同章对照

It was May 10th. Psyshock would attack the orphanage any minute now, and a rabbit had hanged himself in the kitchen.

“Come on…” Ryan muttered to himself in consternation. The world-destroyer had used a rope rather than warm intestines, but it had scared Little Sarah to death all the same. “You know it won’t work, right? I’ve tried.”

The plushie played dead.

The courier’s eyes wandered to the walls, covered in gunshots; an empty Beretta awaited on the kitchen’s table, alongside knives, Len’s antidepressants, and alcohol. Little Sarah had come to Ryan crying upon finding the rabbit in this state, and the time-traveler couldn’t blame her.

That wasn’t the first complaint he had received either. Another child had found the plushie in the disaffected shower room with a bucket of water, a bloody pentagram, and a jumper cable; though thankfully it didn’t steal that from Ryan’s car.

Somehow the courier found the plushie’s behavior even creepier than usual.

“What are you trying to achieve?” Ryan asked carefully, unsure how that pattern would progress. The beast no longer reproduced in the presence of children but no longer seemed to care about them either, which worried the courier.

An orphan walked into the kitchen, to find Ryan talking to a hanged rabbit. He looked at the time-traveler and then at the plushie, his face as blank as a Dynamis infomercial.

“It makes sense in context,” Ryan said.

The child walked away wordlessly.

Ryan looked back at the plushie’s big blue eyes, trying to figure out what happened. He remembered what his Elixir had told him, when he briefly entered the Black World.

The plushie didn’t understand death, so it killed others in an attempt to figure it out; or perhaps because it found it funny. But its inability to slay Lightning Butt had forced the monster to reevaluate its approach. It had decided to understand death by experiencing it.

The plushie was having a suicidal phase.

How long would it last? Ryan’s own lasted a while, and involved at least two plane crashes, one yacht, lasers, sharks, piranhas—and as it turned out, Spy movies had lied to him—giraffes, drug-fueled orgies, and one meteorite.

The courier’s hand instinctively moved to the pocket where he kept his A-bomb, and Ryan sighed in relief upon finding it safely in its place.

And then the plushie’s ears rose up in interest.

“No,” Ryan said, shielding his bomb like a maiden’s virginity. “No, don’t you dare.”

The plushie’s head turned to look at Ryan, glancing at his pocket.

In the end, the courier left the plushie hanging from the ceiling and wisely slithered out of the kitchen. He felt the dreadful creature’s gaze on his back even when he exited the room.

If only the courier could pull the off switch. The realization this terrible monster had been pretending it worked all along had crushed all of Ryan’s hope of containing it. He thought of all the time he put the plushie on a shelf, thinking himself safe. Even when he and Jasmine—

…

Oh gods, it had been watching all along.

Ryan exited the orphanage through the front door on this terrible realization, his heart filled with dread and horror. Happy memories had suddenly turned dark and grim. “Riri,” Len said, awaiting him outside in full power armor. “I… I have something for you.”

She tossed him a handheld version of her water rifle, which Ryan gladly accepted. The Meta-Gang’s minibus had reached the courtyard.

The courier didn’t shoot at it on sight this time around, and instead waited for its passengers to step out. Mongrel, more beast than man; Mosquito, utterly anemic without the special blood juice which Ryan provided him in the last loop; and Psyshock, whose mere presence infuriated the time-traveler.

“Hey, Psypsy,” Ryan ‘greeted’ the Meta-Gang’s members, while Len’s fingers tensed on her rifle’s trigger. “I know you won’t care, but the kids here are underage. They’re way too old for you.”

“Little Cesare,” Psyshock replied, Mosquito cracking his knuckles and Mongrel letting out a bestial hiss. “And is that Little Len too? I could recognize her work anywhere. Is your father joining us from beyond the grave too?”

Len remained as silent as a tombstone, and Ryan couldn’t help but flinch. He already heard Psyshock say those exact words before, but they hit much harder now.

The telepath didn’t remember the previous loop, and since he hadn’t adjusted his behavior either, then Big Fat Adam was certainly alive again. Ryan would have preferred both of them buried for good, but it meant he could predict their behavior.

“Not yet,” Ryan replied, raising his water rifle. “I’m afraid this place is invitation-only. If you take another step, I will have to show you the door, face first.”

Psyshock’s tone turned vicious. “You were not so brave during our last—”

Ryan activated his power, shot both Mosquito and Mongrel with the water rifle in the frozen time, tossed his weapon, and grabbed a Bliss inhaler hidden beneath his trenchcoat.

“Encoun—” Psypsy didn’t finish his sentence, as Ryan applied the inhaler to his face and pumped his brain full of drugs. From the telepath’s point of view, the courier appeared to have teleported in front of him. Giant water bubbles had captured his allies, quickly drowning them into unconsciousness.

Tentacles wriggled free out of Psyshock’s clothes, revealing his true monstrous self, but the drug acted quicker. The telepath’s limbs trashed around like beheaded snakes while he collapsed to the ground, his brain overwhelmed by Bliss. Soon Psyshock went limp, liquid dripping from his inhuman skull.

The whole conflict had lasted half a minute.

“I prefer to make my fights fun and relaxing, like smelling flowers in a park, but you’re an exception,” Ryan said before kicking the helpless Psyshock. “You really overstayed your welcome.”

He was saving himself for Wardrobe anyway.

“That was quick,” a new voice said. Ryan didn’t even turn around, as Shroud appeared at his side. “I see you rehearsed.”

“About that, Shortie, you modified the oxygen supply as I asked?” Ryan pointed a finger at Mosquito, who struggled to stay conscious in the water prison. “Bugs and water don’t mesh well.”

“I… yes, I did. He shouldn’t get brain damage.” Len glanced at Shroud, leaving the next part of her sentence unsaid: this time.

