马算起，几轮循环加在一起，已经过去了一个多月。他有些想念像《疯狂的麦克斯》里那样，开车闯荡荒原的日子了。那时，整个世界都向他敞开，每条路都通往不同的任务。快递员永远猜不到随机遭遇什么时候会找上门——可能是一群公路战士追着他飙车，也可能是个神秘的搭车客，一心想见血。他固然享受文明社会，可瑞恩骨子里始终属于公路。

嘉年华约定的碰头地点在新罗马南面，靠近庞贝遗址。经过福尔图娜那场风波，瑞恩和菲利克斯很容易就找到了脱身的借口。姐弟俩当众吵了那么一大架，弟弟想出去透透气，谁都能理解。

不过，骗了衣橱，瑞恩多少有些过意不去。他看得出来，她并没被那些借口糊弄住，知道他们有事瞒着她。

“有件事一直让我不放心。”原子猫坐在瑞恩身旁说道。普利茅斯“狂怒”沿着那不勒斯海岸行驶，道路一侧是大海，另一侧是峭壁。“那些疯魔已经渗透进迪纳米斯了，对吧？这样的话，他们很可能也能调用追踪我DNA的设备。他们能跟踪我们。”

“他们本来可以。”而且，在之前的一轮里，他们确实这么干过。“不过现在不行了。”

“怎么说？”

“这个嘛，我虽然不是异能分类里的‘天才’，”瑞恩引用了贾丝敏的话，“但我照样是个天才。”

时间旅行者曾经琢磨过那种追踪器的工作原理。毕竟，光记录一个基因者的DNA，怎么就能追踪到他？然而，经过上一轮与贾丝敏的讨论，答案已经显而易见。迪纳米斯追踪基因者，靠的并不是他们的基因，而是他们无意识间释放的通量辐射。

所以，瑞恩用贾丝敏首创的方法改装了汽车，把通量辐射锁在车内。当然，这只是他前女友那套动力装甲的穷人版替代品。待在车里不会让瑞恩打开通往紫色世界的大门，但能让车内的乘客从迪纳米斯的雷达上消失。

至少，希望如此。瑞恩还是会时不时地看一眼后视镜。

菲利克斯没有再问，转头望向窗外，目光落在地中海上。瑞恩看得出，朋友很享受这份安静。他姐姐的到来，让他的心情糟透了。

说到福尔图娜，她又开始给快递员发消息了。出乎瑞恩意料的是，其中只有一半在骂他混蛋，或者换着花样骂他；另一半则是在问菲利克斯过得好不好。

哎呀，她还是很关心弟弟的嘛！

瑞恩的手机响个不停，原子猫开始觉得烦了。“又是我姐？”

“她可真有毅力。”瑞恩说，“我知道自己聪明、风趣又英俊，可有时候，我的人气还是会让我吃惊。”

“福尔图娜的能力，会让几乎所有可能对她有利的事情，全都往有利的方向发展。”菲利克斯叹了口气，“她从来不用花钱，礼物会凭空送上门，碰到的男人也总是恨不得把她供起来。时间一长，这就成了个不断自我强化的自恋循环……而我觉得，你把这个循环打破了。”

等等，就是这么回事！男人一个个主动往福尔图娜身上扑，她便把这一切当成了理所当然，反而会迷上那几个不吃她魅力这一套的人！只要瑞恩表现得像个完美绅士，满足她那颗自恋的心，她就会失去兴趣，放过他了！他只需要请幸运女孩吃顿晚饭，再用无微不至的关爱淹没她，直到她找到别的消遣。用温柔干掉她。

“瑞恩。”快递员正在手机上输入回复，菲利克斯却像是看穿了他的心思。“能帮我个忙吗？”

“要是想让我别拿猫开玩笑，那你的要求可就太过分了。”

原子猫望向瑞恩，与他四目相对。“别上我姐。”

瑞恩沉醉在朋友湛蓝的虹膜里，准备给出一个恰当的答复。“哪个？”

“我是认真的，快枪手。”

“放心。”瑞恩把一只手搭在自家小猫的肩上，“我要是非得把你全家睡个遍，一定从你开始。”

菲利克斯吃了一惊，往后一缩，把快递员逗得乐不可支。“闭嘴，开你的车。”英雄望向前方的道路说道。

开了短短一个小时，途中也没遭到超能帮伏击，两人终于抵达了目的地。那是一处建在岩石上的观景台，庞贝遗址的风光尽收眼底。就连世界末日，也没法把这片遗址毁得比维苏威火山更彻底。它曾短暂地充当过一伙劫掠者的藏身处，但始终未受战火波及。

