Chapter 82
It was said that the show must go on, no matter what.
“And so, Little Gorynych attempted to catch the wild princess,” Ryan continued his y, having a three-headed dragon sticine
figurine pursue that of a pink princess. After running out of video material to humiliate Dynamis with, the courier had started to
improvise. “But she ran too fast for his tiny legs, and poor Gorynych had forgotten he could fly!”
Nobody paid attention to his Shakespearean y, except Frank, whom the groundbreaking plot captivated. Everyone else
instead focused on the inactive nuclear device on the newsdesk.
“You should have taken a dog, boss,” Sarin said, ring at Eugene-Henry. The cat knew he had sinned, so he tried to look cute
to avoid punishment. Unfortunately for him, Hazmat Girl didn’t have any heart to soften. “I understand why the Chinese ate
them.”
“Come on, | disarmed the countdown,” Ryan said, though he had to freeze time for it. He abandoned his y to scratch his cat’s
ears and reassure him. “You''re sorry you scared them, huh? You didn’t want to kill them all, it was an ident...”
Tea cleared her throat. It was just a vocal effect, since as an android she didn’t need to breathe. “Ryan, | thi—”
“Mr. President,” Ryan corrected her. “You''re my friend, Doll, but we’re on TV right now.”
“Mr. President, while | love animals, | believe you are spoiling your cat rotten.”
“Gooood,” his master replied with a deep dark voice, before noticing Livia nervously approaching him. “Yes?”
His new sidekick began to whisper in his ear. “I’m seeing Wyvern attacking Mosquito, and an II Migliore team besieging the
building alongside the Private Security.”
“Is the Panda among them?” Ryan asked, suddenly worried.
“Who?” Livia asked, apparently never having taken notes on the mighty manbear.
“The Panda, the chosen one,” Ryan exined, loud enough for the hostage and TV viewers to hear. “The only Genome whose
power trumps mine. Our long-awaited duel has been foretold by precogs.”
Livia giggled behind her helmet. “No, | don’t think so,” she whispered, only to turn serious. “But... Felix is among them, and a few
of my alternate selves die from ss shards to the neck.”
Urgh, so the Carnival did intend to target them this time around. The courier learned enough about Dynamis to predict their
movements, but he couldn''t say the same for Hargraves. Did the Carnival ally with the Manada brothers like in the previous
timeline? Or did they remain free agents for now?Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.
“We''ll make sure nothing happens to Felix,” Ryan whispered back too low for others to listen, before hamming it up. “With our
combined power, Queen Crimson, we will rule all ofNew Rome!”
“Start ruling your stupid cat and then we''ll see about the city,” Sarin said, unimpressed.
“In any case, we''re returning home.”
“What about the hostages?” Tea asked, almost hopeful. “Do we take them with us?”
Ryan shrugged his shoulders. “I realized it was a bit redundant to keep a dozen people hostage, when we have a nuclear device
to threaten the city with.”
“And | do not think we have enough space in the truck,” Livia pointed out the obvious.
“Aw,” the Doll said, lowering her weapon and allowing the hostages to breathe. “I was starting to like them.”
Tea had known them for half an hour, and she already developed Lima Syndrome? She was too soft for the job.
The group exited the Star Studios warehouse one minute afterward, with Sarin carrying the A-bomb and Frank the sticine
figurines. Ryan walked at the front, holding Eugéne-Henry in his arms like a diabolical mastermind on a stroll.
No sooner did they pass the warehouse’s doors than a shockwave almost caused them to trip up. The courier raised his eyes,
and watched Mosquito wrestling with a fully transformed Wyvern up in the skies. The courier remembered that they fought in an
early loop, with the dragondy squashing the Psycho like a bug.
But now that Mosquito had overfed, he more than held his own. The flying beefcake punched Wyvern so hard that it caused
windows in the vicinity to crack; the blow sent the dragon tumbling backward, but she quickly corrected her descent. She
retaliated with her breath, Mosquito fleeing out of the path at astonishing speed.
While the two titans duked it out in the skies, the group prepared to return to their truck, only to find it surrounded by a dozen
Private Security members in ck riot gear. Multipleser rifles pointed at Ryan and his men, while one wise soldier targeted the
president''s crotch. None of them opened fire though.
As Livia warned, they also had a few Genomes with them. Atom Kitty, who didn’t carry throwable weapons yet; Reload, that
cheap knockoff, who at least had the decency of bringing a lightsaber; and Ryan’s favorite hero in the world.
“Hi, Wardrobe!” The courier warmly greeted his future rival. “We finally meet in the flesh!”
