RISE OF THE VOLTURI
RISE OF THE VOLTURI
A ONE-SHOT
"Maggots make way for Gen. Eisenhower!" the man in fatigues yelled in a West Virginian accent to a crowd of Marine onlookers.
The bald general of the armed forces in North Africa walked with his escorts on the littered streets of Volterra.
The small province in Tuscany was supposed to be a checkpoint to make sure the Italians didn't get any reinforcements from Germany, or from the other Axis powers due to its key position in the north of Rome.
"You called me up to help understand an issue?" the General asked the man in fatigues as they stepped across the streets.
"Yes…" The man said picking up a journal he had in his pockets. "We have two men MIA…I got one of their journals…"
"Good…" Eisenhower spoke softly
"…the rest of them?"
"There was only one man with the two reported and he was found dead near that cathedral…it stretches my mind…the big one that gets a good look at Pisa…but I digress…the fact is that it is weird since we have remains of a Tiger in the area…"
"A Tiger? Is it still?"
"No…That's the thing…these things survive our strongest grenades…yes there it is burnt to a crisp…but a five foot gaping hole in it as if it where torn apart."
"Jesus Christ…where is it…"
"You are standing on it" he spoke pointing at the floor around the men.
"So who's the KIA?"
"Lt. Michael Marione…a New Yorker from the South Bronx…a real piece from Patton himself, supposed mob family connections…you know Patton's third army stuff…sent here to help us the cocky bastard…"
"Ok the two MIA?"
"Oh here's a treat…the other's Third Army too…Sgt. Felix Oresca…another piece of work…Mexican immigrant from San Francisco and was an ex-felon…did a lot of thievery out in the Market area…the courts threatened Alcatraz for him or war…guess what he picked…"
The general nodded. "The other?"
"Oh you'll love this one Dimitri I believe, or Dimetri…I have no idea Russian isn't my specialty…but he had that name…I am pretty sure though the name is Dimitri Kashkov and here's the kicker…he was an Intelligence Officer for the Soviets…one of Stalin's boy to make sure we did a great job here…
…Russian cook back in Leningrad…family of cooks…all the way to serving the Czar. Damn is Stalin a bastard or what…making sure he checks on us…is this kid vengeful or what…"
"I'll take a note of it…"
"If you say so…this one is Oresca's personal diary…it's detailed…el Almein, Benghazi, Kasserine Pass, then right here in good old Italy and Monte Cassino…hmm here's his last page…"
"Last page?"
"Yah well pages…his last entry I should say…what they are doing here…the idea of home…this kid wrote a lot in here too…so lets see what this kid wrote down last…could help find where this one popped to…"
"Why did you need me though…" the General asked…"This seems pretty simple…"
"Not really…
…you see general…I have read this already but I need to show it to you because this is something new…
…trust me this is unbelievable because he tells of how the hole came in place and well it's best read aloud…I hardly believe it myself…because it kind of enters the supernatural here…
…I mean…this is possibly the strangest story I have ever heard…this isn't a normal MIA in all cases aside…"
"Well lets here it!"
"Alright…don't tell them I didn't warn you sir…May 5th, 1944"
"Wait…that was two days ago?"
"Another strange thing…that's how I got this call…we got called for back-up…so continuing…May 5th, 1944…"
May 5th, 1944 my dear old friend…Volterra, Italy…
The place is actually very quaint. It's out here in Tuscany not far from Pisa. You can actually see the tower from these lengths, from the top of that cathedral here you could probably see the tilt, god how strange is this world…I can see something bend so well in gravity and not fall, I believe life in general is strange or I wouldn't have been sent from Monte Cassino for this cake job as a checkpoint officer.
I have to block any reinforcements from coming, funny huh? Me, my good old friend Mickey, and old Dim that Russian Bastard (jokingly of course if he sneaks a peek) are just standing here watching the birds fly around. We got nothing better to do.
We only get what's left in this city since some guys from the first battalion smoked this place out a few days ago and cleared all civilians out of here. It had an eerie feel to it, in this abandoned town. It is almost like we are being watched at all times, as if the ghost of the Medici family is paying us a visit…
"We should just ditch nothing happens here…" Mick would tell me on few occasions but it was calm here. Even when that creeping sensation filled the air, it's 3 PM.
It is now 5 and twilight hour, and no action. Me and Dim just saw something from the corner of our eyes creep over in a kind of bulky shadow…a Panzer? Tiger? It kept coming…all I knew was that is wasn't one of ours…Then it came, a big old fucking Tiger just spotted us…We where standing in the cathedral courtyard chilling down and it spotted us…
…Then rang the explosions as it rocked the cathedral. Luckily we got out in time and we stood at it. We grabbed all we had…a few grenades…a Tommy Gun and…well a few grenades as we fired and fled.
Of course nothing hurt it…it was a fucking Tiger tank; those things could survive a hurricane and stand still through it for all it cared. So we ran until I heard a cry…screaming…Mickey got hit! So I and Dim ran to him. He had his legs blown off.
We all had been members of the Third Army and met at Monte Cassino when we got sent here. Dim was an assisting officer from the Soviets, and me and Mick where just a bunch of punk ass leathernecks. Dear god hopefully he was ok…who am I kidding that fucking thing just shot his legs clear off…thank god the kid was still conscious!
Dim and I grabbed his arms as he asked me…"Felix just kill me damn it!"
