Hey Billy-Ray fans. Hoping my story isn't too rubbish so far. I might be able to update too regularly because I've got school but I'll do my best.

Lemurqueen247: Thanks for the great encouragement and advice. I'm glad you liked it.

So here comes chapter 2 and the introduction of Katie. Enjoy.

Chapter 2 – Cat and Mouse

Katie dumped her suitcase on the bed and looked around the room. It was an improvement from the care home, at least but it was too empty and sad. House was devoid of any colour and everything about it yelled plain and dull to the world through a megaphone. Any appliance in the house was the cheapest and most basic model and the lights flickered feebly, straining against the darkness of the night that threatened to snuff them out.

She tried to tell herself that it would look better once she had settled in and that it was better that sharing a house with twenty other children. She was an adult now and with it came the freedom and responsibility she'd always longed for.

With a sigh, she sat down on the creaky mattress and opened her suitcase. Packed inside were all the items she owned: last season's clothes, a purse, some half heartedly made good-bye cards and a few books. The description of her eighteen years of life amounted to a pretty depressing sight.

Absent-mindedly, she pulled a small locket from underneath her shirt. It was old and scuffed but the engraving upon it was still clear to read.

'The strongest magic lies within one's heart.'

"That's an awfully nice piece of jewellery you got there," a voice whispered in her ear.

Katie spun around to see her reflection in a pair of jet black sunglasses. With a scream she ran out of the room and made for the front door. Suddenly, the ground in front of her began to crack and the man rose up in front of her. A fist caught her in the chest and she went sprawling across the floor. She clicked her fingers together and created a small flame in her hand but his foot stamped down on her wrist. She cried out in pain and shuffled back against a wall, clutching her throbbing hand.

"I really wouldn't try that again if I were you, li'l lady"

"W-what do you want?" she stammered, her mouth completely dry.

"Well there are a lot of things I want. A nice cup of coffee for example but right now I would be much obliged if you just sit there nice and still so I can kill you, go get my cash and coffee and we can all just go about our sorry lives. Sound good to you?"

A shiver of terror ran down Katie's spine and all colour drained from her face. She opened her mouth but all she could mange was a small whimper.

"Clearly it's not alright with you," the man began pacing in front of her, "but you know somethin'? You're real interestin' and you know why that is? You're not that interestin' at all. So you know what, I'm going to ask you a few questions before I kill you and you're gonna answer them aren't you, Katie Taylor?" she couldn't see his eyes but she could feel his gaze boring into hers. To her dismay she found herself nodding.

"That's a good girl. Now first question, oh wait, that's probably second question now. Alright, second question: Have you ever heard even a mentionin' of someone named Electra Storm?"

She shook her head violently.

"Alright, alright don't hurt yourself. Now, do you want to have a guess at how much she's put on your pretty little head?" When she didn't respond, he swooped down with his hands on the wall either side of her head. His face was so close she could feel his hot breath on her pale skin, "£5000 in any currency you can imagine. Now I don't know about you li'l darlin', but that's a heck of a lot of cash. And, I know what you thinking. Why the hell would someone I don't even know want me dead that bad?"

"Well for some reason, she has an idea that you, li'l Katie, are gonna be responsible for killin' her someday soon."

"I would never kill anyone. Look at me, I don't even know who she is!" she pleaded.

A grin appeared on his face and he laughed, " If you asked a bunch of psychos ands assassins, when they were young and innocent like you, what they wanted to grow up to be," she felt his fingers playing gently with her wavy hair, " how many of them do you think would have said killin' loads of people? Me being an obvious exception, not many. For all I know, you could be the next Mevolent in a hundred years. But hell, you don't even know who he is, do you? So what is the point of me talkin'?"

He reached into his pocket and in the dim light, Katie glimpsed the steely edge of a blade.

"P-please…"

"Sorry li'l darlin', but I got a job to do."

Her head bashed the wall behind her with such force it might have dented it. As her eyesight faded and blurred, she felt a strong hand behind her neck and a cold sharpness at her throat. Her world was consumed by darkness.