Blackhaven18: So, here's chapter 13. Sorry it's so late, but unfortunately professors know just the right moment to drop a load of school work on you. It's a conspiracy I tell you. This is just to let you know I'm still alive and kicking underneath the pile of papers.
I just have a quick question: Last chapter I deleted the AN and replaced it with chapter 12. Did that send an alert of a new chapter out? I have a feeling it didn't, but I just wanted to make sure. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the dried lint in my pocket.
Flames will be used to heat my coffee.
Song choice: Get Through This
By: Art of Dying
Chapter 13: Get Through This
The next morning, Nate decided, had gone over far better than its predecessor. The constant pressure weighing down on him all that day had completely disappeared now that the impending doom that was his birthday had passed and Nate could honestly say he couldn't be any happier.
It even helped that today's weather mirrored his current mood, the sun currently peeking out from just the right amount of clouds and not a grey one in sight. Nope, today only white clouds littered the sky. So, with a slight spring to his movement he easily threw the kunai in his hand towards the tree/assailant fifty feet away, the metal glinting dangerously in the sunlight just as it made a solid 'thunk', dead center in the imaginary bulls-eye.
He heard a low whistle behind him and glanced back at his current visitor, "You've got to spread your feet further apart for more balance Seth!" He called over his shoulder as he took out another kunai.
"Like this!?" Was yelled back and Nate took a glance back at his newly acquired student. 'Hmm… Sometimes I wonder exactly how I get myself into these situations.' He thought.
Sometime during the week Seth had decided at least one of the pack should learn some of the things Nate was capable of; even if it was only a little and feeling like an unneeded wheel at the moment he opted to be just that, approaching the blond early the next morning.
Meaning this morning.
Nate had awoken bleary eyed from the lingering effects of the alcohol to find a semi-naked Seth on his porch… And upon blinking a few times to clear his vision and find he really wasn't hallucinating, invited him in.
He quickly found the teenager was quite a fast learner, seeing barely any mistakes in the boys form. Of course what he was currently learning was only academy basics and his rapidly changing body didn't allow for much flexibility at the moment, but he still was picking it up rather quickly.
He walked over to him and saw Seth huff at the scrutinizing stare, wanting to rest the muscles he never thought he had most likely and smack the snickering blond. Nate ignored the glare and reached down to pivot Seth's left foot outward a bit more, ignoring the nearly pained squeak and nodded.
"Good job, you had everything but that foot down. Hold it for a little longer so I can explain." He said once the wolf began to relax slightly. "Now from this position it's easy to launch yourself forward into a run," Nate pressed slightly on the boys lower back to get him to tip forward slightly and Seth found that with his weight distributed it actually was easier. "Or you could drop down into a leg sweep if the enemy is too close and catch them off guard."
"…I get it… Yeah! That makes much more sense now!" Seth chirped and sighed when Nate gave him a cold water bottle.
"Keep practicing that stance I taught you. I could see you were having some trouble contorting your body in the direction you wanted it to go. The only thing I could suggest would be stretching early in the morning to loosen up. Because most of what I was taught depends on the body performing a certain way, ya' know? To get the hell outta dodge when needed." Nate said and Seth snorted, "Hey, there's nothing wrong with retreating to regroup."
"And that's the difference? Between running away and… regrouping?" Seth asked, knowing that either way he would feel like a coward.
"Yes, running away would be leaving your friends behind in battle and that is the ultimate shame you could bring to your family and yourself. Hell, it might just be better to commit seppuku then having your comrades come after you." Nate mumbled, thinking of the once popular form of self suicide.
"Sep-what?" Seth asked, completely bewildered.
"Nothing, nothing, anyway, retreating to regroup would something that is done when you are following orders of… a commander? Just, whoever is the leader of your group," Nate could see he hit a brick wall and knew he probably just confused the poor boy more, "Alright, say you and a your pack just caught wind of an unknown vampire in the area, I'm sure Sam and Jacob don't just send you on your way saying: 'fetch!', right?"
"No," Seth said dryly, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from him.
