同章对照

Bacchus returned to his factory to find it in ruins.

The face he made upon seeing his base burning would forever remain one of Ryan’s most cherished memories. Such a subtle mix of disbelief, anger, horror… the priest had clenched his jaw so tightly that the courier worried he might break his teeth.

Augustus’ reaction had been far less amusing though.

After landing on the island to see things for himself and hearing reports of the Carnival’s involvement, the mob boss had decimated a tenth of the surviving guards. Literally. He picked one out of ten at random, and had their peers beat them to death.

With their bare hands.

Though Ryan watched the whole show from the safety of Len’s underwater base, a spy bathysphere providing a live feed, the scene had sent chills down his spine.

The courier feared for Vulcan’s life in particular. She had been in charge of maintaining the defensive perimeter which the strike team easily dealt with, and Mob Zeus was clearly out for blood. The Genius was too precious to kill, but Augustus didn’t strike Ryan as the most rational person in the room.

“I kinda feel bad for these mooks,” Ryan said, as the video feed cut.

“They deserved it,” Len replied at his side, typing on her workshop’s computer. Servers thrummed next to steampunk-ish metal pipes, a song of steam and heat. “They were protecting a slaughterhouse, Riri.”

“I agree, but getting beaten to death by your own teammates is a ghastly way to die.” More to the point, it gave a taste of what Augustus would do to Ryan’s friends if he ever learned of their involvement. “Can you evacuate the base in short order if needed? I have the feeling Lightning Butt might pay it a visit in the near future.”

“I can move the habitats if I am forewarned,” his best friend replied. “They were, uh, designed to be self-sufficient. Each of them. If I disassemble them, they can move around independently.”

“Tiny islands of communism in a capitalistic sea… did you call it the Cuba Protocol?”

Len looked up from her computer, her beautiful eyes reeking of guilt.

“You did,” Ryan said, horrified.

“The Cuba Initiative,” she said, weakly.

Ryan studied his poor deluded accomplice, only for his eyes to wander to her clothes. While the time-traveler kept the Saturn armor on, Len had made herself comfortable in her lair; yet instead of her usual jumpsuit, she now wore a pair of blue overalls and a white shirt. The ensemble reminded the courier of these USSR worker ads.

“Riri?”

“Are these new clothes?” Ryan asked, never remembering them from the half a dozen or so loops they spent together.

“Yes.” She blushed a little, intimidated. “Alchemo’s treatment is good for my mood, and I… I thought I should try something else. Something brighter.”

“As long as you don’t wear red,” Ryan mused.

Len looked away. “I… I don’t want to do so. I’ve seen enough red for a lifetime.”

Ryan suddenly wondered if her obsession with communist iconography hadn’t been a subconscious attempt to keep her father’s memory alive. Though that sounded a bit too far-fetched and Freudian for him. “Have you pondered Bloodstream’s situation?” he asked. He knew what needed to be done, but she had to accept it.

“I did,” Len replied with a nod, her gaze harshening. “If… if the treatment we’re developing to cure Psychos doesn’t work on him…”

She took a long, heavy breath.

“If it doesn’t work,” Len said, with an air of finality. “I will do it myself.”

She would euthanize her father.

“Are you sure?” Ryan asked, mindful of her wellbeing. This would be a horrifying ordeal for anyone. “I can do it for you.”

“No, Riri. You already did a lot of things on my behalf. It’s… it’s my duty. My choice. He’s… my father’s memory. He deserves that much.”

“You will carry this pain all your life.”

“I know,” Len replied, her gaze determined. “I know. But I will still do it. I have to.”

It took a while, but she had finally decided to break out of her father’s shadow. To bury his ghost, if the man inside was gone for good.

Ryan put a hand on her shoulder in sympathy, making her smile sadly. “Thanks, Riri,” she said, putting her own hand over his own. He could have sworn he could sense the heat through the metal gauntlet. “I… I know I’m difficult. A wreck. Most wouldn’t have had your patience. Wouldn’t have stayed so long to help.”

“We’re both sinking ships,” Ryan said. “Gotta stick together, if we want to stay afloat.”

“We were sinking ships,” she replied, removing her hand. “We were.”

The workshop’s computer bleeped, as Len received a call from the Mechron bunker. The picture of Stitch appeared on the screen, with Mr. Wave petting Eugène-Henry in the background. “Greetings, sir,” the plague doctor said. “It has reached my ears that the raid was a success.”

“Mr. Wave likes this cozy place,” Mr. Wave said in the background, Eugène-Henry meowing his hands. “But Mr. Wave feels his portrait is missing somewhere.”

“I keep a poster in my room,” Ryan said. “I also have the Mr. Wave doll, the Mr. Wave ring, and the Mr. Wave hat.”

“The Mr. Wave-themed candy trucks too?”

“Now, I like you, but not as much as my car,” Ryan replied. That old machine had been at his side far longer than his Mr. Wave merchandise collection.

“Mr. Wave respects a man who loves his car,” the superhero said. “Mr. Wave apologizes for not visiting your underwater base. Mr. Wave doesn’t like being wet.”

“My teammate does not do well in underwater situations,” Stitch mused. “As our fight with the Kraken gang seven years ago can attest.”

“Mr. Wave doesn’t sink,” the Red Genome protested. “He waits. Like alligators.”

