The Perfect Run

Ryan had to give it to Hector Manada. In spite of being far richer than Augustus, he didn’t show it.

The CEO of Dynamis lived in a three-floor manor of yellow stones within walking distance of his company’s HQ, north of New Rome. The property was big, but nothing compared to Mount Augustus; the architectural style reminded Ryan of South America’s 19th century properties, though Hector had also gathered a sizable collection of mesoamerican artifacts in his garden. Statues of Aztec gods lined the path to the house, like a private guard. And of course, the property crawled with Private Security guards with top-of-the-line weaponry.

When Ryan arrived, Sunshine and Enrique’s helicopter had already landed in the garden. Security guards checked on the courier, but let him pass unmolested; apparently, the siblings had forewarned them.

Alphonse Manada had joined his brother, both backed by an elite security team. Leonard Hargraves had landed on the grass, though he somehow didn’t set it on fire even while in his sun form. Even Ryan had taken the time to change himself back to his old costume, Acid Rain having savaged the cashmere suit. One didn’t confront a final boss without looking nice.

But the scene quickly disappointed Ryan.

Hector Manada wasn’t raising a submachine gun to die in a blaze of glory, Scarface-style. He didn’t look worried about the urban warfare happening a few districts away from his house. In fact, he didn’t seem troubled at all.

For Hector Manada was gardening.

“I guess this is a family thing,” Ryan said snidely, as the corporate mastermind tended to an ugly rose bush. The floral arrangements were terrible, the work of an amateur.

“Sons.” A pudgy man with gray hair and a face resembling Pablo Escobar’s, Hector Manada had traded the business suit for casual white clothes and a straw hat. If Ryan hadn’t seen his face before, he might have mistaken him for a mere employee. “I didn’t expect you. Especially not in such…”

His eyes wandered to Leo Hargraves. “Shining company.”

“Surprised, Father?” Alphonse asked, his tone lacking any familial warmth whatsoever.

“Mr. Manada,” Leo said, always polite. “It has been a while.”

“Not long enough, I must say,” the CEO replied, before finally noticing Quicksave. “And who might you be?”

“Hi, I’m Quicksave,” Ryan presented himself. “I’m the guy who ruined all of your evil plans, but don’t tell anyone.”

“My evil plans?” the CEO answered with a forced smile. “I do not understand.”

“I think you do, Father,” Enrique said, as he straightened his tie. “We destroyed the Meta-Gang one hour ago.”

“An action which I did not authorize,” the CEO replied with a frown, before forgetting Ryan’s existence and glancing at Alphonse instead. “Nor do I remember recalling you to New Rome either.”

“You forfeited any authority over me when you betrayed us all, Father,” Alphonse replied. “You wanted to stay in power so much, you would rather clone yourself than let us inherit?”

“Clone myself?” Hector Manada feigned ignorance.

“We have Psyshock in custody, father,” Enrique said. “He admitted everything. From your secret deal with Adam the Ogre to your mind-transferring project.”

Ryan knew it was probably a bluff, considering the timeline of events, but it worked like a charm. “Is that so?” Hector asked, glancing at the soldiers following his sons. The courier could almost see the gears turning in the CEO’s head, as he weighed his options.

“We have recordings, captured technicians, proof of monetary transactions,” Enrique continued. “Did you know the Meta-Gang had unearthed a Mechron base beneath Rust Town?”

Though he quickly corrected his expression, the CEO’s brief look of genuine surprise told Ryan that no, he didn’t. As the courier guessed, the Meta-Gang had planned to betray him from the start; take Dynamis’ Elixirs, until they could overthrow the company with Mechron’s weaponry.

“So you were a traitor and a fool,” Alphonse Manada said, with a grunt of disgust. He had noticed the look of surprise too. “You despise us so much?”

“Can you blame me, Alphonse?” Hector replied with a sneer. “Sometimes I truly wonder if you came from my loins. You and Augustus would have turned Italy into a bloody battlefield if I hadn’t sent you away.”

“So instead you sent Psychos to wage war for you?” Enrique asked, shaking his head. “I still remember what you told me when I welcomed Felix Veran into our fold. ‘Don’t rock the boat.’”

“Augustus’ influence needs to be constrained, but we can’t afford a direct confrontation,” Hector snapped back. “We have no means of getting rid of him permanently.”

“We do,” Alphonse said with confidence. “The Gravity Gun.”

“Your obsession with miracle weapons will be your undoing,” Hector lambasted his son. “If yours fails, we will have an invincible madman with nothing left to lose on our hands.”

“Augustus will never be satisfied,” Leonard Hargraves interrupted the conversation. “He wants nothing less than total dominion over Europe.”