活体太阳利奥已经到了，正以那副光芒四射的形态悬浮在观景台边缘上方。真爱显摆。不过，瑞恩还是忍不住色眯眯地打量起他那完美的火焰躯体，以及那紧实、燃烧着的屁股。快递员睡过男人、女人、机器人、怪物姑娘……但还没睡过太阳。

暂时还没有。

不远处，一名有几分浪荡不羁的女人正站在一辆美式摩托车旁等候。她脸上有雀斑，留着赤褐色长发。瑞恩认出，她是王牌，嘉年华的主力传送者。“我靠，真的是他们。”瑞恩停好普利茅斯“狂怒”时，原子猫满怀崇敬地惊叹道，“我是你们的忠实粉丝。”

“谢谢你，菲利克斯。”裹尸布出现在后座上。与自己最宠爱的小猫不同，瑞恩连动都没动一下。“说实话，我们想跟你谈谈已经有一阵子了。”

“你在这儿待多久了？”菲利克斯吓了一跳。

“太久了。”透明先生一边打开车门，一边回答，“快存，你开起车来简直是个疯子。”

“多谢夸奖，不过你们就来了三个人？”一行人下车走向嘉年华的其他成员时，瑞恩问道，“你说你们人员流失严重，还真不是开玩笑。”

“一共六个，其他人已经在城里展开行动了。”裹尸布回答。快递员沉默着，一脸不过如此的表情，他只得叹了口气。“我提醒过你，我们需要更多时间召集盟友。蘑菇、收音机头和哥萨克现在都在法国，至少还得几天才能到。”

“我倒是希望自己能把传送门开到那么远。”王牌听到了他们的谈话，朝新来的两人露出自信的笑容。“不过别担心，我们的战斗力还是很强的。人数不够，质量来凑。”

“你说得倒轻巧，你们这边可是有个货真价实的太阳。”瑞恩说道。虽说超能帮的人数远超他们，但论单兵火力，还是他们更胜一筹。

那位太阳化身望着快存，神色中既有笑意，也有一丝敬重。“你好，瑞恩。”他用那性感得不得了的英雄嗓音说道，“你迄今为止给了我们不少帮助，我想向你道谢。”

再次见到这个人，感觉真是奇怪。从他的角度来看，才不过四年，可对瑞恩而言，血流之死已经是几个世纪前的事了。然而，那件事始终牢牢刻在快递员的脑海里。

瑞恩说不清自己对嘉年华这个团体究竟抱着怎样的感情。一方面，他们让他与蕾恩分离了无数轮循环；另一方面，他们又把他从血流手中救了出来，他欠他们一条命。到头来，感激还是占了上风。如今他已经重新找到了蕾恩，过去的事，就让它过去吧。

然而，在一次次循环中，他也渐渐喜欢上了某些奥古斯蒂成员，而嘉年华则打算想方设法摧毁他们的组织。莉维娅说起的母亲之死，也始终让瑞恩耿耿于怀。他想把这件事查清楚。

快递员来到新罗马，本是为了与蕾恩重逢。可现在……他隐约觉得，就算超能帮被消灭了，他也没法离开这座城市。一场战争正在酝酿，太多人的性命危在旦夕。

“你一直都是嘉年华安插的人？”菲利克斯问自己的队友，打断了他的思绪。

“我更像个变数。”快递员回答，“一颗人形拆楼铁球。”

裹尸布轻笑一声。“至少你砸的方向没错。说实话，我一开始还以为，你来新罗马是为了找我们算账。”

“血流那件事，我还一直没向你道歉。”利奥听上去确实心怀歉意。“当时我没看见你，所以轰出那一击的时候——”

“不那么做，结果只会更糟。”瑞恩打断了这颗人形太阳。毕竟，他已经亲身经历过一次另一种结果。“血流病了，为了其他所有人，他必须消失。就这样。”

“我明白了……”伦纳德似乎没想到快递员会这样回答，但没有再追问。毕竟，快递员可是实实在在地花了几个世纪，来消化那些事情带来的感受。

菲利克斯同情地看了瑞恩一眼。他没有说什么空泛的屁话，只是默默拍了拍队友的后背，快递员很感激他这一点。不过，要是被狗仔队撞见这一幕，多半又会想歪……“至于你，原子猫，我要为你的选择向你致意。”伦纳德朝这位年轻英雄点了点头，“离开家人，坚持正确的道路，一定很不容易。这需要很大的勇气。”

