Chapter 59


    Ryan felt a ping of nostalgia as he drove on the highway.


    It had been more than a month worth of loops since he first arrived in New Rome, and he missed driving into the wastnd, Mad


    Max-style. The world seemed open to him, all roads leading to a different quest. The courier could never anticipate when he


    would face a random encounter, whether it was a band of road warriors engaging him in a car chase or a mysterious hitchhiker


    out for blood. As much as he enjoyed civilization, Ryan was a creature of the road through and through.


    The Carnival’s rendezvous point was located near the ruins of Pompei, south of New Rome. It had been quite easy for Ryan and


    Felix to slip away after the Fortuna incident. Nobody med her brother for wanting to take a breath of fresh air after their very


    public argument.


    Ryan felt a little bad about lying to Wardrobe though. He could tell she hadn’t been fooled by their excuses, and knew something


    was up.


    “Something has been bothering me,” Atom Cat said on the seat next to Ryan. The Plymouth Fury followed the Neapolitan coast,


    the sea on one side of the road, and cliffs on the other. “The Psychos have infiltrated Dynamis, right? If so, they probably have


    ess to my DNA-tracker. They can follow us.”


    “They could.” And in a past loop, they did. “But now they can’t.”


    “How so?”


    “Well, I''m not a Genius with a capital ‘G,”” Ryan quoted Jasmine, “but I’m still a genius.”


    The time-traveler had wondered how the tracker worked; how could you track a genome by recording their DNA after all?


    However, after his discussions with Jasmine in the previous loop, the answer became obvious. Dynamis didn’t track Genomes


    through their genes, but by the Flux radiation they passively released.


    So Ryan modified his car to keep the Flux radiation within its confines, using the method Jasmine pioneered. Of course, it was a


    poor man’s substitute for his ex’s power armor. Staying in the car wouldn’t cause Ryan to open a gate to the Purple World, but it


    would make the passengers invisible to Dynamis’ radars.


    Hopefully, at least. Ryan still looked into his rearview mirror from time to time.


    Felix didn’t ask more questions and looked out of the window, his eyes gazing at the Mediterranean Sea. Ryan could tell his


    friend appreciated the silence. His sister’s visit had put him in a foul mood.


    Speaking of Fortuna, she started sending messages to the courier once again. Much to Ryan’s surprise, only half of them called


    him an ass and other names; the other half included questions about Felix’s wellbeing.


    Aww, she cared!


    The constant ringing of Ryan’s phone started to bother Atom Cat. “My sister again?“


    “She’s very persistent,” Ryan said. “Il know I’m smart, funny, and handsome, but my poprity surprises me sometimes.”


    “Fortuna’s power causes almost everything that can go well for her, to do so,” Felix replied with a sigh. “She has never paid for


    anything, she gets gifts out of nowhere, and she always meets men desperate to worship her. After a while, it became a self-


    reinforcing loop of narcissism... and | think you broke it.”


    Wait, that was it! Men threw themselves at Fortuna, so she took them for granted and crushed on the few ones immune to her


    charms! If Ryan behaved like the perfect gentleman to soothe her narcissistic ego, she would lose interest and leave him be! All


    he had to do was treat Lucky Girl for dinner, and overwhelm her with affection until she found another distraction. Kill her with


    kindness.


    “Ryan,” Felix said, apparently reading Ryan’s mind as the courier typed a response on his phone. “Can you do me a favor?”


    “If it’s about the cat jokes, then you''re asking too much.”


    Atom Cat looked at Ryan, their eyes meeting. “Don’t fuck my sister.”


    Ryan lost himself in the blue hue of his friend’s irises, as he prepared an appropriate answer. “Which one?”


    “I''m serious, Quickie.”


    “Don''t worry,” Ryan replied, putting a hand on his kitten’s shoulder. “If | had to fuck the whole family, | would start with you.”


    Felix recoiled in surprise, much to the courier’s amusement. “Shut up and drive,” the hero said while looking at the road.


