Meeting Dom, A Deal
The agonizing wait lasted for several long, quiet hours.
Arthur kept his sharp, enhanced eyes fiercely fixed on Dom's weathered, two-story residence, not daring to blink for too long.
He didn't know exactly if it was simply because the FBI hadn't yet firmly confirmed that the highly coordinated California highway robbers were actually Dom and his tight-knit crew.
But as Arthur cautiously stood guard in the heavy shadows near Dom's residence until the sun completely dipped below the horizon, bathing the street in darkness ,he absolutely didn't spot a single undercover agent or unmarked federal vehicle watching the place.
It was definitely worth mentioning that Arthur genuinely hadn't expected his stealthy, calculating actions this afternoon to inadvertently trigger a brand-new, highly practical system skill: [Reconnaissance].
This was undoubtedly an incredibly practical, life-saving skill to possess in this dangerous cinematic reality.
After more than a full month of constantly exploring his supernatural abilities, Arthur had actually discovered the system's hidden mechanics long ago.
Although he initially had to fumble in the dark and figure out the exact triggers for these skills entirely on his own, the absolute moment these skills successfully leveled up, even by just a single, initial level, a massive flood of professional information and advanced usage techniques related to that specific skill would violently pour directly into Arthur's enhanced mind.
This instantaneous data transfer included a staggering wealth of professional, tactical data and practical, muscle-memory tips associated with the newly acquired skill.
For example, Arthur's absolute highest-level skills at this exact moment were currently [Driving] and [Repair].
When his [Driving] skill broke through the barrier to Level 3, he had immediately felt a profound, almost supernatural sense of easy, flawless mastery over the heavy, old motorcycle he was constantly riding.
Arthur could even accurately, flawlessly grasp the motorcycle's exact mechanical condition and engine health simply by listening to the rhythmic sound it made while idling.
Then, not long ago, after aggressively breaking through the massive threshold to Level 4, Arthur absolutely didn't just feel a simple sense of effortless control when aggressively riding the roaring motorcycle through chaotic city traffic.
He even profoundly felt that even if he started driving a high-performance, heavily modified combat car right now, he could handle its massive horsepower with absolute ease and even push its mechanical performance right to the absolute, terrifying limit without crashing.
So, every single new skill absolutely didn't just bring a direct, permanent increase in his core physical attributes and expand the dimensional size of his invisible private space for Arthur, it was also silently, subtly transforming him from the inside out into a truly versatile, lethal superhuman.
Because of this undeniable, intoxicating progression, Arthur was now incredibly diligent and fiercely dedicated about aggressively leveling every single skill he managed to trigger.
The agonizing time spent waiting in the shadows was undeniably the absolute most tedious and boring part of any stakeout.
Fortunately, Arthur had his massive, invisible private space, where he had smartly stored plenty of cold drinks and high-calorie snacks beforehand.
He also had some heavy, complex technical books safely tucked away in the void, miraculously allowing him to comfortably eat, drink, and quietly read in the dark at the exact same time.
Therefore, a few grueling hours of silent, stationary waiting genuinely didn't make him feel very bored or impatient at all.
Finally, as the California sky gradually darkened into a deep, ink-black canopy dotted with faint stars, Arthur's highly enhanced hearing finally picked up the distinct, aggressive roar of a massive V8 engine rapidly approaching the neighborhood.
He carefully poked his head out from his hidden vantage point behind the thick oak tree to look down the illuminated street.
His sharp eyes quickly locked onto a pristine, heavy classic Dodge Charger speeding aggressively in from the far end of the quiet road.
The roaring muscle car expertly and smoothly parked itself right near Dom's driveway, the heavy engine cutting out before the vehicle disappeared from Arthur's direct field of vision.
His racing heart tightened instantly, his muscles coiling with tension as he immediately realized that the undisputed king of the streets, Dominic Toretto, must have finally returned home.
However, Arthur absolutely was in no reckless hurry to step out from the shadows and appear just yet.
He was deeply, intensely worried that there might still be undercover FBI agents especially a highly vigilant, trained operative like Brian O'Conner quietly following right behind Dom's heavy tracks to this specific location.
He forced himself to wait a bit longer, letting the cool night air settle around him until he was absolutely, undeniably certain that absolutely no one was tailing Dom.
Only then did Arthur finally step out from his dark hiding spot, adjusting the collar of his leather jacket, and walk confidently toward Dom's quiet villa.
As for his heavily modified, old motorcycle, he had already securely stored it deep inside his invisible private space well beforehand.
Arthur's private space was now incredibly, staggeringly large.
Let alone a single, compact motorcycle, even two or three full-sized, heavy combat cars could easily fit inside the dimensional void without any issue.
In terms of absolute, untraceable concealment, this supernatural ability was practically maxed out.
Walking quickly and silently across the manicured lawn to the outside of Dom's villa, Arthur reached out his calloused hand and knocked heavily and rhythmically on the solid wooden door.
Dom's residence, exactly like most standard, working-class American family homes in this suburban area, was a two-story wooden house with a classic, weathered charm.
The actual yard space in front wasn't incredibly large, featuring a neatly trimmed green lawn cleanly divided by a winding stone path.
