Chapter 9: Training with all visitors
Kate and I flitted outside. She grasped my hand as if to lead me further from the house. I looked at her to find her watching me, waiting for something.
"So Kate, what is your power?" I asked curiously.
"You don't even realise you are blocking me," she just stared at me, "No-one ever blocked me before."
"Now you mention it, I am aware of a tingling trying to get in. What is your power?" I could feel almost a tickle but not even enough to cause a brush off response.
"Sorry, I didn't answer did I! I'm told it feels like you've been electrocuted," she was a little disappointed it didn't work, "You can throw your shield, right? Can you protect... Emmett?"
She reached out toward the nearest person that had come out to watch. I didn't consciously throw my shield to protect him but as soon as her hand shot forward so did my shield. Emmett must have been on the receiving end of Kate's power before. I saw him flinch an instant before Kate came into contact with him. The grin that spread on his face when he realised he it didn't hurt was an absolute picture.
"Ha," he yelled, "I call Bella's team!"
We had a complete compliment of spectators. Everyone just laughed at him.
Peter suggested that I put on a show so the others could get a better feel for my powers.
I evaded Jasper and Peter with their combined attacks. It was getting easier each time. I watched as they attacked me, learning more each time. I always could learn quickly from watching, my new memory and reflexes just made it easier. Learning my own abilities and how they worked took more effort than learning the difference between vampire attacks and the self-defence classes I went to while human.
I turns out I had more hand to hand combat training as a human than anyone else. My martial arts skills gave me some tricks to even teach an expert like Jasper, his experience was way beyond mine though and without all my extra abilities I wouldn't have stood a chance against him.
After Charlotte joined in, Kate couldn't help herself, she was feeling very miffed that I was immune to her power and I could protect others from it. She to decided to join the fray. She is no where near as skilled as Charlotte so I easily avoided her attacks. She seemed almost clumsy with her attacks in comparison.
The choice of wording in my thoughts as our combative dance continued came back to haunt me. Kate tripped over Jasper's heel falling into me. I was already committed in my movements to avoid a Peter and Charlotte's combined attack.
It was just one tooth that scratched the side of my hand, only a shallow scratch at that. It was enough. The sting of the venom seared briefly.
I avoided Peter and Charlotte's attack. Kate fell, rolling away from me jumping back up to come at me again. Jasper reached me for his latest attack, the instant his skin contacted with mine in the block I performed, he collapsed writhing to the floor.
We all halted in concern for Jasper.
"Kate," Irina scolded.
"But I was over here, I didn't touch him," she defended.
All eyes turned slowly and connected to mine. My eyes widened, I slowly turned my hand to look at the faint white scar that now decorated my hand.
"When Kate fell, she scratched my hand with her tooth. I felt the burn," my voice sounded hollow even to my own ears.
"I'm so sorry Jasper, I've switched it off now," I held out my hand to help him up.
He looked directly into my eyes, feeling the remorse radiating from me. He grasped my hand and jumped up, "Don't, it wasn't intentional."
I nodded but still felt bad about it, he sent me a wave of forgiveness followed by some peace and joy to counteract my negative feelings.
"I hurt you and you make me feel better about it, Thank you Jasper," I sent a wave of gratitude along with my words.
"Wow, Bella," Peter spoke up, "Your fighting style and defences have improved immensely since yesterday, you were holding your own against four of us. No offence intended Kate but three of us are seasoned fighters that individually are fully capable of taking down most vampires. No powers seem to have an effect on you. A newborn should be an easy target but you... well, if you used your physical shield more, I think you could take out an army single handed."
I don't think he had thought through the implication of his words, the words of the prophesy started to take on a bigger impact. Looking at the others I wasn't the only one to realise this.
Eleazar asked, "Could we go back in and find out a bit more from Bella about the latest development?"
Carlisle decided, "I think Bella, you and I should, if anyone else wants to join us they can."
When you have eternity I suppose things can become repetitive, finding something new and different a welcome change. It looks like I am an interesting distraction!
Everyone trailed back into the house.
I dropped onto the sofa, feeling like the weight of the world was sat on my shoulders.
Edward sat next to me, sliding up so our thighs were touching. He slid his arm around my waist hugging me reassuringly.
