CyberTech Worlds Clash

Chapter LVII

Clashing Worlds

Vale Cain felt a little groggy, but remarkably well rested when he woke up. The last thing he remembered was Remedy White closing his body after creating the seal in his heart and then, she told him to get some rest. Vale sat up fast and felt all over his body for some kind of scar, but nothing. He looked around where he was to find he was in a large comfortable bed with sheets over him, that just covered his lap as he realised, he was naked still.

"Well, if it isn't sleepy-head come to join me in the real world," Remedy said from where she sat at a desk up against one wall with a laptop computer and multiple screens of light that seemed to be coming out of the laptop screen. However, as she turned in her seat, she flicked one screen and like a domino effect made from light, the screens shot back into the laptop.

Remedy wasn't wearing her scrubs anymore, but some black hipsters which stopped above her ankles, showing the white of the lower metal of her right leg, and Vale could just about see her black ankle socks poking up from black running trainers. Then she was wearing a black long sleeve blouse with the cuffs undone, and hands bare, so it was obvious her left hand was fake with the white metal, and the top two buttons of Remedy's blouse was undone, but only showing a little extra skin, so Vale didn't get to see much but he liked the shape her top held anyway.

"Black clashes with me, I know," Remedy said while smirking. "But you have that whole black outfit thing going on with your whole dark knight thing."

Blushing up a hurricane, Vale gulped as though the dark colour did clash with Remedy's white hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and extremely pale skin, as well the white metal of her artificial limbs, it also looked really-good on her.

"W-where am I?" Vale asked, instead of saying something embarrassing, but Remedy only grinned with perfect white teeth knowingly to tease him some more, so Vale quickly looked around the room, and though the bedroom didn't look like it was ever used, he said something silly anyway. "Is this your bedroom?"

Remedy half-surprised him as she laughed and shook her head. "You'll have to do more than let me have your heart for a few minutes to get into my bed… maybe," she added the last word as an afterthought while winking.

Vale groaned in embarrassment and shook his head. "That isn't what I meant, and you know it!"

"Sorry, I don't get to tease many people," Remedy said while shrugging sheepishly. "I have mirrors, and despite my… disabilities, I am rather adorable," she said with a wicked grin as Vale slumped and felt more naked than he was. "So, how are you feeling? You must have been exhausted as you've been sleeping for quite some time, and you still owe me lunch."

"Oh, right," Vale said nervously looking down at his smooth, lean, and muscular bare chest. "Could I get dressed first?"

Remedy sighed with a roll of her eyes and stood. "Fine, it's not like I haven't seen you naked before, but your clothes are on the side," she said while gesturing to the dresser next to the bed where Vale's clothes had been laundered and neatly folded.

"Thank you," he said but Remedy had already closed the door behind her.

Vale sighed as he stared at the wooden door and groaned as he thought he could have been nicer, and flirtier, but why was he feeling so soppy, and where were his witty comebacks? He had heard about this from Skulduggery. Apparently, girls could defeat you before you realised you were at war. Vale remembered looking at Skulduggery in annoyance and asking him what he meant.

Love is War.

Love is war? Those three annoying words. When you fancied someone, who left you speechless, and didn't know whether you were coming or going. Apparently, girls were better at initiating the first battle than guys. According to Skulduggery, it took boys a little longer to get with the correct program, and that was making Vale feel annoyed with himself for letting his 'doctor' control him like that.

Remedy, despite all the teasing was really-nice to him though, and she was cute, and pretty, and sexy, and, Vale had to pause that thought. She may have been happy to tease him, but would she want to actually-date him? He didn't know, as girls were kind of weird, and he was sure he didn't get them, which was why he was losing this war.

"An older girl?" Vale muttered to himself as he slipped out of bed and looked over to realise that he must have been in a hospital room since it had one of those disabled toilets with shower, so quickly slid inside and used the toilet to empty his bladder and sighed in relief that he wasn't peeing blood or something, and despite, Remedy's age, she seemed to know her stuff and then some as he felt like he did before he came to Remedy's 'clinic' or whatever this place was.

Running the shower, Vale felt relief and warmth as he stepped under the hot spray, and washed with the shampoo and shower gel, Remedy must have supplied for him, before grabbing a towel to dry off and stepping back into the main room where the bed was now a gurney, and he realised it was the same room outside of the operating theatre all along.

Vale had to wonder what kind of magical power Remedy used? He had thought it was some-kind-of super healing power, but he wasn't sure anymore. However, he shrugged as he got dressed and just as he was pulling on his ring and feeling the coldness the door opened and Remedy had returned, startling him.

