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.

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

his own. “Why are you here, Felix?” Jamie asked, uneasy. Ryan could tell the young hero’s words had

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

Narcinia took a deep breath. “I don’t think now is the time

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

his face. “He’s here, Janus, but he doesn’t know… he swears

guess. Mars was trying to convince his boss

Felix had provided the Carnival with the intel that made the devastating Ischia raid possible,

traitor shall survive, not even my

with too much power. When

looked at the fireplace behind Atom Kitten, noticing the

his hand. When faced with a choice between disobeying his invincible boss and paying the price, or offering

click of a revolver’s trigger echoed

froze time, leapt from his seat, and pushed Felix out

on the wall, Fortuna screaming in surprise while

Ryan said, as he glanced at the fireplace. Mortimer had phased halfway through

with another pull of the trigger, and the

Jamie hastily grabbed her and dived down below the table. Mortimer

materialize over his skin. The Olympian moved his hand over the only

Felix said,

the first floor, and so while the time traveler gracefully landed on the grass below, his favorite cat rolled on the ground. The courier whistled, calling his Plymouth

helping him back to his feet. A storm of glass

headlamps emerged from the night’s darkness on

shrouded in a cloud of crimson

spot, Ryan wisely activated his time-stop. Instead of moving within the frozen time, Augustus vanished from his sight, alongside his

of Night Terror’s

bodysuit meshing with the darkness. The time-traveler grabbed two knives hidden in his

screaming. His illusion collapsed into nothingness, as if it had

his surprise, it wasn’t his Plymouth Fury, but a Mercedes Benz stopping in front of

inviting them inside.

so perfect was her face and voice, even the clothes… before realizing Cancel wasn’t with his

Ryan’ when things are heating up,”

woman in front of him blinked in shock and surprise, before trying to grab a revolver hidden beneath her clothes. Ryan froze time and nailed her hand to the driving wheel by throwing his other knife at

the impostor dropping her weapon and hissing at the pain. “But

what was happening.

Venus’, as the Augusti regained her true form. Great, she

kill me?” Felix stood in place, too horrified by the realization to even

not me,” Ryan said, and to his relief, his self-driven car was making its way to

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

had been caught, killed, or something else. Mars stood at the window’s edge with a cold expression, purple rifts in

them at the duo below and skewered them, but he didn’t. Though it was nighttime, Ryan could have sworn he had seen a flash of doubt and

he noticed his wounded wife,

as weapons fell on 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 air as

in!” he ordered Felix as he swiftly took over the

her father by the arm, trying to keep him away

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

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

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