同章对照

The world turned purple, as time slowed down to a crawl.

Raindrops froze in midair, never reaching the ground. A lightning bolt coursed through the skies, a scar of light in the heavens. Ryan didn’t even hear the sound of his footsteps as he moved.

He had wished for more time, and the Elixir obliged. The boy knew it deep within his bones, an instinct as natural as breathing. Ryan Romano halted time itself with a thought, much like a player could pause a video game.

But not forever.

A flash of light overcame his vision, followed by the noise of explosions and cold rainwater falling on him. Time began again, and Ryan nearly tripped on a puddle of water. Damn, did he need to focus on his power to keep time frozen?

Whatever the case, Ryan kept following the noise. He caught sight of Leo the Living Sun floating above the sea, unleashing streams of fire at Porto Venere’s Marina. The place used to be a touristic walkway, with multi-story colored houses facing piers meant for yachts. Years afterward, the paint had turned grey and lifeless, and the boats into scrapped husks. Ryan could hardly see the battle with the downpour.

He activated his power, and the world turned purple. This time, Ryan started to count in his head.

One.

Five.

Nine.

Te—

And time resumed.

Ryan could halt time for ten seconds or so. Afterward, his power failed him again. The boy attempted to stop the clock again each second, finally succeeding on the tenth try. He could pause the universe for ten seconds, but had a cooldown period of the same length.

A pretty straightforward power, all things considered. But would it make any difference? Bloodstream packed a mean punch, but he was fighting Leo the Living Sun. Ryan heard rumors that the guy fought Augustus and lived.

Ryan searched inside his pockets and brought out a small revolver he always carried on his person. He took a deep breath, cursed his luck, and approached the battlefield.

---

He was fast.

Leonard couldn’t believe his luck, when he glimpsed at a boy matching the description of Bloodstream’s son Cesare scavenging supplies while on a routine patrol. The Carnival had lost track of the Psycho days ago, even wondering if he managed to flee Italy. Leonard had called his allies, and immediately tracked down the boy to his father’s hideout.

Leo went into battle with only the Cossack and Mr. Wave for backup. The former’s white power armor would protect him from blood infection, while the latter had no circulatory system of any kind. Ace stayed on standby in a safe location, ready to teleport the wounded to Stitch’s infirmary if needed. The Cossack had suggested burning the entire town to ensure Bloodstream perished, kids be damned, but his teammates put their veto to that course of action.

They would do this by the book.

Unfortunately, Bloodstream must have sensed the trio's approach and ambushed them near the town’s ruined Marina. Leo bombarded the walkway with flames, while the Cossack did the same with a laser rifle. They only managed to set a deserted restaurant on fire, as Bloodstream dodged all their attacks. The bloody slime leaped from one spot to another like a flea.

“Meddlers, annoyers! Why does everyone insist on harassing me?!” Bloodstream shrieked. His voice struck Leonard as shrilling and high-pitched, like a young child throwing a tantrum. “Has every man on this God-forsaken planet gone mad?”

The pressurized blood making up Bloodstream’s skin crystallized into spikes, which he launched in all directions. Leonard didn’t bother to dodge, his solar body incinerating the projectiles before they could even reach him. Even the raindrops formed a cloud of steam around him, the skies darkening above their heads.

The Cossack flew away with his jetpack, but one spike hit his chest; the blood spear turned into a drill and attempted to dig a path to the human below the armor.

While Leo immediately stopped harassing Bloodstream to burn away his projectile before it could infect his teammate, the Psycho moved towards a half-rusted car near the walkway. His fingers turned into tentacles as they seized the vehicle.

“Ever since I took these potions, this world has been tormenting me!” Bloodstream lifted the car above his head and prepared to toss it at the Carnival’s flying members. “Trying to take my children away from me!”

“And all your troubles didn’t prepare you for…” A new, costumed challenger appeared on the ground, a crimson blur. “Mr. Wave!”

The living wavelength ran towards Bloodstream, his body turning into a laser. Mr. Wave transformed into a mass of crimson light moving in a straight line that cut through anything in its path. The superhero’s laser form tore Bloodstream in half, the car falling on the bisected Psycho.

Mr. Wave returned to his humanoid form a few meters away, doing some footwork as if slowing down. While he could move at lightspeed in laser form, the superhero could only move in a straight line and needed to transform back to turn around. He had once confessed to Leonard that his greatest fear was to be ejected into space, unable to turn back.

“Ugh, Mr. Wave has bloodstains on his cashmere!” Mr. Wave complained while looking at his suit. Bloodstream’s two halves quickly fused back together, and he crawled out of beneath the car. “You have made a powerful enemy today, tomato juice!”

“Just die!” Bloodstream turned both his hands into sharp axes, extended his arms into five-meters long tentacles, and attempted to behead Mr. Wave with a scissor blade motion. The superhero put his hands in his pockets and dodged the strike with a backstep.

“Lady Death once had a near-Mr. Wave experience,” the superhero replied, as Bloodstream frantically pursued him like an enraged bull after a matador. “Mr. Wave is too good for Heaven, and too scary for Hell!”

Leonard had to resist the urge to tell his teammate to stop with the boasts. Mr. Wave was good-natured and powerful, but also an unrepentant showoff.

Still, his taunts worked. Bloodstream focused entirely on Mr. Wave and ignored his allies, giving them some respite. Once the Psycho got too close for the superhero to dodge in his human form, Mr. Wave tore through his foe again in laser form. No damage lasted long, the maddened criminal pulling himself back together in seconds.

“You’re alright?” Leo asked the Cossack after burning the blood-drill to ashes.

“How much blood does he have?” the armored man grunted back, as he glanced at the walkway below them. Bloodstream’s spikes had turned back into liquid blood, slithering back to their owner.

“I can’t tell.” Bloodstream compressed the blood making up his body, so he might carry tons of organic mass in that slender frame of his. “I could incinerate him with one fireball, if we can immobilize him. I don’t want to go all out in case he keeps his children hidden nearby, I might wound them by accident.”

Easier said than done though. Leonard and the Cossack flew above the walkway, trying to keep up with their ally’s duel with Bloodstream. Upon realizing he couldn’t damage the Psycho for long, Mr. Wave switched to a defensive strategy. One moment he stood in one place, challenging Bloodstream with hand gestures and lazy footwork; and when his foe threatened to slice him, the superhero took a step forward, turned into a laser, and reappeared a few meters away.

But though Bloodstream lacked finesse, Leo had a hard time tracking his movements. He was a red blur, a cheetah, his body twisting at impossible angles.

