In Sorrentos, this cycle ends just like the previous one.

At least not this time there wasn't a horde of bloody mutants chasing Ryan, but it was painful for him to realize it. He knew that causality had a tendency to reaffirm itself, and although the Messenger would break this chain of destruction, he spent weeks, if not months, in New Rome. He befriended dozens of locals, both heroes and villains. Seeing the city blaze again, his heart filled with rage.

Since his first perfect run in Monaco, the messenger has never been so determined to save these people.

Only Sh

Oud, Felix and Su

shi

e is allowed to follow him to the rendezvous point: Rya

The same building that was reloaded after the catastrophic end of the last cycle. The group had no problem bypassing the defensive perimeter, which consisted of hundreds of turrets made by Vulcan.

Only Atomic Cat and See-Through wore full costumes; Leo Hagraves

g

aves) gasped as he walked in human form, while Ryan (Rya

He wore a chic suit granted by Mr. Bo.

"Have you forgotten how to walk?" Ryan asked Sunshine who lacked stamina. "I'm sorry, I've only hugged a girl in distress, or a lost kitten."

"How's the Atomic Hound going?" Felix asked. "What does this new name sound like?"

"To me, it sounds like Atom Puppy," Rya

replied. Felix sighed, realizing that this was an inevitable mockery.

Hargraves smiled, though not with any sense of joy. "The longer I use power, the less I want to be a man again," he confessed. "Sometimes I can't get back to normal for weeks, and I often forget that I can get back to normal."

"Your power affects your mental health?" Felix asked as they came to the gray, reinforced door. A camera watched them.

"In a way," Sunshine admitted. "Part of me wants to get out of humanity and be a radiant sun full-time. I didn't understand why, but meeting the alchemist dispelled my doubts. ”

"It's not a bug," Rya

Say. "It's a feature."

Sunshine has an extremely strong connection to his elixir, perhaps like the Messenger himself. They are all closer to this "ascension" than most. Ryan still doesn't fully understand what the process means, but the transition to a resident of the colored field is part of the package.

Hargraves may one day become a real sun and leave Earth to illuminate some dark corner of the universe. Ryan thinks it's a better option than burning their planet's atmosphere, or worse.

"Yes. So when my abilities are not needed, I try to keep them in a human state. If you spend all your time in the air, you lose touch with the people on the ground. Sunshine narrowed his eyebrows, and a thought flashed through his mind. I wonder if Augustus was in the same situation. Unlike me, he can't change back into human form. ”

"If half of the stories we learn about him are true, then he was a nasty guy from the beginning," Sh

OUD replied.

"I know." Hargraves said with a sigh. "But part of my heart hopes that if there were no outside factors, human nature would not be so cruel."

Rya

Remembering his first date with Livia and how he found the statue of Zeus in his kitchen. The courier blamed aging at the time, but in hindsight, Lightning Ass may have suffered from a similar syndrome like his nemesis. The urge to turn into an indestructible, inviolable metal statue of the power that lurks within him becomes more and more irresistible as he ages.

The door to the building quickly opened, and a humanoid golden retriever immediately grabbed Felix. The poor kitten gasped, the mean guy pinching it like fruit, while Ryan looked at her white suit with a judgmental gaze. Six out of ten, maybe seven.

"You idiot, you idiot, you idiot!" Fortuna had uttered so many flowery insults in such a short period of time that Ryan's brain automatically cut half of it. "You heartless little ......"

"Hey, sister—" Before Felix could finish speaking, Fortuna slapped him so hard that he broke his mask. "Hey!"

"You deserve it!" She replied, then picked him up again, tears in her eyes. "You idiot...... You almost died...... If you die, I'll ......"

The atomic cat was silent for a moment, then hugged his crying sister. "I'm sorry to worry you." He said he meant it.

Two other girls walked out of the building, one a teenage Spitfire and the other an elegant lady. "Felix!" Little Nasinia immediately joined the hugging group and was very happy to see her adoptive mother again. "Thank God you're alive!"

"I'm here, Naxi." Felix whispered. "I'm here."

Although Leo looked at Nasinia with a sad face, Ryan didn't pay much attention to her. He only cares about his own women.

