MARVEL: TÁXI DRIVER SYSTEM

Julian drove his car to the location shown on the GPS, his attention divided between the road and the blue dashboard that flashed: "Save an innocent."

Easy to say, but hard to know where to start. He looked at the clock on the dashboard. Midnight.

"This is usually the time when shit happens..."

That's when he saw her.

On the corner, a young girl, maybe in her early twenties, clutching a backpack. Julian noticed the way she looked around and, not far away, two men were crossing the street with slow steps.

"Oh, no... here I go," Julian muttered, parking the taxi. He got out of the car and, before he could think twice, called out:

"Hey, friends! Did you lose something? Need a ride?"

The two men turned around slowly, with an expression of disbelief at what they were seeing. The taller one, in a leather jacket, frowned and said, "And who are you? Some kind of discount superhero?"

Julian smiled awkwardly. "No, but I'll accept installments."

The girl looked at Julian in surprise. The other man, shorter and wearing a dirty cap, immediately pulled out a knife. "Get lost, taxi driver. This has nothing to do with you."

Julian sighed. "There's always a gun, right? Can't you two just talk like civilized people?"

"Last warning," the man repeated, taking a step forward.

It was at that moment that the girl decided to act. She threw her backpack on the ground and shouted, "Run!"

Julian heard and said, "I think it's a little late for that..."

At that moment, the man with the knife was already coming at him.

Julian, who had never been an athletic person, tried to dodge, but tripped on the curb and fell backwards on the ground. "Oh, shit! I knew I should have done yoga!"

The man with the knife laughed. "Is this what you call help?"

Julian pointed to the backpack the girl had dropped. "You know what? I bet there are only course notes in there, and you're all making such a fuss!"

The girl, who was already running away, shouted: "It's not just a backpack! It's more important than you think!"

Julian snorted, remaining silent for a few seconds.

"AND WHY DID YOU JUST THROW IT ON THE GROUND?"

"I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZED, BUT I'M RISKING MY LIFE HERE."

"Sigh…"

"Great, I'll risk my life for a mysterious plot. That's all I needed." Julian said.

The man with the knife advanced again, but this time Julian was more prepared. He looked around quickly and threw a glass bottle he found on the ground, hitting the man in the face.

"Damn! That hurt, you son of a...!" The man backed away, covering his bleeding nose.

The second thug decided to join the fight. He tried to grab Julian by the collar, but Julian stepped to the side and accidentally slipped on a puddle of water, knocking them both to the ground.

The three of them rolled across the alley, and Julian, with the mind of someone who had watched too many movies, shouted: "Now I know how Jackie Chan felt!"

In the midst of the confusion, the girl came back, picking up her backpack. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking worried.

"Fine is a strong word," Julian replied, as he tried to push away the shorter man who was still holding the knife. "But I think my pride is officially dead." She looked at him and, with a courage that seemed to come from nowhere, she quickly turned her body and kicked the man with the cap, her leg making an up-and-down movement, changing trajectory and hitting the man's neck, who let out a scream and fell to his knees.

"What?!" Julian blushed and was surprised. "You know how to fight?"

"Just the basics!" she replied, before pulling him by the arm. "Now run!"

...

They ran down the street, leaving the two men groaning on the ground and when they finally stopped to breathe, they were already far enough away that they couldn't hear footsteps behind them.

Julian leaned against the wall of a building, panting. "This isn't for me, I think I prefer a normal day, you know? Work, earn a few bucks, go home..."

"Sorry," the girl said, still holding her backpack tightly. "I didn't want to get you involved in this."

"Oh, you didn't want to?" Julian looked at her wryly.

"Now… how about you explain to me why those guys were after you?"

She hesitated, biting her lip. "It's complicated."

"Oh, of course it's complicated," Julian replied, gesturing dramatically. "Everything in my life lately is complicated! But now I'm a guy who fights armed bandits over a backpack!"

She gave a small smile, but soon became serious again. "I promise I'll tell you… when it's safe."

Julian rolled his eyes. "Great. More suspense is just what I needed in my day."

She walked over, touching his arm lightly. "Seriously, thanks for helping me. You didn't have to do that."

Julian sighed, looking at her. There was something in her eyes that made him feel strange.

"Okay. But if I die because of this, you'll be the one to raise money to pay for my funeral."

She laughed. "Deal."

Julian got into the car and waited for her to do the same.

As Julian drove, he felt strangely comfortable. It was as if they both somehow knew they were in the same boat—or the same taxi, in this case.

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have successfully saved Emily from her Tragic Fate!]

[You have unlocked a Key Piece!]

[Reward: 1500 Destiny Points.]

[Alert: Emily is a High Connection to Destiny person.]

Ding!

[New Mission Unlocked]:

[Protect Emily and wait for the next Key Piece.]

...