同章对照

“So you say the high-security labs are so reinforced, they would survive missile strikes?” Ryan asked Nora as the group walked through the hospital’s hallway, guided by the Dynamis nurse. The Panda hummed a song to himself, while Wardrobe carried flowers and chocolates in her arms.

“Yes, the tinted glass windows outside are just for show,” the Architect explained. “Separate energy generators keep the whole floor running without any external help needed, and the alarm system can detect any intruder. And there is only one way in, through the elevator and then a blast door.”

“No emergency exit?” Ryan asked, realizing his options to infiltrate the lab unnoticed had greatly narrowed. “Not to criticize you, but it sounds like an oversight to me. What if there’s a nuclear detonation inside?”

“Bite me, Mr. Manada wanted the place to be ‘secure, not safe,’” Nora replied with a smile. “I suppose they experiment with dangerous creatures and they don’t want to take any chance of them escaping. I mean, have you seen what they use at the Colosseum Maximus?”

“I just love the new Cyber-Tyranno design!” Wardrobe commented. “Especially the holographic goggles, very classy.”

“Oh, about that, people asked the Panda to participate in the new tournament’s opening match!” Ryan’s disciple showed off his chest with pride. “Panda vs Velociraptors, the ultimate showdown!”

“If you ask me, it’s a colossal waste of resources.” Nora rolled her eyes. “The money would be better spent on hospitals than dinosaurs. They cost a fortune to make, let alone feed.”

“Frankly, I’m torn,” Ryan admitted. “I understand where you come from, but dinosaurs have a special mass appeal. Though if someone were to blow up the whole building because they’re too lazy to use the stairs, would the labs remain intact?”

“Well, yes, they would.” Nora looked at Ryan strangely. “Why would terrorists be too lazy to use the stairs?”

“It’s purely hypothetical,” Ryan lied through his teeth. “But that’s good to know!”

Eventually, the nurse led them to a white hospital room; or as Ryan called it, Felix’s litter.

The young hero looked far better than a few days ago, when Acid Rain had stabbed him through the gut. Besides the fact he needed to stay in bed with bandages around his chest, Atom Cat looked almost perfectly healthy. Though he had been forced to trade his hideous suit and mask for white hospital clothes, which Ryan considered an improvement.

No wonder Livia fell for a face like that, Ryan thought, as he observed Felix’s adorable visage. However, he soon remembered what Fortuna had said, about how her mother used her power for esthetic surgery. Did Venus do the same with her son? Now that Ryan thought of it, Atom Cat’s facial features seemed a bit too perfect.

Poor kitten. Even his face wasn’t his own.

“Guys,” Felix said, unsurprised by Nora’s presence. Wardrobe probably introduced them to one another in the past.

“Felix, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Wardrobe immediately all but dumped the chocolates and flowers on the patient’s lap, much to his shock. “Did they treat you well?”

“Of course,” the Dynamis nurse said with an amused smile, before closing the door behind them, “I will leave you alone, but please don’t make too much noise. The other patients need rest.”

The Panda scratched the back of his head, a bit confused. “I thought you shared a room with… the glass guy...”

“Translucent,” Ryan said. “Or Semi-Transparent for friends.”

“The Shroud,” Felix replied. “He was transferred to intensive care after some shrapnel hit his vital organs. His injuries were so severe, they had to put him in an artificial coma.”

This bothered Ryan. Though Matty Boy had killed him a few times, the time-traveler had grown to appreciate the vigilante. The transparent hero had provided a lot of help across the loops, and without his assistance, Big Fat Adam might have gotten his hands on the Bahamut by now.

“Will he survive?” Wardrobe asked, her expression deflating. Atom Cat shook his head, unable to answer. “It is my fault… I should have thought of a better persona.”

“You couldn’t know, Yuki,” Nora reassured her. “It was in the heat of battle. No one will blame you for losing your cool.”

“You saved my life with your nurse cosplay,” Felix pointed out.

The fashion designer didn’t look convinced. “Yes, but… I’ve done some research, and there are a few personas I could have used to save you both. Though I wish White Mages were public domain…”

“It was your first time in that situation, right?” Ryan asked Wardrobe, who nodded slowly. “Nobody can blame you for not being perfect on your first try. Believe me, I know. Practice makes perfect.”

His words were meant to encourage Wardrobe, but they worsened her mood further. “I don’t want to practice watching people die,” she said, holding her arms as if to protect herself. The Architect put a comforting hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, trying to reassure Wardrobe.

“So, um, Felix, when will you be out?” the Panda attempted to change the subject.

“Tomorrow, but I won’t stay with Il Migliore,” Felix said, before dropping the bomb. “I’m joining the Carnival.”

“What?” The news was enough to draw Wardrobe out of her depressed mood. “No way, Quicksave the Pandas only had one successful outing and you’re all leaving? That’s like breaking the band after a hit song!”

“W-we can form a duo, Yuki,” said the Panda, trying to salvage the brand. “Yin and Yang!”

“If you change your hero name to Circus Lion, I’ll disown you,” Ryan warned Atom Cat. Felix ignored the courier’s jab, and seemed quite uncomfortable in his presence. Something had changed.

“Is this about the costume?” Wardrobe asked Felix with a frown. “Because Enrique won’t let you join the pro-league unless you change your outfit?”

“Wearing what I want is just a bonus,” Felix said with a smirk. “Sorry, but I feel more in line with the Carnival’s values than Il Migliore’s. Too much red tape gets in the way of doing what’s right.”

Ryan couldn’t say he was surprised, but he wondered how Lightning Dad would react. Mob Zeus could barely be talked out of murdering his godson for joining Dynamis; joining Sunshine’s team might very well push the aging psychopath over the edge. Come to think of it, both Lucky Girl and Livia had been strangely silent lately, neither sending messages.

