It's a world without superheroes... just like ours, except for one thing. There USED to be superheroes. Then one day, almost exactly fifty years ago, it all disappeared. All the bad guys and all the good guys had a war and then they vanished, taking their powers and the very ability to HAVE powers with them. There are mysterious heroes and villains now, but they don't have superpowers. What they do have are helpers-Tricks-people who give them an edge, or maybe just a sandwich. Among these heroes and villains are former minor super heroes who didn't vanish but lost their abilities. Brand's grandfather is one of these, a sidekick who lost everything in the war. Brand has grown up with this legacy, raised by his grandfather when his parents were killed. Brand is a Trick; he helps the heroes. But things are about to change. Prophecy says the powers will return on the fiftieth anniversary of the war. The world will once again allow magic but will be destroyed because of it. Brand is seeing things that shouldn't be happening, ghostly figures, strange dreams, powers-superpowers-coming back, allies becoming enemies, the social structure unwinding, evil forces hunting him down, blaming HIM. They claim it's all Brand's fault, and Brand is starting to believe they may be right! Oh, and scariest of all... Brand goes on his first date.