"Don't forget to put the pizza on when you get home," my dad called to me from downstairs. "We should be back at about eight after the meeting and the memorial."

"Yeah, whatever, dad," I muttered, rolling my eyes. He didn't hear me because I was upstairs in my room, messaging my friend Harriet on my phone.

"Nick, are you even listening to me?" My dad called up again.

"Yep, totally listening," I shouted. "Pizza on when I get back, got it."

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Alright, have a good day!"

"No I won't!" I sang with fake enthusiasm. It was another two minutes before I head my mum coming up the stairs and into my room.

"Honey, why don't you come down stairs and say goodbye to your uncle and dad?" She said gently, sitting cross legged on my bed in front of me.

"They don't need me saying goodbye. You'll be back in a few hours," I said. Mum brushed her long black hair over her shoulder.

"I know but it's nice for your dad and I," she said. "You know how much these meetings and the memorial means to us and your uncle."

"I know," I sighed, putting my phone down. "I just really wanted you to come to my award ceremony today. Dad promised but as soon as he heard it was today he said no."

"I'm sorry sweetheart but today is really special to our family," mum explained. "I need to be there to support your uncle." I was silent. Not because I was sullen but because I knew about what happened to Uncle Edward. I'm not so selfish that I want to take his sister away from him on a day like this.

"How about I make you a deal?" Mum said. "I'll convince your dad to go to your award ceremony after the meeting if  you get your best clothes now to put them in your school bag and come to the memorial with us."

"Won't dad want to stay there all day?" I asked. "He usually does. I don't understand why he thinks he has to. You have two hours in between the meeting and the memorial. Enough time for my ceremony." Mum smiled slyly.

"I think you'll find that I'm very persuasive," she said. I laughed and held out my hand.

"Ok, deal," I said. She shook it them pulled me up with her.

"Come on then," she said. "Go down stairs and say bye. We'll meet you after school so we can go to the memorial." She walked behind me out the room, down the stairs and into the living room.

My dad was sitting in the living room with my Uncle Ed, Aunt Emily and my cousins Ali and William. Ali was in my year and class at school. We got on really well and were often mistaken of being twins. Will was two years below us but might have well have been older with his level of maturity and intellect. He literally was a child genius and his powers showed that too.

"There he is," my aunt said, smiling and holding out her arms. "Come and give your aunt a hug." I shrugged but gave her a hug anyway. Urgh, family are so embarrassing.

"Honey," mum said to dad. "Nick here has agreed to come to the memorial with us after school."

"Well that's brilliant," said my dad, grinning.

"But we're going to go to his award ceremony after the meeting," my mum said. My dad hesitated. "Sweetie, it's only fair," mum said firmly.

"But we have to be there all the way through," my dad protested.

"Oh go on, Caleb," Uncle Edward said. "You know he's top of his class. It's a moment to be proud of. We've been to lot's of meetings and memorials to know nothing goes on within the two hours in between."

"But-"

"No buts, Caleb," mum said. "Anyway, you kids should be off to school now. We'll come and pick you up later."

"See you, mum, dad," Ali said, sliding off the sofa and picking up her school bag. Will grumbled a goodbye followed by me before we zipped out of the house.

"God that was embarrassing," Will said as we walked down the road. He had already pulled out his phone and was playing some sort of puzzle game. It obviously wasn't much of a challenge for him because he was passing each level easily.

"I know," Ali replied. "It's going to be so much worse today at school."

"The famous Palmer and Halisters'," I mimicked. "The ones who's parents saved the world!"

"Thanks mum and dad for giving us a reputation to live up to," Ali said.

"Couldn't agree more," I muttered. As we turned the corner, Will looked up from his phone and groaned.

"Heads up, guys," he said. Ali and I exchanged glances as Tom Johnson, Perry Stuart and Caroline Lost spotted us. The school bullies and also Will's personal tormentors.

"Damn it," I said. "I'm really not in the mood for them today."

"Are you any day?" Will asked dryly.

"Good point," I said. "Come on, I know another way." I led Ali and Will down to the left where there was a small alleyway. I had gone down here numerous number of times to avoid my going into town where I'd get bombarded with people asking for my autograph, or more accurately, my mum and dad's autographs.

When we arrived at school, we went in using the back entrance so no one could see us. "See you later, Will," I said as we walked past his classroom. "Good luck on that maths test today."

"It will be easy," Will mumbled. "Everything is. It's just a matter of surviving Tom Johnson afterwards in P.P.E." P.P.E was Power Physical Education where every child who was Changed practised their powers. Every year, there was a competition where Changed kids dueled. Of course we all had body armour in and no lethal powers were allowed to be used but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt. It was kind of like boxing, a battle of strength mentally and physically. I had won our region's competition this year so I'd be off to the national competition soon but I remember fighting Tom Johnson. His power was controlling the air so a pretty tough match. But there had been some personal feelings involved in that because Tom Johnson always targeted Will (not that Will couldn't handle it) so I didn't hesitate to take him down.

"You can take him easily," Ali said, tossing her dark hair. Her green eyes were sparkling with amusement. "We're Halisters at heart, even if one of us is a Palmer."

