The Jeep's engine purred through the night as we sliced through the emptied streets, the flickering lights our only guidance along with our headlights. "Ah, Hells to the No's!" Josh shouted out from the back as we pulled up beside our high school; Halo High. We all spotted them at once. It was an evil sight, truly; those traitors sitting upon our high school's stoops. Well, they weren't truly traitors but more like our mortal enemies. There were what, six of them? I guess they outnumbered us so it'd be smart to move on. The one that I truly spotted was him; October. He was just sitting there, his black tendril-like hair falling over his paled face. Of course he only seemed to illuminate the surroundings around him. He wore a black dress shirt over his t-shirt and a pair of jeans along with his pair of wing-tipped shoes. I have no understanding of what fashion he thought he was pulling off.
October's pale hands were what caught me. Though the luminescent skin caught hold of most light it was what was on his hands that shocked me fully. A thick red liquid dripped off of his nails. No one else seemed to notice him at all but merely stared at his empty lackeys all around him. "What the fuck are they doing here?" Alexis hissed from behind me. But this didn't shock me away from the sight of his bloodied hands. His own eyes had paused on me. I had seen October from photos that some of my friends had shown me. He was a common enemy between every branch of Midnighters. With a slow, swift movement he raised his hand and pointed it towards our car. "Oh, fuck yeah! He wants a fight, he can get one," Josh snickered as he reached into the back of the Jeep. I heard the clang of metal. Of course he'd chosen the crowbar. I smirked slightly to myself, prying my eyes so that I stared down at the door's design, allowing my blonde hair to fall in front of my face. "Get back here, Josh," Rex growled. I heard the click of the door opening and I snapped my head upwards to see what was happening.
And I couldn't believe my eyes. Josh ran full-frontal at one of the wannabes and raised his crowbar. But as it struck down, the single hand on a clock striking to six, the metal full on shattered as though glass against marble from a high distance. My eyes widened a distance and my hands worked blindly at the door, finally unlatching the door. Have you ever had a moment where things are so devastatingly awful that they go so slowly, as though just to torture you with your own mistake? That was what this was. I dashed forward, my legs pulling me no quicker than they should. "Ray! Get back!" Rex shouted at me. But I didn't listen to him. I don't know what possessed me to do what I did but I merely did this. I kicked out Josh's legs from beneath him so that he fell to the ground. This was the slow-mo part; the wannabe's hands collided with my stomach and my shoulder as though this was how he'd planned. I don't know; maybe he had.
As the wannabe lifted me off the ground, Alexis's screams echoed in my ears. When I turned my head I could see that Rex was being held back as…a wannabe…bit…Alexis…
"Are we there yet?"
I snapped my eyes open at Becca's annoying battering. I was slightly ashamed the second that I saw my reflection in the rearview mirror. That day…it had killed me…half way at least. I was partially dead. And for just the briefest of milliseconds, my eyes had shown just a flicker of the red that my human blood remained. But soon they were back to their constant brown. It was a shade close to red and yet could never truly convince anyone of their crimson attribute. "Will you be quiet, girly?" Nick snipped at Becca. I frowned at my sister, who now settled in the passenger seat ahead of me.
"I just want to get there and see who these damn kids are so that we can—," I swiftly kicked the back of Becca's seat before she could finish. I was fairly careful not to use too much force but it still caused a satisfying lurch. "Don't talk about matters that way." I demanded to her. Becca shot just the briefest of glares towards the rearview mirror and my reflection. "Whatever," She muttered. I sighed at this and sat up straight. "How much longer until we're there, Nick?" I questioned as I lifted my sweater sleeve off of my wrist. It was allegedly 8:30 in the morning. What was Becca doing up? "We're actually in the town now, so it should only be a few moments before we actually find the school." Nick said absently, his southern drawl becoming thinner as his eyes searched.
I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. As the last remaining Original, I was meant to request persons (and other beings) into the Midnighters. Two had died on the night that my dream occurs on while Rex…he'd died only recently. My thick blond hair was now trimmed neatly to a professional chin-length. I was dressed appropriately, I guess. It was cold out so I had appropriated myself into a wide-necked black sweater with sleeves that hung lazily over my wrists and hands to match with the pair of light-wash jeans that compared to the snow outside in only the slightest of icy colors. My feet were clad in a pair of knee-high wedge boots, hidden beneath the legs of my jeans. But I couldn't feel the cold. No, I haven't been able to feel the cold for the past five months; since that night.
The truck finally clambered to a stop and I sighed in slight relief. I wasn't too surprised that my breath didn't come out as the same puffs of white air that Becca and Nick's did. Of course neither of them noticed. I took in a slight breath before shutting the truck door and crunching my feet into the snow. "Aren't you cold, Ray?" Becca questioned. I frowned at my sister but smirked a little bit. "Not in the slightest," I said as I climbed up the steps. It must have seemed odd to the students around us. I clutched the large manila envelope in my hand, hoping to keep it secure from freezing over. Hopefully the Masons or the Cullens or whoever did not mind a personal visit. "Did you leave the other one in the car?" Nick questioned as he eyed the envelope. Of course he had the gist of what it said, but not the important parts.
"Stay outside and keep guard; anything suspicious you call my cell immediately." I ordered the two. They both nodded though Becca's agreement was a bit reluctant. I sighed and rolled my eyes at my sister. Though she was my sister, she hadn't the fiercest clue as to what I was nor was Nick. Nick was merely the leading of branch 47. He was just there. "Take this seriously, Becca." I snipped at her before opening the door and stepping inside. The second that I stepped a foot in the door, there was a buzz or murmurs echoing throughout the hall, bouncing off the lockers to reach my sensitive hearing. Who is she…what is a freshman doing here so early…what's in the envelope…is she a delivery person… I ignored the questions that roamed the halls.
It was obvious that there wasn't much news in this dinky, dink town. This didn't matter. I lifted my sleeve again to check my black leather watch. 8:45… I frowned as I broke into a steady jog. Great…I had to find them, too. If you're wondering about the freshman comment then yes, I am fifteen and so obviously so. Of course this means that I will forever be fifteen but…I couldn't do much about that now. I made a turn at the corner and couldn't help but smirk slightly as I spotted them. It was so obviously them that I wondered how no one knew that they inhabited the same town as vampires.
