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.”

Narcinia immediately asked, unable to resist the lure of undersea

submarine with Mechron’s emblem

the playful mood. Lanka toyed with her smoke, a frown

it looks.” Vulcan sipped her beer while glancing at Ryan. “I called the

Ryan’s mind, but he was wary of involving her now.

design and amplified the sound, turning the modest loudspeaker into a weapon of mass destruction. As if to answer his success, Narcinia’s mushrooms unleashed a faint colored mist onto

his screwdriver for his drink, Ryan cleared

girls!” the courier shouted while raising his glass, his voice

type. They floated near the ceiling

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

nobody touches them,” Lanka said, before turning to Narcinia. “Nice trick with the mushrooms. What’s your

teenager replied. “I help Father Torque open the

Ryan asked, immediately interested. “Are you

Ryan, I’m not

his fist. “Building a South American cartel has always been my dream. If you need a drug wizard, I know all the good recipes. Meth,

make drugs?” Lanka asked, finishing her sixth cancer stick.

Elixirs, and when he ran out, he learned how to

childhood dream, Ryan.” Vulcan brazenly put an arm around

Ryan replied while brazenly putting his hand around her waist. Lanka looked at him as

as you are,” Vulcan replied,

work or

to meet Ryan again. “Father Torque says the equipment needs

amusement turning into frustration. “Besides, you’ve

he can’t be everywhere at once, and that he may ascend

Vulcan, doing his best impersonation

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

say I’m amazing, then

that boast to the test,

apparent that Vulcan didn’t have much experience, but Ryan had mastered every dance under the

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

in response, and Ryan may have smiled, if not for the unpleasant sensation of someone

asking questions to Sparrow nearby, and while

attention though. It must

“Fuck off!”

had sighted earlier during the party by the shirt,

had ignored Jamie’s rules and brought Bliss to

looked at the drug with a pale face, shaking. She seemed paralyzed and unable to say anything; a former addict faced with her

enough to affect Genomes. It was also incredibly addictive, which Ryan could personally attest.

mention the

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

ever seen him this angry when Luigi had exposed his infiltration

“But—”

before throwing the Genomes backward, his tone turning venomous. “Don’t bother ever coming

with a cowed face and his inhaler.

Ki-jung said, although she clearly didn’t

turned to Ryan

entrance. “I’ll discipline that idiot,

looked at his troubled girlfriend, then back at Ryan. “I think we will retire early. Can you and Lanka take care of the guests in

“Sure,” the courier said.

do anything stupid?” Jamie asked,

I will not start

he noted but had more pressing

a thumb up with one hand and crossed his fingers behind his back with the other. Jamie 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,

get high on your own supply,” Ryan

movies too.

“Quicksave.” The bodyguard cleared her

asked, her tone shifting from

Sparrow replied. “But you can come if

it, she didn’t seem willing to deny the request either. That Livia clearly