Disclaimer: If you're reading this it probably means I've escaped the horrible torture chamber I was put in be the people who created Heroes. They knew my story was going to be better then theirs so they tried to off me but I escaped and here I am fighting the power. But even higher powers tell me that I must say that I am making no money off this and therefore there's no reason for them to try to kill me.

Ps. That was all bullshit.

But I have had this in my head for a while and it's getting in the way of another story (Negi's Ministra Menegerie) I am trying to write so I am getting it out there. For those reading this and wondering why I worte this instead of my next Negima chapter, I'm sorry but inspiration cannot be fought.


Evolution

Chapter 1:
Catalyst

Evolution is an amazing and often violent process. A new more 'advanced' breed comes to replace an obsolete old one. But what happens when the arguably most 'advanced' and unquestionably proudest species on the planet is told it's obsolete? This is the story of what the 'King of the Hill' does when he realizes that he's standing next to a mountain. Or more to the point, when humanity realizes it's living in an Age of Heroes.

Now any story that's about mankind has to start with a man, in our case a woman. Her name is Elizabeth Moore. She's 29, a native of Ireland. Quietly attractive, she's got long brown hair that flows in waves down her back and pale blue eyes. Her body is incredibly average but well proportioned. Overall she's the kind of person who blends into a crowd, which was exactly what she was doing now. She rather liked New York City, people weren't nearly as nosey here as back in Ireland. She'd been standing against that wall for two hours, and no one had even looked at her more than once. Granted that could be because people just don't notice you in New York.

The only thing that would have alerted anyone to her being anything but an average woman was the faint glow that was emanating from her hand, seemingly going into the wall she had it against. She didn't want anyone to see though; so she used her body to shield what she was doing from sight. After a few minutes she practically skipped away whistling a sweet tune and smiling to herself.

Five minutes later, all hell broke lose as the entire Empire State Building exploded like a grenade.

Across the city a tremor shook the buildings and for a mile around the shock wave shattered windows. A young man was riding in a cab about fifty blocks away and saw the building burst into a ball of flame and debris. Shrapnel began raining onto the streets, panicked people running everywhere. In the excitement no one noticed as the man got out of the cab and stood in the middle of the street raising his hands in the air. And no one noticed that the debris was no longer falling on that street.

On the other side of the blast something equally astonishing had happened. Not ten seconds after the explosion, the street tore up and lifted into the air making a barrier against the debris that was now pelting it. This happened on almost a dozen streets at once and only a few blocks out from where the destruction ended. These cement shields probably saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands. But where did they come from? How the hell did cement raise almost fifty feet into the air and how was it staying there?

Many people stood around wondering these questions in a state of confusion and shock. Wondering if the trauma had effected their minds. Others stood with a clear head shaking it in disbelief, some even cried on about miracles. But there was one person who didn't have to wonder...

He sat on the edge of a roof top with his legs crossed, from afar one would think he was meditating. But if you got close you could see his dark face was hard and focused, he was concentrating.

The explosion was massive. It wasn't a bomb set off inside because then parts of the building would've blown up first. It was like the building itself was a bomb. The entire building exploded and it decimated everything in a twenty block radius, not a single building remained.

After that the damage was most caused by the flying shrapnel. Pieces of metal were implanted into masonry and bricks littered the rode. Glass was everywhere, the explosion had shattered every window for blocks. The mess was so bad that your feet would never touch asphalt walking down the street.

People near the destruction were panicking. Some were running up and down the streets calling out the names of loved ones. Others absently wondered around, shell shocked. There were injured people everywhere, and a many laid dead. Basically it was hell on earth.

People who had presence of mind, had begun helping the injured and in the distance sounds of sirens could be heard.

Another person was also thinking of those hurt. He knew he only had a couple of minutes before the rescue and news crews arrived but he was going to do what he could anyway. As he ran down the street getting closer and closer to the source of the explosion he couldn't help but notice the absolute destruction. The entire heart of the city gone. And the sheer magnitude of it hit him, in the chaos he didn't even care that he was talking to himself. "Oh my god! There are over 7 million people in Manhattan…. No matter how powerful I am or how quickly I act; at least hundreds of thousands of people are already dead."

He was so absorbed by the situation he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice beside him answer, "Like you could do anything about it?" Turning to the side he was surprised to see someone else running towards the destruction. The owner of the voice was a black man, he was about 5'10 and build like a brick shit house. Chocolate eyes looked over at the other man with an almost laughable expression.

"You'd be surprised what I can do" He's 25 years old, from Long Island, New York and his name is Devon Kross. He's 6'3 with a thin, but muscular build. He's got dark brown hair that falls around his face naturally, giving him the look of a poet. His eyes are green and his skin is lightly tanned. Against the orange and yellow light that flickered from the massive fire his features radiate an intensity saved for those who are purposely running into harms way. "Besides what are you gonna to do?"

"Oh I got a few tricks up my sleeve." He winked at Devon and jumped lightly into the air, but didn't comes down. Instead Devon looked on astonished as the man lifted into the air riding a small patch of sand into the sky. The man looked down at Devon, "Why don't you leave this to the professionals?" he almost scoffed as he sped ahead.

"Well I'll be damned. That's a handy one." Devon shook his head. "Guess there's no point in being modest now." If anyone had been paying attention, they'd have seen a second man rise into the air, except this one had no sand beneath him.

