This is main character number 2. Enjoy.

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It had been a hard day. Mum had been depressed since Theo left, and so I was left with the housework. On top of that, I'd been off for a week, and had lots of French homework to do.

"Est-ce qu'il a dans un grand ville…" I muttered, reading off the sheet. I was interrupted by a loud banging. I groaned, and stood up. The banging came again, even louder.

"Okay, I'm coming!" I shouted, running towards the front door. I swung it open. An old man stood in front of me.

"Excuse me…" I looked at him, trying to find a hint of why he was here. After a moment I realised I wasn't actually listening. I looked back at him. He was watching me, expectantly.

"Hey! Answer his question, kid!" I jerked around, looking for the source of the voice. A small green figure looked over the man's shoulder. I jumped.

"What the hell are you?" I asked, looking at it. It grinned triumphantly.

"I am a dragon." I could have almost laughed. A dragon and an old man had knocked on my front door while I was doing French homework.

"Sorry… what was the question?"

"You have a unique power. Will you come to the Xiaolin Temple? Become a Xiaolin Dragon? Train for the day when evil will rise again?"

"Evil… what, like Hitler?"

"Who says only humans can be evil?" said the dragon smugly. He was really beginning to tick me off.

"Look, if this is a joke…"

"Joe. This is not a joke."

"Oh, right, how can you… how did you know my name?"

"I knew your father once, long ago. A good man. Look around, you may find my name. Master Fung. If you change your mind, call this number." He handed me a piece of paper and walked away. I shut the door behind me.

A couple of weeks after Master Fung had come, as the school holidays had started, something happened. Something bad. Something that made me go to the temple.

It was just gone eleven. My mum and dad were in bed. I was pacing the front garden. Then it happened. At first, just a rumble, then an explosion. It looked up at my house. I'd lived in it since I was three. And now, it was a raging ball of fire. Flames licked up the walls, some spreading along the grass.

"Mum! Dad!" I tried to run forward, but the heat was too great. I was backed onto the road. The hedge separating my house from the road was snatched by the fire. I stood, mesmerised, wanting to run in, wanting to run away, unable to do either. Then, after what seemed an eternity, it began to rain. Water washed away the flames. Washed away all traces of my life. I could almost see a tall black figure slipping away, but that was impossible.

"That was some fire." I spun around, my hands held up defensively. Theo was standing behind me. Leaning against a wall. As I turned, he jumped backwards, and balanced on the crumbling wall.

"Why are you out here?" he asked.

"Just trying to clear my head. You?"

"I was in the area. Saw the fire. Came to investigate." He hopped down and walked towards me.

"Quite suspicious, don't you think? You, standing in front of a burning house, making no move to stop it. Maybe I should report you…"

"Mum and dad were in there." He paused, one hand in his pocket.

"Murder too?" He pulled out his phone and pressed it three times. 999.

"Hello, police?" I glared at him as he framed me for murder. As if I'd do it. I felt my anger boiling up inside me. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to reach out and crush him. Send a bolt of lightning…

Suddenly, as if some greater power had been watching, a single bolt of lightning shot down, hitting the mobile, blowing it up. Theo was blown back against the wall. I looked at my hands in amazement.

"Oh, you're asking for it, Joe!" he shouted, and pulled something out of his belt. He flicked his wrist, sending a small silver star flying towards me. I dived to the side, narrowly avoiding it. The sound of sirens filled the air. Down the road I could see lights. The police. Theo glared at me before sinking into the ground. Disappearing. A car drew up, and two men got out. Then more.

"Did you call us?" asked one of them, looking at me. I nodded. Luckily, they didn't have a description if me, so they ignored me and started studying the remains of the house. I ran.

I had found my power.

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R&R!