A storm was brewing in the background. Ryan could feel it in his bones.

“I feel so sad about this,” Wardrobe lamented. “We could have done wonders, the four of us…”

“We can still team-up from time to time,” Ryan argued. “A crossover event every month, until our fans get sick of it!”

“Yes, but it’s not the same,” the fashion designer replied. “I really liked hanging out with all of you.”

“You could always form your own group,” Nora suggested. “I think Enrique would be open to the idea.”

“I’ll pass,” Ryan replied. “I don’t think I will stay in New Rome for long.”

“Really?” This time, Felix finally paid attention to him. “Where will you go?”

“Where life will carry me.”

In truth, Ryan had no idea what would happen after he achieved his Perfect Run for New Rome. In the best case scenario, he might stay with Len and the children, but the time-traveler would likely go back to the road. Staying in one place made him restless, and he couldn’t live without seeking new adventures to tackle.

The courier didn’t feel at home anywhere.

“Sifu, are you leaving me alone?” Even though he was in human form, the Panda’s expression remained very bearlike.

“Your training is now complete, young disciple,” Ryan said, trying to sound wise. “From now on, Life will be your teacher.”

“I… I understand…” The poor manbear struggled not to cry. “I understand.”

“I know you have a lone cowboy energy about you,” Wardrobe said with a frown. “But… I dunno, that sounds like a very lonely existence, Ryan. You’re sure you don’t want to stay? Even if Dynamis doesn’t want you anymore, I sure do!”

Ryan looked at this pure, sweet creature too good for this broken Earth. “BFF?”

“BFF!” she replied with a warm smile.

“Unfortunately, you might have to discuss Yuki’s better qualities later,” Nora said as she checked the time. “You will be late for the meeting.”

“You have something planned?” Ryan asked the others, uninformed.

“Wyvern wants every Il Migliore member to join a big meeting,” Wardrobe said with a sad face. “Sorry, Ryan, it’s members only… I really argued for you to be present, but the new CEO said no. But we’ll tell you how it went!”

It didn’t take long for Ryan to put the pieces together, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “Well, I’ll change the Kitten’s litter alone then.”

“Oh, we could meet tomorrow at my place!” The Panda suggested. “It’s small, but it’s comfy!”

“Sure, that would be great,” Nora said with a smile as she turned to face Ryan. “Perhaps you could introduce me to that underwater specialist you told me about?”

Ryan chuckled. “I’m not sure if she will agree to leave the Commie-Cave, but I’ll try to convince her.”

“Ooh, maybe I will get the Karl Marx costume out of storage then!” On these words, Wardrobe apologized to Felix for the short visit, and then left alongside her girlfriend and the Panda. Ryan was left alone with the young superhero.

“Dynamis and the Carnival are planning to attack the Augusti, aren’t they?” Ryan asked Felix once the rest of the group had left. “A meeting that involves all heroes in their employ barely two days after the Rust Town raid. Alphonse Manada and Hargraves want to strike the iron while it’s still hot.”

“Do you want to know?” Felix asked, his tone suddenly caged and wary. “Or is it Livia asking through you?”

“Truthfully, Kitten, I will find out soon anyway,” Ryan replied with a shrug. “I’m just trying to make conversation. Also, I thought you didn’t want family visits, but I’ve seen Narcinia leaving this place.”

“I made an exception for Narcinia. She deserved to know the truth.” Well, that explained her reaction. “I told her everything. How Augustus murdered her parents, and arranged her adoption so he could use her powers to make drugs. It makes me sick just to speak of it. He’s even worse than I thought.”

“I assume she didn’t believe you?” Ryan slouched on the nearest chair, a leg over the armrest. “She has no memories of her birth parents?”

“No,” Felix replied with an angry scowl. “Bacchus probably shattered her mind when she was young. He can do that with his power. Psychically torture people to madness, or gaslight them into believing false things.”

Ryan mentally noted that tidbit of information, to use when he would blow up the Bliss Factory later. “Well, if you truly join the Carnival, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the family feud.”

“I know about Livia.” Felix glared at Ryan. “Blackthorn told me you met with her and Fortuna.”

Well, that explained the sudden distance between them. “If I told you it was part of a master plan to get your sister off my back, would you believe me?”

“I know how she is, but Livia?” Felix crossed his arms. “First my sister, now my ex? You had to fuck the whole family?”

“Are your parents in an open marriage?” Ryan asked innocently.

Atom Cat didn’t find him funny. “Are you in bed with them? The Augusti?”

“Figuratively or literally?” Technically, he did sleep with Jasmine, but that was one loop ago. “Because the answer is no for both. I swear I haven’t touched your sister, though her power doesn’t make it easy. She’s not as bad as I thought, however...”

“Just… stop talking about my sister…” Felix closed his eyes for a second, as if he banished a dirty image in his own mind. “Livia is too careful to approach someone outside the hierarchy. Even with Fortuna around. And that’s not all. You knew that Fortuna was my sister and that I dated Livia, information only available among the Augusti and a few people at Dynamis. Blackthorn swears you never talked about me before.”

Ryan guessed where this was going. “You think I got this information from the Augusti, Kitten?”

“Where else?” Felix replied sarcastically. “I just don’t get you, Ryan.”

“Would I have helped Translucent and Sunshine if I worked with Augustus?” Ryan asked a simple question, glancing at the chocolates Wardrobe had left to Felix. He had the feeling they would go uneaten. “I can’t help it if everyone wants a piece of me.”

“So you’re not a friend of Augustus, but you’re not his enemy either?” Felix sneered, his former friendliness gone. “So, you’re just a mercenary at heart? You organized the Meta-Gang’s downfall because someone paid you to?”