I felt his thoughts taping for entry, "How you coping?"
"Oh for a normal boring day. Why me?" I sent him back.
"Because you have more integrity, mental strength, kindness, compassion, generosity, fairness and honesty than anyone. You have been my beacon of hope since I met you. If anyone has the potential to fulfil the prophesy it's you," his thoughts held nothing but pride, wonder and love for me.
Eleazar's question diverted my attention, "Bella, to understand this better can you tell me more about yourself as a human?"
"Does a clumsy klutz count?" I joked.
Emmett had a good laugh at my expense.
"My parents separated when I was little and my Mum took me to live with her parents, they looked after us. After my Grandparents died I took over the responsibility of looking after my mum; cooking, cleaning, getting her up and fed in a morning, paying bills, that sort of thing. I also helped the others in the neighbourhood that Grandma has taken under her wing. Renee, my mum has a short attention span and flitted from one hobby to the next. I accompanied her to keep her from going to far off tangent. I got so used to learning a different thing every couple of weeks that I ended up choosing to learn for fun as well as for necessity; well, when the car needed fixing I learnt car mechanics, when the boiler started acting up plumbing, the garden bench needed repairing so I did a woodwork courses. You get the gist," I looked at Eleazar, he nodded, "The cost to me, I suppose, was I rarely had any time for people my own age or when I did I had nothing in common with them."
"I did a lot of physical exercise, initially to recuperate from accidents due to my ability to trip over thin air. The self defence, martial arts, yoga and swimming all grew on me until I did them for enjoyment," what more did he want to know?
Then it came to me, "I ended up starting and running my company as a spin off to all the courses and hobbies. The subsequent companies helped to deal with the success of the first company."
I looked up at Eleazar to find out if that covered what he expected.
"Just a couple of questions, you don't look that old. How old were you when you Grandparents died and how old are you now?" he asked
Easy answers, "I was 11 when my Grandparents died and I'm 17 now, or into my third day as a vampire."
He looked amazed, "I know I'm not up-to-date but isn't that very young to run your own company? What company if you don't mind me asking?"
I glanced at Carlisle, he gave me a nod to let me know my secret would be safe, "Yes, I was very young to start and run a company. I posed as an employee to the general public, it was more believable. Most of my 'adventures' as a human were due to my involvement with Black Swan Designs, my first company."
Carmen perk up at mention, "I've bid on some of the beautiful paintings on a site by that name, is there any connection?"
"Crimson Cygnet Art?" I asked, knowing the answer before I even asked.
"Yes!" she answered enthusiastically.
"Yes, that is my site. I produced the architectural metal and woodwork, three factories have taken over that aspect of the business. My paintings are a more recent addition. I have some pieces upstairs if you would like one?" it was so refreshing being honest about my work.
Carmen was amazed, "You're the artist, wow! I'd love to see the paintings, if you don't mind."
I heard Eleazar ruminate to himself, "That explains why Aro visited a human, it's so rare for him to ever leave Volterra. Him and his 'Patron of the Arts' indeed, ever the collector. I wonder how he came across her work?"
Eleazar and Carlisle were determined they wanted to continue working out the mystery that is me. The rest of the ladies all disappeared upstairs without me, to look at the paintings. I sent Alice, Esme and Rose a quick message to give the others any of the paintings if they wanted them.
"Bella, you mentioned companies. What other companies do you have?" Eleazar waited until the others had gone before continuing.
"The next was a financial company to deal with investments from the profits. The rest have been as a result of the investments. I invested such large sums into things I care about, a variety of environmentally friendly concerns, I ended up as the major shareholder," I don't think he would recognise the names of the companies as they were all still in their infancy. I had made more recent investments but knowledge of those could wait.
Eleazar acknowledged my answer with a nod. "So to sum up your human character traits and strengths you took control and responsibility for those round you showing your compassion by becoming a selfless protector and nurturer even to those that should have had that responsibility for you. You are open to new ideas and a fast learner with hugely varying interests, a strong determined defender of those that are unable to defend themselves, your choice for investments just highlights that. You showed such an open-minded and tolerance to accept the supernatural so easily yet so humble in spite of your strengths."
