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?”

with a hockey mask and

hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly,

nodded. “Apparently 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,

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

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

passionate according to witnesses,”

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

his arms. “But

find the hockey equipment

should crash at my place for the

don’t say,” Ryan

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

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 repeating a mind-numbing

were bound by the laws 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, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan

repetition would

ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything

back to reality, interrupting the flow of

he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially

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

care of.

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good

her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t

it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her

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

Pluto said. “But

...

power

boss?” Jamie joined the

is your new recruit,

prepared 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

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

female

while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said. “He helped us fight off

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

mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

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

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

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he would die. The

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

breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what

I do?!” Ryan replied, just as

is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her

suggest you follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She

she even here?” Lanka asked

to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto

a frown. “To attack him

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

Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for them to outsource their dirty

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

play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission,

time he made progress, a new problem

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

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

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