Hell if I could…I could never hurt my friend…so there we ran to an Alley as it continued rocking the boat.
Then something popped out of nowhere…
Something out of fucking nowhere…
A large man…eyes like that rock…Rubies set on marble…
Unfeeling…
He just stood there on the road now…he appeared out of an alley…what was he?
We cleared the fucking sight! What was this motherfucker doing there?
Then he grinned and walked to the Tiger. It fired at him, just fired at him with shells and bullets, and nothing fazed him. He just stood there…taking it all smiling as he grabbed the nozzle and…Tore it apart?
The man just literally tore the nozzle off! Mick was coughing and not noticing, but Dim and I where standing there numb and stupefied.
This was our chance. We ran out and began firing, god that was stupid. First Dim got wrung down pretty hard by the turrets still standing and was throttled against a building shot up.
The minute I stared back to look, I was wrung up myself and shot back. But with that I was able to see it all, the Cathedral standing over them like a ghost. The invisible man smiled and grabbed the front of the tank and tore a clear hole through it, and I mean it was clear as if it where struck by a large artillery shell.
I was able to hear a German curse as he ran his hand through and tore the man driving from his seat, there we heard and saw it for ourselves, this man tear his skull off his body and toss both parts out behind him. How did he?
More bullets rang out as the man continued walking and grabbing the other man by the neck just threw him like a pitch at Yankee Stadium, just a clean cut throw to the metal plates as we heard from back here his bones shatter against the steel.
The man then smiled and walked to us punching through the machinery grabbing a few wires and stepped out.
As he stepped out the tank exploded almost beautifully behind him as if it where painted in the backdrop.
And this man…was the angel of destruction…of war…
…Of the End.
Luckily you where left unharmed friend, next to my heart little book of leather you are safe…For I can write this with the worst behind us. The man walked to Dim now who was struggling to breath.
I heard the man say a few things about 'Mortal Coil' and 'becoming Death' and then I saw it.
Legends circulated through San Francisco about this but to see it…he bit him in the neck! Just bit him and drank his blood…and Dimitri stood again dizzy…his eyes blank…what was going on…
Then he walked to Mickey…Mick…was Catholic and I could hear what he said. The man spoke something of him being the strongest, which was new, he was actually the 'runt' of the platoon we where in…But then I heard Mickey spit and speak.
"Curse you foul Demon! How dare you speak to me of this in front of a house of god! How dare you pervert his creation! I would rather die then become another demon in the side of the Devil! GET BEHIND THEE SATAN!"
The man smiled and nodded…
"As you wish"
The man turned his hand back and slapped him. The slap in itself was powerful as I heard it; I heard Mickey's neck snap and twist as it possibly turned completely around. His voice was quiet, his body now limp and dead, and his valiant spirit gone.
Mickey…my friend was dead, and Dimitri a zombie Vampire…what was to be my fate my trusted friend?
Then came my turn as the man smiled.
"My name is Aro brave soldier, and I see potential in you…Felix I believe I listened correctly, I have been watching you three with great interest…join me and my coven and help control are kind…Vampire's as the locals wish to call us"
Creepy this was all in Standard English. I believe he even spoke Russian to Dim.
"You see…I will explain us…the Volturi later…but I am here to lend you my hand…do you wish to stay in this mortal coil and die…or do you wish to become immortal…defy the world you set out and beat Death at his own game?
For what I offer you is to be Death and leave your meager existence behind and become nothing less than a legend! A GOD! So join me…leave this mortal coil behind and drink the great nectar…loose this existence and become the true power! Don't you want to take revenge on those people who hurt you? Then take the reigns of Death and JOIN ME!"
He had me at immortal, what life did I have back home? No it was time…Time that I change things and fight this war on my own terms. I nodded to the offer as Aro smiled, those eyes staring me down.
"Then you shall enjoy this friend!"
There he sank his teeth into my neck, they look so small…but they left a mark. I felt it Journal, the burn that burn as if it tore my body from the inside…the pain, the pain of death. So this was it huh? The great trial to be immortal?
I would have it! So I took it like any good Marine…I strove and took the pain.
Then the burning stopped and the sight clouded and it was dark…
Next thing I knew it was night with Aro and Dim smiling over me holding their hands out to me. I took them and wrote this last note down as I leave you.
They are now guiding me through the darkness to introduce me to these keepers of Death…
These Volturi…and I welcome the presence…and this thirst…this thirst for the blood of the Wicked…of the Nazi's…of those who wrong me…How I want it.
So I leave you journal…Here I leave you on the road…For any who find this do not worry we are here to protect you…
For the night we shall guard to the bitter end! Oh Sweet Immortality HOW I WELCOME THEE!"
"That was it…we found it…at the back of the Cathedral…near the maze in the back."
"So that was all?" The General asked with a sharp gulp in his throat as he stared at the remains of the Tiger.
"Vampires…Christ…what are we dealing with?"
"At least they are on our side…"
"At…shhh" The General spoke as he stared up. Three men stood there with Ruby-red eyes. The center man was large and in a suit, the other two had military fatigues and where staring at them as if to say one thing.
"Leave…"
So the General nodded with a slow exasperation.
"I say we move all military in Tuscany to Rome now…I believe this area is well guarded…"
"Sir I cannot help but agree that was best…"
They looked down for a second as if pondering there next move and looked up again. They where gone.