同章对照

He found Livia standing on the piers, facing the sea with a terrible look on her face.

Ryan parked his not-so-suspicious black minivan near the old harbor, and quickly looked around for any Killer Seven member. If Livia had brought bodyguards, they hid well; the courier suspected Mortimer lingered nearby, buried below ground. “Don’t tell me you came on foot?” the courier told the mafia princess, as he joined her in his full presidential costume. “We’re a long way from Mount Augustus.”

“But we’re close to Optimates Tower,” Livia replied with a sad smile. Not only did she look grim with the black circles around her eyes, but she also dressed the part. Her dark coat and austere clothes reminded Ryan of a young widow. “And I could only lose Mathias this way.”

So Mr. See-Through stalked her too? The glass-manipulator had made increasingly frequent forays into Rust Town lately, though he never stayed long due to the Land’s interferences.

Livia examined Ryan’s new costume from head to toe. “I love the suit,” she said, though she frowned at the hole in his bowler hat. “Did someone attack you?”

“I had to put down a robot rebellion.” Ryan shrugged. “I have a back-up bowler hat in my car, but I’ll wait for tomorrow before putting it on. I only wear that one for war.”

She chuckled, though her heart wasn’t in it.

The courier glanced at Augustus’ daughter, noticing the red marks near her eyelids. She had wiped off tears not so long ago. “He told you, didn’t he?” Ryan guessed. “Kitten. He told you the truth, about how he felt.”

Her face strained, telling him he had hit the mark. “Can we sit for a while, Ryan?”

“Sure.” They sat along the pier’s edge, their feet dangling above the sea. Ryan said nothing, knowing Augustus’ heir wanted an ear to listen to. One that wasn’t part of the ‘Family’. Not even Fortuna.

Livia put her hands on her lap, facing the distant sun. A faint breeze flowed from the west onto her face. She didn’t say a word for a while, as she tried to express her feelings into words. “I went straight to Dynamis. Something I never dared to do, because it increases tensions between my family and the Manadas in my predictions. If I didn’t know this wouldn’t matter in the long-term, I would never have dared.”

“Story of my life,” Ryan replied.

“I refused to leave until Felix would talk to me,” Livia continued her tale. “My bodyguards and the security were within minutes of starting a firefight when he finally came down. He wasn’t happy that I forced his hand, but he agreed to sit down and have a real talk.”

Ryan listened in respectful silence.

“I… I can see up to six futures at once, and I can switch them. My ability is always on, and sometimes it reacts to my emotional state. It shows me options based on what I want.” Livia looked away, her eyes wandering to Dynamis and Il Migliore’s twin towers. “I couldn’t convince Felix to get back together with me willingly in any alternate world I saw. There were many where I could force him, yes. But none where he would return out of his own free-will.”

She glanced back at the calm, peaceful sea, and the shadow of Ischia Island in the distance. “It’s… it’s not that we’re over, Ryan. There was nothing between us in the first place. It was… it was just decorum, and my own feelings blinding me to the truth. Whatever bond we shared, it’s gone, and I can’t get it back.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryan said with a sigh. “I know it sounds cliché, but I understand.”

“You’ve been there too.” She looked at the courier sorrowfully. “I can feel it in your voice.”

“Yeah.” Ryan slowly removed his mask and hat, putting them at his side. The warm breeze on his face felt good. “I’ve spent centuries looking for Len, because… because I loved her. And now that she remembers… while we still share a close bond… the intimacy we had is gone.”

“What happened?”

“Her father happened,” Ryan replied. Just like Livia’s ruined every chance she might have had with Felix. “Nostalgia led me to New Rome. I longed for a simpler past, and...”

He took a deep breath. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have a friend back. But it’s not the ending I’d hoped for.”

Livia gave him a glance full of compassion. “Love is a sweet poison, isn’t it?”

“I don’t regret tasting it though,” Ryan replied with a genuine smile. “All I wished for was someone to remember me. Someone with whom I could share my joys and burdens. Shortie agreed to help me carry some of the load, and… I’m fine with that. Better than fine.”

“Why are you still in New Rome, Ryan?” she asked him. “You came to this city to reconnect with your friend, and you did. Adam perished, and you could bury the bunker for good. Leave all of this mess behind.”

“It wouldn’t be the best ending, princess.”

“It would be a good one. For you, at least.”

“Would it be good for Felix? For Jamie, for Jasmine, for Yuki?” Ryan marked a short pause. “For you?”

The heiress looked somewhat embarrassed. “Don’t worry about me Ryan,” she said, “I will make things right.”

A blatant lie. He could see it in her eyes. Livia expected to face more trouble down the line, and to carry the burden alone.

“Well, you’re part of my Christmas list whether you like it or not,” Ryan joked. “And I’ll ask you the same question. Why are you still in New Rome?”

“Same reason as you,” Livia replied, her eyes focusing on Ischia Island. “Too many lives depend on it. If I leave, the throne will probably go to Bacchus or Mars, and nothing will change. It will just be more of the same.”

“How far can you see into a simulation?”

Livia joined her hands, as if hesitating to reveal that secret. Eventually, she did though. “A month or so if I truly focus. The predictions get increasingly unreliable the farther into the future I look.” Her expression transformed into a grim scowl. “Not far enough that I could learn about my father’s cancer before it was too late.”

So she had seen how the world would turn out in the future. While the butterfly effect probably whisked possibilities away, seeing a world with Bacchus in charge of the Augusti must have scared her straight.

“Can I confess something, Ryan?”

“You don’t have to ask. I won’t judge you.”

Livia’s fingers fidgeted, as she mustered her courage. He could tell that she was about to admit something she never dared to confess to anyone else before. “I… I don’t really feel comfortable around others. Even Fortuna, or my family. I love them but… how to explain…”

“You know them, but they don’t know you,” Ryan guessed her problem.

She confirmed with a slow nod. “You have the same problem?”

“I lived lifetimes with some people across loops, only for them to barely know my name in the last one.”

“I can process the realities I see at an accelerated rate, and I can’t turn my power off. I’ve seen all the ways my loved ones can react to a stimulus, what they plan to do. I know everything about them, but I feel like an outside observer in my own life. The events I see happened to other ‘mes’. I didn’t live these moments, I… I only watched them.”

