Chaptor 1: The start of the future...

Date: July 25th, 2028...

I was thirty-three when it happened. She was... my everything but I goncked it all up!

It all started when a genius in tech, as usual, threatened Genoble weeks ago, we thought nothing of it at the time. 

I had just been woken up by Ember That day, as she kept punching me in my arm trying to wake me. Gaining back my consciousness slowly, I looked over to my alarm clock. 

Things were blurry at first then they became clearer and clearer, until I realized what time it was, it was 3:30 PM and I was late to my son's birthday party! 

Whoa, whoa, hear me out, I met this woman named "Adabatallia" when I was 25, her real name is "Anastasia Berikomov", she worked for my father's army as a nurse for us soldiers. Josue was the only father figure I've ever had in my life.

Our love fell some years later from a single incident of my ego and lust, many years ago. Ooohhh, what I wouldn't give for us to fall BACK in love. 

Anyway, when we split, she took our little kid. The boy's name is Lyle Aluin Junior, he just turned nine today and I missed his birthday party. A kid don't turn 8 twice. 

Ember screamed as she continued hitting me harder "Wake up you dumb jerk, you've missed your own son's birthday!"; So I rushed out as quick as I can because I didn't care that I missed his birthday party, I just wanted to see my boy, forgetting even my armor. Each time that I'm in public, I make sure that I never forget to wear my combat armor because... of the U.S military incident decades ago. I'd like to always be prepared.

Yep, pretty proud of what I came up with since I first began being a part of Josue's army. I made downgrades in the design but this is far more comfortable and it approves of speed and power. I've grown up since you last saw me. 

Anyway... 

As I ventured over the city, free of my heavy and plodding armor for once, I could feel the air on my face as I flew from building to building with ease of an acrobat. Now, don't get me wrong, my armor helps me become brisk in battle and it's imperishable as well, but there's nothing like your own, FREE BODY, just being free if you can understand.

I finally arrived at Ada's house, to see my young one but when I knocked, her sister didn't answer the door like I had hoped, her sister always had been a bit more patient with me, Ada answered it. Resulting in me getting slapped hard enough that if I wasn't an "eccentric human" or something, it's clear my head would've been off. 

She then began screaming and yelling at me once she realized it was me, cussing me out in Spanish because our kid was in the house. She wasn't even spanish, that was the funny thing about it. 

I had no idea how to react as she wouldn't let me get a word in. She flung her arms around like she was a little kid who had eaten boxes of sugar and couldn't control themselves, but she flung them far more angrily and upset. 

I didn't know how to react or when I should even attempt to say anything, until our kid came into the living room. He had eyes on him like he wanted to beg us to stop and simply kiss. As a matter of fact, he reminded me of my twin, wherever he is, he was always a physically tough bastard but a more sensitive one from what I can remember, I'd love to see him again, it's been decades.

Our kid said in a voice that reminded me even more of my twin when we were little, "Please mommy, daddy, stop being angry at each other!"; My wi... Ex-Wife became more serene than when she eats chocolate.. and she's madly in love with chocolate, unfortunately, Chocolate didn't get her calm like usual when she was on top of me, beating the hell out of me for cheating with her older sister. Boy, did Anastasia and her younger sister not like me doing that... I was immature back then, I will admit that.

Now that I'm grown up and she is too, I can see why I totally deserved getting the crap beat out of me for that. Yeah, I totally admit it, I deserved that one. Heck, thinking back on it, I wish I could be harmed by regular humans like Anastasia, so she could get Me back. Not all the time though, about 4/10 times.

Anyway... 

She ran over and hugged him and you could feel how she relished the hug and the pure motherly love at that moment. 

She became calm enough to the point where she only threw her fist up towards me as I walked by her, to talk to my little boy. I'm not going to lie, I flinched just a little bit. 

I gave my boy a hug with fatherly warmth then as we're hugging, he asked "Where were you earlier, Dad?"; I answered him "I was someplace I shouldn't have been, but I promise you, this will never happen again son!" I said genuinely meaning what I told him. 

