同章对照

For the first time in centuries, Ryan woke up at peace with himself.

Certainly, he had had good mornings in the past. Waking up next to Jasmine would remain one of his most cherished memories. But nothing could compare to this beautiful moment. His body was numb from the endorphins; the tension in his muscles had long vanished. He could have stayed in his bed all day, smiling at the ceiling.

Ryan Romano was happy.

It took a herculean effort of will to rise up and put on his presidential costume, for he still had work to do. As he dressed, the courier glanced at the hole a robot made in his bowler hat. One loop ago, the cruel sight would have triggered an epic, city-destroying rampage.

But not today.

Ryan emerged from his room smiling behind his mask, and found Frank keeping watch in front of the doors. The giant immediately welcomed him with a military salute. “Good morning, Mr. President. Nothing to report.”

Ryan smiled at the poor, deluded creature, his heart full of warmth and compassion. “Agent Frank,” he said while putting a hand on the man’s back, though he had to stand on his toes. “You are the greatest hero this nation’s ever had. You are everything an American citizen should be.”

His kind words shook the titan to the core. Frank would have cried, if he wasn’t made of metal. “Thank you, Mr. President. Everything I do is to honor my father. He died from a KFC overdose while hanging Nazis with a lasso.”

“A most American way to die. He would be so proud of you, son.”

Though Ryan would have to make sure Frank and Len never ended up in the same room. He had the intuition it would backfire.

Leaving his favorite guard to his watch, Ryan moved into the recreational area while whistling to himself. He didn’t care about the hanged gremlins dangling from the ceiling, or how Rakshasa struggled to clean up a blood puddle on the floor.

Everything just felt… right.

“Oh, you’re awake, boss?” Ryan glanced at the speaker, noticing Sarin playing pool with Mosquito. The bugman had bandages all over his shoulders and wings. “We’ve got a problem. The rabbits kept pestering the kids to play outside, and they moved into the Junkyard after killing all the gremlins.”

“They flogged me when I tried to stop them,” Mosquito complained, pointing at the bandages. “They flogged me.”

“That too.”

“It’s okay,” Ryan replied calmly. If the plushies didn’t destroy the world today, it would be something else, like an asteroid or a plague. No biggie.

Hazmat Girl didn’t look convinced. “Didn’t you stress that your rabbits shouldn’t go outside under any circumsta—”

“My dear lovely Sarin.” Ryan put his hands on his VP’s shoulders. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise you, darling.”

“Are you high?” she asked while abandoning her cue, sounding disgusted with her superior. “I know we have a juice production facility, but… what’s the saying…”

“Don’t get high on your own product. I know, I ran a drug cartel.” Which turned out great! “Sarin, I have something to say. You’re not the best sidekick I had, that would be the Panda, but I like you. I like you very much.”

Sarin pushed Ryan back and raised a vibrating fist in his direction. He had opened his heart to her, and that was how she reacted? “Okay, what’s wrong with you? You’re weirder than usual.”

“I feel like being nice today,” Ryan said, letting out a sigh of pure bliss. “No cruel joke, no sarcasm, no mean remarks. Just pure kindness.”

“Well get back to normal, you’re creeping the shit out of me.”

“I prefer him this way,” Mosquito said, immediately trying to exploit the situation. “Does that mean we get free juice today, since you’re in a good mood?”

“Of course, dear leech,” Ryan said, the bugman loudly rejoicing. “Enjoy your day off, my friends. For tomorrow, we’ll go to war.”

Manada’s ultimatum expired the day after, and while Ryan had a plan to get rid of him, it would involve a clash with Il Migliore. Perhaps even the Carnival, if the two groups already made contact during this loop.

Now that the president had secured his white house and electoral base, he would take the city by storm.

The elevator to the lower levels opened before Ryan could explain his plan to his trusty minions. Mongrel stepped out first, followed by a blonde woman with bloodshot eyes. She kept her head down and avoided others’ gazes, as if afraid of overstepping.

It took Ryan a split second to recognize Acid Rain.

Her behavior, her posture, the way she moved… everything but her appearance had changed. She gave off an entirely different vibe than the murderous madwoman the courier had grown used to. Her posture screamed meek.

“Rain?” Mosquito asked, probably expecting the violent maniac to flip out and murder them. “Rain, is that you?”

“I’m, uh… I’m Helen.” Even her voice wasn’t the same, now that she didn’t scream all the time. “That’s my real name. Helen.”

“Who let you out?” Sarin asked, pointing her hands at her.

“The Doc. He said I… that the treatment worked.” Acid Rain scratched the back of her head as everyone looked at her in shock, before smiling sheepishly at Ryan. “Sorry I tried to kill you before. I… I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” Ryan’s heart overflowed with compassion, and Sarin lowered her gauntlets. “I’m just happy you still have all your hair.”

“Chemo worked on me too,” Mongrel spoke, his voice surprising in its mundaneness.

Sarin’s head immediately turned in his direction. “You can talk?”

“Yeah, though my brain hurts when I speak.” Mongrel held his head in his hand. “I think my grey matter slowly fills the void left by the tumors.”

