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

a very dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I

his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it

didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1

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

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

arms. “But then how did they learn where

took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address.

at a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash

say,” Ryan

as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker,

really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same events over

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

would drive

ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

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

while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

such

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly,

Pluto replied, her

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

marked,” Pluto said. “But I

...

shit! Did her power

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan

is your new

her when talked to, he all but said

trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air thickened,

have noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe

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.

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

the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

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 say no, and you

that wasn’t a threat.

her order, he would die. The

complete silence until they were out of

breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

Ryan replied, just as confused.

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

follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of

is she even here?” Lanka

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

Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if

that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was

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

stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to

wasn’t sure 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

made progress, a

to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that.

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

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