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.

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

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

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

next corridor. He had managed to repair

juice factory,” Ryan replied with disappointment. “He fears

courier was on a Meta run, he might have changed that, but Ryan would have

supplies. Luigi hadn’t shown up 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, he

should make his way to New Rome by the next day and help take over the bunker’s mainframe. With Dr. Stitch and Tyrano’s long-distance assistance,

he would dedicate

clean up Dynamis’ upper echelons,” Mathias said. “We planned to

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

with the necessary data to show the destruction Bloodstream could unleash; and

red, a commie infiltrator. He

the Knockoff supply, but with Tyrano’s cure, he can also remove powers

point, and had to admit 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 with other organizations. Neither did he hesitate to lie to his close allies, so

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

he believes himself to be, he

Ryan said, remembering Bianca running off to sacrifice

Genomes operating in Italy, he comes a close third behind

can, with this

will have to go, Ryan,” Shroud insisted. “Maybe there is something 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

only destroy this place after it

his arms. “Do you truly believe Psychos

don’t, my

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

the Genomes I called is specialized in brains.” Shroud’s head perked up at Ryan’s words. “He can even cure mental illnesses, Alzheimer’s, and even a Psycho’s brain

Glass’ face behind his mask, though the vigilante turned his head sideways,

Ryan thought. “I

the positive things Geniuses can make, I can’t help but wonder why Mechron built weapons rather than medical supplies. Not

I’ve met only need the right circumstances to turn

that she sculpts in

have shown her boyfriend her gallery yesterday night.

good at it,” Mathias continued, 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 this morning, but instead of sitting on it, she wants to distribute it to Rust Town’s

Fortuna? Yesterday’s battle had greatly helped to turn his

a golden retriever,” Ryan summed it up. “Loud, no respect for personal space, but surprisingly warm and loyal

She’s a much better person than

put his hands behind his head. “Will you be

time to make your own go well?” Mathias deadpanned with a joke of his own, before answering. “I think

killing,” Ryan said. “She wants to protect Livia first and foremost. It’s

her?” Shroud’s voice turned from amused to serious.

He really had a thing for Blue Genomes

access to this place is dangerous, Ryan. What if

when I needed it,” the courier replied. “I want

for her sake, if he didn’t. She didn’t

Ryan, you can’t save everyone.” Shroud marked a short pause.

yet, he had to

mainframe,” Ryan said, changing the subject. “You can confirm what I said about the other Mechron bases then, and we will unlock the self-destruct

about you, you understand that?” Shroud asked. “Even if you turn

for my cute, beautiful

way for you to carry others

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

alter my brain, even if you earn my trust beforehand. I’m not sure I would even accept such a procedure at Leo’s urging, and I respect him more

he imagined would go through with the memory transfer unconditionally were Alchemo, who understood the technology; and Sarin, who had nothing left to lose. Even Len had remained on the fence so far. “I’m trying to improve a system that

hold all the cards, and all

share my greatest secret too, Safelite,” Ryan pointed out. “I can count on one hand those who know my true,

adventures we went through for you to

though Lightning Butt

Atom Kitten would clearly be much happier with the Carnival than with Dynamis. “A shame. I was

much as the

with me and see

vigilante led Ryan into the bunker’s atrium, where they found the transformed folding paper sheets under Len’s watch. Sarin was playing pool near a pile of books, including Discours de la méthode:Pour bien

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

“Can you unlock Rubik

of my teammates, Origami, can turn herself into paper sharp enough to slice throats,” Shroud

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

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 previous

you truly can cure me, then you’ve got nothing to fear from me.”

skill years ago. “I thought you were a martial arts Genius?” he asked his pandawan. “Or does your brilliance extend to all eastern

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