C20: Provocative
[Famousness from Tony Stark +85]
[Famousness from Happy Hogan +25]
[Famousness from Maya Hansen +15]
Li Ran was driving a matte-black Lexus LC on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, weaving through traffic like he'd memorized every shortcut from Hell's Kitchen to Stark Tower. When he saw the system panel flicker with a new update, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Tony Stark really is a walking PR machine. One brief face-off and I get a surge like this…"
He flicked on the automated drive assist, an unlicensed replica of S.H.I.E.L.D. tech he'd reverse-engineered and leaned back as the car glided forward.
He was waiting for Tony's reaction. And it wouldn't be long.
…
Meanwhile, in a different part of Midtown, Tony Stark stared at Happy Hogan like he'd just revealed HYDRA had infiltrated the valet service.
"You're telling me... the car's not here?"
Happy scratched his head sheepishly. "I thought you still had the keys, boss."
Tony gritted his teeth and yanked out his Stark Industries-issued smartphone. "J.A.R.V.I.S."
"Yes, sir?" came the AI's familiar British cadence.
"Locate the Audi R8. Then patch me into its internal comms, override all encryption protocols."
"As you wish, sir. You do know, things are always a bit more exciting when you leave the garage door open."
The phone's display flipped sideways, revealing a high-res GPS map of New York overlaid with a Stark-licensed security grid. A red dot blinked near Third Avenue, close to LexCorp's Midtown annex, not far at all.
Happy peered over Tony's shoulder. "Right off Seaford Road. That's barely five blocks from our current position."
"Looks like our mystery Phantom Thief has guts." Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Wait, what's happening?" Maya Hansen asked, clearly thrown off. "You're being robbed and smiling about it?"
"Let's call it... an unauthorized borrowing of Stark property," Tony replied. "And I'm intrigued. Not angry — yet."
"But why not report it? You could have NYPD's metahuman task force on this in minutes."
"It's just a car," Tony shrugged, though the twitch in his eyebrow betrayed him. "More importantly, I want to meet the guy who managed to outsmart the Stark encryption suite, even temporarily."
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. interjected, "I have established a connection to the vehicle's internal audio."
A moment later, jazz music drifted through the phone's speaker — Coltrane. Nice choice.
"Hey, hey, can you hear me?" Tony's voice rang out.
Li Ran reached over and dialed the stereo volume down. "Loud and clear, Iron Man."
"You too, Mr. Phantom Thief," Tony replied, arms folded. "Impressive move with the duplicate key fob, fooled even me for, let's say, seven minutes. Ten, if I'm being honest. But you're not planning to keep heading up Seaford Road toward the Roosevelt Bridge, are you?"
Li Ran laughed. "What gave it away? Happy's sudden silence or J.A.R.V.I.S. geotagging me with Stark Satellites?"
"Neither. Just experience. Now, how about giving me back my car? I've got a hot date with reality and possibly Pepper, depending on how annoyed she is today."
"I didn't agree to a date, Tony. Not unless you're into grand theft auto as foreplay."
Tony sighed. "You know, I've had Ultron-level threats talk less smack."
Still unfazed, Li Ran executed a flawless Tokyo drift U-turn and headed back east.
"To be honest," he said, "I was disappointed with your initial response. But now that I know you're actively tracking me, I'll throw you a bone. Catch me if you can."
"You really want to challenge Iron Man to a chase?"
"I'm not challenging Iron Man. I'm challenging Tony Stark, the guy before the arc reactor, before the Mark III armor , the guy with something to prove."
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. cut in again, "the connection has been severed from the other end."
Tony clenched his jaw. "Of course it has."
"You seem annoyed, boss," Happy observed.
"I am. Not because he got my car, but because I let him bait me into enjoying it."
He turned toward the screen again, just in time to see the red tracking dot converge with their position.
"Wait—"
The growl of a V10 engine roared down the street as Tony's custom Audi R8, the one upgraded with a Stark-fusion hybrid module, zipped past, black and beautiful.
Tony's jaw dropped. "Okay, now I'm really pissed."
"Sir, would you like me to summon a replacement vehicle?"
"No. Happy," Tony said, now deadly serious, "get me a car. Any car. Now."
"But your R8—"
"I'm not interested in excuses. I want results."
Happy sighed, pulled out his burner phone , one he only used for calling Maria Hill when Stark got this intense and started dialing.
Beside them, Maya stepped back, crossing her arms. "You said it was just a vehicle."
"That was before he drove it in my face and smiled," Tony said flatly. "I don't do 'humiliation.' I respond. Immediately."
…
[Famousness from Tony Stark +65]
In the hijacked car, Li Ran tapped his fingers on the wheel, watching the fame points accumulate on the system interface.
"Yep. That's the Tony Stark I expected, cocky, brilliant, and dangerously easy to provoke."
He smiled, the city blurring by.
"And now the game really begins."
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