The Perfect Run

“This is the Berlin Wall,” Ryan said, as he stood between his troops and a blast door, “the last frontier between western civilization, and complete annihilation.”

He glanced at his minions, all ready to die for their country, and because they had little choice. Sarin kept her arms crossed, carrying herself with dignity in this dark hour. Darkling lurked in a corner, still sore about its nickname. Alchemo grunted, eager to see the mission done. The rest of the cannon fodder, Gemini, the Reptilian, and Ink Machine waited anxiously; knowing that as red shirts, their odds of survival were slim.

The Land, Mosquito, and a few others remained above ground to protect the Junkyard. Rakshasa had the critical task of appeasing their ever-numerous rabbit overlords, before their numbers reached critical mass; a doomed task, unfortunately. As for Incognito, Ryan had sent him to Dynamis, to lay the groundwork for the run’s final operation.

The last member of the crack team soon showed up, holding a black briefcase. “It’s here, Mr. President,” Frank declared, as he presented the holy item to his dark master. “The Nuclear Football. It came with the mail.”

Ryan held his breath, as he touched the soft leather with anticipation. He had been careful to order it through a complex route, so the sender wouldn’t learn her client’s identity, but his efforts had paid off. At long last, the courier’s diabolical plan had reached fruition.

“What’s that, Boss?” Sarin asked, a bit confused. “A secret weapon?”

“The only one that matters.”

Ryan stopped time, and when it resumed, his clothes had fallen on the floor except for the boxers. His display of manliness was welcomed with surprise and shock. “Oh my…” Ink Machine said, a bit surprised.

“Not again, you exhibitionist!” Alchemo complained. “If you lead us to battle naked, I’m taking the door!”

“Eh,” Sarin said, as she glanced at Ryan’s boxers. “I’ve seen bigger weapons of mass destruction.”

The president ignored the masses, as he slowly opened the briefcase and gazed upon the dark power within.

Wardrobe’s presidential costume.

Unlike his previous clothes, it was pure black and red; this time, there would be no more playing around. This suit was unlike anything Ryan’s foes had faced before: unrelenting, merciless, uncompromising.

Ryan slowly and silently put it on before his troops, to establish his stylish dominance over them.

The dark pants first, because it was cold in the bunker. They fit his body curves perfectly, and oozed villainous sex appeal.

Then he put on the black leather boots, to stomp protesters’ faces. With skull-themed socks.

A cashmere red shirt and black suit, Karl Lagerfeld style. Because when you embraced the dark side, you dressed German.

A strong and powerful necktie, to represent his authoritarian, unflinching leadership.

Velvet gloves, to choke his minions when they talked back.

A black jacket, that would flow with the wind when he looked threatening atop rooftops.

A red and silver mask covered most of his head, except for the eyes, so that his evil gaze may terrify children.

And finally, a savage bowler hat, to show he meant business.

No light. No hope. Only one word.

“Perfect,” Ryan said, deepening his voice to sound more intimidating.

His men remained too intimidated to say anything, except for the idiot of the group. “I don’t find it anything special,” the Reptilian said. “And I think it’s a bit too edg—”

In response, Ryan choked him with one hand.

It had taken him years to master this move, but the sudden lack of air and blood brought the Reptilian to his knees. The mook attempted to grab the president’s arm with his hands, but the lawful authority only strengthened his grip around his victim’s throat.

“I find your lack of taste disturbing,” Ryan said, his tone promising only death.

“I’m… I’m sorry…” the Reptilian managed to sputter, his reptilian face turning purple.

“I’m sorry who, handbag?”

“I’m sorry… Mr. President…”

Ryan released the protester, and let him gasp for breath. He glanced at the other Psychos, who all straightened up. Frank carefully grabbed the president’s old clothes and put them in the briefcase.

“Alright then, mooks, listen up,” Ryan addressed his troops, as he put his trusty coil gun around his belt, and the Fisty Brothers on top of his velvet gloves. “Our goal is to reach the base’s mainframe thanks to a shortcut, and allow our brain-dead friend to hook up with it.”

“I’m not—”

“Are you questioning my authority?” Ryan asked Alchemo. “Because I respect freedom of speech.”

The Genius glanced at the Reptilian, who had barely recovered from the choking. “Two years,” Alchemo said, “and it’s still the same nonsense.”

“I love democracy.” Ryan promptly continued with his explanations. “Your job is to make sure he reaches his destination. Frank and Darkling will force a path forward, and we’ll follow suit.”

The steel giant immediately made a salute, having put the briefcase aside. “Yes, Mr. President.”

No answer from his back-up though.

“Darkling? Darkling?” Ryan glanced at his favorite ball of black goo. “Darkling, are you giving me the silent treatment?”

“... my name not Darkling...” the slime answered unconvincingly, its countless eyes looking away.

“Then what is it?” the president asked smugly.

“... not Darkling.”

