A/N: It's that time again. The Twilight 25. This year's challenge is to write to a central character with each chapter being a separate drabble, flash fic, or one-shot. The central character I chose was Aro, but I can tell you right now that not all of my chapters will be from his PoV. The first one isn't.
I'm going to try to keep them at flash fics, but who knows. I've always been a wordy bastard. Let's see how it goes!
The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: 15 - Insidious
Main Character: Bella
Rating: M
Word Count: 500
"You can't keep me away from this case."
"You're compromised, Agent Swan."
Special Agent Isabella Swan, FBI, bit her lip. Compromised. Sure. She was out of her mind with fear, worry, and anger. Oh, God she was angry. If Aro Scarpinato was there in front of her, she would rip him apart with her bare hands.
But then, the fact he was still free to scheme was her fault. Hadn't Aro been her target and therefore her responsibility for years? Five years ago, she'd stumbled onto a link between Aro and the twelve-year-old twins she was trying to help find. Aro had slowly become her obsession. No one knew the man as she did. Her insight had saved lives.
So how had she missed the most obvious target?
It was inevitable that Aro, in turn, had become obsessed with her. Besides being on his tail, she was what Aro called a prize. Bella didn't like to think about the things that happened to Aro's prizes. He wanted to conquer her as badly as she wanted him, and they stood on opposite sides of a divide, each unable to reach the other.
But Edward. The love of her life, her brilliant, innocent boyfriend, Edward wasn't similarly protected, obviously.
She blew breath out of her nose, trying to calm herself. "You know I'm your best chance," she said to her boss, Special Agent In Charge Robert Banner, through gritted teeth. "I'm his best chance. Don't ask me to sit this one out."
"I'm not asking. It's an order. You know I have no choice but to put you on leave. Protected leave, seeing as there's no way he won't come after you."
"No." Bella shuddered. Though they'd only played the video once, every second was seared into her memory. She could recall perfectly the look on Edward's face, all fury and fear. She remembered the way he struggled against his bonds, his fists clenched as Aro ran a hand through his hair.
When the video had played, she'd screamed, "Get away from him," in perfect unison with Edward's gag-muffled "Get your fucking hands off me." Aro had smiled and put a finger to his lips, shushing him.
That smile. It was all the more sickening because it perfectly masked his insidious nature. He'd petted Edward's hair and stroked his cheek, speaking to the camera.
"Such a shame," he'd said, his voice gentle. "Such a shame you didn't join me when I asked, but no matter." His lips had turned up, and he'd kissed the top of Edward's head. "He is such a prize in and of himself. A good match for you."
Bella swallowed hard, coming back to the present. "He won't come after me. Not now. He'll wait for me to find a way to beg him. Me for Edward. He'll make me come to him."
Perhaps it was better Banner wanted to put her on leave. Easier to get away.
One thing Bella knew, Aro had picked his last battle.
A/N: Many thanks to barburella, songster, and jessypt for their kind attention.