Livia walked out the door, dressed in her favorite black coat and dark suit. The dress accentuated her pale skin and hair, as well as the flush around her eyes.

She cried, and Ryan realized. She longed for a new Rome.

No one said a word. They don't need to. The couple just hugged tightly and let their hands do the talking.

Meanwhile, the Veran siblings separate, and Fortuna finally notices her boyfriend's presence. "Horse".

"Lucky." He replied, taking off his glass helmet with his strength. "I'm glad you-"

Before he could finish speaking, she kissed him on the mouth. At first, Sh

Surprised, Oud stretched out his arms to hug his girlfriend and shyly hugged her back.

Leo, Livia, and Ryan laugh at the scene, while Fortuna's siblings act in pain. "Disgusting." Nacinia complained, and Felix looked strange.

"Don't' ew my future husband!" Fortuna interrupted the kiss and said.

"Husband?" Matthias asked in horror.

"You're going to marry me," his girlfriend replied, as if it were obvious. "I had some doubts about our relationship, but seeing that you saved my brother dispelled those doubts. We are destined to be together, and this time, I won't let you go. ”。

"Wow, you've skipped a lot of steps," Matthias replied, though he didn't protest as Ryan expected.

"But you've got a ring yet!" Fate protested. "You just have to make your suggestion!"

"I didn't ......" The cleaner's magnet stopped in place, examining his glass armor and noticing a gold ring accidentally stuck on his waist. He sighed loudly. "I see."

"There's no escape, Invisible Boy." Ryan warned him.

Mathias rolled his eyes, then kindly pushed his girlfriend back. "Let's do a good job, shall we?" He asked her. "Take your time and see if we can make it last a few years?"

"Oh, of course," she replied confidently. "I knew it would work."

Ryan smiled and glanced at his girlfriend. "You're under house arrest, ma'am?"

"Yes," Livia said as she broke the hug. "But I'm not without friends. Uncle Silvio sent all the guards away today. ”

"Neptune?" The Shroud asked, his girlfriend holding his left hand. "Why did he let us meet?"

"Because I told him that this was the only path to peace I could see," she replied with a sigh. "He was the only sensible person among my father's close collaborators."

"What happened when we weren't there?" The glass man asked.

Livia looked down at the ground, her hand reaching for Rya

hands. Her boyfriend took her fingers in his hand and she squeezed it.

"After you fled, your father concluded that you and Dimenes were allies, so ......" Princess Augustus looked in the direction of New Rome. Even at a distance of a few kilometers from the metropolis, one can still see smoke in the sky. So he decided to attack. I did everything I could to prevent the situation from escalating or delaying, but ......"

"Augustus has long made up his mind." His mother's prophecy said that lightning Butt would explode at some point, and the causal relationship was undeniable.

"Yes," Livia said sadly. "My father had always intended to attack Dinamus. When the Happiness Factory falls and Felix tries to take Narsinia, conflict becomes inevitable. Hector recalled Fallout, and then gave him the authority to command the corps, and now the war would sweep across Europe. ”

Ryan could almost feel the guilt in her voice. Ever since she helped her boyfriend destroy the Happiness Factory, she blames herself for the war that ensued. "It's not your fault, Livia," the courier comforted. "You've done your best."

"I didn't." She replied remorsefully, as Felix looked at her with a strange gaze. "I've had many years, Ryan. I had a few years to take drastic measures to prevent this catastrophe. I thought, I thought, if the outside world had changed, my father would not have launched such a sabotage. Because he was so good to me, I forgave him for being cruel to others. I turned a blind eye and I was wrong. It's him, Ryan. It's all his fault, and he'll never change. ”

Nasinia notices that the sun is staring at her, which makes her anxious. "I'm Leo Hargraves," the shiny paladin introduced himself, his voice kind and warm. "Some people call me Living Sun Leo."

"I know." Nasinia said a little scared. "My parents hate you."

The Shroud frowned, and Leo shook his head. "No, they don't." He said, his voice was heavy. "Your parents are my friends."

He rummaged through his clothes and pulled out an old photo to show Nacinia. Ryan glanced at the photo, which showed a couple and their children. The man, with the figure of a woodcutter, black hair and familiar blue eyes, but the woman ...... Brown hair, freckles on cheeks, smiling face......