“What? No, I’m not paid for what I do, though I wish I were.” Good grief, if Ryan had been paid for every loop he spent in New Rome, he would be even richer. “Truth is, Kitten, I destroyed Hannifat Lecter’s group because they threatened friends of mine. I’m just trying to make sure the people I care about get to live another day. No more, no less.”

“That’s Livia’s excuse. Protect her family, no matter what.”

“She still loves you, you know?” While Ryan respected Felix’s decision to cut ties with his family, he sympathized too much with Livia’s situation not to at least try to help them make up.

“I don’t.” Atom Kitten looked away. “I never did. Not like that.”

Ryan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Our parents pushed us into our relationship,” Felix admitted. “They were best friends back when their organization was just a branch of the Camorra. Our match was decided back when we were children. I… I still care about her, don’t get me wrong, but as a friend. I don’t love her. I never was the Prince Charming she wanted me to be.”

“She told me about your secret hideout.” Ryan tried to sound neutral, but he couldn’t hold back an undercurrent of reproach in his voice. “How you went there to hide from your families. You were misleading her back then?”

“I… I wasn’t lying, not really. I tried to make it work, but…” Atom Kitten shook his head. “You can’t force yourself to love someone, man.”

Ryan felt some sympathy for Felix, but he pitied Livia most of all. Longing for something that was never there.

Most of all though, the courier couldn’t shake the feeling this situation echoed his own. He saw the parallels with his relationship with Len painted all over the walls, though at least he and Shortie might end up on speaking terms. Livia and Felix’s situation just reeked of a tragedy waiting to happen.

“You’re close to her,” Felix said. “Livia. She told you about the hideout. About me. That’s how you knew. You’re not Augustus’ friend, you’re Livia’s.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. We threatened to kill each other more than once.”

“Still, Blackthorn told me you were pretty friendly to each other.” Felix examined Ryan closely, his face undecipherable. “What is she to you?”

“I…” Ryan cleared his throat, trying to organize his thoughts. “She… she reminds me of someone else. Someone I tried to free from a monster, and I failed. I just don’t want Livia to end the same way.”

Atom Cat remained silent for an agonizing minute, before speaking his mind, “You won’t save her from her father, Ryan.”

The courier flinched.

“I tried too,” Felix said. “But you can’t. His hold over her is too strong. The only way is to destroy Augustus, and even if you can, she will hate you for it.”

Just like Len and Bloodstream.

“Isn’t that what you’re trying to do?” Ryan asked. “Dynamis and the Carnival plan to attack Augustus, and Lightning Butt won’t take you siding with them well. Your parents can’t shield you forever.”

“I don’t care,” Felix replied, raising his shoulder in an attempt to look stronger than he was. “I made peace with the possibility.”

“With Sunshine’s help, the Manada might have the firepower to take down the Augusti,” Ryan conceded. “But the real problem remains. Mob Zeus himself.”

“Dynamis has a weapon. Something that might put him out of commission.”

“The Gravity Gun Alphonse mentioned earlier? His own father didn’t believe in it.”

“We can’t live in fear of him forever, Ryan,” Felix replied gruffly. “Someone has to take a stand, even if they must pay the price. Or else, things will never change. Bliss will continue to flow, and people will keep dying.”

Ryan prepared to argue with him further, when his phone rang. He quickly brought it out of his pocket and checked the sender. “It’s Livia,” he said.

Felix responded with a scoff. “Don’t answer. I won’t take the phone.”

“Okay boomer,” Ryan replied before taking the call anyway. “Yes, Princess?”

“Ryan.” Her tone was frantic, almost panicked. “Is Felix with you?”

“Yes, but he won’t speak with you—”

“You need to run,” she interrupted him, “you need to take him and run. You need to get out of New Rome right now.”

“Wait, wait, out of New Rome?” Ryan frowned, straightening in his chair. “Princess, I have a life, I can’t drop everything to-”

“If you don’t, Dad will have him killed!”

Ryan froze in place, looking at the oblivious Atom Kitten. “Because he joined the Carnival?”

“And what he told Narcinia,” Livia continued, her voice breaking. Though he couldn’t hear her side of the conversation, Felix clearly seemed to understand the gist of it. “I’m… I’m trying to prevent it, but the possibilities get worse every minute. I… I can’t see a way out, but I can’t see you either. I need your help.”

“Should I bring him to Dynamis?”

“No. My father is marshaling his forces for war with the Manada. Felix won’t be safe anywhere in New Rome, do you understand?”

War.

Ryan’s worst fears were realized. Either Lightning Butt had learned of Sunshine’s alliance with Dynamis or of their incoming attack, and gotten off his throne. The Living Sun and Augustus would soon settle their rivalry, one way or another.

Ryan looked at Felix and considered his options. Technically, besides Lab Sixty-Six, nothing kept him in New Rome anymore in this run. Shortie wanted to abandon the surface altogether, and the Carnival would probably make the Bliss Factory their first target.

However… if the city descended into war, Ryan couldn’t afford to miss it. Len might get embroiled in it, if he trusted Enrique’s words, and too many people he wanted to protect were in danger. He needed to gather more information.

“Who is after him?” the courier asked. “Why can’t he survive in any possibility?”

Livia hesitated, but in the end, she wanted to protect Felix more than she wished to hide her family’s secrets.

“Aunt Pluto,” she finally admitted. “Aunt Pluto will go after him.”

Cruella. They sent Cruella.

“If she gets to him, it’s over Ryan. She already marked him.” And Ryan too, beforehand. “If she gets close enough, he will die with no way out. He has to leave the city.”

