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 and stick,

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking

that was crazy,” 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

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

take his money,” Grunt

according to witnesses,”

pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous

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

time to find the hockey

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

don’t say,”

played poker, went to Vulcan’s

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

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

would drive

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

snapped him back to reality,

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

factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises, good or

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect that

Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious

Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere

“But I

...

shit! Did her power

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

your new

her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in the courier’s place. “He’s a Violet.

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

a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard

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

she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s

he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

“I’ve 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 you will

wait, that

her order, he would die.

out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice.

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

just as confused.

said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest is not

Ki-jung said, her face

is she even here?”

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

Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house…

skeptical. “I mean, it was just

they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It

discussion, trying to puzzle out 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 decided to

could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had

made progress, a new

until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to

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