"Right, they'd make a plan first, designate a group leader and then you'd take off?" Seth nodded, so Nate continued, "And if, on the off chance you get separated and there's a hoard of vampires that you can't take on alone, then you retreat so one: you don't die and two: hopefully you can get some back up. Understand?" Seth nodded vigorously and Nate stretched high up into the air. "Alright, I've got to head over to the Cullen's now, so I guess come back when you have what I showed you down to a tee. I want you to be able to do that in your sleep."
"I'll work on it." Seth promised and went off into the woods behind the house to shift and head back home.
Nate chuckled and took off in the opposite direction, 'Time to head to work.'
~Ding dong~ The bell went off and Esme went to answer it,
"Hey, I brought the containers back…" The family heard from the living room, the tone being sheepish at best and for a moment there was silence.
"Oh my, it's all gone. Did you store the rest?" Esme asked as they entered the living room and Nate's face brightened to a slight red as Jacob laughed from the couch.
"He eats nearly as much as I do!" He crowed when confused glances were thrown his way and could feel Nate's glare on him near the end.
"Just because you decided to eat one more bacon slice than I did, just to spite me, might I add, does not mean you can beat me when it comes to food." The blond pouted.
Jacob just shrugged his shoulders and turned away, muttering: "Keep telling yourself that blondie."
"Anyway, forget that, just how long have you been here? I don't think I've ever seen you up this early unless it meant food." The blonde remarked and nodded in understanding when Jacob held up a donut and some coffee. "That explains it then, bribery in its truest form." He said and reached for an empty cup, smelling the coffee.
"Well as they say, 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.'" Alice joined in and held up an empty glass in a mock cheer.
"Hear, hear, I'll drink to that!" Nate crowed and did the same with his newly acquired beverage "However, I know I wasn't invited all for fun and games. Carlisle, you said you had some important information to share?" The blonde's face went from cheery to serious in only a second and although the Cullen's were used to Nate's quick changes of attitudes it was always a sight to see.
"Yes, I reviewed the letter with the descriptions of these newcomers' and I must say just reading about it made me nervous for several reasons." Everyone could hear Emmett snort in the background. "I'm pretty sure the obvious ones don't need repeating, so, I'll just go over what it is I found."
Carlisle pulled the reading glasses from his shirt pocket and flipped to the marked pages.
"Canto 17…"
Nate fought to keep a glare off his face caused by the offending little book in Carlisle's grasp. According to the vampire, the main character, feeling as if he had taken the wrong path in life decides to join the Roman poet, Virgil, on a journey through the circles of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise to find his way back to God.
"There are a total of nine circles, each descending further and further into Hell. Depending on the weight of your crime here on Earth you are set to one of these rings." Carlisle explained the contents of the book, "The paragraph I just read on the beast Geryon, the guardian of the eighth circle of Hell, resembles the description of the man described in the letters."
"And these pictures…" Nate murmured, looking over the scans Carlisle made the other night. 'The work of demons… can't say it surprises me.' He thought and sighed, looking out of one of the glass walls the Cullen home sported and wondering where the hell his good mood ran off to, while the others' talked among themselves.
He slowed his breathing and tried not to reach over to shred the book, making sure to focus on the calm weather outside and the light breeze wafting through the trees. His eyes closed automatically for a few moments and opened again to see the slight reflection of himself on the glass. Leaning up a little he kept his gaze on it and felt his breath hitch when his cerulean eyes flashed to red and the figure smirked before letting loose a low rumble that could be mistaken as purring
Nate's cerulean eyes narrowed, 'He knows something…'
"Nate?" He heard a voice sound from his left, effectively breaking him from his thoughts and turned to face Jasper's curious gaze. "Are you alright? I'm sensing a lot of hostility on your part and… contentment…?"
Nate's eyes widened a fraction at the empath's, thankfully whispered declaration, knowing that was he was feeling was certainly not contentment. 'Could he be picking up on… Kyuubi?'
Just as he was about to speak he was drowned out when Rosalie spoke up a split second before.
"Y-you can't be serious? Demons, Carlisle?" Rosalie asked, her astonishment at the conclusion made Nate sigh.
"Y'know, Rosalie's right. I mean, it's almost as unbelievable as vamps' and shifters' wouldn't you say?" Nate asked in a bored tone, completely ignoring Rosalie's hiss and placing the pictures back onto the table. "Did you say there are nine layers, Carlisle?"
"Yes, only the last three have inner pockets for the damned."