“Stop dodging!” Bloodstream leaped from a building’s wall to the walkway in an attempt to catch Mr. Wave from an unexpected angle, but the living wavelength saw it coming and dodge with a mere sidestep. He didn’t even need to transform.

“Mr. Wave doesn’t move at lightspeed. Light moves at Mr. Wave’s pace.”

“Sure,” the Cossack said, the back of his power armor opening to reveal missile launchers. A rain of rockets fell upon the walkway, alongside the rain and lightning. Concrete and stone exploded into a cloud of dust, obscuring Leonard’s sight.

Leo guessed his ally’s plan: to force Bloodstream’s parts to reform after blasting him to smithereens. Mr. Wave reappeared close to a ruined restaurant, wiping blood off his suit, but the enemy remained out of sight. The dust cloud spread over the Marina, obscuring both the boats and the pavement.

“Catch!” Bloodstream screamed from within the smoke.

A second later, a rusted boat flew across the skies in the flyers’ direction. Leonard and the Cossack blasted it apart before it could hit them, parts falling into the sea. However, the Psycho leaped at them while they were distracted, emerging from the dust cloud with a maniacal laugh.

Bloodstream had stretched his right arm and twisted it on itself, building up strength like an elastic spring. He punched the Cossack in the chest before the armored warrior could retaliate, his empowered fist as powerful as a cannonball. The blow cracked the Cossack’s chestplate, the armored warrior crashing on the walkway. Stone broke beneath him on impact.

“Cossack!” Leonard shouted, his teammate laying on the road, motionless. Worse, the hole in his armor left his chest exposed. “Ace! Evacuate!”

“Below the steel, the sweet blood!” Bloodstream cackled upon landing on the ground. He immediately moved on all fours like a hyena and rushed towards the Cossack. “Sustenance, at long last!”

Mr. Wave took a step forward and transformed into a laser again, hitting the Psycho from behind before he could reach the Cossack. The impact shattered Bloodstream like glass, but no sooner had Mr. Wave regained his original form did the blood drops instantly fused back into a humanoid form.

With a small opening, Ace opened a portal behind the Cossack. The teleporter grabbed the armored warrior and started pulling him to safety through the gate.

“Incinerate him, Sunshine!” Mr. Wave shouted as he engaged Bloodstream in a duel again. He dodged a crystallized axe by sidestepping, transformed in a laser to stop blood bullets in midair before they could hit Ace, and tore through Bloodstream like paper. “Mr. Wave will provide!”

Indeed he did. When Bloodstream threatened to pull himself back, Mr. Wave returned to human form, rotated on himself, and gored through the Psycho again. The superhero kept repeating the process, preventing the criminal from fully regenerating.

Knowing Mr. Wave couldn’t keep this up forever, Leonard gathered plasma in his hand, forming a shining fireball hot enough to vaporize every last drop of blood.

It was now or never.

---

Time resumed again, as Ryan powered through dust and smoke.

The Carnival and Bloodstream had transformed the walkway into swiss cheese, with craters all over the paved street. Len’s loving father got the thrashing of his life from a crimson blur too fast for the eye to follow. Ryan barely caught a glimpse of the fighter responsible for one second as it turned around, a humanoid mass of red energy held together by a purple suit. Bloodstream exploded in a shower of blood, reformed, only to explode again as his foe ran into him.

A freckled woman dragged an armored figure through a circular rift in spacetime itself a few meters away, with Ryan noticing an immaculate clinic on the other side. Leo the Living Sun floated above the area, shaping a miniature star in the palm of his hands. He would incinerate the Psycho so utterly, that naught but ashes would remain.

None had noticed Ryan yet, the dust, smoke, and heavy rain hiding him. And for a second, he was tempted to sit back and do nothing. This might be his only chance to watch the loathsome, immortal Psycho perish for good.

But… but Len wouldn’t leave without her father. She would never forgive Ryan if he left Bloodstream to die, and the Carnival… the teen couldn’t rule out the possibility that they would go after Shortie and him next.

Damn it, what should he do?

“Stop!” Ryan shouted, firing a warning shot at the skies. He couldn't make a decision. “Stop fighting!”

The fireball in Leo’s hands faltered, as he noticed Ryan. “Mr. Wave, the child!”

The wavelength Genome stopped hitting Bloodstream to look at Ryan, the energy making up his body assembling into a phantasmal face. The Psycho regenerated, while ‘Mr. Wave’ raised a hand at Ryan. “Kid, get back, it’s dangerous—”

The horror was raw in his voice, and Ryan realized he made a terrible mistake. The Carnival never intended to harm him or Len. They were true heroes, coming to save them from a bloodthirsty monster.

But a moment of distraction was all it took for evil to prevail.

Bloodstream unleashed a volley of blood bullets at the portal, one of his projectiles hitting the woman’s throat while she finished dragging the armored figure through. She barely had the time to gasp before her skin ruptured, crimson blood covering her skin.

Her voice turned into Bloodstream’s midway through her final scream.

“Ace!” The Living Sun shouted while the portal closed, the fireball in his hands dissipating. “Mr. Wave, fall back!”

The other Genome stepped back in disbelief, sidestepping to dodge Bloodstream’s sharpened claws. “Fall back?!”

“Mathias and the others are at the base!” The Living Sun shouted back in alarm, flying north at extreme speed. Mr. Wave’s gaze moved from Bloodstream to Ryan, and he muttered something too low for the time-stopper to hear. The superhero transformed into a living laser, tearing through buildings in his teammate’s direction.

“You’re alright?” Ryan asked Bloodstream, though it disgusted him to even ask.

“Cesare, I told you to protect your sister!” Bloodstream snarled, apparently perfectly fine. Whatever damage he had suffered healed in an instant. “You must listen to your father!”

The teen sneered in bitterness, as he realized that he would never be free of this monster. This was the perfect chance to get rid of Bloodstream for good, perhaps the only chance, and he threw it all away.

But he loved Len more than he hated her father.

“We don’t have time,” Ryan replied, lowering his gun. “Len’s submarine will leave soon. We have to go now.”

Instead of answering, Bloodstream froze in place. He looked at his adoptive son with disturbing intensity, sending a shiver down Ryan’s spine. “Dad?”

“Who are you?” Bloodstream asked with a shaken voice.

Ryan froze, as the Psycho didn’t recognize him. Perhaps, the Elixir in the boy’s blood had broken the man’s delusion. Or perhaps it caused him to fall into another delirium.

“Dad, I—”

Bloodsteam’s hand grabbed Ryan’s throat, before he could finish his sentence. The Psycho’s grip was strong as steel, choking the life out of him.

