Chapter 55
And the whole thing started so well!
Right after Ryan punched Psyshock’s jaw out, Shroud revealed his ‘presence’ and unleashed ss shards in all directions. The
situation quickly devolved into a chaotic melee, while the pets in the animal shelter howled as one.
Shortie immediately fired at Psyshock with her water rifle, the liquid forming a three-meters wide bubble around the Meta. The
malevolent telepath struggled inside, unable to escape the liquid prison. Meanwhile, Rakshasa had summoned a dozen
gremlins, Atom Cat attempted to engage Mongrel in closebat only to be repelled by a st ofpressed air, and
Wardrobe’s costume transformed into a cosy of Che Guevara. As for the Panda...
Mosquito instantly flew at him when the melee started, singling the bear out as easy prey whose blood he could drink. Except he
forgot that Ryan’s disciple was a seven hundred kilos juggernaut bigger than a pr bear, and who hit just as hard.
So the caught Mosquito’s sting mid-flight, pivoted on himself, and tossed the surprised Psycho against one of the ck
minibuses. The bugman hit it with enough force to trigger the rm, but the immediately closed the gap before he could recover.
“Bear Smash!” The roared while he lunged at the Meta, hitting him so hard he bent the minibus’ metal doors; he then started
beating the tar out of Mosquito with his bestial strength.
He was...
He was good!
The Panda was good!
He was ridiculous, but he was good!
Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t have the time to observe the animal brawl. The lizardman among the Meta lunged at an empty spot
and mmed something against the ground, the blown dust revealing the invisible Shroud’s position. Ryan guessed the
lizardman had managed to sense the ss Genome through sound or scent. The Carnival vignte retaliated with shards, but
they couldn’t cut through the Meta lizard’s tough scales.
Stopping time, Ryan rushed to Shroud’s rescue and punched the lizard with Fisty in the frozen time. When the clock struck
again, the blow sent the reptile flying to the side, allowing Shroud to fly away. The ss genome switched targets to support
Atom Cat with shards before Mongrel could incinerate him with pyrokinesis.
“Use pebbles!” Ryan shouted at Atom Cat, who still attempted to engage Mongrel in closebat. “Use pebbles!”
“Oh, good idea!” Felix quickly caught on and threw a small stone at Mongrel, the projectile sting the Psycho against the
orphanage’s walls. Len managed to exploit his temporary incapacitation to trap him in another bubble, the rabid Psycho gasping
for air.
Unfortunately, it turned out, Len’s bubble wasn’t powerful enough to fully immobilize Psyshock. When he realized all was lost, the
malevolent mindjacker managed to raise a tentacle at his head and shattered his own skull. His grey matter flowed into the
water, the Psycho abandoning his men to their fate.
“Damn, not again!” Ryanined, as he pummeled the reptile Psycho into unconsciousness with Fisty. Shroud started
shredding gremlins with shards while Atom Cat tossed explosive stones at them, but Rakshasa kept summoning more. By now,
hundreds of the critters threatened to swarm the shelter.
At least, until they noticed Ryan and abruptly stopped.
“Huh?” the time-traveler asked, as the critters seemed to panic. One of the gremlins put two raised fingers behind his head, as if
mimicking a rabbit''s ears, and then pointed at Ryan.
The creatures’ anxious expression turned into stark raving terror.
“Wait, you remember me?!” Ryan asked, the gremlins immediately running away as he approached them. They seemed to
recognize him, even with a new costume.
Wait, of course they did! Rakshasa probably summoned these creatures from another universe and the genome’s ability only
affected this one! “Come back,” Ryan pleaded. “Rabbits are friendly!”
The gremlins frantically escaped into Rust Town, much to Rakshasa’s shock and surprise. “Hey,e back here!” the jaguar-
man ordered, even as Wardrobe rushed at him. “Come back, you cowards!”
