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,

very dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the

home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a

almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe

really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,”

around a lot, a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous

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

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

right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my

don’t say,”

predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker,

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 events over and over again. It was no different than

mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to

repetition would drive

ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything

to reality, interrupting the flow of

where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded

phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground.

Psyshock taken care

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good or

expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and said the exact

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect

her tone turning from curious to confused.

while Lanka stood still next to

“But I don’t remember

...

power somehow mark him

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully

is your

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

courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The

noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe

The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s

alleviating the

to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this

threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a

follow her order, he would die. The

his group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s

of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck did

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

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

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

here?” Lanka asked

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 hit squad. I say it’s finally time

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

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

off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for

targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to focus entirely on

wasn’t sure how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission,

he made progress, a

He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And

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

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