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 stick, from what I

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly,

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, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick, beats him

“Why

take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least

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

could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then

took Ryan more time to find the hockey

Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city isn’t safe at

don’t say,”

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

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

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

would

and soon, it would finally end. Everything

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

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 personal

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

Psyshock taken care

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and said the exact

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t expect

Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who

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

“But I don’t

...

her power somehow mark

the conversation, carefully

your

putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in the courier’s place.

Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air

Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers

eyes set on Ryan. 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.

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing

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

forever,” she replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play

threatened him… No, wait, that

follow 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 first,

letting out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck did

just as confused.

Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister

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

she even here?” Lanka asked her team

to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven hit squad. I say it’s finally time we clean up the

frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if

skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy

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

through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations.

entire infiltration mission, and

every time he made progress, a new problem

wait, it didn’t matter. Ryan only had to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer

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

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