“How does Pluto’s power work?” The mere mention of her name caused a silent Felix to tense up.

“She… she can mark people with a curse, and the closer she moves to them, the closer they become to death. Ryan, you must leave now. She will be on her way anytime soon.”

Ryan observed Atom Cat, who seemed… almost resigned. Like a condemned man hearing a death sentence.

He didn’t think he would survive this.

Now, Ryan could leave him to his death. Pluto might be one of the few people capable of killing him permanently, and he was making real progress with breaking his own curse. Len was on the verge of unlocking the brain-transfer, and they could sit out this war. Livia would be mad, but Ryan could reasonably escape any punishment if he played his cards well.

But that would mean callously leaving a teammate to die for his personal gain.

And even if there might be no punishment… Ryan wasn’t that kind of person.

“You were on my list too,” the courier finally told Felix, remembering his discussion with Livia earlier during this loop. “She had claimed you first, so I didn’t say your name.”

Atom Cat blinked in confusion. “What?”

“The list of people I wished to protect.” Well, that left only one option then… “Kitten, pack your things, we’re going to Monaco.”

“Monaco?” Felix asked, horrified.

“I’m kidding,” Ryan said, his phone still in hand. “About the Monaco part. Pack your things, we’re leaving.”

“I’m not running away, not even from Pluto,” Atom Kitten insisted. “I won’t hide—”

“Let me tell you something,” the time-traveler put away the phone, looking straight into Felix’s eyes. “Death is painful. It is painful, and lonely, and you have no idea how much. And not just for you, but for everyone who cared about you. If you want to die a martyr? Fine, it’s your choice. But do you imagine how your sisters will feel? How will your friends?”

“But—”

“How do you think Fortuna will feel once Pluto brings her your head?”

This time, Ryan’s blunt question silenced the young hero. Unlike the courier, Felix had people who would mourn his death; people who would remember. And it seemed he had finally realized it.

“We’re leaving,” Ryan told Livia, Felix climbing out of the bed to change his clothes. “How long do we have?”

“I’ll try to give you as much as possible, but… not much.” She let out a long sigh. “Thanks, Ryan. I… I will remember this. You aren’t helping an ingrate, I swear.”

“You won’t remember, but thanks anyway.” Ryan hung up, and called another number. “Shortie? Shortie?!”

“Yes?” she answered. Thankfully, she had set up a communication channel for such emergencies. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes, a big one. Could you reroute one of your bathyspheres to send a human-sized cat to say, France?”

“What’s, what’s happening?” She immediately started to panic. “Riri, are they hunting you?”

“No, not yet.” Though Ryan had the intuition he would be on Augustus’ kill list very soon. “It’s for a friend in need.”

“I… I can do it.”

“Okay, we’ll meet outside the city.” If the transfer happened within New Rome’s confines and they learned of the bathysphere, then Vulcan would either track Felix down or inform Augustus about Len’s hideout. While the weapon Genius wasn’t very loyal to her boss, she had no reason to help Ryan this time around. “Be wary, Vulcan might be set on our case soon. From the designs I gave you, how long will it take you to recreate the armor?”

“Riri, we can’t, it’s too early to test… I’m not even sure...”

“We won’t have much time,” Ryan replied. “The whole cardboard castle will crumble soon.”

The storm Enrique had forewarned was about to hit New Rome. And Ryan wanted Len to remember him when it subsided.

“I… I’ll do what I can,” she said. “Take care, Riri. I’m coming.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said as he hung up. By now, Atom Cat had switched from his hospital clothes to his usual costume, and even put the mask on.

“Why France?” Felix asked, a dart bandolier around his chest.

“Many people there owe me a favor, and I’ll cash in.” Ryan’s first thought had been to send Atom Cat to Len’s base, but the risk of Augustus attacking the Commie-Cave was too great. The courier couldn’t endanger Shortie nor the children. “I hope you like Camus though.”

“Whom?” What an uncultured bore! “Do we take your car?”

The—damn it, and this mess had to happen the one day he left his Plymouth Fury with Len!

“No,” Ryan said, realizing he would need to cross a line today. “We’ll take the Pandamobile.”

He had the feeling this day was about to get worse.

“所以你的意思是，那些高安保实验室加固得连导弹轰炸都扛得住？”一行人在迪纳米斯护士的带领下穿过医院走廊时，瑞恩问诺拉。熊猫独自哼着歌，衣橱则抱着鲜花和巧克力。

“没错，外面那些有色玻璃窗只是摆设。”建筑师解释道，“独立的发电机能维持整层楼的运转，不需要任何外部支援，警报系统也能侦测到任何入侵者。而且只有一条路能进去：先乘电梯，再过一道防爆门。”

“没有紧急出口？”瑞恩问，意识到自己想悄无声息地潜入实验室，可选的办法已经大大减少了。“不是要挑你的毛病，但在我看来，这是个疏漏。要是里面发生核爆怎么办？”

“少来，马纳达先生要的是‘防卫严密，不是安全无虞’。”诺拉笑着答道，“我猜他们在拿危险生物做实验，不想给那些东西留下半点逃跑的机会。你们也见过马克西穆斯斗兽场里用的是什么东西吧？”

“我可太喜欢新款赛博暴龙的设计了！”衣橱插话道，“尤其是那副全息护目镜，特别有格调。”

“哦，说到这个，他们邀请熊猫参加新一届锦标赛的揭幕战了！”瑞恩的徒弟骄傲地挺起胸膛，“熊猫大战迅猛龙，终极对决！”

“要我说，这简直是在糟蹋资源。”诺拉翻了个白眼，“与其把钱花在恐龙身上，不如拿去建医院。光造它们就得花一大笔钱，更别提养活它们了。”

