Chapter 1: Revenge

A/N: Hey guys! :) How's that for a speedy update? :D I hope you like this chapter as much as many of you seemed to like the prologue. :) And just so you all know, gingerroot15 had a very accurate prediction. :)

Disclaimer: Me no owny. Sadface.

Zia never, ever forgot that man's face, the one she had seen in the "bomber plane", as she had learned it was called. It would haunt her dreams, the reason she would wake up screaming into her pillow, drenched in a cold sweat most nights. For her, sleep was only reliving painful memories, not something relaxing and refreshing like it was for most people. She could remember it all so clearly, however much she tried not to. At least, that last painful memory; it hurt so much to think of her family being murdered like that – even the kids who had teased her so much over the years, they didn't deserve that.

She never told anyone about her nightmares; they would only cause worry and trouble. So she let the images eat away at her from the inside, but filled that space with anger and sadness.

It was one such night, six years after her whole life had been redesigned. At fourteen, she had been living with her foster-family for five years, and had adjusted to American life, though she was home-schooled, so it wasn't completely normal. But then again, she wasn't normal either.

Her eyes snapped open, wide on the ceiling she couldn't see due to the darkness in her bedroom. She slowly rose to a sitting position, cold sweat coating her face and arms, making her short hair stick to her face and neck. Chest heaving with heavy breaths, she pushed aside the covers, her feet meeting the plush rug beside her bed. Being careful to stay as silent as possible as not to wake anyone else up, she crept downstairs to get a drink of water, her throat feeling parched.

While her bare feet were padding along the stairs, her mind was spinning. She felt an odd feeling rise and bubble in her stomach. It was the need for balance, something to equal out what was done. Revenge. She needed revenge, against the man who had killed her whole village, who's face had haunted her dreams for years, causing her seemingly endless trauma. She wanted to watch him wither in pain; she wanted him dead. Dead like her brothers and sisters. Dead like her parents. Dead like her former classmates. Dead like the village in the sands.

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Little did Zia know that, right as she was thinking those thoughts, the very man she wanted dead was dying.

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"Dad, please!" Carter pleaded, tears sparkling in his brown eyes – almost identical to the dying man's in front of him. "Please."

"R-Ruby..." Julius chocked, gripping his side painfully, where blood had already drenched his shirt, with one hand, the other reaching out to thin air. Those were the last words that Julius Kane ever spoke. His arm slumped back to his torso, and he was still from then onward.

"It's no use," came the calm, cool, collected voice that had seared itself into Carter's mind for the past six years. His head snapped up.

"You." The cold harshness of his voice surprised him. He never expected to sound like that, almost...bloodthirsty.

"Me." A smirked was splayed across the woman's rose-colored lips, as if she found Julius's death amusing. Which, given what she had done to Carter's mother, she did find this entertaining. Six years hadn't seemed to make their mark on her; she still looked the same with her dark sunglasses hiding her eyes, black clothes, and her dark hair pulled back.

Noticing the bloody knife she clutched in her hand, he had his solid proof, not just a fleeting suspicion, however likey it had been. "You killed him." He slowly stood up, glaring at the woman. He tried to maintain a confident composure, as if he knew what he was doing, but truthfully he had no clue how to take on this woman – but he was going to anyway, just to avenge his parents.

"Carter! Get inside, now!"

Carter turned at the sound of his uncle's voice, the door to the mansion thrown wide open. It was where they – Carter and his dad – were supposed to be, safe. If only they had made it. The woman had stabbed him in the side; he could see the darkness where blood had soaked his dad's shirt. It was a sickening sight, and made Carter want to break down and cry. First his mom had died, and then his sister had left. Now this? Would there be an end to this emotional torment?

"Carter. Inside. Now." Not knowing what else to do, Carter crept towards the sound of the voice. In the dim light, he could see the woman tense, staying still. She wasn't going to attack him now; Amos evidently scared the woman, or at least she didn't think she could overcome him in a fight. Carter crept inside the door to the mansion, suddenly drenched in yellow light, as opposed to the endless darkness of the outdoors.

Amos pushed Carter inside the warm living room, and instead of following, he turned out the door, and disappeared out into the darkness, leaving Carter more alone than ever.

"Is life trying to run me over, or something?" he muttered under his breath.

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The next morning, Amos only told Carter a few things; they wouldn't be seeing any more of the woman, but nothing further. He got the feeling things went down last night that should not get to any authority if he liked his uncle out of jail, which he did.

But there was a slightly less sad piece of information too. Sadie would be moving to the States again; her flight was tomorrow, arriving around four in the afternoon. Both of their custody had transferred to Amos, and they would now be living with him. Carter barely heard his uncle speak though; his thoughts were consumed by the woman and what had happened to her.

He pledged to himself that he would find out. Maybe not now, but someday. And if, by chance, she wasn't dead, he would make sure she was.

He remembered something from that night six years ago...she had a daughter.

I'll kill her daughter too.

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They say vengeance is sweet; will the two agree with that?

A/N: Gotta love my endings. xD Anyway...review? :D