"Agent Hobbs," Morin said, nodding slightly. "Do you have any evidence that I'm connected to Toretto?"
"You and Toretto are friends. You worked at the same auto repair shop. You've been in contact since then," Hobbs replied, clearly prepared, pulling out a thick stack of documents.
"I don't deny that," Morin said, taking the papers and flipping through them. He laughed softly. "But you missed two words."
He looked up.
"Used to."
"I used to be friends with Toretto. Now?" He shrugged. "We're basically strangers."
"You think that kind of wordplay will fool me?" Hobbs frowned. "You're just lying to yourself."
"What I'm saying is the truth," Morin replied calmly. He tilted his head, then waved to two bikini-clad women playing volleyball nearby. "Come here for a second."
They jogged over without hesitation.
Morin wrapped an arm around each of them and smiled. "So tell me, Agent Hobbs. Do you have any solid evidence that I've had recent contact with Dominic Toretto?"
"If not," he continued casually, "then I'm very sorry, but you'll have to excuse me."
With that, Morin turned to leave.
But just as Hobbs had said to Elena earlier-
This wasn't the U.S.
This was Rio.
Here, things could be handled much more directly.
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to use force," Hobbs said, striding forward and grabbing for Morin's shoulder. "This isn't American soil. Your money and status mean nothing here. The bigger fist decides what's right!"
The next second-
Everything flipped.
Morin pushed the two women aside, reacted instantly, and without even turning around, grabbed Hobbs' arm.
Over-the-shoulder throw.
Hobbs flew five or six meters and crashed into a sandpit, half-buried.
Not everyone's physical fitness was equal.
Some people, in moments of extreme rage, could wrestle a tiger.
Morin didn't need rage.
With no emotional fluctuation at all, he'd just thrown a two-hundred-pound man several meters.
The difference was simple.
Those people might lift a tiger once.
Morin could throw Hobbs in a way that left him stunned and disoriented for a long time.
With his [Physical] well over 100-nearing 200-and system bonuses applied across the board, Morin's raw strength alone was nearly twice that of a human at peak condition.
The same went for speed.
Coordination.
Reaction time.
Defense.
Recovery.
Normally, Morin controlled himself carefully.
Unless it was necessary, he looked and acted like nothing more than a well-built man.
But when he needed to-
Was throwing a two-hundred-pound man really difficult?
It took some effort.
But it wasn't hard.
Completely doable.
Hobbs lay in the sandpit, eyes unfocused.
His worldview was collapsing.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What just happened?
From his perspective, he'd simply reached out-
Then his arm was caught.
An overwhelming force followed.
And then-
He flew.
What the hell?
Hobbs sat up, wiping sand from his head and beard, looking more than a little ridiculous.
"I'm sorry," Morin said as he walked over, smiling faintly. "Didn't mean to. Just a small miscalculation."
He paused.
"But Agent Hobbs, if I may say so... you might need to train more. You're a bit light."
He tilted his head.
"I do like that saying of yours. 'The bigger fist decides what's right.'"
"Are you even human?" Hobbs finally asked, staring up at him.
Morin frowned, thinking seriously.
"I think..." He nodded once. "Probably."
He straightened.
"That's enough for today. It's getting late, and my bonfire party is waiting."
He turned away.
"Agent Hobbs, I suggest you think before acting next time. Otherwise..." He glanced back. "I might not hold back."
"Stop!"
Elena's voice halted him.
Morin turned around.
She was pointing a gun at him.
"Are you serious?" Morin asked calmly.
For a moment, his expression went cold.
"You're playing with fire, woman."
He paused.
"...Nope. That was awful."
He waved it off immediately.
"That whole domineering CEO thing doesn't suit me."
He cleared his throat.
"So. Who are you? And why are you pointing a gun at me?"
The sudden shift caught Elena off guard.
Despite herself, she relaxed slightly.
This man was... unhinged.
"You just assaulted a police officer in public," she said firmly. "You're coming with us for questioning."
"Is that so?" Morin raised an eyebrow. "Sounds reasonable. But do I look like a reasonable person to you?"
"I don't need you to look reasonable," Elena said, tightening her grip. "I need you to be reasonable."
She echoed Hobbs' words.
"The bigger fist decides what's right."
"I agree," Morin replied pleasantly. "But I think I'm the one who gets to say that."
"You have a gun. I have connections."
He smiled.
"Maybe we should ask Agent Hobbs whether he really wants this to escalate."
"No," Hobbs said immediately, standing and walking over. He pushed Elena's gun down slightly.
"We can't use firearms. He hasn't committed a crime. Clean record. Wealthy. Influential."
He shook his head.
"This isn't worth making a mortal enemy."
Detaining Morin briefly could be smoothed over.
But pulling a gun on him in public?
With witnesses?
Against someone like this?
Even if Hobbs succeeded, his career would be finished.
And Morin's retaliation would come later.
It wasn't worth it.
"But-" Elena protested.
"No buts," Hobbs interrupted.
Then he rolled his shoulders, looked at Morin, and grinned.
"Come on."
"Let's fight again."
~~~~~
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