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?”

crazy psychopath with a hockey mask

hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t recommend

opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the

almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt

looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from what I

out, “Maybe it was a

his arms. “But then how did

took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address.

“I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The

say,” Ryan

predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played

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

were bound by the laws of causality. With a few exceptions, he constantly lived through an endless theater rehearsal. People held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over

repetition would drive anyone

was necessary suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally

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,

Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The

taken care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises, good or

her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who

her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere

said. “But I don’t

...

her power somehow mark him across

boss?” Jamie joined the

is your new

personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out

trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard

came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd,

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words.

mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and you will

threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t

follow her order, he would

out of sight.

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

replied, just as confused. “Or would you

Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest is not a

without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can

she even here?”

take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the

after what they did to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house…

Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have been a lot

Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for

to puzzle out the sequence 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

sure how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify him even after he altered

time he made progress, a

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

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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