Chapter 12
Rosalie:
After Margaret was sent home, a meeting was called in the Justice Conference room in the wee hours of the morning. The sun hasn't even risen yet. Once we all got to the conference room, we got down to business. Our parents didn't want to beat around the bush.
Billy took a seat at his desk, and opened up a thick manila folder, "The reason why I called this meeting is because one of our own, Jasper Hale has been corrupted."
"That can't be true!" I interrupted, shaking my head.
I refused to believe it. Jasper couldn't have been corrupted by a shadow minion. I know him too well. He would fight it. He wouldn't rest until the minion gave up.
Jacob glanced at me and sighed, "My father and I went over every possible explanation, and it's the only one that makes sense. A shadow minion corrupted Jasper."
I turned to face my mother, looking at her for some type of assurance or comfort. I needed her to assure me that what they were saying was untrue. Jasper couldn't have gone to the bad side. It was highly unlikely.
I felt my eyes burning with emotion. My mother just looked at me and slowly shook her head. She believes them. I struggled to suppress my own tears. It was the only way I could appear strong.
If the shadow minions can take over anyone they wanted, then it's no telling what the Shadow Man can do. At this moment all my emotions couldn't be suppressed any longer. I was scared of the shadow minion, scared for my family and friends, and especially scared for my brother. This superhero mess isn't all it's cracked up to be. If our parents couldn't defeat him years ago, why are we even tying? It's a suicide mission.
My dad approached me, and pulled me into his arms, "Billy there must be some mistake," I glanced up to meet his eyes, "my son can't possibly be the one that's corrupted because he simply isn't here. We need more proof than that."
"Who else could be the shadow minion Caius?"
My dad glanced down at me, "I don't know."
He knew Billy was right. He just questioned him for my sake. Once I leaned back into my father, an argument broke out. Everyone was trying to defend each other and themselves all at once. Curse words were thrown around and words of hate were shared between people who are supposed to be a team…a family. Because of the Shadow Man, a once close group of friends is starting to spread further and further apart.
When my parents entered the argument, I couldn't take it anymore. We shouldn't focus on yelling at each other, we should be trying to figure out how to get my brother back. The only reason he even joined this team was because I joined.
"Shut up!" I used every ounce of my body to freeze everyone.
I couldn't think with everyone constantly screaming and shouting. It was driving me insane.
I knew eventually the freezing would end, so I decided to leave the conference room in order to get away and think to myself. I sat in Billy's living room, admiring the silence in the house.
I used to believe the powers we all possessed were a curse, but after a while I started to come around to them being a gift. Now after everything that is happening, I know the truth… they are a burden, which will tear all of us apart. With that said, I now realize that I can't be a part of this.
Interrupting my peaceful thoughts was a loud bang outside of Billy's house. I jumped in surprise before racing over to look out of the window. From where I stood, all I can see is a large ball of fire erupting from a mysterious crater that just appeared on Billy's front lawn.
I heard stomping on the stairs, and knew that when I jumped I accidentally unfroze them. The door burst open, and everyone scattered into the living room.
Charlie crossed his arms, and stared at me suspiciously, "How did you get up here so fast?"
"I froze you."
I didn't make any eye contact. I knew they would be upset, but right now we had better…more important things to worry about, like how a crater the size of a football field just appeared out of the blue.
My mother sighed, and shook her head, "Rosalie-"
Her voice was cut off by the ground suddenly shaking. It rumbled and growled as if a thunderstorm was happening beneath us. We held onto any piece of sturdy furniture and waited for it to pass.
Carlisle ignored the shaking ground and stumbled towards the door. Esme and Edward weren't too far behind him. The rest of us glanced at each other before following.
Everyone in front of me came to an abrupt stop. Once the ground stopped shaking, I pushed through each person who stood in my way. After I approached the front of the group, I noticed strange and dark figures appearing out of the fiery crater. The figures seemed shadowy and cold as if all the heat from the fire turned into an icy cold wasteland of winter. Evil expressions illuminated from those figures, as they marched towards us.
Out of the fire come more and more shadowy creatures. Their appearances ranged from chubby and thin to muscular and fat. Some of the beings took the form of everyday things people are afraid of, like spiders and snakes. The spiders and snakes weren't ordinary; they easily matched the size of a human.
