Chapter 1: Zero Wilks

Before Zero was born, his father had deployed to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, a couple of months into his tour, he was pronounced dead after a bombing of his car.

On November 3rd, 2001 Zero Wilks was born to a single mother, Helen Wilks.

She was devastated at losing her husband, and in her solemn state, she began to raise him on her own.

It was a few months after Zero was born, she found herself deep in debt.

All the money the government provided was running low. She took a 2nd job and tried to make more money for food, bills, and diapers. She worked as a barista during the day and a waitress at night.

It became very stressful for her and Zero, just being a few months old.

While at her day job, Helen met a man named, Frank Smith. He regularly went to the shop and the pair got to know each other better.

Helen and Frank went on a couple of dates and she hadn't felt that content in a year.

Helen thought her dark days were over when she met him. He offered a place to stay, and she moved in with him when Zero was 1 and married Frank a year later. She thought Frank was going to be a good step-dad to Zero, but just as she thought her dark days were finally over, they just got darker from that point on.

Shortly after a year of being married, Frank's true colors were shown. He started to abuse Helen and Zero.

8 years later, It was Zeros's 16th Birthday, but the day wasn't as happy as any 16-year-old's should. He didn't expect much, no cake, or presents. All he did receive every year was a small card his mother had made him. He smiled at the card. His mother was the only thing worth living in his life. She helped him with anything he needed and protected him whenever she could.

Because of this, Zero resented Frank.

He let him leave the house, He didn't even let him go to school. Instead Frank hired a corrupted tutor to teach and abuse Zero even further. He felt like a trapped bird nowhere to fly.

'It could be worse right?' Zero thought to himself as the tutor, Mr. Joffery droned on how to solve a math equation.

Whenever Zero answered incorrectly, which was not often. Mr. Joffery would hit him with whatever he had nearby. One time he had thrown a lit candle at his head, causing him to had a burn scar across his nose.

When the lesson was finished, Zero decided to get a snack and go thank his Mom for his birthday card.

He walked through the kitchen door to find Frank standing over his mother's lifeless body. blood covered the floor. Frank's body had splatters of blood littering his clothes. He met eyes with Zero. Frank had an intense look in his eyes as he tilted his head and spoke

"Oh, Hello! Happy Birthday, Zero. Sorry to ruin the surprise. Your mother was going to spoil it. She was going to tell you to pack your bags so you could runway! I couldn't let that happen, she was going to scream for you but I needed her to stay quiet. And what better way to make that happen than to cut her vocal cords. I hoped to set her up as a little going-away present....." he laughed while watching a frozen Zero stare at his mother.

"Oh! I have an idea! Why don't I get rid of you too!" Frank shouted running towards Zero

Run. The only word he could think of at the moment.

Zero bolted out the door and down the hall. He could hear Franks's heavy breathing and pounding footsteps following him down the hall. Quickly Zero hid is one of the many closets in the hall.

"Zerooooo, where are youuuu??" Frank taunted as he round the corner.

At that very moment something changed inside of him, Zero thought it was adrenaline, but it felt different. He could feel his muscles start to tense up and relax over and over again.

While he was distracted Frank flung open the door.

"THERE YOU ARE!!!" he yelled

Before he could blink, Zero suddenly found himself grabbing Franks knife and stabbing him in the chest.

When Frank fell over. Zero looked at his shaking hands.

"What's happening?!" Zero whispered to himself. His heart was beating out of his chest.

"No, no, no...it finally came…..haahaHaHAHHAAA" Frank said to himself and started laughing like a maniac.

"What? What came?!" Zero asked, he began to watch frank fall to his knees.

"Your powers, that's what" Frank smiled.

"Powers?, What P-powers?!" Zero said wide-eyed.

"You have powers, your father was a freak of nature and your mother was going to tell you, make you go into hiding, and leave me. But I found out her plan, and your know what happened after that... I wanted to keep you, possibly get paid to experiment on you," he said as he started to cough up blood

"So, you killed my mother because you wanted to experiment on me?! I'll never let you touch me again..." Zero mumbled looking down, looking back at the man's insane smile his temper grew.

"YOU KILLED THE ONLY PERSON I LOVED, THE ONLY THING I HAD IN THE MISERABLE WORLD!!" Zero yelled as lighting sparked around his eyes. He then kicks the knife further into Franks chest ending the insane man's life.

"that's all you deserve, go rot in hell..." Zero said walking away from his body.

Walking back to the kitchen he fell to his knees. Grabbing Helen he held his mother in his arms and began to weep.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you...." He whispered into her hair. Not caring if her blood started to soak his clothes. Setting her back down he placed her hands on her chest and closed her eyes. She looked more peaceful, despite the large slash across her neck.

Zero quickly found out his new power. He sped around the house, changing his bloody clothes, and packing his bags. Even taking the remaining cash in Franks safe.

The last thing he needed was under his bed. He pulled out a small baby blue box. He opened it to reveal all the keepsakes from his short happy childhood.

In the box were all the birthday cards he got from his mom, a few photos of him and his mother when he was born.

The final photo he found was of his father kissing Helen's stomach in his military uniform.

'This must have been the day he was deployed' Zero thought grimly putting the picture back.

Packing the small box in his bag, Zero started a fire in the house. He wanted to burn all the horrible memory away. Picking up his mother he left her in the private garden in the back. She looked serene around all the flowers.

Kissing his mother's head for the last time, he placed a note in her hand and raced away from the burning house. He called 911, and when they would arrive, they will find a note on Helen stating to bury his mother next to his father.

Not looking back he started a new life. And for the first time in years. He felt free...