The Perfect Run

It was May 14th in New Rome, and a handsome secret agent flew above the Mediterranean sea.

The wind brushing against his mask and magician's hat, Ryan peeked over his jetpack to look at Vulcan. The Genius was hot on his trail, piloting her slow, bulky mech. “Come on, you aren’t even trying!” the courier taunted his favorite dwarf over the intercom. It was the second round of the race, and she couldn’t catch up to him. “Then again, your mom was so slow, it took her nine months to make a joke!”

“The only slow thing will be your death when I catch up to you!” Vulcan snarled back as she accelerated, her mech thrumming like a supercharged car. Both contestants flew so close to the sea level that they blew water in all directions as they passed.

In spite of her threat though, Ryan maintained a decent lead as they toured Ischia Island; iron walls and wind turbines surrounded the radioactive dump, keeping the toxic purple miasma safely contained. Hidden turrets rose from the shoreline and pointed at the flyers, though their maker prevented them from opening fire at Ryan on sight.

“Why doesn’t your hat fall off?” Vulcan asked.

“It’s magnetized.” It came in handy for someone like Ryan, who favored acrobatics and explosions in his fights. “Also, you’re so slow, you make the post office look efficient!”

“You’re so fast, your girlfriend is always left disappointed.”

Ouch, low bow. This meant war.

“Oh look, a wyvern!” Ryan pointed a finger at an empty spot of water on his left.

To his amusement, Vulcan did cock her head in that direction. “Where?” she asked, before realizing her mistake. “You bastard, you will die for this!”

Ryan laughed, only for Vulcan to actually open fire with a volley of missiles. The courier had to freeze time to dodge them all. “You bastard, you cheated!” his rival complained when time resumed. “We said only tech!”

“I lied!” Ryan cackled like a maniac. “I lied about everything!”

The two contestants finished their tour of the island and came into view of the Castello Aragonese, that old fortress which Augustus refitted into a Bliss Superlab. The powerful stone fortress’s walls oversaw the sea from atop a volcanic islet and a garden of alien plants.

The ghostly skull of Geist appeared for a brief moment above the castle when the racers approached. A tornado of colored dust carried the house-sized apparition, and started strong winds slowing down the contestants.

“Come to see me win?!” Ryan shouted as loud as he could, barely dodging a seagull. Damn bird traffic.

To his surprise, Casper the Ghost apparently listened. “You better,” the specter replied with a casual voice, though it somehow carried across the waves. “I bet on you.”

Huh, so not only could that flying skull manifest anywhere on the island, but it also had sharp senses and could detect people in the area. This ruined Ryan’s original plan, but the courier was nothing if not adaptable.

Geist had bet wisely. For although Vulcan attempted to blast him at the last second with a crimson beam of light, the courier passed over the fortress first.

There was a coming short joke to make, but Ryan was too tall to make it.

“Damn it!” Vulcan snarled. “Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where did you find that jetpack?”

In Mechron’s bunker. “In a cave, in a box of scraps.”

“The princess’ wet cave?”

Damn, news traveled fast.

“I took shelter from a thunderstorm inside,” Ryan said, as they began another turn around the island. “Wait, is tomorrow’s meeting about my execution?”

Tomorrow was the Olympians meeting, which should end up with Zanbato confirmed as the new Mercury. Jamie hadn’t organized a welcome party this time around, perhaps because Ryan had spent most of his time with Livia; and with nothing to distract her, Vulcan had decided to check up on the Bliss Island’s defenses today.

It cost the courier an A-bomb and advanced technology to get into her good graces, but the Genius eventually invited him to participate in the inspection.

Truthfully, Ryan suspected Vulcan wanted to impress him with her technology. She wanted him as a lab assistant, but the courier had defended his independence and maintained a professional distance. Sort of. He assumed jetpack races counted as a team-building activity.

“Could be,” Vulcan replied, still sore over her defeat. “How much to spare your pretty head?”

“An A-bomb?” Ryan haggled. “Bloody or extra crispy?”

“Already got one, and prices are up. I guess you’ll die.”

“If they vote yes, can I die buried in pizzas?” Ryan didn’t think he had died that way yet. At least not with four-cheeses. “Or couscous?”

“I can arrange death by waffles,” Vulcan joked back.

Ryan had missed trading jabs with her. He had thought he would find the inspection agonizing, but to his surprise, he could interact with Vulcan without experiencing depressing flashbacks now. Perhaps it was his newfound desire to move on, or his Elixir’s advice finally sinking in.

Ryan would always cherish his Jasmine’s memories, like all the relationships erased by his power, but he no longer lived in its shadow. And neither did the current Vulcan. He could finally befriend her without comparing her to her past self.