Alright, Not-Darkling it was.

but let’s be honest, a Psycho’s life is nasty, brutish, and short.” Ryan put his hands

of the circumstances that made it possible wouldn’t repeat, from Psyshock going to the past, Sarin acting as a guard, or Darkling using Ghoul as a vessel at the right time. Nor could the

the first time since Ryan had started looping, this

the shortcut itinerary suggested by Nora, Ryan expected to face heavy resistance. Big Fat Adam had lost most of his men reaching the mainframe, after all, which meant that

Ryan hadn’t gotten this far without taking risks, and Len needed

and raised his coil gun, “Sarin, be a

I’ll show you a vibrator...” His second-in-command raised her hands, and blasted the steel door away with a mighty

welcomed with a

pushed her out of the way before a stray ray could hit her. On the other side of the broken door, the courier glimpsed a squadron of cyclopean androids, each firing rays from their single

Frank immediately shouted as time resumed, before bull-rushing the robot squadron. The giant crushed anything

and Alchemo remained at their formation’s center, with the Psychos forming an escort around

All hell broke loose.

opened to reveal twin miniguns on each side. A volley hit Ink Machine by surprise, but her liquid body caused the

with his coil gun. Thankfully, the projectiles were powerful enough to perforate

with shockwaves, with the Reptilian tackling any tin can approaching her too closely. Ink Machine leaped around the room and used her liquid form to

an ethereal woman of shining light at first glance, Ryan had realized the truth upon closer examination: her tentacled shadow was the real her,

the corridor’s lights suddenly increased in luminosity. Two robots moved their pitch-black shadows

machines a few minutes to guess the nature of her power and figure out a counter. They had also realized that Frank could absorb metal on touch, and switched from trying to dogpile him to

moved, avoiding friendly fire, and coordinating almost perfectly… they weren’t individual units,

as a key target; perhaps because Ryan and

attacking robots to protecting the Genius. The ooze swirled around Alchemo like a barrier

on Ryan. Five robots unleashed a volley of lasers in his direction, and a

identify me as the leader until I opened my mouth?” Ryan taunted them while he activated his power. He leaped out of the lasers’ way in the frozen time, before smashing the sixth robot’s chest in with Fisty. “Haven’t you looked at my

him. Ryan angrily retaliated by shooting down the machines holding Gemini with

rampage and smashed through the next door. The new room beyond the hallway took the shape of a large dome, with the ceiling

at the beautiful spectacle, as small holes opened all over the dome. Eye-shaped drones flew through, and opened fire

above their heads brightened, the illusory sun turning supernova and unleashing a blinding light. Blast doors on the walls opened and more

his metal body shrugging off lasers easily enough. Unfortunately, his lack

resorted to stopping time, both to push his second-in-command out of a bullet’s path

with greater numbers. Eight robots grabbed the Psycho’s shadow from all sides,

laser beams. The liquid Psycho dissipated into colored steam, her body unable to stand

avoided death so far by

spot!” Ryan pointed at his left once he had a brief respite, near a junction between the dome’s wall and the floor. “The structural weakness should

targeting the spot with shockwaves. Cracks slowly began to appear on the floor, the metal foundations floundering

Alchemo, Ryan, and the Reptilian. Only Frank was left out, but he clearly didn’t need help. Eventually, Hazmat Girl blew a wide

to the

full general mode, barked orders. “Reptilian, with us!” he

a potato sack before jumping into the void. Frank and Darkling

some with their organs floating in colored liquid; while they had human features, the creatures’ limbs were unnaturally long, and part of their faces had been replaced

A Genome research lab.

what Ryan guessed to be Elixirs. The Reptilian, in

next?” Sarin asked, pointing at

wall, right behind a green vat. If they collapsed it,

moved in front of a steel panel, and released colored gas from her fingers. The wall rusted at an accelerated rate while Ryan raised his eyes at

senses allowed him to notice slight

Ryan said, pushing the Genius closer to Sarin. “Reptilian, hold the line. It’s time to die for your

rather avoid that, Mr. President,” the reptile

choking

hands at the front. Crimson liquid swirled inside the vat, as an energy bolt raced through the substance; Ryan could see a

pointed a hand at the Psycho, and a crimson glow lifted

was a telekinetic Genome. A true telekinetic, capable of applying force to anything with Red Flux

The scene reminded Ryan of a mosquito being crushed

had turned its attention towards Ryan, raising a steel hand in his

moving away from his current position and firing a shot. The coil gun’s projectile bounced off the strange glass protecting the red

which answered by trying to slam him against a wall. Only the courier’s use of time-stop and enhanced

telekinetically ripping out steel panels from the walls, and throwing

no fun to banter with a mindless machine. The courier might as well be

the joints, snapping it in half with Fisty. He hoped it would disrupt its telekinesis; the courier couldn’t afford smashing the glass container in close combat, or he might risk being drenched in Elixir. The arm fell off when time resumed, but the robot instantly retaliated by trying to impale the

had been fashioned for war, and didn’t rupture

Alchemo. The courier tried to follow, but the machine attempted to grind him into paste with its remaining arm. Though the time-traveler managed to activate his time-stop and move

through the ceiling’s hole, and fell directly on

the machine’s telekinesis like Alphonse Manada’s radiation. The shoggoth dissolved the Red

said as he fled into the

command room, crimson lights and screens flickering above his head. A red forcefield shielded the central, biomechanical brain, which Alchemo desperately attempted to bypass. Sarin, meanwhile, struggled to hit

friend,” Ryan told Sarin, as he reloaded his coil gun and opened fire at a turret. A projectile went through the

a bull, forcefully aiming it at the other weapons in the room. A hail of bullets flew across the room once time resumed, but the

released her gas at the metal pedestal holding the giant brain; part of it rusted, and caused the forcefield to short-out. Alchemo immediately used the opportunity to climb on the biomechanical

with his syringe-fingers and connecting to the alien machinery. Blue lightning raced through Alchemo’s exposed brain, his

a single shot. The one that Ryan had seized deactivated,

glancing at the turrets as if expecting them to open

lukewarm. “I’m changing the admin privileges and

hear tremors or gunfire,” Ryan said, “so

but the

the mainframe showed videos of the bunker’s rooms, from the recreational area to the holographic observatory. Frank had piled up a hill of robots at the center, which somewhat obscured the camera’s vision of the room. Other screens showed underground