“In any case, the Bliss victims you sent me are getting medical attention as we speak,” Stitch said. “Alchemo is enthusiastic about repairing the brain damage they suffered, and early test results of our Bliss vaccine are promising. The Bloodstream cure also proved effective.”

Len typed on her keyboard, and video footage of Mosquito’s and Mongrel’s underwater habitats appeared on the screen. Knockoffs had turned each of them into Psychos in combination with a true Elixir, and both had received a dose of the vaccine.

Ryan almost didn’t recognize either of them.

Mongrel’s tumors had vanished, his disfigured face now smooth and unblemished. His bloodshot eyes had reverted to their natural brown color, and a black tuft of hair had started growing back on his head. He remained scrawny as ever, but his posture was straight, his clothes clean.

As for Mosquito, the courier wouldn’t have recognized him without the video feed indicating his cell number; for the insect had turned into a man. A small, pudgy man in his early forties, with brown skin and a beardless face. He looked vaguely Spanish, with the eyes of a veteran drinker.

It seemed that without a Psycho mutation, Mosquito could revert back and forth between his insectoid and human form.

Both had been granted a separate underwater habitat as a lair. Mongrel cut onions on his small kitchen counter, a bright smile on his face. He looked happy, like a cancer patient having made a miracle recovery. In contrast, Mosquito was reading a book and clearly bored out of his mind. Ryan couldn’t blame him, since Len’s library was limited to Karl Marx and Jules Verne.

They looked so... normal.

And most importantly, they had done it.

They had cured two Psychos.

“Did Sarin see this?” Ryan asked. Miss Gasshole was growing impatient about getting a treatment, especially since Alchemo hadn’t found a way to transfer her memories back. “We’re getting closer to a perfect cure.”

The plague doctor was suddenly far less enthusiastic. “Curing Psychos who gained their powers from Knockoffs is currently possible, since our vaccine destroys the Bloodstream particles in their circulatory system and reverses the genetic damage. As illustrated by Mosquito’s cases, the true Elixir takes over and turns them back into the Genomes they used to be. The problem is when a Psycho uses two true Elixirs.”

Len changed the video feed to that of Frank the Mad—or Vladimir the Russian, depending on who you asked. The metal giant spent his time glancing at the abyss beyond his porthole, dazed.

“We have no way of destroying an extra Elixir, if that is even possible,” Stitch explained. “I heard of a White Genome among the Augusti who could help, though.”

“Cancel only suppresses an Elixir’s connection to their colored dimension,” Ryan said. “She doesn’t destroy the Elixir itself, nor the mutations it causes.”

“What is the problem with the cure?” Len asked, confused.

“Unlike Knockoffs, Elixirs don’t use DNA to exchange information,” Stitch explained. “They can understand and modify it, like a painter and a canvas, but they work on a different level. If one of my plagues modifies a target’s DNA, even using the Neanderthal gene ratio you believe is the key to managing two powers at once, the Elixirs reassert their old patterns.”

“Unless we can inform the Elixirs of their ‘mistake’ in the bonding process, they will see any DNA modification of their host as an outside influence to be rejected,” Ryan guessed.

Stitch nodded. “My thoughts exactly. The problem is even greater with Psychos with abnormal, non-DNA-based biologies, such as your friend Sarin, Frank, or Gemini. Their bodies are made of gas, metal, or shadows, not flesh. My own power is clueless about how to deal with them.”

And this made memory transfer difficult. Their consciousness wasn’t hosted in a brain, to the point Alchemo struggled to transfer Sarin’s memories.

“Maybe the Elixirs use Flux to exchange information?” Ryan suggested. This was his best guess, from what he had learned so far.

“Perhaps,” Stitch conceded. “But again, this is beyond my expertise, let alone my peers Alchemo and Dr. Tyrano. Mechron’s database has a wealth of information on the matter, but nowhere near enough. It took its AIs years to create imperfect Knockoffs. They might need a decade to fully reverse-engineer the original potions.”

“We need more information on the bonding process,” Ryan said. “I know a place where we could learn more about Elixirs.”

“If this is true, I would like to accompany you,” the plague doctor said with eagerness. “I was skeptical at first about this project, but now I believe we are close to a great discovery. If we can negate the dangerous side-effects of Elixirs, then we could help society recover.”

The courier saw no reason to deny him. “Sure, but you should trade your gloves for mittens.”

“Mr. Wave will provide the warmth, he’s a one-man global warming,” Mr. Wave said in the background, as Len stopped the communication.

Ryan crossed his arms, considered his options, and then looked at his best friend. “Any way you can help with this, Shortie?”

“It’s not my specialty,” Len replied in the negative. “I pushed my power’s limits with the transfer machine, but Elixir communications… that’s beyond me, Riri.”

“Then let’s prepare for our winter vacations,” Ryan said. “Can you outfit the submarine for the trip?”

“Yes, of course,” she said with a nod. She looked rather eager to leave New Rome. “Do we have time to stop at the Canary Islands on the way? The children will love it.”

“Sure,” Ryan replied with a proud smile. A few loops ago, Len had considered abandoning the surface altogether. She would have asked to go to Antarctica without delay, refusing to take a moment to breathe and simply enjoy the wonders on the way.

It had taken a lot of effort, but she was starting to live again.

---

When twilight came, Ryan picked up Livia at Mount Augustus by car, and moved to Mars and Venus’ home.

