CyberTech Worlds Clash

Chapter LXVI

Armoured Skill

Nergal was the company Luke and his new sisters had bult. It had grown from just some words with some money and computer software, such as an OS that could learn from its user, with smart security, and with that they grew beyond the impossible. They had built a massive building in the centre of London, overlooking the Themes for their Headquarters.

They had many different research departments from medical to cybernetics, and then the hidden layers underground, and even apartments for live in staff. The building was large and protected by a highly advanced system ran by a highly advanced artificial intelligence that contained human qualities from its emotional processing unit.

The company's main stay was computer systems, holographic technology, augmented reality, and full dive virtual reality. However, that was not to say that the company didn't do more than that. They had some of the best labs, medical, and technological on the planet, and rumour spoke of Shangri-la, the ultimate labs with the ultimate security network.

However, like with many things in the world, Shangri-la did exist, ran, and found by Stella Cline. Its main goal was the restoration and extension of life after death, and the study of mana and human mutation, such as mage and conduits. That was why it was the most heavily guarded secret of Nergal's Research and Development Department.

Though, right now, twenty-two-year-old Luke Evans was deep underground, rolling his eyes as sixteen-year-old, Haley was standing in the vast labs naked in front of him. She had soft layers of moisture over her small body, looking as if she just left the bathtub or shower, and with every breath a cool fog exited as she was told to 'encourage' her conductivity, and that always happened when she drew her power, as she drew the moisture in the air to her.

The lab was loaded with all sorts of strange things from a car, several bikes, loads of desks, and robotic arms, lit up bright and even a huge military helicopter at the far end, which they could see through the glass of the large lab room they were in, as it was one-way glass, seeing out, not in.

Haley had her long brown hair tied back by her small butt, looking back at a changing screen from where she stood on a large matte black screen on the floor while her twin sister Thea was being difficult and wouldn't come out, again.

"Thea, come on, I've seen you naked before!" Luke said, exasperated. "You know this stupid thing won't get the best results with any materials in the way. Blame Stella, I didn't create it!"

"But big brother," she complained from behind the screen. "It's always so embarrassing; can't we just use tape measures?"

Luke groaned and would have replied if Haley hadn't beaten him to it, speaking, nonchalant with a little eyeroll. "Tape measures cannot fully measure through us as well they cannot be as précis. Big brother is always so nice, so don't be such a big baby. Our bodies are almost identical, so seeing me is like seeing you anyway."

Sighing, the girl came out, fidgeting uncomfortably, rubbing her fingers through her short ruffled black hair. "There, beautiful," Luke teased while she stood on the black platform, embarrassed, but always pleased to hear his compliments, even when he was being cheeky and teasing her, and there was a slight static charge in the air around her. "Okay, my lovely little sisters, we can get this done," he said as he looked them over for a moment wearing some black combat trousers, a black tee, white running trainers and a long white coat.

Luke also had a device under the fringe of his black nest of spikey hair, attached, matte silver on his right side, with two thin strip lights either side, glowing blue, ending at the centre of his forehead. He made a small gesture with his right hand and some yellow glowing holographic screens surrounded him with some holo-key-pads.

The twins watched as Luke typed away when the black panels on the floor started glowing, and a rainbow of lights drifted out, spinning around, including colours that before this device none of them knew existed. The lights tingled the girls' bodies and created a soft breeze that played with their hair, lighting them up.

Luke watched as complete, full body scans came up on screen with their full names, rotating in 3D. He made gestures and these 3D models of his little sisters moved closer, to his side before he just swatted away the screens and they swished away; the glowing and lights stopping.

"Okay girls, you can get dressed now," Luke said as he started fiddling with the small holographic models of the girls, checking everything over as they went back behind the screen to fetch their clothes and get dressed.

Luke then swatted the models away, happy with the results. "Okay, everything's in order. I think we need to run some more compatibility tests before we think about powerframe testing, though," he said thoughtfully.

"Ah more, can't we just get on with this?" Thea complained from out of sight.

Luke laughed, finding her amusing. "No can-do, my love," he replied laughing more, as she came out, near completely dressed in her undies and skirt, pulling her shirt on, not having been wearing shoes when he called for them, and no longer creating any unnecessary static.

