The Perfect Run

It had been two loops since Ryan last met Vulcan in the flesh. The sight of her mech descending from above filled him with nostalgia, and longing.

Ryan stood in front of the bunker’s entrance, as Vulcan landed her vehicle atop a pile of trash. She climbed out of her metal suit, stood atop it like a pintsized conqueror, and smirked. “I love what you’ve done with the place,” she told Ryan, after giving a cursory glance at the Junkyard.

Mechron’s mech guarded the entrance while surrounded by burning helicopters; all of them bearing Dynamis’ logo. And yet, Ryan didn’t pay much attention to them. He only had eyes for this fierce woman, who once saved him from Hannifat Lecter at this very spot. His heart had beat for her then, and it still did so today.

“What’s wrong?” Vulcan asked, amused. “Have you fallen for me at first sight?”

“Even if I disappear…” she had said, all but pleading. “Promise you won’t forget me.”

It hurt just like the first day.

“Something like that,” the courier lied, before making a mock reverence to hide his saddened gaze. “Welcome to my humble abode, Miss Sharif. You didn’t have any problem bypassing the blockade?”

“I designed Dynamis’ anti-aerial weapons.” Vulcan shrugged, as she climbed down from her mech to join him. “They’re far too slow for me. So are your defenses, for that matter.”

“Try me!” Vulcan’s head snapped at Mechron’s scorpion mech, as a cheerful voice came out of it. “Fastest toaster in the west!”

Vulcan studied the mech with renewed interest. “I thought Mechron made sure his slave AIs couldn’t talk back?”

“We uploaded a new personality matrix worthy of this mighty machine,” Ryan explained, tapping one of the mech’s legs. “One perfect for the job.”

“I’m a toaster, I burn stuff,” the mech replied. “I’m pretty one-dimensional in what I want.”

It was the best kind of minion. The one that loved its dirty work.

With the Land dealing with any intruders on the ground with quakes, and Toasty bombarding any flyer, the Private Security’s haphazardous attempts at raiding Rust Town had failed miserably. Eventually, they simply decided to besiege the district. A ring of tanks and soldiers prevented anyone from moving in or out, and warships blockaded the harbor; in theory, nothing short of a teleporter would allow the Meta-Gang to escape.

A pity Dynamis didn’t know about the bunker’s underwater access. Ryan had carefully edited it out of the plans he sent to Nora, in case she connected the dots. Dynamis would devote all its resources to besieging Rust Town, leaving their HQ vulnerable to a sneak attack.

The fear of Ryan’s A-bombs would keep the megacorporation from attempting anything drastic, but only for a short while. Eventually, they would figure out a way to neutralize his weaponry, but by then it would be too late.

“Still, I’m surprised you showed up,” Ryan admitted, as he invited Vulcan inside the bunker. “Associating with us won’t be good for your reputation.”

“A deal is a deal,” the Genius replied with a smirk. “And a man humiliating that bitch Wyvern in front of the entire city is a man after my own heart.”

“If I don’t make it, go to Laura. Because she’s so fucking perfect!”

And it took New Rome’s destruction for them to bury the hatchet.

“Perhaps I can make the deal even sweeter?” Ryan raised his hat, and drew an A-bomb from it.

Vulcan raised an eyebrow at the courier, but accepted the gift gracefully. The happy face she made whenever he offered her this bomb delighted Ryan. “Are you trying to bribe me?”

“Yes,” the president replied, knowing she would love it. “Is it working?”

“I dunno,” she answered with a laugh, playing with the beautiful metal ball. “Mine are bigger than yours.”

“You haven’t seen my full arsenal,” Ryan replied, unable to resist. “I polish it every day.”

Vulcan smirked coyly. “I only believe what I see.”

Damn it.

Ryan could tell that if he put on the charm, Vulcan would fall for him again. They shared a natural, playful chemistry, the same love of big bombs and innuendos. Holding her in his arms and kissing her would feel like going home to his wife, after a long trip. It would feel just right.

“Don’t replace me with another Jasmine.”

And yet, Ryan had made a promise to Jasmine, his Jasmine, and would abide by her wish. Even if no one would hold the courier responsible if he broke his promise… he respected his old girlfriend enough not to betray her last request.

If only he had completed the brain-transfer machine before… before that cursed loop.

“Make sure this disaster never happens again, okay? Kill that fatass.”

At least he followed through with that promise.

Ryan led his ex-girlfriend down into the corridors overseeing the bunker’s hangars. Vulcan stopped at the repaired glass windows, observing the submarine and the tech gathered here. “A full Mechron base, right below our feet,” she whistled, as Ryan gave her a tour of the facility. “You really hit the jackpot.”