Their respective powers built walls with others. “Is that why you’re telling me this?” Ryan asked. “Because you can’t watch me, that our moments feel genuine?”

She chuckled. “It plays into it, I believe.”

“I feel the same,” Ryan admitted. “Honestly, I kinda hated you at first. I’ve grown so used to controlling every aspect of a loop, that a foreign force like you messing up with my plans… It felt maddening. But, well, I had forgotten that I liked surprises.”

It felt nice to talk with someone who understood the loneliness Ryan had suffered through all these years. While their powers might have been wildly different, they did face similar problems.

Livia looked at him with an amused smile. “If I piggyback on your power as you suggested in your messages, you will have even less mastery over what happens.”

“Yes, but you said it yourself. Neither of us is getting what we want without cooperating with the other.” The courier crossed his arms. “So, if we gave you a map of your memories and a back-up of Len’s, would you go along with it?”

Livia’s smile turned into a scowl. “I don’t think that will work, Ryan. I know myself. I will never accept having my thoughts overwritten voluntarily, especially not by Dynamis-made tech. From my old self’s point of view, I can only rely on notes rather than personal experience. I will expect foul play.”

“Can’t you write a fifteen-page long warning you won’t read anyway, like search engines?”

“I’m more likely to assume someone tampered with my notes. I will find it more likely that you are a manipulative Blue capable of interfering with my ability. I’m already very wary of people like Bacchus.” Livia considered the matter thoughtfully. “How much does the Underdiver trust you?”

“I see where this is going,” Ryan said. “We send your consciousness back in time, you keep a copy of Shortie’s memories, and then I convince her past self to have her own overwritten.”

“Would she accept? You knew each other for years, while we met days ago. She’s more likely to go along with this plan than my other self.”

“I don’t know.” Hopefully, Len would figure out a way to send more than one consciousness back in time and they wouldn’t have to find out. “I’ll… I’ll ask her permission first. It would feel a bit manipulative otherwise.”

“You use your foreknowledge to get others to move the way you want to all the time,” Livia argued.

Len was a special case. “We’ll see with her. What about the other thing?”

“Help you find a cure for the Psycho condition?” The oracle seemed a lot less enthusiastic about that part. “Ryan, these people tried to blow us all back to the stone age.”

“The ones who wanted to are gone, and the rest…” Ryan’s thoughts turned to Acid Rain, Mongrel, Frank, even Sarin. All these people were victims of their own powers. “The rest deserve a second chance.”

And besides the Meta, how many Psychos were people who made a costly mistake, or victims of circumstances? Bloodstream, Jean-Stéphanie, Adam, and their kind had colored his view of Psychos. But now that he had seen the other side of the fence, Ryan couldn’t call a world where Acid Rain would remain a demented killer a Perfect Run.

“I gave them hope, Livia,” the courier declared. “I don’t want to disappoint it.”

“You will take it away when you turn back time again,” Livia pointed out.

“I will make curing them part of my final loop,” Ryan argued back. “I will perfect the process through multiple loops, and make sure they get a better ending. Maybe they won’t remember my promise, but I will.”

Livia hesitated for a full minute, joining her hands as she considered the proposal. If Ryan wasn’t mistaken, she used her sight to try to see the possible consequences, and it seemed to mollify her resistance somewhat. “Alright,” she said. “But in return, I ask for two things. First, you will involve me in every step of the way. I don’t want to help create something I might regret.”

“That’s fair.”

“And second…” Her expression turned playful. “Why do they keep calling you Mr. President?”

Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle. “You want me to declassify that secret?”

“I’m curious,” she admitted. “I’m sure there’s an interesting anecdote behind it.”

Ryan explained to Livia the details of his coup d’etat, and her lips transformed into a grin. “You force them to sing The Star-Spangled Banner every morning?”

“Frank is a surprisingly good singer, but Mosquito…” Ryan shuddered, the infernal buzzing noise echoing in his mind. “If you didn’t want to slap him before he sings, you will afterward.”

“I wish I could do silly things like that,” Livia admitted. “Everyone around me walks on eggshells.”

“Can’t you force them to amuse you, jester-style?” Ryan asked. “What’s the point of having authority if you can’t abuse it now and then?”

“They fear displeasing me, but they dread my father’s attention even more,” Livia replied. “Although I admit Fortuna and I had some interesting adventures when we were younger.”

“Like what?”

“We made wishes upon a star, and Fortuna asked for the star itself,” Livia chuckled. “A small meteorite fell in the garden. My father was livid.”

“Her power is busted,” Ryan complained.

“I know,” Livia answered with a knowing smile, albeit somewhat nostalgic. “Things were so much easier when we were children.”

Ryan glanced at Ischia Island in the distance. “Before your parents started grooming you to take over?”

Livia answered with a sharp nod. “I would appreciate it if you destroyed that island on your way out of New Rome. Once the Bliss Factory goes down, I can finally start changing things for the better. Maybe even keep Narcinia away from Bacchus, if I play my cards right.”

“You understand she will always remain the sticking point with the Carnival?” Ryan pointed out the obvious. “And Bacchus is only part of the problem. Mars and Venus also push her into making more Bliss against her will.”

“Mars and Venus, I can manage,” Livia explained. “They’re… followers, so to say. Mars in particular chose to become my father’s subordinate early and never wavered in his loyalty. He will only take responsibility for the family’s empire if it is thrust upon his shoulders. If I inherit, these two will do as I say; even leave Narcinia and Fortuna alone to do as they wish. They won’t like it, mind you. But they will obey.”

“But not Bacchus?”

Livia shook her head. “His obsession with Bliss borders on religious zealotry. He believes he can contact God with that substance, and it trumps all other concerns.”

Not a god.

An Ultimate One.

“Even then,” Ryan said, “if you really want to spare your family from a deadly confrontation with Hargraves, we’ll have to find a way to exfiltrate Narcinia from your father’s grasp.”

Livia winced. “I’m seeing Hargraves in my vision lately.”

Sunshine? Already? “Where?”

“Rust Town,” she admitted. “I believe he intends to attack you, and the odds increase with time.”