“I feel like I’m waking up from a long nightmare,” Acid Rain said, smiling at Ryan. “Thanks for helping. I… I’m truly grateful, like you wouldn’t believe.”

“But our current treatment won’t last forever, from what I gathered,” Mongrel complained with a groan. “Which sucks.”

No, it wouldn’t. Genomes’ enhanced metabolisms meant they developed a tolerance to chemical products much quicker than normal humans. Eventually, their mutations would adapt to Alchemo’s treatment, and the two Psychos would descend back into madness.

But that was the worst-case scenario, and Ryan knew he would make it right. “We have the tools to figure out a permanent solution,” he said, glancing at Mongrel. “I have the feeling we’ll need your assistance though.”

“Ain’t gonna fight you on this,” Mongrel said. “I don’t wanna go back to eating rats, ya dig? Never asked for that.”

“You drank, like, five knockoffs,” Sarin pointed out, unsympathetic to his plight. “You were already barely better than a dog when Adam found you scavenging trash.”

Mongrel shuddered. “I found a White Elixir while looting Old Rome’s ruins, but it didn’t do anything. I read White Genomes affected other Genomes, but I couldn’t get my power to work. So I figured, hey, there’s gotta be faulty Elixirs lying around, and I drew the short end of the stick. I already planned on buying a knockoff before I found my original, so…”

Ryan guessed how it went, a shiver down his spine. “You drank a knockoff since you believed yourself powerless, and you turned into a Psycho.”

Mongrel’s ability allowed him to stockpile more than one Elixir. By itself, it did nothing. Much like how Casper the ghost only transformed post-mortem, some powers needed very specific circumstances to activate, misleading their users.

“Yeah,” Mongrel confirmed with a nod. “I swear, if you find a cure, I’m never touching an Elixir for the rest of my life. Years as a maddened animal scared me straight.”

“Just to be sure, you aren’t going to stab us in the back either?” Mosquito asked Acid Rain. “You gutted our previous teleporter in a fit of rage.”

“No, no.” The young woman shook her head, her eyes betraying her horror. “I… that wasn’t me. I… I won’t hurt anyone, I swear.”

She sounded sincere, so Ryan gave her the benefit of the doubt. “Something has been bugging me,” the courier said, seizing the opportunity to interrogate her. “In your insane state, you kept rambling about how I barred the gates, and that something called the Ultimate One wanted you to win.”

“I…” Helen crossed her arms, uncomfortable at reliving her days as a madwoman. “Well, I don’t remember everything. It’s all a haze. But… I think it’s because of the portal inside you.”

“The portal?” Ryan frowned behind his mask.

“Yeah.” Acid Rain searched for the right words. “When I switch with my raindrops it’s… it’s not instantaneous. It looks like it from the outside, but from my point of view… everything goes purple, and I move from one spot to another through a corridor.”

“You enter the Purple World when you teleport, using it as a shortcut through space.” It explained why their powers could sense the other activating. They both shared a strong connection with the dimension fueling them.

“When I’m in this place, I… see a weird pyramid thing above us, watching.” Helen took a deep breath. “I hear voices too. I’m not sure if it’s talking to me, or something else, but… I hear people speaking. When I look at you in this state, I can see a pathway I can’t access. A pathway that you close. If that makes sense.”

“I see.” Ryan crossed his arms. “Thing is, I have been able to open a gate to the Purple World in the past, but only with my power boosted.”

“You could do that?” Acid Rain’s head perked up in hope. “You could… you could go back in time with that place. I know you could. It’s… all of space and time, it all goes back to it.”

Sarin gave Ryan a knowing look, and though he beamed with happiness, he was careful enough not to reveal the truth. Especially not now, when things were finally looking bright.

“I’ve… I’ve lost my family because of a… because of a mistake,” Helen said, joining her fingers and looking down. “That’s why I looked for a Violet Elixir. I could already summon the rain, but…”

“You drank a Violet Elixir, in spite of the risks?” Ryan asked.

Acid Rain shook her head, her face turning ghastly, her fingers shaking. “I found one, but… I thought I could give it to a friend. That maybe they would luck out. But Adam... Adam caught me and... he took the Violet Elixir, and said…”

Her stare reminded him of a traumatized victim having a PTSD episode.

“He said that If I really wanted to go back, I… I should do it myself. So he… opened the bottle and...” Her voice died down her throat, her breathing shortening. “And he…”

Ryan shivered as he listened to her tale, and suddenly realized that Hannifat Lecter’s obsession with force-feeding him an Elixir wasn’t a one-time impulse.

It was a habit.

That murderous bastard shattered people into broken shells of their former selves, until they had no other option but to follow him.

“I doubt we can help your family, Helen,” Ryan apologized, crushing her hopes. Even if he managed to access the Purple World, according to Darkling, the Ultimate One would preserve causality and avoid time-paradoxes. “But we’re going to help you, at least. I swear it.”

“I… okay.” The way she said it made Ryan feel sorry for Acid Rain, of all people. She gathered her breath, and managed to calm herself. “Okay.”

