Bobby eases into the starting gap beside the food trucks, his car idling under neon and steam. The Wolf district crowd hangs back, casual and curious, while the lions roll in like a showroom inspection.
The Lion Driver
Your setup is adequate. Let’s see if your chassis can justify the fuel burn.
The Lion Driver
We are not interested in theater. We are interested in return on investment.
King watches from the curb, tinted glass catching pink and blue reflections. Jax steps into view near the lane marker, one hand lifted, waiting for the grid to settle.
Jax
Alright, Bobby. Clean run, no hero stuff. Give them the lane if they want it, then take it back.
A delivery cyclist in a rain shell brakes hard at the edge of the route, staring at the line of supercars before edging out of the way. Bobby inches forward, the start box tight around him, engine humming steady.
Jax drops his arm. The street tightens into silence, all lights and waiting metal.
+ Story Quest Added
Win the final race of the night
+ Scene Quest Added
Beat the lion rivals
“No jumping the flag, no horseplay. Just good, clean racing.”
SUCCESS (Great Driving, rolled +0)
Bobby launches clean, the car leaping ahead without a twitch. The lion beside him hesitates a fraction, and that fraction becomes daylight between the bumpers.
The Wolf district crowd snaps alive, phones up, heads turning as Bobby holds the center lane and keeps the speed smooth. Steam curls over the hood from the food trucks, flashing neon across the windshield.
King
That line was perfect.
Jax
There it is, Bobby. Hold it steady.
The Lion Driver
He is cleaner off the line than expected.
The delivery cyclist reaches the curb safely and stares after the pack, while the lions fall into chase behind Bobby instead of beside him.
King lowers his chin, tracking every correction, while Jax’s raised arm finally drops. The start line is behind Bobby now, and the street ahead opens in a neon corridor.
A gap stays on Bobby’s right, clear and inviting, as the field stretches out behind him with the lion rivals already forced to regroup.
“The curve isn't up yet, this could get tricky with their power, coming from behind. Just play it safe.”
SUCCESS (Great Driving, rolled +0)
Bobby eases the car toward the open gap on the right, keeping the line smooth as the road begins to bend. The front end settles, and the whole car answers with a calm, planted grip.
The lions behind him fan out too wide for the turn, their headlights jittering across steam and storefront glass. Bobby’s cleaner line leaves them boxed in by each other and the curb.
King
He’s reading the road faster than they are.
Jax
That’s it, Bobby. Stay on that line.
The Lion Driver
He slips through before we can close him down.
A food truck’s neon menu washes over Bobby’s windshield, then falls away as he clears the bend with room to spare. The crowd noise lifts behind him, sharper now, full of surprise and approval.
Up ahead, the road opens into the next straight, and the lions are still sorting themselves out in his wake. Bobby has the advantage, clean and visible, with the race still alive but the pressure shifted hard to the others.
“"Clean driving is one thing, but they're outright nervous about any damage to their cars. Clean, but hard, and I got this."”
SUCCESS (Great Driving, rolled -1)
Bobby holds the clean line through the straight, and the lions hesitate behind him. Their cars keep space between one another now, every driver wary of a scrape.
King watches the gap widen, his posture easing as he realizes the pressure has flipped. Jax lifts one hand higher, signaling Bobby to keep it smooth.
The Lion Driver
Don’t crowd him, just get around him!
The warning comes too late. Bobby threads the lane with enough precision to leave no opening, and the nearest lion backs off rather than risk contact.
King
They are backing out of the fight.
Streetlight glare slides across Bobby’s hood as the road opens again. Behind him, the pack breaks its shape, and the lead is his to keep.
Jax
That’s it. They’re spooked, Bobby. Keep going.
Quest Complete
Beat the lion rivals
Skill Upgrade: Driving Great→Superb