Unlike their daughter’s apartment, the Augusti power couple lived in an English-styled manor close to Mount Augustus. The mansion was three stories tall, and made of grey stone and stained-glass windows rather than marble. Ryan found it a nice change from Augustus’ obsession with antiquity and Roman aestheticism.

The place remained luxurious though, with a fountain in the garden and doormen in fancy clothes awaiting guests. Ryan noticed a few vehicles near the entrance, including Jamie’s and Cancel’s.

With the Bliss Factory’s destruction, the Augusti had decided to increase security around Narcinia, and Lightning Butt's daughter too. When Ryan came to pick his girlfriend, Mortimer and Sparrow had escorted them all the way to their destination on motorcycles. For a moment, the time traveler felt like a president again, with bodyguards ready to die for his safety. Or at least his First Lady’s.

They didn’t suspect him of treachery though. Ryan had sent Incognito, a Meta-Gang member, to act as his decoy. By using his powers to pose as the courier, the Psycho had provided him with a foolproof alibi. As far as the Augusti were concerned, Ryan had gambled colossal sums of money at their casinos while the Bliss Factory burnt. And all it cost was a shot of Knockoff Elixirs to satisfy Incognito’s addiction.

Also, Ryan had infected him with nanites that would explode in his blood if he misbehaved. It was Mechron’s version of an ankle tag, and quite effective.

The courier had traded his Saturn armor for a purple shirt and black pants, simple yet elegant. Meanwhile, Livia had chosen to wear a black turtleneck and pants, as if she went to a funeral rather than a dinner. Which in this case wasn’t that far from the truth.

Ryan’s girlfriend hadn’t said a word during the trip.

“Are you sulking?” the courier asked, as he parked his car near the fountain. Sparrow and Mortimer did the same with their motorcycles. The former stayed near the Plymouth Fury, and the latter exchanged words with the doorsmen to check up on the security perimeter.

Livia brought a mobile phone out of her pocket and wordlessly showed Ryan the screen.

It was a picture her boyfriend sent her after destroying the Bliss Factory. The courier posed in front of the fortress’ smoking rubble, thumb raised, while Mr. Wave peeked from the right. Ryan had drawn words in the sand, as a message to Lightning Butt.

“Hey Auggy, still looking for that lightning rod!”

“That was terrible,” Livia said, as she switched out her phone. “If we were married, it would be grounds for divorce.”

“The joke struck you as bad?”

“Yes, it d—” She paused, before rolling her eyes. “Struck, truly?”

“I was just as shocked when the idea crossed my mind.” This time it made her giggle. “I guess I didn’t spend enough time brainstorming.”

“When it rains, it pours,” Livia lamented, a smile on her face.

“Aw come on, I can see you like my puns.”

“They are bad, Ryan,” she said, wounding his sensitive heart, “but so bad they end up being funny anyway.”

Ryan looked at the building. “So what’s the plan to get Narcinia out of her parents’ claws? They won’t let her out of sight after the loss of their drug lab.”

“I have an idea in mind, but I need a little more time to refine it,” Livia said. “Whenever your actions have a large impact, it takes me a while to see the ripples you make.”

Her boyfriend’s hands tightened on the driving wheel. “Bacchus kept test subjects in the factory’s basement,” he informed her. “One of them died.”

“I saw the possibility,” she said, looking away. “I hoped I was wrong.”

“Will the victim be alive a few days ago?” Ryan asked, his girlfriend nodding hesitantly. “Then I will strike the factory as soon as the Meta-Gang is dealt with in the next loop.”

“Narcinia and Bacchus will be inside,” she warned. “It will be far harder.”

“I will manage.” Now that he could destroy Geist and had access to the Bliss Factory’s systems, he could easily shatter the defenses in his next run. “I could take Narcinia to the Carnival while I’m at it.”

“My father will react badly.”

“I won’t give him the time.”

Livia joined her hands, and locked eyes with her boyfriend. “You intend to fight him,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Yes.”

Ryan hadn’t dared to breach the subject openly, but… he couldn’t sugarcoat the truth. Even though it risked damaging their relationship, Shroud had a point. The courier liked Livia, but not to the point of letting her father get away with his crimes. He had to be stopped for the good of everyone else.

“Livia, your father knew about Bacchus’ prisoners,” Ryan said. “We saw that in the factory’s terminal. He did worse than give his consent, he sent his pet priest more victims to refine his product. He murdered Narcinia’s parents and thousands more. Hell, he chose to settle an old score rather than help when Bloodstream threatened to turn everyone into tomato juice. That shows how little he cares about life. Your dad won’t stop killing, unless he’s forced to.”

“I know!” Her voice broke, the seer closing her eyes and gathering her breath. “I know that, Ryan. I know what he is. But he has little time already. I have seen it. Can’t… can’t you just wait? If we delay enough—”

“When he senses his death approaching, Lightning Butt will go on a rampage and slaughter countless more.” Ryan remained silent for a few seconds, letting his girlfriend recover. “Livia, you can’t talk him out of his madness.”

“We can,” she said. “With you at my side, I can find it.”

“Livia, I will help as much as I can,” Ryan promised, “but I don’t think words will work with your dad. Not even yours. If the apocalypse couldn’t make him pause, nothing will.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” she asked, holding back tears. “Give you my permission to kill my own father? Is that what you want?”

