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?”

psychopath with a hockey mask and stick, from what

absentmindedly, looking at the sea.

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

almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1

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

a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was

arms. “But then how did they learn where

the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that

“I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city

say,” Ryan

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

a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when

a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over again.

would drive

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

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

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

while 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 a

taken care

Thanks for the tip.

for such

bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer.

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

still next to Ryan. The

“But

...

Did her power somehow mark him

something wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the conversation,

your new

speak to her when talked to, he all but said out

peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air thickened, something

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

The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words.

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

forever,” she replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid,

she threatened him… No, wait, that

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he

and his 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

letting out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what

do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or

Augustus’ sister

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

is she even here?” Lanka asked her team

hit the Meta-Gang hard,” Jamie replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in

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

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

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

promise and stopped targeting

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

time he made progress, a new problem

or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay

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

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