Nora's POV.

Argo dropped us off at the end of the midtown tunnel. 

"Okay, now we go to. . ." Kia said looking at the sky while thinking.

 "We go to the E 34th st. It's the closest way to the Empire State Building" Gabby interrupted Kia. Kia looked at the ground in shame then nodded and said: "The midtown tunnel is this way." 

It looked like Kia was finally warming up to Gabby. 

We walked as fast as we possibly could without making it obvious that we were up to something. This was awkward. 

"So" I say trying to break the silence, "What's up" 

Belle gives me an awkward smile. She knows my secrets. Oh no the pain!

 "The sky" Kia says. 

"Huh" was my intelligent answer. 

"The sky. The answer to your question" Kia says sarcastically.

 Well I know she's still angry with me about being friends with Belle and Gabrielle but really, sass, that's what she goes to. 

We had just gotten to the middle of the first block out of the midtown tunnel when we heard footsteps but they weren't normal footsteps it was like more of a trotting sound that echoed from behind us. 

"Monster" Belle said clenching her fists, getting ready for a fight. 

A almighty bellow came from 100 meters behind us. Gabrielles face paled at the sound. 

"That's no ordinary monster. That's a minotaur" Gabrielle whispered so quietly we could barely hear her. 

 Strategize. Think Nora think, what's a strategy. 

"Remember the stories your dad used tell us about him fighting the minotaur" Belle said. 

"Yes, yes I do" Gabby said, "Everybody when the minotaur is coming right after you stand there and move to the left or the right at the last second and try to distract it. I have a plan" 

Everyone nodded. We spread out.

 I know I shouldn't feel this right now but I'm sorta exited, I mean this is my first real fight and I finally get to use Day & Night. 

Kia moves her hands left and right and slowly a sword made of shadows forms in her hands.

 I flick my hands and Day & Night appear in my hands. Aaaaah the bliss of feeling them back in my hands. They feel like old friends. 

Belle takes a small pocket knife made out of imperial gold from her right converse running shoe. I didn't now she had that.

 I'm now bouncing on my toes. 

Gabrielle draws a sword. There's an inscription on the side in greek. I think it says Coralean. It looks like it's made of atlantean coral. She's lucky. Kia told me that there are only a few pieces of those left. 

Another almighty roar came from 50 meters away now. Its close.

 The minotaur ran into sight. 

"Hey stupid, you know that I eat beef chops for dinner every night, right" Belle insults. 

The minotaur clenched it's meaty fists as it roared again. It ran straight towards Belle and she just stood there. It was stressful just watching it.

 The minotaur came closer and closer just as it was about to grab Belle she ducked to the right and slashed her double sided pocket knife across the minotaur's right arm. 

"Hey meathead" I yelled hoping to distract him from Belle. It worked. The minotaur came running at me like a bullet train. 

I stayed in the same spot until the minotaur was right in front of me than I dodged his arm that grabbing for my throat and cut off all the fur on his chest. 

Whoopsies that might have made him a bit more angry I thought to myself as he roared again. 

I started to run from him, faster and faster and then I turned quickly to face the giant half man half bull which at the moment was trying to kill me. 

The minotaur was so angry I could see steam coming out of its ears. 

"So meat stuff you're so um not intelligent that you shall not comprehend what I am saying, don't worry I'll stay here while you attempt to comprehend what I just communicated." I yell at him.

 His eyes bulge and he roars. 

Maybe I'm a bit too good at insulting him. 

He starts to run at me and suddenly I see every thing in slow motion. The Minotaur slowly moves his arms and legs in my direction and I see his muscles clenching especially in his right arm so he must think I'll be going right I think, my ADHD kicking in. 

Then everything goes back to fast motion. 

Belle is calling for someone to help me. 

Gabby is nowhere to be seen and so is Kia. 

Then I smell meaty trashcaney (A/N That is definitely not a word but I don't care) disgusting breath. 

I whirled my head around and ducked to the left as fast as I could and slashed Day down the minotaur's stomach right down to his belly button and with Night I grazed the minotaurs cheek. 

Which was an incredible feat for me because, to put it simply the minotaur was tall and I was short. 

Right as the minotaur was going for me again a tiger made of shadows jumped on the minotaurs back and dug its claws into his shoulders and the tiger growled a warning in its ear.

 I wondered who that shadow tiger could possibly belong to until a voice came from across the tunnel: "Pork head stop trying to hurt my friends". 

It was Kia.

 She was standing on a pile of shadows. 

The Minotaur roared at her comment. 

"Come and get me" Kia taunted. 

Then the minotaur started to run at her. Kia glared at the oncoming Minotaur. She jumped down from shadow cloud and the minotaur came barreling at her. 

Kia ducked to the left and stabbed the minotaur in the leg. Then the wound slowly closed as if it had never been there. Kia's eyes widened as the minotaur came at her again. Just as the minotaur got to her she jumped to the right and stabbed the minotaur in the right leg and just like the last stab it slowly closed and the Minotaur started to run at Kia again. 

She tried to duck to the right again but the minotaur's nasty hand shot out and grabbed Kia by the neck. 

The minotaur slowly started to squeeze draining the life out of her. 

Kia kicked the minotaur multiple times but it never worked. Then she tried pulling the minotaurs gigantic hands off her neck but it didn't work and the minotaur kept squeezing the life out of her. I started to run to Kia hoping I could save her life but it felt like everything was going in slow motion. 

Then right as Kia's eyes slowly closed someone jumped out of the shadows onto the minotaurs head and plunged a sword made of coral into the minotaurs head.

 It was Gabrielle.

 Slowly the minotaur turned to golden dust and Kia fell from his deathly grip and gasped for air. That's when I reached Kia.

 "Oh My Gods I thought you were going to die. Don't ever do that again." I yelled at Kia. 

"Okay just don't ever try and to get yourself into danger again" Kia whispers in a raspy voice; her voice is probably sore from when the minotaur choked her.

 I pulled her up and whispered thanks to Gabby. 

She nods to me in response. Then Belle runs up to us. 

"We better start moving before monsters worse than the minotaur find us." She says. 

Kia gets up and together we start walking.