The Supra's headlights illuminate Dom's imposing figure as you pull into the lookout point. Los Angeles sprawls below, a glittering tapestry of lights against the darkening sky. Your system HUD flashes as you exit the car:
[Confrontation Imminent]
[Dom's Trust Level: Cautious]
[Dialog Options Generated]
[Emotional Analysis: Subject is suspicious but impressed]
You approach with measured steps, acutely aware of how your every movement is being assessed. Dom's eyes track you like a predator watching potential prey—or perhaps a potential equal.
"Nice view," you say, nodding toward the city panorama.
Dom doesn't take the bait. "I know every driver in this city worth knowing. Every racer who can handle a car like you just did." He crosses his arms. "But I don't know you."
Your instinct is to fabricate a story, but something tells you Dom would see through it. Instead, you lean against the Supra's hood, mirroring his stance.
"Maybe there's a reason for that."
Dom's eyes narrow. "You show up out of nowhere. Fix a transmission like you've been working on cars since birth. Then drive like..." He gestures toward the city where police sirens still wail distantly. "Like nothing I've ever seen."
[Strategic Options]
[Truth: 12% Success Probability]
[Fabrication: 24% Success Probability]
[Deflection: 73% Success Probability]
You tap your fingers on the Supra's hood, feeling the cooling metal. "The cops still looking for this car?"
"Answer the question, Michael. If that's even your name."
You meet his gaze steadily. "Would you believe me if I said I can't tell you everything? Not yet?"
Dom studies you, his expression unreadable. Then he walks to his Charger and reaches inside, pulling out a Corona. He offers it to you. When you take it, he grabs another for himself.
"My father used to say you can tell everything about a person from how they handle a car." He pops the cap off his bottle. "The way you drove today... that tells me something. But I don't know if I like what it's telling me."
You take a swig of beer, your system analyzing the micromovements in Dom's posture:
[Subject Assessment]
[Testing Phase Initiated]
[Recommended Approach: Demonstrate Values Alignment]
"What did it tell you?" you ask.
"That you're running from something. Nobody drives like that unless they've had to escape before." Dom takes a long pull from his bottle, eyes never leaving yours. "But also that you'd risk yourself to protect people you barely know. That's... interesting."
Your phone buzzes. A text from an unknown number:
[Mission Alert]
[Race Wars Qualification Tonight]
[Entry Fee: $10,000]
[Reward: Race Wars Entry + Crew Respect]
[Accept/Decline?]
Dom notices your attention shift. "Problem?"
You show him the message. "Someone wants me at Race Wars qualifiers tonight. I don't have ten grand."
A slow smile spreads across Dom's face. "That's Hector. I told him about your driving. He's testing you."
"And you're not?"
Dom's laugh is genuine but brief. "Every second since you showed up." He finishes his beer and tosses the bottle into a nearby recycling bin. "Here's the deal. You can keep your secrets for now. But I need to know if you're worth the risk."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick envelope. "Ten thousand. You qualify tonight, it's yours to keep. You lose, you work it off in my garage for the next six months."
[Mission Updated]
[Stakes: $10,000 vs. 6 Months Labor]
[Vehicle Options: Dom's Selection]
[Win Probability Based on Skill: 87%]
[Win Probability Including Unknown Variables: 64%]
"And if I walk away?" you ask, though you already know the answer.
Dom's expression hardens. "Then we're done. And in this city, you don't want me as an enemy."
Your fingers itch to touch the steering wheel again, to feel that rush of mastery flowing through your veins. But deeper than the addiction to the skill is something else—a need to belong, to prove yourself to this man who embodies everything your previous life lacked: purpose, respect, family.
"What car?" you ask, accepting the challenge.
Dom nods toward a covered vehicle beside his Charger. He pulls the tarp away to reveal a midnight blue Nissan Skyline GT-R R34.
Your Instant Mastery tingles at your fingertips, eager to connect with this legendary machine. Your system immediately begins scanning:
[Vehicle Analysis]
[Nissan Skyline GT-R R34]
[Performance: Class S]
[Twin Turbo RB26DETT Engine]
[Est. Horsepower: 550+]
[Handling: Superior]
"Brian's old car," Dom says quietly. "Been sitting in my garage for years. If you can handle it, it's yours for tonight."
The name hits you like a physical blow. Brian O'Conner—a character in your old world, but a real person here. A friend. Family. The weight of this test suddenly feels much heavier.
"Big shoes to fill," you murmur.
Dom's gaze is piercing. "Bigger than you know."
As you approach the Skyline, your hand hovers over the door handle. This isn't just a car—it's a symbol, a test of worthiness. The moment you touch it, your Instant Mastery will unlock its secrets, but the responsibility that comes with it can't be downloaded.
"The race starts at midnight," Dom says, checking his watch. "That gives you three hours to get familiar with the car and the course." He sends a map to your phone, a winding route through industrial areas and harbor roads.
[Course Analysis]
[Difficulty: Expert]
[Key Challenges: 4 Hairpins, 2 Drifting Sections, 1 Potential Jump]
[Recommended Preparation: Full Course Reconnaissance]
"One more thing," Dom adds as you open the Skyline's door. "After tonight, whatever your story is, I want some truth. Doesn't have to be all of it. Just enough."
You nod, understanding the terms. The mystery can only extend so far before it becomes a liability.
As Dom turns to leave, he pauses. "Why'd you really pull that stunt with the cops today? You could've just disappeared, taken a less risky route."
The question catches you off guard. You consider your answer carefully.
"Because," you say finally, "the family needed protection."
Dom's expression shifts almost imperceptibly. He gives you a single nod before climbing into his Charger.
As his taillights disappear down the winding road, you slide into the Skyline. The moment your hands grip the wheel, knowledge floods your consciousness—the car's perfect balance, its tendency to understeer at the limit, the precise boost threshold for each gear.
But also something unexpected: echoes of emotion, as if the car itself remembers the man who drove it before you.
[Skill Activated: Vehicle Bonding - New!]
[Connection Established with Brian's Skyline]
[Special Feature Unlocked: Driver's Intuition]
Night falls over Los Angeles as you fire up the engine. Three hours to prepare for a race that will determine your place in this new world. And beyond that, the question of how much of your true self you dare reveal.
The Skyline roars beneath you, eager to help you find the answer.