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

Ryan said absentmindedly, looking

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 with a hockey stick, beats him

almost chortled. “Why

money,” Grunt 1

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

real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it

crossed his arms. “But then

Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s

“I think you should crash at my place for the

don’t say,” Ryan

him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan

mind entered when he couldn’t be

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

repetition would

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

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

a second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when his power noticed an alteration in his

factory, the laying defeated on

Psyshock taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t

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

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

marked,” Pluto said. “But I don’t remember

...

power somehow mark him across

joined the conversation, carefully

is your new recruit,

his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in

Blue?” Pluto observed Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain

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

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

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

with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano.

replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no,

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

order, he would

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 ice. “So, who’s up for

breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

just as confused. “Or would

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

her face full of

she even here?” Lanka asked her

gave the go 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 the field, and Pluto loaned her the

with a frown. “To attack him

it’s the Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey

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

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

infiltration

every time he made progress, a new problem

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 after

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