function Advsr_VS($hlv3) {
"Explain this to me," she gestured to the reinforced cages, each holding a subject – each one different from the next. I followed her to the last cage, where the thing inside stared back at us. "Because our projections didn't account for it."
"We can't," I winced at the stare she gave me at the admission. "In nearly all instances, the subject mutates into one of several subsets of the viral species. We've been able to classify all of them except for this one."
"How are his senses?" she asked, moving her hand across the glass. The man inside the cage followed her movements with his pitch-black eyes.
"Heightened, as with the others," I glanced down at my tablet. "His intelligence is abnormally high – our tests show he's capable of critical thinking and problem solving. None of the others' cognitive abilities even come close." I shook my head and looked back up.
"Focus priority on this one," she said, taking a step back. "I'd like to know what makes this one different."
} /* function ends */
-Chapter 17: Lockdown-
"Updates on the situation in Washington state are trickling in slowly," the news anchor announced. "The national guard has been deployed to the small town of Forks and the surrounding area that encompasses the Olympic Peninsula. The entire state of Washington is under federal quarantine as of this morning and President Bush is expected to make a statement later today.
"We do not know much, but what we do know is that yesterday evening some sort of 'creature,' as the eyewitness described, attacked and killed three people and injured four more in Forks, Washington. Names haven't been released to the public as of yet and no new information has come out of the small town since the quarantine went into effect."
Shots of police cars blocking the road outside the state boarder played across the screen as the anchor spoke, flipping back to the crude video of the trail of destruction through Forks that someone had captured with a cell phone. The appearance of the hunter was brief, but if one was familiar with them it was obvious what attacked the town.
"With us is an expert in the field of microbiology, Doctor Gregory Leere," the scene cut back to the anchor, who sat with a man who looked to be in his thirties. He was fit enough and had most of his black hair still on his head, though his gangly frame and thick glasses detracted from his fading youth. "Doctor, what is your take on this attack? Do you believe it's linked to the Phoenix attack or to the killings in Tacoma and Olympia?"
"Ah, yes," the doctor nodded, glancing to the camera briefly before coughing and looking back to the anchor. "It's a bit curious, really. I had the opportunity to study infected samples from Phoenix – which carry the Blacklight virus. Visually, the silhouette there," he circled something on the tablet he was holding and the screen shifted to a still of the hunter in Forks, where an outline was crudely drawn around it. "is nearly identical to some of the subjects we found in Phoenix."
"So in your opinion, then, these attacks are linked?" the anchor questioned the doctor, who grimaced and tilted his head.
"Maybe," he hedged. "It looks identical to the infected subjects in Phoenix and from the little we've been able to piece together, the creature's M.O, if you will, fits with the attacks in Arizona. But it's a bit strange. The virus thrives in dry air and the infected individuals have been seen to shy away from wet areas like lakes and ponds and stuff like that. But…Washington is one big rainforest; for the virus to skip over Nevada and Utah and head straight to one of the rainiest places in the U.S. is a little mind boggling. We may be looking at a variant strain or an evolution of the original virus – it's just too early to tell."
"Should we be worried that this virus could spread across the rest of the country? With the devastating effects of the infection in Phoenix and now, potentially, another outbreak in Washington, what can we do to guard ourselves against it?"
"What we've been saying – and what every doctor has been saying," the doctor began. "Wash your hands and make sure you limit your exposure to other people. This thing is just like the common cold – it's transferred from person to person."
Alice's petite arm was wrapped around my shoulders, holding me tightly to her as we stared at the television screen. I was tense, curled up into a ball on the floor in the living area while Carlisle worked diligently upstairs. Occasionally I could hear the scraping of metal or the scuff of a shoe, but mostly it was infuriatingly silent.
I sighed and closed my eyes as I leaned further into Alice's embrace. Things were falling apart here, and try as I might I couldn't blame anyone but myself. The misinformation being spouted out over the television was a joke – Blacklight was nothing like the common cold – but I couldn't blame the media for trying to keep the nation from swirling into a fear-frenzy.
In the beginning – when I first realized how wrong I was when I woke up in Phoenix – I was too distracted to notice the steadily-growing chaos and destruction. I was confused and disoriented then, but I wasn't now. I had a front row seat to the end of Forks – and maybe even Washington state.
In the other room – far away from me, of course – I could hear Angela whispering platitudes to her family, who had been brought to the Cullen house once the helicopters and trucks started rolling in. The isolation of the property made it difficult for someone to find the place if one didn't know where it was, and it was far enough away from town that it wasn't given a priority for military patrols.
Angela wanted her family far away from Washington and Edward wanted Angela safe. The problem with this was that the road out of state was blocked as per the inner quarantine – Emmett and Rosalie had gone to check. While this posed no problem to those of us who weren't human, it made the more normal methods of transportation impossible. So, with no way out of town without revealing the existence of vampires to the five unaware humans in the house, we had all hunkered down and stayed out of sight of the air patrols.
"Bella," Carlisle's voice called quietly. I was up and moving up the stairs within a heartbeat, Alice's near-silent footsteps pattering behind me as I ascended the stairs.
"Charlie…" I whispered as I saw his prone form on the hospital bed that was set up in the corner of the room. He was bandaged moderately and was unconscious, but I could easily make out his chest moving up and down. I turned to Carlisle, who stood to the side. "Is he going to be OK?"
"Yes," Carlisle nodded, moving toward the bed. I followed behind him. "No sign of infection, thankfully, but he did break his arm and two of his ribs. His left side has moderate abrasions, but those shouldn't scar." I breathed out a sigh of relief and my shoulders sagged.
"Good," I whispered, keeping my eyes on my father's relaxed face. "That's good."
