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.

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 a contractor working for multiple branches of

you want to work your way up the suicide chain,” he said. “Aim for the heart though.

it was. “Please don’t kill anyone else!” Ryan pleaded as he left the

next corridor. He had managed to repair his glass mask, though Ryan wondered why he bothered to hide

the tomato juice factory,” Ryan replied with disappointment. “He fears his bosses’ wrath

he might have changed that, but Ryan would have his plate full with the Augusti for

supplies. Luigi hadn’t shown up this time, probably at Livia’s urging, but Jamie still

take over the bunker’s mainframe. With Dr. Stitch and Tyrano’s long-distance assistance, the courier would

night, he would dedicate

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

might be willing to switch to a safer, better product than one capable of

provide him with the necessary data to show the destruction Bloodstream could unleash; and especially if his family lied to him.

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

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

that he might be right on the money. Atom Smasher planned to make everyone a Genome so people like Augustus couldn’t monopolize power, but he didn’t wish to coexist

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

cares less about his Knockoffs’ potential side-effects than the societal 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

the most dangerous Genomes operating in Italy, he comes a close third behind Augustus

can, with this

Even distributing

only destroy this place after it

you truly believe

my transparent

it works… if there is even the slightest chance it works, I can’t stop you

at Ryan’s words. “He can even cure mental illnesses, Alzheimer’s, and even a Psycho’s brain tumors. He could

mask, though the vigilante turned his head sideways, thoughtful. “Why do you think the Alchemist distributed these Elixirs in the

turn us into interdimensional squids, Ryan thought. “I dunno, improve the

too, and yet we used them to ravage the world.” Shroud shook his head. “When I hear all the positive things Geniuses can make, I can’t help but wonder why

who knows,” Ryan replied. “There will always be rotten apples like Late Adam, but most people I’ve met only need the

“Do you know that she sculpts in her spare

must have shown her boyfriend her gallery yesterday

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

had greatly helped to turn his

it up. “Loud, no respect for personal

She’s a much better

his hands behind his head. “Will you

before answering. “I think I will clear things up with her, but… not as long as she’s working as a hitman

in it for the killing,” Ryan said. “She wants to protect Livia

that why you’re dating her?” Shroud’s voice turned from amused to serious. “To

He

place is dangerous, Ryan. What if she changes her

me when I needed it,” the

world for her sake, if he

everyone.” Shroud marked

yet, he had to

Ryan said, changing the subject. “You can confirm what I said about the other Mechron bases

asked. “Even if you

for my

replied with a chuckle. “Is there a way for you to carry others through time? I suppose it is only mental, since there

a procedure to transfer information directly into your brain, though your past self will have

you earn my trust

had nothing left to

he admitted. “You hold all the

share my greatest secret too, Safelite,” Ryan pointed out.

wonder what adventures we went through for you

Meta-Gang together once, though Lightning Butt destroyed the

to know,” Shroud replied dryly, though he didn’t like it. Neither did Ryan, since Atom Kitten would clearly be much happier with the Carnival than with Dynamis. “A shame. I was interested in Felix

much as the

with me and

Len’s watch. Sarin was playing pool near a pile of books, including Discours de la méthode:Pour bien conduire sa raison,

barely see his paws move. The construct joined four others, representing a monkey, a tiger,

superpower,” Sarin snickered. “Can you

can turn herself into paper sharp enough to slice

aren’t you?” The Psycho taunted him, while focusing on

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 sell us out as you did your

you’ve got nothing to fear from me.” Sarin hit an 8-ball with her pool stick. “Don’t make

fold paper that fast, even though he had mastered the skill years ago. “I thought you were a martial arts Genius?” he asked his pandawan. “Or does your brilliance

tests. It… it took him minutes to pick up origami, and he… he