But the only reason Hargraves would appear so soon, would be...

If he knew about the bunker.

“So that’s why Safelite was so active lately,” Ryan muttered out loud.

How? Did Ryan’s presence among the Meta-Gang cause Shroud to pay more attention to Rust Town? Or did the glass manipulator manage to interrogate former thralls of Psyshock with the necessary knowledge to piece it together?

Perhaps he hadn’t done so yet, but would in the following days. “How long until the sunset?”

“It is too early to tell yet, especially since you can make my prophecies wrong.” Livia bit her lower lip. “Something else has been blurring my visions lately.”

Of course. One of the plushies had breached containment and escaped the Junkyard. If it was anything like with Eugène-Henry, the creature would probably pollute her future sight.

“I see Dynamis attacking Rust Town too,” Livia continued. “Enrique leads them in most possibilities, but others, his elder brother takes the lead. If he does come, the city burns not long after. The flames of war consume everything.”

So Ryan’s back-up plan of abandoning the surface and bunkering down the way Hannifat Lecter did looked doomed to fail. He had to go on the offensive. “Well, I have a plan to take care of Dynamis, and secure Vulcan’s help on the same occasion.”

“Vulcan?” Livia raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Why choose a road so complicated? If you needed her help, you could have asked me.”

“Nah, I know Vulcan. If you forced her to help, she would have ratted us out to Augustus out of petty revenge.” If anything, Jasmine’s irritability was one of the things Ryan found cute about her. “She will only help reliably if someone goes along with her wishes first.”

Livia immediately picked on the implications. “The two of you were close.”

Ryan avoided her gaze, staring at the sea. He still felt sore about losing Jasmine, his Jasmine. “Yeah. Yeah, we were. But now she’s gone for good.”

“Now that you can safeguard memories, why not repeat the loop where you formed a relationship?” Livia suggested. “Then you send her memories back.”

Ryan sighed. He had considered something like that, before deciding against it; that kind of thinking led down the rabbit hole. “Besides the fact she made me promise not to replace her, I cannot control your actions, so a perfect repeat is now beyond my reach. If I tried to recreate my Jasmine through various loops, I would probably obsess over every detail, and reboot if I find the result ‘lacking.’ I’m afraid I’ll start caring more about my idea of Jasmine, rather than the person.”

Much like how he had obsessed over Len, and what she represented to him.

“I… I see.” Livia looked torn about Ryan’s choice, but appeared to respect it. “Why do you need her?”

“We’re in the process of figuring out how Mechron could enhance his lieutenants’ powers. If I combine his tech with Jasmine’s…”

“You could boost your power, and perhaps bring more people across time.” He could tell that the possibility greatly interested Livia. “How will you proceed?”

“Well, I’ll go full supervillain, take over Dynamis’ Star Studios, and livestream Hector Manada’s crimes for the world to see,” Ryan explained his evil plan. “I’ll also chew the scenery, probably hold the city for ransom, and confront my archenemy Wardrobe in an epic battle. Or she will share the role with the Panda. I haven’t decided if I want my heroes exclusive.”

Livia’s reaction was unlike anything Ryan expected.

He thought she would laugh, show skepticism, pat him on the back and leave him to his fate.

Instead, the oracle took his explanations without a word, as she digested them. Livia opened her mouth to say something, hastily closed it, and then joined her hands together on her lap. A flash of hesitation briefly crossed her face before her expression turned shy, like a precocious child afraid to ask something stupid and suffer mockery afterward.

Ryan squinted at Livia, reading her mind. “You want to come.”

“Can I?” the Augusti princess pleaded with a sheepish smile. She looked so adorable at that moment, that Ryan couldn’t deny her.

Still, the idea of someone as proper and dignified as Livia participating in something so silly clashed with the idea he had of her. “You’re sure?”

“You haven’t said no,” Livia said with a grin.

“You do realize the danger involved?”

“Which is exactly why I want to come,” Livia said. “I will never have the opportunity to do something like this outside of a time-loop, due to all the ways it could go wrong. If you worry about my father, I can wear a mask and stick to my time-leap ability. Nobody else outside my family knows about its details.”

Ryan crossed his legs and slouched on the pier, regretting not to have brought his cat with him. “Miss Augusti, do you truly have what it takes to be a supervillain? It’s not just a question of power, but presentation. Style, charisma, screen presence… We’ll need to find you a costume, and a fearsome name. Minerva won’t cut it.”

“I have an extensive wardrobe,” Livia said before trying to think of a good alias. “As for the name, how about Timestamp?”

Ryan stared at her without a word.

“Timezone? Time-Out?” Livia asked, growing more and more awkward with each new proposal. Her cheeks turned red at his continued silence. “O’Clock?”

Why couldn’t she see it? The perfect name, the one most appropriate for her power? One that oozed style and would transcend the realm of pop culture? The perfect household name, to go along with a power nobody could explain?

“Queen Crimson.”

The one and only.

“Isn’t that a bit pedantic?” Livia asked with a frown.

“Trust me,” Ryan smirked while putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, “it will do just fine.”

---

“So?” Len asked, as a blast door closed behind Ryan.

“Well, our Disney princess agreed to help with our cancer cure project, and to star in tomorrow’s movie.” The testing area reminded him of the interrogation chamber where he and Jasmine tested the power-boosting armor. A reinforced window separated a control room and its computers from an underground dome, where robotic arms manipulated a Dynamis-made knockoff Elixir. “I’ll swap her with Rakshasa as our ace in the hole.”

“Not the Doll, you ruffian?” Alchemo’s voice echoed through loudspeakers. “Why do you keep dragging her into your messes?”

“Trust me, she’ll do well.” Tea had been his main choice of a getaway driver during his drug cartel phase. “Besides, she accepted when I asked nicely.”

“She is too nice to say no to you, you disgusting excuse of a bioform!”

Perhaps, but from Ryan’s experience, the Doll would enjoy the trip. She suppressed strong criminal tendencies. “Anyway, how are things going with Mosquito?”

“The synthesized, nutrient-rich blood does bolster his enhanced strength, as you suspected,” Alchemo confirmed. “Early results are promising, though the effect does not last long. One hour on average.”