I suppose they were ditching class seeing as they were walking towards the exit. There were two of them for now and I had already conjured up their names from their description; Edward and Bella. The mind-reader and the shield, I suppose I should say. Both of them had their backs turned to me but I could so obviously make off the descriptions of them. Edward had a perfectly chiseled face, perfectly contoured in every dimple and feature. His eyes were a bright golden topaz, hidden beneath thin copper brows. His hair was a mussed copper red. His skin was so eerily luminescent that it gave me a random chill as I made my way up to them. He was wearing a black dress shirt along with a pair of jeans and a pair of leather black tennis shoes. The girl, Bella, had long, liquid chocolate hair it seemed with beautiful streaks of highlights. Her eyes were the same shade as Edward's though it was slightly brighter. She wore a black t-shirt and a gray Hoodie along with a pair of jeans and a pair of her own high tops. It seemed that no matter what she came off looking as a model just as he.
"Edward and Bella, right?" I announced as I stepped up to the pair. Both looked at me, a bit shocked. "Um…yes. May we help you?" Bella asked cautiously, her brows furrowing in slight curious confusion. I grinned at her, which seemed to catch her off guard. I held out the envelope, not sure as to whom I was meant to give it to. "Another one will be sent to your house for Carlisle and Esme." I informed them as Edward accepted the envelope. I offered another smile though this one was much less eager.
I turned on my heel and headed to the direction I'd come from. When I exited the school I glanced down at my watch again. 9:13…how does time move so quickly when in times of peril it moves so slow? I sighed as I glanced at the truck. Becca and Nick were munching on cheeseburgers. "Did you deliver the second envelope?" I inferred as I approached them. Becca nodded and waved her cheeseburger. "And still had time to do a drive-by," Becca said through a mouthful of a double-stack. I frowned at my sister and shook my head in mock disapproval before climbing into the back seat of the truck. "You need to take this more seriously, Becca." I warned her as I buckled my seatbelt. She snorted at this and rolled her eyes.
"Now what?" Becca inferred. I frowned at her. "We wait in a nearby town for the call and if they do call and make a meeting then I will meet up with them." I said and shrugged. "Why are we even going after these…Mason people?" Nick questioned. I sighed again and reached up to rub my temples. "Because they have important talents to defeat October and the others," I said. Okay, so this wasn't the full truth. The full truth was because they were vampires as well and they were vegetarian at that. Vegetarians against October, who wants to make everyone his slave. October was like the modern day Dracula with his ability to enslave people. I don't understand how but he hadn't been able to enslave me though he'd tried.
I was trying to keep the world, this world, from being enslaved by a cruel bastard who will make you walk onto a silver platter to be served to him. I was just trying to gain the forces of those around me. But Nick and Becca only knew that October had a lot of people on his side and he was a killer. I wanted them safe and I wanted them as far away from that bastard as possible. "How long is the grace period?" Nick questioned. "You will take Becca home but I told them they had a week to respond so I'll be staying in a nearby hotel with Midnighter funds." I answered. "What? Why?" Becca whined and turned halfway in her seat. "Because I am the Original and that means that I have to speak with them privately and confidentially. You, my dear sister, are a blabbermouth." I pointed out. Becca decided to pout this one out and so turned around in her stubbornness. "So, that's why you brought all that luggage?" Nick said sarcastically as he nodded to the only duffel bag that was seated underneath the seat from where I'd last dropped it, two days ago. "I brought only the bare minimum. I don't care that much about clothes and I can always wash them with my own cash." I said. I only had a scarce few outfits of underwear, bras, jeans and t-shirts; that along with the emergency wool jacket that I had.
Nick rolled his eyes at this and gave his own huffy sigh. "We'll drive you to Reginald from here but that's as far as I'm going before heading home. Just call when you need a ride home." Nick said. "I'll call as soon as I believe that the grace period is over." I corrected him. "Alright, alright," He said and turned his direction of conversation over to Becca. The two of them chatted until we got to the city of Reginald. When we finally parked in front of a hotel I got out, carrying my duffel bag in one hand and my jacket in the other hand. Becca got out grudgingly and hugged me. Though we were twins, she was a bit taller than me because of our semi-age difference. While I would remain at fifteen forever, she would remain growing. At least, hopefully. I gave my sister a friendly pat on the back, feeling somewhat like a midget, before she climbed back into the truck and drove off with Nick at the wheel.
I groaned a bit when I walked up to the hotel and checked in.
=x=X=x=
I was painting my nails and toenail a fresh coat of silky black when my cell phone rang. I picked it casually and pecked the green CALL button to answer. "Who is this and why are you calling?" I answered absently as I finished the final toe with a flourish and a slight smudge. "Is that how you always answer your phone?" An unfamiliar voice echoed through my ear. "Depends, who is this?" I muttered as I grabbed a tissue to wipe the smudge. Unfortunately, the tissue caught onto my wet fingernail. "Goddamned it," I muttered as I pulled the tissue off of my nail. They were all ruined. "This is Edward Mason," The voice answered. I shrugged to myself. "Has your family come to a decision or do you want to talk it over?" I questioned. "Goddamned it," I muttered again.
I was repainting my nails. "Have I caught you at a bad time?" Edward questioned. "No, I'm painting my nails and the goddamned nail polish is all over the freaking place." I grumbled as I looked at the mass of tissues from my already-multiple tries at painting my nails. "But what's more important is that…damn it!" I cried out as I realized my nail polish got on my face when I had adjusted the phone. I heard a breathy chuckle from the other end. "What's more important, I was meaning to say, was whether your family has come to a decision or if you want to talk it over. If you don't want to participate then I can go home and if you want to talk it over then your place or mine?" I said. There was a beat of silence for a moment and I waited to hear the dial tone to signal he'd hung up on me. "Our place," Edward said. I frowned at this. "Alright; I'll be over in a jiffy. Just give me the address." I said. I glanced down at the chaos and mayhem. "I am never painting my nails again." I grumbled and sighed as I got up.