However, there was a massive, separate concrete garage situated securely on one side of the property that could easily fit two heavy vehicles simultaneously.
Because the entire house was primarily a classic wooden structure, the villa's internal soundproofing absolutely wasn't very good at all.
Shortly after the heavy knocking echoed through the quiet night, Arthur clearly heard a heavy, deliberate set of booted footsteps approaching the entryway from inside.
Before long, the villa's heavy front door was abruptly pulled open.
Immediately, an imposing, incredibly burly man with a cleanly shaved head and a dark, tight-fitting muscle shirt appeared standing firmly before Arthur.
"You!"
Dom's deep, gravelly voice rumbled with immediate recognition, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously as he recognized Arthur at a single, sweeping glance.
Instantly, the massive street racer's stoic expression soured into a look of pure, unadulterated hostility.
After all, this was the exact same arrogant, entirely unwelcome punk who had completely tricked his innocent sister and brutally put his loyal men in the hospital with shattered bones.
It would be completely, entirely difficult for a fiercely protective patriarch like Dom not to vividly, fiercely remember Arthur's face.
While Dom's deeply unfriendly, threatening gaze fell heavily upon him, Arthur was actually carefully, analytically sizing up Dom's massive physique as well.
Strictly speaking, the two men were roughly about the exact same physical height when standing face-to-face.
In fact, Arthur might even be just a tiny, imperceptible fraction slightly taller than the towering Dom.
However, Dom's broad, heavily muscled chest and thick arms made his overall physique look a good size or two massively larger and heavier than Arthur's lean, boxer-like build.
"Dom, I know perfectly well that you absolutely do not want to see my face right now," Arthur started, his voice calm, level, and entirely devoid of fear.
"But if it weren't for something incredibly urgent and highly dangerous, I absolutely wouldn't have risked coming all the way out here to see you."
Arthur gestured subtly toward the dark street behind him. "Let's go inside and talk; it's absolutely not safe out here in the open."
"I genuinely cannot be absolutely sure if your place is already being actively watched by them in the dark."
Hearing this grave, urgent warning, Dom's hardened, aggressive expression changed instantly, a flicker of genuine, paranoid concern crossing his dark eyes.
He heavily scrutinized Arthur with a cold, evaluating gaze for a long, tense moment before letting out a sharp, cold snort and reluctantly stepping aside to clear the doorway.
Arthur turned to look back over his shoulder, actively scanning the quiet street and acting very cautiously, exactly like a seasoned operative checking his six for a tail.
It looked exactly as if he were deeply, genuinely worried about being followed by lethal federal agents.
Then, Arthur quickly and silently walked past the massive man and into the warm house.
And the absolute moment he fully crossed the threshold and entered the hallway the familiar, cold mechanical voice rang out clearly and precisely in Arthur's enhanced mind once again.
Ding! Detected host is performing a complex physical and psychological routine to flawlessly conceal true intentions. Automatically generating [Acting] skill.
His steady footsteps faltered just slightly at the sudden, rewarding notification, but Arthur quickly and flawlessly covered up the tiny break in his stride.
After letting the young mechanic in, the paranoid Dom cautiously poked his large, shaved head out the door to look intensely around the dark, quiet street.
After completely confirming there were absolutely no suspicious vehicles or individuals lurking nearby in the shadows, he firmly closed the heavy wooden door, the deadbolt engaging with a loud, final click.
Then, taking a few quick, heavy steps to completely catch up with Arthur in the hall, he aggressively led him into the dimly lit living room, crossing his massive arms over his chest, and asked in a low, threatening rumble, "Speak, kid. What exactly is your purpose for coming to see me tonight?"
Arthur's sharp eyes quickly swept the room, and he didn't see the beautiful Mia anywhere, causing him to couldn't help but feel a sharp, undeniable pang of genuine disappointment in his chest.
Seeing that the towering Dom still harbored considerable, entirely justified suspicion and raw hostility toward him, Arthur knew perfectly well that the bad blood between them wouldn't be completely cleared up anytime soon.
He met Dom's fierce glare evenly and spoke up, his tone strictly business: "For Mia's sake, I already safely gave you the massive, urgent warning I should have over the phone last time."
"This time, I've come here to make a highly lucrative, necessary deal with you, Dom."
On Dom's grim, stoic face, his thick brow could clearly be seen furrowing deeply in confusion and suspicion.
He stared coldly and silently at Arthur, remaining completely quiet for a good, long while before finally asking, his voice dripping with skepticism, "What exact kind of deal?"
"A few days ago, when I originally wanted to come over and see Mia, my instincts flared and I noticed a highly suspicious, trained person lurking around you guys," Arthur lied smoothly, weaving his fabricated narrative.
"I noticed he seemed to be actively, secretly investigating the crew and tailing you on the streets."
Arthur took a step closer, lowering his voice. "So, I took the initiative and actively followed that exact same person for a few days as well to gather hard intel."
"By now, I'm basically absolutely certain that he's a highly trained FBI agent or an undercover police officer."
He held Dom's intense gaze without flinching. "I want to seamlessly trade his exact identity and operational information for a massive favor from you, Dom."
"Don't worry," Arthur added, a sharp, confident smirk appearing on his face. "This specific matter shouldn't be difficult at all for a highly connected man like you."