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.

to his annoyance. “And you, Jamie? I heard about your promotion. It’s not enough to close your eyes anymore, now will you help Augustus peddle the

you here, Felix?” Jamie asked, uneasy. Ryan could tell the young hero’s

division to make his drug. Just by

a deep breath. “I don’t think now is

adoptive sister. Jamie rose from his own seat, perhaps to stop

Mars spoke on the phone with a scowl on his face. “He’s here, Janus, but he doesn’t know… he swears he’s not involved… yes, but… please, not before my daughters…

guess. Mars was trying to

convinced Felix had provided the Carnival with the intel that made the devastating Ischia raid possible, and his organization’s myth of invincibility was in jeopardy. A brutal, public murder would carry a clear message to both

traitor shall survive,

once said, Lightning Butt was a gangster with too much power. When threatened,

Atom Kitten, noticing the tip of a gun’s barrel sticking out of the

faced with a

a revolver’s trigger echoed in

and

impacted on the wall, Fortuna screaming in surprise

said, as he glanced at the fireplace. Mortimer had phased halfway through the stone, a gun in hand. “It’s

answered with another pull of the trigger, and the room erupted into

screaming as Ki-jung and Jamie hastily grabbed her and dived down below the table. Mortimer missed and retreated back into the wall, while the shards avoided a

Mars, only for a Roman-styled centurion armor and mask of steel to materialize over his skin. The Olympian

Felix

like a princess in distress, and jumping through the opened window. The dining room was on the first floor, and so while the time traveler gracefully

Felix, helping him back to his feet. A storm of glass kept Mars busy on the first floor, but not

on their

looked up in terror, as a man of ivory descended from the night sky, shrouded in a cloud of

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

of Night Terror’s

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

and made him fall to his back, screaming. His illusion collapsed

it wasn’t his Plymouth Fury, but a Mercedes Benz

inviting them inside.

face and voice, even the clothes… before realizing Cancel wasn’t with his girlfriend. Felix, too confused to think straight, took a step forward; the courier

calls me ‘Master Ryan’ when things

revolver hidden beneath her

said as time resumed, the impostor dropping her weapon and hissing at

guessed what was happening.

ungrateful little…” Livia’s voice turned into Venus’, as the Augusti regained her true form. Great, she could also alter vocal cords. She attempted to remove the knife with

stood in place, too horrified by the realization to even muster

Ryan said, and to his relief, his self-driven car was making its way

moment I saw you,” Venus hissed. “There’s

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,

duo below and skewered them, but he didn’t. Though it was nighttime, Ryan could have sworn he had

when he noticed his wounded wife, Mars quickly made up his

from a pocket dimension armory, but he had never imagined the speed at which he could

car. “Come in!” he ordered Felix as he swiftly took over the

arm, trying to keep him away from the window and briefly halting the

daughter’s hands and legs. They quickly started to fall off her, probably

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 Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255