“I don’t have to kill your father to neutralize him.”

“Then how? Dynamis and the Carnival tried everything. Nothing worked. Nothing they have will work. I’ve seen where it leads.” Her fingers fidgeted on her lap. “You killed Geist. Somehow.”

“I did.”

“You have something that could kill my father. Or you think it could.”

“Yes,” Ryan admitted.

Livia bit her lower lip, the same way Len did. “Why are you telling me this, Ryan?”

“Because I trust you.”

There, he said it.

“I trust you.” Ryan took her hands into his own, making her blush slightly. “I want you at my side. I want to stay with you even after we clean this city up. I want our relationship to work. I don’t want something built on lies. I’ve seen where it led with Safelite and his golden retriever.”

“That’s a mean way to call my best friend,” Livia replied, her fingers tightening around his own. “I want us to work too, Ryan… but I don’t want my boyfriend and my father to kill each other. I don’t want to see that. I almost did when he caught you, and… I don’t think I can shoulder it. Even if you reverse time afterward.

“I… I think I can imprison your dad,” the courier said. “Where no one will break him out.”

“You will send him to Monaco, or a pocket dimension?” Livia shook her head. “He will break out. He has Geniuses on his payrolls, loyal lieutenants, contingencies.”

“He won’t have that for long.”

“You can’t destroy an entire organization by yourself.”

“I can and I did,” Ryan replied. “And I’m not alone this time.”

“Ryan, I know there is a solution. A peaceful solution.” Livia’s hands broke away from his own. “I’m… I’m okay with imprisonment, or forced retirement. But not death. I’m sick of all these murders and violence. It has to cease somewhere.”

“You’re okay with killing Bacchus,” Ryan pointed out, “but not the one giving him his orders?”

“Bacchus is not family,” Livia replied, fidgeting in her seat. “That’s selfish, I know. I won’t deny it. I want to save people, Ryan, but I don’t want to see my family perish either. I don’t want to make that choice. If you had to kill a loved one to save the world, would you do it?”

“I would find a third option.”

“My point exactly. You said you could do anything if given time, and… and I hope we can find a third option too.”

Ryan said nothing for a while, as Livia gathered her thoughts. She knew Augustus had to be stopped, and on some level, she understood there wasn’t a way to do so peacefully. He could see it on her face.

In the end, she opened her mouth again, her voice a whisper, “Promise me, Ryan.”

“Promise you what?”

“That you won’t kill my father,” Livia said, her face grave and heavy. “Don’t kill him, please. Or we are done. Drag him off his throne, destroy his kingdom of sin, imprison him underwater until he expires, I… I can live with that. But don’t kill him. Please.”

For a tense half a minute, they locked eyes with each other.

If Ryan refused, he would make an enemy of Livia. She cared for her family, as much as he loved his own friends. Even if he survived the ensuing retribution, whatever future they could build together would die with Lightning Butt. They would remain bitter enemies.

Augustus deserved death for his crimes. He might not have been as bad as Big Fat Adam, but his crimes were almost as horrendous. He had murdered his way across the world for years, and he remained unrepentant.

And yet… Ryan had lived long enough to know there were punishments far more terrible than death. It was all a question of imagination.

“I won’t kill your father,” Ryan swore, to Livia’s relief, “but I will defeat him. Decisively. I will break him so thoroughly that he will never threaten anyone else again.”

The Black Ultimate One had granted him the power to harm Augustus, and the time-traveler would make use of it.

His girlfriend couldn’t help but respond with nervous laughter. “Your last encounter wasn’t glorious.”

“That’s the good thing about me, princess. I can lose a thousand times, but only have to win once.” Ryan looked back at the manor. “I won’t kill him, for you. But I will rough him up, and he won’t escape karma. He has too much blood on his hands, and his victims deserve justice. His punishment won’t be lethal, but it won’t be merciful either. Are you alright with that?”

“It’s a compromise,” she replied, shaking her head. “None of us get all that we want.”

Perhaps. But it was better than getting nothing.

巴克斯回到工厂，发现那里已成了一片废墟。

看见自己的基地在烈火中燃烧时，他脸上的表情将永远是瑞恩最珍爱的回忆之一。难以置信、愤怒、恐惧……种种情绪混合得如此微妙。神父把牙关咬得那么紧，送货员都担心他会把牙齿咬碎。

不过，奥古斯都的反应就远没有那么好笑了。

这位黑帮头目登岛亲眼查看了现场，又听取了嘉年华参与袭击的报告，随后便对幸存的守卫施行了十一抽杀。货真价实的十人杀一人。他每十人随机挑出一个，命令他们的同伴将其活活打死。

赤手空拳地打死。

瑞恩虽然安全地待在蕾恩的水下基地里，通过一艘侦察深潜球传回的实时画面看完了全程，那场面仍令他背脊发凉。

送货员尤其担心伏尔甘的性命。突击小队轻易突破的那道外围防线，正是由她负责维护，而黑帮宙斯眼下显然杀心正盛。这位天才太过珍贵，杀不得，可在瑞恩看来，奥古斯都也不是在场最讲理的那个人。