“His delusions of grandeur mean nothing,” Hector scoffed. “You don’t know him like I do, Hargraves.”

Sunshine scoffed. “I have been sparring with Augustus long before you came to Italy, Mr. Manada. I know him well.”

“No, Hargraves, because if you did, you would have grasped a simple truth. With all his power, Augustus could have established himself as a god-king, written laws, but what does he do? Peddle drugs, launder money, corrupt existing infrastructures. At the end of the day, Augustus is just a gangster with cancer, and that’s all he will ever be.” The CEO shook his head in frustration. “Don’t you see that to win, we only have to outlast him? Let nature do its work.”

“And let countless suffer in the meantime?” Sunshine replied. “Assuming the next Augusti generation isn’t made of the same cloth?”

“Well, to be honest—” Ryan raised his hand to speak on behalf of Livia.

“The adults are talking, Quicksave,” Alphonse interrupted him.

“Then why are you here?” Ryan replied with a mocking tone, being far, far older than the VP. The nuclear-powered cyborg glared at him, but the courier wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.

“Enough,” Enrique said, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“And are you truly so different, Father?” Alphonse asked mockingly.

Hector’s expression turned into one of pure disgust. “You dare compare me to Augustus, my son? I am no saint, I confess, but I do not go around murdering people who never crossed me.”

“You raised us to believe Dynamis had a mission. To rebuild a better civilization, based on free-market, the rule of law, and individual freedom.” Alphonse’s voice turned bitter. “One that wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the pre-war nations. Yet all you have done is repeat the patterns of the past, and maintain a status quo unsuitable for mankind. One that benefits Augustus.”

Ryan realized he had met Fallout’s type elsewhere before. Disappointed idealists.

And as he listened to the man’s speech, he couldn’t help but be reminded of Livia’s own situation. Like her, the Manada were children disagreeing with their father’s rotten, rigid vision of the world. Unlike Livia though, who couldn’t escape Augustus’ grasp, the Manada siblings had decided to rebel.

Would it work though?

“That unsuitable status quo, as you call it, is the only one we have,” Hector replied angrily. “I’ve played with the cards dealt to me.”

“Whatever your reasons, you conspired with the Meta-Gang, provided them with company resources, and, willingly or not, nearly allowed Adam the Ogre to get his hands on Mechron technology,” Enrique pointed out. “We can’t let that slide, and neither will the Board.”

“I am the Board,” Hector replied with a frown.

Ryan couldn’t resist. “Not yet!”

“Alphonse and I have enough shares to force a vote, and you know the Board and other corporations will vote for your retirement,” Enrique said. “We have too much proof, and they can’t be seen cooperating with Psychos. Our image and reputation is our armor, but they are also our weaknesses.”

“And most importantly, we have the army,” Alphonse stated the obvious. “Do not think you can prevent what’s coming.”

scowl deepened. “You would harm me, my son? Your

to do?” Alphonse asked, lowering

a moment, before looking at his other child. “Et tu, Enrique? You

Enrique replied, “but dabbling with Psychos

“Enrique will be my vice-president, and we will clean up your mess. We will reforge Dynamis into what it should have been. A beacon that will rebuild civilization, one without Psychos, and certainly without Augustus. You may have

us, Mr. Manada.” Sunshine briefly ramped up the heat around him. “I promise you will not be harmed,

way out, Father,” Enrique pleaded, before glancing at Alphonse. “Or else… it will have

glanced at his sons, then at Leonard, and finally to the Private Security members

in

Hector Manada offered his hands in surrender. “You doom us all,

new dawn for Dynamis, Father,” Alphonse Manada

Hector Manada prophesied with quiet dignity, as soldiers

his father being carried away, the time-traveler realized he might have put someone far more dangerous in charge of Dynamis. “That’s it?” the

a hail of gunfire perhaps?” Il Migliore’s manager replied dryly. “Unlike Augustus, we do not shoot all of our problems. My father is many things,

going to imprison him on a

away from any form of power whatsoever.” Enrique looked at Ryan with disapproval. “This is what

Ryan had expected the change of power

villains were reasonable,” Leo Hargraves lamented. “So, it’s over. Now, we must decide what to do with the

be a transition of power, and I wish you to assist

do not work

replied with a hint of amusement. “Our goals are the same. We both want Augustus dragged off from his throne. Now that my father has been dealt with, it is time we focus on

Sun crossed his arms, the opportunity too great to pass

glared at Ryan next. “And I have had enough of your blatant

and prepared to leave, having done what he had set out to do. Besides, staying in Alphonse Manada’s company for too long would probably give

Sunshine bowed respectfully to the time-traveler. “There is something

won’t join your circus,” Ryan cut him off. “Too

of the Carnival, no, all of New Rome… thank you. Most people won’t know it, but your actions saved countless lives.