“说真的，我也很纠结。”瑞恩承认，“我理解你的立场，可恐龙对大众就是有种特别的吸引力。不过，要是有人懒得爬楼梯，干脆把整栋楼炸了，实验室还能完好无损吗？”

“嗯，可以，能保住。”诺拉奇怪地看了瑞恩一眼，“恐怖分子为什么会懒得爬楼梯？”

“纯属假设。”瑞恩睁着眼睛说瞎话，“不过知道这个总是好的！”

最后，护士把他们带进了一间洁白的病房——或者用瑞恩的话说，菲利克斯的猫砂盆。

这位年轻英雄的气色比几天前被酸雨捅穿肚子时好多了。除了胸口缠着绷带、还得卧床休养，原子猫看上去几乎已经完全恢复了健康。他还被迫脱下那身丑得要命的制服和面具，换上了白色病号服，瑞恩觉得这算是有所进步。

长着这么一张脸，难怪莉维娅会爱上他。瑞恩端详着菲利克斯讨人喜欢的面容，心想。不过，他很快记起福尔图娜说过，她母亲会用能力做整容手术。维纳斯也给儿子动过手脚吗？这么一想，原子猫的五官似乎确实完美得有些过头了。

可怜的小猫咪。连脸都不是自己的。

“大家都来了。”菲利克斯说道，对诺拉的出现并不意外。衣橱大概以前就介绍他们认识了。

“菲利克斯，你没事真是太好了！”衣橱立刻把巧克力和鲜花一股脑儿堆到病人腿上，把他吓了一跳。“他们有没有好好照顾你？”

“当然有。”迪纳米斯的护士笑着回答，随后替他们关上门，“我就不打扰了，不过请不要太吵。其他病人需要休息。”

熊猫挠了挠后脑勺，有点困惑。“我还以为你跟……那个玻璃人……住一间呢。”

“透明人。”瑞恩说，“朋友可以叫他半透明人。”

“是裹尸布。”菲利克斯纠正道，“弹片击中了他的重要器官，他被转进重症监护室了。伤势太重，医生只能让他进入人工昏迷。”

瑞恩听了很不是滋味。小马蒂虽然杀过他几次，但这位时间旅行者已经渐渐欣赏起那个义警了。在一次次循环中，那位透明英雄帮过他不少忙。要不是有他相助，大胖亚当现在恐怕已经把巴哈姆特号弄到手了。

“他能活下来吗？”衣橱问，神情黯淡下来。原子猫摇了摇头，给不出答案。“都是我的错……我应该想到更合适的角色才对。”

“由纪，你不可能未卜先知。”诺拉安慰她，“当时打得那么激烈。没人会怪你乱了阵脚。”

“你扮成护士，救了我的命。”菲利克斯提醒道。

这位服装设计师看起来并没有被说服。“是啊，可是……我查过了，有几个角色本来能把你们两个都救下来的。要是白魔法师属于公有领域就好了……”

“你是第一次遇到这种情况，对吧？”瑞恩问衣橱，她缓缓点了点头。“第一次尝试做不到十全十美，谁也不能怪你。相信我，我懂。熟能生巧。”

他本想鼓励衣橱，却让她的心情更糟了。“我不想练习看着别人死去。”她抱紧双臂，像是在保护自己。建筑师伸手搭上女友的肩膀，试着让衣橱安心。

“那个，呃，菲利克斯，你什么时候出院？”熊猫试图转移话题。

“明天，不过我不会继续留在至优者了。”菲利克斯说，随即抛出一个重磅消息，“我要加入嘉年华。”

“什么？”这消息一下就把衣橱从低落中拉了出来。“不是吧，快存救熊猫队才成功出动过一次，你们就都要走了？这跟乐队刚有一首热门单曲就解散有什么区别！”

“我、我们可以组个双人搭档，由纪。”熊猫说，试图挽救这个招牌，“就叫阴与阳！”

“你要是把英雄名改成马戏团狮子，我就跟你断绝关系。”瑞恩警告原子猫。菲利克斯没有理会快递员的调侃，而且似乎很不自在，不太愿意面对他。有些事变了。

“是因为制服吗？”衣橱皱眉问菲利克斯，“因为恩里克说，你不换衣服，就不让你加入职业组？”

“能穿自己想穿的，只算额外的好处。”菲利克斯嘴角一扬，“抱歉，但比起至优者，我更认同嘉年华的理念。想做正确的事，却总被太多繁文缛节挡着。”

瑞恩倒谈不上意外，不过他很好奇闪电老爸会作何反应。当初菲利克斯加入迪纳米斯，好不容易才劝住黑帮宙斯，没让他宰了自己的教子。如今再加入阳光的队伍，很可能会让那个上了年纪的疯子彻底失控。说起来，幸运女孩和莉维娅最近都安静得反常，谁也没发来消息。

一场风暴正在暗处酝酿。瑞恩的每一寸骨头都感觉得到。

“我真的好难过。”衣橱哀叹道，“我们四个，本来可以创造奇迹的……”

“我们还是可以时不时联手嘛。”瑞恩劝道，“每个月搞一次联动，搞到粉丝看腻为止！”

“可以啊，可那不一样。”服装设计师回答，“我真的很喜欢跟你们大家待在一起。”

“你们也可以自己组个队。”诺拉提议，“我觉得恩里克应该愿意考虑。”

“我就算了。”瑞恩答道，“我应该不会在新罗马待太久。”

“真的？”这一次，菲利克斯终于把注意力放到了他身上。“你打算去哪儿？”

“生活把我带到哪儿，我就去哪儿。”

其实，等新罗马达成完美通关之后会怎样，瑞恩自己也不知道。最好的结果，是他能留在蕾恩和孩子们身边，但这位时间旅行者多半还是会重新上路。在一个地方待久了，他就会坐立不安；不去寻找新的冒险，他就没法过日子。