“我都有点同情这些喽啰了。”视频画面切断时，瑞恩说道。

“他们活该。”蕾恩在他身旁答道，手指敲着工作间电脑的键盘。服务器在蒸汽朋克风格的金属管道旁嗡嗡作响，奏出一曲蒸汽与热量之歌。“他们守的是一座屠宰场，瑞瑞。”

“我同意，但被自己的队友活活打死，这种死法还是太惨了。”更重要的是，这让他预先领教了奥古斯都若是发现瑞恩的朋友参与其中，会对他们做出什么事。“必要的话，你能迅速撤空基地吗？我有种预感，闪电屁股近期可能会上门拜访。”

“只要提前得到警告，我就能把居住舱移走。”他最好的朋友答道。“设计的时候就，呃，考虑了自给自足。每个舱都是。把它们拆分开来，就可以各自独立移动。”

“资本主义大海上的共产主义小岛……你把这叫古巴协议？”

蕾恩从电脑前抬起头，漂亮的眼睛里满是心虚。

“你还真这么叫了。”瑞恩惊恐地说。

“是古巴计划。”她底气不足地纠正道。

瑞恩打量着自己这位可怜的、执迷不悟的同谋，目光却不由得落到了她的衣服上。时间旅行者还穿着萨图恩装甲，蕾恩却已在自己的地盘上换了一身舒适的衣服。不过，她穿的不是平时那套连体工作服，而是一条蓝色背带裤，配着白衬衫。这一身让送货员想起了苏联的工人宣传画。

“瑞瑞？”

“这是新衣服？”瑞恩问道。他们一起度过了六轮左右的循环，他不记得在哪一轮见她穿过。

“是的。”她有些局促，脸微微红了。“阿尔凯莫的治疗让我的心情好了些，我……我想，应该试试别的样子。亮一点的。”

“只要别穿红色就行。”瑞恩打趣道。

蕾恩移开了视线。“我……我也不想穿。红色，我这辈子已经看够了。”

瑞恩忽然想到，她对共产主义图像符号的执着，会不会是潜意识里想留住父亲的记忆。不过，他觉得这种解释有点太牵强，也太弗洛伊德了。“血流的事，你考虑过了吗？”他问。他知道该怎么做，但她必须自己接受。

“考虑过了。”蕾恩点了点头，目光变得冷峻。“如果……如果我们正在研发的疯魔疗法对他不起作用……”

她深深地、沉重地吸了一口气。

“如果不起作用，”蕾恩说，语气已没有回转的余地，“我会亲自动手。”

她会亲手让父亲安乐死。

“你确定？”瑞恩问，担心她承受不住。换了任何人，这都会是一场可怕的煎熬。“我可以替你做。”

“不，瑞瑞。你已经替我做了太多。这是……这是我的责任。我的选择。他是……他承载着我父亲的回忆。至少这件事，我该为他做。”

“这份痛苦会跟着你一辈子。”

“我知道。”蕾恩答道，眼神坚定。“我知道。但我还是会做。我必须做。”

虽然花了一些时间，她终究还是决定走出父亲的阴影。如果内在的那个人已经永远消失，就让他留下的亡魂安息。

瑞恩将一只手搭在她肩上，以示安慰。她露出一丝悲伤的微笑。“谢谢，瑞瑞。”她说，把自己的手覆在他的手上。他几乎敢发誓，自己隔着金属手甲都能感到她的温度。“我……我知道，我很难相处。一团糟。大多数人都不会有你这样的耐心。不会留下来帮我这么久。”

“我们都是正在下沉的船。”瑞恩说。“想浮在水面上，就得相互依靠。”

“我们曾经是正在下沉的船。”她答道，收回了手。“曾经是。”

工作间的电脑响了一声，蕾恩接到了梅克隆地堡打来的通讯。斯蒂奇的影像出现在屏幕上，背景里的波动先生正在抚摸欧仁-亨利。“您好，先生。”瘟疫医生说道。“我听说突袭成功了。”

“波动先生喜欢这个舒服的地方。”背景里的波动先生说道，欧仁-亨利在他手中喵喵叫着。“但波动先生觉得，这儿还缺一幅他的肖像。”

“我房间里就贴着一张海报。”瑞恩说。“我还有波动先生玩偶、波动先生戒指和波动先生帽子。”

“波动先生主题糖果车也有？”

“这个嘛，我是喜欢你，但还没喜欢到超过我的车。”瑞恩答道。那台老机器陪在他身边的时间，比他那批波动先生周边收藏久多了。

“波动先生尊重爱车的男人。”超级英雄说道。“没能造访你们的水下基地，波动先生深表歉意。波动先生不喜欢弄湿自己。”

“我的队友不太擅长应付水下的状况。”斯蒂奇悠悠地说。“七年前我们和北海巨妖帮的那一战足以证明。”

“波动先生不会沉底。”这位红系基因者抗议道。“他只是在等待。像短吻鳄一样。”

“总之，你送来的那些极乐受害者，现在都在接受治疗。”斯蒂奇说。“阿尔凯莫对修复他们的脑损伤很有热情，我们的极乐疫苗初步试验结果也很乐观。血流疗法同样证实有效。”