The next member of Quicksave’s Avengers arrived while driving a fearsome bicycle, honking to intimidate his foes. The Monster of the East had come to lay waste to Psychos and evildoers alike, to bathe his fur in their blood.

“Is the Panda on time?” Timmy said as he abruptly stopped his vehicle near the Meta-Gang’s minibus, ready for battle. “He will save the day!”

“You’re a bit late for that round, my young Pandawan,” Ryan replied, patting the manbear on the shoulder. “But you’re early for the main course.”

“Oh, so we’ll eat before defeating bad guys?”

“We shall eat, yes,” Ryan raised a fist to the heavens. “We shall eat villains’ dreams and drink their tears.”

“I-I understand, Sifu!”

“What can he do?” Shroud asked, glancing at the Panda with clear skepticism.

“He can transform into the most powerful creature on Earth,” Ryan boasted on his apprentice’s behalf. “I thought he would be a good addition to your traveling circus.”

“T-that’s right!” The Panda nodded sheepishly. “I… the Panda doesn’t have much work experience, but it would be an honor to serve with the Carnival, sir!”

“You will learn,” Shroud replied with a shrug. “It’s not skills that make a hero, it’s the heart. You can pick up the first through time and effort, the second not so much.”

Ryan had half-expected the silicanetic to look down on the Panda like Enrique did, and was pleasantly surprised. Then again, the Carnival had a tremendously high rate of turnover, so they couldn’t afford to turn down volunteers. The mere idea of joining this illustrious group of heroes invigorated the Panda, the manbear ready to take names and prove his worth.

“How many more are we waiting for?” Len asked Ryan.

“Two more.” Ryan had considered bringing Atom Kitty to the party too, but putting him, his sister, and Livia in the same team was bound to backfire. At this point, Felix was too scornful of his family to stand them. “Afterwards, drug bust, and we haul everyone we catch to jail.”

“There is no need to keep them prisoner,” Shroud said while glancing at the captured Meta-Gang members. “They are Psychos and murderers, nobody will blame you for putting them down.”

“Putting them down?” The Panda asked, suddenly a lot less enthusiastic.

“We’ll bring them in by the book,” Ryan reassured his young Pandawan. “By the book.”

“And how do you intend to imprison Psychos?” Shroud asked with heavy sarcasm. “They have unique powers. Sarin and Frank the Mad in particular will destroy any jail they’re put into.”

Those two Ryan could turn around, and he had a solution for the rest. “Not if the prison is located twenty leagues under the sea.”

Mr. Looking Glass immediately caught on and glanced at Shortie. “Your underwater base?”

“I cut off some of the habitats from my sanctuary,” Len explained with a nod. “They’re, they’re self-sustaining, but isolated. Like an… an underwater asylum.”

“Unless they can turn into fish, the prisoners won’t swim far before the pressure crushes them,” Ryan said. “We can try to rehabilitate people before putting them six feet under, Glass Cowboy.”

“Even Adam the Ogre?” Shroud deadpanned.

“Now, don’t be silly. Whalie will be extradited to Monaco.” With luck, the staff would appropriately eat him and call it karma.

“Psychos cannot be cured,” the vigilante said, before crossing his arms in doubt. Perhaps he had guessed Ryan had a plan to change that, though he couldn’t tell just yet. “Unless you can pull off a miracle.”

“I’m… I’m not so sure either, Riri,” Len said. “But… well, imprisonment is always better than killing. That won’t change.”

Shroud suddenly turned invisible much to the Panda’s surprise, as the sound of a new car echoed in the distance.

Livia’s group arrived in a platinum version of Pluto’s Lamborghini driven by Cancel. Livia and Fortuna sat at the back. The former wore her Queen Crimson costume, without the helmet but with a new, white cat-themed necktie; the latter used a tight, white latex catsuit that only enhanced her curvaceous form and meshed well with her golden hair.

The sight of two Genomes in fashionable costumes restored Ryan’s faith in humanity.

“Livia, Fortuna,” the courier greeted his favorite ladies as they exited the car, before waving a hand at Cancel. “Oh hi, Greta!”

“Hi, nice to meet you!” the budding sociopath replied with the same cheery tone as the courier. “So, whom do I kill today?”

“That one, Cancel,” Livia said while nodding at the unconscious Psyshock, before greeting everyone else with a warm smile. “Ryan, Len, Mr. Panda.”

“I… hello.” Len wasn’t sure how to answer. Though Ryan couldn’t see her face beneath her power armor’s helmet, she probably examined Livia with mistrust. Shroud’s disappearance didn’t help matters; considering he hadn’t turned visible again, he must have learned of Cancel’s range and stayed out of it.

“Y-you know the Panda?” Timmy hyperventilated at people recognizing him.

“Not before Livy told me about you,” Fortuna admitted, though she couldn’t resist a black and white bear’s charm. “I looove pandas though, they’re so fluffy. I had a stuffed doll of one when I was a child.”

“The Panda is very cuddly in his natural form too,” the manbear replied with a friendly nod. “His fur is soft and perfumed.”

“Aw, he’s drugged out,” Cancel complained as she examined Psyshock. “I prefer it when they see what’s coming.”

“You mean…” The Panda gulped, suddenly a lot less enthusiastic. “You mean death?”

“Yes, death,” Greta replied as if it were obvious. “People are only genuine when they die. It’s only when I kill meanies that I build a real human connection with them. You should try it out sometimes.”

Ryan noticed the Lamborghini’s windows cracking at the edge, though it was barely noticeable.

“He can brainwash and take over others’ bodies, and getting rid of him is the only way to save his victims,” Ryan told the disturbed Panda. “Sometimes, a hero must get his hands dirty.”

Well, truth be told, there were probably non-lethal ways to cure Psyshock’s thralls, but the time-traveler didn’t care about them. The brainjacker and his boss were the strongest arguments for the death penalty the courier had ever seen, and would receive no mercy from him.