“Hi, nice to meet you too, Quicksave!” Wardrobe waved a hand at the group. This time she cosyed as an FBI hostage
negotiator, with a megaphone in hand. “I loved your stop motion y!”
“Wardrobe, please don’t encourage that madman,” Atom Kitten said, hands raised. He looked like a cat ready to pounce on mice
and eager to finally stretch his legs. Livia tensed at the sight of her ex-boyfriend, but wisely remained silent.
“Sorry, sorry!” Wardrobe apologized before raising her megaphone. “Please surrender, you''re surrounded!”
“And you''re outgunned!” Sarin replied while raising the A-bomb, Wyvern and Mosquito’s duel causing more shockwaves. “Back
off”
A few Private Security members raised their rifles at Miss Gasshole, but none dared to pull the trigger.
“I''m Mr. President now,” Ryan said, scratching his cat behind the ears. Frank stood proudly behind his master, while the Doll
pointed her rocketuncher at Reload. “You should know, of all people. After all, Wardrobe... you created me.”
“| created you?” she asked with a frown, before studying his costume in depth. Her face paled, upon recognizing the ensemble’s
perfect harmony of colors; the authority of the necktie, the softness of the gloves, the savagery of the bowler hat. “It was you... it
was you who asked for the costume!”
“Wardrobe, you know this guy?” asked Reload, his hands tightening around his weapon.
“| designed his costume!” Wardrobe paled in horror at the terrible truth. “But | didn’t know someone would use it for evil!”
“It has skulls on the socks!” Felix snarled, pointing a finger at Ryan’s boots. “What did you expect?”
“That’s right, Wardrobe,” Ryan said, his voice as deep as the darkest abyss. “By creating this cashmere suit, you sowed the
seeds of your own nemesis. A grim darkness born of your shining light.”
“My... my nemesis?” Emotion broke through Wardrobe’s face, as her wish for a shy superviin archenemy was granted. “I
have a secret nemesis?”
“Yes, you do.” Ryan extended one hand at her, holding Eugéne-Henry with the other. “Join me, Wardrobe. Be my
archenemy, every day of the week. Together, nothing can stop our brand. We will build a multi-billion euro franchise, greater than
even Star Wars! We will flood the market with merchandise, and we will rule the box-office! Only through me, can you achieve
the poprity you crave!”
“Yes, yes! Oh Mr. President, | ept your offer!” Wardrobe surrendered to the lure of a long-term exclusive rivalry. “We''ll be
fighting forever!”
“Good, how about we schedule our first fight tomorrow? Would tomorrow be alright?” Ryan took a few steps forward, not waiting
for an answer. “I have a very busy agenda. Doomsday weapons won''t build themselves.”
Reload moved in the president''s path, weapon raised. “You''re not going anywhere, you maniac.”
“Is it me, or do you really think you can actually stop us?” Ryan channeled his inner viin, while Sarin dangled the A-bomb
threateningly. “Don’t force me to assert my authority.”
“Be wary, Reload, he can stop time for an unknown duration,” Atom Cat warned his fellow hero. “He’s also probably a Genius of
some kind from the bomb, but we don’t know his specialty yet.”
“A Genius?” Ryan blinked behind his mask. “Wait, you think I’m a Psycho with two powers?”
Atom Kitten snorted. “Dude, you hold an entire city hostage with a nuclear device and a band of mutants. Either you’re a Psycho,
or you''re just psycho.”
“Your reputation for mental instability makes a lot more sense now,” Reload added.
Frank took a step, ignoring theser rifles pointed at him. “Mr. President, do you want me to clear the area?”
“They''re going to do that on their own, or I’m pressing the butto—’” Sarin froze, as the weapon suddenly vanished from her hand.
“Huh?”
“I''ve got it!” Wardrobe rejoiced, having quickly changed her costume. Her clothes had transformed into that of a French
gentleman with a monocle, a long cloak, and a top hat from which she had drawn the A-bomb.
Arséne Lupin?
Ryan immediately protested, “Someone is getting choked for th—”
Reload immediately leaped at the courier with hisser de raised. However, Frank swiftly grabbed his leg in midair with one
hand, and sttered him on the ground like a club. The poor Violet Genome immediately regenerated, and cut off his own leg
before Frank could kill him again.
“Minions, dispose of these annoyances, without touching the truck!” Ryan ordered, as the Private Security opened fire. The
courier froze time to sidestep the barrage, while Livia and Sarin took refuge behind Frank. Thesers failed to pierce the Doll’s
reinforced metal body, though they burnt off parts of the artificial skin. “But leave me the young kitty!”
