Sometimes, Ryan wonders if fate exists.

He saw it go around in many circles. Although they are not exactly repeated, events often echo each other even after his intervention. Although the circumstances are very different, the ending of this cycle is similar to the previous one; As New Rome burns, Ryan is trapped in a suit of mechanical armor, a genius trying to shift her consciousness through time.

It makes sense. Ryan was just a rock that a man threw into the river at the end of the day; Until he has mastered a cycle that is sufficiently circular to maximize his influence and derails it, the sequence of events tries to re-establish itself. The Messenger is actually fighting against the entire universe and the laws of cause and effect.

However, even though Ryan paid a big price, he eventually emerged victorious. He never gave up hope that things would be different, because each cycle was a little better than the last. His life is a process, and each iteration optimizes the final run.

If the Courier succeeds in transporting more people, he can do more than just throw pebbles into the river. He can derail it by a landslide.

"I need you to activate your powers when I ask for it," Ryan said, putting the modified armor helmet on Ryan's face and the courier hanging from her machine. "From what I've gathered, the purple flux should be coming together, in ...... Reach critical mass before you approach the ten-second mark. ”

"Great, I'd rather avoid creating new savepoints." Ryan looked through the lens of the helmet, but no data showed it. Unlike Justina's armor, Ryan's design is rougher and more experimental. It will serve as the fulcrum of his power, but her computer will run the actual calculations. "So, what should be done?"

"I'll send me a memory map...... My former self. Ryan sat behind her computer. My memories of the present should overwrite the memories of the past. Wish. Maybe. ”

"It's going to work," Ryan said, both for her and for himself. "It's a must. Everything is ready to go. ”

"We can't be sure ......," Len shook his head. I...... I hope to succeed, Reli. But I can't guarantee anything. ”

The door to the workshop opened, interrupting the discussion. A bandaged Felix walked into the room, his gaze shifting from Ryan to Ryan. The courier could see the suspicion in his eyes, followed by quiet acceptance.

He stood behind the door for a moment.

"How long have you been listening...... How long has it been?" Lun asked worriedly, frowning.

"Long enough." Felix replied as he sat down on the workbench in front of Ryan. "The armor is good, but I prefer a cashmere suit."

Ryan joked, "Someday, I'm going to make a cashmere power armor."

"I guess you have all the time you need in the world when you can turn it around?" Felix made a brief pause, his eyes focused on his former teammates. "Time travel. It's crazy, but it explains a lot of things. How long have you been in this business? How far can you go?"

"Honestly, I don't know how old I am," Ryan admitted, before recalling one of his early encounters with Pluto. "Between five hundred and one thousand, whatever you want. As for how far I can turn the time, just before I reach New Rome. ”

"You've been doing this for almost a thousand years." Felix shook his head in disbelief. "It's crazy."

"Did Livia tell you?" Len asked with a frown.

"No, but I'm starting to get suspicious. When you rule out the impossible, what remains must be the truth, no matter how impossible. Felix shook his head. I've been in the closet for too long. ”

"You're reconciled with Livia?" Ryan asked. It's one of the hopes he's set for himself in his loop, and that could carry over to his perfect run.

"I'm not going to go very far, but...... I think she understands why I'm leaving now. Although she went through a war, her trust in her father was finally shaken. It's still too little, too late. Felix clenched his fists. Can you save my sister?"

"Yes," Ryan said. "I do."

"Thank you." The hero breathed a sigh of relief, but his face was still full of worry. "Can't you bring me in too?" You need help. ”

"No, I'm sorry," Ryan said. This machine can only carry one brain map. "Trust me, if I could, I would."

"We ......," Len cleared his throat. We weren't even sure if I could do it. ”

By all accounts, Felix accepted it well. Or more likely, everything he's been through lately has numbed his emotional reactions. "I see. As soon as you go back, we'll all die?"

"You'll forget," Ryan said comfortingly. "It's like amnesia."

"Amnesia... I guess that's a way of looking at things. Kitten Atom squinted at Ryan. "Have you me before?"

"No," Ryan replied, much to his kitten's disbelief. That's what worries him the most?" Before I could run perfectly, I had a whole bunch of 'play, get married, kill' things to get done. Marry Jamie, marry Yuki, the vampire, kill the psychopath......"

Len rolled his eyes, and the atomic cat hugged his arms. "I don't know why I'm not surprised at all," he said, and fell silent. Obviously, he has a lot to deal with.

"Kitten?"

"I don't understand how much she loves me," Felix said, looking at the floor. "Fate. I thought she would choose our parents over me, but I was wrong. I misread her, and I missaw Livia. There is hope for them. I've never been grateful to my sister, Ryan. I understand now. My birth parents signed my death warrant, but Fortuna, she chose me over them, and when she was cornered, she did the right thing. ”

Ryan and Ryan didn't say anything. Both understand that the hero speaks from the heart, and he needs to tell the truth in his heart.

