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 I

sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at

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 his

“Why Luigi?

the maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a

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

pointed out, “Maybe it

Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did

to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played

should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city

say,”

played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan saved the

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

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

would drive anyone

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

back to

Ryan a second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often

checked his phone, while Lanka had already left for Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a

care

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises, good

and 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 said the exact

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

surprised Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning

Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified her into

Pluto said. “But

...

her power somehow

Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing

your new

Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question

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

alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard

his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,”

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

mock reverence, alleviating the tension.

but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and

wait, that wasn’t a

her order, he

out of sight.

out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the

just as confused.

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

Ki-jung said, her

is she even here?” Lanka asked her team

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

to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if you can’t feel

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

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

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

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

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

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