“Maybe you could ask the Augusti?” Mosquito suggested. Did he rediscover an ember of humanity? “I heard Mercury could raise the dead, and we made peace with them.”

“He raises them as mindless zombies, you stupid jackass,” Sarin said, before returning to the pool game. She wasn’t one for emotional moments. “Anyone else wanna play? I’m on a roll right now.”

“Sure,” Mongrel said, before looking at the dead gremlins dangling from the ceiling. “Also, why are there dead hanged animals above the table?”

“They’re our lucky charms,” Sarin said, as she sent an 8-ball rolling into a hole.

Toasty chose that moment to roll into the room, avoiding a blood puddle and immediately rushing at Acid Rain’s feet. “Hey, blondie,” the toaster greeted Helen, as it put on the charm. “Do you want me to… toast your bread?”

The poor woman looked at the toaster in absolute confusion, and then at Ryan. “Is this a prank?” she asked.

“If you don’t like your bread raw, I’ve got butter,” Toasty said seductively. His game was atrocious, but then again, he was a toaster. “Sweet, soft butter.”

“How can you get butter when you don’t have arms?” Ryan pointed out the obvious.

“Hey, you’ve got enough chicks vying for you already, leave some for us,” Toasty replied. “When are you putting me inside that big hot mech in the garage? Then, I’ll show you arms!”

“Tomorrow, my friend. Tomorrow.”

Wyvern had destroyed robots and mechs before.

But she had never fought a toaster.

---

After briefing his mooks on his devilish plan, Ryan moved to the lower levels.

Len had set up a modest Genius workshop in one of the underground chambers close to the holographic dome. Ryan had disabled the cameras and microphones for privacy, which Alchemo took as a sign he did dirty things with Len behind doors.

If the courier could trust the screens on the walls and the information banks they showed, the room used to be an archive of some sort. A holographic projector at the chamber’s center showed a map of planet Earth, with half a dozen glowing red points around Eurasia. Perhaps they indicated Mechron’s remaining facilities. Ryan would have to track them down after settling things in New Rome.

“Hi, Shortie,” he told Len, upon finding her working on the brain-copying machine. She had repurposed a desk into an improvised workbench. “You look good.”

He had grown used to seeing dark circles around Len’s eyes, but not today. She looked as well-rested as Ryan himself, and her cheeks had regained some color.

“Hi, Riri,” she said with a warm, kind smile. “Yes, I… I feel good. Alchemo gave me pills, and they work much better than my previous antidepressants. I can think clearly even when I’m not using my power.”

Though Ryan still distrusted Alchemo, he had to admit the Genius could do a great deal of good when he wanted to. If the courier learned how to reproduce his miracle drugs, he could provide Len with treatment across loops. In time, she might regain the same vivid, innocent energy of her teenage years.

“So any progress on the machine?” Ryan asked, looking at this device with reverence. It had saved him from centuries of loneliness. “Now we proved it works and Psyshock won’t follow us again, we can finally make long-term plans for the future.”

Especially since this loop would probably end with another firefight.

“I still can’t believe we just time-traveled,” Len admitted. “When I looked at Sarah, and how she had never seen my sanctuary, I… I understood how you felt. People forgetting you over, and over again… it must be maddening.”

“That was before,” Ryan said, as he sat on the workbench. “Now we can bring more people into the loop. I have an arrogant young disciple I would love for you to meet.”

“There’s a problem, Riri,” Len said, biting her lower lip. “The machine can only send one brain map back in time at once. Maybe I can improve it and raise that number, but for now… we’re limited to one person.”

“You then,” Ryan said, quickly understanding the method’s limits. “And we’ll need to rebuild the machine and send you back each time in an unbroken chain. If it breaks once, you’ll forget everything.”

“Unless we have a place where we can store the memories,” Len confirmed with a nod.

“We’ll need Livia,” Ryan said. The courier intended to talk to her so she could assist with the Psycho cure project, so he would kill two birds with one stone. “I thought you didn’t trust her?”

“She… she followed through with her end of the bargain.” Len took a deep breath. “I mean, she could have told her father to storm this place, but she didn’t. Maybe… maybe I misjudged her. I don’t want her to see the machine’s blueprints, but we could cooperate.”

“Do you have the resources to recreate the brain-scanner at your base, Shortie?” Len’s strained face told him otherwise. “Since Psyshock corrupted the prototype, we’ll need to create a new one from scratch.”

“I… no, I’m sorry. We’ll need better tech than I have. Vulcan’s, or this bunker’s.”

Unfortunately, the courier couldn’t conquer the bunker without help for now. After fighting the defenses, Ryan realized it would take an ungodly number of loops to take it over solo. He couldn’t take it without casualties either, at least not until he perfected the process through constant repetitions.

He could convince Vulcan or Dynamis to provide him with tech under the right circumstances, but Livia looked like the best option. If they could work out a deal, the Augusti princess could provide an enormous amount of resources and serve as a back-up. “I’ll ask Livia.”