Although Nasinia only inherited her father's eyes, the similarities between her and her mother are incredible.

"This is your father, Bruno Costa, and his wife, Julie. The nicest person I've ever met. And this child......" Leo put a finger on the child. "This kid is you, Julia."

Nasinia snapped the picture without saying a word, while her siblings watched. Felix could barely contain his anger, and Fortuna clearly didn't know what to say.

"You were born long before I met your parents, but I held you in my arms when you were only a few years old," Leo continued. "Your parents...... Your parents are heroes. Your father is yellow and can cut through anything, and your mother is green and has the ability to change lives. Together, they try to make the scorched planet green again, until Augustus kills them and takes you away. ”

"Nope." Nasinia refused. "Nope. That's impossible. My parents, my real parents, were predators. They deserve to die. ”

"He's telling the truth, Narcisnia." Livia said, looking at the picture with regret and remorse, as if she had done the terrible thing herself. "They are your real parents. Mars and Venus lied about everything. ”

"Impossible!" Nasinia protested, looking at her sister for support. "Fortuna, say something!"

"Naxi, Levi was never wrong, our parents...... Our parents tried to murder Felix because Godfather Janus asked them to do so. "The lucky girl clutches her boyfriend's arm while her brother looks away angrily." If they can do that, they can do anything. ”

"Augustus killed your parents," Leo continued, his tone tinged with pain. He ...... He killed them while I was away and took you away. After that, he asks Bacchus to break your mind and make you forget about your family, and he gives you over to Mars and Venus as they struggle to conceive their third child. ”

"Augustus also killed fifty people who lived on your mother's farm," Sh

Oud added in disgust. "He burned the crops she had planted with her powers, which could have helped to end the famine and clear the radioactive areas of the planet."

"Why?" Livia asked, and Nasinia covered her mouth with a hand in horror.

"Because your father is not an emperor, but a mad warlord. He doesn't believe in the future, only in power. This one. The Shroud pointed to the clouds of smoke in the sky. This is his ideal world. Fire and ash. ”

"I know," Livia replied, her tone cold. "I know."

Leo Hargraves and Princess Augustus are eye-to-eye, and the sympathetic Sun understands what makes her uncomfortable.

"What happened to the Juno was a mistake," Leo Hargraves said. "I will not apologize for this, because nothing can forgive an innocent person for dying. The end does not justify the means used. In this regard, you are right to look down on me. ”

"I don't have the strength to forgive you for killing my mother, Mr. Hargraves, even if it was an accident." Livia said with a long breath. "But I had to stop my father. What he has done today is horrific and indefensible...... Even though deep down I wanted to. I'm not going to make excuses for him. No longer...... You're right, killing innocents is unforgivable, my father killed many more people than you. ”

"So you're going to help us take him down?" The Shroud asked, and Livia nodded firmly.

"I promise you that once your father is stopped and his organization is dismantled, I will accept any trial you deem fit for your mother's death," Hargraves promised Princess Augustus.

"If we can stop him." Sh

Oud replied, then glanced at Ryan.

"Leave this to me," the courier replied. "Jupiter won the first round, but Saturn is back."

Livia didn't answer, which made Nasinia look up at Hargraves. "Tell me more. About my ......" the little girl coughed. "About my parents."

"I will," Sunshine agreed. He waited for many years.

Leo Hargraves begins to tell Nasinia the story of how he met her biological parents, while Matthias pulls Fortuna aside and holds her hand. Ryan guesses that his translucent friend needs to be honest about how he sees their relationship.

Only Felix remained, and he and his ex-girlfriend exchanged glances awkwardly.

"Felix," Livia replied, half-coldly, half-embarrassed.

"I'm sorry to dump you," he said bluntly without giving it much thought. "Well, no, not exactly. Let me say it again. ”

Damn, he made Len look like a man of the tongue.

