The Perfect Run

Len put her hand on the aquarium, and Bloodstream’s putrid eyes looked at her. The sight filled Ryan with scorn and disgust.

“How?” the courier asked, his own breath shortening, a sharp pain around his neck. Even after all these years… even after all these years, he still remembered his adoptive father’s hands tightening around his throat. It was true what they said. You never forgot your first. “How…”

“Uncontrolled Psycho mutations,” Dr. Tyrano answered with a shrug, misunderstanding the question. “The vice-president refused to feed him Genomes, so his genetic code kept degrading into something utterly alien. The human part simply couldn’t keep up with the powers after a while.”

A thought crossed Ryan’s mind: that this was the fate that awaited all Psychos, if they couldn’t stave off the decay. The Elixirs reshaped their bodies into something inhuman. Something better suited to contain the unlimited energies of the colored dimensions.

Was Bloodstream even sentient anymore? Did an ember of humanity remain, or were only the Elixirs left? Did he recognize his daughter, or the smell of her blood?

“Is he…” Shortie’s voice sounded so shaken, so weak, that Ryan could barely hear her words. “Is my father… is my father in there?”

“We chemically neutered the creature years ago, and he stopped all attempts at communication afterward,” Dr. Tyrano replied with no tact whatsoever. He might have been a Genius, but social relationships clearly weren’t his specialty.

“How could you… how could you do this?” Len hissed, looking at the mad scientist. “There… there was a man inside!”

“Not quite, management flagged him as a company asset,” Tyrano said, completely missing the point.

Ryan moved towards the computer panel hooked to the aquarium, his Saturn armor easily hacking into the closed system. Data showed up on his lenses, from biological analyses, to reports of Knockoff testing. The courier quickly confirmed that Dynamis had Bloodstream in custody since 2016; Tyrano cloned him from samples taken after the Psycho raided a company warehouse.

Ryan also noticed a folder called ‘Monster Girl Project’, which he refused to open. He had the feeling it would traumatize him for all loops to come.

Most importantly though, Ryan learned that Dr. Tyrano used an encrypted email system to discuss with others, mainly his lawyers. The courier memorized the access codes, so he could directly contact the deranged Genius in a future loop.

“Why… why did you want me?” Len asked, pointing her water rifle at Tyrano. The dino maniac raised his hands in surrender. “What was the point?”

“Because your father implanted a foreign agent inside your blood cells, and it causes the Knockoff to react violently on contact,” Tyrano confessed. “Since the old agent inside your blood precedes the chemical neutering, synthesis creates a new substance capable of resisting it. Our consumers inevitably… reverse.”

A polite way to say they transformed into Bloodstream clones.

“I petitioned management to study you in-depth and reduce risks of reversion, but Mr. Enrique kept vetoing my proposal,” the scientist complained. It made the courier respect Blackthorn a bit more than before.

“Here’s the million-dollar question then,” Ryan said, glancing at the bloody shoggoth floating in its aquarium. “How do we kill this thing?”

Len flinched. “Riri…”

“Len, your father is gone,” Ryan argued, waving a gloved hand at the Psycho-in-a-can. “He’s not even human anymore.”

“You said… you said you could find a cure for Psychos!” she protested.

“I think we can cure humans of their mutations, not turn tomato juice into a Homo Sapien.” Ryan watched, as Len’s weapon shook from her trembling hands. “I’m reading the analysis reports right now, and he shares less than fifty percent of his DNA with humans now. Bananas are closer to us than he is.”

Even with all the time in the world, which Ryan had, they would need a Genome with a miracle solution power. Besides, the courier had no intention of wasting so much time on helping that irredeemable monster. He had raided this lab to confirm Bloodstream’s survival, but the boogeyman that haunted his childhood appeared long gone.

Ryan would have given all his money to see Len’s reaction beneath her helmet. She stood still for a moment, before lowering her head and weapon both. She didn’t say a word, as she registered her friend’s words. Perhaps she always knew it would end like this, remaining in denial until she had the facts laid before her eyes.

The father she loved died years ago.

“I don’t suppose you have a cure for Knockoffs?” Ryan asked Tyrano.