He didn't give me a change to deny his summation as he went on, "It appears your physical strengths have been amplified and your aptitude for learning made you the perfect candidate to utilise the power dormant in the venom. Carlisle mentioned Edward, Aro, Jane and Alec's power's had no effect on you even when human so your shield must have been well developed even then. I never heard of a human have such a powerful ability. Your shield has made it all possible, amazing. You embodied many of the traits of the Pentacle even as a human, a truly rare individual."
"I wonder if 'spirit of earth' should have translated more to 'Spirit of Gaia', if she truly is the Pentacle, I can but hope," he spoke so softly in his rumination I wondered how much was for him rather than us.
He talked himself off track, a brief shake of his head and he started on a different line of thought, "Let me explain something about powers. Powers are like snowflakes in that each one is different. It is believed that strong character traits are enhanced by the venom giving rise to powers, each subtly different. The fact three of your powers that I see on your shield were the same as Edward, Jasper and Alice makes me think they must be copies. The telepathy was separate when we first arrived, it merged with Edward's mind reading on your shield and the combination appears even more powerful than either was separately. The only difference is the intensity of the power, every power you have has far more intensity than the originals. Jasper is closest in intensity but still a long way to go.
Kate's power was separate from the five on your shield. Again you have it at full intensity. Kate took years of training to achieve the intensity and control she has, but hers pales to what appeared in you. Most amazing is her power has also overlaid onto your existing powers, this time over Jasper's empathic power, blending and enhancing into that until I can't make it out individually any more."
"I suppose pain is an emotion and the sensation of an electric current is just an aspect of pain. Does that mean you can project any pain? The potential....can you project Kate's power as you do Jasper's. We will have to test...." he trailed off.
Eleazar paused and took a breath, changing the subject again, "The accumulator had so many powers, they swirled and twisted through each other yet yours appear organised, controlled."
"I wondering if you try to use a power you will be able to activate them so they don't come as a surprise. Maybe we can prevent another slip like earlier," arghh, he was suggesting lab rat Bella.
"But how do we know what powers I may be able to use?" I asked him.
"That's the problem, I can't make out what they are until they have started to emerge, they need activating. I can see that you have more seeds of powers but not what they are," he sounded frustrated.
Peter suggested, "How about we all think of any powers we have come across or heard of then try to think of ways to trigger those in Bella."
Carlisle tempered Peter's idea, "We could start with any powers of vampires that have bitten any of Bella's venom donors."
Eleazar backed Carlisle, "There are many variations on the same basic powers, I think we may need to hit on the exactly the same variation to trigger the power."
Peter chimed in, "Do you think a training regime building on the what we have done today would help her come to terms the the abilities she already has, along with the chance of triggering new powers in a more controlled environment."
"I think Peter's suggestion shows merit. The more experience she has with her powers should allow her greater control. For all our safety her control needs to be exemplary. I will be happy to help with any techniques that I learned during my time with the Volturi," Eleazar offered.
"Peter, Charlotte and I have experience in training. I will try and help her with any empathic queries, I'm sure Alice and Edward can assist with insights to their gifts," Jasper tested their emotions to confirm his words, "Bella has so many powerful gifts, for her sake as well as ours, I think Peter is right, if Bella agrees?"
They each emitted a level of fear over my powers. The potential future I may have to live up to and the chance of having even more powers shakes me to my very core. I let out a shuddering sigh, "I want to learn and understand every aspect of my powers. My greatest fear is accidentally hurting anyone like I did Jasper today. Any help and advice will be gratefully received."
I looked at each, the mood had moved to enthusiasm and anticipation.
"I've had enough to take in for one day. If no-one minds I would like to wind down. Can we wait until tomorrow before starting training and trying to trigger even more powers, I'd like to come to terms with today's revelations first," they did look abashed.
"We will need time to compile a list. I think it would be prudent not to push you too fast. We are sorry Bella, we will wait until you are ready. Take whatever time you need," Doctor Carlisle showed his face pushing Researcher Carlisle onto the sidelines for a minute.
A/N So what powers would you put on the list?! Did Carlisle get any bites from vamp's with powers before he turned Edward, what about the other sires? All Jasper's bites... So many possibilities!