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

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking

you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some

almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe

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

2 pointed out, “Maybe it was

it could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where he

actually took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played

Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in

say,”

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

mind 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

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,

would

finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain of

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow of

second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception

his phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo

taken care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good or

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 upon meeting him, and said the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly,

Pluto replied, her tone

still next

marked,” Pluto said. “But

...

Did her power somehow mark

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

your

when talked to, he all but said out

courier couldn’t

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

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.

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

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

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

wait, that wasn’t

her order, he would die. The

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

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

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

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

question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can

is she even here?” Lanka

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

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

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

a big group. It would make

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 focus

entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she

every time he made progress, a new problem

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 force him into

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