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.”

asked, unable to resist the

with Mechron’s emblem

with her smoke, a frown forming

sipped her beer while glancing at Ryan. “I called the Underdiver to

thought of calling Len had crossed Ryan’s mind, but he was wary of involving her now. She was probably busy with all

design and amplified the sound, turning the modest loudspeaker into a weapon of mass destruction. As if to answer his success, Narcinia’s mushrooms unleashed a faint

his screwdriver for his drink, Ryan cleared his

raising his glass, his voice reverberating through the loudspeaker. “With great

the dance floor, one for each Elixir type. They floated near the ceiling and pulsated with

over the dance floor while the music switched to a catchy Synthwave

before turning to Narcinia. “Nice trick with the mushrooms. What’s your

teenager replied. “I help Father Torque open the

of heaven?” Ryan asked, immediately

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

cartel has always been my dream. If you need a drug wizard, I know all the good recipes. Meth,

know how to make drugs?” Lanka asked,

out, he learned how to

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

his hand around her

replied, without pushing his hand away. “So it’s 'til

work or something else?”

clearly eager to meet Ryan again. “Father Torque says the equipment needs an

jack shit about tech,” Vulcan replied, her amusement turning into frustration. “Besides, you’ve got a

at once, and that he

Vulcan, doing his best

start.” Vulcan rolled her eyes, before glancing at the dance

I say I’m amazing, then

boast to the

and moved to the dance floor alongside other couples. It quickly became apparent that Vulcan didn’t have much experience, but Ryan had mastered every dance under the sun, so he guided them through. Mathias also

good at?” Vulcan asked Ryan. He could feel her sweat on his fingers,

in response, and Ryan may have smiled, if not for the unpleasant sensation of

from the bar, her gaze first one of surprise, then confusion. She started asking questions to

did capture the mysterious woman’s attention though.

“Fuck off!”

interrupted their wild dancing when they heard Jamie’s voice cut through the noise. The swordsman had grabbed a fire-manipulator whom Ryan had sighted earlier during the party by the shirt, and

ignored Jamie’s rules and brought Bliss

the drug with a pale face, shaking. She seemed paralyzed and unable to say anything; a former addict

form, and it was powerful enough to affect Genomes. It was also incredibly addictive, which Ryan could personally attest. He could never finish a run after trying it, and while he

the

even while Jamie looked murderous. It was not a pretty sight, since the Made Man was a tall brawler built like a bear. While he hadn’t manifested any laser weapons

Ryan had only ever seen him this angry when Luigi had exposed

“But—”

backward,

other guests, and moved towards the door with a cowed face and his inhaler. “It’s okay?” Jamie immediately asked

said, although she clearly didn’t mean

manner and then turned to Ryan when he and Vulcan approached the couple. “Sorry for the mess,”

entrance. “I’ll discipline that idiot, Zanbato. You got my word on

at his troubled girlfriend, then back at Ryan. “I think we will retire early. Can you

“Sure,” the courier said.

trust you not to do anything stupid?” Jamie asked, an

not start any fires under

oddly specific,” he noted but had more pressing matters on his mind.

the ground and main room to the guests. “I didn’t know Chitter was a recovering addict,” Vulcan

high on your

“I watch movies too.

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

Vulcan asked, her tone shifting from

replied. “But you can come

seem willing to deny the request either.