He stood atop a windswept ridge as he looked down into the city below, reminiscing of days gone by. With a sigh, his great silver tail flicked with a feline attitude as his electric green eyes were faded and distant, lost in the sight of old memories.

"I remember..." he whispered to the wind, flexing his talons, as his hooded robe fluttered in the breeze.

I remember the days when we had heroes...

Role-Models whom we could look up to and wish we could be like.

There was a time when we could count our protectors to show up and silence the darkness without fail...

He raised his eyes to the sky with an honored grin in his eyes.

Days I live and fight for still.

The being's countenance darkened and his gaze lowered to the bustling city filled with people up to mischief or being the victims of that mischief. Another deep sigh escaped the being's lungs as he recalled when the dull, slum-like sections of the city were bright and vibrant. He also recalled the battles and the glory that took place on the streets and the rooftops... and a dark shadow that spoiled it all...

The being threw off his cloak and spread his bony wings, a membrane of glowing green energy catching the wind as the dark blue pupils of his eyes faded back into their electric green sclera.

He was an unmistakable sight; eight-feet tall and dragon-like, his neck long and lithe like his tail, and his body splotched with a chaotic selection of orange and green colors. All of this was crowned with a dark black ruru emblazoned on his chest and a bold scar over his left eye.

... But in those days, I also remember a trying time when we lost our faith in our heroes. The wounds from that fiasco still scar us today, veteran and newbie alike...

He leaped off the cliff and glided toward the city.

... For we still live under the shadow of A.V.A.T.A.R. ...

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Coming Saturdays to 'Crash and Burn' .... K&M: A.V.A.T.A.R. (A Graphic Novel)