"How lovely, may I see the book?" Nate eased the book into his lap and shifted through the pages, 'Hmm… I can probably get this book at the library and get more research done there.' "Man, even with this possibility there's still not enough information as to what we're really dealing with here."
"And in all honesty, I don't think we're going to know until it's too late." Carlisle added and Nate nodded.
"That is always how it works, huh?" Nate agreed. "Well, Jacob and I will relay this back and tell the others to keep an eye out. I think that's all we can do at this point."
Nate sighed and leaned back further into the couch, catching Esme's glance at him. Knowing full well what was coming he decided to just throw as much onto the table he was willing to at the moment. Better to let a little information go now then to have them drag it out completely.
Especially since he wasn't quite ready to admit every sob story of his life.
"You obviously want to ask me something, why not just come out with it?" He started off and she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. She shook her head, but it was obvious enough for him to tell what she wanted to ask.
He looked away from her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and twiddled with the plastic lining on the chair. Jacob, he noticed, had started to tap his foot in anticipation and took another shaky sip of his coffee.
'Well, now or never I suppose.'
"… My mother," He started slowly, "… died in childbirth, dad skipped out on her when she told him she was pregnant with me. From what I was told by the… caretakers at the orphanage, my mother was a whore and my dad a bum." He rattled off, looking almost bored to the others', as if they weren't speaking about people that were supposed to be loved ones. "I never did believe them though; they had a tendency to lie through their teeth." He said with a smile, which in another situation would have been charming, but here was bordering creepy.
'He doesn't care.' Edward heard the phrase pass through nearly everyone's mind simultaneously as they heard Nate speak about his family in almost a flippant manner.
After a long period of silence, no one knowing what the right thing to say would be, Esme spoke up. "How… how are you financially dear?" Nate turned to give her a quizzical look, "I know it must be difficult for a seventeen year old to afford a house like that, go to school, and have a job. I just… wanted to make sure you were alright."
Nate was thrown off kilter for a minute at the… 'motherly' feelings emanating from Esme, but made sure not to show it. "I have enough money to survive and then some; you shouldn't worry yourself over something like that. I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself."
"I'm sure you are Nate, but that doesn't stop me from worrying."
"No… I didn't think it would," He replied softly and after a moment checked his watch. "Wow, I've been here for awhile, I really should be heading back, got that project due on Monday." He explained, obviously a change in conversation and his cue to get out while he could. He rose from his seat. "I'll see you guys Monday."
Nate silently moved out into the parlor and the only signal that alerted them to him leaving was the slight clicking of the door.
Edward watched from his perch on one of the tree branches as Nate immediately made his way to the line of the woods and walked alongside it, an easy position to hide from view in only a split second if he needed it.
Everything the blonde did confused the vampire and for a moment he wondered if he ever even knew Nate. Or if everything they shared so long ago was just a simple joke.
He held back a sigh and continued to watch the blond, feeling a vice like grip around his un-beating heart the longer he did. Suddenly Nate stopped.
"You know I really hope you have better things to do than stalking…" Nate called out over his shoulder and turned to face him as he jumped from his perch to land softly and make his way out into view. "Edward, as exciting this little role play fetish you have going on is I'm going to have to decline. You see I'm rather busy as it is…" Nate rattled off, something he was prone to do as a way of distraction.
Edward chuckled at the familiarity.
"You seem to have a habit of talking a lot when you're nervous." He stated and the blond stopped and tilted his head.
"It sure seems that way huh?" He said cryptically and with a small smile. "So? What'd you want?"
"… I was… just hoping we could talk."
"Talk? Alright, sure. So, how's your life been?" Nate asked cheekily and Edward sighed.
"Not that kind of talk… I heard Jasper, Nate." He briefly noted the fact that Nate's eyes seemed to darken a fraction. "What did he mean when he said, 'I'm sensing a lot of hostility on your part and contentment?' He seemed almost confused."
Nate gave him a look of pure confusion and almost childlike innocence. "Y'know I'm not entirely sure? I just figured he was doing it for kicks."
Edward's gaze narrowed, at the familiar look, "You should know you can't trick me like the others', Nate. I know you a little to well and I've seen that one to many times to know you only use it to cover something up. Now, what are you hiding?"