Ryan pitched her the benefits of her new workplace. “You just put

from me exactly?” she asked, putting a hand on her waist. “Because I doubt you contacted me to build a teddy

their power. They lure you into a false sense of security, and then

to take over the city? Trade the nuclear bombs for teddy

the more her wit pulled him in. “Well, if you want to

finally overcome most of the mainframe’s remaining firewalls, giving the group access to Mechron’s key

a Genome radiates with biomechanical implants. The underlying theory is the same as with your power

of genuine Elixirs. Though they weren’t sentient unlike Darkling or genuine Elixirs,

Genius had gone a step farther than the Manadas. Though they lacked an innate connection to the color dimensions, his Knockoffs could create microscopic portals to them with sufficient mechanical support. By channeling the Flux energy it generated and using data gathered from an existing Genome, Mechron’s machines could crudely imitate the template’s

Mechron had started experimenting with biomechanical warbeasts capable of great destruction. His artificial Elixirs needed a lot more technical support to function than the originals…

madman lived a few more years. If he had

Knockoffs were pale imitations of true Elixirs, and far less efficient.

power armor,” Vulcan guessed, grinning with excitement. “Something

Ryan knew his favored spitfire could create a magnum opus.

Len’s help for it, and his

once they reached the recreation area. Sarin, Acid Rain, Mosquito, and a few others had gathered in front of a TV post put on the bar counter, watching

day

don’t. There is

had been Jasmine’s last words, and they summed

“They’re going to talk

TV screen. Obviously, Hector Manada denied everything and tried a silent campaign, enforcing a newsban to cover up Ryan’s revelations. But the

PR specialists. Of course, Wardrobe always dressed chic, a pillar of culture among fashion disasters. Felix’s claw marks had healed, but he didn’t bother to hide his frustration. As for Wyvern, her face was utterly

explosions continue, children

more incidents across town. Tensions were at an all-time high, Dynamis was stretched thin, and people

place on a stage and face an army of

isn’t corrupt,” Ryan said, “just

at him in response. “Who told you

Jasmine.

person by the end. Jasmine had been willing to give up her grudge, but Vulcan wouldn’t move

as Wyvern addressed the crowd and all of New Rome. She of course condemned the Meta-Gang’s ‘terrorist threat’, promised retribution she couldn’t deliver, said everything was

you have wondered if the images shown on this so-called Mr. President’s video were genuine,” Wyvern said, her expression stoic and professional. “Or if his accusations about

braced himself for

“They are.”

if she had lost her mind. Clearly, her outburst was entirely unscripted.

superhero’s revelations. Perhaps he had wanted to say such things for a long time, but never had

so restrained though. The young kitten simply walked away from the press conference,

an organization capable of something so terrible. As such… I am permanently stepping down from my position as Il Migliore’s leader, though I will continue to cooperate with them against

was met with an explosion of questions from the reporters, and a

simply

“All according to keikaku.”

and tasked them to repair the place. The Genome research lab where Ryan had fought Mechron’s spider mech was no different.

her helmet, and grinded her teeth together as a mechanical arm gathered a

her well-being. He could tell from experience that Alchemo had no problem roughing up

covering her naked arm with her sleeve once the machine was

no side-effects. A cure for the Psycho syndrome would potentially allow anyone to do the same, causing an

father said we had been chosen

said, as results appeared on the

charmed smile, as she accepted his help with aristocratic grace. She didn’t let it go even once she had risen up from

what the meat said! Now stop barking, and look. We will make

the screen. A woman’s bio-scan appeared, representing the skeleton and major organs; spots of orange and violet colors flared all over the body, like oil and water pushing

results?” Ryan asked, Acid Rain

fifty percent of her DNA, and they conflict. Sometimes the Orange Elixir affects

Genius uploaded a second picture, which Ryan assumed represented Livia’s bio-signs. The Augusti princess was almost entirely blue in color, with a slight spot of violet near the ears and brain. Unlike the previous

“Most of her genetic code has been affected by the Blue Elixir, to the point she might appear as a mono-color Genome at

Blue Elixir

pointing a syringe-finger at the purple spot. “However, around two point five percent of her DNA has been rewritten by the second, Violet Elixir. Both substances are remarkably stable,

or fusing. “The million dollar question being why this happened,” Ryan said. “And why only two point five

the obvious?” Alchemo asked with smug confidence, happy to see the solution which had evaded the courier for

sure you will enlighten me, oh great keeper

the taunt, too high on his superior position as a teacher. “The original Elixirs were meant to bond with humans. With

succeeded by creating a workaround,” Ryan muttered. “Using technology

had been on the right track?” Braindead