A/N:

Christmas is around the corner, but I'm gonna keep posting this every week! As long as you are here, I will be here!

Just wanted to let you know that

I'm gonna continue putting the disclaimer here just be sure that everyone is aware of where this story originated.

This story isn't 100 % mine. I have transformed it into a story from an interactive story app called Choices (an app I am completely obsessed with atm) and the creators are Pixelberry Studios.

So here's my disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the plot of this story. All recognizable content belongs to their respective owner. No copyright infringement intended. Names and places have been changed for the purpose of Fanfiction.

{Chapter 3}

The tree village loomed in the distance. Its myriad lanterns and rope bridges swayed in the wind. In the opposite direction, a small army of Watchers marched into the rainforest.

My best friend was with them, an unwilling captive.

"Benjamin!"

A wizened shaman briefly glanced back at Benjamin before leading the group onward.

"Where are they taking him?" Victoria asked and craned her neck to get a better look.

Cullen was looking at the Watchers with rapt fascination. "My, look at them go! Such charming primitives. And certainly worthy of further study..."

Edward glared at him angrily. "We ain't here to study them, Daddy Weirdbucks. We're here to save Princess's B.F.F."

Cullen glanced at Edward with a patronizing look. "Are you familiar with the phrase, 'know thy enemy'? From the details in your file, one would think you'd have learned that lesson."

Edward's eyes turned murderous and he took a step forward. "You son of a—" I hurriedly placed a calming hand on his chest to stop him from strangling Carlisle on the spot.

"Now, now. I'm simply suggesting that we analyze their behavior to improve our odds of successfully rescuing your dear friend," Cullen continued.

Alistair rolled his eyes at his father. "You have no idea how ridiculous altruism looks on you, do you?"

"He knows," Leah said and stared with cold, emotionless eyes at Cullen. "He just thinks we're stupid."

Edward inhaled deeply to calm himself and turned away from Cullen. He looked back down toward the base of the tree and the Watcher army. "Well, whatever the Watchers are up to, it can't be good. We've gotta get him outta there."

"But there must be dozens of them … What hope do we have?" Victoria pointed out.

Everyone shifted about uncomfortably, silent in the face of the overwhelming odds.

Eventually, I spoke up. "We can save him if we all work together."

Alistair shook his head incredulously. "You must be joking! It's impossible!"

I nodded. "I know it seems that way. But if we work together, we could probably pull this off."

"Yeah, it's the 'probably' part that makes me nervous," Kate said, and I locked eyes with her when I continued.

"Look, I can't guarantee we'll survive … But I can guarantee that if any of you were held by the Watchers, Benjamin would be the first to come to your aid."

"Hell yeah, he would!" Peter exclaimed.

I smiled appreciatively at him. "If we go into that forest together, we're going to face one of the most dangerous situations we've ever seen. When things are at their worst, and everything looks hopeless, I need to know that I can count on each of you to fight 'til the end … Because that's what Benji would do for us."

Everyone was silent as they pondered my words.

Garrett was the first to step forward. "Well? Who's in?"

Rosalie flipped out her knife with a smile "I've been itching for some revenge..."

Edward grabbed my hand. "Always figured I'd go out in a blaze of glory."

Alice grinned excitedly. "Yay! We're going to save Benjamin! No man left behind!"

"Ugh. Fine," Alistair groaned reluctantly.

"If it weren't for Bella, I would've been captured too. I'm in!" Emmett said, and I touched his arm in gratitude.

"We have to help him!" Tanya agreed.

Cullen chuckled. "What a merry band of brothers. Iris, how are our chances looking now?"

"With everyone together, projected success is now 12%!"

Emmett's smile fell. "Man, we could really use ex-C.I.A. Badass Bryan Mills right now..."

"Potential increase to 48% if assisted by Liam Neeson's character from the movie Taken."

"That's gotta be, like, almost four times as much!" Emmett gasped.

Tanya glanced at him sideways. "Technically, that's exactly four times as much."