蕾恩在键盘上敲了几下，屏幕上出现了蚊子和杂种所在水下居住舱的视频画面。他们都是因为混用了仿制灵药和真正的灵药，才变成了疯魔，两人都已各自接种过一剂疫苗。

瑞恩几乎没认出他们。

杂种身上的肿瘤消失了，原本毁容的脸如今平滑无瑕。布满血丝的眼睛恢复了天然的棕色，头上也开始重新长出一簇黑发。他还是那么瘦削，但腰背挺直，衣服也干干净净。

至于蚊子，若不是画面上标着他的牢房编号，送货员根本认不出来，因为那只昆虫已经变成了一个男人。一个四十岁出头、矮小微胖的男人，皮肤棕褐，脸上没有胡须。他看着隐约有几分西班牙人的样子，眼睛里带着老酒鬼的神态。

看来，没有了疯魔变异，蚊子可以在昆虫形态和人类形态之间自由切换。

他们各自分到了一间独立的水下居住舱，当作自己的窝。杂种正在小小的厨房台面上切洋葱，脸上挂着灿烂的笑容。他看起来很幸福，就像一个奇迹般康复的癌症病人。相比之下，蚊子正捧着一本书读，显然无聊透了。瑞恩也怪不了他，毕竟蕾恩的藏书里只有卡尔·马克思和儒勒·凡尔纳。

他们看上去是那么……正常。

而最重要的是，他们成功了。

他们治好了两个疯魔。

“沙林看过这个了吗？”瑞恩问。臭屁小姐已经越来越等不及要接受治疗了，尤其是阿尔凯莫还没找到把她的记忆传回去的办法。“我们离完美疗法又近了一步。”

瘟疫医生的兴致一下子减了大半。“目前，因仿制灵药获得力量的疯魔是可以治愈的，因为我们的疫苗会摧毁他们循环系统内的血流粒子，逆转基因损伤。蚊子的例子已经说明，真正的灵药会接管局面，让他们变回原来的基因者。问题在于服用了两支真正灵药的疯魔。”

蕾恩将视频切换到了疯子弗兰克的居住舱——或者说俄罗斯人弗拉基米尔，取决于你问的是谁。那个金属巨人一直在茫然地望着舷窗外的深渊。

“我们无法摧毁多余的那支灵药，甚至不知道能不能做到。”斯蒂奇解释道。“不过，我听说奥古斯蒂有一位白系基因者，或许帮得上忙。”

“消除者只能压制灵药与其对应颜色维度之间的联系。”瑞恩说。“她既不能摧毁灵药本身，也不能消除灵药造成的变异。”

“疗法究竟出了什么问题？”蕾恩不解地问。

“真正的灵药与仿制品不同，并不通过DNA交换信息。”斯蒂奇解释道。“它们能理解并修改DNA，就像画家对待画布一样，但它们运作于另一个层面。假如我用一种疫病修改了目标的DNA，即使采用了你们认为能同时驾驭两种能力的那个尼安德特人基因比例，灵药也会重新恢复原有的模式。”

“除非我们能让灵药明白，它们在结合过程中犯了‘错误’，否则，它们就会把宿主DNA的一切修改都视为必须排斥的外来影响。”瑞恩推测道。

斯蒂奇点了点头。“我也这么想。对于那些生理构造异常、并非以DNA为基础的疯魔，比如你的朋友沙林、弗兰克，或是双子，这个问题就更加严重了。他们的身体由气体、金属或阴影构成，而不是血肉。我的能力完全不知道该拿他们怎么办。”

这也给记忆传输带来了困难。他们的意识并不寄存在大脑里，以至于阿尔凯莫在传输沙林的记忆时也举步维艰。

“也许灵药是用通量交换信息的？”瑞恩提出。这是根据目前所知，他能做出的最合理的猜测。

“也许吧。”斯蒂奇承认。“但还是那个问题，这超出了我的专业范围，更不用说阿尔凯莫和提拉诺博士这两位同行了。梅克隆的数据库里有大量相关信息，却仍然远远不够。它的人工智能花了好几年，才造出不完善的仿制灵药。要彻底逆向破解原版药剂，它们也许还需要十年。”

“我们需要更多关于结合过程的信息。”瑞恩说。“我知道一个地方，能让我们进一步了解灵药。”

“如果真是如此，我想和你一起去。”瘟疫医生热切地说道。“起初，我对这个项目心存怀疑，但现在我相信，我们离一项重大发现已经很近了。如果能消除灵药的危险副作用，我们就能帮助社会恢复元气。”

送货员找不到拒绝他的理由。“当然，不过你最好把手套换成连指的。”

“波动先生会负责供暖，他一个人就是全球变暖。”背景里的波动先生说道，蕾恩随即结束了通讯。

瑞恩抱起双臂，权衡了一下可行的选择，随后看向自己最好的朋友。“小矮个，这件事你有什么办法帮忙吗？”

“这不是我的专长。”蕾恩否定道。“那台传输机已经把我的能力推到了极限，可灵药之间的通信……那超出了我的能力，瑞瑞。”

“那就开始准备我们的冬季度假吧。”瑞恩说。“你能为这趟旅行把潜艇装备好吗？”

“可以，当然可以。”她点头道，看起来相当期待离开新罗马。“路上有时间在加那利群岛停一停吗？孩子们会喜欢的。”

“当然。”瑞恩答道，脸上露出欣慰而自豪的笑容。几轮循环之前，蕾恩还考虑过彻底放弃地表。那时的她一定会要求立刻赶赴南极，不肯留一点时间喘口气，单纯地欣赏沿途的奇景。