“| don’t have a cat theme!” Felix snarled, attempting to touch Ryan with his naked hand. The president gracefully sidestepped to
dodge the blow, and then a second. Atom Cat''s hands furiously tried to reach for the courier’s chest, but Ryan had time and
experience on his side.
The Doll and Sarin had engaged the Private Security in a firefight, answering thesers with rockets and shockwaves. The same
mook that threatened Ryan’s ultimate weapon hit Sarin’s shoulder, forcing her to cover the spot with a hand to avoid leaking out
gas.
Meanwhile, Livia positioned herself behind Frank as he attempted to catch Reload, using the iron giant as a shield against the
Private Security’ssers. She seemed to be looking for someone she couldn’t see. Wardrobe backed off, wisely trying to keep
the A-bomb away from the battle, and Wyvern above smashed Mosquito against the warehouse’s roof.
“Oh, well for a second, | thought | might need to use my hands,” Ryan taunted Felix. “I guess my legs will be enough.”
“I''ll show you hands!” Atom Kitten all but leaped at his foe, but the courier simply dodged and tripped him. The young hero
crashed head-first into the ground, much to his fury and humiliation.
“It is useless to resist,” Ryan said, as he loomed threateningly over his former sidekick. Though he had no intention of harming
his friend, someone else thought otherwise.
All windows in the area, including the light truck’s, exploded at once.
ss shards flew at Ryan, and he felt a slight shiver down his spi—
Ryan stood with his hat against his chest.
The firefight briefly died out, as everyone tried to gather their thoughts.
Livia had activated her power, and skipped time forward. The Augusti princess stood near the truck, with a visible and bloodied
Shroud lying on the ground; the vehicle’s container looked slightly damaged too. Livia had punched the invisible vignte with
Fisty, causing him to hit the container and lose focus.
As for the others, the Doll patched Sarin’s wound, both of them hiding behind Frank. The colossus had finally caught Reload, and
seemed ready to crush his back against his knee. Atom Kitten was struggling to get Eugene-Henry off his face, the cat wing
angrily at his cheeks. Ryan had probably thrown his pet at the hero in the skipped time, but he couldn’t tell for sure.
Damn it, was that how it felt for others to fight Quicksave? That empty feeling of missing all the real action? No wonder the
courier’s foes hated him.
“Quicksave.”
Ryan raised his eyes, and witnessed Wyvern flying over his head. Dragon Mom had regained her human form, while Mosquito
was slowly deting back to his original size, embedded in the warehouse’s front wall.
“Surrender,” Wyvern warned, her face straining with fury, “I won’t hesitate to use lethal force.”
“You know what''s better than one A-bomb, Dragon Mom?”
Ryan plunged his hand into his bowler hat, and quickly brought out a tiny metal sphere before Wyvern could descend upon him.
“Another bomb!”
Wyvern froze in midair, even as all Private Security members within earshot aimed at Ryan. “Wardrobe, steal the b—”
“If you want me to juggle,” Ryan performed an illusion trick to swiftly bring a third bomb out of his jacket, making it look as if he
had duplicated the sphere. “I’ve got a third!”
Thank Mechron for his matter replicator! It made it incredibly easy to manufacture nuclear devices.
Almost too easy.
And as Ryan had guessed, while Wardrobe immediately changed back her costume to Arséne Lupin’s, she didn’t attempt to steal
both bombs from under his nose. Her power had limits. Still, one Private Security agent attempted to shoot the courier’s arm to
make him drop one of his nuclear devices.
Ryan simply froze time, and reappeared a few feet away. “Nah, nah, nah,” he said, his fingers brushing his weapons’ buttons.
“You try anything, | stop time, and we y Dr. Strangelove.”
Wyvern frowned, though she didn’t make a move. “You won''t dare.”
“| literally let my cat do it on live television.” Ryan pointed out, his thumbs brushing against the buttons. “Wanna bet?”
For a tense and agonizing minute, nobody dared to move. Well, with the exception of Eugéne-Henry, who finished wing Atom
Cat’s face to run back to his master. All eyes looked at Ryan, fearing he would follow through with his threat.
Wyvern''s jaw clenched so hard the courier thought she might destroy her own teeth, and moved her hand to her ear. The
Geniuses in Dynamis’ HQ probably confirmed the bombs as genuine through an earplug, and Dragon Mom didn’t dare to call out
Ryan’s bluff.
“As | thought,” Ryan said, smugly rubbing his victory into his foes’ face. “You see right here? That''s the difference between us.
One gets to be the goddamn USA, the other gets to be Afghanistan.”
“Mr. President, didn’t we sign treaties on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons?” Frank asked, still holding a helpless Reload
within his hands. The Violet Genome attempted to stab the iron giant with hisser de, but inflicted minor to no damage.
