The Perfect Run

“—Dynamis’ stock price has steadily crumbled since the disturbing revelations about their Knockoff Elixirs, and public outcry from former clients who recently lost their expensively-purchased powers,” the newscaster said on the hospital room’s TV.

Ryan squinted, as a video of Alphonse Manada’s explosion appeared behind the anchorwoman. The quality was terrible, probably due to radiation interferences, though one could see Wyvern and Enrique flying towards the blast’s source.

“—Dynamis’ spokesperson confirmed that Alphonse Manada, alias Fallout, was responsible for the explosion that shook the old harbor. The reasons for this action remain obscure for now, though Wyvern affirmed that the now former vice-president is now safely out of commission—”

The next images then showed the cyborg’s ejection into space. Only Ryan and Livia’s armors had been caught on tape, with the latter’s face and identity remaining mercifully hidden.

“The new acting Chairman, Enrique ‘Blackthorn’ Manada, promised a full indemnity to the victims of both incidents and a public trial to judge the responsible. His actions have so far been met with division among staff— ”

“I still can’t believe they came clean,” Mathias said, sitting on a chair near the window with his arms crossed. Ryan himself occupied the seat closest to Livia’s bed, Henriette snoring at his feet while Eugène-Henry unilaterally decided to occupy his lap. The courier had traded his damaged Saturn armor for his stylish suit, at least until he could repair it. “I thought they would at least sugarcoat the truth, not… spill everything to the press.”

“It was necessary,” Livia replied, wearing a white gown and bandages around her forehead. Braindead’s operation had prevented brain damage from her close brush with Fallout, but it would take her a few days to recover. “You cannot learn from your mistakes without owning up to them. Enrique understood that, and Wyvern all the more.”

After the battle with Fallout, Enrique had the group transported to Dynamis’ hospital, with Stitch and Alchemo tending to their wounds. Thankfully, Ryan’s evacuation warning had borne fruit, and though some locals had been wounded when Alphonse detonated himself, nobody had perished. The Perfect Run had been preserved.

At least, for the moment.

“Waves of resignations continue after Il Migliore’s disbandment,” the newscaster continued. “Though Wyvern promised that a, I quote, ‘clean and nonprofit law enforcement organization’ would take its place, the fate of many heroes remain uncertain—”

Ryan deactivated the TV. “How long before thunder strikes?” he asked his girlfriend.

“Not long,” she admitted, looking away through the windows and the veil of time both. “Things are moving quicker than I expected. Vulcan has already left the Augusti. My father learned of Wyvern’s visit and has ordered her death.”

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. “Is she going to make it?”

To his relief, Livia answered with a nod. “Thankfully, Vulcan was no fool and spied on my father’s communications.”

“It doesn’t bode well if he’s already purging his own ranks though,” Mathias said with a frown.

The seer nodded slowly. “Fallout’s defeat and Hector’s arrest have him on edge.”

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is?” Ryan guessed.

“Yes. He will make a push to take over New Rome, but he is smelling a trap.” Livia sighed. “His forces will move into Rust Town anytime soon… and if left to their own devices, they will find the bunker.”

“I will repair the Saturn armor one last time, and destroy the base,” Ryan replied, rising from his seat. Eugène-Henry immediately leapt from his lap to Livia’s. “Looking Glass, you gather the others. Livia, you stay here.”

“I won’t,” she replied, biting her lip. “Uncle Neptune will soon pick me up to take me to Sorrentos. My father won’t let me stay in a Dynamis hospital while he’s plotting their destruction.”

Mathias frowned, but shrugged. “Well, we have prepared for the attack for days. We can do it without you.”

“I wish I could supervise the assault,” Livia said with regret. “To make sure it goes well.”

“You could supervise it from afar,” Mathias pointed out. “My mother did that with the Carnival, and it worked very well for them.”

The fact that he was willing to relinquish command to Livia at all surprised Ryan. The courier guessed that watching her take wounds in an attempt to protect New Rome from Fallout helped build trust between them.

“My uncle won’t let me out of his sight.” Livia joined her hands, while Eugène-Henry nuzzled her fingers. “I… I will try to find an opening.”

“No,” Ryan insisted. “If Braindead says you should rest, then you will. If you don’t, he’s likely to put your brain in a jar, and you truly don’t want that.”

Livia pouted. “Ryan, I can’t stand back while you and the others risk their lives cleaning up my family’s messes.”

“You helped us clean our own with Bloodstream, and the Meta-Gang too,” Mathias replied. “To each their turn.”

Livia frowned, and refused to stay idle. “I can at least make some calls. This will be a game of rock-paper-scissors, and I can bring more counters to the table.”

Ryan squinted. “Did you set up everything so that we would have the perfect people assembled for the job?”

She answered with a sly, foxy grin. “I would be a poor seer if I didn’t.”

“I love it when you’re in a mastermind mode, pulling strings from the shadows...”

“All is going according to plan.” Her smile faltered. “I hope.”

Ryan glanced at his translucent friend. “Matty, can you leave us for a second?”

“I will brief the others,” the vigilante replied, before taking the door.

