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,
dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking
door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out
Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it
even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a hate
attacker looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,”
Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend?
the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where he
Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s
at a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the
don’t say,”
as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to
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 daydreaming while repeating
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 again.
repetition would
to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan
cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting
Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially
phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved
Psyshock taken care of. Children
Thanks for the tip.
such surprises, good
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.
answered, preparing to repeat
“Have we met before?”
as he didn’t expect
it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning
is it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified
“But I don’t
...
Did her power somehow mark him
the conversation, carefully backing
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
soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him.
alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your
looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd,
name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s
the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal,
got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and
No, wait, that
didn’t follow her order,
until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s up for Chinese?”
breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck
Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer
“That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister
you follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can kill
is she even here?” Lanka asked her
go 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 hit squad. I
Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel safe at home
“I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have
unpowered junkie they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group.
his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no
interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure
made progress, a new problem
or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti
About The Perfect Run - Chapter 21
The Perfect Run is the best current series of the author Void Herald. With the below Chapter 21 content will make us lost in the world of love and hatred interchangeably, despite all the tricks to achieve the goal without any concern for the other half, and then regret. late. Please read chapter Chapter 21 and update the next chapters of this series at booktrk.com