All of the creatures stopped a few feet away from us. They formed a line, and waited for orders to attack. When the front row of creatures bowed down, my brother appeared. Jasper walked through them as if they were made of air. He didn't bother paying those minions any attention.
From taking Jasper's appearance in, I knew everything Billy and Jacob said was right. He looked completely different. He didn't look like my brother anymore. The tips of Jasper's hair were black. His eyes were red. Jasper's body looked thin and frail as if he were sickly. His complexion was pale. And he looked at us with a hunger in his eyes. Jasper didn't look how he looked this morning. His eyes were cold and dark unlike the light brown color they used to be. Jasper's whole demeanor was overall cynical and evil.
Jasper grinned at me, "Hello Sis." He twirled in a circle before giving me an evil smirk, "You like?"
I ignored the orders to stop as I walked towards him. I felt a hand reach around my wrist. I looked over my shoulder to see Alice's outstretched and flexible arm, struggling to hold me back. Her pleading eyes bore into mine, "That isn't your brother."
I ripped my wrist out of her hold and continued my walk, "Jasper's in there. I know it."
"Rosalie, stop!" I ignored my mother's demand and continued. "I said stop!"
I came to a sudden halt. I was only a couple feet away from Jasper. I was far enough.
"Come back here Rose." My dad ordered, waving me over.
I shook my head, and turned to look into my brother's eyes, "Come back to us Jasper. You can fight this." I knew some part of him was still there. I could tell in his eyes.
As if resisting my words of encouragement, he shakes his head and then laughs, "Silly girl. Your brother is not here anymore."
The response takes me completely off guard. It wasn't Jasper's voice. The only thing proving to me that this is my brother is his body. Everything else, was the shadow minion.
"That's where you're wrong."
"Rose get back over here! He's going to hurt you!" Emmett demanded, inching his way towards me.
I ignored him just like I did Alice and my parents. Jasper isn't gone. All we have to do is try and get him back. I know he's in there somewhere. I can feel it. He's my twin…they wouldn't understand. I would know if Jasper was gone, and right now every fiber of my being is telling me that he's still here…and he wants us to help him.
Esme pulled her son back, "Rosalie, sweetheart, you don't know what he is capable of."
"None of you are ready for this fight!" Leah added.
I quickly glanced back at them and shook my head, "We're not giving up on him!" I looked back towards Jasper, and sighed, "C'mon Jas. All you have to do is fight. Just remember the good times. Your friends and family we all love you and we want you to fight and come back."
I could see Jasper's eyes change back and forth between black and his normal light brown. I knew I was getting to him. I just needed to keep pushing. "Please Jasper come back. We all miss you. I miss you."
His face scrunches up as if he's in pain, "Rose, help me."
Once those words left his lips, his eyes turned black. They were as black as coal. The pain stricken face he once held formed into an evil and calculating smirk.
"Sorry, didn't mean to let that slip," he said, before bursting into an up roaring laugh.
The form disappeared into the ground, before reappearing directly in front of me. His hand pulled back before smacking me across the face. The power of the slap was so hard that I literally flew back and fell to the ground.
I struggled to register exactly what just happened. My vision was blurred and it felt as if my hearing was impaired. Muffled screams chorused from everyone else as Jasper's minions began attacking my friends and family.
My senses came back after I rose to my feet. Edward and Carlisle were running around the monsters attempting to make a mini tornado, but a snake-like monster wrapped around them and started to suffocate them like a boa constrictor. I also noticed Emmett and his mother Leah trying to squash the big spider-like monsters, until another shadow minion takes them out of the battle.
Before I could see what everyone else was doing, my brother approached me while laughing manically. His fists clenched before he raised them to the air. He acted as if he had all of the power in the world. I heard the horrific sounds of my friends and family getting defeated by the monsters. At that moment, I knew the only way to save them was to stop the shadow minion from controlling my brother. He was the one ordering the hits.
Jasper smirked at the glare that registered on my face, "And what are you going to do little girl?" "I'm going to stop you."
