Avatara

"Take over someone else's body?" said Grace.

"Sssh," said Yi. "Be nice." The monk withdrew and moved backwards quickly into the wall of the cell to merge with it, so that only half his face was protruding. Grace was stunned by this action and for a moment a thousand thoughts went through her mind. A projected form that is pure energy and does not require additional real particles to be visible? This boy projected his spirit form thousands of miles and it seems he did it without any machine? No avatara can be projected that real far from its real body, what power is this?

The man who called himself Knightmare-Grimm had returned. "Who were you talking to, girl?"

Grace jerked her gaze away from the wall and towards the man. She did not say anything, she did not blink, she remained passive.

"What? Cat caught your tongue?" said the man. Grace noted that this was not an expression Knightmare-Grimm would use, or at least not what Grimm would use. The man was also struggling to maintain the accent and was sounding more casual in his language. Plus he called her 'girl'. In all her time at Sheldrake, Grimm never called her a girl. That's at least one thing she would give him credit for. Grimm would refer to her as a lady or a woman, never as a girl. These were odd nuances that Grace was thinking about whilst her hands and feet were tied up and she was looking up at a strange man.

"I will give you the codes to block Avatara," said Grace. "Just don't hurt me. Please."

"See that's better," said the man. "It all works out well if you just comply with the demands."

"Please release me," said Grace.

"No, I need to be sure you're going to be a good girl," said the man. "And you still sound like you are going to be naughty. So I am going to bring a computer here and you are going to talk me through what I need to do." Yi's face moved forward out of the wall and then his body. Grace could not help staring and this caught the man's attention.

"What are you looking at?" he said, as he turned around. But it was too late. For him. He may have seen Yi's astral form for a split second but he did not know what it was and Yi's spirit energy entered him unopposed.

For what felt like two seconds the man stood completely motionless. And then he spoke.

"A projected spirit can take control of another body, if the soul of that body has weak resolve. One of the reasons why your old boss, wanted those kernel codes from you." The man now sounded like Yi. He crouched down and took some keys out of his pocket and unlocked Grace's cuffs. "We will need your help Grace"

"We?"

"Yes, we have to stop Avatara and replace it with a better system. Now this path has been brought to light people will always want it, but we will give them something different. Something less disruptive." He helps Grace to stand.

"Now follow me, but I warn you, you won't like what you are going to see." The man, who was now being controlled as an avatar for Yi, walked to cell gate and pulled the latch across. The gate sweaked as it opened and they stepped out onto the concrete floor into a wide corridor that led into a wide open space with a high ceiling. The area looked like a warehouse and there was an open door with dim light coming out of it. Someone came out of the room and it was the last person Grace hoped to see in this situation.

"Grace before you say anything, I can explain everything."

Walker? Grace felt a weakness in her legs. Walker was dressed in a navy suit and white shirt with the top button undone. There was no tie.

"Brian, what is happening?" said Walker. He said these words to the man whose soul was currently being trumped by Yi's. This man called Brian pulled at his own face, peeling of the materials that formed his Knightmare-Grimm facial disguise.

"I think she has been questioned enough Walker," said Brian. "I'm sorry for convincing you to do this boss, it was a bad idea." His real face underneath the disguise was quite narrow, with a strong pointy nose and slightly down slanted eyes.

Walker looked puzzled by Brian. It was clear he thought of his colleague's actions as odd. He grabbed Brian by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Have you taken anything? Your eyes look glassy."

Grace felt like her head was spinning. She crouched to the ground and arched her neck forwards. She felt her insides jolt violently as they sent pulsatile movements up towards her mouth. She vomited.

"Grace I'm sorry, I can explain," said Walker. "It was never meant to be like this. Brian went out of control with this plan. I only realised what he had done after he captured you." Walker bent down to try and help her up.

"Don't touch me," Grace said.

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