“Wait for my signal to execute him,” Livia ordered Cancel. “We will deal with the rest shortly.”

“As you wish, boss!” Greta replied, a hand on her waist. “You’re sure you don’t need more backup? The neighborhood isn’t safe.”

“Fortuna will take care of me,” Livia replied with a smile, before glancing at Ryan. “As will this shining knight.”

“I left my armor in storage, unfortunately,” Ryan replied.

“Let’s recover it then.”

Cancel pulled Psyshock’s body in the Lamborghini and drove away afterward, but not before Livia picked up her helmet from the car’s chest. The seer waited for the hitman to leave, to turn and look at an empty spot. “I can see you.”

Shroud dropped his invisibility to Fortuna’s surprise, and took his anger out on Ryan. “You want us to cooperate with his daughter?”

“My father doesn’t know anything about this plan,” Livia replied with a cold frown. “And he will not.”

“This changes little,” the vigilante stated. “I do not appreciate dealing with the heir of a drug-running empire.”

“Nor do I appreciate you dating my best friend and lying to her,” the Augusti princess replied icily, the glass telekinetic flinching upon realizing that she knew his secret identity. “But we all have to make compromises for the greater good.”

“Your best friend?” Fortuna scowled. “Livy, you like someone more than me?”

Shroud seemed to suppress the urge to put a hand on his helmet, while Livia reassured the oblivious Fortuna by warmly taking her hand into her own. “Of course not,” she said, “you are more than a friend to me. You are almost a sister.”

“And we would have been if Felix hadn’t treated you like crap,” the blonde replied angrily. “I swear, next time I see my brother I will clout him on his thick head!”

Shroud crossed his arms. “Why would you cooperate with us on this?”

“The same reason as you,” Livia answered. “To protect this city from destruction.”

“D-destruction?” The Panda asked, suddenly uneasy.

“About that, Livy, what are we here for?” Fortuna asked her best friend. “I haven’t mentioned this secret mission to anyone else, not even Narcinia, but I want to know.”

Shroud looked at Fortuna with a hint of scorn. “You came all the way here not knowing why?”

“Well, Livy is my dearest friend,” she replied confidently. “If a friend needs help, you give it no questions asked.”

This made Shroud shut up, and he seemed to look at Fortuna with a brand new perspective. Ryan wondered if he was starting to see the good qualities in Lucky Girl, just as the courier did in a previous loop. If only she wasn’t so vain, the courier might have dated her seriously.

“The Meta-Gang has found a cache of Mechron weapons,” Livia explained. “They intend to use it to destroy New Rome, and we must stop them.”

For a moment, neither Fortuna nor the Panda seemed to have understood what she said. The Panda looked at Ryan for confirmation, while Fortuna glanced at Livia as if she were joking. “Mechron? The Mechron?” she asked. “You’re joking, right? Livy, we’re in May, April is long gone.”

“I am not joking Fortuna,” Livia replied. “That is why the Meta-Gang thought they could take our families on.”

“Oh.” Fortuna blinked a few more times, before panicking. “Wait, why just the two of us?! We should tell your father!”

“So he can get his hands on Mechron’s weapons?” Shroud asked, less than thrilled by the prospect.

“Better than Psychos!” Fortuna replied. “I heard they eat people!”

“I have seen the future, Fortuna,” Livia said calmly. “That technology will cause harm no matter who gets it. It has to go. If anyone but us knows, it will find its way into the wrong hands.”

“I…” Fortuna scratched the back of her head. “You’re sure about this, Livy?”

Livia nodded gravely, and Shroud found his tongue again. “So this is a temporary alliance until the Mechron base’s threat is dealt with,” he stated. “We agree to destroy it together, and then it’s business as usual.”

“Yes,” the Augusti princess said with a nod. “Afterward, we will discuss what you came to New Rome for, and see if we can reach a diplomatic solution.”

Ryan said nothing, trying to make these two get along on their own. Thankfully, though he was ruthless when the situation called for it, Looking Glass would prefer something else than total war. “Everything rests on this mission,” he said.

“Alright, Livy. You’re the one who can see the future, so I won’t tell a tale.” Fortuna grinned ear to ear. “My power will guide us to victory.”

Ryan glanced at Len and the Panda, who had remained silent so far. “So, ready to clean up the trash?”

“This… this is everything the Panda trained for, all his life.” Instead of being crushed by the weight of the situation, the manbear had risen to the occasion. “This is the moment of truth!”

“They… they tried to take the children,” Len said, shaking her head. “They have to go, before they come back.”

“The children?” Fortuna glanced at the orphanage, noticing children looking through the windows at them. “Oh my gosh, and here I thought it was a dog shelter!”

“It’s both,” Shroud replied, before snickering. “Perhaps you could offer your next lottery winnings to those who need it.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Fortuna replied with enthusiasm, much to the translucent vigilante’s surprise. “By the way, have we met before? Your voice sounds familiar.”

Shroud’s tone turned drastically deeper. It reminded Ryan of Christian Bale having a cough. “Unlikely.”

Livia decided to switch the subject to something lighter, and instead smiled at a handsome courier with a hand on her chest. “Do you like this necktie more than the other one, Ryan?”

“You are perfect,” Ryan reassured her, before glaring at Fortuna. “Unlike the fashion disaster here. She doesn’t even wear a mask!”

“Excuse you? I have a fashionable piece to go along with my costume, thank you very much!” And on these words, Fortuna put a golden domino mask on her beautiful face. “Ta-da!”

Though the color did mesh well with her hair and clothes, Ryan wasn’t impressed. “Clark Kent, that mask doesn’t hide anything.”

“Of course it doesn’t!” She sounded almost proud of it too, putting a hand in her hair. “Look at me. Look at me. It would be cruel to deny our foes the ecstasy of my beauty, especially since this would be the last thing they ever see!”