"When you turn back the clock, Ryan, I'll forget. I'm going to be angry and hateful about her, and I'll do it again. Her death was meaningless. ”

"No, because I'll remember." Ryan comforts Felix. His evaluation of Lucky Girl was not the best, but after seeing her sacrifice, his rating improved considerably. Either way, she's going to get through his perfect race.

"Can you do me a favor, Brother Kuai?" Make sure I ......" Atomic Cat held his breath. "When you're done, make sure I understand this, and don't let her die. I...... If you don't interfere, I don't think I'll ever be reconciled with Fortuna. ”

"Don't worry, I'll have a solution." Most likely, he will kidnap both of them and take them to family therapy. Even if he had to turn one of them into a pickle.

"Thank you." Felix had a sincere smile on his face. "I'm a pleasure working with you, Ryan. You're a good friend. ”

"Damn it, dwarf, you should start this process before I die of diabetes." As his genius friend typed on the keyboard, Ryan looked away from Felix. "We never found time to do a training montage with the pandas."

"Yes, I'll take this regret to the grave," Felix said thoughtfully. "It's going to be fun."

A terrible siren echoed through the underwater base, interrupting the moment of joy.

Ryan turned his head to look at Ryan, the heavy helmet slowly moving with his skull. A picture of the abyss outside appeared on her computer screen, next to the shape of a giant submarine. From Le

Projectors at the base project light onto the hull and paint the logo on its steel hull.

Dynamics.

When someone tries to make contact, the computer beeps. Lunn replied cautiously with a frown, and a new video feed appeared on the screen. A terrifying, glittering skull looks at the genome in the workshop.

"So you survived, Atom Cat." There was no hint of relief in Alphonse Manada's voice, only a hint of curiosity. "I'm still wondering where you've gone."

"The consequences?" Felix said as he climbed down from his workbench and approached Ryan's computer. "What does that mean?" Aren't you in New Rome?"

"Yes, but we're moving our headquarters and labs out of the city. Augustus destroyed our former facilities. ”Dy

Amis' CEO glanced at Ryan. "We'll pick up Miss Sabino along the way."

Ryan raised his mane in fear, much to Ryan's frustration. "What about you, Nagasaki?" He mocked the nuclear-bio-chemical man.

"Is that you in the armor, help?" Radiant replied mockingly. "Great, you're coming too. I'll give you ten minutes to get out of this hole and come up to our submarine. We're pressed for time, and Vulcan may soon be chasing us. ”

"No," Len protested, shaking his head.

"We politely decline your request," Ryan said. "Don't force us to erect a new Berlin Wall."

"I don't think you understand." Alphonse stared at Len, his piercing gaze emotionless. "We need her, dead or alive. If you don't surrender now, we'll flood the entire base and extract the genetic material from the corpses. ”

The dwarf's face turned bloodless. "There's kids in there!"

"We're here to help you fight the superpowers," Ryan noted, deciding to add the man to his kill list. "Your perception of a long-term relationship is odd."

"Quicksave, I am aware of your deal with Livia Augusti. You betrayed us first. Alphonse grunted, ignoring Ryan's comments. Never mind. If you want to save lives, join us. ”

Felix made no secret of his anger and disappointment. "I thought you were a good person."

"Me. As long as I lived, Augustus would not have been a representative of Europe. All I did was make sure he and his gang of perverts didn't win. ”

"Are you any different?" Felix yelled angrily. "You heard Hargraves. Augustus murdered the entire peaceful community to take control of my sister Narsinia. And now, you are threatening the lives of your children to put a genius under your shackles. ”

"The difference is that I am doing this to save human lives, not to destroy them. Can you imagine how many people Augustus killed? Now that he's letting go of the brakes, how many more people will he kill?" Alphonse turned to look at Len. "The sooner we end this war, the fewer deaths will be. If she comes with us, we'll be one step closer to victory. ”

"Why me?" Lunn asked, her voice choked up. "I ...... What have I done to you?" Is it about the factory?"

"What's the point of telling you now?" Alphonse replied gruffly, but he did reveal some of his motives. "Sabino, you are the key to refining our elixir. These potions are produced in large quantities so that they are no longer an instrument of oppression by a few. ”

"You want everyone to be genomic," Ryan realized.

"Yes. Augustus and warlords like him were able to exert so much influence because they concentrated their genomes in their tissues. But if everyone has power, then no one has power. Don't you understand? The only way to break the dictatorship of these superpowers is to democratize the elixir. And Sabino is the key to making that dream come true. ”

He's a celebrity in many ways. A sad thing; If he didn't want to slice her open, Radiant and Shorty might get along just fine.

"Because you have blood in your lab?" Ryan asked, who was annoyed by his bluntness.