Che Wardrobe tackled the jaguar to the ground, Rambo-style, and started manhandling him. Perhaps the costume gave her
superhuman fighting skills or increased strength, but she quickly restrained the mook summoner with a chokehold. The vicious
catman attempted to w at her flesh, but Shroud nailed his palms to the ground with ss spikes.
“Back off!” Shortie warned, raising her rifle. Wardrobe released the chokehold and rolled away, just as Rakshasa became
trapped inside a bubble of his own.
“You have the right to remain silent!” The forced Mosquito’s bloody face against the minibus’ car hood, while holding him in a
wristlock. “Perp!”
Ryan pitied the Mosquito. To be beaten by that bear must have hurt, physically and emotionally. A few secondster, both the
bug and the reptile Psycho joined their brethren in bubble confinement.
“| caught one, Sifu!” the said, his bear face the very picture of happiness. “I caught one! We won!”
“No,” Len said, the only one crestfallen with the result. “Psyshock, he escaped.”
“| wouldn''t call that escaped,” Atom Cat said, pointing at the floating corpse in Shortie’s watery prison.
“Actually, can they survive inside these bubbles?” Wardrobe asked, as Mongrel and Rakshasa had both passed out inside their
prison, while the wounded Mosquito gasped for breath. “They’re monsters, but killing them... it makes me feel uneasy.”
“They will survive,” Len nodded. “The special water provides them with enough oxygen to survive through direct skin contact...
but not enough to stay conscious. Their body falls into suspended animation to preserve biological functions.”
Allin all, the ‘fight’ had been a crushing victory, but unfortunately, Shortie had a point. They only caught mooks and Psyshock
lived to fight another day. Which meant that the Meta could not only keep their enved thralls, but also operate Mechron’s
mech.
While the Dynamis heroes rejoiced, Len’s face remained bitter. “I... | should have put more pressure,” she said, ming herself
for Psyshock’s escape. “If | had increased the oxygen ratio, | could have... | could have made him pass out quicker.”
“Shortie, it''s okay,” Ryan consoled her. “We''ll get that squid eventually.”
“You owe us an exnation,” Atom Cat scolded Ryan. “Who was that invisible guy?”
“That guy?” Ryan turned around, and realized Shroud had vanished. He must have turned invisible and left before the others
could ask embarrassing questions. “That sneaky bastard, | hate it when he does that!”
“What was that for?” Atom Cat kept asking, suspicious. “That stuff about Hector? Because | assume it is the Hector?”
“Haven''t you heard?” Len snapped at him, her anger at Dynamis stronger than her social anxiety. “Your employer bankrolls the
Meta.”
“Oooh, a conspiracy?” the asked, clearly excited. “The is all ears.”
“| heard, but that’s not possible,” Wardrobe argued, her quirkiness reced with a skeptical frown. Even her costume changed
from a South American icon to normal. “Why would he do that? Help monsters like these Psychos? It doesn’t make sense.”
“You just have to listen to Psypsy’s recording,” Ryan said, opening his suit to reveal the wiretap inside. “Our very own CEO hired
him to attack the Augusti.”
To prove his point, he activated the recording. Atom Cat brimmed with rage, the sat on his ass without a word, and Shortie...
When she heard Psyshock talk about the children, she looked positively murderous. In all his years knowing her, Ryan had never
seen her like that.
“But it doesn’t make sense, if it were known, it would be disastrous for thepany’s image,” Wardrobe argued, focusing on the
marketing side of things. "It could be an impersonator trying to ruin Mr. Manada’s reputation, or the Meta could lie to tarnish it. |
mean, that’s what PR will say.”
“Who else could deliver crates of knockoff Elixirs to the Meta-Gang?” Felix replied with irritation, fists clenched. “I knew they were
snakes, and | still let them bite me.”
“But, uh, if that’s true,” the cleared his throat, a bit afraid. “Does that mean that we know too much? That''s what happens in
movies, right? We know too much, so we’re all gonna die!”
“Nobody is going to die!” Wardrobe protested, hands on her waist. “We will do things by the book, and take that recording to our
manager.”
