The Perfect Run

“When is the sound coming?” Lanka asked Ryan for the third time, an elbow on the loudspeaker.

“When you find me another brain,” Ryan replied, tinkering with the device. A few people had already taken over the dance floor, but the house’s equipment couldn’t support a true rave party. Seriously, Ki-jung needed to stop buying Dynamis home products. They were barely a cut above pre-Wars Chinese imports.

Actually, did buying the enemy's products count as collaboration?

“Stop distracting him,” Narcinia told Lanka, defending Ryan with such zeal that he considered making her his sidekick. The Green Genome was busy cultivating strange, phosphorescent mushrooms on the ground. She had promised it would help with the rave, and the courier let her run wild with her imagination.

Quicksave glanced at Mathias, who was talking with Fortuna and other members of the Killer Seven. Half an hour had passed since their conversation, and the house was now filled to the brim with guests.

“So, you’re adopted?” Ryan bluntly asked Narcinia. “Did you ever learn who your birth parents were?”

“Ryan!” Lanka snapped at him.

“They were raiders,” Narcinia replied, almost casually. “Father Torque said they were killers and rapists, and that Augustus punished them because it was divine justice.”

Ryan could have sworn the TV’s screen threatened to crack for a brief second. He glanced up at Mathias, whose smile contrasted with the icy look in his eyes.

“Sorry,” Lanka said, glaring at the courier. Thankfully, the power outburst had been subtle enough for her to miss it. “Blabbermouth has no tact at all.”

“It’s okay!” Narcinia replied with a cute smile. “My real family is the one that raised me. My mom and dad are awesome, and my siblings even more so.”

“I was adopted too, but it sucked,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Well, half of it.”

“Really?” Narcinia’s head perked up in interest, while Lanka listened in silence.

“My parents died when bandits wiped out our community to steal our supplies,” Ryan said. It had been so long ago, it had lost almost all emotional effect. “I was… eleven I think? Maybe twelve. And I turned out great!”

“Ryan.” Lanka’s voice had lost all playfulness. “Did these bandits...”

Ryan glanced at the snake tattoo on her arm, that of her former gang. “You weren’t among them and they’re all dead,” the courier replied with a shrug. “I’m over it.”

Lanka fell silent with a thoughtful look on her face, while Narcinia looked between them in confusion. Thankfully, a newcomer interrupted them before the mood turned even more awkward.

Ryan almost didn’t recognize Vulcan at first sight, because the Genius had cleaned herself up; she had traded her usual clothes for a black halter-top and pants, and let her hair fall down on her shoulders. While she was no head-turning beauty, the Augusti Capo looked great.

He really had a thing for Geniuses shorter than him.

“Ceres, Sphere.” Vulcan smirked upon seeing the courier. “Ryan.”

“Hey, my favorite arms dealer,” Ryan rejoiced, raising a screwdriver. “Your arrival is just perfect.”

“Always,” she replied, a hand on her waist. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Do you have anything to boost the sound?” Ryan asked. “I’m trying to jury-rig the loudspeakers, but I need more juice.”

“Now you’re talking my language,” Vulcan said, searching inside her pocket and tossing him some kind of mouse-sized battery. “It’s a mini-generator.”

“Why do you carry that in your pocket?” Lanka asked, an eyebrow raised.

“‘Cause my phone has less autonomy than a sloth,” the Genius replied with a shrug, before grabbing a beer can from Lanka’s personal reserve. “It’s been an exhausting day.”

“Did you kill the Meta?” Narcinia asked before Ryan could.

“Almost, but Dynamis got to them first. Fucking kill stealers.”

“What, they tried to buy them off?” Lanka snickered.

“With bullets and lasers,” Vulcan replied. “They sent three armored squadrons, plus heavy hitters like Devilry and that bitch Wyvern. Those vultures fell on the Meta and opened fire on sight.”

Oh, was there gas in their alliance? “Well, I guess it was time to clean up loose ends,” Ryan said.

“Adam didn’t look surprised. He sacrificed a few men, but he managed to escape on a goddamn submarine.”

Narcinia immediately asked, unable to resist the

freaking submarine with Mechron’s emblem on

with her smoke, a frown forming on her

the feeling the situation is more complicated than it looks.” Vulcan sipped her beer while glancing at Ryan. “I called the Underdiver to investigate since

her now. She was probably busy with all the orphans, no need to add more pressure on

of mass destruction. As if to answer his success, Narcinia’s mushrooms unleashed

his

glass, his

dance floor, one for each Elixir type. They floated near the

people started taking over the dance

them,” Lanka said, before turning to Narcinia. “Nice trick with the mushrooms. What’s

Ischia island,” the teenager replied. “I help Father Torque open the path

of heaven?” Ryan asked, immediately interested. “Are you an

bit. “Sorry Ryan, I’m not supposed to say

American cartel has always been my dream. If you need a drug wizard, I know all the good recipes. Meth, cocaine, heroin, opium, doesn’t

asked, finishing her sixth cancer stick. “Good to

had spent… twenty years? At least twenty years trying every addictive substance on the planet except Elixirs, and when he ran out, he learned how to create his own supply. His drug cartel

have to abandon that childhood dream, Ryan.” Vulcan brazenly put an arm around his shoulder. “You’ve got an exclusive work contract

on an open relationship?” Ryan replied while brazenly putting his hand around her waist.

as good as you are,” Vulcan replied, without pushing his hand away. “So it’s

work or something else?” Lanka

Narcinia said, clearly eager to meet Ryan again. “Father Torque says the

her amusement turning into frustration. “Besides, you’ve got a freaking

once, and that he may

Vulcan, doing his best impersonation of a kitten’s

rolled her eyes, before glancing at the dance floor. “You know how to

I say I’m amazing,

to

have much experience, but Ryan had mastered every dance under the sun, so

aren’t good at?” Vulcan asked Ryan. He could feel her sweat on

have smiled, if not for the unpleasant sensation of someone watching him

confusion. She started asking

woman’s attention though. It must have been his

“Fuck off!”

had sighted earlier during the party

ignored Jamie’s rules and

She seemed paralyzed and unable to say anything; a

either in liquid or gas form, and it was powerful enough to affect Genomes. It was also incredibly addictive, which Ryan could personally attest.

mention the hidden, long-term

was a tall brawler built like a bear. While he hadn’t manifested any laser

seen him this angry when Luigi had exposed his infiltration

“But—”

backward, his tone turning

cowed face and his inhaler. “It’s okay?” Jamie immediately asked his girlfriend, his frightful face softening back

clearly didn’t mean it. “It’s

protective manner and then turned to Ryan when he and Vulcan approached the couple. “Sorry

glancing at the house’s entrance. “I’ll discipline that idiot, Zanbato. You got

you.” Jamie looked at his troubled girlfriend, then back at Ryan. “I think we will retire early. Can you and Lanka take care of the guests in our

“Sure,” the courier said.

trust you not to do anything stupid?”

will not start

oddly specific,” he noted but had more pressing matters

hand and crossed his fingers behind his back with the other. Jamie and Ki-jung moved upstairs, leaving the ground and main room to the guests. “I didn’t know Chitter was a recovering addict,” Vulcan noted, showing surprising insight. “I’m glad I never took

high on your own

watch movies too. Maybe I’ll show

before they could return to the dance floor. “Quicksave.” The bodyguard cleared her throat. “Ms. Livia wants to talk to

tone

know,” Sparrow replied. “But you can

about it, she didn’t seem willing to deny the request either. That Livia clearly had sway in the organization, or at