“Where is Cesare?!” The Psycho’s maddened words became a distant echo, as air failed to reach Ryan’s brain. The bones in his neck cracked under the strain. His hand failed to hold his gun, the weapon falling on the pavement. “Where is my son?! What have you done to my son?!”

The boy attempted to freeze time and escape Bloodstream’s grip, but the delirious Psycho slammed his head against the pavement. A pain greater than anything Ryan ever felt coursed through his head, his vision blurring, brain matter flowing on the pavement. He couldn’t think, couldn’t—

“WHERE IS MY SON?!”

All went dark.

---

It was true what they said. Ryan saw his life flash before his eyes as he died. Events rolled back, from his death, to that messed up battle, to the moment when the teen foolishly emerged from the smoke.

And then it stopped.

Ryan blinked, as he stood in the middle of the walkway. The pain had vanished, and air filled his lungs once more. The rainwater fell on his warm skin, lightning thundered above his head, and his brain was back in his skull.

He… he was alive again.

Had Ryan seen a vision of the future? A warning of what would happen if he made the wrong choice? That sounded like too much of a Blue power to him, but it had felt so real. Ryan had died, and risen again.

His power could also create a checkpoint, like video games. It had granted him a new chance he couldn’t waste.

Ryan glanced at Bloodstream, the maddened Psycho prepared to strike the freckled woman with a blood volley. But this time, without the boy to distract him, Mr. Wave hit Bloodstream before he could even twitch. The woman closed the portal after dragging the armored knight through, vanishing from sight unharmed.

Ryan glanced at the Living Sun, the fireball in his hands so bright it hurt to look at it. Bloodstream attempted to leap away to safety, but Mr. Wave turned into a laser and tore off his legs, making the madman collapse.

Ryan looked at his adoptive father, the phantom sensation of his warm hands closing on his throat flashing through his mind. And as it did, the boy remembered all the times the bloodthirsty monster hit him and Len in the past. How helpless the children had felt, always cowering at his approach. How the Psycho had lapsed back into his violent madness, each time Ryan thought he might improve.

You will never change, Ryan thought, his hand on his throat. He could almost feel Bloodstream’s claws squeezing the life out of his lungs. This is you. This is what you are, and her compassion is wasted on you.

Ryan owed this monster nothing but scorn.

So he turned around, and abandoned Bloodstream to his fate.

He would tell Len he had been too late. She would despise him, but it was for the best. Ryan had seen the future first hand and come back from it. Her father was a hopeless case, and would never improve.

The Living Sun tossed his fireball at the walkway, the air shimmering with heat.

“Kid!” Ryan glanced behind him. Mr. Wave had noticed his presence, just as the fireball fell upon a roaring Bloodstream like God’s judgment. “Kid, get down!”

The fireball hit the walkway and expanded outward.

Ryan activated his power, running as fast he ever had before. The universe turned purple, freezing this moment in time.

An expanding wall of flames consuming the walkway, with Bloodstream burning to cinders at the center. A demon cleansed in hellfire.

The kind man in a suit, running after Ryan in a vain attempt to shield him from the fireball.

The Living Sun overseeing it all from above, surrounded by steamy rainwater.

Ryan’s legs moved as fast as they could, straining so much that the teen feared he would collapse midway. Seconds stretched on, but Len was so far away, and the fireball so close. The light would catch up to him the moment time resumed.

“Please!” Ryan begged, as he counted seconds from eight to nine. “More than ten! More than ten!”

But Ryan Romano didn’t run fast enough.

The frozen time shattered like glass on the tenth second, and the world exploded into flames.

---

Ryan didn’t know how long he stayed unconscious. When his feverish mind emerged from a coma to face a white wall, he thought he had perished for good and ascended to Heaven. Though Shortie didn’t believe in such things, her boyfriend always kept an open mind. After all, nobody who died came back from the other side.

At least, nobody but Ryan himself.

“Oh, you’re finally awake!” Ryan’s eyes wandered to his right, watching the shining holographic face of Mr. Wave look at him. The superhero anxiously waited on a chair, legs crossed.

Ryan blinked a few times as he regained control of his mental faculties. A bed sheet covered his body, and it looked like he recovered inside a hospital room of some kind. The teen thought he would suffer from burns, but his skin seemed healthier than ever.

“I thought you—” The wavelength Genome paused, as if he had said something stupid. “Mr. Wave thought you might sleep forever.”

“I… I thought so too.” Ryan glanced at his hands. “I’m… I’m alive.”

“Our medic does not inspire confidence at first glance, but he is good,” Mr. Wave said. “His life is a perpetual struggle to keep Mr. Wave’s suicidal comrades alive. Mr. Wave is too powerful to die, so he’s fine.”

“Is Bloodstream… is he gone?” Ryan asked.

The superhero joined his hands. “Your father…” His voice broke. “Your father died, little Cesare. Mr. Wave is sorry.”

He wasn’t my father, Ryan thought, and my name is not Cesare. “Good,” he said coldly. “Good. It had to be done.”

The superhero winced, but thankfully didn’t ask for details. He must have imagined what horrors Ryan went through. “Mr. Wave has to ask, is there another clone running around? Because Mr. Wave doesn’t like endless sequels.”

Ryan shook his head. “You got the last one.”

“Oh, good.” He sounded relieved. “Mr. Wave will keep an eye open just in case your dad makes a comeback, but he hopes there won’t be a reboot anytime soon.”

“What about Len?” Ryan asked, unable to understand half of what the eccentric superhero said. “Where is she? Did she take the submarine?”

“Your sister? Mr. Wave wants to know too. We couldn’t find her, no matter where we looked. Mr. Wave knows he scares the gods themselves, so it didn’t surprise him.”

A shiver went down Ryan’s spine. “How long was I out?”

From Mr. Wave’s embarrassed silence, he guessed for quite a long time. “I need to go,” the teen said, rising from his bed only to almost trip. His legs felt heavy and sore, as if he just woke up from being hit by a truck.

Mr. Wave caught him before he could collapse. His body felt strange to the touch, solid yet slightly fluctuating when someone touched him. Somehow, it reminded the teen of a trampoline.

“A true knight does not make a lady wait, but he must accept a mount’s help sometimes!” Mr. Wave carried Ryan on his back. “Show the way, and Mr. Wave will light it up!”

They didn’t even take the door. For some obscure reason, the eccentric superhero insisted on going through the window, saying it was the ‘adventurer’s gate.’ Ryan wondered if he was sick in his head, but he didn’t question a man willing to help.