“They’ll probably go blind from the horror,” Ryan deadpanned, Shroud chuckling in response.

“H-how dare you!” Fortuna put her hands on her waist, furious. “Be glad I am taken, if you had been my boyfriend I would have made you invite me for dinner to apologize.”

Ryan grinned behind his mask. “You are taken?”

“I have found the one,” Fortuna boasted. “The perfect gentleman.”

Shroud looked really uncomfortable, so Ryan decided to tease him further. “Do you have a photo of the victim?” he asked Fortuna.

“Of course!” Lucky Girl showed the group a photo of a sour Mathias Martel on her cellphone. The poor game designer looked as if he had been dragged in front of the camera by force. “Isn’t he the cutest?”

“Oh yes, he’s a very transparent person,” Ryan said with a nod. “You see it on his face.”

“His eyes are a window into his soul,” Livia added with a giggle, while Shroud did his best to ignore them.

The Panda, who didn’t know better, spoke his mind, “He doesn’t look very happy.”

“Because he doesn’t understand we’re meant to be together, but he will,” Fortuna said while putting back her cell phone in one of her catsuit’s pockets. “It’s fate.”

Ryan would have pitied Mathias, but better him than the courier. If the time-traveler had interfered in the previous days, then that golden retriever would have targeted him instead. “Time is running out,” Shroud complained, while Len agreed with a nod.

“I have timed everything based on the information Ryan provided,” Livia said. “Once Greta slays Psyshock, the Meta-Gang will go on high alert. It has to happen at the moment we attack the Junkyard, to deny Adam the Ogre time to prepare and maximize confusion in his ranks.”

“She made the plan?” Shroud asked Ryan, incensed.

“We did,” the courier replied with a shrug. “Hey, you wanted a seer, we have one.”

Looking Glass’ dislike was clear, but he had committed to this course of action and swallowed his pride. “We will destroy the Meta-Gang’s base after we finish,” he said. “I won’t take any risk of their technology ending in the wrong hands.”

“That is the plan,” Livia replied aloofly. “Len will attack from the water access, while we distract from the front. I will debrief you on the way to the Junkyard.”

“How far ahead have you planned?” Ryan asked his former first lady.

“Up until we move inside, afterward… afterward things become more difficult, especially since I still can’t see you.” Livia put a hand on her waist, which made her look glamorous. “Surprise me, Quicksave.”

“Always.”

“Leave it to me, Livy,” Fortuna said with a smirk. “None of these mutants are getting anywhere near you, I swear.”

Ryan had long pondered how to break into Mechron’s mainframe, realizing it would either take an ungodly amount of loops and memorization, or an army taking huge casualties.

Instead, he chose a third option: bringing in a living cheat code.

From what Ryan knew of Elixirs, he had assumed that Lucky Girl’s worked as a guardian angel, influencing events around the spoiled brat to make her happier. Perhaps it thought that Shroud would make the perfect match for Fortuna… or more probably making the vigilante fall in love with her would put her off the Carnival’s radar.

The courier wondered how far Yellow Elixirs could see in time. Fortuna’s power had limits since Ryan and other Yellow Genomes could counter it, but it was pretty damn powerful.

The only true obstacle among the Meta for Fortuna would be the Land. The terrakinetic had already slain Lucky Girl once before, so Ryan wasn’t in a hurry to see it happen again, but Livia seemed to have a plan to deal with her.

After this exchange, the group separated. Len dragged the captive Mosquito and Mongrel inside the orphanage, to put them in an automated bathysphere and then move on to Mechron’s bunker next. Ryan, the Panda, Livia and Fortuna boarded the Plymouth Fury, while Shroud flew above them. The courier smashed the accelerator, ready to bring the fight to the Meta-Gang.

And his car refused to move.

After a few fruitless attempts, Ryan turned around to glare at Fortuna.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” the oblivious blonde protested. “It’s not my fault if you’re too poor to buy a Ferrari!”

“You don’t insult my car.” Ryan raised a threatening finger at her. “I’ve blown up cities for less!”

“Did you?” Livia and the Panda asked at the same time, the former more curious than surprised.

“If you even ask, then you don’t know me enough.” Ryan glanced out of his window, looking up at Shroud. “Translucent.”

The vigilante froze in midair. “No.”

“Yes. Sit in the back.”

“No,” he repeated. “Find another car.”

Ryan gave the vigilante ‘the look,’ until he gave in.

In the end, Fortuna happily sat in the backseat’s middle, an angry Shroud on one side and an amused Livia on the other. A happy and determined Panda sat at the front next to Ryan while he turned on the car.

This time, the Plymouth Fury worked again, and Livia couldn't stop chuckling.

There was no escape.

五月十日。心震随时可能袭击孤儿院，而一只兔子已经在厨房里上了吊。

“不是吧……”瑞恩满心无奈地嘀咕道。这个世界毁灭者用的是绳子，不是热乎乎的肠子，但照样把小莎拉吓了个半死。“你知道这不管用的，对吧？我试过。”

毛绒兔继续装死。

信使扫了一眼满是弹孔的墙壁；厨房桌上放着一把打空了子弹的伯莱塔手枪，旁边还有刀、蕾恩的抗抑郁药和酒。小莎拉发现兔子这副模样后，哭着跑来找瑞恩，时间旅行者完全能理解。