"…Well, damn." Nate scratched the back of his head and relaxed his posture, digging his hands deep into the recess of his pockets. "You ever think… that there might be something… bigger out there? I mean something besides vampires and shifters?"
Edward seemed almost confused at the statement. "Do you mean a higher power?"
Nate nodded slightly.
Edward's human family had been religious, attending church when they could and so forth, but even he wondered what kind of God would damn his children to a life he and his knew family had. Literature and old folklore called his kind evil, and what was worse he believed it to a degree. Enough to know his soul was already tainted and if ever did die he'd be heading straight down; he was pretty sure his relationship with Nate had sealed that deal long ago.
But double damn him if he ever brought Bella with him.
"Yeah, I mean there has to be something that created… this," Nate waved his hand to encompass everything before him, "Everything that Carlisle quoted from that book seems like the delusions of a madman… or at the very least a man on weed." Edward, had he been human, knew he would have choked at what normally should have been a joke, but it was the way Nate said it that showed he was serious. "Obviously people have there own ideas, but if people can believe in a savior… does that mean there's evil just as great to sway you?"
Edward stilled, Nate did have a point. After all everything in this world was about balance and if there was such faith in the Bible, who's to say there isn't something completely evil countering it.
Nate glanced at him and grinned suddenly, that charming grin that brought back so many memories, "Despite whatever the hell you thinking Edward, you're not damned."
Startled out of his thoughts, Edward just sighed at the blonde's upbeat attitude. "How would you know something like that?" He questioned. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was the one with the mind reading gift, what with the way Nate just seemed to know exactly what was on everyone's mind.
"Easy, it's because you care for others to the point of putting their welfare before your own." Nate chuckled, "Just because your heart isn't beating, doesn't mean it's not there."
As much as that meant to him that Nate believed that it still didn't sway his doubts. A moment later he realized what Nate had done, "…What does this have to do with Jasper's earlier comment?"
Nate smirked, "Absolutely nothing, I'm just trying to distract you until it's forgotten?"
Edward sighed and had the insane urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, "Nate, I know you wouldn't ever hide anything that harms us, but I just need to know. How dangerous could this get? "
Nate looked at the copper haired vampire, who was so obviously worried. Not only for his family, but for Bella as well, who could be asinine enough to just ignore that? But it was that look that also promised something else…
"And if it's as dangerous as what you're thinking?" He questioned softly.
Edward paused at the double meaning; Nate wanted to know what he was going to do if it was, "… I… I can't drag Bella into this… If this does become a problem…"
Sudden clarity grew in the blondes eyes, Nate was really too smart for his own good.
"You do understand that leaving her like that would most likely break her don't you?" Nate asked, keeping his voice perfectly level, "You want to protect her then be there for her, because if you leave…" Nate's blue eyes seemed to bleed into purple, "I'll just have to find you and drag your ass back and neither of us wants it to come to that."
Edward just brushed aside the comment, it wasn't as if he didn't believe the blond it was just hard to believe something like that would occur.
"Don't get your panties in a twist Cullen, I don't think this calls for such a drastic action yet, but if this does end up going the route I'm hoping it doesn't…We might all be screwed." Edward's eyes widened a fraction at the declaration, "Don't waste what time you have with her." He put away the small knife still in his grip and began walking away, but he stopped just as Edward began to do the same. "Oh, and Edward?" The vampire stopped mid stride to face the blonde, "I was serious about what I said earlier and if I have to… I'll break your legs and drag you back, kicking a screaming."
Nate grinned in a way that promised just that and much more, before turning away. It was Nate's last comment, the one that was whispered and drowned out by the blustering breeze that stilled Edward.
"Besides… if anyone is damned to go to Hell… it's me."
Elsewhere:
A quivering mass of robes laid in the middle of the room, beady black eyes peeking out from underneath the hood, chancing a glance at the feet of the figure on the throne before him, but no higher. To look higher would surely mean his death, for he was no where near worthy to gaze at royalty…
It shook at a higher pace when he heard the tell tale tapping of fingernails on the throne's armrest, conveying the promise of pain.
"M-M-Master… Please…" The voice stuttered from the robe, and the thing allowed the hood to fall back. Small, black, beady eyes spaced far apart on the gray, oblong shaped head blinked rapidly in fear. "The immortals…" Sharp red eyes shifted to glance at him and he gulped, "…have no information on what you seek."
