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?”

a hockey mask and stick,

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at

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 up for a while,

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

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

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

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

crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where he

hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody

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

don’t say,” Ryan

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

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

while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they

repetition would drive anyone

necessary suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found

cellphone beeping snapped him back to

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

Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on

Psyshock taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good or

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

as he didn’t expect that answer.

her tone turning

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

“But I don’t remember

...

Did her power

Jamie joined the

is your new

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 answered

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

noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard

didn’t seem convinced, her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be

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

alleviating the tension.

call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and you

way she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a

didn’t follow her order, he would die.

with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak

of

do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer

is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest

lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her

here?” Lanka asked

to test her new weapons

with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel safe at home

skeptical. “I mean, it was just

Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big

trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the

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

made progress,

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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