“你们说，想见我已经有一阵子了。”原子小猫有些不好意思地说道。这场面让瑞恩想起一个业余拳手偶遇穆罕默德·阿里的情景。“别告诉我，你们也想挖我走？”

“差不多，是的。”裹尸布说。

“我不会用‘挖人’这个词，不过，我们确实一直在物色新成员，而我觉得你很有潜力。”活体太阳稍稍停顿，像是在斟酌接下来该怎么说。“还有……纳尔西妮娅的事。”

“纳尔西妮娅？”菲利克斯立刻绷紧了身体，“她怎么了？”

阳光没有立即回答，而是望向众人身后，又有一辆车正朝观景台驶来。一辆黑色玛莎拉蒂停在聚会地点附近，两张熟面孔从车里走了下来。

“快存，原子猫。”黑棘一边掸去西装上的灰尘，一边向他们走来，双足飞龙充当着他的保镖。“这下很多事都说得通了。”

菲利克斯看起来一点也不高兴，他瞪向嘉年华的人。“是你们叫他们来的？”

“不是。”裹尸布抱起双臂，“是他们主动找的我们。黑棘几天前就联系我们了。”

“我们的两个组织，曾经考虑过结盟对抗奥古斯都。”恩里克的语气毫无起伏，“直到埃克托先生一如既往地否决了提议。”

“人都到齐了？”阳光男孩问。

“差不多了。”恩里克抬起袖口，看了眼下面的劳力士手表。“不过，哈格雷夫斯，我希望你明白，光是你出现在这里，就已经把我们所有人都置于险境。奥古斯都要是知道你进了城，就会走下他的山头，把你当狗一样追杀。”

“他尽管来试。”活体太阳回答，“我很久以前就做出了决定。在奥古斯都的帝国崩塌、他因自己的罪行受到审判之前，我不会死。”

“我更担心的是，他会因为我们和你有牵连，连我们一起追杀。”黑棘冷淡地说，随后抬起目光。瑞恩听见一阵巨大的响声正从海岸方向逼近。“不过，事到如今，我想这也在所难免了。”

一架全副武装的直升机飞向众人，准备降落。瑞恩认出，那是一架波音CH-47“支奴干”。主舱门上喷着迪纳米斯的标志，飞机还没落地，舱门就已经打开了。

一个高大的身影从金属机壳里现身，身高几乎有两米半。这名基因者与其说是人，不如说更像机器。厚重的黑色动力装甲保护着他身体的大部分，只露出罩在玻璃穹顶下的头部。不过，称那东西为骷髅头或许更准确。他的血肉仿佛正散发出猩红的光芒，被战甲封锁在内，骨骼却像X光片里那样清晰可见。这副装甲上的武器似乎比伏尔甘的还多，包括右臂内置的一挺能量转管机枪，以及肩部的火箭发射器。

仅凭站姿和肢体语言，瑞恩就立刻看穿了这个庞然大物是什么货色。

一个战争狂。

“你把他叫来了？”双足飞龙满脸惊恐地问恩里克。

“我别无选择。”主管回答。他虽然竭力保持镇定，瑞恩还是注意到，他西装上的玫瑰动了动，仿佛在回应这名绿系基因者藏在心底的不安。“没有他手里的资源，我们赢不了。”

“这家伙是谁？”菲利克斯问道，眼前这个巨人的骇人模样让他有些发怵。

“阿尔方斯·马纳达，迪纳米斯的副总裁。”双足飞龙咬紧牙关，眼神泄露了她的不安。“代号辐尘。”

辐尘，辐尘……“马耳他屠夫？”瑞恩问。他听过相关的传闻。

“他朝奥古斯都扔了颗核弹，想杀了他，但没成功。”裹尸布证实了这个说法，随后又纠正道，“更准确地说，他自己就是那颗核弹。”

双足飞龙点头确认。“那之后，埃克托以‘海外派驻’为借口，把他流放去了西西里。我不知道他已经回来了。”

迪纳米斯的副总裁从直升机上走下来，单是他的体重，就让地面微微震动。“弟弟，哈格雷夫斯。”他用低沉的机械嗓音，礼貌地向在场的人打了招呼，随后注意到了瑞恩和他的猫。“他们是谁？”

“快存和原子猫。”恩里克回答。

“快存？”阿尔方斯听说过这个代号，只可惜完全不是什么好事。“血流家的崽子？”

