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

said absentmindedly, looking at

then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick, beats him

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

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

witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At

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

arms. “But then

to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s

crash at my place for the night, just in

say,” Ryan

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

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

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

would drive anyone

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

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

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

checked his phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s orphanage, intact, and

Psyshock taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

Pluto replied, her tone turning

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

“But

...

her power somehow

the

your new

when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in

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

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

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

Ryan, completely

alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart,

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

her order, he would die. The

his group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to

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

Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

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

Ki-jung said, her face full of

here?” Lanka asked her

clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the

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

did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a

“The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group.

through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with

threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had

made progress, a

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 than that. And if they tried to force him into

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

Comments ()

0/255