虽然付出了许多努力，但她终于开始重新生活了。

---

暮色降临时，瑞恩开车到奥古斯都山接上莉维娅，前往玛尔斯与维纳斯的家。

与女儿住的公寓不同，这对奥古斯蒂的权势夫妇住在奥古斯都山附近的一座英式庄园里。宅邸共有三层，不用大理石，而是以灰色石料和花窗玻璃建成。相比奥古斯都对古代与罗马美学的痴迷，瑞恩觉得这种变化还挺舒服。

不过，这里依旧奢华。花园中设有喷泉，衣着华丽的门童正等着迎接宾客。瑞恩注意到入口附近停着几辆车，包括杰米和消除者的。

极乐工厂被毁之后，奥古斯蒂决定加强纳尔西妮娅身边的安保，闪电屁股的女儿也一样。瑞恩去接女友时，莫蒂默和麻雀骑着摩托车，一路将他们护送到了目的地。有那么一会儿，时间旅行者觉得自己又当上了总统，身边的保镖随时准备为他的安全赴死。至少也是为他的第一夫人。

不过，他们并没有怀疑他背叛。瑞恩派了超能帮成员无名氏充当替身。这个疯魔用自己的能力扮成送货员，为他提供了无懈可击的不在场证明。在奥古斯蒂看来，极乐工厂燃烧时，瑞恩正拿着巨额资金，在他们的赌场里一掷千金。而他为此付出的代价，不过是一剂仿制灵药，用来满足无名氏的瘾头。

另外，瑞恩还往他体内植入了纳米机器人。他若是不听话，这些小东西就会在他的血液里爆炸。这是梅克隆版的电子脚环，而且相当有效。

送货员脱下了萨图恩装甲，换上一件紫衬衫和一条黑裤子，简单而优雅。莉维娅则选了一件黑色高领衫和长裤，仿佛要去参加的不是晚宴，而是葬礼。就眼下的情况而言，这倒也离事实不远。

一路上，瑞恩的女友一言不发。

“生闷气呢？”送货员问道，将车停在喷泉附近。麻雀和莫蒂默也停好了摩托车。前者留在普利茅斯“狂怒”旁边，后者则去和门童交谈，确认外围安保的情况。

莉维娅从口袋里拿出手机，一声不吭地把屏幕亮给瑞恩看。

那是男友摧毁极乐工厂后发给她的一张照片。送货员站在堡垒冒烟的废墟前摆着姿势，竖起大拇指，波动先生则从画面右边探出头来。瑞恩还在沙地上写了几句话，留给闪电屁股。

“嘿，小奥，还在找那根避雷针哦！”

“烂透了。”莉维娅关掉手机，说道。“如果我们结了婚，这足够成为离婚的理由。”

“这个笑话把你雷坏了？”

“没错，雷——”她停下来，翻了个白眼。“‘雷坏了’，你认真的？”

“这点子蹿进我脑袋时，我也被电得不轻。”这一回，她咯咯笑了。“我看是头脑风暴刮得还不够久。”

“真是屋漏偏逢连夜雨。”莉维娅叹道，脸上却带着笑。

“得了吧，我看得出来，你喜欢我的双关笑话。”

“它们很烂，瑞恩。”她说，刺伤了他敏感的心。“但烂到最后，反而还是变得好笑了。”

瑞恩看向宅邸。“那么，要怎么把纳尔西妮娅从她父母的魔爪里救出来？丢了制毒实验室之后，他们不会再让她离开视线了。”

“我有个想法，但还需要一点时间完善。”莉维娅说。“每当你的行动造成巨大影响，我都得花一阵子，才能看清你掀起的涟漪。”

男友握着方向盘的手收紧了。“巴克斯把试验对象关在工厂地下室里。”他告诉她。“其中一个死了。”

“我看见过这种可能。”她移开目光。“我希望是自己看错了。”

“回到几天前，那个受害者还会活着吗？”瑞恩问，女友迟疑地点了点头。“那下一轮，我一解决超能帮，就立刻袭击工厂。”

“纳尔西妮娅和巴克斯都会在里面。”她提醒道。“那会难得多。”

“我能应付。”如今他能够消灭幽魂，又掌握了极乐工厂的系统，下一轮要粉碎那里的防御易如反掌。“还可以顺便把纳尔西妮娅送到嘉年华去。”

“我父亲会勃然大怒的。”

“我不会给他那个时间。”

莉维娅将双手交握，直视男友的眼睛。“你打算和他打。”她说，声音有些发颤。

“是的。”

瑞恩一直没敢公开提起这个话题，但……他不能粉饰事实。即便这可能损害两人的关系，裹尸布的话也不无道理。送货员喜欢莉维娅，却还没到肯让她父亲逃脱罪责的地步。为了其他所有人，必须阻止他。

“莉维娅，你父亲知道巴克斯关押的那些人。”瑞恩说。“我们在工厂的终端上看到了。他做的远不止点头同意，还给自己豢养的神父送去更多受害者，好让他改良产品。他谋杀了纳尔西妮娅的父母，还有成千上万的人。妈的，血流差点把所有人都变成番茄汁的时候，他宁可去算旧账，也不肯帮忙。这足以说明，他对生命有多么不屑一顾。除非有人强迫你父亲停手，否则他就会一直杀下去。”

