Ethan was halfway to the patrol car, holding the papers, when the officer shouted.

"Back away! Stop right there!" the officer yelled, her voice snapping with genuine hostility. She immediately drew her service pistol, skipping the taser entirely, and aimed directly at Ethan. She seemed overly prepared to shoot, her stance too rigid for a routine traffic stop.

"Get down on the ground now! I will kill you if you don't obey!" the officer screamed, her voice echoing the demand and the explicit threat.

Ethan's suspicion vanished, replaced by a cold certainty: this was not a normal cop. This was an ambush. He raised his hands high above his head but continued to walk slowly toward her.

"The papers are right here, Officer. There is no need for that," Ethan said calmly, ignoring the danger.

The officer did not hesitate. "Stop!" she screamed one last time, then fired a warning shot into the air. BLAM!

Ethan no longer doubted. He dropped the papers and exploded into a full sprint, closing the distance between them.

The officer instantly squeezed the trigger, aiming for his torso. BAM! A bullet struck Ethan squarely in the chest.

Ethan had anticipated the impact and gritted his teeth, closing his eyes against the expectation of agonizing pain and fractured ribs. He felt the heavy punch of the projectile hitting his skin, but the bullet did not penetrate. A slight, distant ache registered, but the familiar, excruciating agony of broken bones from the morning's ambush was absent.

Ethan thought "It barely hurts. Nothing!".

[I did not lie, Champion,] the System confirmed, its voice carrying an unusual undertone of pride. [You have the ability Harder Than Steel. It improves as you take damage. You will receive less and less pain with every shot absorbed until you feel absolutely nothing at all.]

Ethan was already upon her. He smiled—a cold, terrifying grin that made the officer's eyes widen in disbelief as she realized her bullet had done nothing.

Ethan didn't give the officer a chance to reload. He extended his hand and grabbed the barrel of the pistol. She instinctively swung her free hand, striking at him, but he easily dodged the blow. In the next instant, he used his superior strength and speed to subdue her, pinning her against the pavement. He quickly pulled out her handcuffs and secured her wrists.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ethan demanded, his face inches from hers. "Why did you attack me?"

The officer, Agent Sparks, refused to answer, her lips sealed tight with fear and training.

Frustrated, Ethan released her and quickly moved to the open door of the patrol car to see if he could find anything. There, on the passenger seat, he saw a sheet of paper: a high-resolution photo of himself, clearly taken recently at his mansion in Celestial Garden.

Just then, the police radio crackled to life, the dispatcher's voice tinny and urgent. "Agent Sparks, repeat, Agent Sparks! Do not attempt to subdue the target. Hold position. Wait for reinforcements."

Ethan clenched his teeth. Ethan thought: They're not looking for a speeder; they're looking for me. They know exactly who I am.

He grabbed Agent Sparks by the uniform, dragging her across the asphalt and shoving her roughly into the back of the delivery van. He slammed the side door shut and jumped back into the driver's seat. He floored the gas pedal, accelerating hard but maintaining his course toward Celestial Garden.

"What happened? What was that about?" Sarah asked, her voice high and trembling as the van roared down the street.

"They're looking for us," Ethan replied curtly. "I don't know under what guise, but we are being pursued."

Sarah turned to look into the back of the van at the handcuffed officer, who was huddled on the floor. "Officer! What's going on? Who gave you those wanted posters?" Sarah demanded an answer.

Agent Sparks only kept silent, shrinking further into a ball to protect herself from the jarring ride and the terrifying man now driving.

Ethan punched Jason's number into his phone as he drove, the tires of the stolen van screeching on the asphalt. Jason answered on the first ring, his voice sharp with anxiety.

"Boss! We have more problems," Jason said, sounding terrified. "They're looking for you. Your face came up on the news. They're searching for you, and I moved my location. I left the lawyer Davies preparing all the purchases. No matter what happens, we cannot lose our advantage."

"So you found out already," Ethan said, frustrated. "What a damn mess. An officer just pulled us over; I had to subdue her. She's now in my van. Have you had any news from Cassandra, or has anyone demanded a ransom?"

"About that," Jason replied hesitantly. "I received a call. She only said one word: 'Run.' It sounded like Cassandra, but it cut off suddenly. I suspect she is hiding; I don't think she's in Celestial Garden anymore."

"I understand," Ethan said, relief mixed with frustration. "Perhaps it's possible she managed to escape by chance. What happened with Lena? Where is she?"

"She and Davies are free," Jason confirmed. "I'm certain Congressman Vance initiated all of this, so they are not targets at the moment. We should be safe there."

"Understood. Communicate with me for anything," Ethan said.

"Boss, please be careful," Jason pleaded, his voice a desperate warning. "If they arrest you, it will be an accusation without charges, but if you murder that officer, they will probably have enough to make you live the rest of your life in prison."

"I know, don't worry," Ethan told him. "Let's keep clean as much as possible."

The System burst into a loud, mocking laugh. [You speak of keeping clean? What a joke you have about yourself!] the System mocked. [Aggravated assault with a firearm, vehicle theft, evading arrest, assault and kidnapping of an active officer, and at this rate, rape. So how the hell do you plan to get out of this?]

Ethan gritted his teeth and focused on the road.

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