"You done yet?" she asked hopefully but looked kind of disappointed. "Damn, maybe a minute too late," she said teasingly.

"I could drop my trousers?" Vale suggested as he now realised, they were at war, and he couldn't surrender just like that.

Remedy laughed and rolled her eyes. "How adorable that you think you can play my game when you don't even know the rules," she said sounding like she was enjoying herself and Vale chose to roll his eyes and shrug as he pulled on his coat. "So where do you want to take me?"

"Oh, erm, how about, pizza?" he suggested questioningly.

Remedy rolled her eyes as she led Vale back into the wooden corridor with stairs leading up either side. "Don't ask me," she replied thoughtfully as she span and turned to him with an amused smirk on her lips as she walked backwards towards the door, Vale had entered through when he first arrived. "You're the man, be a man, and tell me where you're taking me. I believe you must be quite a bit more decisive than that. I can easily speak up if I don't like, can't eat, or don't fancy something."

"Okay," Vale said as this was so new to him and he had thought that girls wanted to have a say in these things too, but it looked like he had a lot to learn. "Then, lets gets some pizza… there's actually this really nice place I got a takeaway pizza from about a year ago that I remember is nearby. They have seats, and walk in service. I remember their pizza was much nicer than the pizza chains I normally have to use."

Remedy smiled widely. "That sounds lovely," she said turning and pausing as she was about to pull the door open when she frowned. "My gates gone," she said confusing Vale, but she pilled the door open and in its place within a doorway arch was a smooth obsidian rock back with some intricate and beautiful runes carved into the rock with a silvery sheen.

Vale watched in fascination, as Remedy touched the rock with her right hand, gently brushing it with her fingertips. "The other side isn't there anymore… but… did somebody tear down my building? I own that whole building. No. That's impossible."

Remedy turned to Vale with a shrug. "I can't get us back to Ireland, but let's try, Scotland. I have a rundown building in Glasgow."

Vale was about to say something when Remedy waved her left hand over the door, and like a swipe on the screen of her phone, she swished a second door into place next to the first as that side of the corridor widened slightly to fit the new door comfortable, and when Remedy pulled the new door open, just like with the first just beautiful carvings on obsidian.

"What is your magic?" Vale couldn't keep from asking.

Remedy spared him a moments glance. "Oh, I can bend, control, and cut the fundamental essence of space. It has it's hang ups, which is why I studied runes and seals and stuff too. It's the only reason I survived with just." She pointed to her left arm, right leg, and right eye absentmindedly.

"Then how did you do what you did to me?" Vale asked in concern.

Remedy finally looked at him and gave him her full attention. "I'm very clever," she said with a teasing smirk, and then, he saw the lines of watery white light swirl within her eyes, and Vale almost felt like throwing up as the world around them spun and twisted until they were in a circular wooden chamber surrounded by beautifully crafted wooden doors that looked much more expensive than the other two had.

"They're all dead!" Remedy said and was now looking concerned. "All these gates are to some much more well to do places on Earth, and none of them are working. That is not good, not good at all."

"Are we trapped?" Vale asked in concern.

"No…" Remedy said thoughtfully. "We are in the middle of nowhere though, but we are probably in range where I might – might be able to cut a rift through space from here to Hawaii. I've never tried to go that far before, but the Hawaiian Islands are the closest populated islands to our location."

"Where are we then?"

"Pacific Ocean, on a magically cloaked island," she replied nonchalant as the chamber folded back and the doors were gone leaving only a flight of stairs leading up like the world around Remedy was a flick book. "Are you coming?" she asked as she headed up the stairs.

Vale started and followed, he took a moment longer than needed to admire Remedy from behind before he finally made it up the stairs into a huge grey stone hall with monstrous oak front doors, and it with lit by magical candelabras, and had large dark windows because it was obviously night.

"That was better," Remedy said as she turned a wicked grin on Vale. "You didn't even try to be subtle when staring at my butt, and while we're stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere, just the two of us."

Vale almost apologised then, but chose to not respond like that, as he had a feeling, she wouldn't like it. Therefore, he shrugged, and tried to control his blush. "You have a-a nice bum, and it shows in those tight trousers," he said before he chickened out, and hoped the light was dim enough to not show how much he was losing the fight against his blushing cheeks.

Remedy smiled a little more. "Compliments…? I like compliments, Mr. Cain," she said playfully as she walked over to the huge doors and they drew open with her approach leading out into the humid night air.