这也不是他头一次收到投诉了。另一个孩子曾在废弃的淋浴间里发现毛绒兔，旁边有一桶水、一个血画的五芒星和一根汽车搭电线；谢天谢地，那根线不是从瑞恩车上偷的。

不知怎么，信使觉得毛绒兔现在的行为比平时还要瘆人。

“你到底想干什么？”瑞恩小心翼翼地问，不知道它这套行为模式会往什么方向发展。这头怪物不再一见到孩子就繁殖了，可似乎也不再关心孩子，这让信使很担忧。

一个孤儿走进厨房，发现瑞恩正在和一只吊死的兔子说话。他看看时间旅行者，又看看毛绒兔，脸上的神情空洞得如同迪纳米斯的电视购物广告。

“了解前因后果的话，这其实很合理。”瑞恩说。

孩子一言不发地走了。

瑞恩重新看向毛绒兔蓝色的大眼睛，试图弄明白究竟出了什么事。他想起自己短暂进入黑色世界时，灵药对他说过的话。

毛绒兔不理解死亡，所以它杀死别人，试图搞懂死亡是怎么回事；也可能只是觉得好玩。但它没能杀死闪电屁股，这迫使怪物重新审视自己的方法。它决定亲自体验死亡，以此理解死亡。

毛绒兔进入了自杀期。

这会持续多久？瑞恩自己的那段时期持续了好一阵子，其中涉及至少两次坠机、一艘游艇、激光、鲨鱼、食人鱼——事实证明，间谍电影骗了他——长颈鹿、嗑药后的群交派对，以及一颗陨石。

信使的手本能地摸向装着原子弹的口袋，发现它还安安稳稳地待在原处，瑞恩松了口气。

然后，毛绒兔饶有兴趣地竖起了耳朵。

“不行。”瑞恩护住炸弹，如同守护少女的贞操。“不行，你敢动一下试试。”

毛绒兔转过头看向瑞恩，目光落在他的口袋上。

最后，信使把毛绒兔留在天花板上吊着，明智地溜出了厨房。即使走出房间，他仍能感觉到那可怕生物的目光扎在自己背上。

要是关机开关真有用就好了。得知这头可怕的怪物一直在假装受开关控制之后，瑞恩对遏制它的希望已经彻底破灭。他想起自己无数次把毛绒兔放上架子，自以为高枕无忧。甚至在他和贾丝敏——

……

天哪，它一直都在看。

怀着这个可怕的认知，瑞恩从孤儿院正门走了出去，心中满是惊恐。美好的回忆突然变得阴暗可怖。“瑞瑞，”蕾恩身穿全套动力装甲，正在外面等他，“我……我有东西给你。”

她抛给他一支手持版的水枪，瑞恩欣然接住。超能帮的小巴已经开进了院子。

这一回，信使没有一见到车就开枪，而是等着乘客下车。杂种，与其说是人，不如说是野兽；蚊子，没了瑞恩上一轮提供的特制血汁，贫血得厉害；还有心震，光是他的出现就足以让时间旅行者怒火中烧。

“嘿，心心。”瑞恩向超能帮成员打了个“招呼”，蕾恩扣在扳机上的手指绷紧了。“我知道你不会在乎，不过这里的孩子都还没成年。对你来说，年纪实在太大了。”

“小切萨雷。”心震应道。蚊子把指关节捏得咔咔响，杂种则发出野兽般的嘶鸣。“那边还有小蕾恩？她的作品化成灰我也认得出来。你父亲也要从坟墓里爬出来凑个热闹吗？”

蕾恩沉默得如同一块墓碑，瑞恩却忍不住瑟缩了一下。他以前已经听心震一字不差地说过这番话，可如今，这些话的刺痛要深得多。

这个心灵感应者不记得上一轮的事，而且行为也没有任何调整，那大胖亚当肯定也复活了。瑞恩宁愿这两人永远埋在土里，但这意味着他可以预测他们的行动。

“暂时还不会。”瑞恩说着举起水枪。“不好意思，这里只接待受邀来宾。你再往前走一步，我就得拿门送客了——用你的脸去撞的那种。”

心震的语气变得恶毒。“上次碰面的时候，你可没这么——”

瑞恩发动能力，在暂停的时间里用水枪分别射中蚊子和杂种，扔掉武器，再掏出藏在风衣下的极乐吸入器。

“勇——”心心没能说完，瑞恩已经将吸入器按在他脸上，给他脑子里灌满了毒品。在这个心灵感应者看来，信使仿佛瞬移到了自己面前。巨大的水球困住了他的同伙，很快就把他们溺得失去了意识。

触手蠕动着钻出心震的衣服，暴露出他真正的怪物模样，可毒品起效得更快。他瘫倒在地，肢体像被砍了头的蛇一样胡乱甩动，大脑被极乐彻底淹没。没过多久，心震便软了下去，液体从他那非人的头颅上滴落。

整场冲突只持续了半分钟。

“我喜欢把打架变得轻松又愉快，就像在公园里闻花香，但你是个例外。”瑞恩说完，踹了毫无反抗之力的心震一脚。“你这位客人，早就该滚蛋了。”

反正，他还得把自己留给衣橱呢。

“真快。”一个新的声音响起。裹尸布在瑞恩身旁现身，瑞恩连头都没回。“看来你排练过了。”

“说到这个，小矮个，你按我说的改过供氧系统了吧？”瑞恩指了指仍在水牢里拼命保持清醒的蚊子。“虫子和水可合不来。”

“我……嗯，改了。他应该不会脑损伤。”蕾恩瞥了裹尸布一眼，把后半句话咽了回去：这一次。

快存复仇者联盟的下一位成员，骑着一辆威风凛凛的自行车赶到，按着喇叭震慑敌人。东方巨兽前来扫荡疯魔与恶棍，要让自己的毛皮沐浴他们的鲜血。

“熊猫赶上了吗？”蒂米在超能帮的小巴旁猛地刹住车，严阵以待。“熊猫要来力挽狂澜！”

“这一轮你来晚了点，我年轻的熊猫绝地学徒。”瑞恩拍了拍熊人的肩膀。“不过正餐还没上，你来得挺早。”

“哦，所以我们要先吃饭，再打坏人？”

“没错，我们要吃饭。”瑞恩向天空举起拳头。“我们要吞噬恶棍的梦想，痛饮他们的眼泪。”