“What next afterward?” Len asked. “I… even if some of them helped this time around, we’re surrounded by Psychos. Mosquito and Mongrel, they tried to abduct the children one loop ago.”

“I wouldn’t worry about the children. Considering their protectors, I worry more about running out of mooks.”

“I’m serious, Riri. It’s… It’s hard to pretend nothing happened. Every time I see the Meta-Gang’s members, I’m tempted to shoot them.”

“I was too,” Ryan admitted, “but I’ve come to realize that while there are monsters in their midst, some of them are victims of circumstances. I can’t help but wonder what they will do with their lives, if we can cure them of their madness and addiction.”

“They’ll just fall back into their old habits,” Len said cynically.

Ryan wasn’t so sure. Though it might be his inner optimist talking, he wanted to believe people like Mongrel or Acid Rain could turn their life around. He had the intuition Sarin wouldn’t start any trouble either, if she recovered a body of flesh and blood. His Perfect Run demanded he save those who deserved it.

“In any case, we’ll focus on mastering this bunker’s technology.” Darkling kept pestering Alchemo about the portal, but the Genius still struggled to overcome Mechron’s firewalls. While the bunker’s security systems didn’t attack on sight anymore, the key, critical areas remained out of reach for now. “And afterward, we’ll deal with Dynamis.”

Len nodded, her face betraying a hint of anxiousness. “We’re raiding Lab Sixty-Six this loop?”

“Yes. I already set things in motion to prepare the terrain.” Whatever may wait for them inside Dynamis’ fortress, they would soon learn it. “Len, there’s… there’s something I wish to talk about.”

She looked away. “What Psyshock saw in my mind, isn’t it?”

Yes.

“Len.”

Ryan gathered his breath.

“I love you.”

There, he said it.

“I’ve loved many people. So many, you can’t count them all. I’ve loved Tea, and Jasmine, and… I admit I have a huge crush on Wardrobe.” God damn it, why was she already taken? “But out of all these relationships, ours… ours always had a special place in my heart. I… I hoped we could settle down somewhere. Build a house. Make children. You know, the old dream. I… now that you can remember, I… I have to know if you feel the same.”

He had waited so long to get it off his chest.

Len’s arms remained crossed, and tightened further. She kept looking away from him, avoiding his gaze; perhaps she wanted to spare him the sadness in her own eyes, or her emotions overwhelmed her.

“I…” Len struggled to find her words, and Ryan patiently waited for her to do so. “I still… I guess after all we went through together, it can’t ever go away. But...”

But.

Such a small word, and yet one that crushed so many dreams.

“But so much happened, Ryan,” she said with a deep, sad sigh. “So much. I… I wish we could go back to simpler times, but… we can’t, even with your power. I’m… you’re my best friend, Riri, and… and I don’t want you to go away. But… I don’t feel I’m ready for us to become more than that. Perhaps never.”

Ryan listened in silence, having expected something like this.

“I’m…” Len finally looked into his eyes, and he could see she was terrified of his reaction. “I’m sorry, Riri.”

“No, it’s okay,” Ryan reassured her with dignity, and he meant it. “I had centuries to process these feelings and prepare myself. I... understand, Shortie.”

The courier didn’t like it, but he understood. He had clung to an idea of the past for so long, he couldn’t keep looking back. Things happened. Things changed. He had to accept them, and move on. Len still had her own issues, and couldn’t give him the emotional intimacy he yearned for. She already wanted him in her life against all odds, and he couldn’t feel entitled to more.

“I will give you your space,” he said. “Frankly, I’m just happy we can become friends again, and stay that way.”

All Ryan ever asked for, was for someone to remember him.

He couldn’t ask for more of Len, now that she fulfilled his dearest wish.

“I… perhaps I was wrong. I don’t think we’re best friends. It seems… it seems not strong enough a term.” Len gave him a bright, warm smile. “We’re family, Riri.”

Yes. Yes, they were family. Perhaps not the one Ryan had hoped for, but a family all the same.

And…

He was fine with it.

几个世纪以来，瑞恩第一次醒来时，内心一片安宁。

当然，过去也有过美好的清晨。在贾丝敏身边醒来的时刻，始终会是他最珍爱的回忆之一。但没有什么比得上眼下这一刻。他的身体被内啡肽浸得酥软，肌肉里的紧绷早已消散。他完全可以一整天都躺在床上，对着天花板傻笑。

瑞恩·罗马诺很幸福。

他费了九牛二虎之力，才凭意志爬起床，穿上总统行头。毕竟还有工作要做。穿衣时，快递员瞥了一眼圆顶礼帽上被机器人打出的窟窿。放在上一轮，这惨不忍睹的一幕足以让他暴走，轰轰烈烈地拆掉一座城。

但今天不会。

瑞恩带着面具后的笑容走出房间，看见弗兰克正守在门前。巨人立刻敬了个军礼，迎接他的到来。“早上好，总统先生。一切正常。”