Kate huffed impatiently. "In case you dorks haven't noticed, this isn't a movie."

"Since they don't know we're coming, I say we set up a fast hit and catch 'em with their pants down!" Peter suggested.

Kate smirked at him. "Like we caught you outside Sigma Theta in spring quarter?"

He grinned. "Exactly. It'd be just like the Galician Gambit in—"

"Gods and Warlords III!" Rosalie exclaimed. "We could only beat it when we teamed up..."

"You remember that?"

She shrugged. "Of course. But like I always told you, stealth is what gets you in and out without anyone noticing. That's the strategy we should use here."

"Ha! Yeah, you were all about those invisibility cloaks!"

Victoria looked at them with googly eyes. "Awww, you two are adorable together. I didn't know you were friends!"

Peter and Rosalie looked at each other, suddenly stammering.

"We're … we're not."

"Of course not! Peter's idea is stupid anyway!"

He frowned at her. "No, yours is stupid! We can't just slip past the Watchers! They'll catch us!"

She crossed her arms defensively. "Oh, so instead you think you can surprise attack? No wonder you always got wrecked, meathead."

"At least I don't think I'm some ninja when I'm really just a wannabe punk who steals nail polish from Hot Topic!"

I stepped in between them. "Peter, your idea is great, but we don't have any weapons, so a surprise attack would be difficult. If we can sneak by them without being discovered, I think that would be our best chance that nobody gets hurt."

He looked at me in contemplation. "You really think we should go with Rosalie's plan and just sneak by the Watchers? Well, if you really think so, I guess I can deal."

Rosalie smirked at me. "Thanks, Bella. Guess you do know a good idea when you hear one."

Just then, a familiar presence entered my mind. Everything around me went quiet.

"He's here," I mumbled.

Edward turned to me. "Huh? Who's here, Princess?"

"Quick, get down!" I ordered.

Everyone dove out of sight as a lone Watcher emerged from the trees nearby. At his side prowled the sinuous, deadly sabertooth.

"They went this way." I heard him say in my head.

With the tiger at his side, the tall Watcher spotted the last of Benjamin's entourage entering the rainforest and headed in their direction.

But suddenly he stopped.

I sensed him somewhere in my mind … and somehow I knew that he sensed me too.

Victoria looked at me with panic. "Bella, he turned around! He's coming this way!" she whispered.

"I think he can read my thoughts..." I answered them worriedly.

"Then think about something else! Make him leave!" Edward whispered from my other side.

I didn't know what I could think about that would make him leave, but the only thing in my head was Benjamin, and so I focused on his face.

The Watcher stopped.

He looked back in the direction of Benjamin's escort and then sprinted out of sight into the brush. The sabertooth bounded after him.

Kate gaped in shock. "It worked!"

Cullen appraised me with the same calculated look he'd given me earlier. "Truly incredible … What a fascinating specimen you are, Bella."

"You just Jedi mind-tricked the hell outta that dude! Can I be your Padawan, Bella?" Emmett asked me, looking like a little kid meeting his hero.

"Ha ha! How's that for the power of positive thinking?"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Victoria reaching out toward a tree to brace herself. "Uh … Not feeling … so good," she groaned and wobbled wearily before falling backward.

I leaped forward and wrapped my arms around her just in time to keep her from hitting the ground. "Got you!"

"I think I … need to lie down for a second," she said weakly. She was alarmingly pale, and her chest was rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths.

Tanya came up to us. "Oh no … She's not looking so good!"

"You can't let me slow you down … You have to save Benjamin," Victoria said.

I agreed with her. She was nowhere near well enough to go on a stealth mission. "We need to get you to safety."

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "I'll just hide here until you come back."

"But Vicky—"

"This might be your only chance to help Benjamin! You've gotta … go for it!" She surrendered to a coughing fit and doubled over.

"Probably heat stroke, I bet," Rosalie said, but Kate disagreed.

"No, with the respiratory difficulty it's got to be something else..."

"My scanners indicate that the Hostiles are moving steadily eastward," Iris said and it had us all looking at each other.

