Avatara

Knightmare-Grimm's body lay lifeless on the table in the Sheldrake bas.e.m.e.nt room. Qwerty was talking to Grace, Pixel and Yi, while using his headphones and looking at a map of code on the computer screen.

"Yeah it's the first piece of code that looks significantly different from all the rest," he said.

Jazz and two of Snow Globe's men finished tying ropes around the bodies of the dead mercenaries; they counted them as well. Jazz thought it prudent to do so; just in case the incident would have to be reported. No doubt, there was no way they would be getting away with this; the government would find out. Then remembered that Grace was still stuck inside the computer system trying to take on Knightmare-Grimm's avatara form. He shuddered for a split second but then contained his emotions. Instead, he stood up and stretched after becoming aware of some tightness in his lower back.

"That's all of them," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Thanks guys," he said to Snow Globe's men. The four of them accepted the compliment gracefully.

"Good work Jazz," said Qwerty. Still focusing on the computer screen. Then he abruptly turned to Byte.

"Bro, can you stop playing that game and help out?"

"Doing what?" said Byte. "Only one of us can code on that computer at one time. Knightmare-Grimm is inside the system and the guys have bound up the mercs. We're hackers, not a cop or soldier, so we don't deal with the evil bits anyway."

"Yeah?" said Qwerty. "And what about Pixel, Grace and Yi's bodies? You're supposed to be looking after them."

"They're fine man," said Byte. "They're breathing nicely. They're just laid down comfortably here by my feet. Wish we had something to put them on more comfortably though."

"Byte their bodies are the most important thing to look after now. They can't protect themselves and we can't let nothing happen to them. You understand?"

"Man, don't be patronising me Qwerty," said Byte.

"Put away that bloody game then," shouted Qwerty.

"Easy guys," said Jazz. "There's no need to get angry."

"Nah," said Qwerty. "Byte been pissing me off man. Always acting the idiot."

"You're the idiot," said Byte. "Trusting everyone and being too nice all the time. If it weren't for me we wouldn't have hacked through the console to be able to ambush these guys. I just aint no mug."

"Shut up," said Qwerty. He turned fully towards Byte to square him up.

"No, you shut up," Byte replied.

"Guys that's enough," said Jazz. And that's when he noticed. Although two of Snow Globe's men, if not all of them, also noticed as well.

Knightmare Grimm's body moved. It did not twitch or flicker like a body could under general anaesthetic. It moved. He sat up erect, transitioning into that position like a Frankensteinian monster.

"I don't believe it," said Jazz.

They all fell silent for a moment watching Knightmare-Grimm sat up in a frozen position. It wasn't doing anything. Snow Globe's men quietly checked their guns and loaded up their magazines as necessary. Byte and Qwerty did not argue.

"Give me a gun," Jazz said quietly to one of Snow Globe's men. One of the men searched for a spare.

Qwerty still wearing headphones, although covering one ear, took a quick look at the computer screen but kept his attention on Knightmare-Grimm.

"Guys," he said to Grace, Pixel and Yi within the computer system. "You better get going. Something is happening here!"

One of Snow Globe's men passed a gun to Jazz but just as he passed it, it slipped through Jazz's fingers and hit the cold concrete floor with a loud noise.

Then Knightmare-Grimm spoke.

"I can't find them in there, but I can find their bodies out here."

He turned towards them. Jazz found the disfigured face of Brian Burnside looking back at him. It laughed.

Snow Globe's men started shooting. Hitting Knightmare-Grimm's body with a volley of bullets. The monster quickly moved backwards and hid behind the table. Within a few seconds it re-emerged over the side of the table revealing it had put its helmet back on.

Damn, Jazz realised, that they should have taken hold of that helmet. Now Knightmare-Grimm was fully protected by metal casing. But they never expected him to come back like this.

Did this mean he had left the Avatara system?

Jazz did not have time to contemplate. He grabbed the gun off the ground and started shooting. The bullets did nothing to harm Knightmare-Grimm who realised his invulnerability and roared with delight.

"I know what you're thinking; it ain't gonna happen metal man," Jazz said.

"Don't think that now I just plan to kill them," said Knightmare-Grimm. "I plan to consume them. Their abilities belong to me. Just as I took Knightmare's powers I will take Grace's, the monk's and even the tomboy girl's power. Using the boosting powers of the kernel, it will make me so beyond any system. I will control minds across the world, economies and anything people see, touch, hear or feel."

It was then that Jazz realised what it was saying. Grace and everyone else thought that Knightmare-Grimm would only have control over everyone using Avatara. But the monster had realised a greater potential beyond that. If Knightmare-Grimm took control of the kernel it would use the power to take control of the whole of the internet.

Qwerty and Byte decided to move the sleeping bodies of Grace and Pixel, with the intention to move Yi's body afterwards. While, Knightmare-Grimm was occupied they had the chance to move them to a safer position. Temporarily.

"We gotta drag their bodies away from here," said Qwerty.

I'm trying," said Byte. He pulled Pixel by her arms. Qwerty and Byte were many things but two things they weren't were athletic or muscular.

"She's heavier than she looks man," said Byte.

Qwerty dragged Grace by the arms as well. Grimacing from the effort, he managed to look ahead to see Knightmare-Grimm advancing towards Jazz.

"Let's put them by this pillar," he said. The pillar being only twenty or so yards away from where Jazz was.

Jazz kept shooting, trying to pierce Knightmare-Grimm's armour but it failed and his gun only clicked to show he'd run out of bullets. But Snow Globe's men got in the way attacking the monster with their b.a.r.e hands as they'd used up all their ammunition too.

"Ah the men of Snow Globe," said Knightmare-Grimm. "Your talents for combat are well known, though unfortunately for you, you're no match for me when I have my full strength. You would have done well to wait another twelve hours when this body will start to deteriorate."

One of the men attempted to punch him with his right fist. Knightmare-Grimm grabbed the fist, clasping it with his fingers and crushed the man's hand. Then in a quick movement he ripped the man's whole arm off and blood started squirting out from his shoulder.

Knightmare-Grimm punched the next man in head so hard that his jaw almost fell off his face. And the third man got sidekicked away by a few metres.

Jazz came in quick succession to this man, trying to shoot, but Knightmare-Grimm did not waste effort.

"Insects," he said. "You are all insects."

He slapped Jazz, throwing the policeman away by several yards. A strong knock to the head from the floor made him unconscious.

"Here, is a real prize," said Knightmare Grimm, stopping to see the body of Yi at his feet.

"Get away from him!" shouted Byte. "Leave him alone!"

But Knightmare-Grimm did not leave Yi alone. He picked Yi up like he was a kind of good available for purchase, Except that he picked him at the neck.

"I see it now," he said. "All I need is your brain. Just the data and instrumentation. Such incredible talent is wasted in such a frail body. Let's see how the other two fare in there without your ability to manipulate the environment."

'Crack!' Knightmare-Grimm snapped the young boy's neck mercilessly and dropped him to the ground like a discarded farm animal.

"No!" shouted Qwerty.

"But yes!" said Knightmare-Grimm in reply. "This was the only realistic outcome. Hear now boys, I will let you leave here alive if you give me those two lovely girls. Pals before gals eh? What do you say?"

"Never," said Qwerty. "We're Escape Key."

Both boys trembled, they were never cut out for this kind of confrontation. But they held firm in their defiance.

"Very well then," Knightmare-Grimm said. "Death by dismemberment it is."