Author's Note: -coughs- This may be late. Not because I've abandoned it, but because I've been insanely busy. It's something different, and you probably won't be hearing from this character's point of view of the story for a long, long time, for which I'm glad for. He was crazy hard to write, especially at the end. Le sigh.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Music: Mr. Hurricane, Beast

Chapter Three: Destroyed

Aro was positively giddy.

Beyond giddy, really. Ecstatic. Over-the-moon joyous.

There was a particularly annoying coven running rampant through the southern half of the United States and the northern half of Mexico. Demetri had identified the coven's leader was Maria, and – luckily – this was her third offence.

Aro was a firm believer in the 'three strikes, you're out' rule.

Aro, Caius and Marcus sat in the back of one of their several top of the line luxury cars. Their ruby eyes peered out through heavily tinted windows as Demetri barked directions to one of the new Volturi fledglings, brought along to prove their usefulness. Streaks of diamond like shimmers rose from the desert as the Guard kept pace with the car, ready for the destruction of yet another pesky Southern Coven.

It was really too bad they all just couldn't get along.

"Are you ready for the reaping, brothers?" Aro asked, whisper-fast in his excitement.

"This isn't our first, brother. You should know better then to let your emotions take such hold of you." Caius reprimanded.

"Did you not hear what Demetri said of this batch, Caius? The finest he said. The fastest, the strongest, the most gifted of all the southern covens. Did you not compare the names to our files? Maria was divine in choosing her army. It's rather a shame it must be destroyed." Aro sighed, imagining the sheet chaos Maria's army could bring to unruly covens all over the world. All would bow to the Volturi's might with her chosen by their side.

"The army must be purged of the weak and their leader must be destroyed. You know the rules, Aro." Of course, Caius' insatiable lust for rules kept him from revelling in the possibilities.

"We're here." The fledgling driver announced. He would be punished later for speaking out of turn. Perhaps he would exist a year without his arms. Or legs. Or another part of the anatomy male's would rather die then part with.

"Delicious." Aro's ancient eyes rested on the broken down 'base' with its black-painted windows and boarded up doors. It was admirable how much effort they put into hiding during the day. Unfortunately, their eating habits created quite a stir in the local towns. Enough, in fact, that rumours had floated across the ocean to Italy.

Two fledglings in dark cloaks opened the door for the three brothers, carrying black umbrellas to shade them from the revealing light. Aro had grown bored of the cloaks, and had opted for a form fitting suit instead. More professional for the transaction.

With fledgling and umbrella in tow, Aro walked to the painted sliding back door and rapped gently on the glass, not wanting to shatter it just yet. The tinkling of glass and the shimmer of it laying in the baking heat would make the perfect exit.

Just what Aro wanted.

"Maria. We've come to visit." Aro said, hearing frantic steps and ragged breaths from the other side of the door. They were panicking. They knew better then to run.

The door cracked open, and the shimmering face of Maria peeked out, smiling the smile of desperation.

"Aro, my lord. We weren't expecting you. Please, may you and yours come in." She stepped aside, pushing the door further open. She knew better then to refuse them.

She led them into a poorly lit living room, her coven gathered nervously around the broken down fireplace. Aro spotted Cassandra, known for her amazing speed; Kevin, renowned for his ability to plant suggestions into other's minds; Ginny, the girl who could paralyze anyone with a glance. An amazing collection of vampires, all waiting to be reaped.

Aro perched on the tattered armchair, his brothers and guard standing around him. Maria's group was outmatched and outnumbered. Their fate was sealed.

"Maria, your army's feeding habits have caused some trouble for us. We have given you two previous warnings, and now you've used your third." The death sentence fell from Aro's lips like it was said everyday, and to the immortal, it might as well have been. He had seen more vampires die then he could count.

Maria fell forward out of her spot with her army. On her knees before Aro, she kissed his hand. "I'm sorry, Aro. Newborns are so hard to control. I promise, we will do better. One more chance, please." Begging did not look good on her.

"The rules stand as they have always stood, Maria." Caius interjected, drawing her frantic eyes onto him. "Your coven has broken the rules and you shall pay for it. The most talented of your group will come with us, while the rest will be destroyed along with you."

Maria's mouth gaped like a fish out of water. "N-no! You can't." Aro watched with a special kind of pleasure as she grasped for some menial reason why she should live. "I-I chose my army carefully, from their human state. I know these kinds of things. I could help you create a stronger guard."

Silly vampire.

"I'm sad to say Maria that your news holds no interest in us." Aro said as two of the guards grabbed her arms.

"You're fate has been sealed." Caius added. Marcus, as always, stood stonily silent on the fringe. If only he would quit his brooding over his wife's death. Aro had gotten past his sister's death centuriesago.

Aro watched with silent satisfaction as the two guards dragged a keening Maria outside into the stifling heat of midday, closing the door behind them.

"Name yourselves." Caius instructed the twelve members of the army. They trembled, cowed by the Volturi's might.

"Cassandra," a delectable redhead announced.

"Hector." A good looking brunet said, refusing to meet the eyes of the Volturi. The names came, faster and faster.

"Kevin."

"Ginny."

"Oscar."

"Yvonne."

"Gabriel."

"William."

"Hayley."

"Adam."

"Susan."

"Christopher."

Aro gazed at his twelve, picking who would stay and who would join their creator in her fate. "And this is all of you?" He asked, disappointed that only four were really needed in the guard.

The one named Adam - slated for destruction - opened his mouth, but Susan - who would be added to the guard - elbowed his ribs, the satisfying crunch of broken bones ringing in the still air.

"Who is missing?" Caius demanded, snapping his fingers. Felix moved forward and grabbed hold of Adam's left arm, pulling it back until it was ready to snap apart with a twitch of a muscle.

Adam shrieked in pain. "Bella! She's Maria's right hand. She's not here. We don't know where she went, but Maria sent her away to do something!"

Aro looked back at Jane, who stood half-way out of the sliding door, her skin hidden by a cloak. She shook her head. Maria had already been taken care of. Felix released the pitiful vampire, who rubbed his shoulder pathetically.

"Who can tell me of Bella?" Aro asked, leaning forward. From the way Adam shuddered, Aro supposed he had a rather menacing look on his face.

"Only Maria knows anything about her." Cassandra, the redhead sighed after a long stretch of silence.

Damn. The fates be cursed.

"Susan, Cassandra, Hector, Yvonne." Aro said, and then he nodded. The ones whose name wasn't called looked immensely relieved, thinking the four he called were to be killed. How their faces changed when the guard moved in and grabbed the eight others, dragging them outside to their death.

With their horrified and sickened expressions burned in his permanent memory, Aro laughed.

And he didn't stop until he was back in Italy with his four prizes.

A/N:

Hope y'all enjoyed it! It was...interesting. Aro is a loony toon for sure.

Oh! If any of you read the Cullen's in Classes Sequence, after a short (and unintentional) hiatus, Bella in Business will be posted within the week. It's almost finished. Then it's Emmett in English and then its over! Exciting.

Have a pleasant day!

-Maggie