"I still think it was the right decision to quit Augustus, and I stand by it," Atomcat continued. "But I could have been less harsh. I know you're under a lot of pressure and want to solve problems with the organization, when I saw the fire in New Rome...... I realize you're trying to stop this catastrophe. ”

"No, Felix." Livia shook her head, her voice choked. "You are right to leave this decaying empire. I know how you feel about me. I understand why there will never be results between us. Our parents force us to do things that we are not ready for. ”

"But it's not right to condemn you because you're in an impossible situation. If you go, Augustus will lose his shackles. I can blame Jamie and Ki for not seeing it, but I know you're trying to stop your father from within. Felix scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. It's all about saying...... I hope we can continue to be friends, even when all this happens. ”

"We can," Livia replied with a smile. "But now is not the time to talk about rebuilding the old good."

"No, of course not." Felix gave Ryan an awkward look. "I'm sorry, save up, I know this discussion must be awkward because you two are dating ...... right now"

"Hey, jealousy is a business for people who don't trust their partners," Ryan replied, which made Livia blush for a moment. "It's okay, Katie."

Felix looked away nervously, then straightened up. "Good luck".

Kitten Atom leaves the couple in a hurry to find Leo and Na

ci

ia, and Matt and Fo

tu

A talks a few feet away. Ryan is glad Felix struggled to reconnect with the people he left; The courier still thinks the kitten has the right to leave the toxic home environment, but he has thrown the good and the bad aside.

"You know what," Ryan whispered to his girlfriend, "I never thought you and Sunshine would get together when we first met. ”

"I don't like him," she said, leading him into the building. "But I trust you."

He followed her down the hallway into a private bedroom with uncomfortably yellow walls and a painting hanging across the bed. Although it wasn't done, Ryan recognized his torso and held Livia in his arms like a bride. His girlfriend must have started a few days before the courier returned from Antarctica.

"I miss you, Ryan," Livia said, closing the door behind them. "I'm sad without you."

"I told you," he replied enthusiastically. "I'll always come back."

"How's your winter vacation going?"

"Princess, didn't you receive my letter?"

"I said it, but I want to hear it from your sweet lips."

"It was a nice trip," he replied as he stroked her hair. "I destroyed the Illuminati, the Reptiles, and raided Area 51"

"You destroyed the secret master of our government, but you didn't take me with you?" She pouted. "But I guess you left the CIA to us."

“Dy

Does the AMIS military-industrial complex count?" He pressed his forehead against hers until he could smell her warmth. "You want to tell me something when I get back."

She blushed and avoided his gaze. "It's going to sound old-fashioned."

"Can't you subvert my expectations?" Ryan asked, causing Rivia to chuckle. "No, I'm kidding. There are no bad clichés, just bad execution. The key is to say it with your heart. ”

Livia walked up to him, put her arms around his neck, and made eye contact with her boyfriend. Ryan hugged her waist and studied her expression. Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lower lip in an attempt to muster up the courage to speak. Finally, Princess Augustus took a deep breath and said four words.

"I love you, Ryan."

Her boyfriend didn't know how to answer.

"Oh my God, you're speechless," Livia said with a shy smile. "Didn't you expect that?"

"No, I didn't." Ryan admitted, his heart pausing for a moment. He...... He hadn't heard those words in a long time. "I thought of the worst-case scenario, like 'I don't like your car,' or 'I'm pregnant.'" We have not taken any precautions in this regard. ”

"Ryan, I've been taking birth control pills since our first date"

"Wait, you know we're going to end up playing Bill and Monica in the president's office?"

"I ......" his princess looks cute when she is embarrassed. I don't know, but I ...... I wanted to be together from the beginning. ”

"Have you never said 'I love you' to someone?"

"I said 'I love you, Daddy,' 'I love you, Mom,' 'I love you, Felix,'...... But never said "I love you, Ryan". Livia's cheeks turned even redder, and her expression changed to an embarrassed smile. I'm sorry, it sounds so much better in my heart—"

Before she could finish speaking, her boyfriend kissed her on the mouth. Ryan hugged her crazily, making up for the weeks they were apart, and she was in line with his own wishes. When their lips finally parted, the messenger whispered his own words in her ear.

"I love you too, princess."

Ryan was mesmerized by her blue eyes. He liked to look at her hair, which was white and golden, as if it were silver; He loved the taste of her lips, her sweet voice, her kindness, and her lovely expression; He loved that she was amused by his jokes, which made him feel like a cultural island in an ocean of ignorance.

"Perfect delivery," Livia said, her fingers moving across his hair. "Maybe we should watch it again?"