One hour was a long time, if exploited to its fullest. Ryan intended to bring Frank, Sarin, and Acid Rain to Star Studio, but an additional heavy hitter would always help.

The courier approached the window, standing next to Len. His best friend kept her arms crossed, observing the green knockoff beyond the glass with apprehension. She tried to keep her composure, but her true feelings were written all over her face.

“Shortie, I’ll ask one last time.” Ryan took a deep breath. “Are you sure you want to do it? Or rather, do you want to watch it?”

“I told you,” Len said with a frown. “I… I need to know, Riri. To get closure.”

“I’m more worried it will open old wounds. Or that it will cause a dangerous reaction.”

“I have incinerators ready,” Alchemo said, four flamethrowers dangling from the testing ground’s ceiling. All pointed at the knockoff. “If the worst comes to pass, I can send robots or call your black slime.”

“Riri, if our hypothesis is true… then Dynamis didn’t just capture my father.” Len’s worried expression turned into one of anger. “They packaged him. Turned him into a product. Even if it’s not… even if it’s not him, I can’t let that stand. It’s inhuman. I… I hope we’re wrong. But I want to be sure.”

“And if we’re right?” Ryan asked the right question. “If he’s really inside Lab Sixty-Six, what will you do? Let him out so he can kill again?”

Len didn’t offer an answer.

She had no idea herself.

“If you ask me,” Braindead said, although nobody did, “if you truly think we can cure Psychos, then why not one more?”

If there was something left to cure. If Dynamis truly used Bloodstream to make knockoffs, then they kept him in storage for almost four years. Who knew what Dr. Tyrano did to the bloody slime?

And truthfully, Ryan didn’t want to help Bloodstream even if he was alive. He wanted the slime dead and buried.

In any case, the testing would soon begin. A robotic arm dangled a pipette full of blood above the knockoff, while another opened the container.

Len’s blood.

Preliminary tests showed no match between Mechron’s knockoff Elixirs and Dynamis’; both achieved the same result through different methods. The bunker’s robots hadn’t yet managed to analyze Dynamis’ substance, so Ryan suggested a more direct approach. If his theory about Bloodstream altering Len’s blood to track her was correct, then it should react to the knockoff in some way. Subtle or obvious, a change should follow, and hidden cameras would film everything.

Ryan’s eyes focused on the green, swirling liquid inside the knockoff’s glass flacon. Wyvern had served as this ‘Hercules’ Elixir’s template. He wondered if the draconic knight in shining leotard would have participated in its creation, had she known how it was made.

The robotic arm pressed the pipette, a single droplet falling from it. Ryan and Len held their breath, watching the liquid fall for a moment that seemed to stretch forever.

The droplet hit the knockoff, and the Elixir screamed.

The knockoff’s container exploded into a dozen shards, as its green content turned bloody red. The contents spilled all over the testing floor, bloating like cake paste in an oven. The minuscule amount of liquid grew, and grew, and grew as fast as Darkling when it devoured Adam. The shape of a twisted parody of a human face formed on the slime’s surface, its deafening scream echoing through the reinforced window.

A chill went down Ryan’s spine, as he was brought back to his dark past. Back to the same terrible memories that Night Terror had awakened again, one loop ago.

He could never forget that voice.

Len let out a horrible scream of her own; not one of pain, but of pure fear and horror. The scream of a traumatized victim, living through a four-years old nightmare all the way again. Her skin turned even paler, her nails scratching her cheek.

“Len!” Ryan immediately held his best friend in his arms, hugging her tight against his chest. “Len! Calm down! I’m here!”

The howling slime crawled on the ground towards the windows, sensing Len, smelling its lost daughter like a bloodhound desperate for a warm meal.

The flamethrowers activated, torching the testing room. Flames as hot as Leo’s surface vaporized the blob to dust, its horrifying scream turning into death throes. Only ashes and silence remained.

Ryan didn’t know how long he held Len in his arms afterward. Her scream had turned to tears, her hands covering her face as if she could shield her gaze from the terrible truth. Her nails had dug deep into her cheeks to draw blood. She was so fragile in his hands, he thought she might break in half.

The courier let her cry into his chest, his eyes staring at the Elixir’s ashes. A terrible thought crossed his mind, alongside the sheer magnitude of Hector Manada’s crimes.

How many people in New Rome had drunk a knockoff Elixir?

他找到莉维娅时，她正站在码头上，面朝大海，脸色很不好。

瑞恩把那辆并不怎么可疑的黑色小面包车停在旧港附近，迅速扫了一圈，寻找杀手七人组的踪影。如果莉维娅带了保镖，那他们藏得相当好；快递员怀疑莫蒂默就潜伏在附近，埋在地下。“别告诉我你是走来的？”他穿着全套总统行头，走到黑帮公主身旁，“这里离奥古斯都山可远着呢。”

“但离贵族派大厦很近。”莉维娅露出一个悲伤的微笑。她不光眼下挂着黑眼圈，神情阴郁，就连穿着也透着同样的气息。深色外套配上素净严肃的衣装，让瑞恩想起了年轻的寡妇。“而且只有这样，我才能甩掉马蒂亚斯。”

这么说，透明先生也在跟踪她？那个操纵玻璃的家伙近来越来越频繁地出入锈镇，只是受到大地的干扰，每次都待不长。

莉维娅从头到脚打量着瑞恩的新行头。“这套衣服我很喜欢。”她说，不过看见圆顶礼帽上的洞时，还是皱起了眉。“有人袭击你了？”

“我不得不镇压了一场机器人叛乱。”瑞恩耸耸肩。“车里有顶备用的圆顶礼帽，不过我打算明天再戴。那一顶，我只在开战时戴。”

她轻笑了一声，却笑得心不在焉。

快递员看了奥古斯都的女儿一眼，注意到她眼睑附近的红痕。她不久前才擦干眼泪。“他告诉你了，是不是？”瑞恩猜道。“小猫。他把心里的实话告诉你了。”

她的表情绷紧了，说明他猜中了。“我们能坐一会儿吗，瑞恩？”