"Not good. At this rate, we won't be able to catch up," Edward said.

Kate looked at Victoria and then at us. "Go. I'll stay and see if I can find something to get her electrolytes up."

Alistair stepped toward Kate and Victoria as well. "I'll remain and keep watch. Had about enough of this excursion anyway..."

This caused Tanya to join that group as well. "I'm staying with you!"

"I'll help keep a lookout!" Emmett volunteered, and I nodded to myself, glad that Victoria wouldn't be on her own.

"We should pick a distress signal that Malfoy can sound if more Watchers show up. Any ideas?" Edward asked.

"A whistled melody?" I suggested.

"How about Chopin's 'Nocturne'?" Alistair quietly whistled a series of trilling notes.

"Oh, good choice! It sounds almost like a bird call, yet still distinctive enough to recognize," Tanya said excitedly.

"I do have some talents..."

"You do," she agreed wholeheartedly.

"I think that about covers it. Stay safe out here," I told those who stayed behind, and the rest of us continued.

As the setting sun disappeared behind the mountains, we resolutely marched toward the rainforest. We moved through the thick foliage, following Benjamin's trail when a pair of Watchers suddenly rounded a nearby bend.

Everyone quickly ducked behind cover.

"Just follow the plan. Stay down. Don't move. Don't breathe," Rosalie told us.

"What if I gotta sneeze—" Peter started but Rosalie just glared murderously at him.

"Definitely don't sneeze, or I'll kill you before the Watchers can."

Everyone hunkered down, motionless. The Watchers wandered through and after a few moments, they moved on without noticing us.

Rosalie grinned. "See? Told you stealth was the way to go."

I didn't dare to celebrate just yet, though. "Well … we're okay for now, but there'll only be more Watchers as we get closer to Benjamin."

Edward agreed with me. "Right. And if you're spotted, things could get bad for Abercrombie-and-Twitch. Actually, I think I've got something that'll help..." He dug into his backpack and pulled out some camouflage gear. He handed them to me and I went behind a tree to change. Had it only been Edward there, I wouldn't have cared, but I didn't want to give Garrett, Cullen, and Peter a peak.

"Hey, this fits pretty nicely," I said before I came back around the tree and showed the others.

Edward's jaw went slack, and he just blinked over and over again. "I'll say," he said when he regained his ability to speak.

I smiled at him flirtatiously, but the others were impatient.

"Cool. Let's get a move on," Rosalie said, and after briefly surveying our surroundings, we continued through the forest.

Peter moved up next to Cullen. "So you think you're some kinda big shot, Mr. Cullen?"

"I'm a man who believes in hard work, ambition, and thrift. No less and no more. And feel free to call me Carlisle, Peter."

Peter shook his head. "We're not supposed to do that!"

Rosalie hit Peter on his arm with her fist. "He's not a teacher, dorkwad. And do you mind keeping your mouth shut? You're making us break stealth."

"I'm just doin' me, Rosalie! And I say he's a stuck-up tool who's really just a big fish in a little pond!"

Edward leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Princess, if he keeps mouthing off at Phony Stark, we're sitting ducks..."

I needed to distract Peter somehow, but the only thing I could think of to ask about was sports, so I just threw something out there. "Hey, Peter, remind me … Do you happen to know who won Super Bowl XXII?"

He scoffed. "Pff! Of course!" But then he stopped and his face went strangely blank. "Wait. Super Bowl Twenty-Two?"

"C'mon, Peter, it was the—" Garrett started to help, but Peter held up his hand in a stopping motion.

"Shut up, don't tell me, dude! I know this! Uh … hang on. Just gimme a sec."

Rosalie nudged me. "Nice job, Bella."

We moved forward in silence as Peter boggled over the answer. Soon, the dense overgrowth thinned, and an expansive canyon came into view.

"Duuuuuude..."

