The Perfect Run

Chapter 54

“And right in front of us, you can see Rust Town’s famous orphanage, where the most dangerous creatures in the world are raised in the wild,” Ryan said as he finished giving his team a tour of the area, parking the Plymouth near the entrance. “Human children.”

“You exaggerate,” Wardrobe chuckled, looking through the window. Len was waiting with Sarah and another boy near the orphanage’s entrance, the kids playing with a labrador. Unlike the previous loop, the Genius hadn’t put on her diving armor yet, sticking to her brown suit and water rifle.

“I think you underestimate these creatures,” Ryan argued. “They eat baby candies, and they listen to loud music at night.”

“Why are we here exactly?” Atom Cat asked from the back.

“Well, according to my intel, the Meta-Gang intends to target the place today,” Ryan said, though he didn’t mention which source. His words caused everyone to look at him in alarm. “They will abduct the residents unless we drive them off.”

“They intend to attack children?” Wardrobe’s adorable face had turned white from the horror.

“I would like to say I’m surprised, but I’m not,” Felix grumbled.

“Don’t worry, Sifu, we will save them!” The Panda said with enthusiasm, a hand on his chest. “We will break these villains like… like bamboo!”

“We will need to work on your puns, arrogant young disciple,” Ryan said as the group stepped out of the car, instantly catching the children’s attention.

“Oh, it’s Wardrobe!” Little Sarah’s eyes widened upon recognizing the heroine. It seemed that while she wasn’t as well-known as Wyvern, the fashion designer had her fans.

“Where, where?” another child asked, rushing out of the orphanage alongside half a dozen of the tiny devils.

“Riri,” Len whispered softly, while the children swarmed the heroes, most asking for Wardrobe’s autograph. The Panda looked really jealous of her fame, which he coveted for himself.

“Guys, this is Len, alias Underdiver,” Ryan introduced them. “She’s a friend. Shortie, this is Atom Kitty, my new BFF Wardrobe, and Superpanda. He can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes.”

“Atom Kitty, huh? Never heard that one before, Quickie.” Atom Cat crossed his arms while he observed Len. “Isn’t she a criminal though? I heard Vulcan paid the Private Security to have her released.”

Len immediately tensed up, looking at Atom Cat suspiciously. “Your corporate overlords are the real criminals,” she replied harshly, waving a hand at Rust Town. “This… this is their work.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Felix admitted with sheepish embarrassment. “You’re taking care of the place?”

“Someone has to.”

“Quicksave, you monster!” Wardrobe glared at him, having finished writing autographs for the kids. “I’m so disappointed in you.”

“About what?” Ryan asked with a frown.

“You can’t let your friend dress like this!” Wardrobe ranted, as she approached a very surprised Len and touched every part of her outfit with her soft fingers. “Her costume is hideous!”

Clearly, Len didn’t know how to react to this. “I’m, what, what…”

“The colors are all wrong, it stands for nothing, and it’s not even form-fitting!” Wardrobe started touching Len’s breasts, much to her dismay. “Look at her beautiful figure! All that potential, wasted!”

“S-stop please,” Len pleaded, as if attacked by an over-affectionate puppy.

“I’m sorry, darling, I can’t look the other way.” Wardrobe removed her hands from the Genius and adopted a pose reminding Ryan of the Rodin’s Thinker statue. She devoured Len with her eyes, the poor Genius now as red as a tomato. “We need silver and blue, with scales…”

“What’s your power?” Little Sarah asked the Panda.

“Oh, I can become the best creature in the world!” The Green Genome immediately transformed into his animal shape, much to the kids’ delight. “Overpanda overdrive!”

“It’s a bear!” a little girl squealed, as the Panda lifted her on his shoulders. “It’s a bear!”

“So soft and warm,” another boy said, as he touched the beast’s fur.

“Oh!” Little Sarah looked up at Felix. “Can you transform into a cat too?”

replied with a gruff

“But your name—”

cats, that

Panda’s cuteness. The animal eventually

found his power’s true

funny, had his mind not

in the hen house… It was a joke phrase that Ryan told people when they asked details about his power. But he hadn’t used it once in this entire loop! The fact someone sent it to him could

Somewhere, somebody remembered.

hopes up, in case they ended up dashed. For all he knew the Chronoradio could have broadcast that message. But in case someone did remember,

during an early loop, once to Shroud when he asked his power, and once with Livia. It could have also been

a second power like her father, one he didn’t fully understand yet. For all the courier knew, it could

his thoughts raised more questions than

confirmation, but he had the feeling it would backfire. If it was Livia, Felix would ask why the courier received messages from Augustus’ daughter; he might mistake the time-traveler for a mafia mole, and ruin

distract Wardrobe long enough for Len to escape her clutches. “Riri,”

deal with Psyshock was a flop,” Ryan admitted. He thought Wardrobe could cosplay as

work,” she said, raising her water gun.

Psyshock had an automatic suicide button to avoid capture. The Psycho didn’t use any against Cancel, but she was

nasty things. The courier developed one in his early loops, but he never found the right balance. One of his devices, meant to protect him against mind-readers, ended up mistaking his ‘saves’ as memory manipulation attempts.

Psypsy reached the same conclusion? He couldn’t

wouldn’t take that long. Ryan noticed Psyshock’s black, rusted minibus drive towards the orphanage,

had

group of Genomes around the orphanage. Hopefully, Adam would keep his heavy hitters in reserve to protect

Especially since she murdered Felix the Cat the first time they

them,” Felix guessed,

Len told the children. “Hide in the basement, and don’t

ma—” Little Sarah

Genius asked

said with a reassuring wink. “Heroes always

a bullet to the head, but Ryan hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Plymouth Fury and hiding it inside his suit. He also put on the Fisty Brothers, determined to personally introduce them to Psyshock's jaw. “No matter what you hear,

Sifu,” the Panda said, fidgeting in place. Though he tried to put on a brave front, Ryan could tell the hero wannabe didn’t

Atom Cat asked, eyeing Ryan’s suit. “Some

himself for his performance as the Meta-Gang parked in

and Mosquito. The other minibus stopped nearby, two more Psychos emerging from it. A reptilian humanoid, and

remembered them both from his suicide run. He had run the lizard over

groups were evenly matched, or so

No matter the number of loops, the possessive way Psyshock said it always sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine. “And the delightful Len. It’s quite

pack of Genomes,” Mosquito said, cracking his knuckles. The other Meta seemed to barely restrain themselves. Mongrel showed his teeth, the lizard guy’s tail whipped the ground, and Rakshasa prepared to summon gremlins for support. “Guess it's blood

we only came for the children in that shelter, this is a good day indeed,” Psyshock

Ryan lied, channeling Blackthorn’s corporate arrogance.

sentence made

Ryan knew he could still win with a weak hand. They

sensed something was wrong, but the fact he didn’t immediately call out the courier’s bluff meant

did not have the pleasure of meeting

you don’t deliver results soon, you can say goodbye to your knockoff supply. These

took Psyshock aback, because Ryan should have no way to know this information. He could have spied on them, but the knockoffs and drones were safely hidden inside the bunker. Most probably, the supplier himself had provided the

which Psypsy found

Ryan’s team. All of them

would go off-the-leash, and we would have to teach you a lesson.” Ryan’s fingers twitched dangerously.

to seem so arrogantly sure of yourself that your opponent doubted his own judgment. Steve Jobs called

at Ryan dead in the eyes, the tension palpable. Their respective groups prepared themselves for a fight, for now was the moment of

Psyshock caved

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