The Perfect Run

Chapter 21

All was well so far on the Augusti Path.

Ryan had met Zanbato as expected, beat up Sarin at the harbor, and now repeated the exact same conversation which would lead him to crash at Jamie’s house. All was well and good, to the sound of crashing waves against the piers...

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked the courier. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“Well, I’m not really on anyone’s side,” Ryan replied, but then his mouth acted on its own, “But I’m a Carnival infiltrator, yes.”

… or not.

Everyone present turned to look at him, a tense silence settling in. The grunts raised their weapons, while Zanbato’s face turned from shocked, to disappointed, and finally, to furious.

“Uh oh.”

Okay, two lessons learned.

One, Ryan hated truth-tellers. Hated them, with a passion.

Two, Zanbato could make sashimi out of people with his laser sword. Ryan wouldn’t look at sushi the same way ever again.

But this time… this time, it would be different. The courier had rehearsed the perfect misleading answers. Luigi's power compelled Ryan to say the truth, but only according to the teller’s exact words.

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked him again. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“I can’t snitch on a group I haven’t officially joined yet, and I am not a double agent.” Technically, he was a triple one.

“Are you a mole?”

“Of course I’m not a mole, I’m human.”

There! Saved! He did it, he did it!

“Okay, I should work on my wording,” Luigi sighed but didn’t give up. “Are you, or do you intend, to relay information about us to another organization?”

“Well, yes, I intend to. Hell, I already did!”

Goddammit!

Okay.

Okay, third time's the charm.

Through timing and intelligence, Ryan had skillfully navigated through the chain of causality to avoid the fated question. He had put on the charm, befriended everyone, distracted the grunts with funny anecdotes. Now, the courier and Zanbato prepared to return to the Plymouth Fury, and go eat some delicious pizzas.

“Hey, Quicksave,” Luigi asked, as they took a few steps towards the car. “Before you go, there are a few questions I must ask every new recruit.”

“Luigi, seriously, please, don’t do it,” Ryan replied, his eyes pleading. “For your sake, don’t say this. It won’t end well, I swear it won’t—”

“Sorry, protocol. Are you a snitch?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Yes, I am! Is that what you want me to say, Luigi? Is that what you want me to say?”

Quicksave breathed deeply, fighting off his rising frustration.

“Luigi,” Ryan pointed a finger at the truth-teller, as everyone raised their weapons at the courier's face. “We’re going to have a problem, you and I.”

“Where’s Luigi?” Zanbato asked Grunt 1 when the truth-teller failed to show up at the harbor, leaving only the henchmen to deal with the operation. “Wasn’t he supposed to take care of the shipment?”

“Sorry, he was attacked yesterday night,” Gruntie said, carrying Luigi’s cell phone. Apparently, he would have to fill in for the Made Man. “He’s at the hospital right now, and he’ll be out of commission for a while.”

“What?” The news shocked Jamie, who clearly hadn’t been informed. “By whom?”

a hockey mask and

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the

then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a

to witnesses,” Gruntie said.

a lot, a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a

it could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they

to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that sport

asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place

don’t say,” Ryan

events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan saved

auto-pilot wasn’t really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to

after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the

repetition would

to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right

snapped him back to

looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when his power noticed an

already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a

Psyshock taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises,

bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

as he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

of it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who are

it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to

Pluto said. “But

...

power somehow mark

the

is your new recruit,

to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in the courier’s place. “He’s a Violet.

observed Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air thickened, something weighing on

memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe

eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing

he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal, but don’t tell

places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run,

way she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t

didn’t follow her order, he would die.

leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first,

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck did you

I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

Pluto, Augustus’ sister and

without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can

even here?” Lanka

of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test

Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel safe at home

sure that it’s the Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have been a lot

replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make

discussion, trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to

his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify

every time he made progress,

to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to force him into one fetch quest

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