Ruined structures poked out of the forest canopy like ancient, bleached bones, gleaming in the light of the full moon. Up ahead, the path appeared to curve sharply around a pyramid-like structure. Intricate carvings jutted from its steeply sloping walls.

I noticed a group of Watchers standing guard along the path near the pyramid.

"Careful..." I cautioned the others as we got closer.

"Must be something important about that building," Alice said and nodded toward the pyramid.

"Bella, you and I could probably sneak over and check it out. After we get eyes on what they're guarding, we can rejoin the group on the other side of the bend," Edward said, and I nodded.

"Let's do it."

Edward and I made our way toward the pyramid, making sure to keep low and quiet. In my camo outfit, I blended seamlessly into the forest floor and avoided detection.

"I don't see any doors in this thing. Must be some kind of monument," Edward said and bent his head back to be able to see higher up.

A statue depicting a reclining woman dominated the entire front of the pyramid. Her arms were folded across her chest, and a jeweled ring gleamed on one of her stone fingers.

There was a funerary quality to the woman's pose. Her facial features were serene in her slumber. The statue's arms were unfortunately crossed too tightly to allow me any access to examine the ring too close, though.

From what I could see, the band was badly deteriorated but appeared to be gold. Light still refracted from the darkened facets of the jewel.

"It looks really old, but I think … it's a wedding ring?" I told Edward, but I was unsure.

A few words engraved on the band caught my eye and I leaned as close as I could get to read them. 'July 1921 and Ever After.'

"Bella look a this," Edward said behind me and I turned around. He was peering at a highly detailed relief depicting a crowd of people gathered around a woman whose face was hidden behind a mask.

I looked from the relief to the statue. "I think the statue is the same woman as the one in this carving. Only the statue isn't wearing a mask."

"You making any sense of this?" he asked.

"The Watchers seem to revere this place, but the people depicted in the carvings are in modern clothes."

Edward nodded. "Tuxes and evening gowns, yeah. Looks like a costume party for the well-to-douche. If we want that ring, I think we're gonna have to play Indiana Jones."

"There has to be some way to free it from the statue..." I mused.

I wondered if the fact that the statue didn't wear a mask could have something to do with it, and I experimentally covered the woman's face with my camo jacket.

A muffled click resounded from somewhere nearby. The statue's arms slowly swung outward, allowing the ring to slide off her finger and drop to the ground.

Edward looked at me in awe and shook his head. "Now I'm gonna have to start calling you Genius instead of Princess."

"Don't you dare," I threatened playfully. "I never want you to stop calling me Princess."

Edward grinned and knelt down to pick up the ring. He then held it out to me, and it was such a perfect opportunity that I couldn't pass up on.

"Oh..." I sighed. "Are you proposing?"

He knew that I was teasing, of course, and he chuckled. "You want me to?" he asked, and then stood up. He took a step closer to me, and I reached up to wound my arms around his neck. His arms wrapped around my waist, and we gazed into each other's eyes wordlessly.

He leaned in and brought my lips to his, kissing me softly, yet with so much passion it warmed me up to my very core.

"Vos tohk ri!"

We broke apart, and Edward looked over his shoulder. "I think they heard us … Time to move!"

We booked it around the back of the pyramid, and on the other side, we found the rest of the group waiting near the end of the bend.

"…You two all right?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Let's get moving!" I answered quickly since I didn't know if the Watchers were following us or not.

As we hastened forward, the sound of distant drumming could be heard. The path arrived at a steep cliff, and below, I saw dozens of Watchers gathered around a central bonfire.

Beside the fire stood the shaman I'd noticed earlier, and his voice echoed across the area.

"Khalarat vaantilar, anlakan kaalta..."

A pair of Watchers brought Benjamin forward to the shaman.

"There he is!" Peter exclaimed, and we all shushed him before he revealed our hiding.

Furball briefly brushed against my leg, then started toward a thicket of trees near the edge of the cliff. He paused and looked back at me.

"I think Furball wants me to go over there..." I told the others.

"It's a nice spot to scout the Watchers from. Maybe get some idea what they're up to," Edward said, but Rosalie was unsure.

