MetaWars: Fight For The Future

Chapter 23

The school grounds looked different to Jonah.

It took him a moment to realise what was wrong. Of course, he hadn’t been back here since he had filtered his father’s avatar. He had not grown used to looking at the virtual world through the dragon’s yellow eyes, to being bigger than he had been.

He felt as if he had outgrown this place. A wave of doubt crashed over him. Jonah had affected to be so confident in the real world, in the broadcasting van, in front of Sam. Now, he was a kid again.

A dialogue balloon popped up beside him: No visitors without appointment. The school’s security software didn’t recognise him as a pupil here. The main doors were closed, the padlock icon in place. Even if the doors were open, Jonah wasn’t going to risk being scanned. But he still had Harry the rooster’s virus.

He placed his talons against the brick wall, transferred the virus and pushed his way through into the school’s entrance hall. He hesitated there, unsure what to do next. What if a teacher caught him here? How would he explain himself? What if they reported him? He was risking exile.

The school bell rang. Jonah panicked, and looked for somewhere to hide. There was nowhere. He was too big – and, already, the corridors were filling up with avatars released from their lessons. Some of them cast curious, even admiring, glances at the red dragon in their midst.

To most, Jonah realised, he was just a visitor touring the school, of no importance to them. Emboldened a little by this, he set out towards his old classroom.

The school clock read 11:00 local time, but ‘local time’ for the Chang Academy shifted throughout the day. Once Jonah, his classmates and the rest of their school went home, a second intake of pupils arrived from different time zones.

The Chang Academy had three school days altogether, to each real-world day. Fortunately for Jonah, the man he had come to see worked two of these.

Mr Peng was seated at his desk, marking class work on a datapad. He had a pair of pince-nez spectacles perched on his beak.

Jonah knocked tentatively on the open classroom door.

Mr Peng looked up at his visitor and frowned. ‘Can I help you, sir?’

Jonah tucked in his giant wings and stepped through the door into the classroom he had escaped from just days ago. ‘Mr Peng,’ he said, ‘it’s me. It’s Jonah Delacroix.’ He knew that only the truth could help him now, whatever the risk of telling it.

Mr Peng rose slowly and waddled forward. The spectacles disappeared as he regarded Jonah through astonished eyes. ‘My goodness me,’ he breathed. ‘I have seen this avatar before, have I not? Your father, I think.’

Jonah nodded, looking over his shoulder to be sure no one was eavesdropping. ‘Please, sir, don’t tell anyone.’

‘On that, my boy, you have my word. But pray, tell me how—?’

‘There’s no time to explain, sir. I’m in Moscow with... friends, and I need to speak with Mr Chang, because his people are trying to kill us, and I remember how you said once you knew him and I thought maybe you could—’

‘Slow down, my boy. One thing at a time. These “friends” of yours. Who...?’

Jonah couldn’t say the words: they’re Guardians. I’m working with the Guardians.

‘Ah,’ said Mr Peng, noting Jonah’s silence. ‘We are talking about associates of your father’s?’

Jonah gaped in surprise. He wondered how much his teacher knew.