瑞恩绷紧了身体，但出乎意料的是，黑棘立刻出面解围。“录音就是他提供的。我不信任他，不过目前，我们的目标是一致的。”

“明白了。”阿尔方斯·马纳达仔细打量着瑞恩，快递员则朝这个改造人挥了挥手。副总裁一副公事公办的态度，连理都没理。“那他妹妹呢？”

瑞恩瞪着这个铁皮罐头，恩里克则回答：“我放她走了。”

“你放她走了？”即便被兄长那灼热的目光盯着，黑棘也不肯回应。迪纳米斯的副总裁摇了摇骷髅头。“弟弟，你总是心太软，迟早要吃亏。看来我早该回大陆了。”

“你想对蕾恩·萨比诺做什么？”瑞恩问，语气里透出危险的锋芒。

“这不关你的事。”阿尔方斯·马纳达愠怒地回答。

“她的技术非常出色，这点你也会同意吧。”恩里克赶紧开口，“见识过她那些泡泡监牢的手段之后，我就在考虑聘请她来做安保工作。要把疯魔牢牢关起来，海底监狱也许是最好的办法。”

瑞恩一听就闻到了谎言的味道，可利奥·哈格雷夫斯咳嗽一声，接过了话头。“先生们，请冷静。我们请各位来，是为了讨论如何对付城里的各个犯罪团体，而且，我们有充分理由怀疑，迪纳米斯可能在资助他们。”

“怀疑？”菲利克斯嗤笑一声。

“快存提供了一段录音，超能帮的二把手在里面宣称，我们的首席执行官雇用了他们，让他们骚扰奥古斯都的势力。”恩里克平静地解释，双足飞龙则抱着双臂，压抑着怒火。“考虑到心震对迪纳米斯的绝密项目了如指掌，再结合其他间接证据，我认为这份情报属实。”

“确实属实。”裹尸布证实道，“我侦察过超能帮的地盘，不过，要接近他们的总部，就没法避开大地的察觉。他们使用改装过的迪纳米斯无人机，一些没有异能的喽啰也配备了激光武器。”

继续给自家公司挖坟，显然让恩里克十分恼火，但他还是说了下去。“我让邪魔去调查过，我们有几名技术人员被报失踪。我认为，要么是首席执行官直接派他们去给超能帮供应天才科技装备，要么就是心震借这个机会奴役了他们。”

阿尔方斯·马纳达沉默地听完一切，终于开口时，语气中满是毫不掩饰的厌恶。“我们的父亲辜负了我们的信任，也辜负了整个新罗马的信任。我向各位保证，我们跟这摊烂事毫无关系。”

“很好。”王牌说，随后清了清嗓子。“呃，事情当然很糟，不过希望这意味着，我们用不着打起来了？”

“我们打算先出手消灭超能帮，再把注意力转向奥古斯蒂。”伦纳德宣布。瑞恩注意到，他刻意没向这些企业人提起地堡，很明智。也许他们希望在马纳达兄弟察觉它的存在之前，就把基地毁掉。“你们会干预吗？”

“不会。”恩里克回答。

“会。”他哥哥说，引得所有人都看了过去。“我不会袖手旁观，让别人替我们收拾父亲留下的烂摊子。我们声誉上的这个污点，我要亲自抹掉。”

“啊，我明白了，哥哥。”黑棘猜测道，“你是提议联合出击？”

“至优者会支援我们？”伦纳德问。

“他们，还有我的精锐安保部队。”阿尔方斯补充，“我们会包围那些疯魔，把他们一网打尽，哪怕必须一条街一条街地跟这群畜生打过去。”

“这话才对我的胃口。”菲利克斯低声对瑞恩说。的确，这个改造人的果断，让快递员有些意外。虽说看他的时尚品位和嗜血作风，明摆着就是个尚未公开身份的超级反派，但要是一切顺利，快递员或许会考虑在以后的循环里找他帮忙。

“我还有些顾虑。”阳光男孩说，“如果超能帮已经一路渗透到你们组织的最高层，那么参与的人越多，走漏风声的风险就越大。”

“我们只会通知最可靠的英雄和军官。”恩里克争辩道。听话听音，他的意思就是“忠于我们，而非首席执行官的人”。

“明智的选择，不过你忘了一个细节。”裹尸布提出异议，“心震会利用人质，而且，他能把自己的意识从一具身体转移到另一具身体里。”