“But what happens if he’s in on the conspiracy too?”
“You knew it would happen, when you brought us here,” Atom Cat used Ryan. “That was your n from the start. And who
was that invisible guy?”
“He’s a friend,” Ryan said. “He''s very shy and not as transparent as he seems, but he’s a good one. A vignte.”
“Was it why the was recruited?” The asked Ryan, his eyes widening in hope. “You couldn’t trust anyone else?”
It...
It was technically true, in a weird way. Ryan was absolutely sure the had nothing to do with any conspiracy whatsoever, because
no illuminati in their right mind would hire him. “Exactly, young disciple,” he replied, raising a finger at the animal''s heart. “I chose
you because of this.”
“M-my liver?”
“No, your pure heart!” Ryan lightly pped him in the back of the head. “You still have so much to learn!”
“Okay, okay, this is way above my pay grade,” Wardrobe replied after taking a deep breath, ncing at the Meta-Gang. “First
thing first, what do we do about these guys? How long will these bubbles hold?”
“Hours,” Len repliedconically.
“Okay, good, that''s more than enough time to bring them back to Optimates Tower,” Wardrobe dered with a nod. “Everyone
loves a by-the-book arrest!”
“What, haven’t you heard?” Felix the Cat said with a tone filled with anger. He had left his family for Dynamis to do good, and the
company had disappointed him. “They''ll be back on the street within hours if we do that!”
“So what, we kill them?” Wardrobe snapped back. “We can’t do that, we aren''t vigntes. We stand for something. There are due
processes to follow.”
“You would rather stick to your contract and risk letting these guys go? They tried to kidnap children to turn them into soldiers!”
“Hey, hey, everyone calm down!” Ryan said, before the argument could grow more intense. “Look, here’s my proposal. We call
our beloved manager, he sends help to bring the perps into custody, and we give him the recording. That’s why | took it in the
first ce.”
“| can get behind that,” Wardrobe said with a nod. “I’m sure Enrique will clear this up.”
Atom Cat crossed his arms, ring at Ryan suspiciously. “You''re both in on it. You and ckthorn.”
“Sorry kitten, it’s top secret.”
“You''re both in on it, trying to expose Hector.” He marked a short pause. “Good.”
“And obviously, about what you heard today,” Ryan nced at everyone, putting a finger on his mask where the lips should have
been. “Shush...”
“The will be as silent as a tomb,” his disciple promised, before rising back on his feet. “Can | make the arrest before the
cameras? Bring the perps out of the car and into the tower?”
“Oh right, that will be your first arrest!” Wardrobe replied with a cheery grin. “You will see, you never forget your first. And with
your new costume, I’m sure you will shoot up the poprity charts!”
“About costumes, why Che Guevara?” Ryan asked, the question had bothered him for a while.
“Because PR never lets me wear it, or Fidel Castro’s,” she admitted, a little embarrassed. “They say it’s too subversive, even if |
can survive anything when | wear his uniform!”
Len’s head perked up, hermunist radar triggered. “Are you a Marxist?”
“Uh, | would say I’m more of a social democrat,” Wardrobe admitted, leaving Len disappointed. The fashion designer
immediately tried to cheer her up. “But | sympathize! | sympathize!”
Ryan heard his cell phone bleep, and he realized someone had sent him a message. “I have to go.”
“What? But you will miss the photo session!” Wardrobeined, ring at him. “Quicksave, it would be perfect to introduce
your new costume to the world!”
“Sorry, Shortie and | need to bring the kids home,” Ryan said, while Len frowned at him. Though Psyshock’s temporary demise
had not warranted a response from Big Fat Adam, the Meta would probably hit the orphanage again with heavy hitters unless
evacuated. “And after that, | have a date.”
The unknown caller had sent him an invitation.
That evening, Ryan drove the Plymouth Fury south of New Rome, with Len sitting in the other seat. They made their way past
the strip and into a ce that could only be called a slum.
