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?”

crazy psychopath with a hockey mask and

Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea.

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,

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it

Grunt 1

witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from what

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

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

time to find the hockey

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

say,” Ryan

events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s

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 over and over again. It was no different than daydreaming while

the laws of causality. With 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

repetition would

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

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow of

Extensive looping and

factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust

Psyshock taken care

Thanks for the tip.

such

events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

Ryan answered, preparing to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t

her tone turning

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

said. “But I

...

power

Jamie joined the

your new recruit,

shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered

intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt

infohazard,” Pluto’s female

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

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan,

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

now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or

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

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 the ice. “So, who’s up

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth,

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

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

Ki-jung said, her face

is she even here?” Lanka

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 the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven hit squad.

said with a frown. “To attack him

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,

“The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It

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

out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission,

every time he made progress, a new

had to play 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

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