Though he didn’t turn into a laser while carrying the teen, perhaps because it would harm him, Mr. Wave moved incredibly fast and never slowed down. Though the hospital had been in Genoa, the duo rejoined Porto Venere within minutes. Leo Hargraves had torched the whole village, probably to make sure Bloodstream didn’t leave a drop behind him.

When Ryan and Mr. Wave reached the boathouse’s smoking ruins, they only found a pond of water.

Len was long gone.

---

Einstein famously said that the definition of insanity was to do the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.

Perhaps he could turn back time too.

The teen had the gut feeling his checkpoint wasn’t a one-time thing, but... well, after he failed to will himself back in time... Ryan only had one way to check. He was fine with whatever happened. In a single day, he had lost everything that ever mattered to him. He just... didn't see how he should go on. He felt numb and lifeless inside. If there was a chance he could make it better... he had to try.

He had been proven correct. Death was the end for most, but not for him.

It did him little good.

His power always brought him right before the explosion. He tried everything. Protect his head. Protect his chest. Dive down. Try to freeze time. Death hurt, but not as much as the idea of losing Len.

The fireball always caught up to him.

Ryan couldn’t outrun light. Couldn’t activate his power in the split-second before it hit. Couldn’t turn back the clock to earlier that day. However his power worked, it had chosen the worst moment to make a new checkpoint.

Ryan almost never died from the explosion itself though. Mr. Wave always managed to shield him from the flames with his body. For that, Ryan was grateful, because death hurt. But the blast always knocked the time traveler unconscious at best.

Sometimes, he woke up a few hours early or days later, depending on his injuries. But he was always too late. No matter how many times Ryan tried, he couldn’t catch up to Len. The time-traveler was trapped in an endless cycle, never making progress.

As he witnessed a Mediterranean sunset for what seemed like the hundredth time, Ryan tried to understand. Did the auto-pilot carry Shortie away? Did she see the explosion and believe her family had perished in the blast?

Ryan asked the Carnival for help many times. Once, he told them Bloodstream kept a backup clone and they looked for three weeks to no avail. Ryan felt slightly bad about using them, especially since Mr. Wave always did his best to help him. The superhero blamed himself for Ryan’s wounds, though the young man could tell from experience that the man had saved his life.

But no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find any sign of the submarine, and Ryan had no way of contacting Shortie.

In the last loop, he fled from the hospital and hid from his own rescuers until they gave up and moved on. The Carnival always insisted he join an adoptive family, but Ryan had his fill of them. He wanted Len, and no one else. His gratefulness for the Carnival turned to resentment; though he knew it was irrational, they had deprived him of Len.

Perhaps it was easier for Ryan to blame others rather than himself. In the end, the teen couldn’t deny the fact he caused this disaster through his own poor choice. For no matter the path he took, it always ended the same way.

With Ryan Romano staring at the sunset, alone in the world.

---

“So?” Enrique Manada asked, facing a computer screen.

“The target’s last clone has been destroyed, as far as we can tell,” Dr. Nathaniel Stitch answered on the other end of the video call. “We are still trying to track down Len Sabino to confirm it, but otherwise it appears the threat has been dealt with.”

“That’s a relief,” Enrique replied. Though his father only cared about the warehouses and Genome employees whom Bloodstream had murdered, his son would have provided the Carnival with support on principle. The world was better with fewer Psychos in it. “We will keep an eye open, in case his daughter reappears.”

“Mr. Hargraves sends you his regards, and thanks,” the doctor said. “We wouldn’t have been able to continue the hunt without Dynamis’ cooperation.”

“It’s nothing.” All they did was to provide the Carnival with reports of Bloodstream’s movements through their own agents, and technical support in analyzing the blood samples. Enrique still shivered upon remembering Dr. Tyrano’s report. “It is always a pleasure to collaborate with the Carnival. My father still won’t budge on the question of Augustus, but I hope that one day, we can make common cause against him.”

Perhaps one day Italy could rise again from its ashes, as a country bound by the rule of law rather than the strength of Genomes. That was Enrique’s sincerest wish.

“Now we must destroy the remaining samples,” Stitch said. “Incinerate them utterly. If a single cell survives long enough to find a new host, the nightmare will start over again.”

“My brother is already taking care of ours. He burns as hot as your sun.” Enrique prepared to end the call, having another reunion planned afterward. “We’ll keep in touch.”

The Carnival member nodded before his screen closed. Enrique called Alphonse next, facing a glowing skeleton in a black hazmat suit. Blackthorn pitied his brother, whose power was as dangerous to his enemies as his allies.

“I have good news, Al,” Enrique said. “The Carnival successfully destroyed Freddie Sabino’s last remaining clone and sanitized the area. We can consider the threat dealt with.”

They wouldn’t have to nuke Porto Venere, just to be sure.

“Good,” Al replied gruffly. “Psychos are a plague upon this land.”

“Have you disposed of the remaining samples?”

Alphonse marked a short pause before answering, “Yes.”

Enrique joined his hands, sensing his brother’s annoyance. “You didn’t like it.”

“A power that could reshape someone’s entire genetic code in an instant… you must have seen the potential as much as I did. Even Father saw it. This power could have changed everything, not only for us, but all of mankind.”

“Its user killed countless people, and would have probably slain more.” If Bloodstream had been half as cunning as Adam the Ogre and used his powers well, he might have become just as dangerous as Augustus. “We have enough of one nigh-immortal psychopath on our hands, and I would rather avoid another. One cell is enough for him to return, brother.”

“I know,” he said with a grunt, still sore over it.

“Then you understand we made the right choice.” If they wanted the world to rise from the apocalypse’s ashes, they had to minimize risks for future generations. Their father only cared about money and reputation, but both Enrique and Al saw farther than he did. “You did good, Alphonse.”

“All for the dream, brother,” Fallout replied, before ending the call. “All for the dream.”

