Emmet and Embry attack Dieci with all they got, but the boy is small and fast to avoid their punches. They dance around the room, looking for an opening in each other's movements to get the upper hand.
Dieci moves away from them long enough to initiate another illusion. He doesn't bother to hide his powers this time and transports them to a vast flower field.
Emmett can't see or hear Diecie, but Embry seems to know what he's doing. His eyes are closed, his ears moving left then right, listening. He moves away from some invisible attack, and the field catches on fire. The flames get closer to Emmett rapidly, and he starts to panic, but Embry stands still listening. His ears move left, right, and right again; he avoids an attack jumping left. Emmett can't help him. He can't even feel the impact of the punches or concentrate on anything else but the flames burning his skin. The illusion is too much for his senses.
Embry is perfectly still again. Left, Left, right; he dodges another blow. Emmett carefully observes his movements, looking for the patterns, when finally Embry grabs Dieci, and the illusion dissipates again. Dieci's body flies across the room, and Emmett counts the seconds in his mind. One, two, three. They attack Dieci out of the illusion together. Four, five, six. Punch after punch, Dieci avoids them, but he's getting tired. Seven, eight, nine, ten. The room transforms again.
Emmett is floating in the water in the middle of a storm. He can feel his clothes soaked, and his body is floating in the water like it's real. Embry is concentrating again, standing over the sea, listening.
Emmett fights to keep his head over the water to watch Embry. Left, left, right; dodge. Right, left; dodge. He wants to help, but he can't do anything unless the illusion is broken. The waves push him underwater, his body heavy again, pulling him down. The illusion is broken.
Emmett gasps for air even without needing it. Embry has his teeth firmly grasped onto Dieci's arm, and the boy has his hand inside his chest.
—Embry! Let him go! When Embry notices Emmett has come to it, he steps away from Dieci, giving him space to attack the boy as he recovers.
The blood loss made him dizzy, but he could perfectly hear and smell Dieci inside the illusion. The kid can fool a vampire because he must've fought them for centuries, but he can't fool a wolf's nose on his first try. The problem is that he can't kill the boy alone, and Emmett is useless inside an illusion.
When he is recovered, he moves towards Emmett, but the room changes again. Now they are standing in a lava field. Emmett is lost, stepping away from the lava, but Embry closes his eyes, trusting his nose and ears, keeping calm. He wishes to communicate with Emmett, but he can't change into a human in the middle of a fight. He'll have to find a way to kill the boy alone.
Emmett is being swallowed by the lava when his voice makes Embry open his eyes. TEN! TEN SECONDS! He screams as he sinks into the fire. His words make Dieci change his movements. The boy attacks more recklessly like he's out of time. Embry takes advantage of his carelessness and grabs him again when he passes by too close to him.
When the illusion dissipates, Emmet starts counting aloud. One, Two, three. They attack Dieci again. The boy seems angry and more violent. When Emmett reaches ten, the room changes again.
This time, it's a forest covered by fog. They expected a natural calamity like before, but the place was quiet. Emmett sees a shadow approaching and gets ready to attack but is taken off guard when Rosalie walks over to him. Dieci wants to torture him, make him too distracted to fight.
Emmett seems to believe in the illusion for a moment. He walks over, looking confused, but Embry knows that's Dieci by the smell and jumps on top of the image of Rosalie, going for her throat. Dieci jumps, avoiding the bite and hiding inside the illusion again. Embry listens quietly, and Emmett comes back to reality, observing his ears. He's seen him do it enough times to tell where Dieci will attack from based on the movements Embry makes. This time, Embry signalizes before the attack.
Emmett waits for the perfect time and grabs the air, trusting Embry's instincts. He can feel his fingers wapping around something and pull it back with all his strength. He can feel whatever he grabbed separating from Dieci's body. The illusion goes away, and Dieci is on the floor, holding his leg. It didn't separate from the body, but he must've felt the pain. It's just like when Embry bites him inside the illusion; he seems to come back weaker every time.
—You useless vermin! His voice is distorted in anger; his childish smile is gone.
Embry and Emmett don't wait for him to recover and go at him full speed. The boy is too weakened to start another illusion. They can see his fear when he understands he can't escape them this time. They rip his arms and legs off and Emmett finishes him off by removing his head. The room is finally quiet.
—Good teamwork. Emmett says.
