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?”

psychopath with a hockey mask and stick, from what

sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea.

you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a hate

looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,”

lot, a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out,

be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where

time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that sport

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

don’t say,”

played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory,

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

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 again. They became machines, and Ryan the only human

would drive anyone

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

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality,

took Ryan a second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded

laying defeated on the ground. The

taken care

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises, good

and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect that

already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from

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

marked,” Pluto said. “But I don’t

...

her power somehow mark him

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully

is your

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 the courier’s place. “He’s a

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

would have noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with

while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan,

alleviating the tension.

one lives forever,” she replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play

No, wait, that wasn’t a threat. That was

order, he would die. The

leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first,

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

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

Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss.

her face full of concern, “She can

even here?” Lanka asked her

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

said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you

Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross.

a big group. It

listened to the discussion, trying 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 focus entirely on wiping out the

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

every time he made progress, a

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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