Suddenly as we're Father-Son bonding, unlike my own father, someone began calling me. 

I pushed away my son and answered my phone, it was a man using a voice changer, I suspected the same mysterious hacker who called HQ, hacked our monitors and possibly released a few robots around HQ days later. I had no way of telling, the pitch and tone sounded different than that guy's voice. 

I heard the voice say "This phone will explode in 3...2...1!" But I already grabbed my boy and Bada before he even got to two so I assume he counted to one. 

As I ran out, Bada was freaking out but still, I held her firmly along with my boy, who was surprisingly tranquil, and got out of there fast. Even if it was a bluff, which it was, I still would've been out. 

The house nor phone exploded and even though I never kept track, I assumed he was counting from three to one so I sprinted out with the two of them, I pieced the puzzles together and as jumped up ontop of a small nearby building to check the area, attempting to spot someone who may have been watching me. 

Then I realized, I never showed my identity to the public, there's a reason why my individual nickname was "The mysterious aluin" around Josue's city. 

They've seen Artus' and Ember's face yet mine... well, I always wore my helmet and used my voice changer, there's no way someone could know who I am. 

Suddenly, I heard screaming coming from Bada, she had been shot in the leg by what I can only assume is a sniper, so I transformed back to normal, dropped down to her, then assuming the sniper missed the head, I grabbed her up and back flipped with her, high in the air and too fast for anyone normal to anticipate. 

The next shot the unknown sniper took, missed as I grabbed her, then I ran for my boy and grabbed him too. I ran and ran filling the area with my smoke as I ran to save their lives, until I was out of the sniper's view or until I could only guess I was out. I was out apparently as he didn't take his next shot when my smoke disappeared. Even though my Ex-Wife could be a ______, I can't lie, I still love her genuinely. 

Remaining vigilant on the way there, I took my Ex and my kid to a nearby HQ of Josue's army, I have a pretty high ranking in the army. I have the ranking of "Expert en garde privée et missions spéciales" which means "Private guard and special missions expert" also meaning I go on special missions for Josue. 

I explained what was going on and surprisingly Badatallia understood my plan. Not really all too surprising, she was always an intelligent woman, ever since I met her while I was visiting nathanael when he got severely injured on a mission years ago.

As I entered, I found Artus inside, suited up and he was speaking with a girl. I asked him, "Why don't you ever settle down, get a wife?"; To which he answered "Because getting a girlfriend or wife is lame, I'm STILL SO YOUNG, you can remain a Bachelor until you're fifty-two!" He said seriously. 

I said "Whatever" Then entrusted my best bro with the protection of Bada and my little boy, until I come back from reporting the incident to the main HQ. More so, to Josue. 

Artus IS like a Blood brother to me, I can't trust some of my real blood, but Artus... he's a reliable, trustworthy but sometimes he can be a very goofy guy, sometimes though, I can't tell if he's a pervert or simply can't get a girl. If I can't trust him, there's only two other people I can trust in this world. 

As soon as Artus assures me that he'll look after my beloved ones, I make sure no one sees me and fly off to Josue. 

Sometime after flying from building to building to Genoble's main HQ later, I Informed Josue of the personal attack, he assured me, him and his R&I team had been non-stop looking into the matter of the Hacker weeks ago. The guy was able to literally HACK! Into our monitors. The main HQ's for goodness sake. The most secure area and the very foundation of this city. 

Suddenly, as I was leaving Josue's main HQ, there was a monitor in the lobby that I was in, and as he said these words "Go check on your little wifey, mysterious aluin!", my blood pressure went up and my heart was beating about a billion heartbeats per second. I couldn't believe as I realized, SOMEONE HAD A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST ME!

Me!!!

One of the protectors of this city, one of the soldiers working behind the scenes to ensure safety of the citizens... the most I've ever done was kill a few villains, and villains who are personally challenged by the power Josue had that helped him in taking over the cities.

