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.”

to resist the

freaking submarine with

playful mood. Lanka toyed with her smoke, a frown

get the feeling the situation is more complicated than it looks.” Vulcan sipped her beer while glancing

was wary of involving her now. She was probably busy with all the orphans,

sound, turning the modest loudspeaker into a weapon of mass destruction. As if to answer his success, Narcinia’s mushrooms unleashed a

screwdriver for his drink,

raising his glass, his

declaration, while Lanka created multiple colored spheres above the dance floor, one for each Elixir type. They floated near the ceiling

over the dance floor while the music switched to a catchy

before turning to Narcinia.

“I help Father Torque open the

asked, immediately interested.

I’m not supposed to

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

know how to make drugs?” Lanka asked, finishing her sixth cancer stick. “Good to

trying every addictive substance on the planet except Elixirs, and when he ran out, he learned how to create his own supply. His drug cartel phase had been quite enjoyable

will have to abandon that childhood dream, Ryan.” Vulcan brazenly put an arm around his shoulder. “You’ve got an exclusive work contract

her waist. Lanka looked at him as

as you are,” Vulcan replied, without pushing his hand away. “So it’s 'til

you talking about work or

again. “Father Torque says the

amusement turning into frustration. “Besides, you’ve

everywhere at once, and

Ryan asked Vulcan, doing his best impersonation

start.” Vulcan rolled her eyes, before glancing at the dance floor.

amazing, then I’m being

boast to

Ryan had mastered every dance under the sun, so he guided them through. Mathias also danced with Fortuna, and the glass manipulator seemed to enjoy it a bit more than he

anything you aren’t good at?” Vulcan asked Ryan. He could feel her sweat on his

smiled, if not for the unpleasant sensation

surprise, then confusion. She started asking questions to Sparrow nearby, and

the mysterious woman’s attention though.

“Fuck off!”

fire-manipulator whom Ryan had sighted earlier during the party by the shirt, and looked ready to murder him. The guest carried a broken inhaler in his hands, full of

seemed one idiot had ignored Jamie’s rules and brought Bliss to

at the drug with a pale face, shaking. She seemed paralyzed and unable to

could personally attest. He could never finish a run after trying it, and while he had only ever found one

mention the hidden, long-term

like a bear. While he hadn’t manifested any laser weapons from his hands, the scowl of black fury on his face made it clear he was barely restraining himself. The contrast with his usual kindness made it all

him this angry when Luigi had exposed

“But—”

Genomes backward, his tone turning venomous. “Don’t bother

a cowed face and his inhaler. “It’s okay?” Jamie immediately asked his girlfriend, his frightful face softening back into a

didn’t mean it. “It’s

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

house’s entrance. “I’ll discipline that idiot, Zanbato.

think we will retire early. Can you and Lanka take care of the

“Sure,” the courier said.

not to do anything stupid?” Jamie asked, an eyebrow

I will not start any fires

oddly specific,” he noted but had more pressing matters on his mind. “Don’t burn down

leaving the ground and main room

high on your own supply,” Ryan

his surprised face. “I watch movies too. Maybe I’ll show you a

floor. “Quicksave.” The

tone shifting from

know,” Sparrow replied. “But you can come

seem willing to deny the request either. That Livia clearly had sway in the organization, or