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 and stick, from

a very dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t

normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps

almost chortled. “Why

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,”

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

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

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

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

say,” Ryan

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

simply a state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same events over

while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned

would

it would finally

him back to

when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when

factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s orphanage, intact, and

taken care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect that

sure of it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning

asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still

Pluto said. “But I don’t

...

power somehow mark him across

the conversation, carefully

is your new recruit,

joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but

Blue?” 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 around him. The air thickened, something weighing on his

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

her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said. “He helped us fight off

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan,

reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan

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.

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

her order, he

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

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

I do?!” Ryan replied, just as

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

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

is she even here?” Lanka asked

gave the 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

with a frown. “To attack him in front of his

the 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

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

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

out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission,

he made

matter. Ryan only had to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t

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