“当然。”两人在码头边沿坐下，双脚悬在海面上。瑞恩没有说话，他知道奥古斯都的继承人需要一个倾听者。一个不属于“家族”的人。连福尔图娜都不行。

莉维娅双手放在膝上，面朝远处的太阳。一缕微风从西边拂过她的面颊。她沉默了片刻，试着把心中的感受化为言语。“我直接去了迪纳米斯。我以前从不敢这么做，因为在我的预测中，这会加剧我家和马纳达家的紧张关系。如果不是知道从长远来看，这不会留下影响，我绝对不敢去。”

“我的人生一直如此。”瑞恩答道。

“我坚持不走，除非菲利克斯肯跟我谈谈。”莉维娅继续说下去。“我的保镖和那里的安保再过几分钟就要交火了，他才终于下来。他不高兴我逼他表态，但还是同意坐下来，认真谈一谈。”

瑞恩安静地听着，没有打断她。

“我……我最多能同时看见六种未来，还能在它们之间切换。我的能力一直开着，有时候会对我的情绪作出反应，根据我想要的东西，向我展示不同的选择。”莉维娅转开视线，目光游移到迪纳米斯与至优者的双塔上。“可在我看到的所有平行世界里，我都没办法说服菲利克斯心甘情愿地和我复合。没错，有很多种未来，我可以逼迫他。但没有任何一种，他会出于自己的意愿回来。”

她重新望向平静安宁的海面，以及远处伊斯基亚岛的轮廓。“不是……不是我们结束了，瑞恩。我们之间，从一开始就没有什么。那只是……只是礼数，而我自己的感情蒙住了眼睛，让我看不见真相。不管我们曾经有过怎样的羁绊，都已经消失了，我也找不回来了。”

“我很遗憾。”瑞恩叹了口气。“我知道这话听起来很俗套，不过，我懂。”

“你也经历过。”她悲伤地看着快递员。“我能从你的声音里听出来。”

“嗯。”瑞恩慢慢摘下面具和帽子，放到身边。暖风拂过面庞，感觉很舒服。“我花了几百年寻找蕾恩，因为……因为我爱她。而现在，她终于能记住了……虽然我们依然关系亲密……可曾经那种亲昵已经不在了。”

“发生了什么？”

“她父亲。”瑞恩答道。就像莉维娅的父亲，毁掉了她与菲利克斯之间所有可能的机会。“是对过去的眷恋把我带到了新罗马。我渴望回到那个更单纯的过去，而且……”

他深吸了一口气。“别误会，能找回一个朋友，我很高兴。可这不是我期待的结局。”

莉维娅望向他的目光充满了怜惜。“爱情是甜蜜的毒药，不是吗？”

“不过，我不后悔尝过它。”瑞恩露出真诚的微笑。“我一直想要的，不过是有个人能记住我。有人可以分享我的快乐，也分担我的重负。小矮个愿意帮我扛起一部分，而……我已经很满足了。不只是满足。”

“你为什么还留在新罗马，瑞恩？”她问。“你来这座城市，是为了与朋友重聚，而你已经做到了。亚当死了，你也完全可以把那座地堡永远埋起来。把这一切烂摊子抛在身后。”

“那不是最好的结局，公主。”

“但会是个好结局。至少对你来说。”

“对菲利克斯也好吗？对杰米、贾丝敏、由纪呢？”瑞恩稍稍停顿了一下。“对你呢？”

这位女继承人显得有些窘迫。“别担心我，瑞恩。”她说，“我会处理好一切的。”

赤裸裸的谎言。他从她的眼神里就看得出来。莉维娅预料，往后还会有更多麻烦等着自己，而她也将独自扛下这一切。

“好吧，不管你愿不愿意，你都在我的圣诞礼物名单上了。”瑞恩开了个玩笑。“同样的问题，我也要问你。你为什么还留在新罗马？”

“和你一样的理由。”莉维娅答道，目光落在伊斯基亚岛上。“太多人的命运系于此。如果我走了，王座多半会落到巴克斯或玛尔斯手里，什么都不会改变。一切只会照旧。”

“在一次推演里，你能看见多远的未来？”

莉维娅双手交握，似乎在犹豫要不要透露这个秘密。不过，她最终还是说了。“如果我全神贯注，大约一个月。看得越远，预测就越不可靠。”她眉头紧锁，神情阴沉下来。“远不到让我及时发现父亲的癌症。等我知道时，已经太晚了。”

所以，她已经见过未来世界会变成什么样。虽然蝴蝶效应大概会让一些可能性消散，但光是看见巴克斯执掌奥古斯蒂家族的世界，就足以吓得她打消离开的念头。

“我能向你坦白一件事吗，瑞恩？”

“你不用问。我不会评判你。”

莉维娅的手指不安地动着，努力鼓起勇气。他看得出，她即将说出一件从未敢向任何人承认的事。“我……和别人在一起时，我其实不太自在。哪怕是福尔图娜，或是我的家人。我爱他们，可是……该怎么解释呢……”

“你了解他们，可他们不了解你。”瑞恩猜到了她的困扰。

她缓缓点头。“你也有同样的问题？”

“我曾在一次又一次循环里，陪一些人过了一辈子又一辈子。可到了最后那一轮，他们却几乎连我叫什么都不知道。”

“我能加速处理自己看到的那些现实，而且我没办法关掉能力。我见过亲近的人面对某种刺激时可能作出的所有反应，也知道他们打算做什么。他们的一切我都知道，可我却像自己人生里的一个旁观者。我看到的那些事，发生在别的‘我’身上。我没有亲身经历那些时刻，我……我只是看着。”

他们各自的能力，都在自己与别人之间筑起了高墙。“所以你才会跟我说这些？”瑞恩问。“因为你看不见我，所以我们相处的时刻才有真实感？”

她轻笑了一声。“我想，这算是一个原因。”

“我也一样。”瑞恩承认。“说实话，一开始我有点讨厌你。我已经习惯掌控一轮循环的方方面面，突然有你这么个外来因素把我的计划搅得一团糟……那感觉简直让人发疯。不过，嗯，我都忘了，我其实喜欢惊喜。”

能和一个懂得自己这些年来有多孤独的人交谈，感觉真好。尽管他们的能力或许天差地别，面临的问题却很相似。

莉维娅带着一丝笑意看他。“如果照你短信里提议的那样，让我搭你能力的便车，你对事态的掌控只会更少。”