"I hate all of these safety tests," she complained, pouting as Haley joined her, wearing cream shorts and white tee shirt, nodding her head in agreement, and not as waterlogged as before.

Luke sighed, smiling at them as he led them out into the huge tech lab/garage; the walls of a matte white with soft lights eliminating from them, lighting the place brightly without being blinding like most artificial industrial lighting.

"Sorry girls, but safety first," he said as they walked either side of him, putting his arms around them as he walked them back to the main elevator, and they hugged onto him, Thea pouting more, and Haley tried to copy, but not getting it right, but still looking cute.

"I bet you would use a powerframe without any more tests," Thea said as the lift opened in the wall and they got in, the door closing and it ascended.

Luke frowned, thinking about that, before he let them go, chuckling nervously as they gave him a look.

"Okay, but only if it were an emergency," he reluctantly agreed with her.

Thea stuck her tongue out, annoyed. "What about us if it's an emergency?" she asked, hopeful.

"Only if it's such a super emergency, and we have no choice, okay?" he asked, smiling as the lift stopped and led out into a huge office with giant screen on one wall, opposite the huge curved desk and no windows, but other doors leading into another lift.

Thea pouted cutely and gave Luke a hug and kiss on the lips, followed by Haley, copying her sister with a small smile while Thea started grinning ear to ear. Then they waved him bye and ran off into the lift and away, leaving him in his secret office, alone.

Luke sighed, rolling his eyes as he flopped down into the comfortable seat at his desk. He leant back and drifted off in thought, marvelling at how far they had come in just six years. They came from four orphans to powerful Research and Development Company.

Opening his eyes, Luke grimaced as screens had popped up with inter-dimensional readings again, and he wanted nothing more to do with those calculations. He definitely-wanted nothing to do with any of that being real. He swiped the screens away with a backhand, and slouched back into his seat and closed his eyes. He missed when Thea and Haley were younger and sweet little things who wanted more of his and Stella's attention, and definitely-missed when they cuddled up to him when they wanted something they both knew was silly – though, Thea still did that, and annoyingly it still worked.

It was nice having sisters, but he still thought back to that day, when he lost his grandma, and Lena, but they lay them, and his new sisters' families to rest. They were all alone, but they had each other, and their quest for, vengeance, justice, or whatever it was; payback.

Though, thinking of payback, they had concluded that they didn't want to just kill them all, but get to them, and those they could capture would be put in jail. It took some going over but with distortion field technology they could keep mage from using magic to escape; well teleporting, so they built a prison.

The Obelisk Super Prison was almost complete. It had originally been Stella's plan to hold mage. However, since more and more conduits were on the rise, and all that; they saw some meta-crimes up a little, so figured they might as well add functions and features to keep them too. Therefore, some designs here and there were altered to hold them too.

Luke felt like drifting as he was starting to feel a little sleepy when he was startled into sitting up as the rooms dull lighting started flashing red with some sirens.

"Calypso, shut that thing off, please darling?!" he called out and it all stopped immediately. "Tyde, what the hell was that?" he asked when in a flash of light, a young woman with short brown hair appeared out of nowhere with two long strands either side of her head, and short at the back with deep blue eyes, wearing a black skirt, and white shirt with thin black tie and black shoes with the Nergal half-moon crest with red N and white Ergal written on her right breast of a blue and white.

"Unknown mana activity," she answered, tilting her head to one side. "It is not like the occasional spikes we get from the magical world since satellite Mystic Eye was launched last year. This is not in a known magical location. This is a human village. Unfortunately, because of all the mystical activity, we cannot be sure whether this is some kind of attack on mage or a racist attack on humans."

"Okay, Tyde, can you get us some video feed?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes pops," she agreed with a joking smirk as it came up. However, after rolling his eyes at her sad attempt at humour, they widened at the overhead view as the Mystic Eye satellite in orbit with the UK's rotation was zoomed in.

There were lights exploding over the village from sorcerers, but then this giant monster thing was crushing houses.

"Is that a freaking giant?" Luke asked, wide eyed.

"How am I supposed to know?" Tyde asked, rolling her eyes. "Okay," she said at his look. "Looks like a giant to me, and a whole bunch of evil douche bag wizards too."

