The Perfect Run

Chapter 21

All was well so far on the Augusti Path.

Ryan had met Zanbato as expected, beat up Sarin at the harbor, and now repeated the exact same conversation which would lead him to crash at Jamie’s house. All was well and good, to the sound of crashing waves against the piers...

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked the courier. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“Well, I’m not really on anyone’s side,” Ryan replied, but then his mouth acted on its own, “But I’m a Carnival infiltrator, yes.”

… or not.

Everyone present turned to look at him, a tense silence settling in. The grunts raised their weapons, while Zanbato’s face turned from shocked, to disappointed, and finally, to furious.

“Uh oh.”

Okay, two lessons learned.

One, Ryan hated truth-tellers. Hated them, with a passion.

Two, Zanbato could make sashimi out of people with his laser sword. Ryan wouldn’t look at sushi the same way ever again.

But this time… this time, it would be different. The courier had rehearsed the perfect misleading answers. Luigi's power compelled Ryan to say the truth, but only according to the teller’s exact words.

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked him again. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“I can’t snitch on a group I haven’t officially joined yet, and I am not a double agent.” Technically, he was a triple one.

“Are you a mole?”

“Of course I’m not a mole, I’m human.”

There! Saved! He did it, he did it!

“Okay, I should work on my wording,” Luigi sighed but didn’t give up. “Are you, or do you intend, to relay information about us to another organization?”

“Well, yes, I intend to. Hell, I already did!”

Goddammit!

Okay.

Okay, third time's the charm.

Through timing and intelligence, Ryan had skillfully navigated through the chain of causality to avoid the fated question. He had put on the charm, befriended everyone, distracted the grunts with funny anecdotes. Now, the courier and Zanbato prepared to return to the Plymouth Fury, and go eat some delicious pizzas.

“Hey, Quicksave,” Luigi asked, as they took a few steps towards the car. “Before you go, there are a few questions I must ask every new recruit.”

“Luigi, seriously, please, don’t do it,” Ryan replied, his eyes pleading. “For your sake, don’t say this. It won’t end well, I swear it won’t—”

“Sorry, protocol. Are you a snitch?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Yes, I am! Is that what you want me to say, Luigi? Is that what you want me to say?”

Quicksave breathed deeply, fighting off his rising frustration.

“Luigi,” Ryan pointed a finger at the truth-teller, as everyone raised their weapons at the courier's face. “We’re going to have a problem, you and I.”

“Where’s Luigi?” Zanbato asked Grunt 1 when the truth-teller failed to show up at the harbor, leaving only the henchmen to deal with the operation. “Wasn’t he supposed to take care of the shipment?”

“Sorry, he was attacked yesterday night,” Gruntie said, carrying Luigi’s cell phone. Apparently, he would have to fill in for the Made Man. “He’s at the hospital right now, and he’ll be out of commission for a while.”

“What?” The news shocked Jamie, who clearly hadn’t been informed. “By whom?”

hockey mask and stick,

said absentmindedly,

for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy

almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

to witnesses,” Gruntie

Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it

be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then

find the hockey equipment than

Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city isn’t

don’t say,” Ryan

home, they played poker,

had long entered auto-pilot, as he let his sense of timing guide him forward. The auto-pilot wasn’t really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same

exceptions, he constantly lived through an endless theater rehearsal. People held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the

would drive anyone

ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain of

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow of

where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when his power noticed an

while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

Pluto and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t

sure of it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from

is it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next

marked,” Pluto said. “But I don’t

...

power somehow mark him

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up

is your new

prepared to joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in

stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air thickened, something weighing on

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each

away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,”

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s

replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan

got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or

No, wait, that wasn’t a threat.

follow her order, he would die. The

silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and

follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full

here?” Lanka asked her

to hit the Meta-Gang hard,” Jamie replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven

after what they did to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in

mean, it was just a guy with

isn’t a

of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to focus entirely on wiping out

sure how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and

he made progress,

until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to force him into one fetch

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