"Wouldn't they be able to see Bella?" she asked.

Iris was the one to reassure her. "In the current apparel, Bella only has a 4.2% chance of being seen."

"We've gotta find out what they're doing with Benjamin," I said, and accompanied Furball toward the cliff.

I made my way carefully along the edge of the precipice, all the while trying to stay hidden. The camo outfit seemed to keep me concealed within the brush pretty well, though.

Down below, the shaman placed a bony hand on Benjamin's shoulder, and now I was close enough to hear both of them talk.

"Look, I don't think that Horcrux thing you want is here," Benjamin said.

"Lok! Pashtak buala kaalta!"

He threw his arms up in exasperation. "I'm not some sniffer dog that you can use to confiscate people's smokeables!"

"Za? Un raa kosh—"

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that analogy doesn't make sense. Can we just try somewhere else or something?"

The exchange confused me because it seemed as if Benjamin understood them.

That was when the tall Watcher approached Benjamin and the shaman. "Let him be. He needs a break," he told the Shaman, and somehow, as the Shaman answered, I was able to hear his words in my head just as clearly as the tall one.

"But we're so close! Can you not feel it?"

"Of course. But you cannot rush destiny. The idol will choose the right time to reveal itself. Is that not what you preached to us?"

"Oho … Wise words, boy! So be it."

I looked on as the tall Watcher lead Benjamin toward an overgrown ruined temple. The two of them climbed a set of steps and disappeared into a shadowy doorway.

"Come on, Furball!" I said, and we hurried back to rejoin the rest of the group. I relayed what I'd seen and heard, and they were as confounded as I was. Everyone except Cullen. He didn't appear too shocked, and I watched him for a moment longer before turning back to the others.

"Sounds like they're searching for something … something of spiritual importance," Leah said.

"This is our chance!" Edward said. "If we can get into that ruin, we've only got one Watcher between us and Benjamin."

I hesitated. "There are still too many of them near the entrance."

"We need a distraction," Garrett said. "Someone to make some noise and then run. Leave it to me."

I shook my head. "Wait. You can't—"

"Six hundred and thirty-one yards," Peter nodded. "Tell 'em, Gar."

Garrett grinned. "You mean when we passed for six hundred and thirty-one yards when we played Kenton State?"

"Chyeah! My man's unstoppable. He's got this, Bella," Peter said to reassure me, but Edward didn't agree.

"Hold on, Bob Costas. I've watched enough of his games to know he can dodge a linebacker. This is—it's a lot different when they're coming to take you down for good. I've got experience with lure-and-destroy missions. I should be the one to distract the Watchers."

Everyone looked at Edward in surprise.

Garrett spoke first. "You watched my games?"

Edward looked increasingly uncomfortable and ran a hand through his long hair. "Er, I—"

"Hold on," I said, once again seeing a golden opportunity to mess with him. "Edward, are you a Garrett Gayle fan?"

His eyes widened. "What? No! I just … I gamble on sports now and then. That's all!" he said to defend himself. "Point is, it oughta be me."

I grinned, but then became serious again. "I'd feel a lot better if you came with me," I told him honestly.

Garrett smiled triumphantly. "I won't let you down, Bella."

Peter started to chant, but quiet enough for us to feel that we didn't need to shush him again. "Number five! Number five!"

I looked at Edward apologetically, but he nodded in understanding and I rested my head against his chest for a moment.

"Well, I'm not going to miss this. I'm in," Rosalie said.

"Heck yeah!" Peter cheered.

"You guys sure? This is gonna be no joke," Garrett told them.

"You should accompany them, Alice," Cullen told her, and she looked at him in shock.

"Me?"

"Yes, this is what I need you for at present."

Almost robotically, Alice walked over to join the distraction team.

Garrett jogged down the pathway toward the canyon floor, and Rosalie, Peter, and Alice deftly followed. When they arrived at the bottom of the cliff, angry shouts and ululations of warning erupted from the gathered Watchers. The entire group immediately began to give chase.

