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?”

mask and stick, from what I

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

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

almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe

according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from what

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

crossed his arms. “But then how did they

hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody

right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place

don’t say,” Ryan

predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went

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 over and over again. It was no different than daydreaming while

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, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan

would drive anyone

and soon, it would finally end.

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting

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

laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such

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 said the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

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

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

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

marked,” Pluto said. “But

...

power somehow

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

your new

putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when

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

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female

and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense.

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words. “Your real

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

to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and you

she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a threat. That was a

Ryan didn’t follow her order,

and his group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth,

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer

Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest is not a good

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

she even here?” Lanka

will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in

“To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t

that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey

paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for them to outsource their dirty

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

Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how

he made progress, a

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

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

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