Shadow creatures are evil beings that thrive on darkness. If they live on darkness, then the only possible weakness they have is light. I glanced up at the dark sky and smiled as the early morning sun started rise over the horizon. If I could keep him out here a little longer, then he'll be forced to disappear from Jasper's body. I held my hands up and froze his body in place.
Jasper realized what was happening as his face grew with color. He was now trying to escape my hold. Time has never felt so long. A lot of energy drains from my body when I freeze things for a long period of time, especially things that are powerful and can put up a good fight against my powers.
I glanced around and noticed that when I froze Jasper, all of his minions froze as well. My freezing power started to take effect. I've never froze this many things at once before. It felt like I was lifting a family of elephants.
I could feel my powers weaken as Jasper continued to fight against it. He slowly started to move, and I knew I had to get a grasp on them. He wasn't giving up though; he continued to fight against my freezes.
I chose to use my telekinesis to knock him backwards. I figured that I would use my telekinesis as if I had a set of invisible hands. I threw a telekinetic punch to his gut and then threw another at his face and another until he was on his knees and then I froze him again, but this time I used my telekinesis as well to make sure he stayed still. The sun was almost done rising.
I watched the pain on Jasper's face, but I knew he would understand when he came back. It was the only way.
Using both powers at once was hard… it was extremely difficult, especially since I have never done it before. It felt like my life was being drained out of me. As my hands shook, my nose started to bleed. I could sense it was a result and downside to my powers being overworked.
Emmett noticed the blood and frowned, "Rosalie you have to stop! You have to stop freezing him! You're hurting yourself!"
"We are not being hurt anymore by this monster!" I gathered more energy and strength to hold him.
I could feel a force working against me. A telekinetic power was trying to force me away from Jasper. I glanced over my shoulder, and noticed my mom with her hands aimed in my direction, "I have to do this mom!"
"No you do not! We'll find another way!"
"We aren't going to let them win! We'll get Jasper back! I promise!" My dad rested his hand against my mother's lower back as she strengthened her power.
I wasn't about to give up now. The sun was less than a minute away from being fully up. I opened my mouth to respond to my dad when blood began seeping down my lips.
Alice's hand began to stretch out; "Rose stop it!"
"You're hurting yourself!" Esme shouted.
I continued to ignore their voices, as bloodied tears dripped from my eyes and down my cheeks. Renee and Bella flew to the air, and hovered above me. Bella glanced back and forth between me and the sun, "Rose, the sun's up! You can stop!"
I glanced up at Bella and Renee through my bloodied eyes. The sun wasn't fully up. I only had one chance to do this…and I wasn't going to fail. I refuse to let Jasper down.
"You're distracting me!"
Renee flew to the ground beside me, "Jasper will understand. You have to look out for yourself right now."
I shook my head as blood began to drip out of my ears. I did it for too long to just give up now. Carlisle slowly walked in my direction, "We'll hold him in place. All you have to do is let go."
"He'll just use Jasper's powers to phase through you."
Edward ran up to stand by his father, "Rose, we will find another way. We promise."
I felt Jasper break through my telekinesis. All that was left holding him and his minions was my freezing power. Only a couple of more seconds until the sun has fully come up. I heard a scream erupt from Jasper's mouth as I dropped to my knees. A dark smoky figure escaped through his mouth, nose and eye sockets. Jasper screamed the entire time the minion was leaving his body.
Jasper gasped for air, as my freezing stopped, "Rose."
He glanced around as the minions disappeared into the dark crater before spotting me, "Rose!"
Carlisle, Edward and Renee stooped beside me as everyone else ran over. Carlisle inspected around my head, "Marcus get me some washcloths! Cynthia, I need ice! Aro, I need you to boil me some hot water!"
Jasper dropped to his knees and pulled my head into his lap, "Are you crazy? Why would you do something like that?"
I smiled through my bloody teeth, "I got you back, didn't I?"
"At your expense!"
The sun shined bright around him. I knew the shadow creatures were gone for now. I used the back of my hand to wipe some of the blood from my mouth, "It was all worth it."
My eyes slowly started to close as my parents and Emmett hovered over my body. I was left in unconsciousness knowing that when…or if I woke up, I would be met with my parents, Emmett, and most importantly my brother looking over me.