“没错，不过你自己也说了。我们不合作，谁也得不到自己想要的东西。”快递员抱起双臂。“所以，如果我们给你一份你自己的记忆图谱，再加上蕾恩记忆的备份，你愿意配合吗？”

莉维娅收起笑容，皱起眉头。“我觉得这样不行，瑞恩。我了解自己。我绝不会自愿让人覆盖我的思想，尤其不会接受迪纳米斯制造的技术。对过去的我来说，能依赖的只有笔记，而不是亲身经历。我会觉得这里面有诈。”

“就不能像搜索引擎那样，写一份反正你也不会看的十五页长警告吗？”

“我更可能认为有人篡改了我的笔记。在我看来，你是个擅长操纵人心、能够干扰我能力的蓝系能力者，这个解释更可信。我本来就非常提防巴克斯那种人。”莉维娅仔细琢磨着这件事。“深潜者有多信任你？”

“我知道你想说什么了。”瑞恩说。“我们把你的意识送回过去，由你保留一份小矮个的记忆，再由我说服过去的她，让我们覆盖她原本的记忆。”

“她会答应吗？你们认识很多年了，而我们才认识几天。她比另一个我更可能接受这个计划。”

“我不知道。”但愿蕾恩能找到一次送回不止一个意识的办法，这样他们就不必验证了。“我会……先征求她的同意。不然总觉得有点像在操纵她。”

“你明明一直在利用先知先觉，让别人按你的心意行动。”莉维娅反驳道。

蕾恩不一样。“等和她商量过再说。另一件事呢？”

“帮你寻找治愈疯魔的办法？”女先知对这件事的热情明显低得多。“瑞恩，那些人可是想把我们全都炸回石器时代。”

“想那么做的人已经没了，剩下的……”瑞恩想起酸雨、杂种、弗兰克，甚至沙林。这些人全都是自身能力的受害者。“剩下的人，值得再有一次机会。”

而且，除了超能帮之外，又有多少疯魔，是因为犯下一个代价惨重的错误，或是身不由己才落得如此下场？血流、让-斯特凡妮、亚当之流，曾决定了他对疯魔的看法。可如今他已经见到了另一面。在一个酸雨仍是疯狂杀人魔的世界里，瑞恩无法宣称自己完成了完美通关。

“我给了他们希望，莉维娅。”快递员郑重地说。“我不想辜负这份希望。”

“等你再次倒转时间，就会把它夺走。”莉维娅指出。

“我会把治好他们列入最终一轮的计划。”瑞恩反驳道。“我会通过一次次循环完善治疗过程，确保他们有个更好的结局。也许他们不会记得我的承诺，但我会。”

莉维娅犹豫了整整一分钟，双手交握，考虑着这个提议。如果瑞恩没看错，她正在用预知能力尝试查看可能的后果，而所见似乎让她不再那么抗拒。“好吧。”她说。“但作为交换，我有两个条件。第一，每一步你都得让我参与。我不想帮忙造出什么将来会让我后悔的东西。”

“很公平。”

“第二……”她的神情变得俏皮起来。“他们为什么一直叫你总统先生？”

瑞恩忍不住笑了。“你想让我给这项机密解密？”

“我很好奇。”她承认。“这背后肯定有个有趣的故事。”

瑞恩向莉维娅详细讲述了自己的政变经过，她的嘴角越扬越高。“你逼他们每天早上唱《星条旗之歌》？”

“弗兰克唱得出乎意料地好，不过蚊子……”瑞恩打了个寒战，脑海中回荡起那地狱般的嗡嗡声。“如果听他唱歌之前你还不想拍死他，听完就想了。”

“真希望我也能做这种傻事。”莉维娅承认。“我身边的人都战战兢兢的。”

“你不能逼他们扮弄臣逗你开心吗？”瑞恩问。“要是不能偶尔滥用一下，手里有权又有什么意义？”

“他们怕惹我不快，但更怕引起我父亲的注意。”莉维娅答道。“不过，我承认，小时候我和福尔图娜也有过一些有趣的历险。”

“比如？”

“我们对着星星许愿，福尔图娜想要的就是那颗星星。”莉维娅轻笑起来。“结果一颗小陨石落进了花园。父亲气得脸都青了。”

“她的能力太破坏平衡了。”瑞恩抱怨道。

“我知道。”莉维娅会心一笑，笑中却带着几分怀念。“小时候，一切都容易得多。”

瑞恩瞥向远处的伊斯基亚岛。“在你父母开始把你当接班人培养之前？”

莉维娅干脆地点了点头。“你离开新罗马的时候，要是能顺手毁掉那座岛，我会很感激。只要极乐工厂倒了，我就终于能着手改变现状。要是谋划得当，或许还能让纳尔西妮娅远离巴克斯。”

“你明白，她始终会是你们与嘉年华之间的争议焦点吧？”瑞恩点明了这个显而易见的事实。“而且巴克斯只是问题的一部分。玛尔斯和维纳斯也在违背她的意愿，逼她制造更多极乐。”

“玛尔斯和维纳斯，我能应付。”莉维娅解释道。“他们是……怎么说呢，追随者。尤其是玛尔斯，很早就选择了追随我父亲，此后从未动摇过忠心。除非家族帝国的重担硬压到他肩上，否则他不会主动接手。如果由我继承，他们俩就会听我的，哪怕是放手让纳尔西妮娅和福尔图娜自由行事也一样。当然，他们不会喜欢。但他们会服从。”

“可巴克斯不会？”

莉维娅摇头。“他对极乐的痴迷已经近乎宗教狂热。他相信自己能靠那东西接触上帝，其他一切都得为此让路。”

不是神。

而是一位终极者。

“即便如此，”瑞恩说，“如果你真想让家人避免与哈格雷夫斯拼个你死我活，我们还是得想办法把纳尔西妮娅从你父亲的掌控下救出去。”

莉维娅的表情一紧。“最近，我开始在预见中看到哈格雷夫斯了。”

阳光？这么快？“在哪里？”