    After a short hour''s drive without getting ambushed by the Meta, the duo finally reached their destination. A lookout-point on a


    rock, providing an unbeatable view of Pompei. Even the world’s end couldn''t damage the ruins more than Vesuvius did, and


    while they briefly served as a raider gang’s hideout, they had remained untouched by the wars.


    Leo the Living Sun was already present, hovering above the lookout’s edge while in his shiny form. What a showoff. Though


    Ryan''s eyes couldn''t help but ogle at this perfect fiery form, and that lithe, ming ass. The courier had slept with men, women,


    robots, monster girls... but never a sun.


    Yet.


    Aroguish woman with freckles and long auburn hair waited nearby next to an American bike, Ryan recognizing her as Ace, the


    Carnivals main teleporter. “Damn, that’s really them,” Atom Cat gasped in admiration, as Ryan parked the Plymouth Fury. “I''ma


    big fan.”


    “Thank you, Felix.” Unlike his favorite kitten, Ryan didn’t flinch as Shroud appeared on the backseat. “Truth be told, we wanted to


    talk to you for a while.”


    “How long have you been here?” Felix asked, spooked.


    “Far too long,” Mr. See-Through replied, as he opened the car door. “You drive like a madman, Quicksave.”


    “Thanks for thepliment, but there’s only three of you?” Ryan asked as the group exited the car to join the other Carnival


    members. “You weren''t kidding about the turnover.”


    “We''re six, with the others already at work in the city,” Shroud replied, sighing at the courier’s unimpressed silence. “I warned you


    we needed more time to gather our allies. Mushroom, Radiodead, and the Cossack are in France right now and won''t arrive


    before a few days.”


    “| wish | could open portals that far,” Ace said upon hearing them, before smirking confidently at the neers. “But don’t worry,


    we still pack a punch. What weck in numbers, we make up in quality.”


    “Easy for you to say, you have a freaking sun on your side,” Ryan mused. While the Meta had them greatly outnumbered, they


    did have greater individual firepower.


    The sun incarnate looked at Quicksave with a mix of amusement, and a tiny bit of respect. “Greetings, Ryan,” he said with his


    sexy, sexy hero voice. “I wanted to thank you for the help you provided to us so far.”


    It felt so strange to meet this man again. From his point of view, it had only been four years, but for Ryan, it had been centuries


    since Bloodstream’s demise. And yet this event remained forever engraved in the courier’s mind.


    Ryan couldn''t quite put a word on how he felt about the Carnival as a whole. On one hand, they separated him from Len for


    countless loops, but on the other hand, they saved him from Bloodstream, and he owed them a life debt. In the end, he leaned


    towards appreciation. Now that he had reconnected with Len, he would let bygones be bygones.


    However, he had also grown to like some Augusti members during his loops, and the Carnival nned to destroy their


    organization one way or another. What Livia said about her mother’s death also bothered Ryan, who wanted to investigate.


    The courier hade to New Rome to reunite with Len, but now... he had the feeling he couldn''t leave the city, even after the


    Meta-Gang’s destruction. A war was brewing, and too many lives were at risk.


    “You were a Carnival nt all along?” Felix asked his teammate, interrupting his thought process.


    “I''m more of a wild card,” the courier replied. “A one-man wrecking ball.”


    Shroud chuckled. “At least you aim in the right direction. Honestly, at first | thought you came to New Rome to pick a fight with


    us.


    “| still haven''t apologized for what happened with Bloodstream,” Leo said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “I hadn’t seen you, and


    when |unched that st—”


    “The alternative was worse,” Ryan interrupted the humanoid sun. After all, he had lived through it once. “Bloodstream was sick


    and had to go for the good of everyone else. The end.”


    “| see...” Leonard sounded surprised by the courier’s response, but didn’t push the subject further. The courier had literal


    centuries to emotionally process the events.


    Felix nced at Ryan with sympathy. Instead of offering vague bullshit, he simply patted his teammate on the back without a


    word, for which the courier was thankful. Though paparazzi would probably mistake the scene for something else, if they saw it...


    “As for you, Atom Cat, | congratte you for your choice,” Leonard said, nodding at the younger hero. “It must have been hard to


    leave your family behind and stand for what is right. It takes great courage.”


