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

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

door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick, beats him

almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

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

according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from

real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had

crossed his arms. “But

actually took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that

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

don’t say,” Ryan

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

state his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live

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 only human in

would

would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found

snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow

consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded

on the ground. The message involved

care of.

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises,

he noticed Pluto and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect

it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who are

Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The

Pluto said. “But I don’t

...

power somehow mark

the conversation, carefully backing Ryan

your

shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud.

courier couldn’t explain why, but

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

innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan,

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

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

wait, that wasn’t a threat. That was

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

courier 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

of relief. “Blabbermouth, what the fuck

just as confused.

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

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

here?” Lanka asked

“Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new

Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house…

Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta, there should have

a big group. It would make sense

Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to

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 him even after he

every time he made progress, a

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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