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, from what

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

starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday

almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from what I

homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had to happen one

his arms. “But then how did they learn

actually took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address.

Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for

say,”

played poker, went to

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 no different than daydreaming while repeating a mind-numbing

a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot

would

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

to reality, interrupting the

he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded

phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message

care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

such

Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

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

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

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

Pluto said. “But I don’t remember

...

her power somehow mark him across

Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing

your new recruit,

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

The courier couldn’t explain why, but he

or infohazard,” Pluto’s female

convinced, 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,”

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

reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal, but don’t tell

you back soon to clear this up.

way she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t

follow her order, he would die. The

in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck

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

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

her face full of concern, “She can kill with

she even here?”

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

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

“I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have been a lot

probably an unpowered junkie they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make

followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no

Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how

he made

reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the

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

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