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

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

Grunt 1 nodded. “Apparently Luigi returned home late for a party, 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 jaw with a

“Why Luigi?

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a

uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from what

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

arms. “But then how did they learn where he

Ryan more time to find the hockey

you should crash at my place for the night, just in

don’t say,”

Jamie invited him home, they played poker,

mind had long 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

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

would drive anyone

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

him back to reality, interrupting the flow of

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

left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises,

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

Pluto replied, her tone turning from

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

marked,” Pluto said. “But

...

her power somehow mark

Jamie joined the conversation,

your

on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato

as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him.

or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard

his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said.

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words. “Your

the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

will call you back soon to clear this up. Play

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

order, he

bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up

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

I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or

Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest

suggest you follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face

is she even here?” Lanka

she’s been itching to test her new weapons

attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel safe at

Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with

replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make

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

though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could

time he made progress, a

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

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

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