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.

nasty, brutish, and short.” Ryan put

a little anxious about this operation. Many of the circumstances that made it possible wouldn’t repeat, from Psyshock going to the past, Sarin acting as a guard, or Darkling

since Ryan had started looping,

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 the things on the other side could kill Genomes. One laser to the head, a single

gotten this far without taking

raised his coil

show you a vibrator...” His second-in-command raised her hands, and blasted the steel door

was immediately welcomed with a

Sarin, and 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

squadron. The giant

remained at their formation’s center, with the Psychos forming an escort around the two of

All hell broke loose.

as the walls opened to reveal twin miniguns on each side. A volley hit

time and shot both weapons with his coil gun. Thankfully, the projectiles were powerful enough to perforate the turrets,

Ink Machine leaped around the room and used her liquid form to seep inside a robot and take it over, using it as a metal

ethereal woman of shining light at first glance, Ryan had realized the truth upon closer examination: her tentacled shadow was the real her, and the shining woman a mere illusion. And that shadow could kill. When it hit the robots’

the corridor’s lights suddenly increased in luminosity. Two robots moved their

few minutes to guess the nature of her power and figure out a counter. They had also realized that Frank could absorb

avoiding friendly fire, and coordinating almost perfectly… they weren’t individual units, but a hivemind’s

that same intelligence had identified Alchemo as a key target; perhaps because Ryan and the others

shoggoth immediately switching from attacking robots to protecting the Genius. The ooze swirled around Alchemo like a barrier without touching

Ryan. Five robots unleashed a volley of lasers in

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.

by shooting down the machines holding Gemini with his coil gun, freeing

next door. The new room beyond the hallway took the shape of a large dome, with the ceiling layered with holographic projections representing the

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

sun turning supernova and unleashing a blinding light. Blast doors on the walls opened and more cyclopean androids walked through, an unrelenting tide of

metal body shrugging off lasers easily enough. Unfortunately, his lack of range prevented him from hitting the floating eyes, leaving the task to Sarin and

courier eventually resorted to stopping time, both to push his second-in-command

with greater numbers. Eight robots grabbed the Psycho’s shadow from all sides, and then started dismembering her.

laser beams. The

only avoided death so far by

he had a brief respite, near a junction between the dome’s wall

that!” Sarin complained, but obeyed all the same. Her gauntlets vibrated, and she started targeting the spot with shockwaves. Cracks slowly began to appear on the floor, the metal foundations

a defensive wall around her, Alchemo, Ryan, and the Reptilian.

path to

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

Frank and Darkling moved

his allies landed in a strange, ghastly gallery of vats and glass containers. Each of them contained half-formed humanoid bodies, some with their organs floating in colored liquid;

A Genome research lab.

filled the vats with what Ryan guessed to be Elixirs. The Reptilian, in particular, could barely restrain

Sarin asked, pointing at two blast doors. “Left

steel wall, right behind a green

rate while Ryan raised his eyes at the hole above his head. Thankfully, Darkling had wisely sealed the hole with its body,

President!” The Reptilian shouted, his hands on the ground. Apparently, his enhanced senses allowed him to notice slight vibrations. “I

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

rather avoid that,

mimic a choking motion, and the

six steely spider legs, with two mechanical hands at the front. Crimson liquid swirled inside the vat, as an energy bolt raced through the substance; Ryan

at the robot, but never reached his target. The machine pointed a hand

machine was a telekinetic Genome. A true telekinetic, capable of applying force to

scene reminded Ryan of a mosquito being crushed by a flyswatter, the mangled body falling on the

had turned its attention towards Ryan, raising

away from his current position and firing a shot. The coil gun’s projectile bounced off the strange glass protecting the red substance, much to the time-traveler's

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

panels

The courier might as well be speaking to a wall, so he focused on avoiding the projectiles

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

fashioned for war, and didn’t rupture

with its remaining arm. Though the time-traveler managed

chose that moment to slither through the ceiling’s

negating the machine’s telekinesis like Alphonse Manada’s radiation. The shoggoth dissolved the Red Elixir inside the vat, absorbing the liquid

dark friend!” Ryan said as he fled into the tunnel,

way into the bunker’s command room, crimson lights and screens flickering above his head. A red forcefield shielded

he reloaded his coil gun and opened fire

Then, he started riding it like a bull, forcefully aiming it at the other weapons in the room. A hail of bullets flew across the

Ryan provided suppressing fire, the Chernobyl cosplayer 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

and connecting to the alien machinery. Blue lightning raced through Alchemo’s exposed brain, his nervous system directly

stopped firing a single shot. The one that Ryan had seized deactivated, much to his disappointment.

it over?” Sarin asked, glancing at the turrets as if expecting them to

lukewarm. “I’m changing the admin privileges and ID credentials, so it registers us

hear tremors or gunfire,” Ryan said, “so I would call

have lost a few redshirts, but the information

answer the courier’s thoughts, the screens around 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