"Yeah, I got that," he said sighing, rolling his eyes. "Stella, you seeing this?" he asked over the comm. system.

"Yep," came her concerned voice. "You're going out, aren't you?" she asked while he nodded though she couldn't see it she sighed and continued as if they were videoing. "Okay, just be careful, bro, you know better than me that the powerframe system hasn't completed its testing, and none of the mech are fully operational to go with you."

"Okay, I am aware, try not to worry too much, I have Tyde watching me," he said as he got up and Tyde nodded her head.

"Don't worry your cute little bottom, Stella, I'll be here," Tyde agreed. "He is technically my father after all," she said smiling as she followed Luke into the elevator going down. "I care about him as much as you, silly."

"Well, I'll leave him to you then," Stella replied as the line went quiet.

"Are you sure you wish to give the Project a live test so soon?" Tyde asked with concern for him. "Full safety tests have yet to be complete," she added, giving him a look.

"Tyde," he complained, smiling, and taking her soft hands in his. "I'll be fine, just keep watching me and be my extra eyes and ears."

She sighed, but smiled as he let her hands go. "That is my job, I know, but I still worry about you."

Luke shook his head, smiling at her affectionately as the lift stopped and opened into the labs. "Come Tyde, no need to just hang about; I have some filthy douche bags to beat up."

She smiled, nodding as he led her out of the lift and into the labs. He moved over into some more rooms that looked even more advanced and sterile than anywhere, entering through three sealed doors, and each decontaminating with white smoggy sprays.

Once through the final airlock Luke pulled off his coat and tee shirt and just threw them to the side before picking up a dark silver bracelet from several in perfect holds on the only desk in the room. He snapped the bracelet over his left wrist and cried out, almost falling to his knees, and would have if Tyde hadn't caught him.

It felt like his wrist had been set on fire, stabbed, slit, and blown off all in one, but he expected that and it was over in moments. He took some deep steadying breaths as Tyde's cool hands held his muscular body, keeping him from falling before letting him stand by himself.

"Thanks, Tyde," he said while she nodded. He moved to the centre of the large room, looking up where mechanical arms waited. He pulled off his shoes, socks, trousers, and boxers.

"Ready, Big-boy?" she asked as she checked out his strong naked body with a few faded scars across it. Then it just started; the floor below him lit up and the arms started moving with pieces of form hugging rubber foam sections and metal, coming down towards him.

Elsewhere, a little while later, in a quant, and usually peaceful little town, screams of fear, and screams of terror and panic brought a soft pang to the Dark One's chest almost like joy, or boredom, he wasn't sure anymore. He remembered the pain that others had caused him so many years ago, so relished the misery of others in return, especially the filthy muggles – or used to – it was admittedly boring with no one fighting back, not even the so-called 'good-guys'.

He was a bald-headed being, or man, or Dark Sorcerer, or whatever, with varicose veins around his head, in the marking of serpents' scales. He had slits for nostrils and blood red eyes. He was wearing black robes with his hood down as he watched his minions causing the filth pain and death. They were all wearing black robes like him, but being cowards wore masks like death, only in different materials from silver and gold to white and different designs, and with their hoods up hiding their hair. He was pretty sure they thought they looked scary and cool, but he could sense their power, and knew they were just fodder, and he was humouring them by being present, as he had to show some 'favour' to the troops, as he didn't want them doing something stupid without asking someone with at least a braincell whether it was a good ideas or not – it usually wasn't.

Watching the giant crushing muggle homes brought him some pleasure; it was rather interesting to watch. The muggles screamed and ran but some got squished by the great oaf when suddenly: boom. Something smashed into the giant's head, tearing into it was yellow lights until the giant fell to the ground, a bloodied mess, dead with its head split in two.

The Death Eaters stopped hunting or toying with the muggles and looked round as something streaked down from the sky, and crashed down into the ground cracking the road. The thing had glowing gold eyes and metallic scaled armour in black as a primary colour and gold around the trim.

It was black, sectioned metals, and though human shaped, it had an animalistic quality. It was armour, though looking strong, and impenetrable, it seemed to fit snug, following all the contours of its wearer's muscular body. His helmet fit, and curved with his skull with twin sets of glowing gold 'eyes'. Then there was a long-sectioned tail swishing behind it going down its spine, edged gold, and it flexed out vicious golden blades, with some kind of re-shifting of metal, like it was alive.

