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.

in question avoided his gaze, much to his annoyance. “And you, Jamie? I heard about

“Why are you here, Felix?” Jamie asked, uneasy. Ryan could tell the young hero’s words had struck a nerve. “To

to make his drug. Just by taking that job, you’re enabling the death and ruin of

I…” Narcinia took a deep breath. “I don’t think

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

phone with a scowl on his face. “He’s here, Janus, but he doesn’t know… he swears he’s not involved…

he could guess. Mars was trying to convince his boss one last time not to execute his godson, or to at least make

Butt was 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 his

survive, not

with too much power. When threatened, the answer was always more

time-traveler looked at the fireplace behind Atom Kitten, noticing the tip of

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

revolver’s trigger echoed in

seat, and pushed Felix out of

it resumed, the projectile impacted on the wall, Fortuna

glanced at the fireplace. Mortimer had phased halfway through

pull of the trigger, and the room erupted

and dived down below the table. Mortimer missed and

steel to materialize over his skin. The Olympian moved his hand over the only part of his body exposed, the eyes, and

the—” Felix said, utterly

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

his feet. A storm of glass kept Mars busy on the

on their left, just as lightning struck the

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

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

of Night Terror’s

to the courier’s right, his black bodysuit meshing with the darkness. The time-traveler

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

time, come with me if you want to live,” Ryan said as the car approached. But to his surprise, it wasn’t his Plymouth Fury, but a Mercedes Benz stopping in front of the duo. The right door opened,

inviting them inside. “Quickly!

her face and voice, even the clothes… before realizing Cancel wasn’t with his girlfriend. Felix, too confused

when things are heating up,” the courier

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

lied,” Ryan said as time resumed, the impostor dropping her weapon and hissing at the pain. “But seeing your expression

guessed what was

the Augusti regained her true form. Great, she

place, too horrified by the

to his relief, his self-driven car was

moment I saw you,” Venus

the 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 opening all around him. The tips of swords, arrows, spears, tridents, and other weapons peeked

nighttime, Ryan could have sworn he had seen a flash of doubt and guilt in

noticed his wounded wife, Mars

courier understood, Mars could pull and summon items from a pocket dimension armory, but he had never imagined the speed

Ryan managed to dodge the initial volley, reaching his car. “Come in!” he ordered Felix as he swiftly took over the driving

the arm, trying to keep him away

replied, before summoning thick chains and binding his daughter’s hands and legs. They quickly started to fall off her, probably

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

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