The Perfect Run

“Sorry, I can’t do that.”

Ryan scratched Eugène-Henry’s back while watching Dr. Tyrano on his computer screen. The A-bomb laid on the desk, right next to the late Fat Adam’s gravity cannon. “You’re saying no to unlimited fundings, resources, and safety from the monster you keep bottled up in your lab when he inevitably breaks out? Because you know he will.”

“I don’t know how you managed to learn that much about my work,” Tyrano admitted, a little disturbed. “But I am contractually bound to Dynamis for the next two hundred years. I can’t even leave the building without a heavy escort.”

“Two hundred years?” Were there other time-travelers running around in Italy? “Is that even legal?”

“In New Rome, it is.”

Ryan massaged his temples, at his wit’s end. “Think, Tyrano, think! You’re using an unstable product to turn people you know into timebombs! What will you have after everyone has turned into a Bloodstream clone?”

Dr. Tyrano remained silent for a moment, but Ryan guessed his answer before he even spoke.

“Dinosaurs,” the scalie answered. “I’d still have dinosaurs.”

That made Ryan think more than it should.

Still, the fact Tyrano wouldn’t leave the Dynamis HQ nor agree to sabotage the Knockoff supply dashed a few of the courier’s hopes. Even if the Carnival developed a vaccine plague to cure New Rome’s population, they would have to assault Lab Sixty-Six again to finish off Bloodstream for good.

Still, Ryan didn’t give up on the saurian Genius.

“What if I told you we have access to a completely safe Knockoff variant, so strong it even works with robots?” The courier tempted him. “That we have not one, but two Genomes with multiple powers and no-side effects to study? That we possess a wealth of research and information on Elixirs… and a lab capable of creating life from scratch?”

Then he delivered the coup de grace.

“Inhuman life?”

Tyrano’s slitted eyes expanded like a frog’s, to Ryan’s shock. The courier wondered if it was what passed for arousal for humanoid dinosaurs. To hook him further, the courier forwarded the Genius a sample of his Elixir research, including a bio-scan of Mongrel.

“We’re working on a cure for the Psycho condition,” Ryan said. “Though you’re contractually obligated to work with Dynamis, certainly you can sacrifice some of your precious time for it. Who knows, maybe you could make a Green Knockoff capable of granting your dearest, cold-blooded wish.”

The Genius barely took a glance at the data before raising his white flag. “Where do I sign?”

“First…” Ryan scratched Eugène-Henry behind the ears. “You must give me access to that folder.”

“Oh, that one?” Dr. Tyrano seemed strangely embarrassed about it. “It’s something of a side-project, and early results weren’t promising. But it will change the world, you’ll see!”

“I’ll keep an open mind,” Ryan said, as he received an email called ‘Monster Girl Project.’ He opened the video file within.

The courier instantly regretted it, as an abomination came into view.

The screams and moans that came out of this… this thing startled Ryan so much, that he almost fell from his chair. His terrified cat leaped out of his lap to take over the nearby bed.

“Oh God… oh God…” Ryan covered his mouth, though he couldn’t tell if it was in horror or terrible awe at the man’s demented genius. There were things that could still surprise him after eight centuries of time-traveling. “Why?!”

“A creative spur!” Tyrano explained, as if it made up for this crime against nature. “I couldn’t do that to a reptile!”

“Why a mink?!” Ryan asked, closing the video feed when he couldn’t take the abomination’s screams anymore. “Is… is that thing still alive?”

“No, no, it died, unfortunately,” Tyrano reassured him. “But I have a spare.”

Ryan resisted the urge to throw up, and stopped the video call feed. He would have nightmares for years to come. Even the most depraved Sonic the Hedgehog fans didn’t go as far as Dr. Scalie did.

The courier took a moment to gather his breath, only to suddenly hold it. Two long ears rose from the side of the desk, a monster rising from the depths of Hell.

“No,” Ryan said with false panic.

The plushie looked at his maker, then at the A-bomb, and finally back at his maker. Meanwhile, Eugène-Henry ignored them all to vanish beneath the bedsheets, considering the matter beneath his kingly notice.

“No!” Ryan forbade the plushie.

And for the first time since this loop began, the furred fiend answered.

“I will always be your friend!”

This plushie hastily pushed the A-bomb’s button with a loud ‘click.’

Nothing happened.

The plushie hit it again, and again, and again in quick succession, growing more and more frustrated. Its eyes turned red as it glared angrily at Ryan.

“It’s a prop,” the courier replied with a grin. “I gave the real one to Vulcan.”