对这个快递员来说，哪里都不像家。

“师父，你要丢下我一个人吗？”熊猫虽然保持着人形，神情却依然很像一头熊。

“小徒弟，你的修行已经完成了。”瑞恩尽量摆出一副智者的口吻，“从今往后，生活就是你的老师。”

“我……我明白了……”可怜的人熊努力忍着眼泪，“我明白了。”

“我知道你有那种独行牛仔的气质。”衣橱皱眉道，“可是……我也不知道，瑞恩，那种日子听着实在太孤独了。你真的不想留下吗？就算迪纳米斯不再要你，我肯定还是要你的！”

瑞恩望着这个纯真甜美、好得让这颗破碎星球都配不上的人。“永远的死党？”

“永远的死党！”她温暖地笑着答道。

“可惜，要夸由纪的好，恐怕得改天了。”诺拉看了看时间，“你们开会要迟到了。”

“你们有安排？”瑞恩毫不知情，问其余几人。

“双足飞龙要至优者的所有成员参加一个大会。”衣橱难过地说，“对不起，瑞恩，只有成员能去……我真的努力争取过，让你也出席，可新任首席执行官没同意。不过我们会告诉你会议情况的！”

瑞恩很快就把前因后果串了起来，但没有说破。“好吧，那我就一个人给小猫咪换猫砂了。”

“哦，我们明天可以到我家聚一聚！”熊猫提议，“地方不大，不过很舒服！”

“好啊，那太好了。”诺拉笑着转向瑞恩，“也许你可以把之前说的那位水下技术专家介绍给我？”

瑞恩轻笑一声。“我不确定她肯不肯离开共党洞，不过我会试着说服她。”

“哦，那我也许该把仓库里那套卡尔·马克思装扮翻出来！”说完，衣橱为这次探望过于短暂向菲利克斯道了歉，随后和女友、熊猫一道离开了。病房里只剩下瑞恩和这位年轻的超级英雄。

“迪纳米斯和嘉年华打算进攻奥古斯蒂，对吧？”其余人一走，瑞恩便问菲利克斯，“锈镇突袭才过去两天，就要召集旗下所有英雄开会。阿尔方斯·马纳达和哈格雷夫斯想趁热打铁。”

“是你想知道？”菲利克斯问，语气忽然变得谨慎而戒备，“还是莉维娅让你来问的？”

“说实话，小猫咪，反正我很快就会知道。”瑞恩耸了耸肩，“我只是找点话聊。还有，我记得你不想让家人来探望，可我刚才看见纳尔西妮娅从这里出去。”

“纳尔西妮娅是例外。她有权知道真相。”好吧，难怪她会是那副反应。“我把一切都告诉她了。奥古斯都怎样杀害了她的父母，又安排人收养她，就为了利用她的能力制造毒品。光是说起这件事都让我恶心。他比我以为的还要卑劣。”

“我猜她没信？”瑞恩瘫坐在最近的一把椅子上，一条腿搭着扶手，“她不记得自己的亲生父母了？”

“不记得。”菲利克斯愤怒地皱紧了眉头，“巴克斯大概在她小时候就摧毁过她的心智。他的能力办得到。从精神上折磨别人，直到把人逼疯；或者扭曲别人的认知，让人相信假的东西。”

瑞恩默默记下这条情报，日后炸极乐工厂时用得上。“好吧，你真要加入嘉年华，就有机会为家族内斗出一份力了。”

“莉维娅的事，我知道了。”菲利克斯瞪着瑞恩，“黑棘告诉我，你跟她和福尔图娜见过面。”

这下，他忽然变得疏远的原因也清楚了。“我要是告诉你，那是一套宏伟计划的一部分，目的是让你姐姐别再缠着我，你会信吗？”

“我知道她是什么德性，可莉维娅又是怎么回事？”菲利克斯抱起双臂，“先是我姐姐，现在又是我前女友？你非要把我全家都睡一遍？”

“你父母是开放式婚姻吗？”瑞恩天真地问。

原子猫一点也不觉得好笑。“你是不是跟他们睡到一张床上去了？我是说，奥古斯蒂。”

“比喻意义上，还是字面意义上？”严格说来，他确实睡过贾丝敏，不过那是上一轮的事了。“因为两个答案都是没有。我发誓，我没碰过你姐姐，虽说她的能力让这事相当不容易。不过，她也没我以为的那么糟……”

“别……别再提我姐姐了……”菲利克斯闭了一下眼睛，仿佛在驱赶脑海中某个不堪入目的画面。“莉维娅那么谨慎，不会随便接近组织以外的人。就算有福尔图娜陪着也一样。而且不止这个。你知道福尔图娜是我姐姐，也知道我跟莉维娅交往过。这些事，只有奥古斯蒂内部和迪纳米斯的少数几个人知道。黑棘发誓，你以前从没跟他谈过我。”

瑞恩猜到他想说什么了。“小猫咪，你觉得这些消息是奥古斯蒂告诉我的？”

“不然还能有谁？”菲利克斯讥讽地反问，“瑞恩，我真搞不懂你。”

“我要是跟奥古斯都是一伙的，还会帮透明人和阳光吗？”瑞恩抛出一个简单的问题，瞥了一眼衣橱留给菲利克斯的巧克力。他有种预感，这些巧克力大概没人会吃了。“人人都想从我身上分一杯羹，我也没办法。”

“所以，你不是奥古斯都的朋友，也不是他的敌人？”菲利克斯冷笑道，先前的友善已经荡然无存。“说到底，你就是个雇佣兵？你策划扳倒超能帮，是因为有人付钱让你这么干？”