    “You said you wanted to meet me for a while,” Atom Kitten said, a little embarrassed. The scene reminded Ryan of an amateur


    boxer meeting Mohammed Ali by happenstance. “Don’t tell me you wanted to poach me too?”


    “Pretty much, yes,” Shroud said.


    “| wouldn’t use the term poach, but we are always on the lookout for new recruits, and | feel you have great potential.” The Living


    Sun marked a short pause, as if considering his next words. “There’s... also the matter of your sister, Narcinia.”


    “My sister?” Felix instantly tensed up. “What about her?”


    Instead of answering yet, Sunshine looked behind the group as a new car approached the lookout. A ck Maserati parked near


    the gathering, and two familiar faces stepping out of it.


    “Quicksave, Atom Cat.” ckthorn removed the dust off his suit as he walked towards them, Wyvern acting as his bodyguard.


    “Things make much more sense now.”


    Felix didn’t seem all so happy, as he red at the Carnival. “You called them?”


    “We didn’t,” Shroud replied, arms crossed. “They did. ckthorn contacted us a few days ago.”


    “There was a time when our two organizations considered allying against Augustus,” Enrique said, his tone utterly monotone.


    “Until Don Hector scrapped the proposal, as he always does.”


    “Are we all present?” Sunny Boy asked.


    “Almost,” Enrique replied, raising his sleeve to look at a Rolex watch underneath. “Though | hope you understand your mere


    presence threatens us all, Hargraves. If Augustus learns you are in town, he will climb down from his mountain and hunt you


    down like a dog.”


    “He will try,” the Living Sun replied. “l made my decision long ago. | will not die before Augustus’ empire copses and he faces


    justice for his crimes.”


    m more worried about him going after us by association,” ckthorn replied dryly before raising his eyes. Ryan heard a loud


    noise approaching from the coast. “But at this point, | guess it is inevitable.”


    A heavily-armed helicopter, which Ryan recognized as a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, flew towards the group and prepared tond.


    The Dynamis logo was painted on the main door, which opened before the aircraft couldnd.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    A towering figure emerged from within the metal husk, almost two-meters and a half in height. This Genome was more machine


    than man. A bulky, ck power armor protected most of his body, except for the head, which was covered by a ss dome. A


    skull, though, would have been a better term. The Genome’s flesh seemed to radiate with a crimson glow kept contained by the


    suit, and leaving the bones visible like X-rays. The armor seemed to have even more weapons than Vulcan’s, including an


    energy minigun incorporated into the right arm, and rocketunchers on the shoulders.


    Ryan instantly recognized that colossus for what he was, just by reading the stance and bodynguage.


    Awarmonger.


    “You called him?” Wyvern asked Enrique with a horrified face.


    “I had no choice,” the manager replied. While he tried to keep hisposure, Ryan noticed the rose on his suit shifting, as if


    answering the Green Genome’s hidden unease. “We cannot win without his resources.”


    “Who is this guy?” Felix asked, a little intimidated by the colossus’ fearsome appearance.


    “Alphonse Manada, Dynamis’ VP.” Wyvern clenched her jaw, her eyes betraying her unease. “Alias Fallout.”


    Fallout, Fallout... “The butcher of Malta?” Ryan asked, having heard the rumors.


    “He dropped a nuke on Augustus in a failed attempt to kill him,” Shroud confirmed, before correcting himself. “Or rather, he was


    the nuke.”


    Wyvern nodded in confirmation. “Hector exiled him to Sicily afterward, under the pretext of an ‘oversea assignment.’ | didn’t know


    he had returned.”


    Dynamis’ Vice-President stepped down from his helicopter, the ground faintly shaking under his sheer weight. “Brother,


    Hargraves,” he politely greeted the people present with a deep, mechanical voice, before noticing Ryan and his cat. “Who are


    they?”


    “Quicksave and Atom Cat,” Enrique replied.


    “Quicksave?” Alphonse recognized the nickname, but for all the wrong reasons. “Bloodstream’s brood?”


    Ryan tensed, but surprisingly, ckthorn immediately came to the rescue. “He’s the one who provided the recording. | do not


    trust him, but our goals align so far.”