世界变成了紫色，时间缓慢得几乎停滞。

雨滴凝在半空，迟迟没有落地。一道闪电横贯天空，在苍穹中留下一道光的伤疤。瑞恩迈步奔跑，连自己的脚步声都听不见。

他曾祈求能有更多时间，灵药便回应了他的愿望。少年从骨子里就知道该怎么做，那是和呼吸一样自然的本能。瑞恩·罗马诺只需一个念头，就能让时间本身停下来，正如玩家可以暂停电子游戏。

但不能永远停下去。

一道亮光占满了他的视野，紧接着，爆炸声响起，冰冷的雨水落到身上。时间重新流动，瑞恩差点在一滩积水里滑倒。该死，难道得集中精神维持能力，才能让时间一直冻结？

不管怎样，瑞恩继续循声前进。他看见活体太阳利奥悬在海面上，向韦内雷港的游艇码头倾泻一道道火焰。那里曾是一条供游客漫步的滨海步道，色彩鲜艳的多层房屋正对着停泊游艇的栈桥。多年过去，墙漆已变得灰暗死寂，船只也成了废弃的空壳。暴雨倾盆，瑞恩几乎看不清战况。

他发动能力，世界染上了紫色。这一次，瑞恩开始在心里计数。

一。

五。

九。

十——

时间恢复了流动。

瑞恩能暂停时间十秒左右。那之后，能力又不听使唤了。少年每隔一秒便试着再次停下时钟，直到第十次尝试才终于成功。他可以让宇宙暂停十秒，但冷却时间也同样是十秒。

总的来说，这是个相当简单明了的能力。但它能改变什么吗？血流的实力确实凶悍，可他面对的是活体太阳利奥。瑞恩听过传闻，说这家伙曾和奥古斯都交手，而且还活了下来。

瑞恩翻了翻口袋，掏出一直随身携带的小左轮。他深吸一口气，咒骂着自己的运气，向战场靠近。

---

他太快了。

例行巡逻时，伦纳德瞥见一个少年正在搜集物资，外貌与血流之子切萨雷的描述吻合，简直不敢相信自己这么走运。嘉年华几天前就追丢了那个疯魔，甚至怀疑他已经逃出了意大利。伦纳德召集同伴，立刻一路跟踪少年，找到了他父亲的藏身处。

利奥投入战斗时，只有哥萨克和波动先生在旁支援。前者的白色动力装甲能保护他免受血液感染，后者则根本没有任何形式的循环系统。王牌守在安全地点待命，必要时便将伤员传送到斯蒂奇的医务室。哥萨克曾提议烧掉整座镇子，确保血流彻底死去，至于孩子们就顾不上了，但队友否决了这个方案。

他们会按规矩办事。

可惜，血流想必察觉到了三人的接近，在镇上荒废的游艇码头附近伏击了他们。利奥用火焰轰炸步道，哥萨克则以激光步枪配合射击。血流躲开了所有攻击，两人只点燃了一家废弃餐厅。那团血色黏液像跳蚤一样，在各处纵跃。

“多管闲事的东西，烦人的东西！为什么所有人都非要来纠缠我？！”血流尖声叫嚷。伦纳德觉得他的声音又尖又细，仿佛一个正在撒泼的小孩。“这颗被上帝遗弃的星球上，难道人人都疯了吗？”

构成血流皮肤的高压血液结晶成尖刺，朝四面八方射去。伦纳德连躲都懒得躲，他的太阳之躯在那些尖刺近身前便将其烧尽。连雨滴都在他周围化作一团蒸汽，头顶的天空愈发阴沉。

哥萨克用喷气背包飞身闪避，却仍被一根尖刺击中了胸口。血矛变成钻头，试图钻透装甲，触及藏在下面的人。

利奥立刻停止攻击血流，赶在那枚投射物感染队友之前将其烧掉。与此同时，那个疯魔奔向步道旁一辆锈了大半的汽车，手指化作触手，抓住了车身。

“自从我喝了那些药水，这个世界就一直在折磨我！”血流将汽车举过头顶，准备砸向嘉年华那两名飞在空中的成员。“想把我的孩子从我身边夺走！”

“可就算吃了那么多苦头，你也没准备好面对……”一道猩红的残影掠过，一个身穿制服的新挑战者出现在地面上。“波动先生！”

这个活体波长奔向血流，身体化作一道激光。波动先生变成了一团沿直线前进的猩红光芒，切开沿途的一切。超级英雄的激光形态将血流撕成两半，汽车落下，砸在被腰斩的疯魔身上。

波动先生在几米外恢复人形，脚下倒腾了几步，仿佛在减速。虽然他在激光形态下可以以光速移动，但只能走直线，必须变回人形才能转向。他曾向伦纳德坦言，自己最害怕的事就是被甩进太空，再也无法掉头。

“呃，波动先生的羊绒上沾了血！”波动先生低头看着西装，抱怨道。血流的两半身体迅速合拢，从汽车底下爬了出来。“你今天给自己惹上了一个强敌，番茄汁！”

“去死吧！”血流双手化作利斧，两条胳膊伸长成五米长的触手，像剪刀般交叉斩出，企图削下波动先生的脑袋。超级英雄双手插兜，后撤一步，避开了这一击。

“死神女士曾有过一次‘濒波动先生’体验。”超级英雄回敬道。血流疯狂追击，像一头被激怒的公牛追着斗牛士。“天堂配不上波动先生，地狱又怕了波动先生！”

伦纳德很想让队友别再吹嘘了，好不容易才忍住。波动先生心地善良，实力强大，却也是个死不悔改的炫耀狂。

不过，他的挑衅确实有效。血流眼里只剩下波动先生，完全忽略了他的同伴，让两人有了喘息之机。每当那个疯魔逼得太近，让波动先生无法以人形躲闪时，他就会化作激光，再次穿透敌人。任何伤害都维持不了多久，发狂的罪犯几秒内便又拼回了自己。

“你没事吧？”利奥将血液钻头烧成灰后，向哥萨克问道。

“他到底有多少血？”装甲里的男人闷声反问，瞥向下方的步道。血流射出的尖刺已经重新化作液态血液，蜿蜒爬回主人身边。

“看不出来。”血流将构成身体的血液压缩在了一起，所以那副纤瘦的身躯里可能藏着成吨的有机物。“只要能让他动弹不得，我一个火球就能把他烧光。我不想使出全力，万一他把孩子藏在附近，我可能会误伤他们。”

但说起来容易，做起来难。伦纳德和哥萨克飞在步道上空，努力跟上同伴与血流交战的节奏。波动先生意识到无法给那疯魔留下持久的伤害后，便转为守势。前一刻，他还站在一处，摆着手势，迈着懒散的步子，挑衅血流；等到对手眼看就要劈中他，超级英雄便向前一步，化作激光，又在几米外现身。

可尽管血流的动作没什么技巧可言，利奥还是很难捕捉他的行动。他是一道红色残影，一头猎豹，身体能扭成种种不可能的角度。

“不许躲！”血流从一栋楼的墙面跃向步道，试图从意料之外的角度扑住波动先生。但这个活体波长早有预料，只侧身一步便闪了过去，甚至不需要变身。

“波动先生不是以光速移动。是光在跟着波动先生的速度跑。”

