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.

you 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 help Augustus peddle the

asked, uneasy. Ryan could tell the young hero’s words had struck a nerve. “To

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

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

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

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

of the line, he could guess. Mars was trying to convince his boss one last time not to execute his

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

survive,

was a gangster with too much power. When threatened, the answer

looked at the fireplace behind Atom Kitten, noticing the

the phone in his hand. When faced with a choice between disobeying his invincible boss and paying the price, or offering a sacrificial lamb… the Capo quickly reached a

revolver’s trigger

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

resumed, the projectile impacted on the wall, Fortuna screaming in

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

pull of the trigger, and the room

glass shrapnels, Narcinia 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 horrified Fortuna and

skin. The Olympian moved his hand over the only part

the—” Felix said, utterly

was on the first floor, and so while the time traveler gracefully landed on

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

headlamps emerged from the night’s darkness on their left,

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

his time-stop. Instead of moving within the frozen time, Augustus vanished from his sight,

Night

courier’s right, his black bodysuit meshing

hit Night Terrorized in the eye and made him fall to his back, screaming. His illusion collapsed into nothingness, as if it had

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

inviting them inside. “Quickly! Before the others

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

me ‘Master Ryan’ when things

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

time resumed, the impostor dropping her weapon and hissing at the pain.

what was

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

in place, too horrified

car was making its way to their location. “Now, apologies, but we’ll miss the

you were a traitor the moment I saw you,” Venus hissed.

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

wounded wife, Mars

summon items from a pocket dimension armory, but he had never imagined the speed at

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

by the arm, trying to keep

legs. They quickly started to fall off her, probably due to her power causing structural damage,

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

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