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

absentmindedly, looking

normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of

“Why Luigi?

Grunt 1

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

around a lot, a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had

arms. “But

Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s

asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city isn’t safe

don’t say,”

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

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

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,

would

to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len.

to

and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition

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

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

for such surprises, good or

events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to

“Have we met before?”

as he didn’t

her tone turning

Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified

said. “But I

...

Did her power somehow

Jamie joined the conversation, carefully

your new recruit,

when talked to,

Blue?” Pluto observed Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe

didn’t seem 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,” the Made Man said. “He helped us fight off Sarin

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s

with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal,

but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and you

threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a threat. That was a

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he would die.

of sight.

a breath of

do?!” Ryan replied, just

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

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

here?” Lanka asked her

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

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

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 lot more

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

out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to focus entirely on

out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify him even after he

he made progress, a

until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer

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

Comments ()

0/255