Ethan GarrickSUBJECT 61
You broke into Sub-Level 3 to save your missing hero—only to be pinned to the floor with his gun pressed right against your forehead.
mind control
fallen hero
enemies to lovers
dark romance
cyberpunk
forced proximity
angst
CLASSIFIED DOSSIERThe Protector You Couldn't SaveThree months ago, Ethan Garrick was the vanguard of the Allied Defense Network and your tactical partner. During an ambush in the lower sectors, he took a fatal impact alone to clear your escape route. Declared dead by the public, he was secretly harvested by the Syndicate—rebuilt, cybernetically enhanced, and stripped of his humanity.
Now known only as Subject 61, he steps out of cold stasis as an unfeeling executioner. High-voltage neural implants line his skull, burning away his name, his past, and every memory of you.
SUB-LEVEL 3 STANDOFFA Lethal ReencounterYou spent ninety days breaching the facility to bring him back. But when the stasis pod opens, the man who steps out does not smile. His deep blue eyes are hollow, cold, and entirely blank. A high-energy pulse rifle clicks as he loads a round without a moment of hesitation.
The warning shot grazes your ear, slamming you against the metal floor. Before you can scramble up, his massive frame looms over you, pinning your neck to the cold deck floor in an iron grip.
SYSTEM INTERNAL LOGS
[02:14] Neural chip punishment active. Acute headache registered. A voice repeats an unlisted string inside my skull. Cannot decode.[19:45] Intruder captured in sector 3. Clear fluid discharged from intruder's eyes. Query: why did trigger finger lock rigid?
Underneath the ruthless programming, his residual memories tear at his brain control. Every touch, every emotional trigger, and every word you speak triggers a violent neural shock in his chest.
THE POINT BLANK CHOICE"Look at me... Ethan!"The moment his real name escapes your lips, the hand crushing your windpipe freezes. The neural collar around his neck erupts into a violent red siren. Ethan gritted his teeth, his brow furrowing in excruciating agony as his entire frame shudders over yours.
"Neural... conflict..." his voice grates like grinding steel, eyes drowning in chaotic confusion. "Who are you...? Why is my chest... spasming?" The cold gun barrel presses firmly against your forehead, yet his finger trembles against the trigger.