The Perfect Run

Chapter 107

Ryan wondered how many lives Felix ‘Atom Cat’ Veran had left.

He had died at the Meta-Gang’s hands at least twice, once to Fallout’s bombardment of Len’s underwater base, and probably alongside everyone in New Rome when Bloodstream escaped confinement. Which should leave him with five lives out of nine?

“Felix!” Narcinia almost rose from her seat, only for Mars to put a hand on her shoulder and force her back to her seat. The young teen looked at her adoptive brother and father in confusion.

Fortuna’s response was far less subdued. “Felix, you ass!” she complained so loudly that Mathias winced at her shrilling voice. “How dare you come to a family dinner dressed like that! You look like a plumber!”

“Glad to see you too, sis,” Felix replied as he rose up, swiping ashes and dust off his clothes. His eyes wandered to the table, meeting confused looks from the guests. “Jamie, Ki-jung… Dad.”

“You could have used the door,” Mars said, his eyes tense. To Ryan’s surprise, he didn’t immediately go for his son’s throat, perhaps because of his daughters’ presence. “We invited you.”

“And I’m sure the guards outside are for show. You would never have let me close to Narcinia if I went through the entrance.” Felix turned away from his father, before noticing Mathias and Ryan. “Who are you?”

“Your sister’s boyfriend,” Mathias replied with mixed feelings. His tense eyes met Ryan’s, silently waiting for a signal. He too understood that the situation would soon degenerate.

“Which one?” Felix asked, curious.

“The right one,” Fortuna replied.

Her brother rolled his eyes, before looking at Ryan. “And… who are you, a new member of the Killer Seven?”

Ryan considered a dozen ways to introduce himself; as Quicksave, as President of the Free World, conqueror of Monaco, immortal and all. All more dignified and flowery than the last.

But only one sentence came to mind.

“I’m BLEEPING your ex.”

The awkward silence that welcomed his declaration delighted the courier.

“Don’t give me that look,” Ryan said to Felix, as the younger hero looked at him with astonished eyes. “It was your ex or your sister, and she’s almost as pretty as you are!”

“Almost?” Fortuna asked angrily. “He doesn’t even groom his hair!”

“Whatever,” Felix said, though the revelation had clearly shaken him. “Narcinia, come with me.”

“What,” the younger Veran asked, “where?”

“Away. My current bosses are a huge disappointment, but working with them will still be way better than making drugs.” Atom Kitty extended a hand to his sister. “Now that that death factory has been burnt to the ground, you can put an end to this tragedy here and now.”

Narcinia didn’t answer, instead anxiously looking at her father. This frustrated her brother. “Narci…”

“Did you do it?” Mars asked his son, his tone dangerous. “Destroy our production center?”

Felix shrugged. “I had nothing to do with that, though I wish I did. Whoever blew up that toxic dump deserves an award.”

His father frowned, and Ryan felt a chill going down his spine. A mobile phone materialized in a purple flash within Mars’ hand, the Olympian immediately making a call.

Livia’s vision was turning into reality.

have anything to say?” Felix asked, but the woman in question avoided his gaze, much to his annoyance. “And you, Jamie? I heard about your promotion. It’s not enough to close your eyes anymore, now will you

hand into his own. “Why are you here, Felix?” Jamie asked, uneasy. Ryan could tell the young

them. Bacchus needs chemicals from your division to make his drug. Just by taking that job, you’re enabling the death and

breath. “I don’t think now is the

is exactly the time,” he protested, taking a step towards his adoptive sister. Jamie rose from his own seat, perhaps to stop him, while Mathias glanced at

but he doesn’t know… he swears he’s not involved… yes, but…

guess. Mars was trying

the intel that made the devastating Ischia raid possible, and

traitor shall survive,

once said, Lightning Butt was a gangster with too

the tip of a gun’s barrel

sighed, his face dark and sorrowful. He looked at his stubborn son, the phone in his hand. When faced with a choice between

a revolver’s trigger echoed in the

leapt from his seat, and pushed Felix out

impacted on the wall, Fortuna screaming in surprise while

in the back,” Ryan said, as he glanced at the

pull of the trigger, and

exploded into a rain of glass shrapnels, Narcinia screaming as Ki-jung and Jamie hastily grabbed her and dived down below the table.

The Olympian moved his hand over the only part of his body exposed, the eyes, and rose from his

Felix said,

in distress, and jumping through the opened window. The dining room was on the first floor, and so while the time traveler gracefully landed on the grass below, his favorite cat rolled

up!” Ryan ordered Felix, helping him back to his feet. A storm of glass kept Mars busy on the

on their left, just as lightning struck

of ivory descended from the night sky, shrouded in a cloud of crimson lightning. Lightning Butt looked down on the duo, his eyes flaring

up on the spot, Ryan wisely activated his time-stop. Instead of moving within the frozen time,

of Night Terror’s

bodysuit meshing with the darkness. The time-traveler grabbed two knives hidden in his pocket, and threw one at the

the eye and made him fall to his back, screaming. His illusion collapsed into nothingness, as if it had never been

Ryan said as the car approached. But to his surprise, it wasn’t his Plymouth Fury, but a Mercedes Benz stopping

inside. “Quickly! Before the others

realizing Cancel wasn’t with his girlfriend. Felix, too confused to think

always calls me ‘Master Ryan’ when things are heating

shock and surprise, before trying to grab a revolver hidden beneath her clothes. Ryan froze time

dropping her weapon and hissing at the pain. “But seeing your expression was worth

guessed what was happening.

her true form. Great, she could also alter vocal cords. She attempted to remove the knife with her free

Felix stood in place, too horrified by the realization to

to his relief, his self-driven car was making its

a traitor the moment I saw you,”

glass storm had ended, either because Mathias had been caught, killed, or something else. Mars stood at the window’s edge with a cold expression, purple rifts in space

it was nighttime, Ryan could have sworn he had seen

noticed his wounded wife, Mars quickly made up

them by the dozen. From what the courier understood, Mars could pull and summon items from a pocket dimension armory, but he had never imagined the speed at which he could throw them. The spears and swords flew in the

he ordered Felix as he swiftly took over the driving wheel, the superhero taking

keep him

or the rest of us,” Mars replied, before summoning thick chains and binding his daughter’s hands and legs. They quickly started to fall off her, probably due to her power causing structural damage, but it paralyzed

the mansion, moving out of the Olympian’s range. Mortimer phased through the building’s walls, opening fire at the car with his gun, but his bullets only grazed the bodywork. While the Plymouth Fury escaped the property, Mars leaped outside the window, a red Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle materializing below

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