Running down the streets of L.A., a boy no older then 15 with black hair was trying to get home before his curfew.
"Damn. I knew I should have left the gun range earlier", he thought.
The teen finally got to the street opposite his home and knowing he had no other choice; the raven- headed teen cut through the park that stood between him and his destination… his home.
As he ran the teen thought, "Awesome, I'm going to make it", however just as he passed the park's fountain he heard, or thought he heard, something like metal hitting metal, but when he stopped, he heard nothing safe for the wind.
"Oh great Marcus now your hearing things", the raven haired teen thought as he began walking away before hearing the same sound but louder.
Marcus's curiosity got the better of him, and so he ran toward the sound. He had hid in the thick woods so not to scare off whomever, or whatever, was making the sound. No sooner did he do this, a boy walked into to the small clearing. This boy looked about 15 with silver-like hair. He was wearing what looked like cloth armor, a bow shaped like a crescent moon, and quiver full of arrows on his back.
"Who is this guy, and what's with at outfit?" Marcus thought as the strange bowman readied his bow and yelled. "Where are you, you over-sized pin cushion?"
"Who's he talking to wer…" Marcus's thought were interrupted by a horrible roar and the appearance of a monster.
The beast, if you could call it that, had the head and face of a man with teeth as shape as knives; the body of a lion, and a long tail with a laugh spiked bud at the end of it. The bowman, his bow ready, turned towards the creature, his killer intent obvious in his eyes.
"You want me, half-blood, then come at me", the creature growled as he charged the bowman.
The bowman began launching arrows at the creature, only for them to be swatted away by its tail as the beast continued its charge and would have run over the silver- haired teen if the latter hadn't rolled out of the way. The beast quickly moved to a better attack position as the silver bowman raised his with three arrows at ready.
"Not bad kid, for a half-blood", the spiked-tailed creature mused.
"Well of course, I'm not going be killed by something as easy to hunt as a Manticore", came the bowman's reply, still holding his stance.
Meanwhile in the under brush of the woods Marcus was more then a little confused, "Half-blood?! Manticore?! What the hell is going on here?"
The two figures stood perfectly still as if like statute while the city around them continued on. All was quiet between the two combatants until a sound well more of a yell, came from the woods. After a few moments later the yelling louder but the sound wasn't a yell more like a call… a name.
"Nero… Nero when are you?" a male voice called from the woods. A few seconds later a teen wearing a black wife-beater, blue jeans with a sword in one hand, on his back a bow and a quiver for arrows, ran out of the woods.
Upon seeing the monster, the newcomer's freehand ignited with a ball-like flame and hurled at the Manticore so fast that the creature didn't have time to react. The fireball hit its target, the monster face who reeled back in pain. As the beast struggled in pain the silver-haired teen ran to the newcomer.
"I guess I got here just in time", the swordsman said when his companion reached him.
"I had him right where I wanted him, Spitfire", replied the silver headed bowman. Still hiding in the under brush the raven haired teen sat in awe and confusion.
"Did that guy just throw a fireball", he thought. Then he saw the Manticore, whose pain had finally subsided, looking at the two other teen with murder in his eyes.
"Damn half-bloods, I'll kill them", it growled as it pulled back its tail and flicked it forward shooting two spikes at the two other teen not pay attention.
With no time to think the raven hair haired teen jumped from his hiding place and yelled, "Look out you two".
It was as if time itself had slowed down, first the spikes were about hit the guy with the sword but he spun around and parried the spike like it was nothing. The other teen, Nero his name was, wasn't as lucky he had managed to move but the spike gazed him in the side leaving a deep cut.
Marcus was about go and help when he was pounced by the Manticore, "well another half-blood, looks like I get a two for one meal", it said licking it lips