The young man from the cab was also moving towards the trouble. He had been pretty close so he arrived at the scene just in time to watch as first a man floated past on a cloud of sand and then another touched down only about twenty feet from him and begin walking into the disaster site. It took his brain a minute to confirm and accept that yes he just saw two other people who both apparently have powers too. Now he was waiting for the rest of himself to catch up to the three million thoughts that just went through his brain. While he was doing this, the one who landed gave him a little more to think about.

He walked forward into the edge of the blast zones the building that were standing and piles of debris were on fire all around him. He walked a good way down the street and took a deep breath in, raise his arms to the side his palms facing the ground. He began to exhale slowly as he began dropping his hands in a motion that seemed to the on looker that he was pushing down against some invisible force.

However what wasn't invisible were the fires all around him getting smaller. As he reached the end of the motion. The buildings that were just raging infernos were left without so much as a pilot light of flame.

The guy from the cab stared in awe as it happened and ran over to him as soon as he was finished. Devon was about to continue deeper into the mess when he heard someone call out behind him. Turning around he expected to see someone either injured or frantically looking for help, instead it was worse. Someone had been watching him.

"Holy shit! That was awesome!" The stranger ran up to him, face beaming even amidst the destruction.

Devon was not nearly as happy about the situation. He looked the on comer dead in the eye and said, "I don't know what you think you saw, but…." He immediately started on the defensive but was quickly cut off.

"Calm down man, I know exactly what I saw so don't even bother tryin' to tell me I'm crazy or it didn't happen." Devon's eyes went wide with fear and his face turned white. This is exactly what he'd been afraid of, now that someone knew, it would only be a matter of time before they came. His racing mind was interrupted when the man spoke again. "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me. I have an ability too."

Devon gave him a sideways look trying to size up if this guy was on the level. In response the man held up a hand palm facing the sky and Devon watch as out of thin air particles started to come together until a small statue of Devon himself was sitting in the palm of the man's hand.

With a triumphant smile the man said, "See?."

Devon smiled despite himself and reached out a hand, "Devon Kross." He stated firmly as the other man took his hand.

"Danny Sarno, it's a pleasure meeting you Devon and I mean that. I thought I was the only one like us." It was amazing to watch someone seem happy surrounded by all the destruction.

Surprise flashed across Devon's face. "You mean you've never met anyone else with powers?" Devon almost found this hard to believe. He'd met dozens, then again he had help.

"Not until you, but judging by the way you said that I take it you have." Devon just nodded. "Unbelievable, this is great. Are their lots of others like us?"

"Yeah, a lot more than I thought, but now isn't the time to be talking about this." Devon motioned with his head down the street.

Danny's face changed immediately, "You're absolutely right. Sorry I got kinda carried away there."

The two men turned and started up the street Devon turned to Danny. "So that's a pretty cool power you got their, mini statue building. Must kill them at the craft fairs." He said with a teasing tone of voice.

"Actually I have the power to manipulate matter. I can do some pretty amazing stuff with it." Just then he caught a glimpse of a woman unconscious in a pile of rubble. "Watch" Danny moved over to the pile of mixed debris that pinned her to the ground. He put out one hand and concentrated.

Now it was Devon's turn to stare in awe. He watched as the pile began grow smaller. At first he couldn't tell exactly what was going on. So he took a step forward. The bits of the wall were turning to liquid and swirling away. In a matter of seconds there was nothing covering the girl.

"Okay, now that's kinda cool." The two men continued down the street doing what they could to limit the loss of life in the mists of this carnage.

Not too far away the man who'd flown away on the patch of sand was standing on top of a building looking over the destruction. His name is Alexander Kain, he'd lived in this city his whole life. His parents had died when he was very young and after only a month in foster care he ran away. He went back to the building he lived in and was taken in by a combination of almost everyone who lived there. They took turns hiding him from the state and taking care of him. Living the saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child'. Now he sought to protect the city that had taken him in.

Half of New York was in ruins, and the other half, utter chaos. A small figure began to materialize out of sand on his shoulder. Six inches tall, and almost an exact copy of the himself the man regarded the figure with a roll of the eyes. "I don't need to hear anything you have to say right now, as you can see I'm a little busy here." He said dismissively as he lifted off the roof and began using his abilities to clear the concrete out of the road, in anticipation of the rescue vehicles that should be arriving any moment.

However his little friend didn't take the hint, "I think you're wrong about that and so do you. You just don't want to hear me saying it. We both know that there is no way this was an accident."

He sighed, "If I go for a smoke will I get back in time to hear your point?"

"Someone did this. Someone like us." The man had been ignoring him but that was the kind of statement that couldn't be left alone.

"How the fuck would you know? You weren't even on the outside to see it." He caught a piece of concrete falling off a building and guided it to a safe alley.

"So? Wake up and smell the burnt.. well... everything. This kind of shit couldn't be done with a normal bomb. It's got powers written all over it." The little man was pacing across Alex's shoulders as he ranted.

"That's not important right now, we have to worry about all these people." He gestured down to the frightened people on the street below. "Besides it's not like we know who did it."

"We could find out." The two of them looked at each other and then the small figure poured off his shoulder back into sand.

Kain Alexander smiled and looked around. "It's been a long time since I've been able to stretch my legs. Let's see if we can find ourselves a human bomb." He stepped on to a small cloud of sand and lifted off into the air.

AN: End chapter one. This shows been getting so good lately I had to write something about it. Hopefully it didn't suck too bad. Please read and review.