—How did you know he had to wait ten seconds to make an illusion? Embry asks, returning to his human form.
—Do you remember when we gathered allies to fight the newborns? There was a woman who could create very realistic illusions too. I wondered the limit of her powers, and Edward told me she could only keep it going for a limited amount of time. I believed it was the same for him, but the brat had it backward. It wasn't about how long he could keep it up, but how long until he could make the next one. I couldn't fight inside the illusion, so I had to figure out how to kill him outside.
—I didn't think you were that smart. Embry says jokingly.
—I could say the same about you. You moved through his trick fast. Emmett laughs and points to Dieci's body. —You got any matches for this in that spandex? He says, referring to the swimming shorts Embry is wearing.
Embry just raises an eyebrow at him.
—We need to burn the body, or he'll come back.
—Well, I obviously don't have one. So what now?
While they argue, a trapdoor opens, swallowing Dieci's parts.
—Ahm… Problem solved? Embry says.
—Not even close. We gotta find the others. They walk to the door across the room to follow their family, but they come out outside the building, in the same field they first arrived in.
—Ahm… Are you sure that was the right door? Embry looks around, confused. The moon is high in the sky now, and the place is like a ghost town.
—You think we can enter through the building again? Emmett asks. They were invited the first time, and to crash their place, they'd have to mess with the fingerprint scanner, and he has no idea how.
—No way. We should wait here. This place is strange. Embry says, looking at the vast empty field ahead of them, both wondering if their family is all right.
Jasper and Paul land in a room similar to the one they left Embry and Emmett. The longhaired woman that pushed them inside is standing in the middle of the room, staring.
She's tall, and her red eyes remind them of a fox's, shining under the light. Her full red lips and long black hair seem to float around her long limbs. She's perfectly still, arms behind her back, expressionless.
—Who are you? Paul asks angrily. Her beauty is unsettling even for him.
—They call me Cinque here. Her voice is sweet and calm, like a mermaid, calling sailors to their watery grave.
—Dieci, Cinque… What are those numbers? Jasper is already trying to collect information from her. A small smile appears upon her perfect lips. She doesn't answer.
—Fine. Then, why are you attacking us?
—You serious? The smile gets wider. —You're trespassing. I have orders to stop you.
—You mean to kill us?
Cinque only smiles again without answering. Her red eyes dance in the light.
—Who gave you orders? Jasper is playing her game.
—Does it matter? She slides elegantly to the right. Jasper and Paul move with her, keeping their distance.
—Well, if they are trying to kill us, then yes. It does. Paul keeps calm, watching Jasper interrogate the vampire, and can tell Jasper is keeping him that way to get information out of her. He doesn't love the idea of him using his powers on him, but they have no idea what she can do.
—I am just following orders. That's all you need to know. Cinque still has her arms behind her back, and although she smiles, she looks dead serious about following her orders.
—You speak like a soldier. Jasper points to her, his finger moving up and down, pointing out her posture.
—You would know. Her smile is wide again.
—You know me?
—Any vampire would recognize you, Jasper Hale. The Cullens. The family that challenged the Volturi and survived.
—Jasper… Paul says, getting impatient. —Forget this. She won't say anything. Let's kill her. It's troubling to him that she looks so relaxed.
—It's all right. We might get out of here without a fight. He smiles at Cinque confidently.
—What makes you think that? Cinque asks, a bit serious now.
—I feel no hostility coming from you. You don't want to fight us. Jasper analyzed her feeling and didn't find any will to fight.
—Oh… She laughs —You won't feel anything from me, Hale, not even when I rip your head off.
She charges forward, surprising Jasper. He tries to make her calm down, but she's unaffected and hits his face directly. Paul transforms in time but can't avoid the blow either. Cinque hits him, making him fly across the room. The sound of bones cracking and his screams reverberate off the walls.
—What is your power? Resist being influenced? Jasper asks, putting his jaw back in place. He knows he's lucky it's still attached to his face. Paul is also recovering; he can almost stand up now.
—I won't need my powers to kill you. Cinque goes back to her relaxed self. Jasper sounded confident, but he's nothing more than what his report stated.
—Then how can you resist? He asks, serious. He wants to understand how significant his disadvantage is.
—Does it matter? You'll die here.