“Of course we have a cure,“ the mad Genius protested, much to the courier’s surprise. “Do you think we’re criminally negligent?”

“You turned a monster into a drink!” Ryan replied bluntly. “You’re worse than Pepsi!”

“But the risks of reversion and health issues approach zero, as long as only one dose is used!”

“Which is exactly why I’m nationalizing this place and confiscating all its assets. Including you.”

“You can’t nationalize a perso—”

“I’m President of the United States of America, which is basically the world,” Ryan interrupted him. “We’re nationalizing you, and your cure. How does it work?”

The scientist opened his mouth to protest further, until Ryan pointed at his chest weapon. Ah, the perks of a monopoly on force...

“I developed an injection-based neutralizing agent, which attacks the Bloodstream cells and repairs the target’s genetic code back to its pre-consumption state,” Dr. Scalie admitted. “A stronger variant of the formula can be injected inside the aquarium in case of a containment breach. It destroys the Knockoffs entirely.”

“But not Alchemist-made Elixirs?” Ryan asked for confirmation, the Genius shaking his head. It made sense. Bloodstream-based Knockoffs remained mutated Psycho cells in the end, while true Elixirs were alien entities beyond conventional biology. “If your cure only works through injections, then what happens if multiple Knockoff-users revert at the same time? Even if you destroy the original source, it won’t erase the substance inside all your customers.”

“The risk of a mass-reversion is nonexistent,” Tyrano replied with a shrug, tempting fate.

These guys had no plan at all. Dynamis’ criminal negligence defied comprehension. “Alright, in that case, you’re surrendering that cure, and coming with us to Area 51.”

The dinosaur squinted. “Area 51?”

“A Mechron base, if you want to be technical.” Since Ryan knew the location of others, they could always retreat there to research a cure for the Psycho condition. He had made a promise to Sa—Bianca, and would keep it. “We can make safer Knockoffs than the bottled slimes you harvest here. Elixirs that follow health-safety protocols.”

“A Mechron base?” The Genius’ eyes lit up in interest. He couldn’t resist the lure of a Mechron-made lab. “You know what? I am under contract not to work for the competition, but if you abduct me I won’t resist too much. I think kidnapping counts as force majeure?"

“In my case? It’s an Act of God.” Ryan defended religious tolerance, but only for his own cult. “Now, where is your Bloodstream vaccine? We’re euthanizing him on our way out.”

Len didn’t even respond, much to Ryan’s surprise. He had expected her to fight back his decision, but finding the truth had shaken her to the core.

Ryan downloaded the Bloodstream vaccine’s data, to use in a future loop. Now, they had to figure out a way to leave the building with Tyrano, if possible. Since Ryan knew about the encrypted emails and confirmed Bloodstream’s survival, he could always contact the scientist in the future and optimize the Lab Sixty-Six raid.

His armor’s sensors suddenly noticed a sharp increase in temperature.

down!” Ryan shouted, but his friend didn’t listen. She gazed at the aquarium without a word, lost in

walls melted

debris blocking the path outside. Ryan covered his helmet with his hand, as a

of nuclear flames. But he wasn’t alone. A small troop of men in power armor followed him, led by none other than his brother Blackthorn. Vines and moss covered the Il Migliore manager’s armor like a second protective layer, and he alone carried no firearm. Still, he didn’t look happy

as his men raised their weapons at Len and Ryan. The courier

end, you’ll see,” his brother replied, lying to himself. “As for father… he

Ryan and Len, but didn’t open fire. The risk of breaching the aquarium was too

Ryan said, moving closer to Len while Tyrano hid behind his computer. “I’ve still got the A-bomb in my backpack. If you want a

calling the bluff. “I don’t understand what you intended to do here,

but they could bypass him

his friend didn’t

“Shortie?”

at the aquarium, and

vainly raised a hand to tell them to stop; their lasers were frozen in midair, so the courier tackled Len to the ground out of their

