[Prologue]

I kneel over as I feel another punch pummel into my chest, forcefully pushing all the air out of my lungs. I cough and splutter up a small puddle of blood and mucus. As I am on the floor, my attacker continues to bombard me with a hailstorm of kicks to my stomach. I groan, then a tear rolls down from my eye onto my cheek.

“Haha! Look at this little bitch crying on the floor!” The one kicking me shouts. He is Brad. And oh boy is he a cunt. Day in day out him and his squad of his fucking freak friends punish me for my mere existence each and every day of my terrible life. No matter if I try to hide or fight back or tell on them; they still pursue me to make my life misery. It also doesn’t help how they’re all super-humans. Yep, that’s right: super-humans.

In this day and age it’s pretty normal to be born with a specific thread of genes that enable one to commit super-human abilities or to contain super-human powers. In fact thirty years since the start of the super-human phase, you were 96.4% sure to be born with a super-human gene. Of course most of this percentage had the lowest ranking powers: an F ranked Gene. But as you got higher, the percentage of those who have powers decrease. Only a few have the highest possible ranks A. Even less have the supreme S rank.

Knowing my shitty luck, I was born with zero super genes. Nothing. Nada. So due to that, it was an excuse for every other person to direct their hatred to me. My thought process was broken as I was thrown backwards in the air by a telekinesis push. As my body impacted with the ground I grunted as pain as I felt something crack in my body. ‘Sounds like another rib broken’ I think.

“Nice push Alex!” Brad announces as he high fives the telekinesis user. Alex was Brad’s right-hand man. They were both tall and broad and popular with the ladies and admired by the boys in our school. Brad had dark brown hair combed backwards, in a slick style; whilst Alex had dirty blond hair that was cut short on the sides but sticking up at the top. The three others were simply just brain-dead idiots who followed the two in hopes of getting to a high level of popularity.

Me on the other hand? Well first off, Im Rex. Short, slightly hunch back and puny compared to others. I had dark circles under my eyes from sleep deprivation and my brown eyes had lost all colour from the constant abuse I received. If not for my disturbing body posture, unkempt black hair lifeless eyes I might have been moderately approachable. But no: nature itself had fucked me since birth. I was the lowest of the low at school. Almost all students just ignored me or bullied me. Even the teachers failed to notice me sometimes. To make it worse I was the only one in the school who had no powers. Each and every class, the teachers had placed me at the back corner. If I had raised my hand to answer a question a teacher would simply ignore me or say something like, “Oh, don’t worry answering honey, we know you’re less able.”

‘Im not fucking mentally disabled you piece of shit; Id viciously think.

Since this decade was the highest level of super genes every single school had incorporated super-power orientated lectures or subjects. Of course in all those subjects I’d automatically receive a fail despite me not being able to participate in it. Even in non-super power sports, I was always the last to be picked or I would have to sit out and watch.

Seven minutes had passed and the bullies had gotten bored of beating me up and leaved. As Brad leaved he viciously said, “Remember to bring us your lunch money Zero Gene”

That was my nickname of course.

I would go and tell a teacher of my constant harassment but, they wouldn’t do anything. I’d go to the police, but they wouldn’t believe me; who’d believe someone who had no proof?

I looked at my cracked watch and it was five o clock. Since it was winter time, it was already dark. I sighed and muttered to myself, “Time to go home.”

I climbed the stairs to my apartment and as I reached my door the landlord appeared from behind me.

He held out his hand, “Rent money. Now.”

I felt like crying.

“Ummm sir? Im really sorry, but I won’t be able to make the payment today.”

The landlord grimaced.

“This is the fifth time Rex. Why the fuck don’t you have it?”

‘Look at me you idiot! You can see I was beaten up and mugged as I am every day!’ I wanted to say.

“Umm job was hard today and didn’t get paid in full.” I lied.

I put up a wry smile.

The landlord had a smallest sign of sympathy as he gruffly responded, “End of week. If not: you’re out!”

I nodded as I stuck my key into the door and entered my ‘apartment’. It was a tiny two room apartment with no bed. I had a dirty mattress on the floor opposite to a window facing out to watch the street where my door was. The walls were cardboard thin and were stained with smoke from a previous owner, there was no AC, neither a washing machine, so I had to go use one in a shop. In my kitchen there was a counter with a small gas oven and a single microwave on top of a one shelf fridge. In the kitchen was a small cupboard/ utility room where my bathtub was. It had no working hot water.

I went over to my mattress avoiding the fridge knowing there was nothing in there. I let out a breath of air and threw myself on the couch, I reached for my TV remote and clicked to turn it on but then I realised I hadn’t paid for the electricity bills. The year was 2031 yet I still had a TV from 2004.

As I laid in my bed, I pondered about life until reaching the thought that made me slightly shocked.

“It was my 15th birthday today. Huh.” I whispered to myself. 7 years since my mum died of drug abuse and 5 years since my 2 year sister died of starvation or malnutrition. Since mum died I had to look after my younger born sister all by myself. During mum’s pregnancy, she took a shit load of drugs due to my ‘dad’ abusing her constantly. Don’t blame her to be honest. It seems her drug abuse is what caused me to have no super genes. Or just faulty family shared genes since none of my close family had superpowers. As soon as my dad found out I was born, he fucked off somewhere. Don’t really care about him since I’ve never met him.

Since I was 8 I had to constantly work a part time job and live off a 2 year benefits system after that eventually worn off a few months before my sister died. Whilst I was taking a shower one day, I got out to find my sister on the floor, sickly pale. I should’ve of took her to the doctors sooner when I saw her coughing a lot. When I found out she died from malnutrition from a lack of food, I didn’t cry, nor laugh. I felt nothing. Just regret. For over a year, I self-harmed and was considering to save up for drugs. But I decided against, Ever since I’ve been working my arse off at a fast-food joint that paid me half as much as any other ability user. Didn’t matter any way since all my money got fucking stolen day after.

As I slowly faded out of consciousness from lack of food and sleep, I repeatedly played the scenario of my cute little sister singing me my 10th birthday song.