Edward gave me the address which I quickly wrote down and went to the bathroom, promising to be there by five. It was 4:15 right now which gave me an opportunity to quickly wrap up a good cleanup before running over there.
After having a war with nail polish remover that semi-hurt I made my way out in a fresh pair of black skinny jeans along with a gray V-neck sweater and my black wool trench coat. I wore my usual boots along with it but instead they were on top of my jeans. The second I was out of plain sight I dashed for it. I was glad to realize my surroundings blur at a sound-barrier-breaking speed. I definitely enjoyed my vampiric speed. By the time I'd made it to the address my hair was definitely screwed up. I quickly fixed it in the reflection of the house's window before heading up to the door.
This was a heavy-set house, beautiful in its own unique way. Despite the constant snow, there was a beautiful tree planted just outside of the window. The entire house was made of wood and glass, maybe even some steel. The main door had a silver pump handle and a wooden frame to surround the frosted glass door. I knocked on the frame even though I knew they'd already heard me coming. Edward opened before I could knock twice. He offered a polite smile but that was all that it was. He wasn't wearing anything formal today; just a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. No shoes, no socks. I smiled at him and gave a small wave. "Nice to see ya again," I grumbled, my brows furrowing. Edward gave a sigh and rolled his eyes before taking a step back. "Please, take off your shoes. Esme would kill you if you tracked mud into the new carpet." Edward chuckled to let me know he was joking about the killing. I nodded and unzipped my boots. I kept my thin black nylon knee-high socks on, though. I didn't want them to see the crappy job I'd done on my toenails.
"What is your name?" Edward inferred. Crap; I never put my name into the letter, did I. "Raven Kyle, but you can call me 'Ray'." I answered with a small approving nod at my own introduction. It was slightly sarcastic though. Nice job, Kyle. You never told them your fucking NAME. "As you already know, I am Edward," He said politely and held out his hand. I smiled and shook it. "Well, it's nice to properly meet you, Edward," I said politely. Edward nodded his approval before leading me into the main living room. "We will be meeting in the dining room. I hope that you do not mind." Edward informed me. I shrugged. "It's all good as long as we get a final decision." I answered. "Do you wish for me to take your coat? I imagine it must be very warm what with the heater on." Edward said. I frowned at him then looked around. "Oh, I hadn't known. I don't feel…well, ya know." I said and shrugged but took off my coat nonetheless.
Edward accepted the coat and took it to the closet. "Well, you're pleasant," I complimented. Edward chuckled and shook his head in slight disbelief. "You are blunt," He responded. "Of course I am," I muttered as I followed Edward. We passed by many photos, often ones I'd suppose they'd pass off as an ancestor or an older relative. Each was framed delicately on the cream-colored walls. The carpet was a thick white color, beautiful and pure. We finally came to a set of sliding wooden doors. Edward pulled back the door to reveal a long wooden dining table with about ten occupied seats along with two empty seats. Let's start with Carlisle; the father of the family.
Carlisle was at the right head of the table. He had a full head of golden hair, slicked back to reveal his luminescent pale face. His golden eyes matched his subtly sharp features yet they held a soft ease, a luxurious calm in them. I knew that calm; love. I had once had that calm. Carlisle was wearing a thick black V-neck sweater with a pair of jeans. Obviously Esme had made the others take off their shoes as well. Some of them had socks on, as Carlisle had on a pair of gray socks, while others went around with none on. Carlisle was seated with his right leg crossed over his left and his hands clasped calmly on the table. He was currently chuckling at something someone had told.
The one on his right would be Esme. She had a head of long caramel colored ringlets to match her beautiful heart-shaped face and small, iridescent beauty mark. Her golden eyes matched Carlisle's with such audacity it was heart-breaking to watch. She wore a silky black wide-necked sweater along with a long, flowing gray skirt made of a satin-smooth material. She wore a pair of pale satin slippers on her feet. I could only imagine her eyes were once a beautiful jasmine green at a point. Her right ankle was crossed over her left with her hands twisted in her lap. She seemed just the slightest bit anxious though she still laughed along with her family.
The next on Carlisle's left was Alice, so obviously. She was seated eagerly, her legs folded under her as though she were at a slumber party instead of at a table. Her hair was spiked in tendrils down to the midst of her throat. Her skin matched that of a sunset moon; a beautiful pale phenomena. She had glittering golden eyes that shone with challenge and knowledge, possibly challenging the knowledge. She had on a black choker with a bronze emblem dangling from it. Below the collar bone was a short-sleeved lace cardigan with a black camisole tucked beneath the translucent fabric. She wore a pair of dark denim, so obviously designer it was painful to even think of the price tag.
Next to Alice was Jasper. He seemed prepared for a blow of human scent and yet I was assured there would be none seeing as I had no human scent left to cover the vampiric scent that I held. Jasper's blond hair was a mass of chaotic tangles, enshrouding his face into a depth of mystery. His golden eyes seemed to hold forgetfulness in them. He wore a pair of blue jeans along with a crisp blue dress shirt, buttoned all the way to the collar. He was one of the few that wore socks. He kept his feet on the ground, uncrossed and his hands in his lap, firmly placed palm-down on his thighs, probably in case he needed something to grip on that wouldn't break as easily as the table (that Esme would kill him for, no doubt).
And across from Jasper, beside Esme, was Rosalie. She was beautiful in the most ruefully angelic way. She had a halo of golden ringlets surrounding her entire frame down to below her shoulder blades. Her eyes shone true and protecting, loyal and firm. Note to self; do not piss off the angel. She wore a black tank top with a gray sweater cardigan and a pair of jeans, her feet boldly bare. She seemed to always hold a raw scowl on her face that she seemed to be able to make look good. Her left leg was tossed over her right leg casually while one hand settled on her thigh and the other hand settled on Emmett's knee.
My attention turned to Emmett, the one with the boisterous, infectious laugh. He seemed largest of them all, the size of a linebacker. He had a mass of black curls matted on his head from playful snow to match his pale, ebony skin. He wore a navy blue button-up V-neck with a white undershirt and a pair of jeans. He kept wiggling his toes on the carpet in playful joy while he kept his hands on Rosalie's hand in loving attribute. His own golden eyes held a joy, a love so deep it went further than soul mates, nothing beyond comparison.