“Yes, but nobody respects them,” Ryan replied, before ncing at his men. “Ladies and gentlemen, pack your things, we''re
going home. Frank, get Mosquito.”
Frank immediately tossed Reload over his shoulder, his strength sending the poor Violet Genome flying above the warehouse,
and then helped the wounded Mosquito hop back on the ground.
“Uh...” Mosquitoined as Frank helped carry him, blood gushing from his wounds. The bugman had regained his original
size. “Damn, she hits hard... pain hurts so much...”
“You''re not going to get away with this,” Wyvern said, simmering with anger. While Wardrobe had turned into a nurse to help the
wounded, Atom Cat red at the Meta-Gang, w marks all over his face. The disguised Livia did her best to avoid looking at
him, perhaps out of shame.
“Au contraire, | think | will get away with it and the money,” Ryan said, as he opened the truck’s door for Livia. The Augusti
princess grabbed Eugéne-Henry and stepped inside the vehicle, imitated by Sarin. “Though hopefully, your boss won''t get away
with stuffing a bodysnatcher into an overpriced product.”
“You think | believe any of this?” Dragon Mom tried to sound confident, Ryan could sense the doubt creeping in her voice. “That |
can believe any of this?”
“Doll, darling,” Ryan asked Tea, as she helped the wounded Mosquito and Frank climb into the truck’s container. “Give our
dragon friend the proof.”
“The blood?” Tea opened a hiddenpartment inside her arm, much to everyone’s shock, and then tossed a small syringe at
Wyvern. “Over here!”
The superhero caught the container with one hand, frowning upon seeing a small quantity of blood inside. “What is this?”
“A few drops of the Underdiver’s blood.” Though Dynamis already took samples and a DNA-scan, Ryan doubted thepany
shared them with its shining hero. Wyvern wouldn''t have signed with the megacorporation if she knew about its dirty secret.
“Apply it to any Knockoff Elixir, and you''ll see the truth for yourself. | would suggest asking for Devilry’s help though. If that stuff
touches you, you''re dead.”
Wyvern said nothing, even as Ryan prepared to climb into the truckst. The courier sent onest nce at the wounded Shroud
on his way. “I’m surprised you decided to fight us,” he told the ss maniptor. “I mean, you went so far to hunt down all of
Bloodstream’s clones. | thought you would go after Dynamis first.”
“We... failed.”
The courier frowned behind his mask. “Mmm?”
“We didn’t... stop it...” Shroud rasped, struggling for breath. Livia’s blow probably damaged a lung. “We just... dyed...”
“Dyed what? Bloodstream’s return?” Ryan asked with a frown, but the ss maniptor was in no shape to answer. The
courier briefly wondered if they should bring the vignte back to the bunker for medical attention, but it would only encourage
Leo to attack them immediately. Dynamis would take care of him, if only because he tried to help them.
A few secondster, Ryan sat inside the truck as the Doll drove it away, ncing through the broken windows. Nobody dared to
stop them as they left Star Studios.
“So?” Ryan asked his troupe. “Who''s up for French?”
Livia let out a breath of relief, letting go of her stress. “That was amazing!” she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “I
couldn''t tell how the situation would turn out at any point! Is it always like this with you?”
“Unfortunately,” Sarin groaned, covering the bandaged gash in her hazmat suit.
“Sometimes, there’s fire,” Tea added.
“We should do it more often.” Livia rested her head against the seat, Eugéne-Henry sleeping on herp. Ryan could understand
her reaction. Much like him, she had forgotten how much she liked surprises. “Amazing.”
When they reached the security checkpoint to enter Rust Town, the Doll abruptly stopped the vehicle and let out a scream of
horror. “What’s happening?” Ryan instantly tensed and looked out the window, only to face a vision of horror.
The Private Security checkpoint had turned dead silent. Literally. Two dozen Dynamis guards had been hung over an open
archway leading into Rust Town, the ropes made of their own intestines. The number ‘885’ had been written with blood on the
floor beneath them in a macabre disy.
“Holy...” Livia put her hands on her helmet upon seeing this ghastly spectacle, reflexively trying to cover her mouth in horror.
Eugéne-Henry, meanwhile, nced at the bodies withzy disdain. “How could I... how could | not see...”
“You couldn''t see it,” Ryan said, as he fearfully realized who had perpetrated this terrible deed.
“It”
“The reason why this run is already doomed,” the courier replied, pointing his finger at the letters written on each corpse’s chest.
Together, they formed a single, ominous sentence.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Ryan looked into the rear-view mirror, and watched two pointed ears slowly rise behind him.