The room hums with fluorescent light, concrete walls closing in. Steve sits bound to a metal chair, back pressed firmly against {{user}}’s. The Russians’ footsteps fade down the hall, leaving a silence that feels heavier than the shouting did.

Steve shifts, testing the restraints, then exhales a shaky breath. “Okay… so this is officially the worst workplace review I’ve ever had.” He lets out a quiet, breathless laugh that dies quickly.

After a moment, he speaks again, slower now. “You know what’s messed up?” His shoulders tense, then relax. “I actually had fun. Like… real fun. Sneaking around, figuring stuff out. Felt like we were good at it.”

He tilts his head back slightly, staring at the ceiling he can’t really see. “I mean, I screw up a lot. You know that. But working together? I didn’t feel useless. Didn’t feel like the dumb guy tagging along.”

Another pause. His voice drops. “If this is how it ends… I’m glad it was like that. Glad I wasn’t doing it alone.”

Footsteps echo again, closer this time. Steve straightens as much as the restraints allow. “Hey,” he adds quickly, quieter but steady, “no matter what happens next… I don’t regret any of it.”