As I sprinted through the building at maximum speed to race to my Ex-Wife and child, confusion and frustration began to fill my mind. I would often ask the question while this stuff was going on "Who would have a personal vendetta, against me?!" But I never could answer my own question. 

I ran and sprinted and pushed my cheeks to maximum speed as I realized my family was in trouble. Lyle, Bada, Artus... yet I still held faith in Artus to at least fend them off until I made it there, or Josue's men at least. 

By the time I made it back to the Genoble HQ I left them, most of the HQ was destroyed, half of the building was blown to bits. 

My wife and kid were gone and nowhere to be found, I started going mad searching through the rubble to find them, to see if they were dropped by the rubble or something. 

I'd rather them be in critical condition than being forced to participate in whatever method of torture or punishment due to me. I'd rather take their place in whatever the unhinged hackers threatening the city had in mind. 

I dropped to my knees searching after sometime of me not being able to find them, and cried. I had never shown my emotions before and had always been a "Strict" on myself soldier. Usually putting the order of the city over even myself. The only two who mattered to me before I had this family were Ember and Artus, but the way I felt about them was how a Close sibling felt. 

My intimacy with Bada goes deep, and my fatherly love for Lyle junior, goes beyond over protectively. 

After sometime of me weeping and bellowing my rage to the world. 

Artus comes from under a large pile of debris that'd have surely... killed a regular man. 

Being myself in an emotional state at the time unlike normally, I lashed out on Artus, Screaming things like, "Oh hey, how could you have let this happen?!" And the classic "Where are my wife and kid?!" But he was still recovering from whatever attacked them. 

Once he recovered, he told me that giant robots attacked the building and he managed to rip apart and shoot down many regular robots, but they kept coming and coming at him. He used the excuse "I can't punch metal and destroy it like you!" And he told me to back off, he apologized to me but I couldn't say anything back to him and so I backed off. 

I sat on a large piece of debris and tried to gain back my right mind, and arrange my priorities this time. This has officially turned into a charge, and I always COMPLETE them. 

The only problem was... I had no clue of where to start. 

In the knick of time, My commander, Josue, called me and told me amazing information. 

The R&I team working for Josue for a while had been looking into the Hacker team called "The TechFretz!". 

Apparently, during a call with the leader of the team who had called HQ to set up a meeting, he mentioned he used to run a team called "The TechFretz" which forced them to try and find more information on the team in the first place. 

Josue and the R&I team had found no information on the team, except the location of JUST ONE BASE. The team made sure I understood they had to dig DEEEEEEP for the single, former, hacker HQ location.

I thought of it as not much, but definitely something worth checking out during the time. It was indeed wise of me to not pass up the chance as it paid off... ehhh, well enough.

The R&I team sent me the location on my Genoble digital map, the whole team who works for Josue is required to carry one or two on them at all times anyway. 

When I arrived, it was some base all the way inside of some woods. It was an old and beaten up log cabin. I didn't really believe, no matter how much the R&I team assured me, That it was even a base. 

Guess that's why I'm not paid to think and use out the box insight or whatever like they are. 

Anyway... 

When I broke and set foot inside the supposed "Base of operations" for this team of hackers, I immediately set eyes upon an old, dingy note lying on top a newer looking table, this note plainly resembled a note that's been lying on the ground for years on end. 

I could barely read what was on the note, but I got enough to get the basic gist of the message the writer was trying to convey to whoever the note was sent to... 

It read: "Yo, what up Khalid! Our dumbass of an idiot "Leader" aka "Karlous Billzebrizzy" has moved us into "Ehdinlok city" which is a long way from Genoble. He says our next job will be SWEET REVENGE! Except he didn't say what for or when... I'm using this note so there's NO way of some idiot finding out about this and I know you love that stupid log cabin base. - Mallory". 

Guess it was sent to someone named "Mallory" now that I think about it.