It had huge wings with metal scales on its back, hinged from the back of his waist by gold, open wide, intimidating, with hum and slight yellow glow in the joints, like a metal angel of death, and markings like veins were thin lines of gold.

The armoured being, stepped forward, his right metal arm shifting and changing back from the gatling gun, back into a normal clawed metal hand. His wings shifted back, pulling away as they folded, and reformed, leaving, and just becoming gold plating from shoulder-blades to waist. He was remarkably quiet as he walked forward, anger evident even though they couldn't see a real face! The helmet didn't have any facial features other than the visor like eyes that glowed gold, and some whisks of gold.

"W-who or what are you supposed to be?!" the snake faced wizard demanded as this 'thing' stopped, examining him.

"I am," the voice came, modulated and dark, full of anger. "I am your destruction wizard, and I am pleased... my first time out, and I come across the Dark Lord Voldemort, himself!"

"You've heard of me, freak?!"

The 'freak' moved, angrily. "You dare! You filthy bastard!" he hissed, getting up close in moments, and with a push of magic the dark wizard flew back, crashing down several yards away, crying out in pain.

Voldemort pulled himself up, angered, spitting up some blood, staring at this thing, enraged. "W-what the hell are you supposed to be?!" he demanded, trying to think of a way to fight a creature that so easily snuck up and sneak attacked the giant, let alone that he did that to him while he was paying attention.

"I am vengeance and justice!" he spoke, supressing his rage. "You may call me, Armoured Skill! Or just Skill will surface! You and your kind have toyed with innocent people for too long. I am here to bring justice to the guilty... if I don't kill you in the struggle!"

"So, Mr. Avenger… Mr. Justice… Mr. Skill?" the snake man asked, stalling as some of his Death Eaters had gathered some sense and were sneaking around, up behind this thing. "I'll let you into a little secret you good boys seem to miss. There is no justice!"

However, Skill moved, turning, and with his left arm flicked two spells away, one after the other, a shield flashing once and then twice in flashes of blue light. Then aiming his right fist, the two Death Eaters cried out as the arm armour slipped up reforming just for a moment, shooting blue blasts tearing the Death Eaters down before sliding back down.

Justice turned back to the dark wizard, and his minions, causing them to all step away in caution. The muggles could only stare in awe at what is going on, shocked as it was like a great sci-fi fantasy come to life to save them, from a great fantasy horror.

"What are you?!" Voldemort demanded feeling concerned.

"I am your destroyer!" he retorted. "I've been watching for some time, and before had no way of stopping you, but with this armour, you are mine!" he said stepping forward.

Skill dodged, ducking, and flipping back, springing off his hands with the grace of a gymnast, avoiding the spells altogether; his tail lashed out, blades slashing out, curved with straight angles from within. The Death Eater screamed as he lost his wand, and arm attached to the wand, blood pouring out.

"I'm not that easy boys', so let's dance first!" Skill mocked, sounding amused as he moved forward, running. He banished two Death Eaters crashing into a wall, thwacking their heads into unconsciousness.

Skill skidded across the floor, weaving through spells, flipping up, both arms formed into blasters, firing, taking down three more Death Eaters before heal kicking another in the face, sending him crashing into the ground. His tail lashed out taking the legs off another, and he fell in a puddle of blood. He skidded to a stop, crouched like an animal, his clawed fingertips briefing the floor. He faced Voldemort as the firing stopped, the Death Eaters moved back as they just couldn't hit him; he was much too fast.

Standing back Voldemort's eyes had widened, and he was looking concerned as his Death Eaters looked like they were moments away from fleeing. Maybe the boring life of no one fighting back wasn't so bad. He had never come across anything like this before, like a demon built by the muggles to get in his way.

Voldemort offered it one last glare as it shot at him; he disappeared just moments before Armoured Skill could get to him, punching the road it cracked, and it shattered under his attack. Skill dodged back, flipping twice his wings blast out, flapping with tiny thrusters, pushing him back fast as he was under attack again.

