Chapter 2


    Ryan always did science in his underwear.


    Clothes embodied society’s restrictions upon the human spirit, the crushing power of civilization attempting to make the


    individual fit into the mold. But by being mostly naked, Ryan reconnected with his creativity, unbound by conformity; while his


    boxers represented his lingering attachment to his mental stability, preventing him from goingpletely off the rails. The one


    time Ryan had workedpletely naked, he ended up building his rabbit plushie.


    Also, his boxers feltfy and warm. Len had made them for him, years ago.


    Having rented a hotel room near the city center, Ryan spent the early morning splitting his time between researching information


    about New Rome and improving his gadgets. The receptionist had given Quicksave a strange nce upon seeing him move


    upstairs with his hands full of weapons, but didn’t call the Private Security. Masked strangers were nothing unusual in this city.


    Of course, Ryan took the time to hack the bedroom’s camera to protect his secret identity, and to avoid panic. He had a lot of


    unsafe stuff in his arsenal.


    Resting on a chair, Ryan typed on hisputer with his toes—a skill he spent many loops mastering— while he worked on his


    coil gun with his hands. The client had wired him his money for yesterday''s delivery, withpliments for Ghoul’s arrest,


    although the courier didn''t care much. The job was just an excuse to travel across Italy, looking for new adventures.


    Though he had put his endless wandering on hold, once he heard Len might be in New Rome.


    From what Renesco had told him, he should go to Rust Town for information; ording to the local Dyn, that was the


    nickname given to New Rome''s poor northwest neighborhood. The corporations controlling the city had put all the industrial


    nts there, turning the area into a dumpster. They had even built a wall to prevent vagrants from moving into the other districts.


    ording to the receptionist, the ‘Junkyard’ was andmark of that area, an old coal mine transformed into an openndfill.


    Many rogue Geniuses and adventurers exchanged stuff there. Maybe Len was among them.


    Someone knocked on his bedroom window.


    Ryan nced at it, a woman waving her hand at him from the other side. “Hi,” she said. “Can we talk for a minute?”


    Ryan’s room was on floor ten, and it had no fire exit.


    “Hey!” Ryan grabbed his mask and put it on, alongside the hat. “You''re viting my secret identity!”


    “You don’t have one, Ryan Romano,” the woman replied, raising an eyebrow. “And ording to your file, you never did anything


    to hide it.”


    “| have a file?” Ryan asked, overtaken by happiness. “I’m famous! How am | described?”


    “Deranged, but reliable.” Sweet! They got him halfway right! The flying woman eyed him from head to toe through the ss.


    “Don''t you intend to put on your other clothes?”


    Ryan chuckled. “No.”


    He would always stand against oppressors.


    The personal space invader responded with a frown, knocking on the window again, albeit with a bit more frustration than before.


    “Can you...”


    Ryan rose from his chair to open the window with one hand, and kept the coil gun aimed at the neer with the other.


    Now that he had a better view, Ryan immediately recognized the woman, having seen her on a publicity board yesterday. She


    was floating in midair thanks to translucent dragonfly wings pping at high speed on her back, her hands on her waist. This


    made her look as graceful as a fairy, especially since unlike bugs she made no sound while hovering in ce.


    “lm Wyvern,” the show-off introduced herself. She wore a sleeveless, skintight white uniform with Dynamis’ D-shaped logo on


    the left, and a silver star surrounded by goldenurel on the right. She was probably between her mid-twenties and early thirties,


    and quite the eye-catcher. “I wanted to thank you for Ghoul’s arrest yesterday.”


    “Oh, you’re wee.”


    Then Ryan started to close the window.


    “Hey, wait!” Wyvern caught the window and kept it open; Ryan had heard she could bench press a school bus even while


    partially transformed, so he didn’t press the issue. “What are you doing in town, Quicksave? Can | call you Quicksave?”


    “Sure.” Ryan then shrugged. “I’m a courier, | deliver mail. No matter how many people want me dead!”


    “So the Augusti didn’t hire you as muscle?” the superheroine asked, a bit amused by hisstment. “The ce you defended


    was one of their fronts. | figured they might have hired you to defend their turf from the Meta-Gang.”


    “Nah, | beat that geriatric disaster because he was in the way ofpleting my side quest.” Wyvern made a strange face, unable


    to understand his jargon. The Genome Wars had all but destroyed the video game sector, making Ryan feel very alone. “Oh, by


    the way, have you heard of a girl my age called Len? ck hair, blue eyes, Marxist-Leninist?”


    “Marxist-Leninist?” Wyvern’s frown deepened. “You meanmunists? Those guys still exist?”


    “| know that’s probably a dirty word in this city of unbridled capitalism, but yes.”


    “No, never heard of her.” The superheroine shook her head. “But I can look at our files. Is that why you are in New Rome?


    Looking for her?”