I don't know why, but in the log cabin, I felt like there was a secret entrance to something... Strange, as I heard pounding coming from below me. I ignored it and kept going, not having the patients to deal with whatever mess was making it. 

I was a man on a mission with the will to complete it at any costs necessary.

I returned the details I discovered to the R&I team, they assured me they'll return to me when they dug something up on it all. 

With the time being now around 10 PM... I went back to Genoble and began drinking... water, until Ember showed up to our bar, then Artus following after her. 

Artus still looked pretty beaten up from earlier and as he came in limping, he said "What's up Lyle!" As he came in hypingly yelling out to me as well. 

I just crossed my arms, and sat in my seat heavy-hearted about earlier, though, not beside myself nor infuriated by Artus. 

Nonetheless, I still sat in my seat in silence, feeling hope, my memory of him is hazy but the bastard still lurked in there. 

Ember said when she thought I was depressed "If you need to talk about earlier, we're here for you, I can see something is bothering you, Lyle!"; she said in a calm tone. 

I was never one to talk about my feelings, never one to speak on how I felt... but just when I thought that maybe it was about time, screams sounded from outside. 

Artus, Ember and I, halted our talk as we rushed outside the bar to check what's going on. 

Dozens and dozens of robots was attacking the city, buildings and citizens, I thought to myself "Ugh... We can't get a single break so we can get closer!" Then I crystal clearly remembered a line from my favorite song, "It's the passion that kills" and it was my passion that was going to kill whoever's behind this attack on my family, Genoblesse and everything else. 

I became inspired, Artus, Ember and myself rushed out to battle the dozens(X2) of robots destroying our fair city just outside our favorite bar. 

As we raged on to fend the city off from these vile mechanical creations, Artus used his mysterious minigun to break apart bot after bot, Ember gracefully dodged and thrusted her mysterious sword with the speed that'll make cheetahs jealous but with skill many swordsman, aside from myself, wish they had as well.

I felt lost since I didn't have my body armor, though, I could still easily punch through these things like a hot knife cutting through butter. I'd expected these hackers and robotic experts to at least have access to Na-moroamhic metal that came here ages ago. 

Artus blasted and Ember had sliced, and well.. I... I punched and kicked. My guns, sword and armor were left at my penthouse when I rushed out this morning, so I was basically naked in this battle. 

The robots were your generic robotic henchman, at least that's what I felt like they were at the time... 

I crushed and hooked, kicked and dashed, used every martial art that I could use, fighting for my life. 

One robot went ground level and swung at me, so I dodged then this large MECH came when we cleared all of the regular robots. 

This one seemed different despite just the overall size, this one seemed a bit "Dereotic" like... which is a metallic material farm more durable than earth's regular metallic materials you can find a vault or so made from, it's weaker and far more easier to obtain than what my suit is made from, and far less durable though twice as durable as regular metals. 

Artus pulled out his rocket launcher and blasted the mech multiple times, it had no effect on him. 

Ember had attempted to use her agility to climb on top and summoned the biggest sword she had in her arsenal... wherever the hell their weapons come from... still, obviously no effect. 

I know my metals, clearly the other two rely on their abilities, I rely on my strategic mind as I'm far less capable than my siblings. 

However, I can't explain it, and still to this day, I have no idea what I'm talking about... but I apparently passed out and the others saw a side of me, they had never seen. 

Last thing I remembered was feeling an extreme level of frustration and annoyance then...

Here's how they described the strange event I have no recollection of to me. 

I passed out but they say I dropped to my knees with my eyes still open, as a matter of fact, they told me that my eyes went completely white. Smoke began releasing out of me, from my eyes and my body. They claimed it was like someone lit a large chimney inside, then as smoke released even through my body and clothing, small bits of my hair turned white as if I had undergone centuries of stress. More white than even snow. I began to shake uncontrollably as I got off my knees once all the previous stuff passed. 

Ember was seemingly upset as she explained to me that I ran so fast, she believed during that point, I had surpassed her speed significantly. 

