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

absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t

starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick,

“Why Luigi? Was

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

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

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

crossed his arms.

time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s

crash at my place for the night,

say,”

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

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 over and over again. It was no

were bound by 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 same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan the

would

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

snapped him back to reality,

when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of

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

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning

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

“But

...

her power somehow

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

your

her when

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

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

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

Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s

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

got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no,

way she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t

her order, he

bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so

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

do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused.

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

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

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

frown. “To attack him in front of his own house…

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

replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It

through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to

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

he made

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 force

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