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, from what I

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

1 nodded. “Apparently Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM!

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

money,” Grunt 1 replied.

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

homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it

Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But

hockey equipment than

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

don’t say,” Ryan

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

mind had 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

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

would drive anyone

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

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, especially when his

laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust Town’s orphanage, intact, and a

taken care of. Children

Thanks for the tip.

such

to repeat until he met

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat the

“Have we met before?”

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

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

it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next

“But I don’t remember

...

shit! Did her power somehow mark him

Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan

is your

speak to her when talked to, he all but said

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

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

came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said.

she asked Ryan, completely dismissing

he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the

coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this

No, wait, that wasn’t a

her order, he would die. The

were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s up for Chinese?”

Lanka said, letting out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

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

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

follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She

is she even here?” Lanka asked her

Jamie 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 squad. I say it’s

a frown. “To attack him in front of

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

Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for them to outsource their

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

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

made progress, a new problem

had to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t

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

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