Vale followed Remedy outside and looked around in awe as it was some kind of fantasy-land courtyard, beautifully kept and lit by the halfmoon and hundreds, or more like thousands of tiny winged fairy or pixy things as they flew around the beautifully kept flowers, and giggled or sniggered as Vale rushed to keep up with Remedy while he was looking around in awe as they walked along a yellow brick road, and figured he should probably comment on it, but seemed silly thinking about it.

Though, with everything he had seen so far, Vale knew one thing, and that was Remedy was anything but boring. They walked side-by-side, and he was surprised to see Remedy looking at her phone and frowning, so he looked at his too. Vale did have roaming turned on, and knew it would cost him, but figured he should call someone to let them know he was okay, but got no signal.

Vale groaned as he put it away. "If you have signal, can I borrow your phone when you're done?" he asked hopefully.

Remedy shrugged as she showed him the screen with a smirk as it was using him as a wallpaper, as she had obviously taken a picture or two while he had been gawking around the courtyard like a dimwit, but she pointed out the no signal logo where the bars would usually be located.

"I have three huge satellites on the roof of the castle," she said gesturing behind as she put her phone away and Vale's eyes widened as it was indeed a castle out of some fantasy book or something, or maybe like from Devil May Cry, or Dracula or something like that with vines creeping up the walls and old windows. However, he could just make out the edge of one large black metal dish.

"I normally get a great signal, as I boosted it with special magic," Remedy regained Vale's attention.

"W-when did the signal die?" Vale asked in concern, "because I have some pretty nasty enemies."

Remedy shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't doing anything online when on the laptop. I was using my archive, and personal servers, which are always with me, and compiling some new notes on the success of my sealing of your True Name. This could have happened hours ago for all I know."

"So… do you know anyone who could do this?" Vale asked thoughtfully as Remedy placed her phone away. "I'm wracking my brains here and don't think I've pissed off anyone who has this kind of power," he said as they walked down some steps and Vale could see they were close to the beach and ocean.

Remedy smiled when she suddenly 'tripped', and Vale startled as he caught her in his arms before she fell down the steps to the beach below. Remedy was shorter than Vale by a good head and shoulders, as her head came to mid-chest as Vale held her, slender, soft body to himself.

Vale took Remedy's right hand in his left while staring into Remedy's beautiful mismatched eyes, as she carefully pulled back with a smirk. Vale was careful to slip his fingers through Remedy's.

"I-is, this the nearest beach to H-Hawaii?" Vale asked nervously as his heart, fixed and sealed beat a tremendous rhythm on his ribs as he led her on.

Remedy surprisingly had red streaking her cheeks, and smiled more as Vale tightened his hold. "Yes. That's right. But I don't think I'll be able to cut that much space at once without an anchor here and there I can use, but I'll try, otherwise my yacht is the other side of the castle. There's a lake and river that leads into the lagoon that leads out to sea, and its deep and has the, I think people call it a jetty… maybe, but its huge, so I just think of it as my own personal harbour. I did prepare, just in case I couldn't use any of my gates for some reason."

"Okay, so we at least have some way back to civilisation," Vale said in relief, but he grinned at Remedy. "But I don't think I could think of anyone else I would rather be stranded with right now!"

"Flattery," Remedy said thoughtfully before looking to their intwined hands. "Taking the initiative to hold my hand… if this was a video game, you would have scored a few bonus points there… just don't pussy out on me, and lose those points," she said smugly as he chuckled and led Remedy out onto the sandy beach as it reflected the moonlight golden white with the reflection of the sea, and the air was fresh and the view amazing.

"See that dark shape in the far distance?" Remedy asked as she brought Vale up to the edge of the surf and pointed out into the distant with her mechanical hand while leaning into Vale, he was gentle as he nodded and pulled her into his arms as the warm breeze from the sea blew at them. "That's the South West bank of Hawaii; the Hawaiian Islands main island… maybe many years ago this island was probably included in with the cluster, but sorcerers got hold of it and spirited it away I guess, many centuries ago."

"C-can you…?" Vale asked looking down at Remedy softly within his arms, so close he could see the tiny, near invisible, light freckles dotting under Remedy's eyes and bridging her nose while her skin seemed to glow more amazing than the moonlight.

"Sorry," she said while looking up at him. Vale had some amazing dark lashes and dark brown eyes that held her as he leaned down, and she let his lips meet hers in what started as a tender kiss, and worked itself up with Vale reaching round Remedy's waist, and grabbing her arse, and he didn't care as he lifted her into his strong arms, sucking her tongue into his mouth and touching, even if just over clothes, his first real girl.