“他还有这本事？”双足飞龙皱起眉，“我之前还奇怪，他为什么跟快存他们交手时会自杀。这样就说得通了。”

“遗憾的是，我们没有办法真正消除他的能力。”裹尸布叹了口气，这件事对他而言显然不只是公事。“他已经开始把无家可归的人变成傀儡，再给他们配发武器。正面进攻会造成伤亡，而一支小型突击队，则可以一举对超能帮的领导层实施斩首。”

瑞恩攥紧了拳头，一阵不祥的似曾相识之感涌上心头。这简直是头一次突袭锈镇的重演。

“就算你们真能奇迹般地击败心震和亚当，街头也照样会爆发冲突。”双足飞龙面色阴沉地指出，“亚当现在就已经快压不住手下了。没有他把那些人拢在一起，他们多半会四处作乱。”

恩里克清了清嗓子，让所有人的注意力集中到自己身上。“这两套方案未必互相冲突。嘉年华可以集中力量打击超能帮的领导层，我们人手更多，负责包围他们的总部，牵制亚当的手下。”

短暂地沉默思索后，利奥·哈格雷夫斯看向自己的队友。“你们觉得呢？”

“我可以把一队队人迅速送到城里各处。”他的传送者说，“就像当年对付梅克隆时那样。只要配合得当，我想，我们能在超能帮准备好反击之前，就给他们来一记狠的。”

裹尸布虽然一言不发，瑞恩却能感觉到，他的目光正落在自己背上。这位玻璃操纵者大概正在权衡，让迪纳米斯直接参与进来究竟有何利弊。一方面，这会让摧毁地堡变得更容易；另一方面，也增加了地堡被发现的风险。

到头来，让大胖亚当拿到轨道武器 的风险实在太大，谁也不能置之不理。“你们什么时候能准备好？”阳光问那些企业人。

“明天。”阿尔方斯宣布。

“太仓促了，阿尔。”恩里克反对道。

“拖得越久，暴露的风险就越大。”副总裁哼了一声，“父亲一旦知道我回来了，就会提高警惕。”

“我们可以迅速动员，尤其是邪魔也站在我们这边。”双足飞龙对主管说，“等埃克托知道我们的目标是谁，就只能配合了。他肯定会反对，但说到底，他不能公开支持疯魔。成果自然会证明一切。”

“弟弟。”阿尔方斯转向恩里克，语气沉重。“等我们收拾了超能帮，撬开他们的嘴，你知道接下来该怎么做。我能原谅父亲的懦弱，可背叛？绝不。”

自瑞恩认识黑棘以来，这是他第一次发出如此漫长而沉重的叹息。那模样让他想起一个被定了罪的罪人，正强撑着等待末日审判。“我原本希望，不会走到这一步，阿尔。”

“父亲已经有过机会了。要让公司活下去，迪纳米斯就需要新的管理层。一个更强硬的管理层。”阿尔方斯注视着弟弟，等他做出承诺。“你支持我吗？”

黑棘稍稍停顿，然后谨慎地回答：“支持。”

双足飞龙听着两人的对话，眯起了眼。“恩里克，你是说……”

“一场政变。”黑棘证实道，“解决超能帮之后，不管埃克托先生愿不愿意，我们都会让他下台。”

“这会引发内战。”双足飞龙警告，“埃克托不会束手就擒，我们的英雄们——”

“要么做出正确的选择，要么承担后果。”阿尔方斯·马纳达愤怒地低吼道，“腐败、名望和贪婪荼毒我们的队伍太久了，让超能帮和奥古斯蒂把我们当傻子耍。双足飞龙，是时候清除腐烂的部分了。以这些东西为根基，我们不可能重建一个正常运转的战后政府。”

黑棘看向嘉年华。“这件事上，你们是什么立场？”

“到时候再看。”伦纳德回答，“埃克托做出这种事，理应被赶下台。我们也会采取行动，保护无辜者不被战火波及。”

“不过，这好像是你们几个男人之间的私事。”王牌笑着说，“而我们还有自己的事要处理。”

“奥古斯都？”阿尔方斯哼了一声，“你算错了，哈格雷夫斯。他是我们共同的敌人，等父亲出局之后……”

“如果我们能成功的话，哥哥。”恩里克提醒道。

“是，是。”阿尔方斯·马纳达哼着往直升机走去。显然，他早就打定了主意。“我们保持联系。弟弟？”