“什么？不是，我干这些可没人给钱，虽然我巴不得有人给。”老天，瑞恩在新罗马每过一轮要是都能领钱，他现在肯定更有钱了。“实话是，小猫咪，我灭了汉尼胖·莱克特那伙人，是因为他们威胁到了我的朋友。我只是想让那些我在乎的人能活到明天。仅此而已。”

“莉维娅也是这么给自己开脱的。不管付出什么代价，都要保护家人。”

“她还爱着你，你知道吗？”瑞恩尊重菲利克斯与家族断绝关系的决定，但他太能体会莉维娅的处境了，至少想试着帮他们和好。

“可我不爱她。”原子小猫移开了视线，“从来都不爱。不是那种爱。”

瑞恩皱起眉头。“什么意思？”

“是父母把我们推到一起的。”菲利克斯承认，“当时他们的组织还只是卡莫拉的一个分支，他们就是最要好的朋友了。我们还是孩子的时候，这门亲事就定下了。我……别误会，我还是在乎她的，但只是把她当朋友。我不爱她。我从来都不是她想要的那个白马王子。”

“她跟我说过你们的秘密藏身处。”瑞恩想让自己的语气保持中立，却还是没能压住话音里隐隐的责备，“说你们会躲到那里，逃开各自的家人。那时候你就在让她误会？”

“我……我没有骗她，不完全是。我也努力过，想让这段关系维持下去，可是……”原子小猫摇了摇头，“老兄，你没法逼自己爱上一个人。”

瑞恩有些同情菲利克斯，但他更心疼莉维娅。她一直眷恋的，竟是从来就不曾存在过的东西。

但最让快递员挥之不去的，是这一切仿佛在映照他自己的处境。他与蕾恩的关系，处处都能在其中找到影子，虽说至少他和小矮个到头来，也许还能好好说话。莉维娅与菲利克斯之间，却弥漫着一股悲剧将至的气息。

“你跟她很亲近。”菲利克斯说，“莉维娅。她跟你说了藏身处，说了我的事。所以你才知道。你不是奥古斯都的朋友，你是莉维娅的朋友。”

“倒也谈不上。我们威胁要杀了对方，可不止一次。”

“可黑棘说，你们俩相处得相当融洽。”菲利克斯仔细打量着瑞恩，脸上的表情让人看不透，“她对你来说算什么？”

“我……”瑞恩清了清嗓子，试着整理思绪，“她……她让我想起另一个人。我曾经想把那个人从一个怪物手里救出来，可我失败了。我只是不想让莉维娅也落得同样的下场。”

原子猫沉默了足足一分钟，令人煎熬，才终于说出自己的想法：“瑞恩，你救不了她，没法让她摆脱她父亲。”

快递员身子一颤。

“我也试过。”菲利克斯说，“但办不到。他对她的控制太深了。唯一的办法就是除掉奥古斯都，可就算你做得到，她也会因此恨你。”

就像蕾恩和血流一样。

“你现在不就是打算这么做吗？”瑞恩问，“迪纳米斯和嘉年华计划进攻奥古斯都，你站到他们那边，闪电屁股可不会高兴。你父母没法永远护着你。”

“我不在乎。”菲利克斯耸起肩膀，想让自己显得比实际更坚强些，“我已经接受了这种可能。”

“有阳光帮忙，马纳达家也许有足够的火力打垮奥古斯蒂。”瑞恩承认，“但真正的问题还在。黑帮宙斯本人。”

“迪纳米斯有一件武器。也许能让他彻底失去战斗力。”

“阿尔方斯之前提过的重力枪？连他亲爹都不相信那东西管用。”

“瑞恩，我们不能一辈子活在对他的恐惧里。”菲利克斯生硬地回答，“总得有人站出来，哪怕必须付出代价。否则，什么都不会改变。极乐会继续流通，人们也会继续死去。”

瑞恩正要继续争辩，手机响了。他迅速从口袋里掏出手机，看了一眼来电人。“是莉维娅。”他说。

菲利克斯嗤了一声。“别接。我不会跟她通话。”

“行吧，老古板。”瑞恩说着，照样接起了电话。“怎么了，公主？”

“瑞恩。”她的语气急切，几乎透着惊慌。“菲利克斯跟你在一起吗？”

“在，不过他不肯跟你说——”

“你得逃。”她打断了他，“你得带上他一起逃。你们现在就得离开新罗马。”

“等等，等等，离开新罗马？”瑞恩皱起眉，在椅子上坐直了。“公主，我也有自己的日子要过，不能说放下一切就——”

“你要是不走，爸爸会派人杀了他！”

瑞恩僵住了，看向还蒙在鼓里的原子小猫。“因为他加入了嘉年华？”

“还有他对纳尔西妮娅说的那些话。”莉维娅继续说道，声音都变了调。菲利克斯虽然听不见电话另一头在说什么，却显然已经明白了大概。“我……我在设法阻止，可每过一分钟，可能的结果就会更糟。我……我看不到出路，但我也看不到你。我需要你的帮助。”

“要我带他去迪纳米斯吗？”

“不行。我父亲正在集结人手，准备跟马纳达家开战。新罗马没有任何地方能让菲利克斯安全，你明白吗？”

战争。

瑞恩最担心的事成真了。闪电屁股不是得知了阳光与迪纳米斯结盟，就是得知了他们即将发动进攻，终于走下了王座。活体太阳和奥古斯都之间的宿怨，很快就要以某种方式做个了断了。

瑞恩看着菲利克斯，权衡自己的选择。严格说来，这一轮除了六十六号实验室，新罗马已经没什么能留住他了。小矮个想彻底放弃地面上的一切，而嘉年华多半会把极乐工厂当作第一个目标。

