A/N: So I'm bored, and despite my absent muse, I think I'm going to go crazy if I just have to keep waiting for people to update. Might as well try out the story I've been thinking about for a while, no?
Just about all of the pairings in the Twilight series will be here, except those in Breaking Dawn (or characters that I don't get around to adding). This is also very clearly AU, but I can't say it's all human, since it's set in a superhero/supervillain universe.
Anyhow, I might shop around for a beta, so if anyone likes action stories and wouldn't mind becoming my partner-in-crime, contact me, okay?
Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, but since this is fanfiction, I suppose you knew that, no? Because why would Stephenie Meyer go around writing fanfiction for herself?
I felt kind of dead.
There's a difference, by the way, between "mostly", "kind of", and "all" dead. Mostly was probably my favorite, if I had to choose. I could just be out of it for a few days lying like a log in the hospital bed, allow my brain to get back in order, and then deal with my problems when I was up. All dead would be pretty obviously a problem, although I imagine it might be interesting to see what it's like. But kind of dead… kind of dead was just weird.
I made a sleepy noise, clicking my tongue dryly against the roof of my mouth as I tried to comprehend why I felt so… strange. The normal clarity of thought I had was very fuzzy at the moment. It was almost like I'd been drugged or something. And my doctors knew not to do that unless it was absolutely necessary, because I freaking hate needles.
It was at that moment that I noticed the cold floor against the side of my face.
…Shit.
I struggled to open my eyes but couldn't, confirming my sudden beliefs. I was blindfolded. I was lying on a cold floor who-knows-where, and I was blindfolded, and – I experimented slightly with my hands, realizing then that I could only rotate them around the wrist – I was tied up, barely able to move.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Bella? What if it's dangerous?" The voice was laced with worry, so like mine and yet so childish. I was the middle-aged teenager, old before my time, and she was my opposite, and we were the best of friends.
…I wondered vaguely if now was a good time to be hallucinating. I had so many things to figure out. But the drug, or whatever it was, that was hurting my head so much, made it easy for my mother's voice to pierce my brain.
"Mom, I'll be fine. Really."
I was standing in an airport, being assaulted by my mom's last-minute worries as I prepared to leave all I had behind. I was lying, by the way. As much as lying to my mom felt like lying to myself (for she even looked almost exactly like me, with her thick hair and heart-shaped face), it was my decision to make.
She looked tearful, but strong in her unusual way. She must have realized, at least to a certain extent, that I was doing so much of this for her. She was moving on to a new period in her life with Phil, and I was…doing what both of us had expected I would do. Giving her room, and in the meantime, grabbing what room I could.
"If it was up to you, I know it would be," she murmured, helping me with my suitcase as she followed behind. "But you won't be in control anymore, Bells. Think of yourself, for once."
I did think of myself. I thought of the fact that, besides my mom, I had never really had any friends here. I thought of how much time I spent locked up, away from the heat of the sun, unable to truly escape the screaming headlines of our weekly news. I thought of my supposedly high IQ, and I thought of how, if I let this continue on any longer, I might have lost the battle before it had even begun.
And I couldn't bring mom along anymore. I was taking steps that were too big this time.
I tried to smile at her, but who knew how it looked when the messages sent from my brain to my face got mutilated by my heart. It must have been pretty harsh, because she embraced me, and I closed my eyes.
What silent promises could I make for her? That nothing would happen to me? That I would always be there as her loving daughter, no matter how far apart we were?
I finally settled on one that seemed much more reasonable. Mom, I promise that I won't let myself play the damsel in distress anymore.
From now on, even if my life won't be in yours anymore, at least I'll make you proud.
Oh man, did I screw this one up.
I flinched as the flashback ended, and returned to a reality where I was basically as defenseless as a kitten. Great job, Bella. I'm sure they're all afraid of your claws.
(My inner self can get a little snarky at times. Don't mind her, she's crazy.)
As uncomfortable as I was, however, I was luckily getting back some of my wits. My formidable wits that were supposed to help me in every situation and had most annoyingly abandoned me for this short while. In essence, the fact that I was tied up wasn't as bad as it would be for someone else. With my pathetic physical strength, it was my mind that was my greatest asset. Because it had to be.
Unfortunately, the not-being-able-to-see thing continued to be a bit of a handicap in evaluating my surroundings. All I could really go off of was suppositions. Such as, suppose the criminals you were working against became aware of you? and also, suppose they knew who you were working with and what role you played with the investigation?
And lastly, suppose you're being held hostage as the bloody damsel in distress?
Then what? Then my father was probably somewhere freaking out, and because of me, we were at an impasse with the very people who I was trying to stop. The best thing to do at the moment, then, was get the hell out of here.
Naturally, I couldn't really tell if I was being watched, but figuring that trying couldn't do any harm, I began to work on my bindings. I felt the harsh fibers of the rope against my skin, thankful that they weren't particularly well-tied. Then again, why would they be? These criminals were killers, not normally hostage-takers.
Quietly, I began to bend my fingers back to stick them into the knot around my wrist. I'd actually practiced this a few times, so I hoped I knew what I was doing.
When did I ever know what I was doing?... whatever.
A/N: Yes, I know I already had a monster note at the beginning, but this one's important. The idea behind the writing of this story is that, for every chapter, I need to listen to a new song to go with it that I'm not already particularly familiar with. This chapter was "Everyday Superhero" by Smash Mouth (it's Bella's theme, what can I say?) but for later chapters I'd like suggestions. Anyone?