Skill skidded back, raising his left hand he deflected three spells before dodging to his right; his left arm blaster taking out two more Death Eaters. He blast forward, wings moving with thruster jets; his fist landing in the face of one, flipping round a foot to the face of another sending them both down and out. He spun back, and moving with the grace of a feline when one Death Eater aimed his wand at two innocent and terrified children, looking so smug, as Skill paused, watching warily.

"Stay back monster!" the Death Eater said smugly. "If you don't, I'll kill the muggle things!"

"Then your life is forfeit!" Skill answered, causing him to quiver. "Lower your little sticks and surrender. Your masters already gotten the idea and ran away, why are you so stupid?!" he said taking some steps forward.

"I-I said s-stay back!" he stuttered out wide eyed when Skill moved in a sweeping motion, his hands moving out and a bubble of light blast from his cupped hands, shooting out, hitting the kids and pulling back; pulling the kids from harm's way with yelps before moving, knocking the man out moments later with a vicious punch to the face.

Skill flipped to his left, skidding to a stop; his glowing gold eyes alarming the remaining Death Eaters, as some of them tried to fire on him. They stopped trying to fire, shock and horror in their eyes as his systems zeroed in on them, each in turn. They all seemed to come up to the same conclusion as they disappeared in blinks of the human eye.

Skill growled as he spoke over the comm. system. "Base, it looks like the remaining fled, did you get a trace?"

"Sorry," Tyde's voice came over the comm. in reply. "Wherever they went it must have some magical shielding, without having it in the system we can't see through it... well unless you were there, or someone with one of our neural nets!"

"Oh, shit," Skill said suddenly as he looked round where other wizards turned up following the lead of a certain old man. "I have thirty percent power remaining," he muttered to Tyde. "Send a transport, just in case. I really need to get a better battery in this."

"Yes sir, I'll make a note of that," Tyde replied. "Jump jet is en-route. I'm sure that these morons will be little trouble if they're such cowards who can't even fight weaklings like Voldemort's fodder mage!"

"Let's hope," Skill responded as he scanned over all the mage as they held wands pointed at him, cautious. He was about to step forward when he paused, looking to two of them, a red-haired woman, and a black-haired man. He had seen them both in photos, but they shouldn't be here, they should be dead!

Skill didn't hesitate moving towards them, batting away a spell thrown by a ginger boy, but a reprimand by the old man and nobody followed up. He looked at the red head woman and black-haired man, frowning under his helmet.

"You are Lily and James Potter!" he stated as fact, and they nodded, nervous and confused as he scanned them, but scans kept coming back inconclusive while looking for intrusive magic, which normally meant, 'most likely', but didn't know what.

Therefore, for now Skill turned from them to their leader. "What do you want, Dumbledore?" he growled out clenching his fists in anger.

However, the old man smiled as if he was untouchable, not realising Skill was seconds from beating him to death.

"Ah, yes, what a wonderful surprise," the old man said while looking genuinely surprised. "You of course know who I am, but doing this... the Death Eaters deserved a chance to change their ways, so I'm afraid we're going to have to arrest you for those you have murdered!"

"I am, Armoured Skill… and you… in my world…? A nobody!" he responded as some of Dumbledore's minions stepped up. "They come to my world and attack my people... well, that means I get to kick their arses. If you have a problem, I don't give a shit!" he said as his metal right arm shifted and transformed into a long open front barrelled railgun, in the old man's face.

"Now, Mr. Albus Dumbledore," he said calmly. "I'm taking you in for crimes against humanity, assault, desecration of the dead, enslavement, grooming of children, and I'm sure the courts will agree that altering people's memories is a crime, but the list goes on, so I'll leave it at that! I'm not going to let you think about touching these people, and the Death Eaters are my prisoners."

"That's where you're wrong," the old man said, eying the barrel nervously, not being so stupid as to not realise it was a dangerous weapon. "It would be against Magical Security no matter who you think you are!"

"I'm the Game Changer. I'm Armoured Skill, and finally I'll be putting a stop to you and your people doing what you want!" he retorted, annoyed. "If you have a problem with that, I dare you to think about fighting me. I'll blow your fucking brains out before you truly grasp your error!"

