*John's POV*

For me and Avery Auron Protovski, it was a normal summer's day. If by normal, you mean sitting around playing Left 4 Dead 2. Then again, it was a wet June day and the roads were flooded. Our father and mother were away for the day. I couldn't get to my job at the local game store, where I got a 75% employee discount on any games that no-one wanted.

"Wet and cold isn't it?" Avery asked me.

I nodded. About a half hour later, our father entered, soaking wet. He handed us each a piece of paper, a pen, and a book of names.

"What's this for?" Avery asked him.

"I want you, Avery to pick out ten characters; and for John, I want him to pick out six characters," he said.

*Avery POV*

I nodded at him as I opened the book, however something struck me as odd. Why was I being given the hefty assignment of picking out ten guys while my older brother was being given the light assignment of six guys.

I didn't complain and started digging through the book.

"Let's see," I thought. "wait, these are all superheroes".

Going through the book I saw names, such as; Daredevil and Firebird. I went through and started picking out names and writing them down, and at the end I had ten names; Black Knight, Silver Samurai, Sunfire, Sunpyre, Daredevil, Hybrid, Iron Fist, Iron Man, Firebird, and Firestar.

I handed Dad the paper and he read them, while John finished up his. When Dad was done, John handed him his and he read them out loud:

"Spider-man, Eel, Bloodshed, Black Panther, Iron Patriot, and War Machine." After he was done reading John's list, he looked at us and said "Are you guys sure?" We nodded our heads in response.

*John's POV*

I looked at him and asked; "Why did you have us write down superhero's names?"

"You'll see in due course my dear sons," our father said and left.

Avery and I looked at each other, no words passing between us. After five hours of silent bewilderment, out mother arrived.

"Avery, follow me please," she said.

I watched as Avery and our mother headed out of the house toward, what was affectionately known as the, "Room of Secrets", in the backyard of our New York three level house, in the countryside.

*Avery POV*

Once we entered the room, mom shut and locked the door. I turned around.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you," she said.

"Been sleeping with the postman?" I asked

She glared. "No, it's about you," she said.

It was my turn to glare. "Me?" I demanded.

"Yes," she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, do you remember when your division of Marine reserves were sent to Transylvania to do a scouting mission for the Marines?" she asked. I nodded. She continued. "Well, do your family heritage on your father's side, you had to handle a problem and when you returned, they were all dead, but that's a mystery in itself."

"My heritage?" I asked.

"Yes, your father's side are vampires," she said. "Your vampire abilities, minus two-Sleeping in a coffin with native soil and drinking human blood, allow you to become a furry assassin."

"A Furry assassin?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "All you need to do is conjure a cocoon of dark light. It's an instantaneous transformation to your new form, but a ten minute wait time to change back to your human form."

I nodded and stood in front of a mirror. The dark light cocoon seemed to appear from nowhere. Just as soon as it had arrived, it was gone. I turned to the mirror.

I had a dull reddish-black fur color, with a Grim Reaper's cloak and hood. I had become more of a humanized wolf, or furry if you will. In my right hand was a giant scythe. On both sides of my loose fitting leather pants, which were covered by my cloak, were two smaller scythes, each had a skull where the handle and the blade joined and one was a dark red color and the other was purely black. On my scythe blades were three blood red claw marks behind a dark blood red scythe. I was also taller than my mother by a full two feet, but still short enough to pass through the door. My eyes were a deep blood crimson color. I noticed that my eyes were the only things not covered by any cloth or goggles. The rest of my face and wolf like snout was hidden behind a black cloth, but due to the snout, stuck out. I looked behind, but noticed that my tail was on the inside of the cloak. I had also noticed a lightweight leather jacket under the Grim Reaper's cloak.

I turned to my mother and looked down.

"This is my other form if you will?" I demanded.

She nodded. I asked another couple of questions.

"What about John?"

"There is nothing definite on him. However there is reason to believe that he has some unfound mutant powers and the ability to become a fox furry assassin," she said.

I smirked. John always seemed shifty when we joked around.

"Now, what did father want with us finding superheroes?"

"Well, he's creating a team," she said. "Don't tell John, as he is an unknown in the way of abilities, so keep everything under the hood."

I wanted to protest. I was not going to violate my trust with my older brother. However, the woman I was talking to was my mother, so I agreed.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, for a secret. I am the superhero Nemesis, and your father is the Death Tiger, a former super-villain gone hero. The original holder of the Death Tiger costume and name was out to kill T'Challa and ended up dead by the hands of one of T'Challa's students when he took up a job teaching at a local high school. Your father took up the costume and the name and started work to clear that name."

I soaked in all the information. She then asked if I had anymore questions and when I said no, she reminded me to keep it under the hood.

"I promise," I said, as she hugged me.