“我、我明白了，师父！”

“他能做什么？”裹尸布看了一眼熊猫，怀疑之情溢于言表。

“他能变成地球上最强大的生物。”瑞恩替徒弟吹嘘道。“我觉得他很适合加入你们的巡回马戏团。”

“没、没错！”熊猫腼腆地点点头。“我……熊猫没多少工作经验，但能在嘉年华效力会是我的荣幸，先生！”

“你会学会的。”裹尸布耸了耸肩。“成就英雄的不是本领，而是心。前者靠时间和努力就能学到，后者却没那么容易。”

瑞恩原以为这个硅物质操控者多半会像恩里克一样看不起熊猫，结果却让他惊喜。不过话说回来，嘉年华的人员流失率高得吓人，也没资格把志愿者拒之门外。只要想到能加入这个赫赫有名的英雄组织，熊猫就精神大振，随时准备大展身手，证明自己的价值。

“我们还要等几个人？”蕾恩问瑞恩。

“还差两个。”瑞恩也考虑过把原子猫咪叫来参加派对，但把他、他姐姐和莉维娅塞进同一支队伍，肯定会适得其反。眼下，菲利克斯对家人的鄙夷还太深，根本忍不了他们。“然后去扫毒，把抓到的人统统拖进监狱。”

“没必要留着他们坐牢。”裹尸布看向被俘的超能帮成员。“他们是疯魔，也是杀人犯。你处决他们，没人会怪你。”

“处决他们？”熊猫问，热情骤然消退了不少。

“我们会按规矩逮捕他们。”瑞恩安抚自己那位年轻的熊猫绝地学徒。“按规矩来。”

“那你打算怎么关住疯魔？”裹尸布问，语气里满是讥讽。“他们的能力各不相同。尤其是沙林和疯子弗兰克，关进什么监狱，他们都能拆了。”

那两个，瑞恩能争取过来，其余人他也有办法。“要是监狱位于海底二十里格深处，就不一样了。”

镜子先生立刻明白过来，看向小矮个。“你的水下基地？”

“我把避难所里的一些居住舱隔离了出来。”蕾恩点头解释道。“它们，它们能自给自足，但是彼此隔绝。就像一座……一座水下精神病院。”

“除非他们能变成鱼，否则囚犯还没游出多远，就会被水压碾碎。”瑞恩说。“玻璃牛仔，把人埋进六英尺深的坟墓之前，我们可以先试着改造一下。”

“食人魔亚当也一样？”裹尸布面无表情地问。

“行了，别说傻话。小鲸鱼要引渡到摩纳哥。”运气好的话，那里的工作人员会很应景地把他吃掉，再称之为报应。

“疯魔是治不好的。”义警说完，怀疑地抱起双臂。也许他猜到瑞恩有计划改变这一点，只是眼下还不能确定。“除非你能创造奇迹。”

“我……我也不太有把握，瑞瑞。”蕾恩说。“但是……嗯，关起来总比杀掉好。这一点不会变。”

远处传来另一辆汽车的声音，裹尸布突然隐去身形，把熊猫吓了一跳。

莉维娅一行人乘着一辆铂金色兰博基尼抵达，车型和普鲁托那辆一样，由消除者驾驶。莉维娅和福尔图娜坐在后排。前者穿着绯红女王的战服，没戴头盔，却换上了一条白色猫咪主题领带；后者穿着一身紧绷的白色乳胶连体衣，愈发衬出她凹凸有致的身材，与金发也十分相配。

看到两位衣着时髦的基因者，瑞恩重新燃起了对人类的信心。

“莉维娅，福尔图娜。”两人下车时，信使向自己钟爱的女士们打了招呼，又朝消除者挥挥手。“哦，嗨，格蕾塔！”

“嗨，很高兴见到你！”这个初露锋芒的反社会分子以同样欢快的语气回应信使。“那么，今天要我杀谁？”

“那个，消除者。”莉维娅朝昏迷不醒的心震点了点头，然后露出温暖的笑容，向其余人问好。“瑞恩，蕾恩，熊猫先生。”

“我……你好。”蕾恩不知道该怎么回应。动力装甲的头盔挡住了她的脸，瑞恩看不见，但她多半正不信任地打量着莉维娅。裹尸布的消失更让气氛不妙；既然他还没重新现身，想必已经摸清了消除者的能力范围，躲在了范围外。

“你、你认识熊猫？”有人认出了自己，蒂米激动得呼吸急促。

“莉薇跟我提起你之前，我还不认识。”福尔图娜坦言，不过她也抗拒不了黑白熊的魅力。“但我超——喜欢熊猫，毛茸茸的。我小时候就有一只熊猫布偶。”

“熊猫的天然形态也很适合抱抱。”熊人友善地点头。“他的毛又软又香。”

“哎呀，他嗑药嗑昏了。”消除者检查着心震，不满地抱怨。“我更喜欢他们能看清自己会有什么下场。”

“你是说……”熊猫咽了口唾沫，热情陡然减退了许多。“你是说死？”

“对啊，死。”格蕾塔回答，仿佛这是再明显不过的事。“人只有在死的时候才会袒露真心。我也只有在杀坏蛋的时候，才能和他们建立真正的人与人之间的联系。你有空也该试试。”

瑞恩注意到兰博基尼的车窗边缘开始出现裂纹，细微得几乎难以察觉。

“他能给人洗脑，还能控制别人的身体，除掉他是拯救受害者的唯一办法。”瑞恩对不安的熊猫说。“有时候，英雄也得弄脏自己的手。”

好吧，说实话，要解救心震的傀儡，多半也有不杀人的办法，但时间旅行者不在乎那些。他见过的所有人里，这个劫脑贼和他的老板最能证明死刑存在的必要性，他绝不会对他们手软。

“等我的信号再处决他。”莉维娅命令消除者。“其余人，我们很快就会处理。”

