Disclaimer: I don't own cherub or any of the characters in this story, they are the property of Robert Muchamore

Chapter 1

Slowly, Benjamin Michael Smith awoke from a troubled nights sleep. As he got up, he had to raise a hand to stop the streaming sun of a warm, summer morning, from hitting his face. He sat up, vigorously rubbing his eyes, and looked around to survey the room he was in.

It was a fancy room, with a brand new Apple Mac computer, a microwave, and a very posh bathroom. Sluggishly, he got out of bed, to find out he was dressed only in a pair of white boxer shorts, which were several sizes too small. Then he looked out of the window, and was amazed when he saw a huge athletics track, with about 15 children running around it, with a dark skinned woman, dressed in a dark black tracksuit, yelling at some kids, who were slowing down, and having a joke with each other.

As well as the athletics track, there was 3 football pitches, with a great big lake next to the furthest away pitch. Some well built teenage boys were diving into the lake, trying to impress the girls sitting nearby, but it wasn't working. Ben laughed to himself. Then he spotted some clothes laid out at the end.

There was a pair of combat shorts, which came down to just above his knees, as well as a orange t-shirt, which when he unfolded, he found a picture of a winged baby, with a bow and arrow and ammo belt, sitting upon the earth, with the word "CHERUB," across the picture. There was also a pair of jet black army boots, polished so well that Ben could see his messy brown hair, along with his freckles and wide green eyes, in the reflection. He had a very boyish face, and was rather short for his 11 years. He was also slightly overweight, due to the fact his parents didn't care about exercise. Then Ben was struck with all sorts of emotions, as he collapsed onto his bed in a flurry of tears.

Last night, his parents had gone to a conference in Manchester, leaving Ben at home to look after himself. However, several hours later, there was a knock at the door, and out of the window, Ben could see the brilliant blue lights, and the blaring sirens, of a police car. He opened the door, to find two solemn faced police officers facing him. There had been an accident on the M1, heading towards Manchester, and both Lily and Bill Smith had been killed the instant the car swerved into theirs.

Ben had been sat in a shocked silence, waiting to wake up, and find that it was just a terrible dream, but the next thing he knew, he was being put into a police car, but not before catching a glimpse of his best friend, Tom, before being sped of to a police station, where the last thing he remembered was talking to a psychologist.

As he rapidly pulled on the clothes, and left the room, he saw a very pretty girl, who looked about the same age as him.

"Excuse me," Ben said, "Could you tell me where I am?"

But the girl gave him and hard stare, and replied sharply, "Can't talk to orange," before marching swiftly away, down some stairs to his right hand side.

Ben was highly confused by this. To start with, the girl had been wearing a light blue shirt, instead of orange like him, and secondly, that she wouldn't talk to him because of the colour of the shirt he was wearing.

As he started to walk towards the stairs, a woman who was dressed very smartly, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, came towards him.

"Hello Benjamin," she smiled, extending her hand towards him, "My name is Zara."