Disclaimer: This is the world of Twilight which I don't own. There will be characters popping up that I also don't own. These things belong to Meyer.

Chapter 1: The Kids Aren't Alright

'Vampire.'

The word floated dimly in my mind along with the memory of pain. So much pain. It wrinkled all my human memories and I had to wonder for a second who I was. Other than that one word, I mean. That mythical fact was certain.

As pain leaked out of my body, atom by atom, I finally opened my eyes. I saw cobwebs on the ceiling, dust dancing around broken light bulbs, my brothers pacing back and forth across the shattered room. I sighed and sat up with a grace that was so apart from who I was as to be physically irritating. My brothers both turned to look at me at exactly the same time with exactly the same guilty expression on their faces.

'You will thirst for death.'

I frowned, shaking away memories. At my feet lay the mangled, smoldering remains of the one who cursed my brothers, of my would-be murderer. I looked gloomily at the crisscrossed scars that coated my once mangled forearms. I could tell from the remaining twinges of fire that there were plenty of bites on my legs, too. There was also a strange burning feeling, which had replaced the beat of my heart…, no, not replaced, I realized, as the burning finally faded leaving a strange emptiness in my chest. I grimaced, looking up to stare in agony at the changed faces of my brothers. I still knew them, had known them long enough to recognize them, but there were new similarities that had not been there before. Like anger. And guilt.

'I can give you power.'

An irritated swipe at my ears later, I stood and instantly swooped down to pick a shard of mirror from the bloody floor tile. My nose burned but I managed to ignore my own blood long enough to see that I had the same pale skin as my brothers, the same black eyes, the same perfection wiping out everything interesting about my face. Then I smirked; my nose was still too big. Figures.

'I trust the experiment is going well?'

At those words, I finally fought through the precarious feeling my new and improved body brought and realized; these thoughts aren't memory. Someone was speaking to me, someone who wasn't there and could be ignored if I tried hard enough. I shook my head in concentration, trying to get rid of the voice. My brothers relaxed. I tossed the shard of glass aside, looking over at them, and they shifted to make room for me before I even started to move. We watched each other warily, waiting subconsciously for a repeat of that first bloody scene two days ago. The voice laughed.

'Stefan, go explain.'

Our eyes widened and we all looked to the door. "What happened?" I whispered, referring to the voice. Mitch hung his head in shame. Nate didn't move. "Who's coming?" I clarified urgently and both of them seemed to snap back to the present. Nate walked over and ripped our back door off its hinges. Mitch stepped in front of me, facing the door, holding his hands out to protect me. "They didn't want me." I suddenly remembered and words come, spurred on by the guilt on Mitch's face. "You attacked me… You changed me?"

"You would have died." He replied, his voice careful, almost gentle from his guilt.

"Because you almost killed me." I remembered, the words still slipping out. He winced and planted his feet more firmly, as though waiting for me to push him or try to run. "And I was just trying…"

"Don't worry; you're in no danger now. And someone is coming to explain." He growled. I frowned, concentrating on the silence until I heard footsteps coming up the brick walkway. "By the way, one of the vampires who killed mom and dad got away." Mitch added right before the new vampire stepped up to the empty doorframe. His face was disturbingly handsome, hypnotizing in its perfect sharpness in a way our soft faces never could be. His eyes were bright, bloody red and his hair was pitch black. Behind him, the Texan sunlight was glaring down, glittering off his chalky skin as if off new fallen snow.

I didn't even wince; I could see perfectly through the glare. Mitch's words sank in and I felt pain, but then my new eyes saw the vampire man looking at my brothers like they were servants, like they were slaves, like they were his. And the fury and pain this stirred up covered everything else.

I am an overprotective older sister.

"Well, what do you have to say?" I said smoothly, my whole body leaning toward him, tensed to spring at my chosen prey. Everyone turned to look at me; my brothers stared at my expressionless face.

The man looked startled. "I am Stefan. I come from the King. He has changed you into the perfect soldiers. As you have discovered, you desire blood over everything else." My brothers winced but I held back a triumphant smile. "And now he offers blood in exchange for your help as we fight our enemies."

"Who is this king?" I asked, my tone bored. In truth, I was scared; I felt shredded up inside by the sudden revelation of a whole other world, by the loss of my family, by doubt toward my once good-humored brothers. "Who changed us?"

'The one you follow!' The voice hissed angrily in my head. All three of us winced again. How annoying.

"That doesn't help much." I pointed out with a slight smirk.