“行吧。”哥萨克说。他的动力装甲背部展开，露出了导弹发射器。火箭弹如雨般落向步道，与暴雨、闪电一同倾泻而下。混凝土和石块炸成一片尘云，挡住了伦纳德的视线。

利奥猜到了同伴的计划：先把血流炸成碎片，逼他重新拼合身体。波动先生出现在一家破败餐厅附近，擦拭着西装上的血，敌人却仍不见踪影。尘云在游艇码头上弥漫开来，遮住了船只和路面。

“接着！”血流在烟尘里尖叫。

一秒后，一艘锈迹斑斑的船划过天空，朝飞在空中的两人砸来。伦纳德和哥萨克赶在被砸中前将船轰碎，碎片纷纷落入海里。但就在他们分神之际，那个疯魔狂笑着从尘云里跃出，扑向两人。

血流将右臂拉长、拧紧，像弹簧一样蓄足了力。在哥萨克来得及还击前，他一拳击中对方胸膛，那只蓄力的拳头威力堪比炮弹。这一击打裂了哥萨克的胸甲，披甲战士坠落步道，撞碎了身下的石面。

“哥萨克！”伦纳德大喊。队友一动不动地躺在路上。更糟的是，装甲上的破洞让他的胸膛暴露在外。“王牌！撤离伤员！”

“钢铁之下，是甜美的鲜血！”血流落到地上，咯咯狂笑。他立刻四肢着地，像鬣狗一样扑向哥萨克。“终于有吃的了！”

波动先生向前一步，再次化作激光，赶在疯魔碰到哥萨克之前，从背后击中了他。这一撞让血流像玻璃般粉碎，但波动先生刚刚恢复原形，四散的血滴就瞬间合拢，重新凝成人形。

趁着这短暂的空隙，王牌在哥萨克身后打开了一道传送门。她抓住披甲战士，开始将他拖过门，转移到安全的地方。

“烧了他，阳光！”波动先生喊着，再次与血流缠斗。他侧步闪开一柄结晶利斧，化作激光，在血弹击中王牌前从半空截下它们，又将血流像纸一样撕开。“波动先生给你创造机会！”

他确实做到了。眼看血流就要重新聚合，波动先生便恢复人形，原地转身，再次贯穿疯魔。他不断重复这一过程，让这个罪犯始终无法彻底再生。

伦纳德知道波动先生撑不了太久，便将等离子体汇聚在掌中，凝成一颗耀眼的火球。它的温度足以将每一滴血都汽化殆尽。

机不可失。

---

瑞恩奋力冲过烟尘，时间再次恢复流动。

嘉年华和血流把步道打成了瑞士奶酪，铺好的街面上到处都是坑。蕾恩那位慈爱的父亲正遭受平生最惨烈的痛殴，揍他的是一道肉眼无法追上的猩红残影。趁着那名战士转身，瑞恩才勉强瞥见了他一秒：一套紫色西装裹着一团人形的红色能量。血流炸成漫天血雨，重新凝聚，又在对手的冲撞下再次炸开。

几米外，一个长着雀斑的女人正将一道披甲身影拖过圆形的时空裂口。瑞恩注意到，另一边是一间一尘不染的诊室。活体太阳利奥悬浮在这片区域上空，在双手掌心塑造出一颗微型恒星。他会将那个疯魔烧得干干净净，除灰烬之外，什么也不剩。

还没有人注意到瑞恩，尘土、烟雾和暴雨遮住了他的身影。有那么一秒，他很想就这么袖手旁观。这也许是他唯一一次机会，亲眼看着那个恶心的不死疯魔彻底死去。

可是……可是蕾恩不肯丢下父亲离开。如果瑞恩任由血流死去，她永远都不会原谅他。而且嘉年华……少年无法排除他们接下来会对自己和小矮个下手的可能。

该死，他到底该怎么办？

“住手！”瑞恩高喊，朝天开了一枪示警。他做不出决定。“别打了！”

利奥发现了瑞恩，手中的火球晃了一下。“波动先生，那个孩子！”

那个波长形态的基因者停止攻击血流，转头望向瑞恩，构成身体的能量聚成了一张虚幻的脸。疯魔开始再生，而“波动先生”朝瑞恩举起一只手。“孩子，退后，危险——”

他声音里的惊恐毫无遮掩，瑞恩这才意识到，自己犯了个可怕的错误。嘉年华从来没打算伤害他或蕾恩。他们是真正的英雄，是来救他们脱离嗜血怪物魔爪的。

可只需一瞬的分神，就足以让邪恶占据上风。

血流朝传送门射出一轮血弹。那个女人刚把披甲身影彻底拖过去，一枚血弹便击中了她的喉咙。她只来得及倒抽一口气，皮肤就裂了开来，猩红的血液覆满她的肌肤。

她最后的惨叫才发出一半，声音就变成了血流的声音。

“王牌！”传送门关闭，活体太阳大喊，手中的火球随之消散。“波动先生，撤退！”

另一个基因者难以置信地退了一步，随即侧身避开血流的利爪。“撤退？！”

“马蒂亚斯他们都在基地！”活体太阳惊惶地喊回去，以极快的速度飞向北方。波动先生的目光从血流移到瑞恩身上，低声嘟囔了句什么，声音太轻，这个能暂停时间的少年没能听清。超级英雄化作一道活生生的激光，穿透沿途建筑，向同伴的方向追去。

“你没事吧？”瑞恩问血流，尽管连问出这句话都让他恶心。

“切萨雷，我让你保护你姐姐！”血流咆哮道，看上去完全没事。无论他受过什么伤，都在转瞬间愈合了。“你必须听爸爸的话！”

少年苦涩地冷笑，意识到自己永远也摆脱不了这个怪物了。这本是彻底除掉血流的绝佳机会，也许还是唯一的机会，却被他亲手葬送。

可他对蕾恩的爱，终究胜过了对她父亲的恨。

“没时间了。”瑞恩放下枪，回答道，“蕾恩的潜艇很快就要开走了。我们得马上走。”

血流没有回答，而是僵在原地。他死死盯着养子，那目光令人不安，让瑞恩脊背发凉。“爸？”

“你是谁？”血流问，声音在颤抖。

瑞恩僵住了。那个疯魔认不出他了。也许少年血液里的灵药打破了这个男人的妄想，又或许，这让他陷入了另一场谵妄。

“爸，我——”

他话还没说完，血流的手就掐住了他的喉咙。疯魔的手如钢铁般坚硬，要把他的生机活活扼断。

“切萨雷在哪儿？！”氧气无法再供给瑞恩的大脑，疯魔癫狂的话语成了遥远的回声。重压之下，他的颈骨发出咔嚓声。他再也握不住枪，武器掉在了路面上。“我儿子在哪儿？！你把我儿子怎么了？！”

