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,

very dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly,

then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw

“Why Luigi? Was

Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was

attacker looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from

Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend?

crossed his arms. “But then how did they learn where

Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than

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

say,”

invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan

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

a few 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

would drive

was necessary suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally

back to

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

Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s orphanage, intact, and

Psyshock taken care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good

Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect

met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from

still next to Ryan. The

said. “But

...

shit! Did her power

wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the

is your

putting a hand 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. The air thickened, something

or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each

while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said. “He helped us fight off Sarin

she asked Ryan, completely

mock reverence, alleviating the tension.

be right now, but I will call you back

him… No, wait, that wasn’t a

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 first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s up

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck did

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

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

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

here?” Lanka asked her team

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

did to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you

it’s the Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have been a

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

discussion, trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the

infiltration mission, and he had to figure out

time he made progress, a

didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to force him into

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

Comments ()

0/255