5 “If you play with fire, you get burned”

"Nice try Skyclad." Knightmare spoke with a sinister smile. At the tips of the fingers of his right hand, a fireball formed.

From my experiments and trials the potentials of avatara appeared to be limited with only the ability to fly being the most fancy side effect. But seeing Knightmare's fireball changed my theory entirely.

"But warning these ignorant people is a waste of time," he continued. He pointed his hand at me like a gun.

"What are you doing?!" I replied. I tried to act strong but inside I trembled.

"You see, I've been playing around with your codes. And I found out that I can move particles in a peculiar way."

It happened so quick. He redirect his hand towards the ground and shot at people on the streets of the embankment. He fired fireballs like bullets out of his fingers using his Avatara.

"Why help people when it's more fun to watch them burn? You have all this power and you want to be a good samaritan?" And at that he flew lower firing shots more accurately.

"Time to wake up people!! The revolution is here!" he said. Explosions were erupting on the embankment, bullets were hitting buildings and setting them on fire. It was like a terrorist attack. People were running for their lives. The bullets that flew out of Knightmare's fingers would become quite large by the time they hit the ground. I could hear people screaming in horror and from the sky they looked like scurrying hamsters. Knightmare roared with laughter as he let fly with the bullets. His smile made him look wild and feral like a wolf.

"Stop this Knightmare," said Walker. "Stop it now!" But Knightmare paid him no attention and continued his tirade. Walker flew towards Knightmare but I flew faster.

I don't know what came over me but I felt such an adrenaline rush. Filled with rage, I grabbed Knightmare by the scruff of the neck and yelled at him with everything I had.

"This is insane!! It's not supposed to be like this!!!"

"Come on! A little anarchy never hurt anyone!" said Knightmare.

His words immobilised me. I did not know how to rectify this situation. The sinking feeling in my chest that I had made a big mistake and dangerous talents of an irresponsible child, who could manipulate my code, made me shudder. Knightmare seemed to enjoy my panicked state.

"Please Knightmare," I said. "This is not the time for--"

At that moment, from the corner of my eye, a light shone towards us and Knightmare's gaze diverted towards it. Walker shouted at me.

"Skyclad watch out!!" he said.

He grabbed me and got me out of the way just in time. There was bright light everywhere. Over his shoulder I could see Knightmare was trapped in the field of the white light and being raised up towards a plane.

It was the gamma weapon! One of Sheldrake Enterprises ultimate weapons. It can lock onto anything and trap it. It made sense to use it here to catch avatara, though luckily the beam was not superstrong. Grimm must have decided to use it without fully charging it first. If he had he would have definitely caught all three of us.

It was the gamma weapon! One of Sheldrake Enterprise's ultimate weapons. It can lock onto anything and trap it. It made sense to use it here to catch avatara, though luckily the beam was not superstrong. Grimm must have decided to use it without fully charging it first. If he had he would have definitely caught all three of us.

"Let's get the hell out of here…!!!" said Walker. As he flew me to safety, my guilt kicked in. Every time I tried to make things better they only got worse. I did not like Knightmare but it was the most terrible thing for him to be captured by Grimm. It was me he wanted.

**

And so here I am, with Walker, hiding out as avatara beside the side of a building that is the Japanese embassy. It's dark. In my avatara form I can't feel the cold but I'm numb. Walker is not saying anything. I could stay in avatara state for another two hours but I don't want to. I want to go home and forget all about this.

"Skyclad?" Walker looks terrible too. He looks at me with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry. I should have stopped this but I just froze. I did not know what to do."

"It's okay," I say. Though it's not okay, maybe it can be more okay if I say it is. Poor Knightmare. What about his family?

"I want to help you," Walker says. "I know we've agreed to remain anonymous. But I want you to have my number. It's 07167223901."

Why am I just nodding as if I am a doll? I must be in shock. Walker is talking to me but I am struggling to listen to him.

"Skyclad, are you going to be ok?" he says. He is holding me now. Holding my avatara form and staring into my eyes.

"I am going to be ok," I say.

"Ok, I've got to go, but I'll be in touch. To go back to my real body, I only need to wish strongly right?"

"Yes," I say.

Oh his body is disappearing, he is leaving his avatara form.

"Call me if you need me okay?" And that's it. He's gone. I'm on my own.

Time for me to disappear too. Take me back to my real body. And in these moments I have the weird, tickly feeling of my spirit travelling to go back into my real body.