Yeah! Attack time! Whoo!


My feet hit the ground at a full on sprint. I cut through the crowd, trying to avoid hitting the citizens. I had to find someone to help me gather the ninja.

Oh, why now? I cursed the Ponta silently. They had to have the worse timing in the world.

I grabbed a black-clad ninja from the crowd, and pulled him closer to hear over the screams. "Get the innocents down to the bunker!" He nodded swiftly and started directing everyone toward the center of town.

I dashed toward the Core sector, on the look out for any other ninja. I met few, and realized those Ponta freaks really had good time for an offensive strike. The forces were scattered throughout the city, with hardly any hope to gather them back together.

Vaguely, I heard Edward's footsteps behind me. I wondered where Lucky had gone, when I skidded to a stop in front of the training area. I heard a mass of voices inside and broke the doors to find my ninja standing there, gearing up for the patrols.

"Hey," I shouted over the noise. "Get to it! We're under attack! The enemy has cannons!"

Silence split through the group, and then the sounds of armor plate being put on hastily and weapons locking into position sounded throughout the room. I ran over to the corner and grabbed my own armored chest plate and slid it on quickly.

In school, we were trained to put on our gear in less than two minutes in the event of an emergency. I must say, I was never more thankful then right now for that training. It had been tedius back then, now, it could save our city.

Once my shin guards were strapped on tightly, I sprinted out the door, grabbing a thin katana sword from the wall. When I hit the pavement outside, orders were being shouted from the rooftops. Edward was standing just outside the building and grabbed me as I shot past him.

"Edward, I have to get out there now!" I shouted at him over the increasing noise of firing cannons and orders yelled. "I don't have time for this!"

"I know!" He shouted back, straining to be heard. "I was just wondering what you wanted me to do now. You are the commander."

My mind kicked in and immediately I had a strategy. "Vampires are impervious to metal, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Why?"

"I want you, Alice, and Jasper out there beyond the wall. Take out the cannons. Do anything you can to prevent them from firing. No firepower means a more even playing field. Go." I ordered him, and turned away, only to have him catch my wrist again. "Edward, damn it, just go!" I snapped at him.

He leaned in quickly, kissed me, then nodded. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Just get the job done!" I yelled, and launched myself to the roof.

Ninja were streaming by me now, trying to find a way to prevent the cannon balls from hitting the buildings. I ran past them all, headed for the Wall.

"Archers!" I called out to the crowds. "All ninjas with even a little arching abilities, get up on the wall and shoot down as many enemy soldiers as you can!"

A group of people rushed by me, jumping up onto the Wall. I heard their strings pull back and fire. Nodding to myself, I turned directions, heading for the Government sector and the Gates. Surely, I could find some action there.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

Fire had engulfed the area. The government buildings were blazing with the Ponta brutes raising their weapons in triumph. I flipped off a roof before it could catch and collapse under me, and landed silently behind one. In one fluid motion, I unsheathed my sword, and slit his back open. He fell to the ground without a sound, dead on contact.

I rushed out on to the street, into the mass of enemy soldiers, and started swinging my sword, felling as many men as I could. To my left, I saw several others joining me with small knives and spears. Battle cries rang out against the burning walls nearby. The enemy lashed out blindly, not caring who they struck with their weapons.

In one swipe, I killed three men that were pressuring me. I stood for a moment, listening. Cannon fire was still going, but there wasn't as many launches going off. Edward and the others were working on that. I glanced up to see the archers, and noticed that several of them were falling themselves, but not as many as the enemy's long range.

"Push them forward and out of town!" I shouted out to my fighters. "Get some help for the fires!"

Instantly, there were fifteen men carrying large buckets immerging from HQ. I turned away and focused back on the battle. The sizzling and cracking of extinguished flames filled my ears along with sounds of battle.

Blood pounded through my body, heating up with every strike I pulled on the enemy. I could feel the sadistic grin coming over my set mouth as I felled them. The Ponta forces were falling back quickly, and soon we had shoved them out the Gates and into the clearing around the Wall.

Looking around, I saw that the force they had sent was fairly large. I wasn't even aware that the Ponta had this many soldiers left. They truly were a demon clan.

My focus faded for a moment as I surveyed the area, and my sword was knocked out of my hands. It skittered several feet away, and when I reached to it, a hard kick connected to my stomach. Luckily, I had heard the air break seconds before and tightened the muscles to prevent losing my breath. I simply slid a few feet back, my body naturally falling into a combat position.

Seeing the attacker, I recognized him immediately. His dark eyes and light hair rang out in my memory. This was the field commander for the Ponta army, the strongest man in their arsenal. His large frame made him intimidating off the field, and on it, his brute force was deadly. None of the people who had met him on the field had ever lived.

"Hello, Isabella Swan." He muttered in a deep, smooth voice. "I hear you were exiled."

I glared at him, tensing the muscles in my arms.

"No need for such hostility, Isabella." He smirked, an evil glint in his eyes. "We only want to eradicate your clan from the world."

"Like hell that'd happen. You have no chance, Harmet." I growled.

"Really? We have already captured your mother. We have her locked up nice and tight. I doubt even the most famous of Atarian ninja could reach her now."

I shot my fist forward, connecting with the man's nose. There was sickening crack as his head snapped with my hit. A broken nose. Sweet.

"Oh, someone's touchy about their mommy, huh?" He twisted his nose back into position, the cracking sound coming back.

"You shut up about her," I snarled, anger making my fists shake in their defensive position. "I'll kill you in a heartbeat."

