System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Superintendent Howard sat in a plastic chair right next to Ethan's bed, his two uniformed officers positioned strategically at the foot of the cot. Howard's face was a mask of icy contempt. The door closed with a click, isolating the small infirmary room.

"We're not going to wait for the prosecutor to have a 'conversation', mister," Howard said, leaning in slightly. "My name is Howard, and before you end up in a federal cell for the rest of your miserable life, I want you to understand the narrative."

Ethan, his mouth dry and his back burning, remained silent. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling.

"The narrative is simple," Howard continued, his voice low and polished, more threatening than a shout. "Congressman Vance is a national hero. He was attacked by a lunatic terrorist and his gang—that's your role. The bomb was your desperate attempt to cover your crimes after the police cornered you. There was no 'rescue', no 'corruption', just a hired killer who failed to finish the job."

"I won't say anything without my lawyer," Ethan said, his voice hoarse from disuse and thirst.

Howard smiled, a vacant, cruel expression. "Of course you will. I assure you, you will. Look, your lawyer can talk about laws, but I talk about comfort. And right now, you are anything but comfortable."

The Superintendent made an almost imperceptible gesture. One of the officers moved silently toward the headboard, just behind Ethan. With a quick movement, the officer yanked sharply on the handcuffs chaining Ethan to the bed.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through Ethan's shoulders and shredded back. The tension of the restraints pulled at the stitches, and Ethan felt a warm, wet gush flowing down his back. The stitches had torn open.

Ethan didn't scream, but he gasped, his body instinctively arching, hitting the mattress slightly.

"There's the problem!" Howard said with fake sympathy. "You're bleeding again, friend. See? If you cooperate, we unlock the cuffs and call a nurse to stop the bleeding. But if you continue to be a stubborn boy..." Howard made a dismissing gesture with his hand.

The officer released the tension, only to apply slight, constant pressure at an awkward angle.

Ethan thought: Damn. It hurts like hell. Every heartbeat pumps pain into my back.

Howard leaned in, his face inches from Ethan's. "Why did you cover yourself, Ethan? Why did you cover the woman? Was it an act of panic or an attempt to keep one of your whores out of the crossfire? Answer me."

Ethan closed his eyes, concentrating all his energy on the voice of Harder Than Steel. The pain wasn't going to stop him. The pain was just a sensation, a distraction. He could feel the metal fragments embedded in his bruised muscles.

"There's no point in clinging to that hero story," Howard insisted, lightly tapping the bedside table. "Officer Sparks is a traitor and will be arrested for obstruction of justice as soon as we declare you guilty. She is not your shield; she is your accomplice. And your girlfriends... do you think the system is kind to terrorists' accomplices?"

The officer pulled the handcuffs again, this time holding the tension for a longer duration. An involuntary groan escaped Ethan's lips.

"Say it, Ethan! Tell us you killed those men because you were ordered to! Tell us you're a mercenary and that Vance was your political target! Make our lives easy!" Howard demanded.

Ethan thought: I won't give them the satisfaction. If I die here, I'll die with the truth.

Ethan gritted his teeth. His eyes flew open, and he looked at Howard with an intensity that didn't match his injured state.

"Vance is a criminal," Ethan said, his voice firm despite the pain. "And you are his dogs."

Howard laughed, but there was a note of irritation in the sound. He motioned to the officer. The officer released the handcuffs, and then, with a deliberate movement, gave the cot a hard shove, causing Ethan to jar violently over his open wounds.

"Agh!" A cry of pain could not be contained.

Howard stood up, adjusting his suit. "Very well. I get it. You're a coward, even in pain. But it doesn't matter. The prosecutor arrives in three hours. You have that time to decide whether you want to be a 'war criminal' on television or a 'remorseful mercenary' who cooperates."

Howard looked at the officers. "Keep him watched. If he bleeds out, I don't care, but keep him alive until the prosecutor gets here. If he tries to talk to anyone other than his lawyer, break his damn phone."

Superintendent Howard left, trailing a wake of coldness and threats. The two uniformed officers stayed to guard him, but they couldn't ignore the blood. Ethan's white uniform was soaked in his own warm blood, which was dripping down his back.

"Shit! Call a nurse!" one of the officers said, visibly scared by the amount of blood. "The Boss said keep him alive!"

A middle-aged nurse with a tired face entered the room, cursing under her breath at the state of the prisoner. With professional skill, she began to clean and re-stitch the open wounds on Ethan's back.

Ethan clenched his jaw, enduring the sharp pain of the needle and thread passing through his bruised tissue. In that moment, a crucial question crossed his mind.

[System, if my skin is supposed to be Harder Than Steel, why could they reopen my wounds so easily? And how is this nurse stitching me without the needle breaking?] Ethan asked internally.

[The System hears you, Champion,] the System said. [The Harder Than Steel ability is not permanently active. It only activates when it detects a direct attack, a ballistic impact, or, if desired, when you activate it with your conscious will. This way, no one will realize there is anything unusual about your body. To the world, you are simply a badly beaten man with thick skin.]

Ethan thought: Right. If it were permanently active, the nurse couldn't treat me. That would have caused me more problems with the prosecutor. "Thank you, System," Ethan whispered, relieved. He focused his will on enduring the pain so the nurse could finish her treatment without interruption.

The nurse finished, injected him with something for the pain, and left him with a severe warning about staying still.

Once the nurse left and silence returned, Ethan asked. "System, what will happen with my daily training? With all this, it will be almost impossible to complete it today."

[Today?] the System let out a metallic laugh. [You mean yesterday, Champion. You were unconscious for a full day between the explosion and the emergency surgery. Time continues to move, even when you are out of combat. Yesterday's mission has already been lost.]

Ethan cursed under his breath, feeling the frustration of losing a valuable day.

[Do not be so hard on yourself,] the System said. [The mission was officially halted at the moment of your collapse. You will face no penalty. I grant you a day of compassion due to the extreme circumstances. Your training and daily tasks will resume tomorrow, as soon as you are fit to be transferred to the prison. Enjoy your day off, Champion.]

Ethan closed his eyes, feeling a slight relief amidst the pain. A forced day off.