Remedy didn't mind at all, as her legs wrapped around Vale's waist as they shared their first ever kiss; their first kisses. Remedy ran her fingers through Vale's hair, ruffling it up as they kissed for what felt like forever before she pulled back for breath, panting, and taking in oxygen, neither would have cared if they had passed from the world with such an amazing first kiss.

"Are you sure you want a freak like me?" Remedy asked after a moment of staring into each other's eyes.

Vale grinned. "What man doesn't want, a strong, beautiful, sexy, cyborg girl?"

Remedy blushed while smiling. "Most that I've met," she replied feeling slightly down. "I come from an upstanding family," she said looking like she wished her family were just mere 'commoners', like, well like Vale's – good people. Vale could have figured out that Remedy's family were rather up there, as her English accent was rather proper, even when her words weren't. "Well, my family can't stand the abnormal, which is kind of strange for sorcerers, but still… they don't like… no… they hate those who are different, even of their own blood. It was bad enough with the albinism, and then I went and disappointed my family by living."

"You don't have to worry about that or them," Vale said suddenly with a serious and tone of anger she knew was directed at her family. "You're beautiful and have me to watch your back now."

Remedy gave him a soft kiss before pulling back. "I want a man. I don't want no pathetic little boy," she said while gazing into his eyes, as the soft white metal of her left hands slid over his right cheek, her metal thumb gently brushing his lower lip. "I… I want someone strong, brave, special; someone who will treat me like a person, someone to look after me; to treat me like a woman. Someone who isn't going to ask my permission before they kiss me… the fact you're not a mile under water proves you already have that," she laughed while Vale paled before internally shrugging and pulling Remedy's lips back to his and kissing her deeply. Vale swore, he would do better a million times what her family could ever do.

Vale and Remedy were still kissing and groping and all hands with Vale wondering whether Remedy and him were ready to take it further when a huge floodlight exploded down from above with gusts and the sound of engines. They pulled apart and looked up into the search light as a slow-moving black craft near hovered above them.

"I-its okay, Vale," Remedy said in worry. "The wards are still up as they're anchored around the island. There is no way the mortals could know about this island, and I don't know anyone with advanced military jets. It looks like a cross between a plane and one of those huge transport helicopters. What's the MPF? S.H.I.E.L.D.? CyberTech…?" she asked while reading off the logos on the craft. "Quinjet Beta Deck Zero-One-One-Five?" she asked before turning to Vale as he watched in awe.

"I have no idea what any of those things mean, and… can you read what's under MPF?" Vale asked in worry.

Remedy looked back up and squinted. "Its moving too much but looks like Meta Police Force?"

"That does not sound good," Vale said while Remedy shrugged.

"Hey, no sweat," she said with a reassuring smile. "They can't even see us," she said uncertainly as the spotlight was on them a moment later and she slipped from Vale's arms.

Remedy rose her right hand and prepared to twist space around the craft. "Please don't do that."

Vale and Remedy spun to see a beautiful young woman with long black hair wearing an aqua blue outfit made from who knew what as it had 'devices' and engine tails tied into her hair, and a long aqua blue coat firm and hugging to fair out at her ancles. There were lines in the 'clothes' glowing a gentle blue with nine strips like winged swords folded out behind her like a paper fan, but attached invisibly or wirelessly, but she was floating down to land on the sand and the glow faded but the wings stayed like nine deadly blades ready to attack.

Remedy lowered her hand as she watched in awe as several more jets had turned up and the first one slipped through her ward like it wasn't there, landing carefully a little way off from the beach, and others moved to join them.

"Oh, gods what is that?!" Vale asked and Remedy turned to see what he was looking at and over the castle behind it a monstrous flying machine of lights and engines was lowering, and from the angle aiming to land the other side of the castle in the lake.

"It's a helicarrier," the new woman announced with a grin as she regained their attention. "They're just parking her in your harbour… you don't mind, do you? We have to make sure your adorable little island isn't teaming with monsters or criminals or anything, and that's the MPF's jurisdiction, but Shield is here to assure international security."

"I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say, huh?" Vale said while he and Remedy shared confounded expressions.

"Oh, right," she said thoughtfully. "Well, anyway, let us introduce ourselves first? I am Amanda Avalon…"

"Vale Cain," Vale said introducing himself. "And this is my…" he looked at Remedy as he paused before he continued. "Girlfriend, Remedy White, so what's going on… does the US Sanctuary have something to do with this?" he said trying not to notice with relief that he said the right thing.

