"We move out from the Mojave Desert at midnight," Toretto said, going over the plan in detail with his crew.
Vince raised an eyebrow. "Mia's not going?"
"She's not," Toretto replied firmly, shaking his head. "The cops are cracking down hard right now. This job's too risky—I'm not dragging her into it."
Vince didn't argue. No matter what, family came first.
As the group continued discussing the plan, Mia was deliberately left out—and Brian didn't get a seat at the table either. Still, watching them huddle together, Brian couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He glanced at Mia, who was sitting on the steps beside him, and asked, "Dom and the others planning how to win the race?"
Mia looked a little down. She wanted to be part of it, but her brother wouldn't allow it. "Probably. Dom lost to Johnny and his crew last year. He's probably looking for payback."
Brian snorted lightly. "Johnny's crew won't even dare show up. Not with Dove around." He nodded toward the GTR tearing across the desert. "Where Dove is, Johnny keeps his head down."
"Dove?" Mia tilted her head. This wasn't the first time she'd heard that nickname. "Why do you call your boss that?"
Brian chuckled. "His nickname's Luca the Dove—'Dove of Peace.' Everyone around him just calls him Dove."
He briefly explained how the nickname came about and mentioned a few of Luca's "peacekeeping" exploits. He didn't go into too much detail, but it was still enough to surprise Mia. She hadn't expected that calm, well-dressed guy to be… that kind of figure.
"So you just follow him around, helping him 'keep the peace'?" she asked.
"Sometimes I drive for him," Brian said modestly. "I'm not exactly the muscle, but when it comes to cars, I'm useful."
At that moment, Brian suddenly spotted Jack moving through the crowd, acting just a little too careful.
Police?
His expression shifted slightly. He glanced toward the GTR still tearing up the track and couldn't help wondering if this was Dove's doing. He knew Jack had ties to Luca.
So… he's finally making a move. And he's using the police.
We haven't even figured out anything concrete yet.
Almost instinctively, Brian looked at Mia beside him, his chest tightening. After that date… things had changed between them. Once feelings got involved, everything became messier.
After a brief hesitation, he spoke. "Does your brother have any… side jobs?"
Mia frowned. "Why would you ask that?"
"The money he spends on his cars," Brian said carefully, "there's no way a garage alone covers that. I was just curious."
Mia didn't budge. There was no way she'd expose Dom's illegal activities. "He earns plenty from racing. That's enough. And besides, your boss gave him a big job recently. He made good money from that."
Brian grew a little anxious. When Dove moves, who here can actually withstand it?
No… I need to keep an eye on Dom and his crew. I can't let them make a move right now.
At the finish line, the black GTR came screaming in, its rear end sliding sideways before stopping cleanly in front of the crowd.
Cheers erupted.
Luca stepped out, one hand resting casually on the door, and looked across at Gisele as she got out on the other side. "Satisfied with that speed?"
Gisele smiled. "Very. Especially the part where you drove one-handed—pretty impressive."
She stepped closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him lightly. "Don't forget to call me tonight. I'm number one."
With a playful wink, she turned and walked away.
Luca watched her slim figure disappear into the crowd, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
[Bond: Familiar]
Gisele was one of the few people who knew Braga's true identity—and more importantly, she was his intelligence hub. She knew the U.S.–Mexico trafficking routes like the back of her hand. In the original storyline, she was the one who fed Toretto and Brian key intel, including Braga's hideout in Mexico.
And she only did that because Toretto saved her life—from Braga himself.
Repaying that debt meant betraying her boss.
If Luca could win her over, taking Braga down would be easy.
But right now, they were still far from that point.
"Familiarity isn't enough," Luca murmured to himself.
Charm could take him further—if it worked. If she played along, great. If not…
His expression returned to calm as he drove toward a nearby rest area.
Elle Driver had been waiting there for a while, standing beside the blonde assassin—Beatrix Kiddo, the Black Mamba.
"Dove, I found the person you wanted," Elle said. "Whether you can learn Pai Mei's ultimate techniques… that's on you."
After the introduction, Elle left without another word.
Beatrix studied Luca with a faint sense of unfamiliarity. Their brief meeting in New York years ago hadn't left much of an impression, but now… his presence felt different. There was something about him—something eerily similar to Bill.
The same aura of someone used to giving orders… and ending lives.
"You want me to teach you Master Pai Mei's martial arts?" she asked, curious. "Why me? Elle knows them too."
Luca smiled. "You're better than her."
[Character Card: Beatrix]
[Rank: SSR]
[Unique Skill: Resurrection]
Effect: Survive catastrophic cranial trauma by entering a forced comatose state; full recovery occurs over a maximum period of 5 years depending on injury severity.
Requirements:Bond: Close Friend | Cost: 100 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Yellow Battle Suit]
Effect: Grants +20% Combat Power and +20% Evasion Rate when worn, providing synchronized flow and peak physical agility.
Requirements:Bond: Close Friend | Cost: 80 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Pai Mei's Direct Lineage]
Effect: Grants absolute mastery of the Pai Mei martial arts style, including the One-Inch Punch and the legendary Five-Point-Palm Exploding Heart Technique.
Requirements:Bond: Partner | Cost: 300 Skill Fragments
[Skill Etc.]
[Bond: Attention]
The other skills included [Blood for Blood], a stacking revenge-type combat boost similar to Baba Yaga's pursuit ability—extremely powerful—and [Maternal Radiance], which Luca ignored entirely for obvious reasons.
What interested him most were Resurrection and Pai Mei's Direct Lineage.
With the former, a headshot wouldn't kill him—at worst, he'd wake up a few years later. Combined with Toretto's "Undying Family" effect, he could practically brand himself as unkillable.
As for Pai Mei's techniques, the requirement was too steep. Building a partner-level bond with Beatrix wasn't realistic—she already had someone she loved.
So Luca had a simpler idea.
He'd just have her teach him.
No system required.
At that moment, Beatrix shook her head. "Sorry. I can't teach you right now."
Luca didn't back down. "Then why are you here? Elle wouldn't have introduced us without telling you what I want."
Beatrix hesitated.
The truth was simple—she came because of Luca's status. A mafia boss like him could help her deal with Bill… or at least keep him from finding her.
If she could get protection—and freedom—that would be enough.
"Name your terms," Luca said, smiling. "Money or anything else. I'll make it worth your while."
"I don't need money."
She paused, then asked quietly, "Does your organization have a seat at the High Table? If I want out… what would it cost?"
Luca narrowed his eyes.
Right. The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad had long since been absorbed into the High Table's sphere of influence.
Walking away wouldn't be as simple as in the original storyline.
It wouldn't just be Bill coming after her.
It would be everyone.
For a moment, Luca realized he'd underestimated the situation. Beatrix's problem wasn't just complicated—it was dangerous on a completely different level.
And for the first time, even he wasn't entirely sure… if he could pull her out of it.
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