I turned my attention to the final three of the room, the final three members of the family. Next to Emmett was obviously Renesmee. She was one of two without those memorable golden eyes but she was a naturally born half-vamp. She had a pair of mahogany brown eyes, the irises so deep and rich you could melt before them. She had a tangled mane of copper ringlets, falling to her elbows yet thrown casually over her right shoulder so she didn't accidentally hurt herself by pulling her own hair. She wore a blue button-up top much like Emmett's except with a gray undershirt and a pair of larger jeans. She too kept her toes and feet playful.
Next to Renesmee, of course, was Jacob. He too had a set of luxurious coffee-brown irises to match his russet skin. His hair was jet black yet grown out ever so slightly so it shadowed around his face. He was clean cut for a shape-shifter. He had on a black t-shirt and a pair of worn-out denim cut-offs. His feet were covered in socks, though probably because his bare feet would've been dirtier than any socks. He kept his hand enclosed with Renesmee's on the table top. His eyes kept an amused light though there was protectiveness and a steep joy, so luxurious it almost resembled pure ecstasy mixed in with his love. It was unbearable for one without a mate (namely me).
I quickly darted my eyes away from him to move onto the final member, the newest member of the family. Rosalie's son, as she had claimed him to be when they had discovered him. He looked no older than my age though his golden aged irises told all. Marcus Hale. I wanted to sigh at the name but I refrained from doing so. Marcus Hale, in my eyes, was the most luxurious of all of the Masons, Cullens or Hales. He had the same iridescent pale skin and yet it shone with a marvelous glow, one that showed he'd been pale even so before becoming that of the undead. Marcus had a full head of thick brown curls, matted at the top yet curled around the edges, much like Jasper's. He had just the palest of scars leading across his cheek that only my sensitive sight could pluck out.
He wore a green sweater, nothing special about the design, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal more of those scars. His jeans were held up by a thick black belt and his feet were bare as well, jokingly mocking the carpet. His topaz irises held knowledge yet playfulness in them, a beautiful quality in much.
Finally my eyes turned back to Carlisle and I waited patiently, clasping my hands behind my back. When no one made a move as to acknowledge me Edward cleared his throat. All went silent and all eyes turned in our direction. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" I couldn't help but saying. Carlisle stood up from his seat at once and held out his hand in my direction. I carefully placed my own hand into his and shook the marble hand that I knew I could break. I couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed by the spotted nail polish dotting my hands of my chaotic makeover gone wrong. "Absolutely," Carlisle agreed with a warm grin.
"I'm sorry for not putting my name in the letter; it was supposed to be there but I guess it didn't go in. I'm Raven Kyle." I said as I retracted my hand to my jean pocket. Rosalie looked at me, all warmth and laughter gone from her system, her eyes a glare. "We merely wanted to question…just what this is about." Carlisle stated and slid the letter out onto the table. I grimaced at it and blinked. "Well, it's sort of an invitation or a request." I said and shrugged, my hands still jammed into my denim pockets. My posture slacked a bit backwards so that I was just the slightest tinge casual yet not lazily so.
"You see, I am what's called the Original of a group called the Midnighters." I stated and huffed a sigh, wondering just how to explain this. Edward walked over to one of the empty seats and I noted that Bella had just walked in. They instantly joined hands beneath the table, Edward pecking a kiss on Bella's cheek and her loving gaze returning his. I shook my head at this. "What exactly is a Midnighter?" Carlisle questioned. I frowned at him and bit onto my lower lip. "A Midnighter is part of a national group. We used to be a peaceful group but now terms go to 'gang'." I said and sighed. Before Carlisle could say anything I silently pleaded. He accepted. "Now, before you protest, this is all in the name of humans and vegetarian vampires. There's been a threat to the chaotic world as we know it that could throw us all into a loop." I said and decided to hold my breath as everyone registered. "What do you mean a 'threat'?" Rosalie snipped. I turned to her. "There's a vampire named October. Think Dracula except worse." I said.
"October has the gift, the ability to enslave any human or vampire to his will. He can make you dance, sing or step onto a silver platter to be served right up to him." I informed them and waited again for them to process this. "How do you believe we can help?" Esme questioned, looking up at me with interest from her seat. She seemed concerned though this seemed to have piqued her interest. "Your abilities, your strength, your fabrication as a family can donate widely to training my…I suppose you call them troops though I know them as friends rather than soldiers." I said with resignation and a shrug.
"I've hand-picked every person in the Midnighters, pulling the stronger from the frailer so I can train them to become stronger. It's been a short amount of time but there are thousands of us, both vampires and humans with abilities." I informed them. My fingers silently gripped the inners of my pockets with anticipation. "You're just planning to randomly attack this October?" Jasper inferred, seeming almost a tinge disgusted. "No, we've fought him once before. It was thrown into a draw with casualties on either side." I said. "How many casualties? Tell us, what are the risks?" Esme inferred, her eyes growing more and more concerned by the second. "Though I don't want to frighten you, I can't lie to you. There used to be four Originals." I stated. "The strongest of ours were obliterated even if two of them were human." I said. "Two were human; you're a fourth and the other one?" Edward inquired. I frowned at him. "The other was Rex; he was just about the strongest vegetarian vampire that I'd known." I said as my face fell silently.
"How long has this been going on?" Carlisle inferred as his eyes darted to the letter. "Well, Midnighters has been alive for five years and I've taken charge as the last Original for five months." I stated. I know it was unimpressive, well, I was unimpressive but I was trying. "What if we said yes to this? How would this go on?" Emmett asked, excitement boiling in his eyes. Hope sparked in me. "Then you'd probably stay with the branch in this city and train them here or you can train with another branch." I said, hope showing in my voice. But this was when Jasper cut in again.
"And how do you fit in with this? You said that two of the Originals were human, one was a vampire and what are you?" Jasper asked. This time no disgust showed in his voice, no judgment but rather curiosity. I frowned at this. "Well, I'm a half-vampire. Not naturally born but turned…halfway." I said. There really was no other way to explain this. Jacob was looking from me to Renesmee, his love of his mate to what could match her species. Ha! See? If you hadn't read this, you would've never heard that sentence (probably)!
