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, from

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

and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of

Jamie almost chortled. “Why

the maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1

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

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

the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how

find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that

right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place

don’t say,”

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

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

held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things;

repetition would drive

soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting

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

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,

care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises,

noticed Pluto and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect

it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her

Lanka stood still next to

Pluto said. “But

...

shit! Did her power somehow mark him across

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

your new recruit,

on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked

courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure

or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed

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

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

mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan

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

that wasn’t a threat. That was

order,

out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at

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

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

woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister

Ki-jung said, her face

even here?”

boss gave the go to 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 weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven hit squad. I say it’s finally

with a frown. “To attack him in front

Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with

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

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

infiltration mission, and he had

time he made progress,

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

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