The old man went to speak when that ginger boy interrupted. "Shut up freak, this is Albus Dumbledore, and he's a great wizard, and filthy muggles like you shouldn't speak to him like that!"

Skill looked to him. "Don't throw insults at your superiors!" he demanded and the ginger cried out as he went flying back, banished. "And who said I was a normal human?!" he moved back as Dumbledore had moved, wand in hand.

However, the old man barely defended himself as a large angled craft appeared with others, rocking over the area, and pulling to a hover. The centre craft was black and gold, like a fighter, far more advanced than any normal muggle jet, and had no insignia or identifying markers. Its guns were already firing, and Dumbledore was holding it off for a moment before he flew back by the force.

The other two jets had twin turning propeller engines, as jets became helicopters as they converted, and were down before Dumbledore could pull himself up. These other craft all had the Nergal logo on the sides.

Dumbledore's minions were in a panic as two small squads of men exited the helijets wearing black body armour with black assault rifles with blue glows on the sides, with glowing blue strip visors over their eyes, and Nergal branding on their right chests, as they moved to surround Dumbledore and his minions.

Meanwhile, three new helijets landed behind with medical personnel with armed security, and a last vessel, a prison transport with a black circle logo with the Nergal logo in the centre and strong script underneath saying 'Obelisk Super Prison' in black. Dumbledore and his minions could only stare in horror, as the muggles out flanked them.

"Drop your weapons!" the lead man demanded, but it was no good as Dumbledore shouted for them to escape, and they did, quick, gone. "Sorry sir," he said once he was certain they had all gotten away, turning to Skill. "The distortion traps aren't yet fully operational, but Miss. Cline insisted we head here to help secure the captured Death Eaters, and render medical aid, and get the injured to hospital."

Skill nodded with a shrug. "Hey, don't sweat it man," he said, turning to look up as his jet powered down its weapons and landed next to him. "I want all of the mage sent to the Obelisk for the time being. Since right now they technically don't exist we're not breaking any laws keeping them; we'll have to contact the Prime Minister about this eventually, but I would rather take care of this for as long as we can."

"Understood, sir," he replied as Skill got to his jet. The top opened even though it had no windows, and once his wings had folded, he sat in the cockpit with the hood closing behind him, and crating augmented reality screens, and they took off blasting through the sky and hit supersonic within seconds.

"Okay, Stella, seriously...?" Luke asked as the helmet on his armour looked as though dismantling itself just leaving him armoured from the neck down with a thicker round collar, armouring his neck. "I asked for a ride, preferably just my jet, though the medics were a good idea, and..."

"Luke, this is the first time you've tried the armour outside of simulations," her voice replied. "I'm just concerned, the system is powering down faster than it should."

Luke frowned as he looked at a neural display in his vision of the power supply. "Dam, the powers failing. See, this is why we have all of them safety checks, so don't forget to tell Thea and Haley," he said amused as he sat back, relaxing as the AI flew the jet.

"Will do, but what are you going to do about them?" she asked and she didn't need to elaborate.

"Tyde, prepare my limo," he answered her, getting an affirmative he continued. "If they really are my parents, I have some things needing to be said!"

"Yeah, I can imagine... just, Luke, be careful and," she paused with a sigh. "Looking at the scans they're not completely there, that's obvious, but to what extent I couldn't tell you! At least take Thea or Haley with you for backup."

"I'll be fine, you worry too much," he replied, laughing as the jet started pulling down towards the Themes as they flew over London, and the optical stealth activated, making the jet near invisible by using holograms to bend the light. "Just trust me, I'll be fine. I have Tyde watching me, and... I need answers. I'll have my neural net," he said tapping the device on his forehead. "So, I'll be able to take some longer and better scans!"

"Okay, but I'll have a team ready and following," she replied and he smiled. "I know you know what you're doing, but you have… you're mine and the twins' brother, and we love you, and I can't help but worry."

"I know, I love you guys too," he replied smiling as he thought. "I'll be okay, you know that, but I still need answers. With the way Dumbledore is, I can't just trust that he didn't have anything to do with it. What if more is happening than is obvious...?"

"I understand," she agreed. "We'll keep checking with everything. If there is something going on we'll contact you and you can do... well what you need too."

to be continued...