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,

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

home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick, beats him

chortled. “Why

take his money,” Grunt

to witnesses,” Gruntie said.

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

his arms. “But then how did they learn

to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address.

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

say,”

invited him home, they played

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 over and over again. It was

mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and

would drive

would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain of

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of

laying defeated on the ground.

care

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises, good

expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer.

replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who are

is it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified her

Pluto said. “But I don’t remember

...

her power somehow mark him across

joined the conversation, carefully

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

courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a

female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each

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

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

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

places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up.

No, wait, that wasn’t

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he

underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so

breath of relief.

just

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

question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern,

is she even here?” Lanka

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

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

promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to

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

or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than

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