The Perfect Run

And the whole thing started so well!

Right after Ryan punched Psyshock’s jaw out, Shroud revealed his ‘presence’ and unleashed glass shards in all directions. The situation quickly devolved into a chaotic melee, while the pets in the animal shelter howled as one.

Shortie immediately fired at Psyshock with her water rifle, the liquid forming a three-meters wide bubble around the Meta. The malevolent telepath struggled inside, unable to escape the liquid prison. Meanwhile, Rakshasa had summoned a dozen gremlins, Atom Cat attempted to engage Mongrel in close combat only to be repelled by a blast of compressed air, and Wardrobe’s costume transformed into a cosplay of Che Guevara. As for the Panda…

Mosquito instantly flew at him when the melee started, singling the bear out as easy prey whose blood he could drink. Except he forgot that Ryan’s disciple was a seven hundred kilos juggernaut bigger than a polar bear, and who hit just as hard.

So the caught Mosquito’s sting mid-flight, pivoted on himself, and tossed the surprised Psycho against one of the black minibuses. The bugman hit it with enough force to trigger the alarm, but the immediately closed the gap before he could recover.

“Bear Smash!” The roared while he lunged at the Meta, hitting him so hard he bent the minibus’ metal doors; he then started beating the tar out of Mosquito with his bestial strength.

He was…

He was good!

The Panda was good!

He was ridiculous, but he was good!

Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t have the time to observe the animal brawl. The lizardman among the Meta lunged at an empty spot and slammed something against the ground, the blown dust revealing the invisible Shroud’s position. Ryan guessed the lizardman had managed to sense the glass Genome through sound or scent. The Carnival vigilante retaliated with shards, but they couldn’t cut through the Meta lizard’s tough scales.

Stopping time, Ryan rushed to Shroud’s rescue and punched the lizard with Fisty in the frozen time. When the clock struck again, the blow sent the reptile flying to the side, allowing Shroud to fly away. The glass genome switched targets to support Atom Cat with shards before Mongrel could incinerate him with pyrokinesis.

“Use pebbles!” Ryan shouted at Atom Cat, who still attempted to engage Mongrel in close-combat. “Use pebbles!”

“Oh, good idea!” Felix quickly caught on and threw a small stone at Mongrel, the projectile blasting the Psycho against the orphanage’s walls. Len managed to exploit his temporary incapacitation to trap him in another bubble, the rabid Psycho gasping for air.

Unfortunately, it turned out, Len’s bubble wasn’t powerful enough to fully immobilize Psyshock. When he realized all was lost, the malevolent mindjacker managed to raise a tentacle at his head and shattered his own skull. His grey matter flowed into the water, the Psycho abandoning his men to their fate.

“Damn, not again!” Ryan complained, as he pummeled the reptile Psycho into unconsciousness with Fisty. Shroud started shredding gremlins with shards while Atom Cat tossed explosive stones at them, but Rakshasa kept summoning more. By now, hundreds of the critters threatened to swarm the shelter.

At least, until they noticed Ryan and abruptly stopped.

“Huh?” the time-traveler asked, as the critters seemed to panic. One of the gremlins put two raised fingers behind his head, as if mimicking a rabbit’s ears, and then pointed at Ryan.

The creatures’ anxious expression turned into stark raving terror.

“Wait, you remember me?!” Ryan asked, the gremlins immediately running away as he approached them. They seemed to recognize him, even with a new costume.

Wait, of course they did! Rakshasa probably summoned these creatures from another universe and the genome’s ability only affected this one! “Come back,” Ryan pleaded. “Rabbits are friendly!”

The gremlins frantically escaped into Rust Town, much to Rakshasa’s shock and surprise. “Hey, come back here!” the jaguar-man ordered, even as Wardrobe rushed at him. “Come back, you cowards!”

Che Wardrobe tackled the jaguar to the ground, Rambo-style, and started manhandling him. Perhaps the costume gave her superhuman fighting skills or increased strength, but she quickly restrained the mook summoner with a chokehold. The vicious catman attempted to claw at her flesh, but Shroud nailed his palms to the ground with glass spikes.

“Back off!” Shortie warned, raising her rifle. Wardrobe released the chokehold and rolled away, just as Rakshasa became trapped inside a bubble of his own.