可是……如果这座城市陷入战争，瑞恩就不能错过。要是恩里克的话可信，蕾恩也可能被卷进去，而且他想保护的人中，有太多人正身处险境。他必须收集更多情报。

“谁要来杀他？”快递员问，“为什么哪一种可能里，他都活不下来？”

莉维娅犹豫了，但最终，保护菲利克斯的念头还是压过了保守家族秘密的意愿。

“普鲁托姑姑。”她终于承认，“普鲁托姑姑会去追杀他。”

库伊拉。他们派出了库伊拉。

“瑞恩，要是她找上他，就全完了。她已经给他下了标记。”瑞恩也早就被她标记过。“只要她靠得够近，他就必死无疑，没有任何出路。他必须离开这座城市。”

“普鲁托的能力究竟是怎么回事？”光是提到她的名字，一言不发的菲利克斯便绷紧了身子。

“她……她能给人下诅咒标记。她离那个人越近，那个人就离死亡越近。瑞恩，你们现在就得走。她随时都可能动身。”

瑞恩观察着原子猫，他看起来……几乎已经认命了。就像一个听见死刑宣判的囚犯。

他不认为自己能活过这一劫。

眼下，瑞恩完全可以丢下他，让他自生自灭。普鲁托或许是那极少数能让瑞恩彻底死去的人之一，而他在打破自身诅咒这件事上，正取得实实在在的进展。蕾恩即将攻克大脑转移技术，他们完全可以避开这场战争。莉维娅会愤怒，可只要牌打得好，瑞恩应该能逃过一切惩罚。

但那就意味着，为了自己的利益，冷血地丢下一个队友等死。

而即便可能不会受到任何惩罚……瑞恩也不是那种人。

“你也在我的名单上。”快递员终于对菲利克斯开口，想起这一轮早些时候与莉维娅的谈话，“她先把你划过去了，所以我没报你的名字。”

原子猫困惑地眨了眨眼。“什么？”

“我想保护的人的名单。”好吧，那就只剩下一个选择了……“小猫咪，收拾东西，我们去摩纳哥。”

“摩纳哥？”菲利克斯惊恐地问。

“开玩笑的。”瑞恩说，手机还握在手里，“我是说摩纳哥那部分。收拾东西，我们走。”

“我不会逃，普鲁托来了也一样。”原子小猫坚持道，“我不会躲——”

“让我告诉你一件事。”时间旅行者把手机移到一旁，直视菲利克斯的双眼，“死亡是痛苦的。既痛苦，又孤独，程度之深，是你根本无法想象的。而且不只是对你自己，对每一个在乎你的人也一样。你想当烈士？行，那是你的选择。可你有没有想过，你的姐妹会是什么感受？你的朋友呢？”

“可是——”

“等普鲁托把你的脑袋送到福尔图娜面前，你觉得她会是什么感受？”

这一次，瑞恩直截了当的问题让年轻英雄沉默了。菲利克斯和快递员不同，有人会为他的死哀悼；有人会记得。而他似乎终于意识到了这一点。

“我们这就走。”瑞恩对莉维娅说，菲利克斯已经下床去换衣服了。“我们还有多少时间？”

“我会尽量替你们多争取一点，可是……不会有太多。”她长长地叹了口气。“谢谢你，瑞恩。我……我会记住的。我发誓，你帮的不是一个忘恩负义的人。”

“你不会记得的，不过还是谢谢。”瑞恩挂断电话，又拨了另一个号码。“小矮个？小矮个？！”

“怎么了？”她接了。幸好，她为这种紧急情况专门设立了通讯频道。“出什么问题了吗？”

“有，大问题。你能不能调一艘深潜球，送一只人那么大的猫去……比如说法国？”

“怎、怎么回事？”她立刻慌了起来。“瑞瑞，他们在追杀你吗？”

“不，还没有。”不过瑞恩有种直觉，自己很快就会上奥古斯都的必杀名单。“是为了一个有难的朋友。”

“我……我可以。”

“好，我们在城外碰面。”要是在新罗马境内交接，又让他们知道了深潜球的存在，伏尔甘不是会追查到菲利克斯的下落，就是会把蕾恩的藏身处告诉奥古斯都。那个武器天才虽然对老板没多少忠心，但这一轮，她也没有理由帮瑞恩。“小心点，伏尔甘可能很快就会被派来对付我们。照我给你的设计图，你要多久才能重造出那套装甲？”

“瑞瑞，不行，现在做测试还太早……我甚至不确定……”

“我们没多少时间了。”瑞恩回答，“这整座纸板城堡很快就会塌下来。”

恩里克预警过的那场风暴，即将席卷新罗马。而瑞恩希望，当风暴平息时，蕾恩还能记得他。

“我……我会尽力。”她说，“小心点，瑞瑞。我这就来。”

“谢谢。”瑞恩说完，挂了电话。此时，原子猫已经脱下病号服，换回惯常的制服，连面具都戴上了。

“为什么是法国？”菲利克斯问，胸前斜挎着一条飞镖带。

“那边有不少人欠我人情，我要去讨回来了。”瑞恩最初想过把原子猫送到蕾恩的基地，但奥古斯都袭击共党洞的风险太大。他不能让小矮个和孩子们陷入危险。“不过，希望你喜欢加缪。”

“谁？”真是个没文化的无趣家伙！“我们坐你的车吗？”

那——妈的，他偏偏就今天把普利茅斯“狂怒”留给了蕾恩，偏偏就在今天出了这摊破事！

“不。”瑞恩说，意识到今天自己必须越过一条底线了。“我们开熊猫战车。”

他有种预感，今天还会变得更糟。