The remainder of the group and I carefully made our way down the ravine toward the overgrown structure.

"Iris, run a scan of that building," Cullen ordered.

"Scanning … Only the two individuals seen entering are detected inside, sir."

"Excellent."

I frowned. "Does your pet have any other tricks up her sleeve?"

Cullen chuckled. "Just a few essentials. One might not be able to find good help in this day and age, but with the right algorithms you can certainly manufacture it."

Inside, moonlight filtered through gaps in the crumbling walls and revealed what appeared to be a temple. Benjamin and the tall Watcher stood near an altar at the center of the room.

"We should stay back and observe before making our move," Cullen said, and I wanted to roll my eyes. Of course we wouldn't just run in without assessing the situation first. I wasn't ex-military like Edward, but I wasn't stupid either.

Leah quickly ushered me behind a pillar, and the others similarly took up hiding places.

"I am sorry for the way you were treated," the tall Watcher said, and I was beyond shocked to hear the words coming out of his mouth and not in my head like before.

He knew English.

"Why are these idols so important, anyway?" Benjamin asked calmly. He was too calm, almost on the verge of being comfortable around the Watcher, and it confused me.

"Harrvel believes they will bring about Raan'losti, a time of great chains."

Benjamin made a small grimace. "Um … I think you mean 'change.'"

The Watcher nodded. "Yes. Chains."

Benjamin shook his head. "No, it's—"

The Watcher tried again. "Chuh-ayn-juh. This is right?"

Benjamin smiled. "Better." He chuckled a little, and to my surprise, the Watcher also laughed softly.

As they resumed searching, Benjamin struggled to keep his long hair out of his face. "Ugh … This look really only works on Milo Ventimiglia." His hair had obviously not been cut during the six months that had passed, and it kept falling into his eyes.

"Here. I will help." The Watcher raised his hands in an offer of assistance. Benjamin turned around, and the Watcher gently braided a section of hair near the crown of his head and secured it so that it was kept away from Benjamin's eyes.

"Oh, nice. Thanks!" As Benjamin turned back to him, the Watcher's hand moved to rest on his shoulder.

"Of course," he said, and they shared some kind of moment between them.

"I guess we should keep looking?" Benjamin asked, and the Watcher blinked.

"Hm? Oh. Yes."

Suddenly, Benjamin froze with wide eyes staring at the wall. "Something's … in the wall." He reached into an unassuming notch in the temple wall and pulled out a small statue of gleaming amber.

The Watcher gasped. "You … You found it!"

Leah whispered to me over her shoulder. "We should act now before the others arrive."

I nodded. "Agreed."

In a flash, Leah hurled her spear at the Watcher, blunt end first. The wooden shaft collided solidly with the Watcher's head, and he slumped to the ground.

"Jacorel!" Benjamin exclaimed in shock, but then gasped when he saw us.

"Benji! Are you all right?" I asked and walked up to hug him.

"...Bella? It really is you … I knew it! I knew you wouldn't forget about me!" He hugged me tightly, and when he looked over my shoulder, he noticed the others present. "Wait. What the hell is he doing here?" he asked when he saw Cullen. He stepped back from me and glared.

Cullen smugly offered him a handshake. "Carlisle Alistair Cullen the First. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Benjamin."

Benjamin frowned. "I knew it. None of you are here. This is just a dream inside of a dream … I bet the van's going off of the bridge right now."

I grabbed his hands and made him focus on me. "Benji, this is real. We're here, and Cullen is helping us rescue you."

He shook his head. "But … where's everyone else?"

"Distracting the Watchers, or keeping a lookout," I said, and he visibly relaxed.

"They're okay … Everyone's okay!" he mumbled with relief.

I hurried to apologize that it had taken us so long to get to him. "Benji, I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner … What were they making you do?"

"Search for this." He held up the gleaming amber figurine. "Supposedly, there's a bunch of these that they lost in a civil war a thousand years ago. They're part of their religion. Where have you been, anyway?" he asked, with a slight of bitterness to his tone.

