Avatara

And there he saw him. Or it. Amongst them, a figure in a green cloak, around six feet in height, completely covered in a specialised metallic armour. Despite the lack of facial expression, through the eyes underneath the mask, emanated the attitude of menace.

"Ah as luck would have it, my good policeman," the metallic man said. His voice echoed as it reverberated through his metallic chassis, making it slightly muffled. The man and his men appeared undisturbed by Jazz's sudden appearance pointing a gun at them.

"Strange, one would chase a man that is not running anywhere," the man continued.

"Are you Knightmare-Grimm?" said Jazz.

The metallic man walked slowly towards Jazz. He breathed loud as if he was using breathing support equipment. The slow realisation of poor planning of handling this situation formed in Jazz's mind. Why had he been so impulsive? Why hadn't he thought this through? While, carrying thoughts such as these he failed to take notice that the men had taken positions to surround him.

Stopping just short of the gun, the leader spoke.

"It is good to see you Tom Walker. Or is it Jasminder Singh?"

Jazz used every sinew in his body to constrain his emotions and avoid showing the strain of shock on his face.

"I see you know it is I and yet you wonder how do I know your real name?"

Jazz wavered with his gun. His arms were getting tired.

"Are you going to shoot me Jazz? Make a decision and be resolute about it. You're an intelligent man so be smart. Either you shoot me dead or I leave on this plane."

Jazz looked at Knightmare-Grimm and considered whether a bullet could even pierce the armour, or if it would just ricochet back and hit him.

"I am arresting you for acts of terrorism and bringing you back in for questioning."

With a quickly timed swipe of the hand, Knightmare-Grimm knocked the gun out of Jazz's hand.

"Such a pitiful, poor attempt at ambush," said Knightmare-Grimm. "I'm disappointed Mr Singh, I expected more."

At that moment Jazz realised he was surrounded. He tried to peep at the floor for the gun but hesitated as he did not feel safe to take his eyes off Knightmare-Grimm.

"Men, show Mr Singh here how we like to say "hello."

Jazz felt terrified. Several men grabbed him on both sides, immobilizing both arms and forcing him to his knees.

"Gnnnngh! Gnnngh!"Another forced cloth into his mouth to stop him speaking. Jazz found it difficult to breathe. Writhing and struggling but overpowered and held at mercy.

And then it came. A powerful kick from a steel toe capped boot straight into his belly.

"Hherrhgh," Jazz is in excruciating pain. Worse than the worst imaginable.

And again another kick. Another kick and another. Right below the ribs. Straight into the upper belly, winding Jazz and making him wretch to vomit. Knightmare-Grimm motioned to his minion to stop with the kicking.

"How is she?" said Knightmare-Grimm. "How is my lovely little Grace?" Jazz g.r.o.a.n.e.d but with a cloth held to his mouth there were only muffled sounds coming out.

"She can't be happy with you I gather, kidnapping her like that to get the block codes for Avatara?"

The look in Jazz's eyes showed that he was shocked and confused by how Knightmare-Grimm knew about the kidnapping fiasco.

"But you cannot block anything. It cannot be stopped. You see, I am Avatara in its highest form. I proclaim it. I am its sovereign."

Knightmare-Grimm crouched lower to meet Jazz face to face. Beneath the mask, Jazz could make red bloodshot eyes that did not look like the original Knightmare-Grimm's eyes. They seemed smaller. But this thought only fleeted in his consciousness.

"Ah it all makes sense, you feel guilty," said Knightmare-Grimm. "That's why you came here so recklessly, hoping to compensate or atone for your mistake." He raised his left index finger and poked Jazz on the nose, chuckling wickedly.

"You were hoping to catch me, bring me in, as the evil bad guy. The cause of all your problems. Blaming me and distracting yourself from your own flaws. That's pretty lame Jasminder. As a police officer you should know how to take responsibility."

Jazz, helpless, still held at the limbs by Knightmare-Grimm's men with cloth in his mouth could do nothing. Knightmare-Grimm wrapped his left hand around Jazz's neck slowly and then clasped the neck with his right hand as well. He kept eye contact with Jazz's wavering traumatised eyes.

"I cannot be stopped now, it's too late" said Knightmare-Grimm. "When mine and Knightmare's bodies were frazzled by Grace frying the Sheldrake electric supply, our combined avatara remained alive as a sentient being in the system. A resident landlord. Courtesy of Knightmare's intelligence I have been able to master all of its codes and create my own landscape within it. My own kingdom. A body for me is just a vessel. Destroy this one and I'll get a new one. Avatara is my home, my country and citadel. All I need are those kernel codes to overwrite the whole system, allowing me to copy myself infinitely and put myself in any physical vessel human or machine. Also, I will be able to control any user of Avatara over the world. And there's no reason to even feel guilty about it as they're using it illegally."

Knightmare-Grimm nodded his head, almost seeming to reflect on his own words with pride. Then he clenched tighter on Jazz's neck. Jazz couldn't breathe.

"You know right now, I could break your neck?" said Knightmare-Grimm. "Just snap it and switch you off like a computer. I love having that option, it has to be savoured. Hmm, leave your corpse here like a dead rodent for waste disposal. Poor Grace, it will hurt her when she finds out but again her pain would have been your fault for being so foolish and not thinking things through."

Jazz felt energy leaving his limbs and weird feeling of euphoria and giddiness. It was unclear whether he even heard what Knightmare-Grimm said.

Knightmare-Grimm let his neck go.

Knightmare-Grimm stood up.

Knightmare-Grimm motioned to his men to let Jazz go. The policeman's body slumped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Love is such a crazy thing," said Knightmare-Grimm. "Look how it got you to do such a crazy thing. So anarchic. I LOVE IT!" He stood over Jazz's body eyeing him like a piece of artwork.

"Should you survive this, know that it is only because you have utility. You will likely tell Grace of this incident and that will consume her with fear. That will make her irrational. And her frenzied state of terror, her fear; the decisions she makes will bring her closer to me and back into my clutches. A warm embrace. A passion to be held; she will be at my right hand. And she will give me the codes and I will take over her mind. There's nothing you or the one they call Snow Globe can do to stop me."

He started to walk off but then turned round to deliver a final comment. "Consider yourself suitably taken care of."

Knightmare-Grimm men tossed Jazz's body to the side amongst neglected bags out of the path of the plane. The Lord and his men boarded the aircraft, it left the hangar to join the strip.