The Perfect Run

“So, let me get this straight,” Wyvern asked, floating above the street outside Ryan’s hotel bedroom. “You came to New Rome hunting for the Meta-Gang, who managed to uncover a cache of Mechron tech beneath Rust Town. You also strongly believe that someone in Dynamis, probably Hector—namely, my employer—hired them to harass the Augusti.”

“Pretty much, yes.” Ryan nodded, wearing nothing but his underwear.

Wyvern smiled. “Am I being pranked?”

Was it because Ryan refused to wear a shirt? He had been replicating the plans for Vulcan’s armor when the superhero knocked on his window to make her sales pitch. “I would like to joke about it, but no, I’m serious.” The courier raised a thumb up. “Honest.”

Wyvern crossed her arms, a frown on her face. “Do you have any proof? These are dangerous allegations.”

“You can ask Ghoul,” Ryan said, pointing at a cooler next to his bed. “He makes the best ice cream.”

The superheroine’s frown only deepened. “But you didn’t let the Private Security bring him in custody.”

“I won’t surrender my favorite cooler,” Ryan replied. “Or else your incorruptible mooks will let him escape.”

“This meeting is going as well as I thought it would,” Wyvern lamented. “Let’s assume for a second that this isn’t some conspiracy theory and that I believe you. Why are you telling me this?”

“Because somebody trusted you.”

“Somebody?” Wyvern put her hands on her waist. “Quicksave, it will be difficult for us to build a degree of trust if you play your cards close to the chest. All in all, I find your tale rather… flimsy.”

“Well, she said you were naive too,” Ryan said and shrugged.

“I will not set aside what you said, but I only have your word on it. While you have a reputation for reliability, your psych evaluation implies you are highly unstable and prone to attention-seeking behavior.”

“Duh, you can’t make life a comedy without an audience. If you’re alone, it’s just a tragedy.”

Wyvern sighed, before offering Ryan the Dynamis business card anyway. “While I’m not sure you will follow through after what you just said, I suggest you meet with my manager. See if you are a good match, clear this up.”

“I hope he won’t mind if I bring a bottle of weedkiller?”

Wyvern couldn’t help but chuckle in response. “I wouldn’t try if I were you. Enrique isn’t fond of aggressive negotiations.”

And with those unwise words, Dragon Mom flew away and left the courier alone.

She didn’t believe Ryan, but at least the superheroine gave him the benefit of the doubt. It didn’t surprise the courier all that much. Wyvern didn’t know him well yet, and had been doubtful even with Mosquito’s testimony in an earlier loop.

And at long last, Vulcan called immediately afterward.

Ryan briefly hesitated to take the call, worried about how it would go. He eventually braced himself for the impact and answered. “Quicksave Deliveries?”

“What did the bitch tell you?” Vulcan’s encrypted voice asked.

The mere sentence sent a chill down the courier’s spine.

He had heard it before.

“My name is Vulcan,” the caller continued. “I represent the Augusti. We are the organization that runs things in New Rome, and most of Italy. Whatever the winged lizard promised you, we can offer more. We need people who get things done.”

Ryan listened to his former girlfriend the way one did a recording. “I’m sorry, mystery voice,” he interrupted her sales pitch. “But have we met before?”

out on a bluff. Perhaps she was toying with him, only to reveal that the armor had

hit

think I would

the last ember of Ryan’s

Bakuto’s coordinates,” Vulcan said, Ryan not even bothering to check the email notification. “We

Yet, she just did.

More than twice.

salesmanship was difficult. You traveled for miles to pitch the perfect product to rednecks, only

a blue cooler, Ryan faced his meanest

glass shard aimed at Ryan’s throat while his shack’s computer servers

bought, you get one free, Mechron-made orbital laser!” Ryan opened the box, with Ghoul’s skull glaring at him from within. “Made by Third World children paid

the chit-chat,” Mr. See

friend, the sales won’t last forever,” Ryan mocked him.

my name gives you power?” Shroud threatened. “I was ready

to access the control panel of a Mechron-made orbital satellite, called the Baha…” Ryan tried

windows all fractured

before removing the shard aimed at his guest’s throat. He sank on his chair in front of the shack’s computers, hands clenched. “Okay,” the vigilante finally said, at a loss of words. “Okay, how

Ryan lied. While he had grown to know the glass manipulator through

where Adam the Ogre gets his hands on the Bahamut.” The mere thought made the vigilante flinch in

much before. That could only mean

Nidhogg, but you haven’t been in contact

asked with mock

replied, his fingers fidgeting. The news really had him worried. “Why are you telling

I can’t destroy the bunker alone.” At least not yet.

has a lot of turnovers. After our last outing, the Carnival doesn’t have the numbers to take on the Augusti. We

on asymmetrical warfare to weed out the enemy if you were in a position of

their own protectorates for long,” Shroud admitted. “Leo didn’t feel confident he could have everyone on board before the end of

weeks away from success too,” Ryan added, like the cherry on the cake. The Meta-Gang destroyed New

Rust Town and interrogate Ghoul. If I confirm your intel…” Shroud joined his hands, his fingers intertwined. “If you

“How long?”

lot better than expected. Ryan thought he would have to argue for hours, but the

bargain,” Ryan said while moving towards

the vigilante replied, trying to shortchange

I don’t do

wait,” Mr. See Through declared firmly, much to Ryan’s surprise. “If you are correct and Dynamis hired the Meta-Gang, then this may only be the tip of the iceberg. Wyvern offered you a chance to

the Augusti?

to admit it. “Augustus is a monster and his business kills thousands each year, but he will sit on his mountain unless

apartment bombing spree until we’ve

You have my word. At least, until Mechron’s legacy

for a Dynamis run

this way. Ryan wasn’t sure he could

wondered why he kept clinging to false hopes when clearly the odds didn’t favor him. Time and time again, the courier had thought he could confide in someone, and not have it all wiped away with his

Ryan muttered to himself, exiting Shroud’s shack with a heavy heart. Hope was all

Fury, only to find someone had beaten him

Persian cat slouched on the car hood, his magnificent blue eyes dazzling Ryan with the splendor of their nobility. The creature meowed ferociously at the courier, who immediately

it was Eugène-Henry. The courier could recognize

at this moment, and he never

‘meow’ sound, demanding to be petted. So Ryan obliged, raising