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?”

mask and stick, from what

sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking

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

almost chortled. “Why

the maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt

according to witnesses,” Gruntie said.

Grunt 2 pointed out,

crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn

Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody

a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just

say,” Ryan

played poker,

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

exceptions, he constantly lived through an endless theater rehearsal. People held 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 over again. They became machines,

repetition would

perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was certain

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow of

consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded

already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of

Psyshock taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises, good or

to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

as he didn’t expect

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

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

“But I don’t remember

...

shit! Did her power

something wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully

is your new

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

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.

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

looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,”

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

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

lives forever,” she replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon

that wasn’t a

follow her order, he would

group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at

breath of

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

serious, Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest is not a good

Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can kill with a

is she even here?”

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

Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel safe at

though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It

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

and stopped targeting

could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to

time he made progress,

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

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