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?”

crazy psychopath with a hockey mask and stick,

sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I

Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw

almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it

really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At

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

Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they

hockey equipment

crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city isn’t safe at

say,” Ryan

happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s

had long entered auto-pilot, as he let his sense of timing guide him forward. The auto-pilot wasn’t really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same events

of causality. With a few exceptions, he constantly 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,

repetition would

soon, it would finally

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality,

when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and

had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground.

care

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good or

Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect that answer.

sure of it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning

her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The

“But I

...

shit! Did her power

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

is your

shoulder. You speak to her when talked to,

into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air thickened,

have noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each

Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man

Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words. “Your

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

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

way she threatened him… No, wait, that

didn’t follow her order,

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

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

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just

Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest

you follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her

here?” Lanka asked her

of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven hit squad.

what they did to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if

though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there

they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense

his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided

could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he

he made progress,

only had to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer

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

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