"I'm really just here for a final decision. You still have the rest of the week if you'd like to decide and I can stay in Reginald, where I'm staying, until you make up your minds." I suggested. "Reginald? Oh, no! You can't stay in Reginald!" Esme cried out, shock and horror shown in her eyes. "You've come all this way to see us! You have to stay here, as our guest," Esme pleaded. I blinked at her. Wow. "Um, actually…" I slightly stuttered. This was…well, I was being requested to stay in a home with others that I came to recruit. "We would be able to let you know just as soon as we figure out our response and it would be so much easier and we can't have a guest stay at a hotel." Esme sounded abhorred by the idea. I sighed my resignation. I was really a wimp.
"If it's not too much of a trouble…I mean you really don't want me to stay here." I tried. Emmett burst out into his boisterous, booming laugh. "She's afraid to stay with the vampires!" Emmett burst out. I blinked at him. My mate had been a vampire. That instantly struck a cord. Rex… The wound that was heartbreak was still fresh in my heart.
"I apologize for Emmett," Edward snarled and sent a glare to Emmett, obviously having heard my thoughts. "Oh, it's fine! I guess anyone could make that assumption." I laughed nervously. "It could be so much fun!" Alice suddenly cheered. "Oh, I could help you with your hair and your skin is kind of drab too and we could…" I think everyone tuned out Alice at that point. "Um…I don't know…" I said and swallowed the dry lump in my throat. But the look in Esme's eyes was enough to say I was done for. "Alright, I guess, but only one night." I said. Esme grinned. "Oh, yay, a guest," Rosalie grumbled and slapped her arms across her chest in stubborn agitation. "Don't worry; Rose will warm up to ya," Emmett said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "So…what cool powers do you have?" Emmett asked. This was the beginning of my first night with the Cullens/Masons/Hales.
=m=M=m=
I woke up, 8:30 on the dot. I did that a lot now. I was getting used to it. I stretched a bit, my yawn making a meow sound just the slightest. I fished myself out of the plushy bed and dug out my duffel bag. I plucked out my old gray towel and my shampoo along with a fresh set of clothes. It didn't take very long for me to take a shower and clean myself up.
When I was finished I towel-dried my hair and poured myself into my pair of jeans and my silvery stretchy V-neck sweater. It was a cute favorite to have. I grimaced down at my ruined toenails and pulled on my pair of black nylon socks. I wrapped my neck with a gray fashion scarf and brushed out my hair. When I zipped up my luggage and flounced down the stairs I was freshly replenished. It seemed that everyone was in the living room, appearing to be awaiting for my slumber to end and my consciousness to awake. This meant, of course, that they'd come to a final answer.
I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. You've done this plenty of times before, Kyle. Why can't you do it now? You can go through with the answer. They're excellent people; they deserve to be free of a vampire army. That was their answer; I was positive of it. They couldn't place their loved ones in danger; they couldn't make the mistake I'd made. They weren't as dumb as I. They weren't able to do that.
"As much as you believe that, Kyle, we have decided to do just that." Edward interrupted my thoughts. I was instantly shocked into oblivion with the voice of these words. "You've decided to train the others and fight as well?" I breathed to them. I blinked my eyes. "We've already fought in our own wars, Raven. We have to repay the world for fighting in ours." Carlisle said. I frowned at him. "What was it you were thinking?" Carlisle voiced curiously. "I was thinking that…you wouldn't want the risk." You wouldn't make the mistake I made. I swallowed again but sighed my resignation yet again. It was their choice. If they so chose to participate then they were allowed to make their actions of their own will. That is, after all, what we were fighting for; our own will. If October had it his way then we would all be slaves in one thing or the other.
I shut my open trap and refrained from yawning. "I guess I should show you to the headquarters that you'll be teaching in then." I said as I stared Carlisle straight in the eye. He nodded firmly and stood from his seat. "And most of them will be vegetarian vampires, Jasper. You wouldn't believe how ordinary the people here are." I scoffed as I made my way out the door. Jasper gave a tiny chuckle that made Alice smile. "Ooh, I wonder what we'll be teaching. This isn't with newborns anymore, this is experienced fighting. Should I just…?" Alice trailed off with the suggestion to Carlisle who looked to me. "Be my guest," I said and shrugged. Jacob and Renesmee were in tow, Marcus close behind. I frowned to myself. "Do you want to run or drive?" I asked them. I think all guys except for Carlisle broke into grins and smirks at this point in time. Renesmee rolled her eyes. "Boys will be boys." She sighed.
Jacob rushed into the woods to undress and Emmett was acting as though he were stretching for the Olympics. I rolled my eyes but smirked all the while and whipped off my scarf. I didn't want it flying off me as it often did. I tucked the scarf into my pocket and glanced around, trying to remember just how to get to the headquarters from here. "I suppose running should be best," I muttered. It was quite hidden after all. In fact it was quite literally underground, disguised as a warehouse.
When Jacob (finally) came back with his clothing in his mouth I couldn't help but snicker a bit. I frowned as I peered through the foresting, trying to spot the old warehouse. It should be close by. I finally spotted the old brick warehouse. It was almost crumbling to a point and yet I knew far better than to believe such. Most of the Midnighters in Vanessa (the town we were in) were really quite hi-tech. "Alright, I see it now," I said and nodded for the others to follow me. "Try to keep up," I smirked to Emmett. But I was honestly serious. I was fast.
The forest quickly became a blur, a motion picture sent into fast-forward at too fast a speed. Soon enough I found Emmett at my side along with Carlisle and the others. Renesmee was riding on Jacob's back, her head tucked down. When I finally skidded to a stop I was in front of the triple-story white brick warehouse. The windows were bashed in and graffiti (sprayed often by some of the pranksters or just from Midnighters/like the Eclipse sign) spattered almost every inch you could reach in colorful paint. I found myself quickly walking up to the creaking wood-plank door and pressing against it ever so softly. It fell with a bang, falling directly off its hinges. "We really need to fix that again," I muttered as I stepped inside. "This is it?" Rosalie scoffed. I frowned at her.