Livia exchanged a heavy glance with her boyfriend. “Ryan, after destroying the island…” She cleared her throat. “You’re going immediately after him, aren’t you? Alone?”

“Yes.” If Lightning Butt didn’t come for his head first. Ryan expected the madman to get off his mountain after watching Ischia Island go down in smoke. “It will be alright. I won’t kill him.”

“It’s not for his life I fear for. You can’t save.”

a smirk that didn’t reach

“Don’t joke about this!”

tears forming at the edge. She took a deep breath as

again, Ryan could see the fear and dread in them.

“Livia…” Ryan began.

just euthanized her father, and Enrique Manada arrested his own before banishing his brother into space. Even if both hoped it

of answering

squeezing his fingers. “I’m scared because I’ve seen how it could end, but not how it will. I… I thought I wanted to be surprised,

asked, trying to reassure her. “That the Ultimate One guided us

that,” Livia admitted, sighing. “I thought I could shoulder the doubt back then, but

okay, that it would turn out alright, the same

your life is

Livia.” Not his style. “After the destruction of his island, your Thundering Daddy will shock everyone he can get his metal hands on. If I can’t defeat him, thousands

there is still time to solve your save

I have a solution,” Ryan replied, though he doubted it would work. Still, it cost nothing to try. “Trust me

see each other, you understand that?” She locked eyes with him, and he lost

the touch. The contact lasted no more than a few furtive seconds, but the courier wished it had lasted a lifetime. “I will,” he promised. “I swear. Quicksave

grin from her. “Make sure to succeed in one go this

courier smiled to hide his own unease, before petting Eugène-Henry and Henriette one last time and exiting the room. He

waiting outside the door, wearing her terrible jumpsuit and carrying her water rifle. “Shortie,”

She looked at him with resolve. Although her eyes remained slightly red from dried tears, her body language appeared different… more

death flags, please?” Ryan asked. He had the intuition every promise he made jinxed him further. “Fine, I promise I will come back if it makes you feel

already better.” Her smile had a sorrowful edge to it, but it was a smile all the same. “Thanks

“You saved my life when you

What we have is more powerful than friendship. Whatever we are up against… I know we will face it together.” She bit her lower lips. “It’s… it’s what Dad would have wanted, I think.

lifelong question, though it had cost her a great deal. “You’ve made peace with yourself?” he

of looking away, as she usually did, she held his gaze. “I… I did all I could, Ryan. It’s hard

Believe me,

that dad wouldn’t have become a monster

“You don’t anymore?”

happened, happened. As you said to me once… there are things you can’t change. I tried the best I could. It’s… it’s

this pain all her life, but accepted that she couldn’t have

had found

given some thoughts about what I should do now,” Len said. “I thought I would take the children away with me

you’ve changed

That the surface could only get worse. But…” Her eyes shone with a hint of hope. “It’s getting better. We made it

“We did,

given thought about the Architect. She wants to create cities, to repopulate the countries devastated by the Genome Wars. I think I can help. Not just help Rust Town’s children, but

couldn’t feel prouder of her. “But

frowned. “What do

Len, and that’s what matters most I think. Mechron, the Alchemist, even Fallout… they all had the power to make the world a better and more bountiful place, but they misused their gifts. Mechron made weapons, the Alchemist empowered the likes of Augustus, and Fallout lost sight of what truly

grinned ear to

“You will do great.”

of hiding. He decided to tease her a bit. “Did I give you diabetes

and his around her. He listened to her slow breathing, as his mind wandered to his first family. It had been almost nine centuries since his parents perished at the hands of raiders, so

he had gained another forged

before breaking the hug. “We can discuss our future

Yes, indeed.

After they won.

of Mechron’s bunker, Ryan laid on an operation table clad in his Saturn Armor

a few upgrades. The most important of all was a system based on the mechanism his team’s

asked, his helmet’s lens shifting with the Elixirs’ rainbowy colors. A voice channel opened, as his armor’s computer

synthetic voice that answered through the channel was unlike the one he heard while in the Black World…

“Ryan.”

His Elixir.

for a very long time,” Ryan said, wincing as a robot added

seemed to amuse the Elixir. “We emissaries do not have names,” it said. “You may call

thought. Lightling? No, Darkling would get jealous.

“Magenta?”

been too simple. Or maybe you would prefer the Color out of Space? Coos? Or

like Magenta better,”

Now that Ryan thought of it, it meant that his Elixir had experienced everything

vaguely amused. “We have bonded for so long that I understand human thoughts better than the rest of my kind, but it remains a second language to me. Subtleties escape me… though I do

head. He could almost hear the Augusti troops marching above his head, hundreds of meters beyond the steel and dirt. “Why

admitted. “All Violet powers ultimately derive from the Ultimate One. As

right, it had been an Illuminati plot from the start. “Then let me rephrase myself: why

Your connection to the Black has grown, Ryan. Before you could barely consume Fallout’s Red Flux, but now… now you could harm him directly.” His Elixir sounded quite

Ultimate One would prevent the courier from accessing his trump card, but the implications worried him greatly. “If I can neither create a new save point nor die, then what will it mean when I say, die of old

on until the end, and see what lies beyond victory. Maybe… maybe you won’t die at all. Maybe you will