C21: Chase
As the saying goes, "If you haven't risked your life two or three times, how dare you ride with the Outlaws of Mount Liang?"
The reason Li Ran was so bold, unrestrained and even openly provocative toward Tony Stark was simple: he had an ace up his sleeve.
[E-Class Card – Baby]
[Skills: Tinnitus, Stunt Driving]
[Background: "Baby" lost his parents in a tragic crash and was left with permanent tinnitus. To drown the constant ringing, he drives with curated playlists blaring through his earphones. Raised in the underbelly of Atlanta, he became the designated wheelman for a notorious crime boss, repaying a blood debt by drifting through chaos at breakneck speeds.]
As noted before, not all cards of the same rank are created equal. Even though E-Class character cards drawn from the [Wooden Treasure Chest] were usually little more than filler, occasionally one surfaced with unique utility. And while most were forgettable, like the utterly useless [Nohara Hiroshi] card, whose main function was inspiring sarcastic inner monologues, others had potential beyond their rank.
Case in point: [Baby]. Though still technically E-Class, his skill, Stunt Driving, was perfect for Li Ran's current predicament. Sometimes, a niche E-rank skill outperforms a brute-force D-rank ability, especially when it fits the moment like a key to a lock.
Of course, such cases were the exception, not the rule.
Li Ran cruised down Second Avenue in Stark's borrowed Audi R8, crossing an intersection just past East 47th Street. He deliberately let off the gas, letting the sleek machine idle for a moment at the curb, and waited.
Right on cue, a deep, throaty roar filled the avenue.
In the rear-view mirror, a cherry-red 2019 Acura NSX—Tony Stark's custom model, painted in a shade only slightly more subtle than his Iron Man armor, rocketed into view, tearing up the asphalt like it had a grudge.
Li Ran smirked.
There was no mistaking that kind of grandstanding. The man behind the wheel had to be Tony Stark, future Iron Man, genius, billionaire, and as it turned out, sore loser.
Tony pulled up alongside him, electric window purring down, revealing that unmistakable goatee and the arrogant glint of someone used to winning. With the swagger of someone who once flirted with Natasha Romanoff while launching a missile, he called out:
"Well, well. If it isn't our friendly neighborhood car thief. What's the matter? Break down already? Need gas money or another magic trick to vanish my wallet again?"
"I stopped to wait for you, Tony," Li Ran replied calmly through the half-lowered window, his voice distorted slightly by the system filter, "Wouldn't want to give someone the excuse that they lost because they were cheated. Doesn't seem very fair."
Tony raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Excuse me? Did you just imply I, Tony Stark, would stoop to sore-loserdom?"
"I'm just stating a possibility."
Before Tony could launch into a full-on rebuttal worthy of a press conference, Li Ran slammed the accelerator. The R8 leapt forward with a sonic growl, tires shrieking, exhaust crackling like thunder.
"Oh, and by the way," Li Ran called back over his shoulder, "Red suits you, Tony."
From behind, Tony blinked, processing the line. "Well, of course red suits me. It's kind of my whole thing." Then his eyes widened as he registered the taillights fading into traffic. He grabbed his phone.
"JARVIS, track the R8's current location and give me the fastest intercept vector."
"Certainly, sir," came the AI's crisp reply. "Compiling local traffic data and optimal interception route now. However, sir… this behavior contradicts your earlier comment about 'playing fair.'"
"I know," Tony muttered, whipping the wheel and revving toward the intercept point. "But fair play was never the mission. Catching the thief is."
"Still, sir," JARVIS added with digital smugness, "it sounds suspiciously like rationalization."
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir?"
"You talk too much."
"But you programmed me, sir."
…
Thanks to the [Stunt Driving] skill from [Baby], Li Ran wove through midtown Manhattan traffic like he'd been born in the Fast Lane. Taxis, food trucks, and a stray Wayne Enterprises courier van blurred past as if they were part of a carefully choreographed ballet.
Oddly enough, the congested New York traffic no longer felt like a hindrance. The chaos became camouflage, every vehicle a shield, every turn an opportunity.
Only one thing marred the experience: the constant low-frequency ringing in his ears. The tinnitus wasn't just flavor text, it was a passive trait embedded into the card. Since [Hiroshi Nohara], this was the second time Li Ran encountered a card with a side-effect mechanic.
Luckily, he came prepared.
He slipped in his custom earphones. The curated playlist, upbeat and heavy with percussion surged in his ears, syncing perfectly with the beat of his heart and the rhythm of the road.
In that moment, Li Ran ceased to be a fugitive. He became the storm, every gear shift and steering flick an extension of his will. This was the true form of [Baby].
Even as he blazed across lanes and near-missed a Gotham PD armored van, Li Ran kept scanning the area. Tony Stark wasn't the type to give up just because he was outdriven once.
Right on cue, a familiar glint of red appeared ahead as Li Ran passed a blinking yellow light.
Tony Stark had cut across three avenues using an alternate route and was now directly in his path.
"Gotcha now, Mr. Thief," Tony said under his breath, hands steady on the wheel as he watched the oncoming Audi.
Li Ran raised his brows, calmly met the challenge, and whispered, "That's what you think."
With a flick of his wrist, he downshifted, jammed the brake, and spun the wheel. In one impossibly smooth motion, he executed a hairpin drift that sent the R8 skimming sideways into a side alley just before Tony could block him.
[Fame Increased – Tony Stark: +70]
"Sir," JARVIS deadpanned, "it appears your quarry's driving skills are… significantly better than yours."
"I noticed," Tony grunted, watching the Audi disappear. "Thanks."
Not to be outdone, he downshifted and tore through the next street, inputting a reroute. Li Ran might have the skills, but Tony had satellite eyes, predictive algorithms, and stubborn pride.
"This game isn't over yet. The night's still young, Mr. Thief."
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