Jasper concentrates all his efforts on affecting Cinque's feelings and forgets about Paul. Once he's recovered, he can't contain his anger and attacks Cinque without enough care. He jumps over to her, claws and teeth out, no way to dodge any attacks. If Jasper calms his anger now, he'll lose his balance and still get hit, but if he doesn't, he might die, and Jasper knows he can't kill Cinque alone. So, he does the only thing he can to keep him alive, gets between them.
He stops Cinque's hand before she can cut Paul's throat and remove his head. She still manages to cut his shoulder before almost removing Jasper's hand. The pain is sharp and spreads quickly.
—Calm down. He tells Paul, feeling his distress. —I'm fine. Work with me, ok?
—You trust the shape-shifter? Cinque seems confused, looking at how they seem to communicate like a team.
—Does it matter? Jasper smiles, masking the pain as his hand heals.
She smiles at his sarcasm. —Probably not.
—You said you had orders from someone. You're a soldier. She shrugs at his words. —How long have you been a soldier?
Cinque is delighted with his questions. We are finally getting to the good part. —I'm as old as you, Hale. I saw you in Texas. I know exactly what you can do.
—That's what you think.
—That's what I know.
Like a choreography, Jasper and Paul fight Cinque. Jasper pushes Paul's feelings, telling him when to attack and when to fall back so he can have at her. Paul comes from behind, keeping a safe distance, just close enough for his claws to touch her body. Cinque barely moves but avoids him and manages to break his leg. Jasper comes from the front, using Paul's body to hide until the last moment. Again, Cinque avoids him gracefully, hitting him in the back with a kick. Paul is still recovering; he needs to buy some time.
—I didn't see you on the battlefield. I'd remember you. Jasper is still looking for a way inside Cinque's heart, but she's a tricky one.
—I wasn't there to fight. She puts a strain of hair back into place. —I was collecting samples.
—Samples? Paul also listens closely to their conversation; his leg almost recovered now.
—I have another name here. Some call me Fisherman. I… recruit vampire volunteers.
—Recruit? For what? Cinque teases them with a smile but doesn't answer the question.
—Did you recruit Anne as well? Jasper asks.
—Anne? Cinque appears not to know what he's talking about.
—The girl. The reason we are here.
—Oh… She seems to have just remembered there was a reason they were there. —In that case, I collected her. But we did not bother naming her like you.
—Why? Jasper can feel the question of Anne's loyalty is about to be answered.
—She's not one of us. If anything, she's more like… a disposable container.
—For what?
—You'll die here, Hale. Don't worry about the trash.
Cinque starts to attack again and Jasper can't follow her speed. She breaks his leg this time, even before he can make a movent. Paul comes to his rescue, but Cinque pushes him away like she's getting rid of a fly, twisting his front leg painfully.
—You know I'm not even trying, right? She looks down at Jasper and Paul, putting themselves back together.
—You hurt my feelings. I'm breaking my back here. The pain is intense, but he can't give up.
—I'm bored. She looks around and back to Jasper and Paul on the floor.
—I thought you didn't feel. Jasper says, standing up.
—I had better expectations for you. Cinque is serious now. The amusement seems to be over, and so is her interest in this fight. Jasper doesn't have to read her feelings to know she'll go for the kill shot. She walks away, picking up some distance, probably to give the final blow. It's now or never. We're playing dirty.
—Don't worry. I'll be back in a blink of an eye. Like a boomerang, back to you. Jasper's words sound like gibberish to Paul, but they affect Cinque. She turns around, clearly surprised.
—What did you say? Her voice shakes a bit, and Jasper grabs the chance.
—I didn't see you on the battlefield, but I remember now. I saw you that day, at the train station. Only you had feelings. You were happy. Jasper's smile is full of sarcasm. He strikes his chin like he's struggling to remember details, and Cinque takes the bait.
—Shut up. This is the first time Jasper sees Cinque show feelings. He can feel the path opening.
—Oh, yeah. Your smile was so sweet. The man next to you seemed very happy as well. Cinque punches him in the stomach, making him fall to the floor again.
—Ouch. Jasper says. He raises his hand to Paul. Telling him to stand down.
—I warned you. Cinque looks angry enough to rip his head off, but Jasper keeps pushing because getting her to the limit is the only way he can feel her emotions and control them.
—You know, He grunts, standing up. —it was a very peculiar scene—so much love in a place like that.
—It seems I must rip your mouth off for you to shut you up. Jasper can feel it now. Just a little more, just over the edge.
