The Perfect Run

It was a bright new day in New Rome.

The sun was rising. Bullets were flying. Rats were singing.

Standing at the balcony of Jamie’s apartment in casual clothes, a coffee mug in his right hand, Ryan glanced at the rodents occupying the area. Ki-jung's rats seemed to be doing some stretching exercises while dawn rose beyond the horizon, showing incredible levels of flexibility. They were cute, for enormous mutant rodents.

But Ryan was a cat person at heart, and he was in a foul mood.

He grabbed his cellphone with his left hand and played pre-recorded music he had prepared just for the occasion. The terrible noise of felines meowing echoed across the apartment, startling the rats and sending them into a frenzied panic. They immediately dispersed, hiding beneath the sofa.

“Ryan!” Ki-jung shouted from the kitchen, busy making breakfast. “Stop it!”

“What?” he asked innocently, the rats glancing at Ryan upon realizing his trick. “It’s not forbidden to listen to cat music!”

“I’m not forbidden to throw you off the balcony either!”

“What is all the racket?” Jamie emerged from his bedroom, wearing only a shirt and boxers. Without his armor, he reminded Ryan of a grizzly bear emerging from his cave. The first thing the mob enforcer did was to kiss his girlfriend, then join the courier at the balcony with a coffee cup of his own.

“Nothing,” Ryan replied, hiding his cell phone. Ki-jung's rats emerged from their hiding spots to gather behind his back, glaring at him. Seeing a dozen rats in that position may have frightened a normal person, but the courier just meowed at them.

“You’re impossible,” Jamie replied, his eyes blinked as he slowly woke up. A rat jumped on the balcony’s ramp, the Genome scratching it between the ears. “How are you feeling?”

“Whimsically peachy.”

“Ryan,” Jamie looked at him in the eye, “how do you really feel?”

Was he that bad at hiding it? Ryan looked at the distant, warming sun. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Anything as in…”

“Nothing,” Ryan replied with a sigh. “I feel empty.”

Well, to be precise, he felt like someone whose years-long quest had ended disastrously. Ryan had expected a happy reunion that would make everything better, and he had only found more tears and sadness. Emptiness had been his natural state for years, until learning of Len’s survival had given him a newfound direction. His endless existence finally had a purpose.

Except Len didn’t want Ryan in her life. Hell, she was an even bigger wreck than he was.

“But I’m used to it,” the courier replied with optimism. “That just means I’ve just got to find something to fill the void!”

Even that stunt with the rats was an attempt to get his mind off Len. He had found chaos and whimsical jokes a welcome distraction when in a bad mood. Confusion energized him, while introspection made him feel stale and restless.

Jamie shook his head, before looking at the sunlight too. “I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“About your girl. I’m sorry she broke your heart.”

“I haven’t been dumped,” Ryan protested since he clearly had misunderstood the situation.

“I know rejection is painful,” Zanbato consoled him, digging himself deeper. “And that’s okay. It happens to everyone. She wasn’t the right person for you, or perhaps now was not the right moment. You’re still young, you will find someone.”

For empty platitudes, Jamie managed to make them sound inspired. Maybe because he earnestly tried to cheer him up.

“The worst part is,” Ryan said, letting out some frustration instead of bottling it up, “she’s in pain, and I don’t know how to help yet."

His words seemed to resonate with Jamie, who opened his mouth without saying anything, seemingly rehearsing his words in his head. He glanced at the rats and told them to shoo away. The rodents let out a vengeful screech at Ryan and then moved to the kitchen.

“You know one day, a former friend and I found someone having an overdose. A homeless woman.” Jamie spoke once the rats out of earshot, his voice breaking. “She would have died if we hadn’t been there.”

Ryan could sense the sheer emotion brimming in Jamie’s voice, and said nothing. It clearly came from the heart.

responsibility. I tried to help her clean herself up. It was hard. It was really hard. It took months to deal with the relapses, the bad habits, and help her find a job… a lot of my friends, they didn’t understand. They thought I was just wasting my time. That she was hopeless. But… but she wasn’t. It worked

at the

time to heal,” Jamie said. “And from what I heard, that girl seems to have pretty

nodded but didn’t

the way Ryan did, “and we will organize a party

Hugh Hefner party, or a friendly

most of whom are

me out? Am I to pay the rent in

party. You may see... weird stuff.” The more Jamie spoke, the more embarrassed he sounded. “Stuff that would shock most people. I think you’re pretty

a pretty

cats allowed, and you help clean up tomorrow morning,” Jamie added firmly. “Also, no matter

route?

if you fall into her arms,” Jamie said, with a

invite her at all if you don’t

she isn’t invited to group events. Trust me, it’s

apartment. “Don’t forget to tell him

before focusing on Ryan. “She’s off-limits for a reason

didn’t know anything about

…

the courier wasn’t in the

the matchmaking attempt,” Ryan said, bored with romance. “I’ve had my fair share of

Jamie didn’t hide his surprise. “I didn’t take you for a party animal. Or at

until you find the perfect one,’” Ryan explained. “But afterward, it became stale and superficial. It was just

I think I

you advocating for me to fight for true love, and then try to hook me

said, you don’t give up on helping your friend with her issues, but if she isn’t interested, take the hint and look for companionship elsewhere.” Jamie put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, overflowing with warm dad radiations. “I know it’s a leap of faith, but I’m sure you will find

towards the

replied, busy

marry this man, I will

share!” she replied with a deadpan

said, putting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. Both Genomes returned to the kitchen, putting their empty

cooked a big brunch for her man and herself. However, she also handed a lunchbox to Ryan. “Here,”

fine, I was going

Ryan’s arms. “Knowing Vulcan, she won’t let you out of her workshop until she has worked you to the

so nice, it was almost oppressive.

work but stopped in front of Lanka’s

heard a groan behind the door, alongside the sound of empty bottles falling to the ground. “Is it three in the afternoon

“No.”

“Then fuck off.”

it, she remained awake very late into

Even at this early hour, traffic in New Rome was insane, reminding the courier of the

Curse

cheery song, especially after last

yet, or at least none that wouldn’t make things worse. Ryan had gained

whom? The orphans? How did it

disaster, and Ryan

fulfilled his main goal, the courier could devote his time to do side quests instead of starting a new loop. He had promised different people to drive the Meta out of Rust Town and to blow

Afterward though…

had been the driving force of his existence lately, a welcome intermission in his meaningless wandering. If

think this way. There was a way to solve this, he just needed

“Don’t turn around.”

but saw nothing. “The green giant is in the garden,” he said. “The green

No answer.

a code,” Ryan replied, looking back at the road. “What if I were a shapeshifter? You would have blown your cover.