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?”

psychopath with a hockey mask and stick,

hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t

home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy

“Why Luigi? Was it

Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe

passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At

homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had to happen one

Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where he

to find the hockey equipment

should crash at my place for the night, just in case.

say,”

played poker, went to

a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same events over and over again. It

lived through an endless theater rehearsal. People held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan the only human in

would drive anyone

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

to

consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when his power noticed an alteration in his personal

his phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s orphanage, intact, and

Psyshock taken care

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises, good

talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan.

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat

“Have we met before?”

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

her tone turning from curious to confused.

asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified her

“But

...

shit! Did her power somehow

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up

your new recruit,

to joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered

observed Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier

have noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed

looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd,

she asked Ryan,

Ryan!” he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the

coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back

wait, that wasn’t

order, he would die. The

until they were out of sight.

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth,

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

said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’

lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her

even here?” Lanka asked her team

Jamie replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned

a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house…

just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there

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

would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify him

he made progress, a new problem

to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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