"Be patient, Rosalie," I said as I stepped over to a stack of wooden crates. Two knocks on the box at eye level pulled open a slit at my eye level (most people had to bend down to reach it). The retina-scanner quickly probed my retinal scan and then finally quipped to a green light. "Welcome, Raven Kyle," An electronic female voice droned, in a low seductive voice. Of course Rex hadn't wanted a male voice and I didn't really care so long as no one else heard it. I smirked lightly to myself at the memory of Andrew's annoyance with Rex's and my bickering. I thought it should have a password, like PICKLES or something. He thought it should have a retinal scanner. You can see who won (unfairly).
"Anyone can find a password," I whispered in memory as the boxes separated, the top and bottom box moving to the right while the middle box moved the left. This left a large gap in the wall along with a flight of stairs and a trail of beaming red lights. I turned to the family of impressed vampires. "Are ya coming?" I questioned curiously as I headed down the stairs. Marcus was first to join me with a smirk. "Yeah, are ya coming?" He mocked my tone. I rolled my eyes at him but grinned. That must've been my initiation or something because everyone seemed to nod their approval and follow down the stairs. It took down half-way down the 2-mile long spiral staircase for us to hear the shouts and cries of attack, grunts of sparring, etc. I smirked to myself as I pulled out my scarf yet again. I liked this scarf.
The second that I made it down the spiral staircase the glass automatic doors parted to make way to the extra hi-tech room. On one section of the room was an entire corner, four stories high, of nothing but plasma screens and a wrap-around keyboard of millions of keys. It was amazingly beautiful to the person sitting in the swivel chair in the center of the keyboard. "Andrew," I called out. His head snapped up but he didn't turn around. "Fresh trainers and new tactics," I cried out to him. He stood up from his desk and shook his head. "You don't come around for three months and you think I'll just forgive ya?" He snipped jokingly as he turned around to give a mock glare. He placed his hands on his hips for emphasis. He was wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt combo with his worn-thin-to-ironic-death leather jacket. He was a vampire, sweetie; he doesn't need glasses. His tousled brown hair seemed to compliment the embellished beauty mark on his cheek and his golden eyes.
"Uh, yeah," I scoffed as I whipped my arms open for a hug. Andrew chuckled as he complied by walking, ever so slowly, to me and gripping me up in a steep hug. "Who're the newbie's?" Drew asked with a slight grunt. "These are the Masons and Hales; Carlisle, Esme, Bella, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Renesmee, Jacob and Marcus." I introduced, pointing to each in their turn. "Wait…Carlisle? As in Carlisle Cullen?" Drew cried out. I flinched slightly at his raise in voice. "Oh, it's an honor; you have changed vampire lifestyle for positive, man!" Drew complimented as he whipped out his hand to shake Carlisle's hand. Carlisle grinned proudly as he shook Drew's hand. "Drew, here, is a prize-example of a reformed vampire." I said and clapped him on the shoulder. I glanced around the area. Mostly there were steel bags instead of sandbags (these were vampires, people) and monstrous targets of foam, steel, metal, etc. Almost every single paper target was either blown to smithereens or burnt to ashes.
"What are ya doing here?" I asked Drew curiously as I headed over to his computer. "I thought that I'd catch up on the latest updates in the whereabouts of Andrea." Drew said with a shrug as if it was no big deal. I turned to the Cullens and decided to explain. "Andrea is a human but she's basically like me with all the perks of a vampire but no thirst. She was born that way though and has decided to give into the temptation of world domination beside October." I explained to them. I turned back to the screens. After a few photos and vague information there was nothing but codes. "Ach! My brain hurts," I muttered after a moment of staring at the codes on the screens. Marcus was soon at my side, staring at the codes. "It's saying that she's in Italy but it doesn't say specifics." Marcus muttered absently. Drew smirked and clapped Marcus's shoulder. "Looks like I got me-self a partner in crime." Drew chuckled. I rolled my eyes. I pulled up my sleeve in time to watch the hand strike noon.
"Got to call Becca before she gets worried; I'll be right back down," I said to Drew and the others. Drew nodded absently.
Drew and Marcus quickly struck up a conversation about some techno-geek stuff. "Have a look around, play with the toys, have fun or just practice what you're gonna say to the troops." I said to the Cullens. Carlisle nodded as Emmett and Jasper set off towards the targets and bags. I smirked slightly to myself as I pulled out my bright green Razor cell phone. I made my way up the steps, closing the entrance on my way out. Vampires were fast and silent; if I left it unsupervised for even a second then we'd be dead within seconds. I flipped open my cell phone and went down the speed dials. I don't under how Rex got beneath Becca in that but he did. I really have to delete that. I sighed and scrolled to the Becca dial.
I punched in the green CALL button and waited for the ringing to stop. Becca didn't answer. "Hiya, Becca, just called to let ya know that I'm fine, they said yes and we're all good. I'll be home soon but not too soon; still gotta show them the ropes, ya know? Anyways, I just called to tell you that I'm safe and I hope you are too. Love ya, bye." I said before hanging up. I gave a small familiar sigh and glanced over at a couple of actual boxes. Those look comfy. I walked over and settled myself on top of one. After a few seconds it was painful. Not the sitting or anything; just the pain. It was just pain; loss, fear, rejection, no. I was never rejected. I might've been rejected by God but not by Rex and that's good enough. That's better than enough. If Rex could accept me, God rejecting me wasn't so bad. Rex was so much better than God.
"What happened to me?"
"Kyle, we need you to stay calm. How are you feeling?"
Rex? What had happened? Why couldn't I feel anything? No; I could feel stuff but it wouldn't register. I sprung open my eyes and stared at the ceiling in front of me. A single gasp escaped my mouth but…it was empty. No air would breathe in or out of me. How was it possible that this felt RIGHT? Rex smirked down at me albeit a bit bitterly. No, more than a bit. "You're gonna get used to that; trust me." He said. I frowned at him. He had scars. I'd never seen those scars before. There was a multitude of scars all along his right half. His shaggy blond hair fell just barely over them but they were so pale…how was I seeing them?
Rex's golden eyes stared down at me and I frowned again. "What…what happened to me?" I breathed. No, I exhaled but I never breathed. Rex frowned at me as his eyes filled with sadness. But no tears; never tears. "Kyle, we need to talk."