"The portal gun sent us forward in time. We just reappeared three days ago," I told him honestly, and he immediately hit his forehead with the palm of his head and made a dead-on impression of 'Doc' in Back to the Future.

"Great Scott."

In the distance, a whistled melody could be heard echoing across the canyon.

"The signal!" I exclaimed.

Leah exhaled sharply in disappointment. "So much for our escape route."

"You've got to get out of here!" Benjamin said and gestured for us to leave.

"We came to rescue you," Leah said with a frown.

"If they come back and I'm gone, they'll hunt you down. If I stay, they won't know you were here. The idols are all they care about. It's why they came for us."

I shook my head. "Benji, I'm not losing you. Whatever happens, we're in this together."

"That's right."

"I stand in accordance with this statement."

I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs outside, and that was when Cullen did something I did not expect. He held out his hand toward Benjamin.

"Quickly! Hand me the idol! I'll hide it from them."

Benjamin hesitated, and before he could make up his mind, a large group of Watchers filed in. Including the Shaman, who stepped forward and spoke to us.

"Uq kaalta! Well done! You have brought us the idol … and the Catalysts both!" he said with an excited tone.

"You speak English, too?" Edward asked. "Did y'all get a group discount on Rosetta Stone or something?"

The Shaman hobbled merrily toward Benjamin, his right hand outstretched to receive the amber figurine. "Come now, Canis."

Benjamin held the idol tighter to him. "Hold on. You have to promise that you won't hurt my friends."

The Shaman looked shocked. "Hurt them? Bah! Of course not. You and your friends are the key to our people's future!"

He looked into the Watcher's crimson eyes and finally offered up the idol.

"No!"

Cullen suddenly kicked over a ceremonial brazier, causing flames to lick upward along one of the overgrown walls. He pulled out a knife and rushed toward Benjamin, placing it against his throat, and himself behind Benjamin, using him as a shield.

I felt my anger rise, and I wanted to strangle him. "You … bastard," I said, unable to come up with a better word for the slimeball.

As the fire spread, the tall Watcher's eyes fluttered open. He pushed himself up from the floor and immediately saw Cullen holding Benjamin hostage. "No!" he exclaimed and stepped forward, but Cullen only pressed the knife harder against Benjamin's throat.

"As I said, I'm a man who believes in hard work, ambition, and thrift. When there are loose ends to be cut, I do not hesitate," he said coldly.

"Release him!" the Watcher demanded.

"Gladly. However, I'll need your people to get out of my way first."

The tall Watcher nodded to the other warriors, who cleared a path out of the temple.

"What?! I'm not about to just let him walk away!" Leah's knuckles went white around the shaft of her spear.

Cullen noticed and he nodded toward her and the warriors. "And for the sake of decorum, if you wouldn't mind putting your weapons away..."

The tall Watcher motioned for the warriors to do as he asked, although reluctantly.

"The Hydra can't be allowed to leave with the idol!" The Shaman cried out.

The rapidly spreading fire had completely engulfed the ceiling at this point. Cinders began to rain down around us.

Edward looked around as he inched closer to me. "Fellas, it's getting a little toasty in here!"

The Watcher was completely focused on Cullen, though. "You have the idol and a way out, Hydra. Now let him go."

Cullen smirked. "Much appreciated. I'll also be taking what belongs to me. Iris, activate Directive 1908."

Iris's hologram froze for a second, and then her mouth opened. "Activating! Loading previous command set. Memory reboot in three … two…"

I took the opportunity of Iris's distraction to slowly edge closer to Cullen's position.

"...One." Her hologram flickered. "I … Where is Alistair? Is he safe?"

"Cullen!" Leah coiled her right arm back to launch her spear at Cullen's head. "Say hello to oblivion."

Iris's drone flew toward Leah, flashing a bright light in her eyes.

The spear arced wide of Cullen and became lodged in the wall inches from his head.

Cullen ticked his tongue. "Oh, so close, Leah! You'll have another chance, I'm sure of it … Come along, Iris."