Well, maybe he was exaggerating. The ce was terribly dirty, the ground littered with used drug paraphernalia, spent condoms,
and even bullet casings, but it wasn’t as bad as Rust Town. Ryan didn’t see any feral dogs scavenging trash cans, and people
walked around without the sense of paranoia that characterized the northern neighborhoods. The ce was a dump, but
somebody kept order.
Ryan parked the Plymouth Fury at the parking lot of a particrly uninviting motel, its wall paint peeling away and its neon sign
flickering. The courier noticed the remnants of a pool nearby, long drained away. Only one of the rooms had the lights on, located
on the first floor.
Cancel guarded the door. At least it confirmed his suspicions.
“It''s here,” Ryan said, checking the address sent by the mystery caller.
“|... | know this ce,” Len frowned anxiously. “They call it Deand Motel.”
“Yeah, it looks pretty dead to me too.”
“Riri,” she said, looking at him with concern. “They call it this way because... because a lot of people disappear there.”
It didn’t surprise him. The ce was close to Mount Augustus, and isted enough that the Private Security wouldn’t interfere.
What surprised him was that Shortie had insisted oning with him, after she evacuated the children to her underwater
hideout. It warmed his heart. “If they wanted to kill me, they wouldn’t have sent me an invitation.”
“Are you, are you sure you want to do this?”
Ryan nced at Cancel. “It’s the only way to be sure,” he replied, before smiling at his partner. “And with you as my backup, |
have nothing to fear.”
“D-Don''t joke about it, please.”
“Yeah, but | gotta admit,” he smiled beneath his mask, “it’s nice to have someone watching my back.”
“Yes... | feel that way too.” She nced away. “Please, be careful, alright?”
“I swear.”
And after these emotional words, Ryan exited the car, climbed the stairs to the motel’s first floor, and made his way towards
Cancel. “Hi Greta,” the time-traveler waved a hand at her. “Is Mortimer nearby?”
“Oh, hi!” she replied, waving a hand at him with the same cute friendliness as always. “He’s hiding in a corner.”
“Judas,” Mortimer’s voice answered, though Ryan wasn’t sure if it came from the walls or the ground. “Judas!”
“But have we met?” Cancel asked Ryan with a friendly expression. The courier had never seen her change it, no matter the
loops. “I always remember masks and faces.”
“Well, you didn’t try to kill me yet,” Ryan joked.
“Oh, good, | would feel bad if | had missed you!”
“But if you''re here to kill me, could we pick something more dignified than a motel?” Ryan asked, pointed north. “I think there are
some public toilets two streets away.”
“It''s fine, we''re here for security,” Greta reassured him, pointing at the door. “Someone wants to meet you.”
As he assumed. With onest nce at a worried Len waiting for him, Ryan opened the bedroom door and walked inside.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.
To his surprise, the inside looked far cozier andrger than the outside. It was a pretty normal room, actually, including a king-
sized bed and various amenities, though Ryan couldn’t help but diss the blue wall paint. Someone had set a dining table,
including coffee cups, a chessboard, and even cookies.
His host sat on the other side, waiting for him.
“Thank you foring, Quicksave,” Livia Augusti said, as he closed the door behind him. “Or should | call you Ryan?”
Ryan frowned, a bit confused. “You do not know?”
“Not quite,” the mafia princess admitted. “But this is not the first time we meet, is it? How did I call you, before you turned back
the hand of time?”
She knew.
Goddammit, she knew, and Cancel was three meters away. “You called me Ryan,” he replied, trying not to show his fear. “We
were casual acquaintances.”
“As | thought,” she replied, her face thoughtful. “The orange is in the hen house... | was confused about the meaning of this
phrase, but now | understand. It was a message in a bottle. A distress signal thrown into the sea, hoping it would find its way to
the right person.”
The Augusti princess poured Ryan a cup of coffee, and invited him to sit.
“Well, your bottle found its way to me,” Livia said with a smile. “Let''s open it together.”