CHAPTER 54
C54: Connect
"Do you think, if I told Director Maggie Sawyer that everything was caused by a super-speed Chinese guy, she'd reimburse me for the repair costs?"
"What do you think? You forgot how long it took us to get that budget cleared through the MCU?"
"Shit!"
...
Glancing back at the officers he had just evaded, Ah Xing gradually came to a stop. While his clone didn't have stamina in the conventional sense, it still consumed Li Ran's chakra reserves to remain active. [Shui Mu], modeled on a Chunin-level entity, had decent chakra but not endless. Better to conserve some now.
"This is not how I imagined today going."
Inside the dimly lit antique shop nestled in Hell's Kitchen, Li Ran wore a helpless expression as he watched through the clone's senses. Everything had spiraled because of a misjudgment: Ah Xing had no official identity documents. Normally, this wasn't a problem, most people in New York chalked up masked figures to cosplayers or vigilantes but reality, unlike comic books, didn't let suspicious men in red shirts outrun cop cars without raising red flags.
Especially not in New York, where the NYPD—unlike the GCPD of Gotham wasn't exactly known for sitting on their hands waiting for caped crusaders.
In fact, with groups like the Major Crimes Unit and post-Avengers protocols still active, the NYPD had been put on high alert for any enhanced individuals—whether meta, mutant, or "gifted."
Screeeeech—!
Just as Ah Xing processed the route behind him, the tires shrieked from up ahead. The acrid smell of burning rubber wafted into the air as a patrol car skidded into view, cutting off the alleyway.
From the vehicle emerged Officer Sidis, weapon drawn with standard NYPD grip. "Hands where I can see them! Do not move!"
From the passenger side, Rem jumped out and subtly flanked Ah Xing from behind.
They were trying to box him in—smart, for ordinary cops.
To the untrained eye, Ah Xing was cornered. But with his cloned body forged through [Shui Mu], he could easily disarm Sidis with a precise Vajra Leg kick before they even blinked.
However, Li Ran, seated cross-legged on the dusty floor of the antique shop, tapped his chin in contemplation.
Then, without warning—
"Alright, I surrender."
The clone raised both hands slowly, a cooperative glint in his eyes.
Despite the show of compliance, both officers remained tense. Anyone who could sprint faster than a Crown Vic clearly wasn't just a track athlete. Sharing a wary glance, Sidis nodded, and Rem cautiously moved forward.
Click.
The cuffs latched around Ah Xing's wrists.
"Phew..."
Both cops subconsciously exhaled.
"You're both a little too uptight. I did surrender willingly."
"Quiet," Rem snapped. The adrenaline still thrummed in his voice, but now that the cuffs were on, his confidence returned. "You're under arrest. Any attempt to resist or flee again, and I have full authority to shoot."
He patted the clone down—nothing. No wallet, no ID, not even a MetroCard.
"He's clean. No documentation at all."
Sidis frowned. "Alright. Let's get him to the 9th precinct for formal questioning."
...
Police Station – Interrogation Wing
Outside the mirrored glass of the holding room, Rem returned with two steaming coffees, handing one to Sidis, who had just finished a long round of questioning.
"How'd it go?"
"No major leads," she muttered, rubbing her temples. "He's not hiding anything—he openly claims to be from some place called Penglai."
"Isn't that from Chinese mythology? The place with immortals and flying islands?"
"Exactly. No record of it existing. Not even on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified lists or the DEO's."
"Could be a distraction," Rem offered. "Make us think he's from some mystical order so we send him back to China instead of keeping him on U.S. soil."
That was plausible. Yet, Sidis couldn't forget the inhuman speed the suspect had displayed.
"Or maybe... Penglai does exist. How else do we explain what we saw? Even the Flash doesn't usually show up outside Central or Keystone."
[Famousness from Sidis +15]
Rem glanced sideways, noticing the exhaustion written all over his partner's face. "Look, Sidis, if you want, I'll take the next crack at him."
Sidis shook her head, drained her cup, then stood straighter. "I've got this. But since the straight approach didn't work, let's go with the old routine."
"You mean… good cop/bad cop?"
She nodded. "You're up. Be the bad cop. I've already spent my goodwill."
"Figures."
...
Interrogation Room
The door slammed open with theatrical flair. Rem entered with practiced fury, dropped the case file hard onto the desk, and fixed Ah Xing with a cold glare.
"Listen here, punk. I'm not like Officer Sidis. I don't buy fairy tales. So if you think your mystical monologue's going to work on me, you're dead wrong."
As bad cop, Rem delivered everything by the book: intimidation, threat, even the glare.
Unfortunately for him, the clone remained unfazed.
From the antique shop, Li Ran smirked as he watched through the link. The pressure didn't matter, this was a strategic move. He needed the cops to contact someone.
"Why did you flee from a routine stop?" Rem snapped.
"Because I enjoy running."
"What?"
"I'm a long-distance runner. Isn't it normal to run?"
"You think I'm buying that bull—"
Cultural gap confirmed.
Realizing there was no point stalling further, the clone spoke clearly: "Help me contact a lawyer named Matt. Tell him Ah Xing needs help."
Rem narrowed his eyes. "Matt... Murdock?"
"That's right."
Li Ran smiled faintly. Jessica Jones's recent visit to his shop asking about The Hand had sparked an idea. He'd sent Ah Xing into the field to provoke action and now had the perfect excuse to bring Daredevil into the fold—legally.
And if they asked how he knew Matt's name? Well, comatose men do tend to talk in their sleep… and Li Ran had left him with Claire Temple, after all.
Everything was aligning now—just as planned.
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