“锈镇。”她承认。“我想他打算袭击你，而且时间越往后，这种可能性就越高。”

可哈格雷夫斯会这么早现身，只有一个理由，那就是……

他知道了地堡的存在。

“怪不得赛孚莱特最近这么活跃。”瑞恩低声自语。

怎么知道的？是瑞恩混在超能帮里，导致裹尸布对锈镇格外关注？还是说，这个操纵玻璃的家伙成功审问了几个心震从前的傀儡，从他们掌握的情报里拼出了答案？

也许他现在还没查出来，但接下来几天就会。“离日落还有多久？”

“现在还说不准，尤其是你还能让我的预言落空。”莉维娅咬住下唇。“最近还有别的东西在干扰我的预见，让它们变得模糊。”

那当然。有只毛绒玩偶突破收容，逃出了废料场。要是情况和欧仁-亨利那次差不多，它大概也会污染她对未来的观测。

“我也看见了迪纳米斯进攻锈镇。”莉维娅继续说。“大多数可能性里，是恩里克带队，但也有些是由他哥哥领头。如果来的是他，整座城市很快就会烧起来。战火会吞噬一切。”

这么看来，瑞恩那个放弃地面、效仿汉尼胖·莱克特死守地堡的备用计划注定行不通。他必须主动出击。“嗯，我有个计划，可以对付迪纳米斯，顺便争取到伏尔甘的帮助。”

“伏尔甘？”莉维娅挑起一边眉毛，露出一丝笑意。“何必绕这么大一个弯？你要是需要她帮忙，可以来找我。”

“不，我了解伏尔甘。你要是逼她帮忙，她绝对会为了报复，把我们卖给奥古斯都。”说起来，贾丝敏的暴脾气正是瑞恩觉得她可爱的地方之一。“只有先顺着她的心意，她才会老老实实帮忙。”

莉维娅立刻听出了言外之意。“你们俩以前很亲近。”

瑞恩避开她的目光，凝视大海。失去贾丝敏，失去属于他的那个贾丝敏，至今仍让他心痛。“是啊。我们曾经很亲近。但现在，她永远离开了。”

“既然你现在能保全记忆，为什么不把你们相爱的那轮循环再走一遍？”莉维娅提议。“然后把她的记忆送回去。”

瑞恩叹了口气。他考虑过类似的办法，最后还是放弃了；顺着这种想法走下去，只会越陷越深。“先不说她让我答应过，不找人替代她。我没办法控制你的行动，所以现在已经不可能完美重现那一轮了。要是我试着在一轮又一轮循环里重造属于我的贾丝敏，恐怕就会执着于每个细节，只要觉得结果‘差了点什么’，就重置再来。我怕自己到头来，更在乎心目中那个想象出来的贾丝敏，而不是她本人。”

就像他曾经执着于蕾恩，以及她对自己所代表的一切。

“我……明白了。”莉维娅对瑞恩的选择似乎有些纠结，但看起来尊重他的决定。“你为什么需要她？”

“我们正在研究梅克隆究竟是怎么增强手下副官们的能力的。要是我把他的技术和贾丝敏的结合起来……”

“你就能增强自己的能力，也许还能带更多人穿越时间。”他看得出，这种可能性让莉维娅大感兴趣。“你打算怎么做？”

“嗯，我会彻底化身超级反派，攻占迪纳米斯的明星制片厂，把埃克托·马纳达的罪行直播给全世界看。”瑞恩解释着自己的邪恶计划。“我还会夸张地飙一通演技，没准拿整座城市勒索一笔，再和我的宿敌衣橱来一场史诗级大战。或者让熊猫和她一起担当宿敌。我还没决定，要不要对我的英雄保持专一。”

莉维娅的反应完全出乎瑞恩的意料。

他本以为她会笑，会表示怀疑，再拍拍他的背，让他自求多福。

可女先知一言不发地听完了他的解释，默默消化着。莉维娅张了张嘴，似乎想说什么，却又急忙闭上，把双手交握在膝上。她脸上闪过一瞬迟疑，随后神情羞怯起来，像个早慧的孩子，生怕问出什么傻问题，招人嘲笑。

瑞恩眯起眼睛看她，读懂了她的心思。“你想一起来。”

“可以吗？”奥古斯蒂的公主带着不好意思的笑容央求道。这一刻的她实在太可爱，瑞恩根本没办法拒绝。

不过，让莉维娅这样端庄得体的人来参与这种胡闹，还是和他心中的她对不上号。“你确定？”

“你还没说不行呢。”莉维娅笑着说。

“你知道这有多危险吧？”

“我就是因为这个才想去。”莉维娅说。“要不是身在时间循环里，我永远没机会做这种事，因为出岔子的可能性太多了。如果你担心我父亲，我可以戴面具，只使用时间跳跃能力。除了家里人，没人知道这项能力的具体细节。”

瑞恩盘起腿，懒洋洋地坐在码头上，后悔没把猫带来。“奥古斯蒂小姐，你真有当超级反派的本事吗？这可不只是能力的问题，还得看表现力。风格、魅力、镜头感……我们得给你找一套行头，再取个让人闻风丧胆的名字。密涅瓦可不够格。”

“我有很多衣服。”莉维娅说，随后试着想一个好用的化名。“名字的话，时间戳怎么样？”

瑞恩一言不发地盯着她。

“时区？暂停？”莉维娅每提一个名字，就变得更窘迫一点。他始终沉默，她的脸颊也红了起来。“钟点？”

她怎么就想不到呢？那个完美的名字，最适合她能力的名字？那个浑身散发着格调、足以超越流行文化领域的名字？配上那种谁也解释不清的能力，简直天生就该家喻户晓。

“绯红女王。”

独此一家，别无分号。

“是不是有点掉书袋？”莉维娅皱眉问。

“相信我。”瑞恩坏笑着，把一只手搭在她肩上，宽慰地拍了拍。“这个再合适不过了。”

---

“怎么样？”防爆门在瑞恩身后合拢，蕾恩问道。

“嗯，咱们的迪士尼公主同意帮助我们研究癌症疗法，还答应出演明天那部电影。”这片测试区让他想起了自己与贾丝敏测试能力增幅装甲的审讯室。一扇加固玻璃窗把摆着电脑的控制室与一间地下穹顶大厅隔开，厅内的机械臂正在操作一瓶迪纳米斯制造的仿制灵药。“我会让她替下罗刹，做我们的秘密王牌。”