“No seriously, I blow you a chef’s kiss,” Vulcan said, her mech mimicking the gesture. “I didn’t think anyone would be mad enough to make a move on Augustus’ daughter. You won’t live long, but I’ll come to your funeral.”

going by Casper the Ghost over here, heaven has a revolving

at Venus’ resort,

thought paparazzi were an extinct

platform. Vulcan’s mech caused the entire fortress to

and checking up on their weapons. Bacchus oversaw the operation with his hands

it, and he didn’t recognize half of the plants. Some were roses with petals of multiple colors, others fusions of lilies of the valley and yellow daisies. The colors mixed in a tasteful display for the eyes, and the smell was

face was so unlike her adopted family, Ryan wondered why

“It’s delightful,” Ryan said from the bottom of his heart. “But do they

“Sing?”

from what I heard, so

sensory package,” Vulcan snickered, her armor towering

protested. “But singing flowers… that’s a nice idea. I could have them blow colored fumes while they sing

Bacchus, turned his gaunt face at his small protégée. His eyes were as black and lifeless as coal, and Ryan had yet to see him blink. One could almost see the bones beneath his priestly garbs. All in

bristled a bit at that, clearly not very proud of working on

behind the times,” Ryan told Narcinia. “When

music genre,” Narcinia said. The poor naive

teach you, and the meaning of life as

reminds me, I will not be available for Venus’ dinner,” Bacchus said with his soft, calm voice. “I shall return to Ischia after meeting with our fellow

“My

priest chided her. “Idleness is the enemy of progress. It is not wise

the waters. “It knows you will reach It in time, like It

a pure bluff and speculation, based on the courier’s knowledge of the Ultimate Ones, their dimensions, and what Livia had told him. Yet he hit the mark,

into Ryan’s soul. The stare’s sheer intensity might have made a younger man crumble to his

a way, Bacchus reminded Ryan of Bloodstream. The courier could sense the madness festering beneath the lucidity. “No, but I’m

am I,” the priest stated with a hint of enthusiasm. It must have been gratifying to meet someone who validated his beliefs.

harder,” Vulcan snickered. Clearly, she didn’t think much of the priest’s delusions. “Look, I’m very busy and this security inspection was a waste of my valuable time. Let’s escort you back on the mainland and be done with

putting a hand on Narcinia’s shoulder. “Go climb in the helicopter, I will be with you

the young

walls of Castle Aragonese. The priest didn’t take his eyes off

but don’t tell

him. He was probably trying to remember every tidbit of information he might have had on

find your faith?” Bacchus asked. “There must be a fascinating

before, so I figured I should check out the other

but I

and he didn’t even need a power to do so. “Well, Father…” the courier looked around himself as fearing he would be

“A local?”

“From these higher dimensions.”

eyes seemed to shine for a

brief moment.” That was only half a lie too. “A deity lurked on the other

“I only tasted Heaven once, when I consumed my Elixir, and I have yearned to return to it ever

Bloodstream once told him about the ‘Green Hell’ he had glimpsed in his dreams so many years ago. Back then, the courier had thought it was mere

Ultimate Ones attracted lesser beings to them like a moth to a

investigating these higher realms since, Father,” Ryan said, trying to play on the priest’s obsession. “When

on the verge of becoming something more than human,

Alchemist,” Ryan said, cutting straight to the chase. “I thought only she might answer my questions. Clearly, she created

mistook her for the devil, but now I see that she was the Lord’s tool on Earth. A visionary. I only

could see that. “When did

for years, back when she was refining the holy Elixirs for the sake of us all. She vanished

snow,” Ryan said. “I know

“You are mistaken. We sent people there and they found nothing. The station has been emptied for more than a decade, ever

access to advanced technology, then she could easily hide a base in a pocket dimension or a similar place. Maybe even hide it in plain sight. The Augusti didn’t have the means to detect such an anomaly, but Ryan could

and could quote it from memory. Ryan folded it in a corner of his mind. “If you wish, I could involve you in our new Bliss strain’s test trials,” Bacchus said. “This will let us contact God, I can feel

would rather avoid the sterility that comes with it. I thought God said we should be fruitful and

though he clearly had no problem with sterilizing a large part of the population. “God put him on Earth to separate God’s chosen from the unworthy. Not everyone may ascend,

Geist floating above the fortress, his grinning skull watching the sea. How far could he sense invaders? For the

matter,” Bacchus said, Vulcan gesturing him to climb inside the helicopter. “But once I am done with more secular matters, we will delve into the

vehicles flying away from the island with Ryan and Vulcan on their tail. The priest and Narcinia never crossed the sea without heavy escort, perhaps in case Wyvern or members of Il Migliore decided to ambush

didn’t take place this time around, the priest and Narcinia had made their way to

No one but Ryan.

in a tragic accident, but he traveled in the same helicopter as Narcinia. Besides, slaying a priest wouldn’t have

Ryan asked Vulcan over the intercom, as they crossed the sea and the helicopters landed safely near

out of my sight granted, minion,” Vulcan said, before adding. “Come check out my lab tomorrow, after the

consider it,” Ryan lied. Vulcan grunted and

though, the courier deviated from his course the moment he was out of sight. He turned his jetpack towards the sea and Ischia

Ryan said over