瑞恩微笑着看向这个可怜的、活在妄想里的家伙，心中满是温暖与怜悯。“弗兰克特工，”他说着，将一只手放到对方背上，尽管为此不得不踮起脚尖，“你是这个国家有史以来最伟大的英雄。美国公民该有的优点，你全都有。”

这番温言善语深深震撼了这位巨人。要不是金属之躯，弗兰克一定会流下眼泪。“谢谢您，总统先生。我所做的一切都是为了纪念父亲。他用套索吊死纳粹的时候，因肯德基摄入过量去世了。”

“再美国不过的死法了。孩子，他一定会为你骄傲的。”

不过，瑞恩得确保弗兰克和蕾恩永远别待在同一个房间。他直觉那样会出事。

留下自己最喜欢的警卫继续值守，瑞恩吹着口哨走进休闲区。天花板上吊死的小魔怪晃来晃去，罗刹费力地擦洗着地板上的一摊血，他都不在乎。

一切都感觉那么……恰到好处。

“哟，老大，你醒了？”瑞恩朝说话的人看去，发现沙林正在和蚊子打台球。那个虫人肩膀和翅膀上到处都缠着绷带。“出了点问题。兔子们一直缠着孩子们，要出去玩，杀光所有小魔怪后就搬到废料场去了。”

“我想拦住它们，结果挨了鞭打。”蚊子指着身上的绷带抱怨，“它们鞭打我。”

“还有这事。”

“没关系。”瑞恩平静地回答。今天就算不是毛绒玩偶毁灭世界，也会有别的东西动手，比如小行星或者瘟疫。小事一桩。

防化服姑娘看起来并不信服。“你不是强调过，无论如何都不能让你的兔子们出去——”

“我亲爱又可爱的沙林。”瑞恩双手搭上副总统的肩膀，“一切都会好起来的。我向你保证，亲爱的。”

“你嗑嗨了？”她丢开球杆问道，语气里满是对上司的嫌弃。“我知道我们有了药水生产设施，可是……那句话怎么说来着……”

“别嗑自己卖的货。我知道，我经营过贩毒集团。”而且搞得很成功！“沙林，有些话我想说。你不是我最棒的搭档，那个位置属于熊猫，不过我喜欢你。我非常喜欢你。”

沙林推开瑞恩，朝他举起一只震动的拳头。他都向她敞开心扉了，她居然是这种反应？“行了，你到底怎么回事？比平时还怪。”

“我今天就想待人友善。”瑞恩说着，心满意足地叹了口气，“不开恶毒的玩笑，不挖苦人，不说刻薄话。只有纯粹的善意。”

“那你还是恢复正常吧，你他妈瘆得我浑身发毛。”

“我更喜欢他这样。”蚊子说着，立刻试图趁机捞点好处，“既然你心情好，那我们今天是不是能领免费药水？”

“当然，亲爱的水蛭。”瑞恩回答，虫人顿时高声欢呼。“好好享受今天的假期吧，我的朋友们。因为明天，我们就要上战场了。”

马纳达最后通牒的期限明天就到。虽然瑞恩已经有了除掉他的计划，但那免不了要和至优者交锋。如果这一轮里两个组织已经接上头，甚至可能连嘉年华也会卷进来。

如今，总统已经稳住了白宫和自己的选民基本盘，接下来就要席卷全城。

瑞恩还没来得及向忠实的喽啰们解释计划，通往下层的电梯就开了。杂种率先走了出来，身后跟着一名双眼布满血丝的金发女人。她一直低着头，避开别人的视线，仿佛生怕自己有半点越界。

瑞恩愣了一瞬才认出，那是酸雨。

她的举止、姿态、走路的方式……除了外表，一切都变了。她给人的感觉，与快递员早已习惯的那个嗜杀疯女人截然不同。她浑身上下都透着怯懦。

“酸雨？”蚊子问，大概还在等着这个暴力疯子突然发作，杀光他们。“酸雨，是你吗？”

“我，呃……我叫海伦。”如今不再整天大喊大叫，连她的声音都不一样了。“那是我的真名。海伦。”

“谁放你出来的？”沙林问，双手对准了她。

“医生。他说我……说治疗起效了。”众人震惊地看着她，酸雨挠了挠后脑勺，随后朝瑞恩露出一个不好意思的笑容。“对不起，之前想杀你。我……我那时脑子不清醒。”

“没关系，我原谅你。”瑞恩心里满是怜悯，沙林也放下了戴着护手的双手。“我只是很高兴，你的头发一根都没少。”

“化疗对我也有效。”杂种开口了，声音平常得出奇。

沙林立刻转头看向他。“你会说话？”

“会，不过一说话就脑子疼。”杂种用一只手托住脑袋，“我想，我的灰质正在慢慢填补肿瘤留下的空洞。”

“我感觉自己像是刚从一场漫长的噩梦里醒过来。”酸雨朝瑞恩微笑，“谢谢你帮忙。我……我真的很感激，感激得你都想象不到。”

“但按我听到的说法，现在这种治疗没法一直管用。”杂种呻吟着抱怨，“真操蛋。”