"All you need to know is that he has given you the gift of power and life and will give you lives to take." As he said that, I knew what my brothers had felt. There was a sudden irrational burst of hunger and, more than anything else, I wanted the blood of anyone, anything that would get in my way. I wanted someone to get in my way, just so that I could destroy them, so I could drain them. I shuddered and shook my head. And again, after a second, my brothers did the same. "He is creating an army. Someday soon he will rule; we will rule. A reign of terror no one can possibly defeat." I gritted my teeth, thinking of my dead parents, of my 'baby' brothers who almost killed me.

"How did we change?" I asked.

"You see the scars?" He said, gesturing toward my arms. My brothers nodded as I looked to them questioningly. "That is where your foolish brother's venom was allowed to spread until you were changed. The burn spread until all of you was changed." He grinned. I could see that he almost but not quite had fangs. "You need blood to live; it becomes almost pain if you resist it for very long. And we are the only ones like you; if you do not join you will be alone." He nodded his head, as though completely sure of his success. My brothers started to nod, their faces obedient. I concentrate on the idea of the King's voice and they freeze, turning to look blankly at me.

"We will be together." I said quietly. "At the moment I do not want to join with someone who killed my parents, someone who thinks he can turn my brothers into bloodthirsty monsters. If we desire killing over everything, then why were my brothers hurt, why did they stop fighting when they heard me scream?" I did not bring up the fact that they were fighting over who got to drink my blood. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have things to figure out." I finished coldly, irritated by my own dark thoughts.

The handsome vampire looked startled and then his face fell. The voice started to speak in my head and I shut it out again, slamming a mental door so hard that my brothers jump. Then they both stared at me as a nervous Stefan walked quickly away.

"Alright." I said softly. "Now you two explain."

"There's nothing more to explain." Nate replied, annoyed.

"He said we had some sort of talent. One his men saw it." Mitch said at the same time. The conversation paused as we both glared at Nate. "You, too, Tarry, but he didn't seem to want it."

"Do you think we maybe should have, just maybe, tried to find out what those talents actually are?" I asked sweetly.

"Shut up, Tarry." Mitch said grumpily.

"I can't think when that voice is in my head." Nate added.

"Fine. What do you know about vampires?" I offered, hoping they would appreciate the change of subject.

"Oh…" Nate said.

"Tarry, this isn't… You weren't there." Mitch argued.

I nodded agreement, but had to point out one last thought. "We are so going to die."

"Probably." Mitch shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Theresa." Nate said miserably.

"Meh."

We stared morosely around the house. I wondered where my parents where, if anyone had noticed we were all missing. I couldn't imagine what the police would think at finding our house, at not finding our bodies.

"Was any of your blood spilled?" I asked suddenly.

"Yeah." Mitch replied, looking at me as though I were an idiot.

"Upstairs." Nate confirmed.

"Good."

"What?"

"You want the police to accuse you of a triple homicide? No. Finding your blood will distract them." I nodded shortly.

"Oh, Tarry." Nate looked horrified.

"All I watch are crime shows." I seethed. "I can't help it."

"You're weird." Mitch said, sounding bored. "And I think we should go after that little guy."

"Stef-" Nate said helpfully.

"To lie and join up or to interrogate?" I interrupted.

"-an." Nate finished, glaring at me.

"I vote interrogate." Mitch said, smiling coldly.

"I think we should lie and join them." I argued, trying to remember if I'd left things open enough that we could actually do so. "They could lead us to someone who might help us squash them." I paused, looking around our shattered living room. "And save others." I added as an afterthought, chasing off feelings of both bloodlust and guilt.

We looked to Nate. "I vote both." Nate offered. I playfully tossed the table at his head. "Ow, Tarry, you're such a jerk!" He joked as the table ricocheted and smashed against the wall.

"We could also just follow him." I said, waving my hands wildly as I talked. "And find more bloodsuckers to terrify if he's not helpful. Or join up, if they seem friendly."

"You don't think I could take him?" Mitch joked half-heartedly.

"Mitch, it's been a long day. Don't make me lie to you." I quipped back.

We fell silent. The house creaked around us and I picked up the bloody, dead phone, fiddling with the buttons and finding that I can no longer cry. My brothers just stared at me, so I walked over and placed it back on its charger.

"I'll dial the cops and then we can take off." I told them. "Pack up what you want."

"And we can follow Stefan." Mitch agreed.

"What after?" Nate muttered.

"We find the man who killed our parents." I said, just as quiet.

"Finally, something I agree with." Mitch added grimly.

Author's Note: I know, I know; slowish beginning. I'll try to have some sort of fight/reveal in each chapter from now on. In addition, Stefan, Vladimir, and another non OC who is yet to be revealed will be showing up and messing with T, M, and N throughout the next several chapters. And as if that isn't enough, Alice is gonna show up and give Tarry some not so good news.