“遵命，老板！”格蕾塔一手叉腰，答道。“你确定不需要更多支援？这片街区可不安全。”

“福尔图娜会照顾我的。”莉维娅笑着回答，又看了瑞恩一眼。“这位光辉骑士也会。”

“不巧，我把盔甲存起来了。”瑞恩答道。

“那我们就去取回来。”

消除者把心震拖进兰博基尼，开车离去。临走前，莉维娅从后备箱取出了自己的头盔。预言者等杀手离开后，转身望向一片空地。“我看得见你。”

裹尸布解除了隐身，让福尔图娜吃了一惊，随即把火气发向瑞恩。“你要我们和他的女儿合作？”

“我父亲对这个计划一无所知。”莉维娅冷冷地皱眉。“而且以后也不会知道。”

“这改变不了什么。”义警说。“我不喜欢和贩毒帝国的继承人打交道。”

“我也不喜欢你一边和我最好的朋友约会，一边欺骗她。”奥古斯蒂的公主冰冷地回道。意识到她知道自己的秘密身份，玻璃念动力者不由一僵。“但为了大局，我们都得有所妥协。”

“你最好的朋友？”福尔图娜皱起眉头。“莉薇，你喜欢别人胜过喜欢我？”

裹尸布似乎在强忍抬手扶住头盔的冲动，莉维娅则亲热地握住浑然不觉的福尔图娜的手，安抚她。“当然不是，”她说，“对我来说，你不只是朋友。你几乎就是我的姐妹。”

“要不是菲利克斯那样糟践你，我们早就是一家人了。”金发姑娘气愤地说。“我发誓，下次见到我弟弟，我一定要狠狠敲他那颗蠢脑袋！”

裹尸布抱起双臂。“你为什么要在这件事上和我们合作？”

“和你一样。”莉维娅回答。“为了保护这座城市，不让它毁灭。”

“毁、毁灭？”熊猫问，突然不安起来。

“说到这个，莉薇，我们来这里到底要做什么？”福尔图娜问自己最好的朋友。“我没向任何人提过这次秘密任务，连纳尔西妮娅都没告诉，不过我想知道。”

裹尸布略带鄙夷地看着福尔图娜。“你连来做什么都不知道，就一路跑来了？”

“是啊，莉薇是我最亲爱的朋友。”她理直气壮地回答。“朋友需要帮忙，那就帮，什么都不用问。”

裹尸布这下闭了嘴，似乎开始以全新的眼光看待福尔图娜。瑞恩不禁想，他是不是也开始发现幸运女孩的优点了，就像信使在之前某一轮里那样。要不是她那么虚荣，信使说不定还真会认真和她交往。

“超能帮发现了一处梅克隆的武器藏库。”莉维娅解释道。“他们打算用它摧毁新罗马，我们必须阻止他们。”

一时间，福尔图娜和熊猫似乎都没听懂她的话。熊猫望向瑞恩，想得到确认；福尔图娜则看着莉维娅，仿佛她是在开玩笑。“梅克隆？那个梅克隆？”她问。“你在开玩笑，对吧？莉薇，现在都五月了，四月早就过去了。”

“我没有开玩笑，福尔图娜。”莉维娅回答。“这就是为什么超能帮觉得自己能和我们的家族抗衡。”

“哦。”福尔图娜又眨了几下眼，随后慌了。“等等，为什么就我们两个？！我们应该告诉你父亲！”

“好让他拿到梅克隆的武器？”裹尸布反问，显然一点也不期待这种前景。

“总比落到疯魔手里好！”福尔图娜回道。“我听说他们吃人！”

“我已经看过未来了，福尔图娜。”莉维娅平静地说。“无论谁拿到那些技术，都会造成伤害。它们必须被销毁。只要除了我们之外还有人知道，它们就会落入不该拿到它们的人手里。”

“我……”福尔图娜挠了挠后脑勺。“你确定吗，莉薇？”

莉维娅郑重地点头，裹尸布也重新开了口。“所以，这是一次临时结盟，直到梅克隆基地的威胁解除为止。”他说。“我们说好一起摧毁它，然后一切照旧。”

“对。”奥古斯蒂的公主点头。“之后，我们再谈谈你来新罗马的目的，看看能不能通过谈判解决。”

瑞恩一言不发，想让这两人自己磨合。好在镜子虽然必要时下得了狠手，却并不希望闹成全面战争。“一切都得看这次任务的结果。”他说。

“好吧，莉薇。能看见未来的是你，所以我不会泄密。”福尔图娜咧嘴笑开。“我的能力会指引我们走向胜利。”

瑞恩看向一直没再插话的蕾恩和熊猫。“那么，准备好清理垃圾了吗？”

“这……这就是熊猫一生训练所追求的目标。”熊人并没有被严峻的形势压垮，反而迎难而上。“证明自己的时刻到了！”

“他们……他们想把孩子们抓走。”蕾恩摇着头说。“得在他们卷土重来之前，先除掉他们。”

“孩子们？”福尔图娜看向孤儿院，注意到孩子们正隔着窗户望着他们。“我的天，我还以为这里是狗狗收容所呢！”

“两者都是。”裹尸布说着，低笑了一声。“也许你可以把下次中彩票的钱捐给有需要的人。”

“这主意太棒了！”福尔图娜热情地答道，大出这位半透明义警的意料。“对了，我们以前见过吗？你的声音很耳熟。”

裹尸布的嗓音一下低沉了许多，让瑞恩想起正在咳嗽的克里斯蒂安·贝尔。“不太可能。”

莉维娅决定换个轻松点的话题，她把手放在胸前，转而对某位英俊的信使微笑。“和另一条相比，你更喜欢这条领带吗，瑞恩？”

“你简直完美。”瑞恩让她尽管放心，随后瞪向福尔图娜。“不像这位行走的时尚灾难。她连面具都不戴！”

