Lethal (Book #1 of ClarkWorks Heroes)

Prologue

Prologue

Rain fell down onto the heads of the two children like the touch of a feather, a small pool of liquid hidden with each miniscule drop. Overhead grey clouds gathered as the threat of a storm loomed, creating dark shadows between the two. It was a normal winter's day and as they always would, the young boy and the younger girl were outside playing in the mud. They ran through the perfectly shaved grass, their boots creating prints in the carefully created rows and causing the brown of the mud to shine through the blades in an ugly fashion.

"Kathy, wait for me!" The boy called, pushing his feet faster to try and catch up to the girl who was sprinting ahead. She laughed, glancing behind her as the gap between them began to close.

"Come on, Tommy!"

They ran towards the river that ran along the end of the oversized garden and was currently spilling over due to the never-ending rain that had blessed the month of December. As children, it was one of their favourite places to play, to relax or to let their imaginations take over and do what they wanted.

The girl skidded to a halt just before the garden ended and she turned, not realising how close the boy was. The two collided and they fell, only just managing to stay on the bank and not fall into the icy waters, only a few feet below them.

"Ow, Tommy, that hurt!" She sat up, pushing him off of her and laughing.

"Sorry, Kathy." He said, with a smile. They both sat by the river edge, watching the way the water rushed past them and taking with it anything in its path.

"So what do you want to play?" She asked, pulling her long hair into a messy plait and securing it with a bobble that she'd had on her wrist.

The boy watched the river, thinking about the question. He was pulling up the grass beneath him and creating a small pile by the side of his trainer. "I don't know." He eventually shrugged. "What do you want to play?"

She smiled, as if knowing the question was about to come and almost instantly her mouth formed the words, with an almost mischievous undertone. "Want to play superheroes?"

He turned and gave a look which was an odd combination of excitement and worry. His hand stopped pulling and instead fell into his lap. "We got told off last time though."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, as best the six year old was able to. "Don't be a baby, Tommy. We won't get told off this time."

The sky rumbled above them, almost as a warning but the two children paid no attention. They weren't easily scared by thunder and their heads were too interested in playing than the fact that they were currently getting drenched from the rain that was still falling.

Standing up from where he was sat, the boy nodded and held out his hand to help the girl up. "Fine. We can play superheroes but do I have to be the villain this time?"

"Of course. We have to have a villain and a superhero and I want to be the superhero." She replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I'm the youngest so you have to be nice to me."

She skipped upstream a little and turned, a new found look of power on her face as she crouched with her hands outstretched in what was considered a superhero pose. "So come on, you have to try and get me."

He sighed quietly but there was a happy smile on his face and it was clear that he wasn't going to argue. "You better get running then, because I'm going to get you, Supergirl!"

"I'm not running nowhere! I'm going to defeat you Mr. Evil!"

They ran after each other, diving and ducking, jumping and rolling. They scaled the tree's that surrounded the river and jumped over the small part of the bank where the river thinned into an easily jumpable stream. There was a small moment of fright when he had jumped over and she went to follow, but as she leapt she was unsure whether she would make it. She was about to panic when a hand grabbed hers and she was over the over side with his help.

"You'll never get me, Super-girl!" He cried as he threw himself underneath a fallen tree branch and rolled out the other side, thoroughly coating his clothes in mud and leaves.

She followed, jumping daringly over the branch and landing on her feet with a loud thump. "I've got you now!" Her hand was held up and her smile stretched across her face, at successfully defeating him. He held up his hands in surrender, also grinning.

Just as she was about to blast him with her lasers  they heard their names being called from somewhere at the top of the garden.

"Miss Kathleen! Thomas!"

They looked at each other for a second before getting up from the floor with a sigh and making the leap back over the river so they were once again stood on the bank that stood at the end of the garden. They were pretty far from the house so whoever was shouting sounded extremely distant and could barely be seen by either of the children.

"Miss Kathleen! It's time to come inside now!"

They trudged their way up to the house, it only taking them ten minutes. As they approached, the girl could now clearly see who was stood calling them. One of her parent's staff, Rupert was stood at the doorway, holding two pristinely white towels in his hands.

"We're coming, Rupert!" She shouted to him, despite being less than five feet from the door.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Look at you two. You shouldn't be outside in the rain. What would your mother say?"

The girl attempted to roll her eyes again and took one of the towels from him, drying her hair and her shoulders. "She would have a fit probably."

The boy laughed quietly beside her, also taking a towel and offering a small thank you to Rupert. Under the cover of the porch it was now clearer to the children just how much it actually was raining and they could both now feel the heaviness of their clothes that had absorbed the water.

"You're both to take your shoes off before you come inside and then you're having a bath." Rupert said, bending down to help the boy with his laces that had become knotted. "Miss Kathleen, you have a party to attend with your parents and Thomas they will drop you at your house."

"It's okay. I can walk." The boy said, shrugging.

"Don't be silly, Mr and Mrs Clark have already said they'll take you. It's fine."

The girl punched his arm lightly, smiling "You can come in the car with me!"

A few hours later, after both children had been properly bathed and all traces of mud or dirt were diminished, they both hopped into the car, with a little help from another member of the staff.

The car rounded a couple of corners to where the boy lived and stopped just outside his house.

"Thank you, Mr and Mrs Clark." The boy said, politely.

The adults simply nodded, throwing a small noncommittal smile his way. The door was opened and he jumped down from his seat. He was walked down his path, a member of the Clark's staff holding an umbrella above his head as the rain was still pouring down. Just as he was about to reach the door he looked back at the car and waved towards the girl.

She waved back, leaning up to the window. "See you tomorrow, Tommy!"

"Bye Supergirl!"

Had her parents not immediately told her to sit down and stop standing on the seats, she would have continued waving until she saw him enter the house and the door shut behind him.

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Hi,

Thanks so much for reading the prologue to my story. If you liked it so far then please vote or comment and let me know what you thought, I am always open to constructive criticism or even just a friendly comment to tell me you liked it.

-Carthey x