    “| see.” Alphonse Manada examined Ryan closely, the courier waving a hand at the borg in response. The vice-president didn’t


    even acknowledge the gesture, all business. “And his sister?”


    Ryan red at the tincan, while Enrique answered, “I let her go.”


    “You let her go?” When ckthorn wouldn’t respond, even under his elder’s fiery gaze, Dynamis’ VP shook his skull. “You have


    always been too soft for your own good, brother. About time | came back to the maind.”


    “What do you want with Len Sabino?” Ryan asked, a dangerous edge in his tone.


    “That is none of your business,” Alphonse Manada replied angrily.


    “Her technology is impressive, you will agree,” Enrique said hastily. “After her stunt with her bubble prisons, | wondered about


    hiring her for security purposes. An undersea prison might be the best solution to keep Psychos under lock and key.”


    Ryan could smell a lie when he heard one, but Leo Hargraves coughed and took over the discussion. “Gentlemen, please. We


    gathered you to discuss how to deal with the various criminal groups in the city, and we strongly suspect Dynamis might be


    supporting them.”


    “Suspicions?” Felix snorted.


    “Quicksave provided a recording where the Meta’s second-inmand deres having been hired by our CEO to harass


    Augustus’ forces,” Enrique exined calmly, Wyvern crossing her arms in quiet fury. “Considering Psyshock showed an intimate


    knowledge of top-secret Dynamis projects, and other circumstantial evidence, | assume the intel is genuine.”


    “It is,” Shroud confirmed. “I have scouted the Meta-Gang’s territory, though | could not get close to their headquarters without the


    Land noticing me. They used repurposed Dynamis drones, and some of their unpowered mooks carriedser weapons.”


    Though it clearly infuriated him to do so, Enrique kept digging hispany’s grave. “I asked Devilry to investigate, and some of


    our technicians have been reported as missing. | believe either our CEO directly sent them to supply the Meta-Gang with


    Genius-made tech, or Psyshock used the opportunity to enve them.”


    Alphonse Manada listened to everything in silence, and when he finally spoke, it was with a tone of pure, unrestrained disgust.


    “Our father has betrayed our trust, and that of all of New Rome. We have nothing to do with this mess, | assure you.”


    “Good,” Ace said, before clearing her throat. “Well, it’s bad, but hopefully that means we won''t have to fight?”


    “We intend to hit the Meta and destroy them, before turning our attention to the Augusti,” Leonard dered. Ryan noticed that he


    avoided mentioning the bunker to the corpos, which was wise. Perhaps they hoped to destroy the base before the Manada


    siblings noticed its existence. “Will you interfere?”


    “No,” Enrique replied.


    “Yes,” his brother said, causing everyone to nce at him. “I will not stand by and let someone else clean up our father’s mess. |


    will personally remove that stain on our reputation.”


    “Ah, | see now brother,” ckthorn guessed. “You suggest a coordinated strike?”


    “Il Migliore will support us?” Leonard asked.


    “They and my elite security team,” Alphonse added. “We will surround the Psychos and wipe them all out, even if we must fight


    these animals street by street.”


    “Now he’s speaking mynguage,” Felix whispered to Ryan. Indeed, the courier was surprised by the borg’s decisiveness.


    Though he was clearly a closet superviin considering his fashion sense and bloodthirsty behavior, the courier might consider


    calling upon him in a future loop if things went well.


    “| have some reservations,” Sunny Boy said. “If the Meta-Gang has infiltrated your organization all the way to the top, then the


    more people involved, the greater the risk of a leak.”


    “We will only inform our most reliable heroes and officers,” Enrique argued. Which, when reading between the lines, meant


    ‘those loyal to us and not to our CEO.’


    “Awise choice, but you forget a detail,” Shroud argued. “Psyshock will use hostages, and he can transfer his mind from one body


    to the next.”


    “He can do that?” Wyvern asked with a frown. “I wondered why he killed himself fighting Quicksave’s group, but this makes more


    sense.”