“不好意思，你说什么？我有和战服搭配的时尚单品，不劳费心！”说完，福尔图娜在美丽的脸上戴起一副金色眼罩式面具。“当当！”

虽然颜色确实和她的头发、衣服十分相配，瑞恩却不为所动。“克拉克·肯特，那面具根本什么都遮不住。”

“当然遮不住！”她伸手拨了拨头发，语气里甚至颇为自豪。“看看我。看看我。不让敌人享受我的美貌带来的狂喜，未免太残忍了，尤其这还是他们临死前能看到的最后一样东西！”

“他们多半会被丑瞎。”瑞恩面无表情地说，裹尸布跟着笑出了声。

“你、你怎么敢！”福尔图娜怒气冲冲地双手叉腰。“庆幸我已经名花有主吧。你要是我男朋友，我一定要让你请我吃晚饭赔罪。”

瑞恩在面具后咧嘴一笑。“你名花有主了？”

“我已经找到了命中注定的那个人。”福尔图娜夸耀道。“一位完美的绅士。”

裹尸布看上去实在很不自在，瑞恩于是决定再逗逗他。“有受害者的照片吗？”他问福尔图娜。

“当然有！”幸运女孩在手机上给大家看了一张马蒂亚斯·马特尔臭着脸的照片。可怜的游戏设计师看上去像是被强行拖到镜头前的。“他是不是可爱极了？”

“哦，是啊，他这人一眼就能看透。”瑞恩点头。“看他的脸就看得出来。”

“他的眼睛是心灵的窗户。”莉维娅轻笑着补充，裹尸布则竭尽全力不去理会他们。

熊猫不明就里，说出了自己的真实想法：“他看上去不太开心。”

“因为他还不明白我们是天生一对，但他会明白的。”福尔图娜把手机放回连体衣的口袋。“这就是命运。”

瑞恩本该同情马蒂亚斯，不过，倒霉的是他，总好过是信使。如果时间旅行者前几天插过手，这只金毛寻回犬的目标就会变成他。“时间不多了。”裹尸布抱怨道，蕾恩也点头赞同。

“我已经根据瑞恩提供的情报，安排好了每一步的时间。”莉维娅说。“格蕾塔一杀死心震，超能帮就会进入高度戒备。这件事必须在我们进攻废料场的同时发生，不给食人魔亚当准备时间，同时让他的手下陷入最大程度的混乱。”

“计划是她定的？”裹尸布恼火地问瑞恩。

“我们一起定的。”信使耸肩。“嘿，你不是想要个预言者吗？这不就有了。”

镜子显然很不喜欢这个安排，但既然已经答应参与，也只能放下骄傲。“任务结束后，我们要摧毁超能帮的基地。”他说。“我不会冒险，让他们的技术有任何落入坏人手里的可能。”

“计划本来就是这样。”莉维娅冷淡地回答。“蕾恩会从水下入口进攻，我们从正面吸引注意力。去废料场的路上，我会向你们说明详情。”

“你已经计划到哪一步了？”瑞恩问自己昔日的第一夫人。

“一直到我们进入内部。之后……之后就比较难了，尤其是我依然看不到你。”莉维娅一手叉腰，显得魅力十足。“给我个惊喜吧，快存。”

“一向如此。”

“交给我吧，莉薇。”福尔图娜得意地笑道。“那些变异怪物一个也别想靠近你，我保证。”

瑞恩琢磨了很久，该如何攻入梅克隆的主机所在之处，最终意识到：要么靠多得离谱的循环次数和死记硬背，要么派一支军队进去，承受惨重伤亡。

但他选择了第三条路：带上一个活生生的作弊码。

根据瑞恩对灵药的了解，他推测幸运女孩的灵药就像一位守护天使，会影响这个娇生惯养的大小姐身边发生的事，让她更开心。也许它觉得裹尸布是福尔图娜的完美伴侣……又或者，更有可能的是，让这位义警爱上她，就能让嘉年华不再盯着她。

信使很想知道，黄色灵药究竟能在时间中看出多远。福尔图娜的能力也有极限，毕竟瑞恩和其他黄系基因者都能克制它，但它还是强得他妈的离谱。

超能帮里，福尔图娜唯一真正的障碍就是大地。这个大地操控者以前已经杀死过幸运女孩一次，瑞恩可不急着重看一遍，不过莉维娅似乎已经有了应对她的计划。

交谈结束后，一行人分头行动。蕾恩把俘虏蚊子和杂种拖进孤儿院，准备把他们装进自动深潜球，再前往梅克隆的地堡。瑞恩、熊猫、莉维娅和福尔图娜上了普利茅斯“狂怒”，裹尸布则飞在他们上方。信使一脚踩下油门，准备杀到超能帮的地盘上。

可他的车就是不肯动。

试了几次都没用，瑞恩转过头，瞪着福尔图娜。

“你、你干吗那样看着我？”一无所知的金发姑娘抗议道。“你穷得买不起法拉利，又不是我的错！”

“不许侮辱我的车。”瑞恩竖起一根手指威胁她。“我为了比这还小的事，都炸过整座城！”

“你真干过？”莉维娅和熊猫异口同声地问，前者的好奇多于惊讶。

“你们居然还问，那就是不够了解我。”瑞恩望向窗外，抬头看着裹尸布。“透明人。”

义警僵在半空。“不。”

“必须的。坐后排。”

“不。”他又说了一遍。“换辆车。”

瑞恩用“那种眼神”盯着义警，直到他屈服。

最后，福尔图娜开心地坐在后排正中，一边是怒气冲冲的裹尸布，另一边是忍俊不禁的莉维娅。快乐而坚定的熊猫坐在前排的瑞恩身边，瑞恩发动了车。

这一次，普利茅斯“狂怒”又能开了，莉维娅笑得停不下来。

无路可逃。