Then I leaped once I got close enough and with a single punch, knocked the mech on it's... should I say it, probably not, flat on it's butt. 

It wasn't done though, it got up and bashed a few buildings as if it was angry so after standing in place with an expressionless look on my face... I formed into smoke without looking behind me and flew towards the mech. 

They could barely see me as I was flying too fast for them to see, the next thing they see, I'm back to normal and right behind the mech, taking it down. 

As the mech was trashed, Ember was checking me out to see if I was alright, while Artus went to confirm the mech was down. 

She had noticed all the smoke that was gliding out of me, vanished seemingly, and my eyes had their pupils back and went to normal. 

I'm sure I could've handled the mech without my supposed "Powerup'' which I still don't have proof happened to me. Except, then again, why would my siblings LIE to me like that?! Especially over something so small and useless, we live in a world where you do things for family and things that'll benefit your family. Lying to me like that will give me false hope that I can be better. 

Anyway... 

I came to, Artus and Ember were blurry longer than normal, which I had found weird... if they were telling the truth, perhaps that was one of the setbacks. 

Artus had told me some good news, turns out, the mech acted that way because there was a person inside who got upset as I bashed him down. 

After hearing such good news, assuming he worked for the Hacker group behind all of this, I made my way as best I could over to him, still remaining blinded. 

We took him to Josue's "Special" interrogation room hastily and hastily, he squealed everything we needed to know. 

In a useless effort, the R&I team also found more info, but nothing like a location but that was alright, we already had a lead in the nerd we captured. 

We didn't want to trust him, but in the hunt for my Ex and my kid, he was all we had, and so we had to settle. 

We found our way to this new base the nerd told us about... I believe it was in that one place mentioned in "Mallory's" note, wherever or whoever that guy is. 

So, us, the Aluin trio, entered the base. 

What happens next was a warning, it was pretty sad. 

As we entered the base, we discovered it to be empty and abandoned like the log cabin in the woods base of theirs. 

This base of theirs was larger than expected, we heard screaming and banging coming from somewhere as we got this corridor of white. 

We looked through the square glass windows of each door, until Ember saw my wife and kid in one of them. 

Artus and I sprinted with quickness to Ember, I told them to stand back, then I kicked down the door. 

The two were locked inside of glass prisons. They were continuing to bang on the Glass and scream in fear even as we made it to them. 

On the ground was a note, the note read: "Hello, Mr.Aluin... You win this time as you made it to save your family, you took away one of mine, one I loved dearly. You didn't need to murder him, he was a small time criminal just simply robbing banks. You're fortunate to have saved him this time as I was too young to save mine. CURSE YOOOUUU! 

-Karlous Billzebrizzy". 

While I was reading the note, Artus had broken the glass prison they were in and before I could turn over the note to see if anything was on the back. 

Bada ran up and gave me the largest hug she had ever given me in a long, long time. 

We hugged for 6 minutes straight, snuggling and we both apologized for everything. She claimed she might've been too hard on me, but in my opinion, I deserved even worse treatment for breaking the trust and faith she had, especially with a loved one. 

Hypocritical of me to feel this way, but I'd PROBABLY never speak to Artus or so again, if it was the other way around. Hard to predict even for me, I was voted top soldier and my ego had risen pretty high during those days. I have no idea why I cheated in the first place. 

After we got done doing all that mushy stuff, we decided it would be safe if Bada and Junior stayed in the main HQ instead so they headed there. 

As the others left, I was curious so I picked back up the note I dropped when Bada and Junior hugged me, and flipped it over only to reveal more. 

The note on the back read: "Sike, you'll find out why the walls around you are whiter than a clean, 2020 white rolls royce on a rainy day, soon enough!" With a heart colored red on it. Possibly symbolizing blood...

As soon as I realized what it said, not even a few seconds in, I heard a loud explosion coming from outside in the hall, in the direction the others were headed.  I fell to my knees and began to squall like a mere child at the realization of what happened. 

|TO BE CONTINUED!|