I sprung open my eyes to the fresh ceiling of the warehouse. What was I thinking? I had to get back down there. I looked down at my watch. It was only 12:10. Jeez, I am such a loser. I stood up and gave a stiff yawn before heading to the retinal scanner. That Cullen bed made me crave more time on it; jeez. I quickly made my way down to the training lobby. "Renesmee, Jacob, you might want to head home in order to catch up on sleep. Midnighters meet at midnight, ya know." I informed them as I came down, my hands buried in my pockets. Jacob grunted an absent agreement from where he was punching a bag with Emmett, probably to see who could take it down. I frowned in their direction. Though I was a hard-ass I didn't want to be too thick on them on their first day. "You have to take this seriously, ya know." I reminded him.
A loud whistle erupted through the room, making me jump with the shock of it along with just about everyone else. I turned to find Carlisle had done so. "Thank you," I said to him. "Time to get home so Nessie and Jake can get rest before tonight. It is tonight, correct?" Carlisle said. I nodded. "Every night," I said. Drew sighed. "When are ya heading home, Kyle?" He asked. I frowned at him and shrugged. "As soon as I show them the ropes Nick's gonna have to pick me up." I said. "Nick? Aw, man, why ya gotta pick out the dude? Why couldn't ya just drive the Jeep?" Drew asked. I instantly frowned at this. "That's Rex's Jeep; unless you're Rex, you go nowhere near that Jeep." I snipped at him. With that I took my leave.
MARCUS:
We all watched Ray leave the training room, Drew beside me and the others watching from their various positions. Her chin-length blond hair bounced with every movement. Her eyes had flashed the most vigorous red in that second, probably from the human blood that she shared with her vampire partial.
"What. Was. That?" I asked Drew. He sighed. "She doesn't like people touching Rex's stuff still." He said with a shrug. "Uh, duh?" I scoffed. Emmett snorted and came up to our side. "So, what was up with Rex and Ray, anyways?" He asked. I frowned at him. "Should we really be digging dirt in the past?" I sighed to him as Rosalie came up to me. Of course my adoptive mother chose to be affectionate and began to stroke my hair. I loved her as much as I would a mother so she would forever be her; my mom.
"Uh, yeah," Emmett said as though it was the simplest thing in the world. To him, it probably was. I gave a final sigh. But I admit; I was kind of…well, interested. "Rex and Ray were the two original Originals. They were the very first of Midnighters back five years ago. She was ten, he was…well, immortal." Drew snorted. "They met when he was kicked out of his clan for turning veggie. She found him, I guess. They started a friendship, a bond then Midnighters. It started out with secret meetings at Midnight, just rides around the city and pranks on unsuspecting buildings such as the high school. Well, that was kind of expected." I think we all had a good laugh at that except for Esme and Carlisle who just gave disappointed but resigned looks.
Everyone was listening now to the tale of Raven Kyle. "She didn't know he was a vampire and she was a tomboy so pranks were pretty much in for her." Drew shrugged as he said this. "Soon Ray made a friend; Alexis; and Rex made a friend; Josh." Drew said. "The other two Originals. They all gathered every night at midnight behind their parents' backs, pulling pranks and dishing out good ol' fashioned happiness. They were completely inseparable. Then, about two months into Midnighters, they began to get more and more of the Midnighters. That was when Rex learned about what was happening to most of the people who were disappearing; they were becoming October wannabes. Slaves to his power and his vampire allure." Drew said. I heard Renesmee hiss in a small breath at this. "At first Rex thought that no one would be able to do anything but then he heard that there were more veggie vamps. He heard about all of us and decided that if he could get enough to fight then we'd be able to win and tie up those baddie eyes of October's." Drew went on. Something told me that things weren't going to go well.
"Of course Ray was left in the dark about vampires. She wasn't supposed to find out as far as Rex was concerned. He wanted her protected, not put into the world of the Underworld." Drew said sadly. This obviously didn't happen seeing as Ray was here and spellbound. "Things went fine for about four years. Then about six months ago, Rex was called by a psychic he knew. The psychic told Rex that Ray wasn't fated to be human and that she would be changed soon." I hissed in a breath from this. Rosalie placed a hand at the base of my neck to comfort me and I reached up to squeeze her reassuring hand.
"About a month after the call, they went out for the usual Midnight standards. Hit the roads, play the pranks, bust the high school." Drew said and shrugged. Edward gave a tiny roll of his eyes. "But October was there." Drew said. I think everyone went rigid. From what we'd heard October was strong, evil and gloomy. "Alexis and Josh were pissed which meant they went after the wannabes, unaware that they were vampires." Drew said and turned his eyes to glare at the ground beneath his feet. Esme made a strangled gasp and covered her mouth in horror and shock. "Ray was able to spare Josh a few last moments but wasn't able to stop herself from being the prey." Drew continued. I think if Esme could cry she would. This was like Stephen King tales, not real life. But I think we've all come to discover that horror is life.
"She wasn't bitten immediately, only after October took an interest in her." Drew scoffed in disgust and looked up to the ceiling now instead of the ground. "Back then she was a tomboy but she was still a girl; shy, girly and unable to comprehend anything." Drew said. "Rex was the shot-caller as far as she was concerned. He was always there to protect her so as long as she could count on her knight in shining armor she was safe. But October did take an interest in her." Drew said.
Now everyone was eager to ask why. "He found out that she couldn't be his little slave-monkey even if he tried his hardest. So he wanted her at his side, his mistress, his queen." Drew joked with pure disgust and revulsion. "He wanted her to be his vampire mistress but Rex didn't want her a vampire or his mistress." Drew said, his smirk telling that it was time for the knight to board his horse. "He got her out of there just a tad bit late. He was able to get most of the venom out of her system but some of the venom had sunk into her, already clinging onto her. She wouldn't live if he didn't let that part of the venom stay. So he let her be a partial vampire." Drew said with a shrug. His grin only spread wider though. "And this was where it started. He took her home to his brother, Nick, the doctor. Of course Nick took after you, Carlisle." If Carlisle could blush he would've. But he looked pretty dang proud.