keep,” Ryan replied with a shrug.

was too noble

himself, Enrique personally decided to escort him to his car. “This isn’t the end, is it?” the courier asked Blackthorn. It didn’t feel like an ending at all. “It’s just the

brother is in charge, and he is not as… subtle as our father. If Augustus didn’t know we cooperated with Hargraves already, he will learn it soon. And even if it suffered heavy damage, that base below Rust Town contains

was the easy part,” Ryan mused, his mood turning from curious to slightly depressed.

your reaction to my brother’s speech,” Enrique said. “You seemed…

Bloodstream. “And even dead, his influence still holds a friend back. So when I looked at you

thankful. However, when Ryan put a hand on his Plymouth Fury’s door though, Blackthorn moved right in front of him. “You are not leaving yet,” the new

is there to say? Though if it’s for gardening lessons, I guess you could make an

in the bunker during the attack. One of the Meta-Gang’s members was found trapped in a

guess you should hire better people to do your ground

I understand,” Enrique said, ignoring the jab. “You were after this tech from

really.” Ryan’s thoughts turned to Jasmine. “If I told you the Meta-Gang caused the permanent

“People also saw you at a dinner with Livia

Ryan said, immediately sensing the danger. “Fortuna Veran isn’t my girlfriend. I have

told me a person matching the Augusti assassin Mortimer’s description came to your rescue against Acid Rain. You

allegiances to any faction.

I thought you were a better man than

“Aw, did you care?”

faults, Romano, you are a competent Genome with great potential. I would not have given you the time of a day if I didn’t believe it. You are a powerful fighter, a skilled

to be a lot more cutthroat, but… you seem rather honorable and well-meaning below the surface. You could do a lot more

do so much. We conquered the planet by sacrificing our individuality for collective strength. Though I do not share his methods, I agree with my brother’s mission statement. Dynamis may not always change

doubt it,” Ryan replied, before smiling behind his mask. “But I’m an optimist. People can

unintended consequences, the Meta-Gang’s defeat had put the time-traveler in a cheerful mood. After all the darkness of the previous failed run, this loop had

Romano. You are unpredictable, loyal to none, and probably the most dangerous individual I

“Thank you, Greenhand.”

pants’ pockets, the perfect picture of corporate confidence. “However, you probably prevented a disaster and saved Dynamis, in a roundabout way. So… while I hate to use the term, I will look the other way this once. You are no longer welcome in Il Migliore though; I cannot look past your ties to the Augusti. At least Felix burned

Ryan pointed a finger at the manager.

do my best to forget you even

return the feeling. I’m still going to visit my team in the hospital though. Spoiler warning, if you try to

you to say your goodbyes to your teammates unmolested, and I will wire you a generous compensation for your service.” Blackthorn locked eyes with Ryan through their respective masks. “But afterward, you and your sister

“Leave for where?”

but once his position is secure, my brother will

outlived his usefulness, but Shortie? Why were they so interested in her? “What is it you’re

he finally admitted. “But I cannot protect her forever. Alphonse

tone turned dangerous. “Is that a threat, Greenhand? Because as the Meta-Gang can attest, I’m very effective at killing weeds. Your

Strange as it may sound to you, I harbor no ill-will towards you or your family.” Blackthorn raised

it would be under circumstances far

halfway to the harbor, when he received a

asked

a hint

answered. Livia sighed with relief on the other end of the line. “He will recover, but they don’t allow

glad he is alive at all. I did not inform

sending Mr. Passe-Muraille. He didn’t help much, but it’s the thought

“I hope I won’t regret trusting you. You do work with

if it can reassure you, I’ve just

with us then? The

he reached the harbor. “I’m not sure if

rather than an unknown party. But we can discuss that when the situation becomes clearer. When do you think Felix can

I’m not sure you will even be able to visit

think Dynamis will prevent us

want to see you or his family.” No answer. “Hey, you can always try. If I’m right,

had fallen completely silent. Though he had only said the truth, Ryan regretted his bluntness. For a second, he had forgotten how emotionally fragile the woman truly was,

of the blue. “Not a fling, but true love? To the point that even though you

he noticed Len’s bathysphere near the old piers. “I came to New

understand,” she said with a sad chuckle, before gathering her breath. “You lived for centuries. Don’t you have wisdom

change,” the courier admitted, before considering it thoughtfully. “But sometimes, it’s better to learn to let go. You’ll

to see the wisdom in his words, but she didn’t appreciate it.

silent. His thoughts turned to the meeting with

“Ryan?”

nowhere. “They… talked it out and forced him into retirement.

need to elaborate. Livia could probably see the parallels with her own

Her regretful