确实没法。基因者的新陈代谢得到过强化，对化学药物产生耐受的速度远超常人。迟早，他们体内的变异会适应阿尔凯莫的治疗，两个疯魔也会再次陷入疯狂。

但那只是最坏的情况，而瑞恩知道自己会解决问题。“我们有条件找到永久的解决办法。”他说着，看向杂种，“不过，我有种预感，我们会需要你的协助。”

“这事我绝不会跟你对着干。”杂种说，“我可不想再回去吃老鼠，懂吧？我从来没想过变成那样。”

“你可是喝了大概五瓶仿制灵药。”沙林指出，对他的遭遇毫不同情，“亚当发现你在垃圾里翻吃的时，你就已经跟条狗差不多了。”

杂种打了个寒战。“我在旧罗马的废墟里搜刮时，找到了一瓶白色灵药，可它什么用都没有。我读到过，白系基因者的能力能影响其他基因者，可我的能力就是使不出来。所以我就想，嘿，肯定也有些坏掉的灵药流落在外，只不过是我倒霉，碰上了。在找到那瓶原版之前，我就已经打算买一瓶仿制品，所以……”

瑞恩猜到了后续，脊背一阵发凉。“你以为自己没有能力，就喝了一瓶仿制灵药，结果变成了疯魔。”

杂种的能力可以让他在体内积存不止一种灵药。单独使用时，它毫无作用。就像幽灵卡斯珀只有死后才会变身，有些能力需要非常特定的条件才能激活，因此会让使用者产生误判。

“没错。”杂种点头确认，“我发誓，如果你能找到治愈办法，我这辈子都不会再碰灵药。当了好几年疯掉的畜生，这教训我记住了。”

“我也确认一下，你不会再从背后捅我们刀子吧？”蚊子问酸雨，“上一个会传送的同伙，就被你一怒之下开膛破肚了。”

“不会，不会。”年轻女人摇了摇头，眼神里流露出恐惧。“我……那不是我。我……我不会伤害任何人，我发誓。”

她听起来很真诚，于是瑞恩决定姑且相信她。“有件事一直让我想不通。”快递员趁机向她发问，“你疯着的时候，总是念叨我封住了大门，还有一个叫终极者的东西想让你赢。”

“我……”海伦抱起双臂，回想发疯时的日子让她很不自在。“嗯，我不是全都记得了。一切都模模糊糊的。不过……我想，是因为你体内的传送门。”

“传送门？”面具下，瑞恩皱起眉。

“对。”酸雨斟酌着措辞，“我和雨滴交换位置的时候……那并不是瞬间完成的。从外面看像是这样，可在我看来……一切都会变成紫色，我会穿过一条通道，从一个地点移动到另一个地点。”

“你传送时会进入紫色世界，把那里当作穿越空间的捷径。”这就解释了为什么他们能感知到对方发动能力。他们都与为自身能力供能的维度有着紧密的联系。

“在那个地方时，我……会看见一个奇怪的金字塔状的东西，就在我们上方，注视着。”海伦深吸了一口气，“我还会听见声音。不知道是它在对我说话，还是别的什么，但……我能听见有人说话。在那种状态下看你，我会看见一条进不去的路。一条被你封住的路。不知道这么说你能不能明白。”

“明白了。”瑞恩抱起双臂，“是这样，我以前确实打开过通往紫色世界的门，不过那是在能力得到增幅的情况下。”

“你能做到？”酸雨满怀希望地抬起头，“你可以……借助那个地方，你可以回到过去。我知道你可以。那里……所有的时间和空间，全都能追溯到那里。”

沙林意味深长地看了瑞恩一眼。虽然他此刻满心幸福，仍谨慎地没有吐露真相。尤其不能在眼下，在一切终于开始好转的时候。

“我……我失去了家人，因为一个……因为一个错误。”海伦低着头，手指绞在一起，“所以我才去找紫色灵药。那时我已经能召来雨水了，可是……”

“你不顾风险，喝了一瓶紫色灵药？”瑞恩问。

酸雨摇了摇头，脸色变得惨白，手指也在发抖。“我找到了一瓶，可是……我想，可以把它交给一个朋友。也许对方运气好，能得到合适的能力。但亚当……亚当抓住了我，然后……他拿走紫色灵药，说……”

她的眼神，让他想起了创伤后应激障碍发作时的受害者。

“他说，如果我真的想回去，我……就应该自己来。所以他……打开瓶子，然后……”她的声音哽在喉咙里，呼吸急促起来。“然后他……”

瑞恩听着她的讲述，不禁打了个寒战。他突然意识到，汉尼胖·莱克特一门心思想强灌他灵药，并非一时兴起。

那是他的惯常手段。

那个嗜杀的混蛋把人彻底摧毁，只留下昔日自我的残破空壳，逼得他们除了追随他以外，别无选择。

“海伦，恐怕我们帮不了你的家人。”瑞恩歉然说道，粉碎了她的希望。即便他能进入紫色世界，照暗灵的说法，终极者也会维护因果关系，避免时间悖论。“但至少，我们会帮助你。我发誓。”