"They trained Ray as a partial vampire and found out she was incredible at being one. Her speed was impeccable, her strength impossible and her sight and hearing was definitely outranking them." Drew snorted. "She was strong, fast, and had the senses to do anything. Finally, just one day after a few weeks, she realized that…well, she'd missed something." Drew said. He cleared his throat awkwardly and sat up straight in his seat, tugging on the hem of his shirt. He would've blushed too. "She and Rex…were, well, they were closer now. Eventually they became mates, the perfect soul mates. They knew each other's thoughts without being telepathic, they had the bickering down hands down, they were affectionate and they loved each other." Drew said. "Ya know that robot femme voice out there?" He insisted. That was right; I'd wondered about that. "He chose it; said he didn't want to have her hearing another guy's voice every night. It was sweet except that she didn't want a retinal scanner, she wanted a password code. Eventually Rex won because she kind of sucks at negotiating." He chuckled.
Drew looked a bit reminiscing by now. His face turned down into a painful grimace. "But one day October sent his wannabes over to Rex's house. They didn't care about the Midnighters; they wanted him out of the picture." Drew's face was a full out frown now, quickly turning to depressed as he remembered the painful takes. "Next thing we all knew she was screaming bloody murder and saying that he was dead. It might've been some mate connection thing or something but she knew, even though she was over here while he was over there, a few states over. We didn't know what to do so we called the house for Rex so that he could calm her down and tell her that he was alright. That was when we found out he was dead and she was right." Drew was just a blank expression of depression by now. "Now the Originals are an endangered specie and Ray's the last to live or exist. None of us will ever be the same because Rex threw us all veggie vamps in a bin and told us to get along. She won't let anyone touch his Jeep unless it's a Jesus act pulled by Rex or Nick, Rex's brother. She's cut off all contact with Nick, barely speaks to her parents who have no clue what's happened in her life, her sister, Becca's got no clue even though she's in Midnighters." Drew looked at us now, finally.
"That's what she's doing here. She's trying to make sure that Becca and us, we don't get hurt by October or anyone else. She's trying to make sure no one will go through the experience she went through. She wants to be all of our Knight in shining armor. She wants to be our Rex. She's accomplished so far." Drew said. "She's taken it upon herself to train newborns into vegetarians, hold us in spars, teach us everything Rex taught her. She's been a vampire mom to us." Drew laughed. Rosalie froze from behind me and I squeezed her hand sympathetically. "She says that since she started us out, she's gonna make sure we finish in the same peaceful state we began in." He said and sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Since that day no one's seen her cry or ever truly smile. She's not happy anymore and it won't be until or if she ever finds another mate. Rex…was hers and he's gone. I guess she's just a bit…empty." Drew said. I regretted Emmett ever calling this story to story time.
Raven was alright. We didn't need to know what that feeling behind her eyes was. We didn't need to know why she didn't smile all the time or why she didn't cry or why she did what she did. We could've stayed oblivious. Thanks a lot, Emmett.
RAY/KYLE:
I felt sick when I got to the Cullens home with everyone else. What had taken them so long? Seriously; they spent what? Half an hour down there? And now they're looking at me like I'm a homeless puppy! I kid you not I am now a homeless puppy. Well, to everyone except Marcus. He just doesn't look at me. He just avoids me. What is up with THAT? "I'm gonna stick around to show ya guys the ropes for tonight and tomorrow night, alright?" I said. "Sure thing, sweetie. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. You can even come visit us sometime! Oh, please, do come visit us." Esme pleaded. I swear, if she could cry, she would've.
"Alright," I said reluctantly. "I will. I'm just gonna…go to bed…" I said as I hedged my way around the woman. Oh, jeez; what had happened in that goddamned training room? I sighed and shook it from my head as I headed into the bedroom. I took a quiet shower before heading to bed; at 3:30 in the afternoon. I would need my rest. The second my head hit the pillow, the slumber eased over me, a quiet fleece blanket.
I stared into Rex's golden irises, my hand still pressed firmly to his un-beating heart in the bed. My bare chest was pressed against the down of the mattress-cover. "How does it feel, to not have it beating?" I breathed to him curiously as I stared down at my pale hand. It seemed so frail against his bare chest. "No; it beats. Every time you're around, it beats." He breathed to me, leaning forward and planting his lips firmly against my forehead. I snorted and rolled my eyes, my eyes level with his collarbone. "Cheesy but cute," I admitted with a shrug as I pulled back and leaned my head back to look at him, my hand still pressed against his chest. Rex placed his hand gently over my hand and took it in his own hand, twisting it over so that it was palm-up. He kissed the palm of my hand and grinned at me. "I hope you know that I won't ever leave you." He whispered to me. I smiled at this. "Of course you will, Rex. You'll one day leave me." I said. It was by now that I had to fight tears at the idea. "Everything has to come to an end." I whispered, my voice sounding strangled even to me. Rex frowned and shook his head. "No; we're immortal. We will never leave each other. We will be with each other forever. When the world ends, we'll make a new one. When the universe comes to an end, we'll make a new one. When we live, they live. When they live, we live." Rex whispered. He reached over and kissed my forehead one last time. "Go to sleep; your humanity needs to recharge."
My eyes fluttered open, tears springing to the ducts of my eyes. I avoided them but sighed eventually, closing my eyes. My throat was so closed from the sobs that threatened me that I was glad I didn't have to breathe. I lifted my wrist to my eyes and peered at the face. 11:00 on the dot. I gave another small frown and turned over onto my stomach. I felt as though I needed to throw up but I didn't want to discomfort the Cullens by it. When we live, they live. When they live, we live. So in truth I was selfish; I was just preserving the last bits of my and Rex's love.
I let them flow now; the tears. They made small plopping noises as they dropped onto the bed. I wanted nothing more than to just sob my heart out. But that would wait; for the day when it comes; the day I would join Rex. I would wait for nothing and everything. When they live, we live. Because there was no more 'we', we had to rely on 'they'.
A/N: I do own Midnighters but not Twilight. I have actually been wanting to post this online so that you can tell me what you think. If you think you would read the actual Midnighters story where Rex doesn't die, then REVIEW ||
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