Then it came—a digital chirp from the dash. The map pulsed red.

The finish line loomed near the docks. The Lancer tried to squeeze him against a parked semi-truck, but Cesar didn't flinch. He used the Weight move, slamming his massive frame into the smaller car and sending it spinning into a heap of cardboard crates.

He shifted into gear, and as he floored the accelerator, the world changed. The soulful, brassy swagger of "Real Big" kicked in. Without the lyrics, the instrumental track turned the city into a cinematic playground. The heavy hits of the snare timed perfectly with the flickering streetlights passing overhead.

The humidity in San Diego didn’t just hang in the air; it stuck to the chrome.