—Did it hurt? When you killed him? There it was. Cinque was overflowing with anger, and he could finally feel it all!
She attacks again, this time more careless due to her anger. Jasper can avoid her punches, and Paul joins the fight too. They attack from all sides, looking for a blind spot they can hit. Paul can get his claws on her back before she backs away from them.
—You sent him to his death. You knew he was going to die, didn't you? Just one more door. He can feel it, but he must take control of them.
—SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH, MAGGOT! Cinque finally snaps. Her beautiful face looks completely distorted in anger. She attacks Paul, almost smashing his head on the floor.
—YOU WANT TO FEEL ME? THEN FEEL IT! The wave of anger is overwhelming. Jasper can't find a way through the anger to control her. He was sure that if she lost control, he could enter, but he didn't count on the intensity of her feelings. He miscalculated. Cinque couldn't be controlled because there was no such thing inside her.
The vampire charges straight to Jasper. He can avoid her, but her puch makes the room shake. Her strength is comparable to not one, but a least ten newborns. He looks at Paul, still trying to recover from Cinque's last hit. We'll die here. He still tries to control her, but it's useless. There is no path inside that rage.
—Paul, get up! Jasper sends a wave of awareness to Paul's body, making him react. He jumps up, facing Cinque's empty eyes, blinded by anger.
—I will kill you and that useless container as well. I'll burn your family in front of you and throw your limbs, one by one, in their ashes.
Every punch they manage to avoid is followed by ten more. Her strength makes the whole structure shake over and over. The cracks on the ceiling are looking dangerously deep.
—She's going to bury us here. Jasper looks at Paul for only a second, but it's enough for Cinque to reach her hand, grab his arm, and twist it, making git fall motionless to the side of his body. He runs away from her, holding the limp arm. The pain is intense, but the fear is stronger. He thinks of Alice; her face, her smile, her voice. Death is upon them. Cinque smiles like a predator about to swallow him whole. He closes his eyes, accepting death when her screams fill the room.
—No! No! NO! I'll kill him! I CAN KILL HIM! Cinque is holding her heart like she's in excruciating pain. Her eyes are still on Jasper, trying to get close to him, crawling on the floor, but the pain seems too much, making her kneel. Jasper can feel her despair till the moment the room falls into silence. Cinque's body is on the floor; only her eyes' white is now visible.
—What the hell did you do? Paul changes back to human when it looks like Cinque is really defeated.
—Nothing. I couldn't control her. Jasper analyzes her body. She looks like she passed out, but that's not possible for a vampire unless she's recovering from something.
—Then, what the hell was that?
—I think… the people she works for did this to her. Cinque looks like she was attacked from inside out. Whoever had control over her made sure they could stop her in case she went berserk like now.
—Well then… we won? Paul can't tell exactly what happened, but the vampire looks very dead to him, so they're in the clear, right?
—Not even close. We got lucky. I thought that if I pushed her over the edge, I could control her, but I was unsuccessful. I was sure we were going to die. I was saying my final prayers when she fell to the floor.
They both look at Cinque's body, still lying motionless.
—Maybe, Jasper continues —they wanted to stop her from destroying the building. They get closer to her, but a trapdoor swallows her body and closes right away.
—So you mean her going crazy saved us? Pauls asks, facing the place where her body was.
—No, being underground saved us. If there were no reasons to stop her, we would be dead now. They contemplate the truth in Jasper's words. They escaped death today.
—Was it true? What you told her. Paul asks, massaging his arm.
—Yes and no. I did see her and a man at the train station and heard what he said. When she reacted to my words, I deduced she had strong feelings for him and went with the flow. When I could feel her emotions, it was easier to conclude he was dead, and she felt guilty, so she probably thought it was her fault.
—You almost killed us. Paul says without any emotions. The near-death experience made him strangely calm.
—I know. My bad. Even if he hadn't provoked Cinque, they would probably be in a similar situation. They could've never won.
—Let's get out of here. Paul goes towards the door on the other side of the room. They expected to see the same corridor they were in before, but the light is intense and blinds Paul for a moment. They are outside, somewhere closer to the presidential state.
Paul looks around confused but seems too tired to complain. —I'm not even going to ask. I'm glad to be outside.
Jasper can tell Emmett is close to them. They walk in their direction. Maybe they have answers about this place.