少年试图暂停时间，挣脱血流的钳制，可神志错乱的疯魔却将他的头狠狠砸向地面。瑞恩从未感受过的剧痛贯穿头颅，视野变得模糊，脑浆流到了路面上。他无法思考，无法——

“我儿子在哪儿？！”

一切归于黑暗。

---

人们说的是真的。临死时，瑞恩看见自己的一生在眼前闪过。发生过的一切倒放着，从他的死，到那场一团糟的战斗，再到少年愚蠢地从烟雾里走出的那一刻。

然后，一切停了下来。

瑞恩眨了眨眼，发现自己正站在步道中央。疼痛消失了，空气再次涌入肺中。雨水落在温热的皮肤上，头顶电闪雷鸣，他的脑子也重新回到了颅骨里。

他……他又活过来了。

瑞恩刚才是看见了未来的幻象吗？是在警告他，选错了会落得什么下场？他觉得那听上去更像蓝系的能力，可刚才的一切又如此真实。瑞恩死了，又活了过来。

他的能力还能像电子游戏一样，创建一个存档点。它给了他一次新的机会，他不能浪费。

瑞恩望向血流。癫狂的疯魔正准备朝雀斑女人射出一轮血弹。但这一次，没有少年让波动先生分神，血流还没来得及动弹就挨了一击。女人将披甲骑士拖过传送门后便关上了门，毫发无伤地消失了。

瑞恩又看向活体太阳。他手中的火球亮得刺眼。血流试图跃开逃生，波动先生却化作激光，撕断了他的双腿，让疯子倒在地上。

瑞恩望着养父，脑海里闪过那双温热的手掐紧喉咙的幻觉。随之浮现的，还有那个嗜血怪物过去一次次殴打他和蕾恩的记忆。两个孩子是多么无助，每次他一靠近，就只能瑟缩发抖。每当瑞恩以为他可能好转，他便又一次陷入那种暴戾的疯狂。

你永远都不会变。瑞恩想着，手抚上喉咙。他几乎还能感觉到，血流的爪子正将生命从肺里挤出去。这就是你。这就是你的本性，她的同情全都白白浪费在了你身上。

这个怪物只配得到他的鄙弃，瑞恩不欠他任何东西。

于是他转过身，将血流留给了他的命运。

他会告诉蕾恩，自己来得太晚了。她会鄙视他，但这样才是最好的。瑞恩亲历过未来，又从那里回来。她父亲已经无药可救，永远不会好转。

活体太阳将火球掷向步道，空气在高温下扭曲晃动。

“孩子！”瑞恩回头望去。波动先生发现了他，与此同时，火球如上帝的审判般落向咆哮的血流。“孩子，趴下！”

火球击中步道，向外膨胀。

瑞恩发动能力，以生平最快的速度狂奔。宇宙变成紫色，将这一刻冻结。

一道向外扩张的火墙吞没步道，中央的血流正在被烧成灰烬。一个在地狱之火中遭到净化的恶魔。

那个身穿西装的好心人正追着瑞恩跑，徒劳地试图替他挡下火球。

活体太阳从高空俯瞰这一切，周身环绕着雨水蒸成的雾气。

瑞恩的双腿拼命迈动，用力过度，让少年担心自己会在半途倒下。一秒又一秒被拉得漫长，可蕾恩那么远，火球却那么近。时间一恢复流动，那道光就会追上他。

“求你了！” 瑞恩哀求着，计数从八跳到了九。“别只有十秒！别只有十秒！”

可瑞恩·罗马诺终究跑得不够快。

第十秒，冻结的时间如玻璃般碎裂，整个世界炸成了火海。

---

瑞恩不知道自己昏迷了多久。当他发烫的意识从昏迷中醒来，眼前是一面白墙时，他以为自己终于死透，升入了天堂。虽然小矮个不信这些，她的男朋友却一直不把话说死。毕竟，从来没有哪个死人从彼岸回来过。

至少，除了瑞恩自己以外，没有别人。

“哦，你终于醒了！”瑞恩的目光移向右边，看见波动先生那张发亮的全息面孔正朝着他。超级英雄双腿交叠，坐在椅子上焦急地守候着。

瑞恩眨了几次眼，慢慢恢复了思考能力。身上盖着床单，他似乎正在某间病房里养伤。少年本以为自己会被烧伤，皮肤却看上去比以往任何时候都要健康。

“我还以为你——”波长形态的基因者顿了一下，仿佛说了什么蠢话。“波动先生还以为你会一直睡下去。”

“我……我也这么以为。”瑞恩低头看着双手。“我……我还活着。”

“我们的医生第一眼看着不太靠谱，但医术很好。”波动先生说，“他这一辈子，就是在跟波动先生那些一心送死的战友较劲，设法保住他们的命。波动先生强得死不了，所以没事。”

“血流……他死了吗？”瑞恩问。

超级英雄将双手合在一起。“你父亲……”他的声音哽住了。“你父亲死了，小切萨雷。波动先生很抱歉。”

他不是我父亲，瑞恩心想，我也不叫切萨雷。“好。”他冷冷地说，“很好。必须这么做。”

超级英雄神情一僵，但幸好没有追问。他想必也猜得出瑞恩经历过怎样的恐怖。“波动先生得问一句，还有没有别的分身在外面活动？因为波动先生不喜欢没完没了的续集。”

瑞恩摇头。“你们杀的就是最后一个。”

“哦，那就好。”他的语气如释重负。“波动先生会留个心眼，免得你爸爸卷土重来，不过他希望短期内不要有重启版。”

“蕾恩呢？”瑞恩问。这个古怪的超级英雄说的话，他有一半都听不懂。“她在哪儿？她坐潜艇走了吗？”

“你姐姐？波动先生也想知道。我们到处都找过了，就是找不到她。波动先生知道，连诸神都怕他，所以这也不意外。”

瑞恩脊背一凉。“我昏迷了多久？”

看着波动先生尴尬地沉默，他猜时间相当久。“我得走了。”少年说着，从床上起身，却险些绊倒。双腿又沉又痛，仿佛刚被卡车撞过才醒来。

波动先生在他跌倒前扶住了他。他的身体触感很奇怪，虽然坚实，却会在人触碰时微微起伏。不知怎么的，这让少年想到了蹦床。

“真正的骑士不会让女士久等，但有时候也得接受坐骑的帮助！”波动先生将瑞恩背了起来。“你来指路，波动先生负责照亮它！”

