Prologue

People quickly moved aside while Paul shouted at them to move their arses. Swinging his bag around to make people move, Paul looked behind him and saw the three police officers closing in on him. He cursed.
'Move!' Paul shouted at a old lady, before slipping past her.
She looked at him while she grasped her chest and fell down. One of the coppers stayed behind while the other two chased him through the London Underground.
Paul sprinted towards the tracks. He just arrived in time to jump aboard a metro. With a smile he looked at the cops who were locked out by the doors. The oldest one was shouting at him, but Paul didn't hear a thing and cupped his hand around his ear and smiled victoriously. A fist smacked the glass. Paul laughed out loud and took a seat.
'Bloody hell, I really need to get a break from this shit,' he said to himself and an empty cart. He tried to relax while the adrenaline rushed through his veins. He opened his military-style bag and took out his semi-dead Ipod with his headphones. Paul played some metal songs. He looked at his faint reflection in the dirty window and smiled.
The gray eyes stared at the fourteen year old kid with the white T-shirt and red shirt on top. Paul Trant was wearing a ripped up pair of jeans and his favorite sneakers to finish everything up.
He closed his eyes and thought about his sleeping spot for the night and how much money he had left. He decided to go crash at his usual spot in Hyde Park and wanted to buy a meal at McDonalds, but realised that he hadn't enough money. He cursed in his thoughts while the metro stopped at the next stop.
The doors opened and Paul heard someone step on, but didn't bother to open his eyes. After he heard some steps from someone who was wearing heels, Paul opened his eyes and looked at the lady that sat next to him. His eyes grew big.
'You seem surprised to see me Paul,' said the lady.
Paul took in her image. She was wearing a red cape with a hood and black pants with matching boots. Around her neck Paul saw a dragon shaped pendant. She had black hair and green eyes that pierced through his soul. Paul didn't say anything and just pulled off his headphones.
'Cat finally got that foul tongue of yours?' she asked smiling viciously. Ming Lee was not the girl to mess with. There was a reason she was called the Steelthorned Rose.
'Not, really, I just find it awkward that the leader of the Black Dragons is sitting right across the aisle.'
The Black Dragons was the notorious gang that fought against Flamesword for the control of the London underworld. While Flamesword was known for their radical religious members and founders who were fighting against the unfaithful, the Black Dragons were a bunch of psychotic gangbangers, all under the leadership of Ming and the Butcher. The war had had serious impact on the nightlife in London, it was never safe.
'I've heard some things about you Paul Trant. but before i go deeper into that I want to know something.'
'What?' Paul asked cautiously.
'How can it be that a little I-ran-from-foster-care like you can walk into gangturf without a scratch? And then I'm talking about both sides. Steel nerves, a deathwish? Please do tell me Grizzly.'
'I'll talk if you can answer my question.' he said while leaning over to her.
'Shoot.'
'How the hell do you know this?' he growled while looking at her.
'Forget about those nerves or deathwish, you're just plain dangerous. Grizzly,' she said chuckling
Paul jumped to his feet and stared at the smiling Ming.
'One more time : How do you know that stuff about me?' he shouted.
Now it was Ming's turn to leap up. Her smile had melted away. Paul backed up and stared at her while resisting the urge to punch her. Before he could do anything, Ming moved and Paul felt a quick but sharp sting in his neck. His legs started to wobble and he fell down.
Ming catched him and gently laid him on the floor.
'I don't know why someone would want you to join CHERUB, but please do relax and try to get some sleep,' she said before Paul closed his eyes and dozed off.
Ming took out her phone and dialed a number. 'It's done, he will be arriving T minus three hours.' She ended the phone call and stared intensely at the kid who was lying at her feet. Ming only knew the basic intel that was given to her by John Jones. She knew he had some skills but she just couldn't figure out why Zara wanted this one at Cherub as soon as possible.

Zara stood in her office and watched out the window when her phone rang. She saw that it was Ming. Zara answered.
'It's done, he will be arriving T minus three hours.'
'Good work Ming. I'll get everything in order over here. The pick-up team is on its way.'
Zara closed her mobile and walked over to her computer and sat down behind it. She looked at the screen and smiled while typing something.

* Classified *

Project Delta

Recent updates:

Final member found in London Underground: Paul Trant. Testing begins tomorrow.

Zara sealed the document with her password and closed it. After a second or two she opened Paul Trants file. They had a file on him since the day he was born. The usual protocol for the kids and families of ex-CHERUB agents, the only difference with Paul that he was the son of two CHERUB agents. Zara clicked open the photo gallery and looked at the first picture that was in it. It showed Paul as a month old baby, in the arms of his dad, while his mother smiled. In the background Zara could easily spot the main building and fountain of the CHERUB-campus. She smiled at the picture of the family and closed down the computer.