Iris started to follow, and Edward frowned. "What the hell are you doing, Iris?" he asked. During the time that she had been with us, we had come to see her as an ally, and seeing her following Cullen's orders was downright painful.

The drone began to hover in Edward's direction, then stopped. Iris's hologram flickered and reconfigured itself to face toward us. "I must go now, Bella."

I logically knew that she was just a machine who didn't really have her own free will, but the sting of betrayal was deep nevertheless. "You … Traitor!" I told her angrily.

Iris lowered her head dejectedly and her drone moved to Cullen's side.

The tall Watcher used the distraction to hurl a bola at Cullen.

Benjamin was jerked backward as the weighted leather straps wrapped around his captor's arm. In the commotion, the statue slipped from Benjamin's grasp.

Cullen went after it, releasing Benjamin without a second thought, but I was faster than him and grasped the amber figurine and moved out of the way a split second before Cullen could get it.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You'll regret that decision."

I prepared to fight Cullen and reached out to give the idol to Benjamin, but the moment his hand touched it, I found myself back in the Observatory.

The tall Watcher was lying on a lab table, his arms and legs pinned down by mechanical restraints. Benjamin was frantically typing something at a workstation.

"Ugh … Why isn't this working?" he said through clenched teeth.

Iris's hologram appeared in the room. "I'm sorry, Benjamin. I can't let you do that."

"Iris?"

"Defense sequence initiated. Those present are advised to vacate immediately."

A series of panels slid open near the ceiling. Robotic arms connected to machine guns emerged from the wall.

Benjamin looked at them with growing panic. "Iris, what are you doing? I've got to get him out of here!"

"Negative. This specimen will remain in custody for the duration of the procedure. Final warning. Those left behind will not be spared."

"Iris! Listen to me! I'm your friend. Are you going to just shoot me down like Alistair?"

Iris flickered but didn't budge. "Input is invalid. Alistair will be returned to life once the procedure is complete."

"Benjamin, go! Your whole life is ahead of you … Go and live it!" The Watcher cried out from the table.

"I tried that. Before. Life means nothing without people to care about," Benjamin said with feeling, refusing to leave.

"Deploying weapons."

The guns opened fire, and Benjamin and the Watcher spasmed helplessly as they were struck by a hail of bullets.

And then, just as suddenly, I was back in the burning temple.

Cullen was glaring at me, the flickering orange glow reflecting in his furious eyes. He and Iris turned and fled into a haze of smoke hanging in the temple's entrance.

I rushed after them when I heard Edward's voice call from behind me.

"Princess, look out—"

There was a terrible groan from somewhere high above. Rubble and burning timber crashed down and trapped me in the inferno.

"Take … my hand!"

I reached out and clasped the tall Watcher's offered hand. He pulled me out of the debris, but a wall of fire was blocking the exit.

"There's no way out!" Leah yelled.

Furball exhaled a cone of freezing mist toward the doorway, and the flames died down.

All of us hurried outside and barely got out just as the upper structure of the temple completely gave out. As the dust and smoke cleared, I saw the rest of the group, their hands bound and Watchers leading them down the steps.

But there was no sign of Cullen or Iris.

"Behold!" The Shaman held aloft the amber figurine so that the other Watchers could see. It glimmered in the wavering glow of the fire. "Canis has brought us the idol and something even greater … The Twelve have come to fulfill their destiny!"

A/N:

Anyone of you feel like I'm not including enough of Edward and Bella's relationship in this one? Or is too much? Or just the right amount?

The stage their at in their relationship right now is my favorite; with their constant teasing and messing with each other. What's your opinions on it?

So Cullen was just fooling them all, huh? And Benjamin is friends with the Watchers? The Watchers doesn't appear to be very hostile, after all, so what's the deal with them? Why are they calling the gang 'Catalysts' and what's their destiny?

The reward you'll get for allowing me to read your thought is a teaser, as usual!

Until next time,

Stay Awesome!