Fallout ignores them and even refuses to inform them for the next cycle. "I'm tired of this nonsense. What will it be? Is it dead or alive?"

Ryan looked at Ryan, and her answer was not far in coming.

"It's better to die than to die," the genius said, abruptly cutting off communications.

Alphonse immediately responded to this provocation with bombardment, and when the shells hit the habitat, the entire undersea complex shook. "Now, Rihanna!" Lunn commanded, and she started her own program.

Ryan immediately froze time, and purple Flux particles floated out of his spacesuit. As their numbers grew, the courier took a moment to observe the scene around him one last time. Thanks to Dy

Amis's torpedo, the water broke through the ceiling; Le

, looking at her screen with fear and hope; And Felix, who calmly and solemnly awaited the end.

This wasn't the end Ryan had hoped for, and he swore it wouldn't happen again.

The purple particles devoured the world around him, and the cycle ended.

It was May 8, 2020, in New Rome. Not for the first time, not for the last.

At least he could feel his legs again.

Instead of driving directly into town, Ryan parked his car nearby and waited. The music comes from the space-time radio, not from the information of the erased timeline. Just like Oglen Henry, any force that had affected the device in the previous cycle ceased to work.

Now it's all up to Ryan.

The Messenger did not say a word, nor did he move. Fear gripped his body, and he desperately waited for Lenn's instructions. Any sign that she's coming through. Any indication that Jasmin's loss and subsequent sacrifice made sense.

Ryan had never believed in any God, but at this moment, he wanted to pray very badly.

The music on the radio suddenly stopped, and her voice came out.

"Rihanna."

Ryan's heart stopped beating, and a strong sense of relief came over him. "Shorty? He asked, fingers fiddling with the steering wheel. "You...... Do you remember?"

Then there was a brief silence, and then a moment of truth. These are two words that Ryan has hoped to hear one day since he first gained power.

"I did."

It works.

It works.

It works!

After so many trials, so many wrong starts, so much loneliness and pain, Ryan's patience finally paid off. He spent countless laps studying his powers, accumulating the necessary knowledge; There are many more people who are collecting the tools they need to complete the task. This quest required the contributions of Lunn, Jasmine, and many others, but it finally reached its final stages.

This time it's different.

Everything has changed and will never be the same again.

Nowhere can you find a word in any human language to describe Ryan's joy. A century of curse has finally been broken, and until eternity, he will no longer be alone.

"Lili." Ryan coughed, and he could feel something was wrong with her tone. "You have to go to the orphanage. Right now. ”

"Now?" Ryan blinked, his relief overwhelmed by worry. "But ghouls will kill—"

"You have to come quickly." Ryan interrupted him, and her cough intensified. "Time is running out. Surgery... There's a problem, I feel... I didn't feel right. Leave the ghouls alone, I need your help now. Otherwise everything will go down the drain. ”

"What do you mean, dwarf?" Silent. She cut off contact. "Shorty!"

Ryan slammed on the gas pedal and immediately drove to Rust Town. Although the courier was annoyed by the thought of letting the ghouls go free, he closed his conscience, if not permanently. Len needs him. Ask for help.

She remembered.

"It worked," Ryan muttered to himself as he drove north. He couldn't believe it. "This works."

Le

The idea worked! Maybe it comes with health costs or side effects, but it does work! Overjoyed and hopeful, he threw money into a private security company to let him cross the border with Rust.

It doesn't matter if there are side effects of consciousness transfer; The fact that it works means that it can be perfected. The future is bright and hopeful.

Ryan's phone rang because he saw the orphanage. His phone didn't recognize the number, but the courier did.

Livia.

She kept her promise, but Ryan hadn't answered. Ryan was alone waiting for him at the door of the orphanage. She was wearing a jumpsuit, holding a water gun, her eyes were gloomy, and her face was pale.

Even more worrying, blood was dripping from her nose.

"Shorty!" Ryan quickly stopped his Plymouth Fury, got out of the car, and immediately rushed to his friend's side. "Shorty, are you alright?"

His best friend looked at him without saying a word, apparently sick. Did the transplant damage her brain?

"I'm here, little man," Ryan said, approaching her. "It's going to be fine, I think-"

She shot him.

If it was someone else, he would have dodged. If it weren't for Lunn, the courier would freeze time and dodge. But his mind ...... His mind couldn't imagine the dwarf raising his weapon to shoot at him and then pulling the trigger. Ryan stayed where he was for a second, and then did so.

Before he knew what was happening, a balloon of water formed around the messenger and immediately absorbed him. Tremendous pressure restrained his body, and fluid seeped into his mask.

Why? When his friend observed him from the other side of the water prison, Ryan held his breath, completely shocked. When he looked into her cold, soulless eyes, he realized that something was seriously wrong.

Ryan has returned from time travel.

But someone hitchhiked.