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 stick,

said absentmindedly, looking at the

nodded. “Apparently Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some

chortled. “Why Luigi?

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

witnesses,” Gruntie

2 pointed out, “Maybe it was

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

actually took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than

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

say,” Ryan

predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to

had long entered auto-pilot, as 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 couldn’t be bothered

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

would

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

beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting

Extensive looping

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

taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such

her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected 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 repeat the

“Have we met before?”

he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly,

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

while Lanka stood still next to Ryan.

said. “But I

...

Did her power somehow mark him across

Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing

your

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

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

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

seem convinced, her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd,

asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words. “Your

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

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, play smart, run, or say no, and you will

No, wait, that wasn’t a threat.

didn’t follow her order, he

of

letting out a breath of

replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer

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

her face full of concern, “She

is she even here?” Lanka

to 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,

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

who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy

a big group.

discussion, trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti

sure how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify

he made progress, a new

Len. He didn’t have

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

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