He had bribed his favorite dwarf Genius with so much technology, that she didn’t even ask him to ruin Star Studios this time. Vulcan insisted that Ryan become her assistant instead, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

willing to help her, but only in short bursts. Though Ryan could now interact with Vulcan without feeling stabbed in the gut every time she opened her mouth, the shadow of his Jasmine remained ever-present. The courier also intended to use this loop to deal with the Bliss Factory and Narcinia, and so would rather stay

up the suicide chain,” he said. “Aim for the heart though. There’s a chance you

times larger than it was. “Please don’t kill anyone else!” Ryan pleaded as he left the fiend to its experiments, rising

He had managed to repair

sabotage the tomato juice factory,” Ryan replied with

might have changed that, but Ryan would have his plate full

this time, probably at Livia’s urging, but Jamie still invited Ryan to stay at his house all the same. That guy was so nice,

to New Rome by the next day and help take over the bunker’s mainframe. With Dr. Stitch and Tyrano’s long-distance assistance, the courier would have

night, he would dedicate to

up Dynamis’ upper echelons,” Mathias said. “We planned to wait for Hector Manada to retire, but we can hasten his departure

shrug. “His children might be willing to switch to a safer, better product

“Enrique might, once we provide him with the necessary data to show the destruction Bloodstream could unleash; and especially if his family lied to him. But Alphonse is another

with a frown. “He’s a red, a commie infiltrator. He wants to turn everyone

Knockoff supply, but with Tyrano’s cure, he can also remove powers at will. That’s not the case

Augustus couldn’t monopolize power, but he didn’t wish to coexist with other organizations. Neither did

them away, then it could become a true superpower. People would be kept in line by the fear of losing their Knockoff Genome abilities,

control they grant his organization,” Shroud said. “If he was truly the hero he believes himself to be, he wouldn’t have created something so dangerous in the first place. In the end, Alphonse Manada only believes in his vision. He won’t deviate from his chosen

stop time,” Ryan said, remembering Bianca running off to sacrifice

“Among the most dangerous Genomes operating in

can, with

here that could defeat Fallout, or even Augustus, true. But the risk of dangerous weapons spreading to the public is too great. Even distributing Mechron’s Knockoff formula doesn’t strike me as a good idea. It might weaken the position of Genome warlords, but our post-war

Ryan replied. “But I will only destroy this place after it helps solve

you truly

my transparent

is even the slightest chance it works, I can’t stop

head perked up at Ryan’s words. “He can even

face behind his mask, though the vigilante turned his head sideways, thoughtful. “Why do you think

interdimensional squids, Ryan thought. “I dunno,

Shroud shook his head. “When I hear all the positive things Geniuses can make, I can’t help but wonder why Mechron built weapons rather than medical supplies. Not even superpowers

met only need the right circumstances to turn

“Do you know that she sculpts in her

must have shown her boyfriend her gallery yesterday night.

his tone warm. “I thought she relied on her own luck to do everything, but she hides artistic sensibilities that appeal to me as a game designer. I can’t quite explain it. And she won half a million euros in lottery winnings

Yesterday’s battle had

no respect

better

“Will

well?” Mathias deadpanned with a joke of his own, before answering. “I think I will clear things up with her, but… not as long as she’s working as a hitman for Augustus. That’s

of her group, she isn’t in it for the killing,” Ryan said. “She wants to

turned from amused to serious. “To turn Augustus’

to,” Ryan replied. He really had a

this place is dangerous, Ryan. What

has earned my trust and helped me when I needed

world for her sake, if he didn’t. She didn’t deserve to

my words, Ryan, you can’t save everyone.” Shroud marked a

he had to

here, we’ll use your rabbit foot of a girlfriend to access the mainframe,” Ryan said, changing the subject. “You can confirm what I said about the other Mechron bases then, and

Leo about you, you understand that?” Shroud asked. “Even if you turn back time again, I can’t

for my cute, beautiful

for you to carry others

your brain, though your past self will have to submit to

if you earn my trust beforehand. I’m not sure I would even accept such a procedure at Leo’s urging,

understood the technology; and Sarin, who had nothing left to lose.

all the cards, and all I can do

pointed out. “I can count on one hand those who know my true, phenomenal cosmic

what adventures we went through for you to do

defeated the Meta-Gang together once, though Lightning Butt destroyed the city after

Atom Kitten would clearly be much happier with the Carnival

much as

with me and

where they found the transformed folding paper sheets under Len’s watch. Sarin was playing pool near a

The exquisitely folded the paper sheet in the shape of a mantis so fast that Ryan could barely see his paws move. The construct joined

Sarin snickered. “Can you unlock

turn herself into paper sharp enough to slice throats,” Shroud replied dryly. “She could even slice through

taunted him,

turncoat, and then we’ll talk.” Though he tolerated Sarin, the vigilante mistrusted her as much as Ryan did in the early days of his presidency. “If you

told your hat pal, if you truly can cure me, then you’ve got nothing to fear from me.”

mastered the skill years ago. “I thought you were a martial arts Genius?” he asked his pandawan.

“I ran tests. It… it took him minutes to pick up origami, and he… he learned French five pages into Descartes’