"Oh shut up," I groaned sarcastically. Ali was always teasing me sarcastically that my legal name was Palmer because Halisters were more well known but it was only a joke. All of us hated the fame of our parents because we had never done anything to deserve our own fame. Given the chance, we'd do anything to earn it for ourselves. My mind was turned to the picture that mum kept on the mantle piece at home of the soldier that saved their lives. I was named after Captain Nick Garland. Mum and dad always told me about the sacrifice he had made. I respected him a lot even if I never met him.

"Err earth to Nick?" Ali said. "Anyone in there?"

"Oh right sorry," I said. "See you Will. We've got two free periods first." Ali and I walked to our common room where we'd be watching the New Government meeting  on the T.V. Our teachers liked us to watch this because it was of 'historical importance.' To Ali and I, it was just our family's job.

The first hour past as usual, nothing of interest happening in T.V. No one was really paying attention to it apart from a couple of year 11's who needed to watch for their history assignment. I just sat with my notebook open, drawing and talking to Ali and my friend Harriet. Perry Stuart and Caroline Lost weren't in school, obviously skiving so we had some peace. That all changed when someone screamed and pointed to the T.V.

On the screen was my mum, giving a speech to the New Government members but something wasn't right. There was a man standing on the other side of the stage with golden sparks surrounding him. My dad and uncle had stood up, their mouths open.

"You think you have created peace," the man on screen sneered. I stood up with Ali, pushing to the front of the crowd that had formed around the T.V. now. "You have no idea what kind of world you have created," the man continued.

"Who are you, sir?" My mum said, her voice rising in authority. It wasn't like my mum to back down. "What do you want? I would suggest you get off the stage quickly before something bad happens to you." On the bottom corner of the screen, I could see the security guards readying themselves in case this guy tried something but I knew mum could handle this. You're not the most powerful Changed and the hero of the world for nothing.

"I want to make things right," the man said. "Humans can never collaborate with Changed. They can't live in a world where there is a race more powerful than them. It's not in their nature... it's not in mine." Ali gripped my arm tightly but I didn't register her. My eyes were glued to the screen.

"But you're Changed," mum said.

"Yes well I made myself Changed to finish my job," the man said, now stepping towards my mum.

"Stay right where you are," uncle Edward growled, his hands filling with spheres of golden energy. I felt relaxed a bit. No one could get through his shield. The man ignored him and carried on walking.

"I made myself Changed to finish Chancellor Steven Frost's magnificent work. He knew that in a small number, the Changed could be controlled, used as they were created to be used," he said. "I sacrificed my human self to save humanity. But first, I'll need the 'saviours of the world.'" He thrusted out his hands at my mum, the golden sparks shooting at her...but uncle Edward was faster. He threw his shield at his sister and it encased her. I breathed a sigh of relief but the man just laughed.

"Really, Edward?" He chuckled. "I should actually be thanking you. Without you I would never have received my gifts. But anyway, because of that, you have no use of your powers." I could see uncle Edward's eyes widen as something dawned on him. The man shot sparks again at mum. My uncle strained to keep the shield up but this guy's powers were different. He crumbled the shield like it was nothing. Uncle Edward collapsed and a swirl of golden sparks surrounded him. He had disappeared. Ali shrieked just as my mum screamed in rage on the T.V. She and dad advance on the man who was swiftly dispatching the rest of the meeting no matter what their powers were. We watched as Ali's mum, my aunt disappeared in a swirl of sparks as well making Ali and I cry out.

He turned to mum and dad and smiled. "Don't worry, your brother and sister-in-law are quite safe," he said. "In fact, everyone here is alive. I only needed your family, like I will now take you."

"You can try," my dad said. He was glowing a bright light, something that would usually burn anyone he wanted that looked at it but it didn't seem to be working.

"You're right Caleb," he said. "I can try." He summoned the sparks and engulfed my parents making them disappear. I caught the last glimpse of my mum's flames trying to fight the sparks but she was then gone.

The man grabbed a fallen camera and pointed it at the room where all the bodies of everyone who attended the meeting lay. "My name is Revenge and I have come seek vengeance. Don't worry fellow Changed," he said. "This lot are still alive and so are your heroes who, if you didn't notice, couldn't defeat me. Oh how the mighty have fallen. You see, I want a challenge. I need these alive to fight my army because who wants to win without a fight? Any Changed who wants to join me, you must meet with me two weeks in the Valley. I know, ironic. If you don't want to join me, I will see you on the field of battle."

"He's completely insane," Ali whispered, the first words anyone had uttered since this man came on. I was speechless.

Revenge had now turned the camera to himself. "There is only one last piece of the puzzle," he said. "These days people are always on about the Changed's 'legacy'. If I'm going to succeed in my plan, I need to destroy it. Changed children are becoming increasingly more powerful, three in particular. William Cain Halister, Nick Jacob Palmer and Alison April Halister, I invite you to come and save your mummies and daddies. You better do it quickly," he pushed his face right up to the camera,

"Because I'm coming for you."

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Hello everyone!!!

How was the first chapter??? I wanted to start off slowly to show how peaceful it was then pick it up at the end.

Now I have a challenge for you: how many references to the first book could you find I this chapter??? This can include characters, place names, general names etc. I'm just curious ;););)

Ok so updates may take a little longer for a while because I'm focussing on my other book: 'Only Each Other', for a while. When I get that finished my full attention will be on this.

Please comment and vote, tell me how I did!!!

Love y'all,

CricketCat