Heroes: The New Level

&nbsp This is the first fan fic story by DarkCyberWolf, who is seriously hoping it's good.

Some Weird Kid Fights Something
I was fourteen years old when it began.

I walked away from the sidewalk right in front of the Empire State Building. Actually, maybe walked is a bad choice of words. I ran. The Empire State Building has always scared me. I don't know why, I just had a strong urge to stay away from it my whole life.

But, unfortunately, I have to go past the hundred-story building every day to get home. The curse of going to school on one side of the building and living on the other.

Plus, since I can't read maps, it's the only way I can go.

So, yeah, back to today.

As I ran past the Empire State Building, I looked around, as always. Even after living in New York my whole life, the awe of the city (apart from the Empire State Building) always took my breath away. The size of the buildings, the beautiful color of the afternoon sky, the huge winged lion swooping right at me.

Yeah, the lion thing was new.

It had a dark, copper-colored mane of hair, surrounding a face with two angry eyes and a wicked, curved beak. Its front two legs were huge paws, while its hind legs were scimitar talons. Its wings were the purest white as they flowed through the air and its tail, long and fierce, followed its body with amazing speed.

I ducked out of the lion's path. I could feel its warm breath on my skin as it passed.

Suddenly, a guy with dark hair came up next to me and grabbed something from his pocket. It looked sort of like a sword, but why would some random guy bring a sword with him through New York?

The guy swung his sword at the lion thing. Its eyes opened in surprise and it spoke.

"Two in the same place?" Then it smelled the boy. "But this demigod is far less powerful."

"Still powerful enough to get rid of you," the guy said through clenched teeth.

The beast laughed. "No... as long as the Merge is continuing, you will not be able to rid the world of me for long."

Both struck at once, blade against claws. I felt a sudden urge to get involved - to fight the creature - to do something.

Without thinking, I picked up a stone and threw it at the beast. It did nothing, but it glanced at me. Bad move. While it wasn't looking, the guy sliced right through the beast and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Thanks," I told the guy.

He looked at me in surprise. "You saw the griffin?" he asked.

"How could anyone not? It was enormous."

"Yeah, that's the Mist for you," he said. "I wonder... what's your name?"

I was reluctant to give my name to a complete stranger, but, hey, he did just save my life. "Tara Young. Yours?"

He brushed a strand of hair from over a dark eye. "My name is Nico di Angelo. And I think you need to come with me."

Now my guard went back up. "Come with you where?"

"Where you'll be safe. Camp Half-Blood."