“我知道！”她的声音哽住了。预言者闭上眼，努力平复呼吸。“我知道，瑞恩。我知道他是什么样的人。可他已经没多少时间了。我看见过。你就不能……不能再等等吗？只要我们拖得够久——”

“一旦察觉死期将近，闪电屁股就会发狂，再屠杀无数的人。”瑞恩沉默了几秒，让女友缓过气来。“莉维娅，你劝不醒一个疯子。”

“我们能。”她说。“有你在我身边，我就能找到办法。”

“莉维娅，我会尽全力帮忙。”瑞恩承诺道。“可我不觉得几句话就能说动你父亲。即便是你的话也不行。如果连世界末日都不能让他停一停，就没有什么能了。”

“那你要我怎么办？”她强忍着泪水问道。“准许你杀掉我自己的父亲？你想要的是这个吗？”

“要消除你父亲的威胁，我不一定非得杀了他。”

“那怎么办？迪纳米斯和嘉年华什么办法都试过了。没用。他们手里的任何东西都不会有用。我已经看见那会通向什么结局。”她搁在腿上的手指不安地动着。“你杀了幽魂。不知用了什么办法。”

“是的。”

“你手上有能杀死我父亲的东西。或者，你认为它能。”

“是的。”瑞恩承认。

莉维娅咬住下唇，动作和蕾恩一模一样。“为什么告诉我这些，瑞恩？”

“因为我信任你。”

好了，他说出口了。

“我信任你。”瑞恩握住她的双手，她的脸微微红了。“我希望你在我身边。就算清理完这座城市，我也想继续和你在一起。我想让我们的感情走下去。我不想让它建立在谎言上。赛孚莱特和他那只金毛寻回犬的事，已经让我见识过那会是什么下场。”

“这么称呼我最好的朋友，可真刻薄。”莉维娅答道，手指收紧，握住了他的手。“我也想让我们走下去，瑞恩……可我不想让自己的男友和父亲自相残杀。我不想看到那种事。他抓住你时，我就差一点看到了，而且……我不觉得自己承受得住。即使你事后逆转时间也一样。”

“我……我想，我能把你父亲关起来。”送货员说。“关到一个谁也救不出他的地方。”

“把他送去摩纳哥，或者某个口袋维度？”莉维娅摇了摇头。“他会逃出来的。他养着天才，有忠心耿耿的手下，还有应急后手。”

“这些他都留不了多久了。”

“你不可能一个人摧毁整个组织。”

“我能，而且已经做过了。”瑞恩答道。“何况这一次，我不是一个人。”

“瑞恩，我知道一定有办法。一个和平的办法。”莉维娅将手从他的掌中抽了出来。“我……我可以接受监禁，或者强迫他退休。但不能是死亡。我已经受够了这些谋杀和暴力。总得在某个地方画上句号。”

“杀巴克斯你能接受，”瑞恩指出，“杀那个给他下令的人却不行？”

“巴克斯不是我的家人。”莉维娅答道，在座位上坐立不安。“这很自私，我知道。我不否认。我想救人，瑞恩，但我也不想看着自己的家人死去。我不想做这种选择。如果必须杀死一个你爱的人才能拯救世界，你会做吗？”

“我会找到第三条路。”

“我就是这个意思。你说过，只要有时间，你什么都能做到，而且……而且我希望，我们也能找到第三条路。”

瑞恩一时没有说话，任由莉维娅整理思绪。她知道必须阻止奥古斯都，而在某种程度上，她也明白这不可能以和平的方式实现。他从她脸上看得出来。

最后，她再次开口，声音轻得像耳语：“答应我，瑞恩。”

“答应你什么？”

“你不会杀死我父亲。”莉维娅说，神色严肃而沉重。“别杀他，求你。否则我们就完了。把他从王座上拖下来，摧毁他的罪恶王国，把他囚禁在水下，直到他寿终，我……这些我都能接受。但别杀他。求你。”

两人凝视彼此，紧绷的沉默持续了半分钟。

如果瑞恩拒绝，就会与莉维娅为敌。她对家人的在意，不亚于他对朋友的爱护。即使他能在随之而来的报复中活下来，他们本可以共同建立的未来，也会与闪电屁股一同死去。他们将永远是彼此的仇敌。

以奥古斯都犯下的罪行，他死有余辜。他也许还没坏到大胖亚当那个地步，罪行却几乎同样令人发指。多年来，他一路杀遍世界，至今毫无悔意。

然而……瑞恩活得足够久，知道有些惩罚远比死亡更可怕。这只取决于想象力。

“我不会杀死你父亲。”瑞恩起誓，莉维娅松了一口气。“但我会击败他。彻底地击败他。我会把他打垮，垮到再也无法威胁任何人。”

黑色终极者赋予了他伤害奥古斯都的力量，时间旅行者会好好利用它。

女友忍不住紧张地笑了一声。“你们上一次交手，可算不上光彩。”

“这就是我的好处，公主。我可以输一千次，但只需要赢一次。”瑞恩重新望向庄园。“为了你，我不杀他。但我会让他吃足苦头，他也逃不掉报应。他手上的血太多，他的受害者应当得到公道。他受到的惩罚不会致命，却也绝不会仁慈。这样你能接受吗？”

“这是一种妥协。”她摇着头答道。“我们谁都不能事事如愿。”

也许吧。但总比什么都得不到要好。