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.”

matter replicator,” Ryan pitched her the benefits of her new workplace. “You just put in the design and the necessary material, and bam!

what weapon do you want from me exactly?” she asked, putting a hand

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

that your plan to take over the city? Trade the nuclear

The more Vulcan spoke, the more her wit pulled him in. “Well, if you want to know, we’ve figured out how

most of the mainframe’s remaining firewalls, giving the group access to Mechron’s key files.

but long story short, Mechron found ways to streamline the Flux energy a Genome

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

Knockoffs could create microscopic portals to them with sufficient mechanical

of his life, Mechron had started experimenting with biomechanical warbeasts capable of

shuddered at what Mechron could have achieved, had the madman lived a few more years. If he had perfected his Elixirs

less efficient. So Mechrons’ AIs had gone further,

Vulcan guessed, grinning

cashmere poncho over it.” By combining data from both sources and the bunker’s advanced technology, Ryan knew his favored spitfire could

and his best friend still

area. Sarin, Acid Rain, Mosquito, and a few others had gathered in front of a TV

the day I was

There

summed her up perfectly. She always gave it

called him. “They’re going to talk about

denied everything and tried a silent campaign, enforcing a newsban to cover up Ryan’s revelations.

entrance, accompanied by Enrique ‘Blackthorn‘ Manada and 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 blank

news ticker, each information worse than the last. ‘Unexplained explosions continue, children still missing after daycare attack; the Private Security refused

were at an all-time high,

on a stage and

Ryan said, “just

frowned at him in response. “Who

Jasmine.

much she had changed as a person by the end. Jasmine had been willing to give up her grudge,

as Wyvern addressed the crowd and all of New Rome. She of course

on this so-called Mr. President’s video were genuine,” Wyvern said, her expression stoic

courier braced

“They are.”

as if she had lost her mind. Clearly, her outburst was entirely unscripted. Even Vulcan opened her

remained as still as a statue, and made no move to interrupt the superhero’s revelations. Perhaps he had wanted to say such things

wasn’t so restrained though. The young kitten simply walked away from the press conference, and

remain with 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

declaration was met with an explosion of questions from the reporters,

simply

“All according to keikaku.”

bunker, he had set the robots to maintenance duties and tasked them to repair the place. The Genome research lab where Ryan had fought Mechron’s spider mech was no different. Though the machines hadn’t yet filled the ceiling hole created by Darkling, they cleaned up

chair which Adam used to restrain him. The Augusti princess had removed her helmet, and grinded her teeth together as a mechanical arm gathered a few drops of blood from her left arm. Braindead had connected to a large computer system

asked Livia, worried for her well-being. He could tell from experience that Alchemo had no problem

not regret it,” Livia said, covering her naked arm with her sleeve once the machine was done. “This information

become the warlord of Italy by virtue of having two powerful abilities with no side-effects. A cure for the Psycho syndrome would potentially allow anyone to do the same, causing an arms’ race. “Even you must be curious about your special status,” the courier pointed

with a smile. “My father said we had been chosen

as results appeared on the screen. “How

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

Now stop

looking at the screen. A woman’s bio-scan appeared, representing the skeleton and major organs; spots of orange

shows Helen’s results?” Ryan asked, Acid Rain having served as

of her Elixirs rewrote around fifty percent of her DNA, and they conflict. Sometimes the Orange Elixir affects fifty-one percent of her body, sometimes forty-nine… The exact

Genius uploaded a second picture, which Ryan assumed represented Livia’s bio-signs. The Augusti princess was almost entirely blue in color, with

code has been affected by

took the Blue Elixir

nodded, before 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, and do not overwrite

correct, at least partly. Livia’s powers coexisted without conflicting or fusing. “The million dollar question being why this happened,” Ryan said. “And why only

happy to see the solution which had evaded the

I’m sure you will enlighten me, oh great keeper

a teacher. “The original Elixirs were meant to bond with humans. With Homo Sapiens. So far, all attempts to

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

if… what if they had been on the right track?” Braindead mused.