“我……好吧。”她说话的语气，让瑞恩竟然对酸雨生出了怜惜。她调整呼吸，总算让自己平静下来。“好吧。”

“也许你可以问问奥古斯蒂的人？”蚊子提议。他这是重新找回了一点人性之火？“听说墨丘利能复活死人，而且我们已经和他们讲和了。”

“他复活出来的是没脑子的僵尸，你个蠢货。”沙林说完，又回去打台球了。她不适合这种温情时刻。“还有人想玩吗？我现在手气正顺。”

“行啊。”杂种说，接着看了看天花板上吊着的小魔怪尸体。“还有，球桌上方为什么吊着死动物？”

“我们的幸运符。”沙林说着，将八号球送进了球袋。

烤烤恰在这时滑进了房间，绕开地上的一摊血，径直冲到酸雨脚边。“嘿，金发妞。”烤面包机向海伦打了个招呼，开始施展魅力。“想不想让我……烤烤你的面包？”

可怜的女人一脸茫然地看着烤面包机，又看向瑞恩。“这是恶作剧吗？”她问。

“要是你不喜欢没烤过的面包，我还有黄油。”烤烤用勾引人的语气说。他的搭讪技巧烂透了，不过话说回来，他毕竟是台烤面包机。“香甜、绵软的黄油。”

“你连胳膊都没有，怎么弄到黄油？”瑞恩指出了显而易见的问题。

“喂，抢着要你的妞已经够多了，给我们留点吧。”烤烤回答，“你什么时候把我装进车库里那台又大又性感的机甲？到时候，就让你见识见识我的胳膊！”

“明天，我的朋友。明天。”

双足飞龙以前摧毁过机器人，也摧毁过机甲。

但她从没和烤面包机交过手。

---

向喽啰们交代完自己那邪恶的计划后，瑞恩去了下层。

蕾恩在全息穹顶附近的一间地下室里，布置了一个简朴的天才工坊。瑞恩为了隐私，关掉了摄像头和麦克风；阿尔凯莫却据此认定，他关起门来在和蕾恩干些见不得人的事。

如果墙上的屏幕及其显示的资料库可靠，这个房间过去应该是某种档案室。房间中央，一台全息投影仪显示着地球地图，欧亚大陆各处分布着六个发亮的红点。也许，它们标示着梅克隆留下的其他设施。等新罗马的事情解决后，瑞恩得去把它们找出来。

“嗨，小矮个。”他找到蕾恩时，她正忙着研究那台脑复制机。一张书桌被她改成了临时工作台。“你看起来气色真不错。”

他早已习惯蕾恩眼下挂着黑眼圈的样子，但今天没有。她看起来和瑞恩一样，休息得很好，脸颊也恢复了几分血色。

“嗨，瑞瑞。”她露出温柔亲切的笑容。“是啊，我……感觉很好。阿尔凯莫给了我些药片，比我以前吃的抗抑郁药管用多了。就算不用能力，我也能清晰地思考。”

虽然瑞恩仍然不信任阿尔凯莫，但也不得不承认，只要愿意，这位天才能做许多好事。如果快递员能学会复制那些神奇药物，就能在每一轮都给蕾恩提供治疗。假以时日，她或许能重新找回少女时代那种鲜活而天真的朝气。

“机器有进展了吗？”瑞恩问，目光虔敬地看着那台装置。它将他从几个世纪的孤独里救了出来。“现在我们证明了它能起效，心震也不会再跟过来，终于可以为将来做长远打算了。”

尤其是，这一轮很可能又会以一场枪战收尾。

“我还是不敢相信，我们刚刚穿越了时间。”蕾恩坦言，“看见莎拉，发现她从来没见过我的庇护所时，我……我明白了你的感受。别人一次又一次地忘记你……那一定会把人逼疯的。”

“那都是以前的事了。”瑞恩在工作台上坐下，“现在我们能把更多人带进循环。我有个傲气十足的小徒弟，很想让你认识一下。”

“有个问题，瑞瑞。”蕾恩咬着下唇，“这台机器一次只能把一份脑图谱送回过去。也许我能改进它，提高这个数量，可现在……我们只能带一个人。”

“那就你。”瑞恩很快明白了这种方法的局限。“而且每一轮都得重建机器，把你送回去，一环接一环，绝不能断。只要断一次，你就会忘记一切。”

“除非我们有个能保存记忆的地方。”蕾恩点头确认。

“我们会需要莉维娅。”瑞恩说。快递员本来就打算和她谈谈，请她协助疯魔治愈项目，这样正好一举两得。“我还以为你不信任她？”

“她……她履行了约定。”蕾恩深吸了一口气，“我是说，她本可以叫她父亲攻下这里，可她没有。也许……也许我看错她了。我不想让她看到机器的蓝图，但我们可以合作。”

“小矮个，你的基地有足够的资源重造一台脑扫描仪吗？”蕾恩为难的表情已经给了他答案。“心震破坏了原型机，我们得从头造一台新的。”

“我……没有，对不起。我们需要比我手上更好的技术。伏尔甘的，或者这座地堡里的。”