    “Oh yes, she’s beautiful and kind and she’s my best friend!” Ryan couldn’t help but gush about her. "I''ve been looking for her


    since forever!"


    “I''ll help if | can,” Wyvern replied with a smile. “Actually, | believe | can help you a great deal.”


    Oh.


    Herees the recruitment offer...


    “| belong to a group called II Migliore,” Wyvern said, confirming Ryan’s suspicions. “You''ve probably heard of us.”


    Il Migliore. A bunch of corporate superheroes who were the official protectors of New Rome, and modern celebrities. Of course,


    they were also on Dynamis’ payroll, who owned their image, merchandising rights, and told them whom to fight. Nothing like Leo


    Hargraves’ Carnival.


    Now those were real, pro-bono superheroes, wandering knights style! Ryan couldn’t help but admire them, even if they had


    caused the worst day of his life.


    “We''re always on the lookout for new talents, and while you have a... reputation for coteral damage... you possess an


    extremely useful superpower, and as far as we know you haven''t dabbled into reprehensible enterprises, nor closely associated


    with wanted criminals.” Poor girl, if only she knew. “Since you stopped Ghoul before he could go on a killing spree, | think you


    have your heart in the right ce.”


    “So what, you want me to audition for a movie or something? Because I''ve only ever tried theater once, and it wasn’t funny.”


    Wyvernughed. “I wish we did fewermercials and more arrests,” she admitted, Ryan sensing a little bitterness in her tone.


    “But we do our best to protect citizens. Come visit our HQ, see if you match with our organization. After that stunt with Ghoul,


    you''ll need people to have your back.”


    “| can take care of myself, thanks,” Ryan replied, a bit insulted that she thought he needed coddling.


    “Look, Quicksave, the Meta aren’t reasonable like the Augusti,” she insisted. “They are a roving band of Psychos, and you''ve


    beat up one of their own. Their boss, Adam, eats people.”


    “Then he must have a lot on his te!”


    Wyvern didn’t like the joke, her smile straining and her wings slowing down a bit.


    “Alright, alright,” Ryan said. “I''ll think about it if | ever get sidetracked on my main quest.”


    The superheroine frowned, looking sideways. Ryan suddenly noticed an earplug in her left ear, although he couldn’t hear


    anything.


    “Understood,” Wyvern said, although not to Ryan, before handing the courier a business card. “If you change your mind, visit us


    at this address.”


    “Sure.”


    “Take care.”


    And on these words, Wyvern flew away. Her wings moved so fast it became impossible for the human eye to notice them. Yet


    they made no sound either, except for the wind they produced. She was gone within the blink of an eye, moving north and


    elerating until she reached near supersonic speed.


    The sound frequency of her wings must have been inaudible to humans, or run on abnormal physics; everything was possible


    with Genomes. The courier memorized that observation forter.


    Finally alone, Ryan closed the window and returned to his task. But no sooner did he sit back in his chair, that he received a


    vocalmunication demand on hisputer. The Genome immediately recognized the caller as the same person who ordered


    the Renesco delivery.


    Hezily opened the vocal channel with his left toe. “Quicksave Deliveries, what can | do for you?”


    “What did the bitch tell you?” an encrypted voice on the other end answered.


    Ryan raised an eyebrow behind his mask. “Wait, am | being spied on?”


    “Few ces are off the grid in New Rome.”


    Note to self: find a more discreet hotel next loop. “I’m pretty sure thest person who used that line didn’t encrypt their voice.


    Who are you, creepy mystery voice?”


    “My name is Vulcan,” the caller answered. “I represent the Augusti. We are the organization that runs things in New Rome, and


    most of Italy.”


    “| thought it was Dynamis?” Ryan deadpanned.


    “That’s what they say,” the voiceughed. “But Italy only has one emperor, and his name is Augustus.”


    Hard to disagree, the guy was invincible and could shoot homing lightning. He had more victims to his name than the cigarette.


    “You have our thanks for saving our employee from that Meta trash,” Vulcan said. “All this to say, whatever the winged lizard


    promised you, we can offer more.”


    “Is it an offer you can’t refuse, or an offer-offer? ‘Cause I’m allergic to horses.”Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    “We need tough people who get things done,” Vulcan replied. “You want women or boys? New hardware, good weapons?


    Enough Bliss to fly you to the moon? All that shit can be yours... if you prove you’re a team yer.”


    “And how do | do that?”


    An email notification popped up, indicating an address. Ryan quickly checked, identifying the location as a casino called the


    Bakuto. “We own the establishment,” Vulcan exined. “Come tonight, alone, and don’t make us wait. We never ask twice.”


    Ryan ended the call, pondering about the offers. Phew, you beat up one guy—showing extreme restraint and delicateness by


    your usual standards—and suddenly everyone wanted a piece of you.


    Then again, either group could help him find Len, and he had created a save point beforeing to town.


    That could only mean one thing.


    “Multiple routes unlocked!”