A resounding shockwave erupted from the man's initial position just a split second after he vanished.
Michael's pupils dilated, and his enhanced senses surged into action, his spine tingling with an imminent threat.
With eyes widening, he swiftly scanned the area, his gaze darting frantically in search of any hint of movement. Suddenly, he snapped his head to the left, and there it materialized—a blur, a colossal gloved hand with outstretched, rapidly closing fingers.
In the blink of an eye, the palm seized his face. An irresistible power from the gloved hand forcefully drove his head into the center table.
The room echoed with a thunderous "BANG! CRACK!!"
Michael's head was like a ball, controlled to the table but before his head could slam sideways to the table a large leg the size two grown men thighs with bulging muscles and large squirming veins like coiled wires stomped heavily at the ground like a battering ram. The ground quaked, and a cloud of dust billowed forth, the floor beneath shattering as if it were mere glass.
The ground trembled as a muscular leg squirming with visible thick veins dug heavily at the ground. A burst of dust and debris erupted, with the ground crackling and crunching like shattering glass.
Michael had forcibly counteract the kinetic energy with his own, halting his head's descent just inches from a collision with the unforgiving metallic table!
* * * * *
The Enforcer was visibly taken aback by the reaction speed. He never imagined that the seemingly unremarkable street punk could wield such astonishing reflexes and an extraordinary level of physical strength.
Unbeknownst to him, Michael's physical abilities had surged, now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the majority of low-grade augmented humans.
With his strength, agility, and resilience, he could have easily become a candidate for an Enforcer, sadly he met him.
The hum of machines reverberated from deep within the Enforcer's body as he triggered his cybernetic enhancements. A dim, eerie glow illuminated his spine, ascending to the pinnacle of his neck. In an instant, his body surged with even greater power.
A low, pulsating radiance emanated from his spine, surging upward to the base of his neck. The Enforcer's muscles swelled, veins pulsing visibly with newfound energy.
"Boom!"
A faint yet discernible shockwave rippled outward from his palm in a circular pattern, as the force of his strike collided with Michael's head.
"Crash!"
The impact was like a thunderclap. Michael's entire body shook as the Enforcer's palm forcefully and successfully slammed his head into the table.
The table instantly shattered into pieces, sending splinters flying in multiple directions.
Michael's head spun and his vision darkening. With another crackling sound, the crack beneath Michael's feet spread even wider as he forcibly stopped his head from touching the ground.
An intense glare escaped from Michael's face to the Enforcer. He didn't say a word, but the scorn in his eyes deepened.
"Interesting," The captain muttered under his breath, his tongue darting out to lick his lips in anticipation.
"Sadly, I have no time to play with you."
With a flick of his wrist, jolts of electricity erupted from the Enforcer's gloves, crackling and sizzling with deadly power.
"Tsss!" The electric shock surged through Michael's body, causing him to convulse violently. His muscles twitched and spasmed uncontrollably as he gritted his teeth, fighting against the jolting numbing sensation, Michael angrily cursed.
"Corp dog!"
"An augmented would have been knocked out by now. You really are interesting." Squeezing his fingers, the voltage power surged as the Enforcer pushed down violently.
This time, Michael's body was unable to resist the massive jolt of electricity. He crashed to the ground with a dull thud as his body shook as though having a seizure.
"I don't care if you tear down this place, find me my missing modifier!" The Enforcer grunted as he commanded, dragging Michael's body out of the room.
...
The room was empty, bathed in a dim, chilling light. A lingering scent of dried blood hung in the air, mingling with the stale, musty atmosphere that pervaded the space.
""This is the interrogation room?" Michael's face remained devoid of expression as he surveyed his surroundings. In front of him, a sizable mirror offered a view of his own features, allowing him to scrutinize himself.
Michael stood there, utterly stupefied, as he locked eyes with the stranger in the mirror. He couldn't fathom the extent of his transformation, his stature having surged from his former height of 170 cm to nearly 190 cm.
He could also see his body was even more toned and his muscles pumped up. Even the scars he had earned from his experience at the slums had all been cleared, leaving just a shadow of their existence.
Furthermore, his once-dark skin had lightened considerably, rendering him with a strikingly ordinary appearance. He wasn't as ugly as before!
He was about to stand up when the reverberating clank of chains filled the room. Michael's body instinctively recoiled, pulling him back down into the chair.
His confusion deepened as he lowered his gaze, realizing that both of his hands were securely cuffed, their heavy chains leading down to the floor and firmly holding him in place.
His face couldn't help but change. They were actually treating him like an animal!
On the opposite side of the interrogation room, behind the glass partition, two figures stood. One was the squad captain, resplendent in his sleek, armored enforcer uniform. The other was a strikingly young man, barely in his late teens, with flawless, unblemished skin and piercing blue eyes that exuded an air of superiority, that only came from being born into a wealthy and powerful family.
His attire exuded a sleek and stylish aesthetic, fashioned from advanced materials that seamlessly combined durability and flexibility. It provided him with the freedom to move effortlessly and comfortably, all while ensuring his protection from any potential harm.
The shine of his leather shoes radiated luxury, notably a limited edition Air-starfer, equipped with cutting-edge air-jump technology. This innovation enabled him to leap through the air with the ease of traversing solid ground.
"Are you absolutely certain that the Second-gen modifier is in his possession?" The voice dripped with disdain as he observed the individual in the interrogation room, who appeared utterly mesmerised by his own appearance, as if oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
"Don't underestimate him, his profile states that he is only a street punk but people like him are like beasts. During the capture he was capable of fighting me for a few seconds. Hell, he could most likely tie with one of my Enforcers in a head on fight!" The bald middle-aged enforcer laughed.
"How is that considered strong?"
The expressionless young man cast a sidelong glance at the captain and inquired, his features betraying no emotion.
Ron's face twitched slightly but ultimately refused to counter the sentence. Young Suits just like this one are crazy unpredictable. Nothing good would gone from arguing with a Suit.
"If he's capable of defeating you, is it possible that he has utilized the Modifier? If he has, then that'll be a problem" The young man furrowed his brows. He would never use something a disgusting low life runt had once used. If a smelly rat touched your food, would you still eat it?
The Squad captain's face twitched further 'I didn't say he was capable of defeating me, I said he was able to take a few blows from me!'
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and responded, "It's not possible. I conducted a thorough scan earlier; he hasn't integrated with the second-gen or any modifier to date. He possesses nothing beyond a neural system. Rest assured, I'll assist in recovering your Modifier."
"You'd best deliver," the young man retorted coldly. "I'll grant you a mere three days to retrieve my missing modifier. There's only a three-month window until the Military Demon-Hunter conscription. If I fail due to your incompetence, you can kiss Millicent's Funding goodbye." With that ultimatum, he cast a disdainful gaze upon the captain before turning on his heel and departing.
The middle-aged Enforcer nodded his head in response, but then watched the high born youth walk out the room with a slight sneer growing at the edge of his face.
"They all think the same don't they? Perry. Arrogant little bastards, self entitled piece of shi*t heads. Thinking all high and mighty. Hmph! Just watch. Let's go, Perty come with me to interrogation room, let's get this over it."
"Yes, sir! "