Brainless Vince. It only took a little provocation for his eyes to fill with blood.
The rage made him instantly ignore the excruciating pain in his crushed right hand.
"Fuck you!" he screamed.
He launched himself at Hunter again, swinging wildly.
Watching the hulking man charge with his crude street-fighting style, Hunter recalled Eddie's advice from the boxing gym earlier that day.
"Boss, I don't know why you want to learn boxing."
"But since you're paying, I'll teach you the real stuff."
"You're strong, but remember this:"
"Boxing is a power sport. Big guys always have the advantage over small guys in the ring."
"But there's always someone stronger, someone fitter."
"So you need technique. Whether it's for the ring or a street brawl."
"Attack the head. Only the head."
"The jaw. The nose triangle. The temples."
"With your power, hitting any one of those spots is an instant KO."
Eddie's words flashed through his mind.
Hunter shuffled his feet, weaving left and right.
Just as Vince's fist came flying toward him, Hunter raised his left arm in a high guard, absorbing the blow.
Thud!
His arm went numb. Vince was strong, no doubt about it.
But in the next instant, Hunter saw his opening.
His right fist snaked around Vince's guard, aiming straight for the center of his face.
Smash!
Crack!
The sickening sound of cartilage shattering echoed through the parking lot.
"ARGH!"
Hunter had put 100% of his Strength (14) into that punch.
It landed squarely on the bridge of Vince's nose.
Blood, snot, and tears exploded from Vince's face instantly. The pain blinded him, and he crumbled, clutching his face.
"Pfft."
Hunter spat on the ground. He knew better than to stop now.
Seeing Vince curling up, trying to drop to his knees, Hunter launched a vicious kick.
He remembered how his predecessor, Hunter, had been bullied by this thug. Pushed around. Knocked out. Maybe even killed, allowing Hunter to take over.
Sure, Hunter owed his new life to that event. But he wasn't going to thank Vince for it. He was going to avenge Hunter.
Thud!
"Piece of shit!"
"Weren't you arrogant a second ago?"
Thud!
"You think you're tough because you sucker-punched me once?"
"Useless trash. Can't even get a girl to like you."
"I'm doing this just to pay you back."
"Come on! Stand up!"
"Useless white pig!"
Hunter vented weeks of pent-up aggression, delivering kick after kick to the curled-up mass of muscle on the ground.
Vince had delivered himself to Hunter's doorstep. He deserved every bit of this.
After dozens of kicks, Vince was barely breathing. He lay motionless on the asphalt, wheezing.
Hunter knew a guy built like a tank wouldn't die that easily.
But his enhanced hearing—another perk of high stats—picked up the distinct sound of bones cracking earlier.
Ribs. Maybe an arm. Definitely the nose.
Hunter hadn't held back.
"Serves you right."
Bullying the weak? Anyone could do that. Karma was a bitch, and today, her name was Hunter.
He delivered one final kick, sending Vince rolling a few feet away.
Hunter was about to lean down and warn him to stay away from Mia, but he realized Vince was already unconscious.
Hunter raised an eyebrow. He scanned the area.
The windows of the apartment complex were dark. People lived there, sure, but in this neighborhood, nobody poked their head out when they heard a beating. Getting involved meant getting hurt.
Satisfied he was unobserved, Hunter stored his motorcycle in his Personal Inventory. It wasn't worth much, but he still needed it for transportation.
Next, he pulled a pair of white latex gloves from his inventory.
Working with Parker had taught him the importance of not leaving fingerprints.
He put them on and walked over to Vince.
Killing him here would be a hassle. It would bring police heat he didn't need.
Hunter patted Vince down, found his phone, and dialed 911.
Disguising his voice, he reported an "injured man in the parking lot" before hanging up.
He tossed the phone onto Vince's chest.
Job done.
Hunter turned and walked calmly toward his apartment.
Ten minutes later, the wail of a siren cut through the night. An ambulance arrived, loaded the unconscious Vince, and sped away.
Leaning on the railing of the third-floor walkway, Hunter watched it all.
He didn't regret beating Vince half to death.
Vince was the core of Dom's crew. They were criminals; they wouldn't call the cops on him.
The real trouble would come from Dom.
In Dom's eyes, Hunter was now the guy who seduced his sister and hospitalized his "brother."
"My starting difficulty is way higher than Brian's," Hunter mused.
In the movie, Brian O'Conner was an undercover cop trying to infiltrate the gang. He used Mia as an entry point, which pissed Vince off. But Brian took the abuse. Eventually, after saving Vince during a botched heist, he earned Dom's respect.
Hunter had originally planned to follow Brian's path.
Joining the "Family" seemed like the logical way to experience the plot.
But today, he had beaten Vince into a coma.
Dom was going to hate him. That bridge wasn't just burned; it was nuked.
Hunter laughed softly.
Who cared?
He had a System. He could level up skills with cash.
He didn't need to suck up to "Family Man" Toretto to survive.
"Money," Hunter decided, turning back into his apartment. "Money is the most important thing."
"I need to figure out how to make a fortune. Fast."
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