"I don't know what that means," Amanda said while shrugging while they looked shocked. "Anyway… do you both know what an alternate universe is?" she asked, and they both nodded while looking worried but Amanda grinned. "That makes life easy… you see, it all started several months ago…"

Vale and Remedy had to be led to some rocks and sat together as their predicament was explained to them in full. Alternate universes. Worlds from different universes fusing and binding together, and then the universes being pulled in with them, and an impending alien invasion by whoever or whatever was doing this, and for whatever reason, maybe they hoped that the people from these different worlds wouldn't see the bigger picture and would fight each other, but so far, they had all been cooperating and working together.

"What about magic?" Remedy asked while looking eager for knowledge. "You said magic was the same but different in all these worlds."

"The lore's of magic work differently in a few areas," Amanda said thoughtfully while the young woman who had brought them some tea from a little camp stove a few had set up on the beach a short way from them returned with some tea refills before leaving them. "You see, if your worlds magic is bound by a certain rule; that rule wont work on me. Certain magical rules we've noticed that responded before in this world, no longer apply."

"So… the names, and power?" Vale asked confusing Amanda. "In our world names have power, we have our given name, which can be controlled by a sorcerer, which is why we seal it with a taken name. Then we have a true name that we know deep down, all of us do, but we don't know it, if that makes sense? Some people say it is the truth of our power, like our given name is our mundaneness, and our taken name is our journey to be more, and our true name is what we search for all our lives. If somebody else finds out our true name; they can completely and absolutely control us."

Amanda grimaced as she took a sip of tea. "That sounds sucky. I'm not sure whether that lore will be dropped from you as your magic, but it is highly probably, and if your magical lore's are anything like ours, the muggles will probably be safe from it soon enough."

"Okay, so how did you find my island?" Remedy asked thoughtfully pouting.

Amanda laughed and shook her head while smiling as Vale took the white-haired girls' hand, and she let him hold it. "We can detect the convergence. Your ward was slightly disrupted, but when we knew where to point the satellites, it was easy enough to see through the shield."

"So… what happens here?" Remedy asked uncertainly. "Can we get home or not?"

"Sure," Amanda agreed with a shrug. "I could arrange a ship to take you."

"So, we can get a boat home?" Vale asked uncertainly.

Amanda chuckled. "That would be nice and simple, but no… a Javelin," she said confusing them on purpose for a moment. "A space shuttle," she said and they just turned to each other like they thought she was crazy. "You just saw a giant flying aircraft carrier about forty minutes ago," she said laughing as they both blushed at that. "But that will take some time to organise as we'll only be able to send you when we have space, but we can let you phone home, and then find you a place to stay for a while… though you do have a castle."

"Wait, if you have all this power?" Remedy said thoughtfully. "You could come back with me, and kill this evil sorcerer for us. His names Voldemort, and he has this long history of trying to kill my twin brother. I may not like my brother much, but that's mum and dads fault mostly, and it would be cool having him in my debt as well as his little girlfriend – funny thing is mum and dad don't approve of her because she's not important enough."

Amanda paused as if in thought for a moment and then she just laughed and before Remedy knew it Amanda was wrapping her in her arms. "Ha! Suck it, Harry! I got to this little sister first!"

"Err, what's going on?" Remedy asked and Amanda pulled back sheepishly.

"I just ran a DNA scan," Amanda said while still looking over the moon. "You are my alternate reality little sister."

"How can you do a DNA scan with just a look?" Vale asked while he and his new girlfriend were more confused than ever, but they listened as someone was kind enough to bring them a blanket and food, so they moved to the sand to sit, talk, and most of all listen.

It was one weird night.

to be continued…

The sun had broken over the island a few hours before Vale found himself on the massive flying aircraft carrier, still unable to believe the thing was parked in the lake. He was on the phone to Mira while Remedy was awed that her boyfriend's reflection was one-hundred per cent fucked up, but Amanda was wowed at the talking skeleton who had taken over the call and had found out mostly everything, as the skeleton was technically a detective. Amanda knew things like him existed but had never seen one live before, so it was rather novel.

"So, you're trapped in this alternate universe?" he asked while Mira was squeezed into shot while looking concerned.

"Well, yeah," Vale agreed quickly.

"And Darquesse is you?" the skeleton asked with his velvet smooth voice and Vale nodded. "And you've dealt with it I presume, as I've had word that sensitives are saying that future is gone, and a new one of which they don't seem to comprehend has taken its place… I would bet it has something to do with these alternate universes, and these aliens, and a different kind of trouble about to bother us?"

"This started before the Darquesse visions," Vale quickly stalled. "I did not invite evil aliens over for coffee or anything."

"I just rolled my eyes at you," he replied, but since he didn't have eyes, he did cause a few snickers.

Authors Note: thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, press the follow and favourite buttons down below, along with a review.