“怎么不是替下人偶，你这野蛮人？”阿尔凯莫的声音从扬声器里传来。“为什么你总要把她拖进你的烂摊子？”

“相信我，她会干得很漂亮。”在他经营贩毒集团那阵子，只要需要司机接应脱身，蒂娅通常都是他的首选。“再说，我好声好气地问了，她也答应了。”

“她就是心太软，才不会拒绝你，你这个给生命体丢脸的恶心玩意儿！”

也许吧，不过根据瑞恩的经验，人偶会很享受这趟出行。她一直压抑着自己强烈的犯罪倾向。“先不说这个，蚊子那边进展如何？”

“正如你猜测的那样，合成的高营养血液确实能进一步增强他的力量。”阿尔凯莫确认道。“初步结果很有希望，不过效果持续不久。平均一个小时。”

要是充分利用，一个小时已经很长了。瑞恩打算带弗兰克、沙林和酸雨去明星制片厂，不过，多一个强力打手总归有用。

快递员走到窗前，站在蕾恩身旁。他最好的朋友抱着双臂，不安地注视着玻璃另一侧那瓶绿色仿制灵药。她努力保持镇定，但真实情绪全写在脸上。

“小矮个，我最后再问一次。”瑞恩深吸一口气。“你确定要做吗？或者说，你确定要亲眼看着吗？”

“我说过了。”蕾恩皱起眉。“我……我必须知道，瑞瑞。这样才能有个了结。”

“我更担心这会揭开旧伤，或者引发什么危险反应。”

“焚烧装置已经准备好了。”阿尔凯莫说。四具火焰喷射器从测试场的天花板上垂下，全部对准那瓶仿制灵药。“真要出了最坏的状况，我可以派机器人进去，或者叫你那团黑色黏液来。”

“瑞瑞，如果我们的假说是真的……迪纳米斯就不只是抓住了我父亲。”蕾恩脸上的忧虑化作愤怒。“他们把他封装起来，做成了商品。哪怕那不是……哪怕那不是他，我也不能容忍这种事。这太不人道了。我……我希望是我们猜错了。但我要确定。”

“那要是我们猜对了呢？”瑞恩问出了关键问题。“要是他真的在六十六号实验室里，你会怎么做？把他放出来，让他继续杀人？”

蕾恩没有回答。

她自己也不知道。

“要我说，”脑残开口了，尽管根本没人问他，“如果你们真觉得我们能治好疯魔，那为什么不能多治一个？”

前提是，他还剩下什么能治。如果迪纳米斯真在用血流制造仿制灵药，那他们已经把他封存了将近四年。谁知道提拉诺博士对那团血色黏液做过什么？

而说实话，就算血流还活着，瑞恩也不想帮他。他只想让那团黏液死透，埋进土里。

不管怎样，测试很快就要开始了。一条机械臂将一支装满血液的滴管悬在仿制灵药上方，另一条则打开了容器。

那是蕾恩的血。

初步检测显示，梅克隆的仿制灵药与迪纳米斯的并不吻合：两者通过不同的方法达成了相同的效果。地堡里的机器人还没能分析出迪纳米斯药剂的成分，于是瑞恩提议用更直接的办法。如果他关于血流改造蕾恩血液、以此追踪她的理论是对的，那她的血应该会与仿制灵药发生某种反应。无论细微还是明显，变化都应该出现，而隐藏的摄像头会拍下一切。

瑞恩的目光锁定了仿制灵药玻璃小瓶中翻旋的绿色液体。这款“赫拉克勒斯”灵药以双足飞龙为模板。他不禁想，如果那位身穿闪亮紧身衣的龙骑士知道它是怎么制造出来的，还会不会参与研制。

机械臂挤压滴管，一滴血落了下来。瑞恩和蕾恩屏住呼吸，望着那滴液体下坠，短短一瞬仿佛被拉长到了永远。

血滴碰到了仿制药液，灵药发出一声尖叫。

仿制灵药的容器炸成了十几块碎片，里面的绿色药液瞬间变成血红。液体泼满测试场的地面，像烤箱里的蛋糕面糊一样膨胀。那少得可怜的一点液体不断变大，变大，再变大，膨胀得和暗灵吞噬亚当时一样快。黏液表面浮现出一张扭曲的面孔，仿佛人脸的怪诞仿品。震耳欲聋的尖叫穿透加固玻璃，回荡不休。

一股寒意顺着瑞恩的脊背爬了上来，把他拽回黑暗的过去。回到那些可怕的记忆里——上一轮循环中，夜魇也曾再次唤醒过它们。

那个声音，他永远也忘不了。

蕾恩也发出了一声凄厉的尖叫。不是因为疼痛，而是出于纯粹的恐惧与惊骇。那是一个受过创伤的人，再次从头经历四年前噩梦时发出的惨叫。她的皮肤变得更加苍白，指甲抓挠着脸颊。

“蕾恩！”瑞恩立刻把最好的朋友抱进怀里，紧紧搂在胸前。“蕾恩！冷静点！我在这里！”

嚎叫的黏液沿着地面爬向观察窗。它感应到了蕾恩，嗅到了失散女儿的气息，像一条急不可耐、渴求温热血食的猎犬。

火焰喷射器启动，烈焰席卷了测试室。与利奥表面一样炽热的火焰将那团黏液焚作尘埃，骇人的尖叫化为垂死的哀嚎。最后，只剩下灰烬与寂静。

瑞恩不知道后来自己抱了蕾恩多久。她的尖叫已经变成哭泣，双手捂住脸，仿佛这样就能不去看那个可怕的真相。指甲深深陷入脸颊，抠出了血。怀里的她脆弱得让他觉得，仿佛轻轻一碰就会折断。

快递员任她伏在自己胸前哭泣，双眼盯着灵药留下的灰烬。一个可怕的念头掠过脑海，与之一同浮现的，是埃克托·马纳达罪行的惊人规模。

新罗马到底有多少人喝过仿制灵药？