    “Unfortunately, we have no means of properly canceling his ability,” Shroud sighed, taking this personally. “He has started


    transforming homeless people into thralls and giving them weapons. A frontal assault will lead to casualties, while a small strike


    team can decisively behead the Meta’s leadership.”


    Ryan clenched his fist, as he felt an ominous sense of déja-vu. It was the first Rust Town raid all over again.


    “There will be a conflict in the streets even if you miraculously defeat Psyshock and Adam,” Wyvern pointed out with a grim face.


    “Thetter can barely keep his men under control, and without his unifying presence, they will probably rampage around.”


    Enrique cleared his throat,manding everyone’s attention. “Both strategies are not necessarily exclusive. The Carnival can


    focus on hitting the Meta’s leadership while ourrger force surrounds their headquarters and contains Adam''s men.”


    After a short moment of silent consideration, Leo Hargraves nced at his teammates. “What do you think?”


    “| could quickly transport groups around town,” said his teleporter. “Like during our battle with Mechron. If we coordinate properly,


    | think we can hit them hard before the Meta-Gang can prepare a counterattack.”


    Though Shroud remained silent, Ryan sensed his gaze on his back. The ss maniptor probably weighed the pros and cons


    of involving Dynamis directly. On one hand, it would make destroying the bunker easier, but on the other, it increased the risks of


    discovery.


    Eventually, the risk of Big Fat Adam getting his hands on orbital weaponrywas too overwhelming to ignore. “When would you be


    ready?” Sunshine asked the corpos.


    “Tomorrow,” Alphonse dered.


    “That’s way too soon, Al,” Enrique protested.


    “The longer we wait, the greater the risk of discovery,” the Vice-President replied with a grunt. “Father will grow cautious once he


    learns | have returned.”


    “We can quickly mobilize, especially since Devilry is with us,” Wyvern told her manager. “By the time Hector learns who our


    target is, he will have no choice but to go along. I’m sure he will protest, but in the end, he can’t publicly support Psychos.


    Results will speak for themselves.”


    “Brother.” Alphonse turned towards Enrique, his tone heavy. “Once we deal with the Meta and make them talk, you know what


    we must do. | can forgive Father’s cowardice, but treachery? Never.”


    For the first time since Ryan had met him, ckthorn let out a long, heavy sigh. It reminded him of a condemned sinner bracing


    himself for judgment day. “I hoped it wouldn''te down to this, Al.”


    “Father had his chance. For ourpany to survive, Dynamis needs new management. A firmer one.” Alphonse observed his


    brother and waited for him tomit. “Do | have your support?”


    ckthorn marked a short pause, before cautiously answering, “Yes.”


    Wyvern''s eyes narrowed as she listened. “Enrique, are you suggesting...”


    “A coup,” ckthorn confirmed. “Once the Meta are dealt with, we will remove Don Hector from office whether he likes it or not.”


    “It will be a civil war,” Wyvern warned. “Hector won''t go down without a fight, and our heroes—”


    “Will make the right choice, or pay for the consequences,” Alphonse Manada said with an angry growl. “Corruption, fame, and


    greed have poisoned our ranks for too long; they let the Meta and the Augusti make fools of us. It’s time we purge the rot away,


    Wyvern. We cannot rebuild a functional post-war government on these foundations.”


    ckthorn nced at the Carnival. “Where do you stand on this issue?”


    “We will see,” Leonard replied. “After what he did, Hector needs to be deposed, and we will act to protect innocents from the


    crossfire.”


    “However, this seems like a private matter between you boys,” Ace said with a smile. “And we have our own fish to fry.”


    “Augustus?” Alphonse snorted. “You miscalcte, Hargraves. He’s ourmon enemy, and once Father is out of the picture...”


    “If we seed, brother,” Enrique pointed out.


    “Yes, yes,” Alphonse Manada snorted, as he returned to his helicopter. Clearly, he had made up his mind long ago. “We will keep


    in touch. Brother?”


    “| will serve as a liaison between everyone,” ckthorn replied.


    “Thank you.” And without wasting time, Alphonse climbed back on his helicopter and flew away. Ryan couldn’t exin why, but


    that man’s behavior reminded him of Augustus... and he didn’t appreciate it one bit.


