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?”

hockey mask and stick,

absentmindedly, looking at

a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it

even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied.

attacker looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from

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

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

find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address.

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

say,” Ryan

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

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 no different than daydreaming while

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

would drive anyone

perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting

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

factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo

care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises,

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly,

replied, her tone

Lanka stood still next to Ryan.

“But

...

her power somehow mark

joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up

your

shoulder. You speak to her when talked to,

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

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out.

convinced, her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd,

Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing

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

be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say

that wasn’t a threat. That was

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he

in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so

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

Ryan replied, just as confused.

Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest

said, her face full of

here?”

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 Killer Seven hit squad. I

frown. “To attack

just a guy with a hockey cross. It if

a big group. It would make sense for them

with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no

how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify him even after he altered the

he made progress, a new problem

told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t

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

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