"Is that a promise?" He goaded.

"You tell me!" I shouted, and I launched myself for him again.

I hit his chest with my fist, and powered as much adrenaline as I dared into it. The only give I got from him was step back.

"Is that all?"

Instead of my fist, I kicked out at him. I hit him in the stomach and he stepped back farther, his face contorting a little with pain. Bits of red tinted my vision as I lashed out again.

So many of my hits were ineffective. He barely moved at all when I connected a fist with his face. He was a monster in a human skin.

"Come now, Isabella, dear companion. Surely you must be better than that?" He taunted again.

My anger levels were quickly rising. I could barely think straight anymore. Lucky's voice broke through my rage for a moment, 'It'll all break free eventually.' If it were going to, now would be a good time to do it.

Vaguely, I heard the fire of the cannons die off, and the enemy's numbers were dwindling. But none of that really mattered. The army would fall apart without their commander.

"Face it, Isabella!" Harmet smirked at me. "You are going to join the others I have killed today."

I lashed out again, blindly, unaware of what was happening around. My only thoughts were whether I was breaking the man's insanely thick skin. Draw his blood, I told myself. Draw his blood and take his life.

I would not be just another notch carved into his blade.

Harmet countered me now, throwing as many punches and hits as I was. But my anger had awakened my instincts, and my agility rose significantly. I easily dodged all of his blows, and dealt more to him.

He was going to die today. By my hand.

My hits were coming faster now. He was unable to block them, and I swiftly launched my limbs out, catching his sides and face. Determination ruled over me. Every hit I nailed on him fueled my earlier resolve. The more I hit him, the less he could counter, and the less chance he had to stop my heart.

The anger was sitting there, side-by-side with my resolve. There was nothing this man could do against me anymore.

There was a cry from somewhere on the field. A familiar voice crying. My heart almost stopped then and there. I hadn't heard that voice in nearly—

Harmet caught me off guard and his fist connected with my body. I flew back, unable to grab anything to stop my backward motion. My back hit the ground with a thud, and stars shone in front of my eyes.

I scrambled to get back up, when his foot came to push me back down. The sole of his boot rested on my chest, constricting my lungs and shallowing my breath. I struggled against him but to no effect.

This was it.

"Anything to say, Isabella?" He shouted into my face. "Last words are to be said now."

My hands searched out beside me. Surely, there had to be a fallen knife, or a piece of sharp cut armor. Nothing. I couldn't find anything.

Then the tips of my fingers found something. The familiar grip fabric came to me. My sword. Now if only I could get my hand around it….

Harmet had drawn his sword, and raised it above his head. "Victoria will reward me greatly when I bring your corpse to her."

Victoria. "What's up with that girl?" I muttered. "She's everywhere."

"She will conquer this island. And your people. With the deciding factor out of the way, this war will end quickly, with the Ponta at the top!"

His arms raised higher, and I knew his was ready to deal the final blow. Just as the tip was about to come down on my heart, my hand closed around the hilt of my sword.

I gripped it tight, and jerked it upward. I had planned to simply maim the man to prevent him from ending my life, but when a sucking noise came to my ears, I opened my eyes, unaware I had shut them.

There Harmet lay against my blade, a bit sticking out from his back. Blood ran down the steel, and dripped onto my face. My face froze in shock. Impaled. What a way to go.

"Bella!" I heard a voice call me, but I was still in shock. My hands gave out, letting the blade fall against my side, Harmet's body coming with it.

Black came over my eyes for a moment, and I felt the great weight of a dead body lifted off of me. I sat up fast, trying to regain my breath. A sharp pain shot up my torso, and I cried out.

"Bella!" Edward came over to me, holding me up. "Oh my god, Bella."

I looked down at my body to see HArmet's sword had connected with me. The blade had lodged itself into my stomach. Blood was pouring out of the wound, and a dizziness came over me.

"Damn it," I cursed. "He got me good." I poked to wound, wincing. "Edward, I don't think it's too deep. No organ damage. Stop shaking."

"Your blood, Bella." He muttered.

Oh right. His attraction to my blood's scent. Damn, I'd forgotten about that. "Right." I gasped, moving to stand up. I had to get to the med tent fast.

"You can't walk, Bella!" Edward cried out. "Please."

I waved off his arm. "Edward, I don't want you to lose control of yourself around my blood. I can do this." I took a step forward and the pain came back tenfold. My body failed and fell to the ground. An agonized cry rang out, and I realized after a moment, it was mine. Damn it.

Edward picked me up easily, and as he settled me against his chest, I knew he had forced himself to stop breathing. I wanted to tell him to put me down, but the breath I was drawing now seared with pain.

I silently vowed that if I should meet up with Harmet again, I would kick his slimy teeth in.

"Edward," I mumbled.

"No, don't talk."

"I'm not going to die, Edward." I gasped. "I've had much worse wounds then this."

He looked down at me. "How are you not unconscious yet?"

I shrugged, then winced. "High pain threshold?" I suggested.

Edward and I had reached the med tent, and the healer gasped when they saw my gaping wound. Now that the adrenaline from battle was dying down, my sight was patched with black, and I could feel my mind getting fuzzier.

"Thanks, Sister." I mumbled, even though she probably had no idea what I was saying.

I had just enough time to hear everyone command me to be quiet, when the black seeped in and I fell unconscious.


I feel a little like Bella right now. The passing out from pain part. Soccer is really killer some days. Especially when you shred your leg slide tackling. Fairly long chapter this time, guys. Hope you liked it!