    “| like him,” Atom Cat said, ncing at Alphonse’s helicopter vanishing in the skies. “He gets shit done.”


    Wyvern clearly didn’t share his opinion. “He does, but he doesn’t know when to stop either. If Alphonse bes CEO...”


    “| know,” Enrique replied. “But the die is already cast.”


    “Felix, can | talk to you for a minute?” Leonard asked Atom Cat.


    “About my sister?” the hero asked, as Sunshine invited him to walk away from the group for a private discussion. The living sun


    probably didn’t want the others to eavesdrop. Shroud, meanwhile, started discussing with Ace about the operation, bouncing off


    ideas how they could coordinate to surround Rust Town.


    Ryan decided to interrogate Shroud about Livia’s mother, only for ckthorn to focus on him next. “Don’t think | have forgotten


    you, Romano.”


    “Of course you haven''t. Without false modesty, I’m unforgettable.”


    “You nned all of this,” the manager used the courier. “I can feel it in my bones. Yet | still do not understand your end goal.


    Nothing in your file indicates you went out of your way to settle a grudge against the Meta-Gang until you arrived in New Rome.”


    “Do | need a reason to hate the Meta-Gang?” After what Hannifat Lecter had done in the previous loop, the time-traveler simply


    wanted him dead on principle. Ryan had promised Jasmine that he would kill Whalie in every single restart from now on, and he


    would follow through.


    “| do not believe hate is your only motive,” Enrique said, his tone sharp and icy. “You have a hidden agenda, though | cannot


    fathom it yet.”


    “Does it matter, Enrique?” Out of all the people present, Wyvern seemed to swallow the pill the least gracefully. “We have more


    pressing problems.”


    “Hence why | let it slide so far,” the manager exined himself. “But make no mistake Romano, you will exin yourself once the


    dust has settled.”


    Wyvern scratched her head. “Once the dust settles... your words say it all, Enrique.”


    “Do you regret it?” ckthorn asked, his tone softening. “You can still sit this out.”


    “Never.” The heroine shook her head. “I joined II Migliore exactly to run operations like this, and I''ve been waiting for your father


    to retire for years. If anything, | should rejoice that we can finally act as heroes, instead of pretending that we are. However...”


    “You dread to see Alphonse in charge.”


    “| want to protect New Rome, not see it turned into a battlefield. Your brother doesn’t stop until all his enemies are dead.”


    “He can’t be that bad?” Ryan asked, the embarrassed silence that followed quickly telling him otherwise. “Can he?”


    “None will say Alphonse doesn’t believe in a cause bigger than himself,” Wyvern said with a forced smile. “But if his father hadn’t


    sent him into exile, Dynamis and Augustus would still be at war. | want to see the Augusti crumble as much and their drug factory


    on fire, but it won’t be without civilian casualties. It’s... I''m torn. I’m truly torn.”


    “Unfortunately, the more | consider it, the more | believe a conflict is inevitable,” Enrique said with a hint of regret. “Our respective


    visions of the future cannot coexist.”


    Ryan’s thoughts turned to Livia, and her desire to reform her organization. “You could wait for Augustus to retire. The next person


    in the line of session might be friendlier.”


    “| thought we could reach an agreement with Augustus’ daughter once she took over the organization, yes,” the manager


    conceded. “But the situation is too unstable. Augustus’ kind never goes into quiet retirement; once he learns our father sent the


    Meta-Gang after him, and he will know, he shall strike back. And let’s not talk about his feud with Hargraves.”


    “| just don’t get it,” Wyvern said, hands on her waist. “Why would Hector risk so much by allying with someone like Adam?”


    “My father believes he can buy everyone’s loyalty, if the price is right,” Enrique replied. “Money or knockoff Elixirs, it makes no


    difference for him.”


    “But why does he prevent us from striking while hiring monsters to do it in secret?”


    “| suppose my father believes he can oust thepetition while secretly weakening it. At least, until Augustus’ tumor kills him,


    and Dynamis can strike his organization without fear of retaliation.”


    Ryan, who had stopped paying attention to the conversation, abruptly froze in ce. “Come again?”