他们甚至没走门。不知出于什么古怪理由，这个离奇的超级英雄坚持要走窗户，说那是“冒险家的大门”。瑞恩怀疑他脑子有问题，但也没有质疑一个愿意帮忙的人。

波动先生背着少年时没有化作激光，也许是怕伤到他，但仍然快得惊人，一路丝毫没有减速。医院虽然在热那亚，两人却在几分钟内就回到了韦内雷港。利奥·哈格雷夫斯烧掉了整个村镇，大概是为了确保血流连一滴血都没留下。

瑞恩和波动先生来到仍在冒烟的船屋废墟时，只看见了一池水。

蕾恩早已离去。

---

爱因斯坦有句名言：所谓疯狂，就是一遍遍重复同样的事，却指望得到不同的结果。

也许他也能让时间倒流。

少年直觉觉得，自己的存档点并不是一次性的。但是……好吧，他试过凭意志让自己回到过去，却没能成功……瑞恩只剩下一种验证办法了。无论结果如何，他都能接受。一天之内，他失去了所有对自己重要的东西。他只是……不知道该怎么走下去。内心麻木，毫无生气。只要还有机会把事情变好……他就必须试试。

事实证明他是对的。死亡是大多数人的终点，却不是他的。

可这并没有多大用处。

他的能力总是将他送回爆炸前的那一刻。他什么都试过了。护住头。护住胸口。扑倒在地。尝试暂停时间。死亡很痛，但还没有失去蕾恩这个念头痛。

火球总能追上他。

瑞恩跑不过光。无法在被击中前的刹那发动能力。也无法将时钟拨回那天更早的时候。不管他的能力是怎么运作的，它都挑了个最糟糕的时刻创建新的存档点。

不过，瑞恩几乎从未被爆炸当场杀死。波动先生总能用身体替他挡住火焰。对此，瑞恩心怀感激，因为死亡真的很痛。但哪怕是最好的结果，爆炸也总会让这个时间旅行者失去意识。

视伤势轻重而定，有时他会提前几小时醒来，有时则要再过几天。但他总是太迟了。无论尝试多少次，瑞恩都追不上蕾恩。时间旅行者困在了无尽的循环里，始终毫无进展。

当他仿佛第一百次看着地中海的落日时，瑞恩试图想明白这一切。是自动驾驶把小矮个带走了吗？她是不是看到了爆炸，以为家人都死在了里面？

瑞恩多次向嘉年华求助。有一回，他告诉他们，血流还留着一个备用分身，他们找了三个星期，毫无结果。利用这些人让瑞恩有些愧疚，尤其是波动先生每次都会尽全力帮他。这个超级英雄把瑞恩受伤的事归咎于自己，可少年凭着亲身经历，清楚地知道是对方救了自己的命。

但无论如何搜寻，他们都找不到潜艇的任何踪迹，而瑞恩也没有办法联系小矮个。

在最后那轮循环里，他逃出了医院，躲着自己的救命恩人，直到他们放弃，转去做别的事。嘉年华总是坚持要给他找一个收养家庭，但瑞恩受够了这种家庭。他只要蕾恩，别的人谁都不要。他对嘉年华的感激变成了怨恨。尽管知道这毫无道理，可正是他们，让他失去了蕾恩。

也许对瑞恩来说，责怪别人比责怪自己更容易。可归根结底，少年无法否认，这场灾难是他自己做出了糟糕的选择才造成的。无论他走哪条路，结局总是一样。

瑞恩·罗马诺凝望落日，孤身一人，举世无亲。

---

“怎么样？”恩里克·马纳达面对电脑屏幕问道。

“据我们所知，目标的最后一个分身已经被消灭。”视频通话另一端，纳撒尼尔·斯蒂奇医生回答道。“我们还在追查蕾恩·萨比诺的下落，以便最终确认。不过除此之外，看来威胁已经解除了。”

“那就放心了。”恩里克答道。父亲只在乎仓库，以及被血流杀害的基因者员工，但即便不为这些，做儿子的单凭原则也会支持嘉年华。疯魔少一个，世界就好一分。 “我们会留意他女儿是否再次露面。”

“哈格雷夫斯先生向您问好，也向您致谢。”医生说。“没有迪纳米斯的配合，我们就无法继续追捕。”

“不必客气。”他们不过是通过自己的特工向嘉年华提供血流的行踪报告，并在血液样本分析上给予技术支持。想起提拉诺博士的报告，恩里克仍不寒而栗。“能与嘉年华合作，始终是我们的荣幸。关于奥古斯都的问题，家父依然不肯松口，但我希望有一天，我们能联手对付他。”

也许有一天，意大利能从灰烬中再度崛起，成为一个由法治而非基因者武力维系的国家。这是恩里克最真诚的愿望。

“现在我们必须销毁剩余的样本。”斯蒂奇说。“彻底焚毁。哪怕只有一个细胞存活到找到新宿主，噩梦也会重新开始。”

“我兄弟已经在处理我们手上的样本了。他燃烧的温度不比你们那位太阳低。”恩里克准备结束通话，之后还有另一场会面安排。“我们保持联系。”

嘉年华的成员点了点头，随后从屏幕上消失。恩里克接着拨通阿尔方斯的通讯，面对一具穿着黑色防化服的发光骷髅。黑棘怜悯自己的兄弟。他的能力对盟友和敌人一样危险。

“有个好消息，阿尔。”恩里克说，“嘉年华成功消灭了弗雷迪·萨比诺最后一个分身，也对那片区域进行了消毒处理。可以认定威胁已经解除了。”

他们不用为了保险起见，再往韦内雷港扔核弹了。

“很好。”阿尔粗声答道。“疯魔就是这片土地上的瘟疫。”

“剩下的样本处理掉了吗？”

阿尔方斯稍稍停顿，才回答：“处理了。”

恩里克合起双手，察觉到了兄弟的不快。“你不情愿。”

“一种能在瞬间重塑一个人全部遗传密码的能力……你一定和我一样，看到了它的潜力。连父亲都看到了。这种能力本可以改变一切，不光对我们如此，对全人类也一样。”

“使用这种能力的人杀了无数人，而且很可能还会杀更多。”如果血流能有食人魔亚当一半狡猾，善加利用自己的能力，他或许会变得和奥古斯都一样危险。“一个近乎不死的变态杀人狂就已经够我们应付了，我宁可别再来一个。只要一个细胞，他就能回来，兄弟。”

“我知道。”他闷声说道，显然仍在为此耿耿于怀。

“那你就明白，我们做了正确的选择。”如果想让世界从末日的灰烬中重生，他们就必须尽量降低留给后世的风险。父亲只关心金钱和名声，恩里克和阿尔却都看得比他远。“你做得很好，阿尔方斯。”

“一切为了梦想，兄弟。”辐尘在结束通话前答道。“一切为了梦想。”