They did so, and then took a third shot just in case. He then carried her to the bed and filmed the uncensored director's cut.

"I know we haven't been seeing each other for long, but ......" Livia's hand dragged his shoulder. It's been a long time since I've felt this way about a boy. ”

"I loved too," Ryan replied, holding her tenderly. "But this is the first time I've felt like this feeling is going to last."

"I hope we can last a long time," she said, kissing him on the neck. "I hope that we will go through the next cycle and prevent terrible tragedies from happening. I would like to stay in an apartment with you and make breakfast together. I want to go skiing with you and I want to go to the beach too. I want to be with you. ”

"I miss you," he replied. In a blissful moment, Ryan completely forgets about Fiesta, Blood, Dy

AMIS, Augustus and everything else.

All he could think about was her.

Like all good things, it all ends too fast.

"We've got to go," Livia said, putting on her black coat. "They're going to want to know what we're doing."

"We'll tell them it's a private projection," Ryan said with a shrug before charmingly brushing her hair. "I think we're ready for a grand opening."

"You said you could take six people with you now?" Livia giggled. "One of each color?" Should we call ourselves Rainbow Warriors?"

"Colorful Eight?" Ryan said.

"You're terrible at math, aren't you?"

"It's a cunning strategy. So that our enemies will always be suspicious of who the missing members are. This can cause fear. As far as they know, our eighth genome could be Mecklen. ”

After getting dressed, Livia sat on his lap while he lay on the bed to rest. "So?" His girlfriend asked. "Who will be the winning team?"

"I'm open to advice. Maybe Na

ci

We have one less child who follows the crowd. ”

"My plan is to make a mind map for her now, but not to divert her mind," Livia said. "If Felix and I ask her, she'll willingly accept the next cycle of memory uploads."

"Livia, we can't leave a priest, drugs, and a teenager on an unsupervised island," Rya

Just kidding. "This is the secret sauce of FBI raids and true crime videos. And that's not even mentioning the people in the basement......"

"In order to save Bliss's test subjects, we must attack the factory in advance with Nasinia and Bacchus inside. I could tell Nasinia about the Chamber of Secrets, and she would provide medical assistance to the victims, but Bacchus would respond by grounding her. We must use force to get her out of the island. ”

Ryan thinks that's a plus. He had vowed to bury Bacchus under his facility and intended to make good on his promise.

"So, here's the timeline so far." The Messenger managed to get everything in order. "As soon as I reload the game, I'll give it to B

ai

Dead calls so he can get to New Rome as soon as possible. I think ghouls are grave robbers, and I'm done delivering my goods—"

"Is this part necessary?" Livia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No matter how many times you try, Quicksave always delivers!" Ryan is proud of the reform of the postal service, one blast at a time.

"Do you have an offer for 24-hour delivery?" Livia asked with a sly smirk. "I can accept your invitation."

"I have one," he said, putting his hand on her chin, "but only for the right people." ”

She burst out laughing, the most wonderful voice Ryan had ever heard in his long life. "All right, Ryan," his princess said with a smile. "So then we meet the man you can send back in the bunker, and we give the ogre Adam a one-sided beating."

"I like you to speak my language."

Livia added, "Because we attacked Meta-Ga within a few hours of your reload

g, so we should be able to save every Rust Tow they capture

Inhabitant. ”

"I'm still hesitant about what to do with the future, though," Ryan admits. "We should hit the Happiness Factory first, and then Dy

Amis?"

"I recommend attending one organization at a time," Livia said. "If neither the Superpowers nor Felix had made waves, my family would have been more or less dormant until the Olympics. So I suggest we take the bunker, make that beautiful suit of your armor, and cure the mentally ill—"

"Break Dy

AMIS's monopoly?"

Livia nodded. "If the true nature of their counterfeits is exposed and the supply is destroyed, this organization collapses. We can make sure that both Hector Manada and Radiant are ousted from power and that Enrique is put in charge of reforming what's left. Alphonse Manada will fight to the end, and there is the question of your adoptive father. ”

"In the end, Ryan will choose what we do with the blood," Ryan replied. "For everyone's good, I want her father to die, but that's what I owe her. A choice. ”

Livia nodded. "There is another reason to target Dinas in the first place. Their gravity guns. ”

"Their anti-Zeus weapons?" Ryan suspects that it uses the same technology as the Mekron variant. "You said it didn't work in your vision."