“You have the right to remain silent!” The forced Mosquito’s bloody face against the minibus’ car hood, while holding him in a wristlock. “Perp!”

Ryan pitied the Mosquito. To be beaten by that bear must have hurt, physically and emotionally. A few seconds later, both the bug and the reptile Psycho joined their brethren in bubble confinement.

“I caught one, Sifu!” the said, his bear face the very picture of happiness. “I caught one! We won!”

“No,” Len said, the only one crestfallen with the result. “Psyshock, he escaped.”

escaped,” Atom Cat said, pointing

as Mongrel and Rakshasa had both passed out inside their prison, while the wounded Mosquito gasped for breath.

Len nodded. “The special water provides them with enough oxygen to survive through direct skin contact... but not enough to stay conscious. Their

all, the ‘fight’ had been a crushing victory, but unfortunately, Shortie had a point. They only caught mooks and Psyshock lived to fight another day. Which

more pressure,” she said, blaming herself for Psyshock’s escape. “If I had increased the oxygen ratio, I could have… I could

Ryan consoled her.

explanation,” Atom Cat scolded

have turned invisible and left before the others could

that for?” Atom Cat kept asking, suspicious. “That stuff about Hector? Because I assume it is the

anger at Dynamis stronger than her social anxiety. “Your employer

a conspiracy?” the asked, clearly

that’s not possible,” Wardrobe argued, her quirkiness replaced with a skeptical frown. Even her costume changed from a South American icon to normal. “Why would he do that? Help monsters like these Psychos? It doesn’t

said, opening his suit to reveal the wiretap inside. “Our

brimmed with rage, the sat on his ass without a word,

heard Psyshock talk about the children, she looked positively murderous. In all his years knowing

it would be disastrous for the company’s image,” Wardrobe argued, focusing on the marketing side of things. ”It could be an impersonator trying to ruin Mr. Manada’s reputation, or the Meta could lie to tarnish it. I mean, that’s what PR will

Felix replied with irritation, fists clenched. “I knew they were

uh, if that’s true,” the cleared his throat, a bit afraid. “Does that mean that we know too much? That’s

her waist. “We will do things by the

if he’s

Ryan. “That was your plan

shy and not as transparent as

the was recruited?” The asked Ryan, his eyes widening in hope. “You couldn’t trust anyone

It…

conspiracy whatsoever, because no illuminati in their right mind would hire him. “Exactly, young

“M-my liver?”

pure heart!” Ryan lightly slapped him in the back of the head. “You still have

Wardrobe replied after taking a deep breath, glancing at the Meta-Gang.

“Hours,” Len replied laconically.

that's more than enough time to bring them back to Optimates Tower,” Wardrobe declared with a

filled with anger. He had left his family for Dynamis to do good, and the company had disappointed him. “They’ll be back on

what, we kill them?” Wardrobe snapped back. “We can’t do that, we aren’t vigilantes. We stand for something. There are

contract and risk letting these guys go? They tried to kidnap

before the argument could grow more intense. “Look, here’s my proposal. We call our beloved manager, he sends help to bring the perps into custody, and we give him

Wardrobe said with a

Ryan suspiciously. “You’re both in on it. You and

kitten, it’s top

in on it, trying to expose Hector.” He marked

today,” Ryan glanced at everyone, putting a finger on

disciple promised, before rising back on his feet. “Can I make the arrest before the

a cheery grin. “You will see, you never forget your first. And with your new

Che Guevara?” Ryan asked, the question had

Fidel Castro’s,” she admitted, a little embarrassed. “They say it’s too subversive, even if

communist radar triggered. “Are you a

say I’m more of a social democrat,” Wardrobe admitted, leaving Len disappointed. The

phone bleep, and he realized someone had sent him a message. “I

miss the photo session!” Wardrobe complained, glaring at him.

kids home,” Ryan said, while Len frowned at him. Though Psyshock’s temporary demise had not warranted a response from Big Fat Adam, the Meta would

caller had sent

Ryan drove the Plymouth Fury south of New Rome, with Len sitting in the other seat. They made their way past the strip

ground littered with used drug paraphernalia, spent condoms, and even bullet casings, but it wasn’t as bad as Rust Town. Ryan didn’t see any feral dogs scavenging trash cans, and people walked around without the sense of