可惜，快递员目前还无法独力攻下地堡。与那些防御设施交手之后，瑞恩意识到，要想一个人拿下这里，需要多得令人发指的循环次数。他也无法做到零伤亡，至少，在经过一遍遍重复、把整个流程打磨到完美之前不行。

只要条件合适，他能说服伏尔甘或迪纳米斯提供技术，但莉维娅似乎才是最佳选择。如果能谈成合作，这位奥古斯蒂公主不仅能提供海量资源，还能充当备份。“我会问问莉维娅。”

“再之后呢？”蕾恩问，“我……即便这次有些人帮过忙，我们周围也全是疯魔。蚊子和杂种，他们上一轮还想绑架孩子们。”

“我倒不担心孩子们。考虑到他们的保护者是谁，我更担心手下的喽啰不够死。”

“我是认真的，瑞瑞。这……很难假装什么都没发生过。每次看见超能帮的人，我都想开枪打他们。”

“我以前也是。”瑞恩承认，“但我渐渐明白，他们之中虽然有怪物，也有人是被境遇逼到这一步的。我忍不住想，如果我们能治好他们的疯狂和药瘾，他们会拿自己的人生做些什么。”

“他们只会重蹈覆辙。”蕾恩悲观地说。

瑞恩却不那么确定。也许是心里乐观的那一面在作祟，他愿意相信，杂种和酸雨这样的人能让生活重新走上正轨。他也直觉，如果沙林能重新拥有血肉之躯，她同样不会再惹事。要实现他的完美通关，就必须救下那些值得拯救的人。

“无论如何，先集中精力掌握这座地堡里的技术。”暗灵一直缠着阿尔凯莫追问传送门的事，可那位天才仍在艰难地攻克梅克隆的防火墙。地堡的安保系统虽然不再见人就打，但关键的核心区域暂时依旧无法进入。“然后，我们再对付迪纳米斯。”

蕾恩点点头，脸上露出一丝不安。“这一轮，我们就要突袭六十六号实验室？”

“对。我已经着手安排，在做前期准备了。”无论迪纳米斯的堡垒里有什么等着他们，很快就会揭晓。“蕾恩，有件……有件事我想谈谈。”

她移开视线。“是心震在我脑子里看到的事，对吗？”

对。

“蕾恩。”

瑞恩吸了口气。

“我爱你。”

终于，说出来了。

“我爱过很多人。很多，多到你数不过来。我爱过蒂娅，爱过贾丝敏，还有……我承认，我特别迷恋衣橱。”该死，她怎么就已经有主了？“可在所有这些感情里，我们的……我们的感情在我心里，始终有一个特别的位置。我……我曾希望，我们能找个地方安定下来。盖一座房子。生几个孩子。你知道的，那个老梦想。我……现在你能记住了，我……我必须知道，你是不是也有同样的感觉。”

为了吐露这些心里话，他已经等了太久。

蕾恩的双臂仍抱在胸前，又收紧了几分。她始终看向别处，避开他的目光；也许是不想让他看见自己眼里的悲伤，又或者，她已经被情绪淹没了。

“我……”蕾恩艰难地寻找着措辞，瑞恩耐心地等着她。“我还是……我想，我们一起经历了那么多，那种感情永远都不可能消失。可是……”

可是。

小小的两个字，却粉碎过那么多梦想。

“可是，发生了太多事，瑞恩。”她深深地、悲伤地叹了口气。“太多了。我……我也想回到一切都更简单的时候，可是……我们回不去了，就算有你的能力也一样。我……你是我最好的朋友，瑞瑞，而且……我不想让你离开。但是……要让我们的关系更进一步，我觉得自己还没准备好。也许永远都不会。”

瑞恩默默地听着。他已经料到会是这样的回答。

“我……”蕾恩终于看向他的眼睛，他看得出，她很害怕他会有什么反应。“对不起，瑞瑞。”

“不，没关系。”瑞恩克制而郑重地安慰她，这是真心话。“我有过几个世纪来梳理这些感情，做好心理准备。我……明白，小矮个。”

快递员并不喜欢这个答案，但他理解。他抱着对过去的憧憬不放，已经太久，不能再一直回头看。事情发生了，一切都变了。他必须接受，然后继续往前走。蕾恩还有她自己的难题，无法给予他渴求的亲密情感。历经那么多，她仍然希望他留在自己的生命里，他不能觉得自己理应得到更多。

“我会给你空间。”他说，“说真的，我们能重新做朋友，一直做朋友，我就已经很高兴了。”

瑞恩一直以来想要的，不过是有个人能记住他。

如今蕾恩已经实现了他最深切的愿望，他不能再向她索求更多。

“我……也许我说错了。我觉得我们不只是最好的朋友。这个词好像……好像分量还不够。”蕾恩给了他一个灿烂而温暖的笑容。“我们是家人，瑞瑞。”

是的。是的，他们是家人。也许不是瑞恩曾经期盼的那种，但终归是家人。

而且……

这样，他也很满足。