“我来负责各方的联络。”黑棘回答。

“多谢。”阿尔方斯没再浪费时间，登上直升机飞走了。瑞恩说不清为什么，这个人的举止让他想起了奥古斯都……而他一点也不喜欢这种感觉。

“我喜欢他。”原子猫望着消失在天际的阿尔方斯的直升机说道，“他是真他妈能干成事。”

双足飞龙显然不这么想。“他确实能，但他也不知道什么时候该收手。要是阿尔方斯当了首席执行官……”

“我知道。”恩里克回答，“但骰子已经掷下了。”

“菲利克斯，能跟你单独聊一会儿吗？”伦纳德问原子猫。

“关于纳尔西妮娅的事？”英雄问道。阳光示意他离开人群，私下谈谈。这颗活体太阳大概不希望其他人偷听。与此同时，裹尸布开始和王牌讨论行动方案，你一言我一语，商量如何协作包围锈镇。

瑞恩决定找裹尸布问问莉维娅母亲的事，黑棘却先把矛头转向了他。“别以为我把你忘了，罗马诺。”

“你当然没忘。不是我不谦虚，我就是这么让人过目难忘。”

“这一切都是你计划好的。”主管指责快递员，“我骨子里就有这种感觉。可我仍然不明白，你最终究竟想要什么。你的档案里，没有任何记录表明，在来到新罗马之前，你曾刻意找超能帮寻仇。”

“恨超能帮还需要理由吗？”上一轮汉尼胖·莱克特干出那种事之后，出于原则，时间旅行者也只想让他死。瑞恩已经向贾丝敏承诺过，从今往后，每次重来，他都会杀掉小鲸鱼，而他会说到做到。

“我不认为仇恨是你唯一的动机。”恩里克的语气尖锐而冰冷，“你另有所图，只是我还没想明白。”

“这重要吗，恩里克？”在场所有人中，双足飞龙似乎最难接受眼前的局面。“我们还有更紧迫的问题。”

“所以，我才一直没有追究。”主管解释道，“但别误会，罗马诺，等尘埃落定，你得给我一个交代。”

双足飞龙挠了挠头。“等尘埃落定……你这话可真是一语中的，恩里克。”

“你后悔了吗？”黑棘问，语气缓和下来。“现在退出，还来得及。”

“绝不。”女英雄摇了摇头，“我加入至优者，为的就是执行这样的行动。我盼着你父亲退休，也已经盼了好几年了。真要说的话，我该高兴才是：我们终于能像英雄一样行动，而不是装成英雄。不过……”

“你怕阿尔方斯掌权。”

“我想保护新罗马，而不是看着它变成战场。你哥哥不把所有敌人杀光，是不会停手的。”

“他不至于那么糟吧？”瑞恩问。随之而来的尴尬沉默，立刻告诉他事实恰恰相反。“真有那么糟？”

“没人能说阿尔方斯不信奉高于自身利益的事业。”双足飞龙勉强挤出一丝笑容，“可要不是他父亲把他流放了，迪纳米斯和奥古斯都现在还在打。我也一样想看到奥古斯蒂垮台，看到他们的毒品工厂烧起来，可那不可能没有平民伤亡。这……我很矛盾。真的很矛盾。”

“遗憾的是，我越想，就越觉得冲突不可避免。”恩里克的声音里带着一丝惋惜，“我们双方对未来的构想，根本无法并存。”

瑞恩想到了莉维娅，以及她改革自己组织的愿望。“你们可以等奥古斯都退休。继承顺位上的下一个人，也许会更友善。”

“没错，我原本认为，等奥古斯都的女儿接掌组织，我们就能与她达成协议。”主管承认，“但局势太不稳定了。奥古斯都那种人，永远不会安安静静地退休。一旦他得知是我们父亲派超能帮去对付他——而他一定会知道——他必然会反击。更别提他和哈格雷夫斯之间的宿怨了。”

“我就是想不通。”双足飞龙双手叉腰，“埃克托为什么要冒这么大的风险，跟亚当那种人结盟？”

“我父亲相信，只要价码合适，任何人的忠诚都能买到。”恩里克回答，“用钱，还是用仿制灵药，对他来说没有区别。”

“可他为什么不让我们出击，却在暗地里雇怪物去干？”

“我猜，父亲觉得自己可以一边暗中削弱对手，一边熬到对方撑不下去。至少熬到奥古斯都死于肿瘤，那时迪纳米斯就能攻击他的组织，不必担心报复了。”

本来已经没在留心这场对话的瑞恩，突然僵在了原地。“你说什么？”