Episode 10: Moans in the Machine
Level: 11
The After Dark crowds swarmed Manhattan's abandoned docks like ants over spilled liquor. Fires burned in barrels. Music thumped from stacked speakers. Cars lined up in a circle, engines snarling, headlights cutting beams through cigarette smoke and chaos.
Jason Hiro had planned this night. His GT-R gleamed like obsidian, rebuilt after weeks of rage-fueled tuning. Around him, his crew whispered promises of payback. This wasn't just another race. This was revenge.
The announcer screamed into the mic:
"Fifty drivers. Ten laps. Borough circuit. Stakes: pride, girls, blood. Only one walks away with glory!"
The crowd howled. Bottles smashed. Women climbed hoods, screaming for their racers.
But no one looked away when Zoom X pulled up.
His Evo growled silver and black, alive with pulsing veins of steel. And in the passenger seat sat a girl — Veronica, the one Jason had already lost once. She smirked at Jason across the grid, then leaned into Zoom, whispering loud enough for the crowd to hear:
"Let's make it fun tonight."
Jason's face cracked. The crowd roared.
⸻
The Count
Zoom didn't flinch. Cigarette in his mouth, one hand on the wheel, the other casually tapping the shifter. The girl shifted in her seat, close enough that her moans would drown in the engine's growl once the race started.
3… 2… 1…
Boom.
The docks exploded with sound. Engines shrieked, tires bit steel, the pack tore forward like bullets.
Jason Hiro launched hard, GT-R screaming in first gear. His crew boxed in rivals, clearing a path. Jason's eyes stayed locked on his rearview, waiting, praying to see Zoom crash.
But Zoom's Evo slithered through chaos like smoke. Veronica's moans filled the cabin, her hands clutching his arm, nails digging through his sleeve. Zoom smirked, steering one-handed through the first corner.
"Don't distract me," he said, though his voice was dripping with arrogance. "Or maybe do."
The crowd lost its mind when they realized — he was letting her tease him while racing.
The Race
The borough circuit lit with chaos.
• Seth Vance's Camaro spun out by lap two, smashed against a wall.
• Alondra Cruz clipped Darius Pike's bumper, sending him airborne into the East River.
• Riko Tanaka's Supra shredded a tire, showering sparks across Brooklyn's bridge.
And through it all, Zoom X's Evo carved lines too sharp to follow. Veronica's moans blended with the sound of gears slamming, tires screaming. The car felt alive, feeding on the madness.
Jason pushed harder, his GT-R throwing itself into corners at suicidal speeds. He clipped Zoom's bumper on lap five, sparks spraying like fireworks.
"You won't take this from me!" Jason screamed, his voice cracking.
Zoom just laughed, dragging his Evo sideways in a drift so violent Veronica screamed over the roar. He kissed the guardrail, silver sparks chasing him like stars, then shot forward, widening the gap.
⸻
Disrespect
By lap seven, Zoom was untouchable. His smirk was cruel, his curses sharper.
Jason lunged at him again, GT-R slamming his door. "You're done, Zoom! Done!"
Zoom spat his cigarette out the window, smirking as it bounced off Jason's windshield. "Fuck you and your crew. You're chasing my shadow."
The crowd exploded. Jason roared in fury, oversteering, barely catching the slide.
Zoom barely glanced. One hand still steady on the wheel, the other resting possessively on Veronica's thigh. Every drift was a dare. Every curse was a declaration.
By lap nine, half the racers were gone, wrecked, smoking, or bleeding. Only six remained in the fight: Jason Hiro, Malik Graves, Nia Storm, Riko Tanaka, Alondra Cruz… and Zoom X.
The Final Lap
Manhattan Bridge glittered under the moon, the finish line a burning horizon.
Jason Hiro threw everything into the last corner, his GT-R screaming as flames burst from the exhaust. He rammed Zoom again, steel tearing silver. The Evo groaned — but didn't break.
Zoom's smirk widened. He slammed the clutch, dropped gears, and let the Evo scream, black veins glowing faint. The car snapped into a drift so tight, so perfect, it looked impossible. Tires smoked. Veronica moaned louder.
Jason's GT-R fishtailed, sparks vomiting across the bridge. He fought it, hands trembling, but his fury blinded him. Zoom shot past, inches from the rail, silver beast roaring like thunder.
The finish line erupted.
Zoom X crossed 1st.
Jason Hiro slid in 2nd, his GT-R limping, engine coughing blood.
Alondra Cruz took 3rd, her headlights cracked but still burning.
⸻
Level Up
Zoom stepped out of his Evo, cigarette already lit, Veronica clinging to him with wild, flushed eyes. The crowd swarmed, chanting his name.
Level: 12.
The Evo transformed again, silver sheen deepening into steel so sharp it cut the night, black veins spreading like cracks across its body. Its growl was lower now, darker, almost demonic.
Zoom smirked at Jason, flicking ash in his direction. "Second again. You're consistent at losing."
Jason's fists shook. He didn't speak. Couldn't. His girlfriend Danielle had slipped into the crowd, eyes locked on Zoom like she already knew where she was going next.
⸻
The Curse Spreads
By the time the docks emptied, Zoom had already disappeared into the night with Veronica. Her moans carried faintly through the garage walls, mixing with the growl of his car cooling down.
And outside, women whispered. Rivals cursed. Professors pretended not to stare.
Every conquest was permanent now — not because he owned them, but because they couldn't forget. They would always come back, again and again, no matter who hated it, no matter what it cost.
Zoom X didn't care. Every win made him hungrier. Every girl made him crueler. Every curse made him sharper.
The Gate was opening again. And next time, Zoom X wouldn't just carry his legend across New York.
He'd infect the multiverse.