An eerie silence fell over the room, one that scared the strange being to no end. Suddenly it was filled again, with a deep, throaty chuckle of… humor? Normally something like this could have been construed as good, but the rolling power pouring off the figure ensured it was far from it.
"'Immortals?'" The figure on the throne questioned, before a full rumbling laugh followed. The room immediately silenced and he could feel those red eyes fall upon him with distain. "Those things…" The word was spat out at the same time the chandelier above them began to sway from the sheer power oozing out. "Cling to farce immortality; they are nothing but insects not even worthy to lick my boots in the grand scheme of things and soon…" An almost maniacal grin filled the figures features, "soon that little power trip their on will be ripped from their cold, dead fingers."
"Yes, master and you shall rise to show them the true meaning of immortality." The creature agreed and unfortunately drew his master's attention back to him.
"You however…" Black eyes looked back at him, "Are expendable."
Horrible screeching reverberated off the walls and the sound of sloshing liquid hit the floor. Moments later the front doors opened and the guards that had been waiting outside walked inside, stopping at their master's command. The last to enter being a tall man with a silver belt wrapped multiple times around his lithe waist and he too stopped, making sure to keep the blood on the floor off his boots.
"Find him Geryon. Do-not-fail-me." The figure enunciated the last four words carefully, with just enough scathing in the tone to show how much pain Geryon would be in should he.
"Of course not Master Rizenbol," He murmured and withdrew, making sure to keep his master in sight until he was out the door. Because if he were to turn his back who knows what would become of him…
Nate's pen tapped on his notebook as the teacher drawled on. The weekend, he realized, had passed by far to fast and once again his butt was glued to his desk chair as he constantly dodged paper wads from the brat three rows back. How the hell had he landed himself in this situation again?
"Nate, are you alright?" He heard the feminine voice from behind him, but didn't turn because the teacher's eyes landed on him. 'Oh, yeah. That.' He thought idly and minutely turned his head to address the person.
"I'm fine Jessica, just trying to decide whether I should take Mike's little 'gifts' I've been leaving him up a notch." He chuckled when he saw her eyes widen a fraction.
"That was you!?" She whispered in astonishment and blushed at the attention it drew to her, but Nate seemed unperturbed.
"Of course, you really think these squirts can hold up to my prowess?" He gestured to the people in front of him. "I had to rig that trash can just right to get it to spill its contents on him as he walked in the alley behind the school." Jessica giggled when he rubbed his nails on his shirt, buffing them. "And if you thought that was great just wait for a few."
"A few what?" She asked and the intercom sounded.
~Mike Newton, please report to the principal's office.~
"Nate what did you do?" She tried, with difficulty, to keep her tone reprimanding.
"Meet the fox in two minutes in the parking lot." He turned to give her a conspiratorially look, "You won't be contacted again." He faced the front again, a grin decorating his face and if Jessica learned anything about Nate, that grin he was sporting meant trouble was on the way.
"And that class ends our time on logarithms, please note there might be a quiz on tomorrow, or there might not be. Sleep in fear tonight."
The bell rang a few moments later and both bolted out and made their way through the growing crowd in the parking lot, Nate snickering the whole way.
"Oh. My. God." Jessica's hand flew to her mouth as she took in the state of Mike's truck.
The dark blue color of the truck was barely showing through the gobs of silly string, toilet paper and colored foam covering the entire truck. The truck was also covered in sparkles and one of the students looked in the back, exclaiming, "There's marshmallows back here!" What really topped it all off though was the poster sized picture apparently super glued onto the front windshield, a picture depicting Mike in a very comprising position with one of his football teammates.
Nate snickered, of course the pictured was doctored, but a bunch of backwoods kids wouldn't know that.
"M-My truck!" Mike sounded from behind and Nate whistled.
"Hey, not bad Mikey. A little odd, but hey whatever floats your boat." Mike Newton glared at the blond and Nate could faintly see the wheels and gears turning behind the boys eyes. No doubt wondering when Nate had the time to do this.
Ah, the joy of shadow clones.
Blackhaven18: At last, the appearance of the evil character. What's gonna happen next? Stay tuned to find out!
~TBC~