"This pair Dy

amis doesn't work, but you have a way to turn my hallucinations into lies," Livia replied. "Dinas is out...... We can focus on my family. "We need to act quickly because the collapse of Dinas will make Dad even bolder. We must strike before he mobilizes his organization to occupy the city, and for this we need to decapitate its leadership. ”

They must first take down the god Olympus and then bring down the mob Zeus.

"Are you sure you want to be part of the demolition?" Ryan asked. "You can leave this mess to me."

Livia looked at him silently, her eyes full of concern.

"What's bothering you?" The messenger asked.

"What if he kills you?" His girlfriend asked with concern. "What if my father kills you?" Or Aunt Pluto, or Sykes? Or Adam and Fallout?"

"They won't." Deep down, though, Ryan remembers that all of his encounters with Augustus ended in a beating. The Courier has also not defeated Fallout in battle.

"Yes," she replied unconvinced. "If you die without sending my mind back, I probably won't trust my notes and submit to memory transfer."

Ryan tried not to think about that possibility. "If I'm dead, if I'm reloaded, I'll come to you, we'll find a way."

"How?"

"I don't know," her boyfriend admitted, "but I'll find a way." "No plan is guaranteed to work, I ......"

"What did you say?" Livia asked, frowning.

"I've watched you die before," Ryan replied, remembering the time Big Fat Adam blew up the Happiness Factory with Ryan and Livia. "I saw almost everyone out there dying at least once. I can't let that happen anymore. Even if it's for the sake of memories. ”

"That's why I can't leave you alone against my family, Ryan. The risk of us losing everything is too great. Livia held her breath, trying to process her feelings. I can't make any more excuses. After witnessing this senseless massacre. I love my father, my aunt, but there are so few of them, they will kill a lot of people. I can't turn a blind eye to this fact, even if it hurts. ”

Ryan didn't say a word, but put his arms around his girlfriend's hips and hugged her. Livia rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed.

"Thank you for always being there for me, Ryan," she whispered. "I ...... You can't imagine how good it feels. No matter how tough the situation is, there is someone to support you. ”

"I will repay your affection too," he replied, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me with this, mate."

She looked at him and smiled.

Ryan prays that he will see that face again for many years to come.

"So," Livia said. "Knowing this plan, who will you take with you?"

"Obviously you and Ryan," Ryan replied. "Bianca, because it makes it easier to hunt down ogres. Atomic cat, because he's going to do something stupid, the Shroud, because I need a new windshield. ”

"This leaves a void," Livia said. "I can bring reinforcements to Fortuna, even if her thoughts aren't transmitted back in time, so we need to choose the right allies."

"Wardrobe." Ryan said right away.

Livia looks a little jealous, which makes him amused. "Seriously, Ryan."

"Panda".

"Are you sure?"

"Sure." After all that has been achieved, Rya

Pa

dawa

Should have a place on the team. Also, he can help hit the bunker early, unlike Leo Hargraves or even Mr. Bo. "Despite ......"

"Although?"

"I usually 'go for a ride' before I finish work," Rya

Say. "Go and try all the things I couldn't do after the 'perfect run'. Like, you know, tricking your dad and sending Luigi into space...... We can do it together. ”

Livia shook her head. "No, Ryan. It's great that you can make such a suggestion, but no. ”

"Are you sure? It's going to be amazing. ”

"I know, Ryan, but you're going to die every time you reload. Even if we find a way to make memory transfer painless, each new cycle increases your chances of dying early, and we have to start over. She took his hand. I care more about our relationship than having fun. ”

So did he.

"Still ......," Livia giggled. Or you can save everyone's memories as soon as we send them back in time. This way, everyone will keep their memories, even if you die, reload. ”

Ryan frowned, thinking about the thought for a moment. "The question is, if I save and miss something-"

"You can save the bullet in ten seconds of reloading." Livia interrupted him with a soft chuckle. "What difference does ten seconds make?"

Better. Ryan doesn't usually do that, but ...... He's open to new experiences, and it doesn't cost anything.

It's time to start his perfect run.