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?”

a hockey mask

said absentmindedly, looking

you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM!

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

the maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

according to witnesses,”

a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had to happen

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

the hockey equipment than

“I think you should crash at my place for the night, just

say,” Ryan

events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan saved the

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

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,

would drive

necessary suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when

snapped him back to reality,

Ryan a second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception

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

care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises, good or

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly,

met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning

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

Pluto said. “But I

...

power

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

your new recruit,

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.

Pluto observed Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure

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

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

she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words.

reverence, alleviating the tension.

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

threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a threat. That

follow her order, he would die.

underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight.

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what

do?!” Ryan replied, just as

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

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

is she even here?”

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

attack him in front of his own house… if you

it was just a guy with a hockey

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

stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate

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

he made progress, a new problem

Len. He didn’t

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

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