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, from what I

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

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

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it

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

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

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

could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms.

to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s

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

don’t say,”

that, events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to

a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live

always reacting the same way to the

would

suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain of

back to reality, interrupting the flow of

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

factory, the laying defeated on the ground.

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good

repeat until he met Vulcan.

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect

her tone turning from curious to confused.

what is it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan.

Pluto said. “But

...

her power

the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up with

your new recruit,

invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked

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

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with

The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said.

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words.

Ryan!” he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension.

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

wait, that wasn’t a threat. That

Ryan didn’t follow her order,

they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice.

out a breath of

Ryan replied, just

said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her

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

is she even here?” Lanka asked her team

to hit the Meta-Gang hard,” Jamie replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in

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

asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a

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

the 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

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

every time he made progress, a new problem

had 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

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