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?”

with a hockey mask and

dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly,

“Apparently Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a hate

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

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

could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then

actually took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than

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

say,”

that, events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played

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

a while, always reacting the same way to the

repetition would drive

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

him back to reality, interrupting

took Ryan a second 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 power noticed an

left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises,

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect that answer.

Pluto replied, her tone turning from

stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere

“But I don’t

...

power somehow mark him

something wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up

is your

You speak to her when

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

Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each

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

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words. “Your real

I’m Ryan!” he replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal, but don’t

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

No, wait, that wasn’t a

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

courier and his group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody

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

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

serious, Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and

said, her face full of concern,

even here?” Lanka

since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven

poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in

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

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

the discussion, trying to puzzle 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

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

time he made progress, a new problem

along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to

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