Ryan couldn’t finish his sentence, as he took a good look

could only see thick black blood wriggling behind the

Bloodstream in horror, the monster’s putrid eyes staring at his daughter with sinister intensity. While the creature was no longer sentient, his proximity triggered the infection inside Shortie and

roar. Len’s visor exploded, blood tendrils coming out of it and forcing Ryan to

and shed tears of

to take a few steps as Len’s tendrils joined

as wide as TV screens, and porous

wished he could erase his memory at will, as he watched Len’s armor absorbed into the ooze she once called a father. The ogre

extended his vines to bring Tyrano to safety, but too late. Red slime drowned the scientist, and Alphonse had to use an atomic blast to keep the monster at bay. The

to Ryan. Those glistening alien eyes showed neither intelligence nor a sign of recognition; only hunger. The mind had deteriorated beyond

become

and shattering their visors. The Knockoffs in their circulatory system had started reverting, though Ryan didn’t know how far

to himself, a disturbing thought crossing

white substance in the room, probably Tyrano’s vaccine. But the liquid failed to affect the empowered Bloodstream, the mutated horror turning into

his cooldown period ended, and fled as fast as he

an energy shield around his brother and himself, repelling both the tidal wave of blood and his own men. Ryan glanced at Tyrano, but the man had

themselves. Ryan couldn’t take the risk of Bloodstream getting past his armor. If the monster somehow managed to take him over and corrupt

to finish the memory transfer. “I gotta get back,” he whispered to himself,

dead allies beneath tons of rubble: though Alphonse Manada had successfully melted a path. With the ceiling gone, acid raindrops were falling on the ground from a hole above. Ryan activated his jetpack, just as

into the factory an instant later, spreading through the building. Ryan managed to escape the flood, flying in the skies above the

until he took a good look at New

city had

its original nature. Genomes turned into monsters, attacking

drench them. Mount Augustus had turned into a fiery candle, the smoke coming from it obscuring the skies for miles, and Rust Town didn’t

throat sore from the phantom pain of his first loop. “The whole world. He

This…

This was a nightmare.

acid downpour continued to fall somehow. “Helen, where are

it fell down on

If he infected Ryan…

Ryan, Bloodstream would gain access to

his team in frantic panic, only to be met with radio

But nobody answered.

only care for Tea, but her father’s silence… it made his heart ache for a

place in

The building below him turned red, as the ever-growing Bloodstream shattered the window and flowed down the steel walls like a waterfall. A long tendril thirty meters in size attempted to capture the courier, who dodged and flew away south of the city. “Livia?

got to her before

soft, reassuring voice answered his

let out a breath of relief. “Livia, are

in Sorrento.” She marked a short pause, her breath hastening in panic. “Ryan, what’s going on? My visions… I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

prepare for the memory transfer. I’m

coughing. “Is it… is it too late to

too late this time,” Ryan replied bluntly, his fists clenching in rage. “But not

have sworn she had nodded on the other end of the line. “Don’t die on the way,” Livia pleaded. “I will be waiting

oversaw the devastation in

Ryan shouted, crossing his

caused this!” Shroud snarled. “This is all your

his trance and raised a hand to stop his comrade. He understood that at this point, they couldn’t afford to fight.

looked away, his silence a confirmation in itself. “I’m…” Leo the Living Sun looked down in complete defeat. “I’m sorry, for

stop it,” Shroud muttered to himself, his voice breaking in sadness and

happen?” Ryan asked, more disappointed

foretold, so we… we tried to destroy Bloodstream, but...” Leonard struggled to find his

said, before glancing at

city will burn,” Leo warned. Ryan had never

away, the whole world will follow.” Shroud let out

is affected,” Ryan said. Even though he would reload soon, he didn’t think Leonard deserved to have these

the virus’ spread,” Shroud insisted.

echoed above

lightning struck Shroud, cooking his flesh within his own glass armor. The bolt formed a hole in his chest, vaporizing organs and sending the vigilante falling down to a burning street below. Leo let out a shout of horror and surprise, while Ryan

clouds above, clad in crimson lightning like a shining angel cast down to earth. “I

himself was unharmed. His right hand

gods had won

his flames now blindingly bright.

only world I want to live in,” Mob Zeus replied with his fist raised, “is one where your