The Perfect Run

“When is the sound coming?” Lanka asked Ryan for the third time, an elbow on the loudspeaker.

“When you find me another brain,” Ryan replied, tinkering with the device. A few people had already taken over the dance floor, but the house’s equipment couldn’t support a true rave party. Seriously, Ki-jung needed to stop buying Dynamis home products. They were barely a cut above pre-Wars Chinese imports.

Actually, did buying the enemy's products count as collaboration?

“Stop distracting him,” Narcinia told Lanka, defending Ryan with such zeal that he considered making her his sidekick. The Green Genome was busy cultivating strange, phosphorescent mushrooms on the ground. She had promised it would help with the rave, and the courier let her run wild with her imagination.

Quicksave glanced at Mathias, who was talking with Fortuna and other members of the Killer Seven. Half an hour had passed since their conversation, and the house was now filled to the brim with guests.

“So, you’re adopted?” Ryan bluntly asked Narcinia. “Did you ever learn who your birth parents were?”

“Ryan!” Lanka snapped at him.

“They were raiders,” Narcinia replied, almost casually. “Father Torque said they were killers and rapists, and that Augustus punished them because it was divine justice.”

Ryan could have sworn the TV’s screen threatened to crack for a brief second. He glanced up at Mathias, whose smile contrasted with the icy look in his eyes.

“Sorry,” Lanka said, glaring at the courier. Thankfully, the power outburst had been subtle enough for her to miss it. “Blabbermouth has no tact at all.”

“It’s okay!” Narcinia replied with a cute smile. “My real family is the one that raised me. My mom and dad are awesome, and my siblings even more so.”

“I was adopted too, but it sucked,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Well, half of it.”

“Really?” Narcinia’s head perked up in interest, while Lanka listened in silence.

“My parents died when bandits wiped out our community to steal our supplies,” Ryan said. It had been so long ago, it had lost almost all emotional effect. “I was… eleven I think? Maybe twelve. And I turned out great!”

“Ryan.” Lanka’s voice had lost all playfulness. “Did these bandits...”

Ryan glanced at the snake tattoo on her arm, that of her former gang. “You weren’t among them and they’re all dead,” the courier replied with a shrug. “I’m over it.”

Lanka fell silent with a thoughtful look on her face, while Narcinia looked between them in confusion. Thankfully, a newcomer interrupted them before the mood turned even more awkward.

Ryan almost didn’t recognize Vulcan at first sight, because the Genius had cleaned herself up; she had traded her usual clothes for a black halter-top and pants, and let her hair fall down on her shoulders. While she was no head-turning beauty, the Augusti Capo looked great.

He really had a thing for Geniuses shorter than him.

“Ceres, Sphere.” Vulcan smirked upon seeing the courier. “Ryan.”

“Hey, my favorite arms dealer,” Ryan rejoiced, raising a screwdriver. “Your arrival is just perfect.”

“Always,” she replied, a hand on her waist. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Do you have anything to boost the sound?” Ryan asked. “I’m trying to jury-rig the loudspeakers, but I need more juice.”

“Now you’re talking my language,” Vulcan said, searching inside her pocket and tossing him some kind of mouse-sized battery. “It’s a mini-generator.”

“Why do you carry that in your pocket?” Lanka asked, an eyebrow raised.

“‘Cause my phone has less autonomy than a sloth,” the Genius replied with a shrug, before grabbing a beer can from Lanka’s personal reserve. “It’s been an exhausting day.”

“Did you kill the Meta?” Narcinia asked before Ryan could.

“Almost, but Dynamis got to them first. Fucking kill stealers.”

“What, they tried to buy them off?” Lanka snickered.

“With bullets and lasers,” Vulcan replied. “They sent three armored squadrons, plus heavy hitters like Devilry and that bitch Wyvern. Those vultures fell on the Meta and opened fire on sight.”

Oh, was there gas in their alliance? “Well, I guess it was time to clean up loose ends,” Ryan said.

“Adam didn’t look surprised. He sacrificed a few men, but he managed to escape on a goddamn submarine.”

unable to resist the lure of undersea

with Mechron’s emblem on

dreaded Genius’ name instantly killed the playful mood. Lanka toyed with her smoke,

than it looks.” Vulcan sipped her beer while

was wary of involving her now. She was probably busy with all the orphans, no need to

the modest loudspeaker into a weapon of mass destruction. As if

his drink, Ryan cleared his

courier shouted while raising his glass, his voice reverberating

the dance floor, one for each Elixir type. They floated near the ceiling and pulsated with energy, slowly shrinking while they provided a solid

do they last?” Vulcan asked Lanka, more people started taking over the dance

nobody touches them,” Lanka said, before turning to Narcinia.

“I help

asked, immediately interested. “Are you an

I’m not supposed to

been my dream. If you need a drug wizard, I know all the good recipes. Meth, cocaine, heroin, opium, doesn’t matter, just give me a

drugs?” Lanka asked, finishing her sixth cancer

years? At least twenty years trying every addictive substance on the planet except Elixirs, and when he ran out, he

put an arm around

replied while brazenly putting his hand around her

ain’t finding anyone half as good as you are,” Vulcan replied, without pushing his hand away. “So it’s 'til death

talking about work or

eager to meet Ryan again. “Father

doesn’t know jack shit about tech,” Vulcan replied, her amusement turning into frustration. “Besides, you’ve got a

everywhere at once, and that he may ascend to Heaven

doing his best impersonation of a kitten’s

Vulcan rolled her eyes, before glancing at

I’m amazing,

that boast to

apparent that Vulcan didn’t have much experience, but Ryan had mastered every dance under the sun, so he guided them through. Mathias also

good at?” Vulcan asked Ryan. He could feel her sweat on his fingers, her breath

for the unpleasant sensation of someone watching him from

from the bar, her gaze first one of surprise, then confusion. She started asking questions to Sparrow nearby, and while Ryan could read lips, the lighting

though. It must have been

“Fuck off!”

swordsman had grabbed a fire-manipulator whom Ryan had sighted earlier during the party by

rules and brought Bliss to

seemed paralyzed and unable to say anything; a former

in liquid or gas form, and it was powerful enough to affect Genomes. It was also incredibly addictive, which Ryan could personally attest. He could never finish a run after trying it, and while he had only ever found one way to cure the addiction, it was

mention the hidden, long-term

brawler built like a bear. While he hadn’t manifested any laser weapons from his hands, the scowl

Ryan had only ever seen him this angry when Luigi had

“But—”

Jamie snarled before throwing the Genomes backward, his

guests, and moved towards the door with a cowed face

clearly didn’t mean it. “It’s fine.

her waist in a protective manner and then turned to Ryan when he

the house’s entrance. “I’ll discipline that idiot, Zanbato. You got my

girlfriend, then back at Ryan. “I think we will

“Sure,” the courier said.

not to do anything stupid?” Jamie asked,

not start any fires under

but had more pressing matters on his mind. “Don’t burn

and Ki-jung moved upstairs, leaving the ground and main room to the guests. “I didn’t know Chitter was a recovering addict,” Vulcan noted, showing surprising insight. “I’m glad I

get high on your own supply,”

face. “I watch movies too. Maybe

they could return to the dance floor. “Quicksave.” The bodyguard cleared her

her tone shifting from flirtatious

don’t know,” Sparrow replied. “But you can come if you

the Genius clearly wasn’t happy about it, she didn’t seem willing to deny the request either. That Livia clearly had sway in the organization, or at