Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 53: Capsule.

Anger welled in Liliana’s heart. She didn’t understand. How is it possible for someone to have no regard for the law? Not only that, but... How could someone be so nonchalant about it, and in the presence of a hero nonetheless?

The idea troubled her and so she didn’t want to think about it. Nevertheless, the question remained—what other illegal acts did that person commit?

Carrying an illegal weapon might not be such a big deal, the same goes for shooting it in self-defense. Breaking into abandoned buildings to escape danger can be excused, but what about someone’s home? Would tying someone to a chair and interrogating them be excused just because they are a member of a gang peddling a dangerous drug?

Throughout the time they had spent together, not once did Liliana receive a warning from her intuition about that person being a criminal. Though that should have been a clear sign that relying on it was far from the best idea, she still held on to it, not wanting to admit that she had been wrong.

There had to be an explanation of some sort. He had to have a reason for what he did, why he has no care for the rules that keep society going. But would his reasons even matter?

When she couldn’t keep it in anymore, she went to him with the questions. He was still blind to the wrongs he was committing. Liliana was angry and frustrated, but still hopeful.

Maybe he was just uneducated, lacking the knowledge to differentiate between what’s right and wrong. Maybe he still thought of what he did as nothing more than small transgressions, ones that didn’t warrant much scrutiny. If that is the case, then he could still be saved.

She only needed to show him the right path, pull him away from the one leading to the abyss. Once he recognizes his wrongdoings and the suffering his actions might lead to, he will be a changed person.

Just as she resolved to not give up, to try to the very end, a white vehicle approached them. It stopped at the end of the corridor and its door slid open, revealing a strange device. Before she could wonder what it was, something hit her entire body, slamming into every inch of it like an invisible wall.

The blast wasn’t something that could be guarded against, but it wasn’t powerful enough to harm her enhanced body. Liliana braced herself, having realized they were under attack, but the moment she regained her balance, sharp objects pierced her clothes then her skin.

Looking down, all she saw were two yellow darts the size of her fingers, each with a thin thread connected to their end. Their nature remained a mystery only for a second as a searing current traveled through them and invaded her body, clenching her muscles and locking her limbs. As if thousands of white-hot needles pierced her flesh, every nerve in her body screamed, the pain surpassing everything she had felt in her life.

The surge halted after a second and Liliana made the mistake of thinking her suffering had ended. Before she could prepare herself for what was to follow, the world around her spun, and her vision quickly blurred.

~[ ]~

A bright light forced Liliana’s eyes shut the moment she tried to open them. Her thoughts felt sluggish and so did her entire body. She struggled to move, her limbs refusing to obey her commands. After a while, she was finally able to roll to her side. Things got better following that.

Getting up to her feet, she finally got a look at her surroundings. The room she was in had six walls instead of four, a high ceiling, and a rather vast floor. All of it was painted in a stark white color and made more vibrant by the light coming from above.

There were no doors or windows, no clear route for escape. Just as fear began to grasp her heart, Liliana looked down, saw the clothes she was wearing, and jumped away in fright.

She was in her costume—the black jumpsuit that tightly clung to her skin, and the mascaraed mask that hid the upper half of her face. Without her knowing, Liliana had transformed into Flare.

Her first thought was to change out of it, but when she tapped the bracelet on her left wrist, nothing changed.

She tried several times but the bracelet didn’t respond to her commands. The usual command window didn’t even appear on her OAM. The item just had to malfunction with her in that stupidly embarrassing costume, or maybe it was all a dream where she was forced to endure being clad in it.

If only she hadn’t listened to the marketing representatives and demanded something different. Unfortunately, now that she already had her debut, it would be a while before she’s allowed to change to a new costume. She would have to endure being seen in it, and once the next opportunity to get a new look presents itself, that would be her chance to ask for a more reserved set of work clothes.

FWUuushhhhh.

The familiar sound of an automatic door reached her ears, snapping Flare out of her daze. The costume wasn’t exactly a problem right now—she didn’t even know where she was or how she got there.

A rectangular opening slowly formed on one of the six white walls. Just when she thought it was her escape route, someone stepped through it and into the hexagonal room. The man appeared rough around the edges, with a rugged face full of scars and a clean-shaved head. He wore black cargo pants with his upper half remaining bare, revealing a mural of tattoos that covered both of his arms and shoulders.

As much as she didn’t want to judge people based on appearance, Flare knew right away that the man was far from being an upstanding citizen, and that the likelihood that he was there to show her the way out was nonexistent.

"Who... who are you? What is this place?"

Prompted by her intuition, Flare shifted her body and prepared for a fight. She watched as the tattooed man approached the center of the hexagonal room, the gap he entered from quickly closed. He stopped a few meters away from her then raised his head, giving her a scornful look without saying a word.

"Are you refusing to answer my question?"

The man ignored her and continued to stare. After a very tense second, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Shaking his head as if disappointed with something, he reached into one of his pockets and took something out—a small flat box the size of his palm.

Flare watched as he pulled it open and took something out. It was so small she could barely see it from afar, but the man held it up as if to give her a better look. The item was a capsule the size of his fingertip. It had a light blue color and looked no different from any random medicine.

But that thing wasn’t a medicine. Flare knew right away. This time, there was no doubting her intuition. That pill was exactly what she had been looking for.

"That’s-"

Before she could say it, the tattooed man raised his head, opened his mouth wide, and dropped the pill inside. His Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. Remaining still for a while, he then lowered his head slowly, a menacing smile on his face.