"I'll leave you alone with him, then," Carlisle gently patted my shoulder and I nodded as he turned to leave.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I glanced at Alice, who seemed to be awkwardly standing behind me, between the bed and the door out of the room. She noticed my gaze and looked down swiftly, turning to follow behind Carlisle. I angled my body around so I was facing her and reached out, catching her arm with my extended hand.
"Stay?" I asked. Her eyes went from Charlie to me and she smiled sadly, nodding and moving so she was standing beside me.
The long-delayed 'family meeting' – as Alice had described it – took place in the early morning hours of the next day, while all the humans – save Angela – were tucked away sleeping. We, all of us, gathered around the large wooden dining room table. Carlisle sat at the head with Esme at his left and Edward at his right; Rosalie and Emmett sat on Esme's side while Angela, Alice, and I sat opposite them.
Carlisle had declared Charlie would make a full recovery and I had learned that his injuries were minor. He was extremely lucky the hunter hadn't managed to scratch or bite him, as even a single cut could have conceivably infected him. Charlie was conscious during the last half-hour I spent with him upstairs, but the pain medications kept him loopy enough to hold back the wave of questions I could see brewing in his eyes, glassed over or not.
The sturdy chair underneath me groaned under my considerable mass and I prayed it didn't break – they looked awfully expensive. Alice gave me a reassuring smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. I returned the gesture.
"Thank you for being here for this meeting," Carlisle began in a gentle-but-authoritative voice that carried further than it should, as the room was deathly silent. "While I am sure some of us may have thoughts and opinions we want to share, let me remind you that everyone here will act in a respectable manor." I looked down at the table as I felt Rosalie's gaze bore into my forehead.
"What is the situation with the wolves?" Alice asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
"They were upset when we met with them, as was expected," Carlisle supplied, hesitating as he considered his words. Edward huffed, obviously reading Carlisle's thoughts. "The alpha, Sam, was deeply angry that Paul was killed – they demanded Bella's life be forfeit." I clenched my fists under the table as low growls rumbled out from around the table.
I wasn't sure why I was so surprised that the Cullens – most of them anyway – would defend me. I understood they had all slipped and killed a human before – save Carlisle – but I supposed I just couldn't wrap my head around someone accepting me after they knew what I was: nothing more than a virus that could choose its victims.
"We told Sam no, of course," Carlisle gave me a look of…guilt? My eyebrows pushed together.
"We could have taken them, Carlisle," Emmett crossed his arms over his chest. "You know they're never going to let this go now."
"Violence isn't the answer, Emmett," Carlisle shook his head. Rosalie snorted in response.
"Well Emmett's right; the dogs aren't just going to forgive Bella killing one of them. And since you're so determined to defend her, they'll take it out on us," Rosalie hissed, shooting me another look of disgust. "I know you're a pacifist, Carlisle, but we cannot afford to sit around and wait for their retaliation."
"Rose," Esme chastised as the blonde vampire's voice steadily grew in volume. She looked to Carlisle, signaling for him to continue.
"We received the call from Edward shortly afterward," Carlisle sighed. "The wolves retreated back to the reservation once we abruptly ended the meeting and we haven't heard from them since then." Edward shook his head as he glanced at Emmett.
"I don't think they'll attack right now, no," Edward spoke. "There are too many eyes watching the roads and sweeping the forests for them to risk coming over here."
"So what are we supposed to do, then?" Emmett looked to Carlisle. "Just sit here, shut up in the house until this all blows over?"
"It's not going to blow over," I mumbled, drawing everyone's eyes.
Of course the fact everyone here had supernatural senses slipped my mind right at that moment. I shifted in my seat and ducked my head. Beside me, Alice seemed to freeze. I turned my head to the side, catching her glazed-over eyes peering at nothing.
"I think she's right," Alice sighed as she came out of her vision. "Forks is…murky for the foreseeable future, but I cannot see the town going back to normal any time soon."
"Would you mind elaborating, Bella?" Carlisle asked, looking genuinely interested in my prediction.
"I know you all saw the news footage of Phoenix," I bit my lip, considering my words. "I wouldn't call them lies, but what was shown on television was hardly the reality of what was going on. During the beginning, after the chaos of the first encounters with the virus, the military did help civilians. They patrolled the streets and did their best to keep the infection contained, just like was shown.
"But after a while the soldiers stopped helping; their orders changed. I guess they figured if they couldn't kill off the virus, they would starve it to death. Renee and I saw it happen more than once: a crazed, over-excited survivor running toward one of the gunmen only to be mowed down."
"The military was firing on civilians?" Esme gasped. I nodded.
"That's when I realized what Phoenix really was," I sighed. "If the military ordered anyone inside Phoenix to be killed, why not just drop a bomb on it? Phoenix was never a battlefield or a warzone, like everyone had believed. It was a Petri dish: a place to see what kind of damage Blacklight could do."
"No," Angela shook her head. "There's no way the government would sacrifice a city as large as Phoenix just to test some virus." I shrugged.
"They probably didn't," I conceded. "But once it touched down and got out of control, what plan of action makes more sense to you: nuking the entire city straight off the bat or letting it all play out first?"
"I cannot believe anyone could be that sadistic," Carlisle shook his head. I shrugged again. I didn't have any proof, but I wasn't the only one who thought the military was shady in their dealings with the outbreak; several of the soldiers I consumed were rife with second guesses and paranoia.
"You think that is going to happen here?" Alice looked to me with wide eyes.
"What has it been, barely a day?" I replied. "The state is already on lockdown and I don't doubt more military is already on the way. That's not to mention the infected girl who got away; it wouldn't take any time at all for her to infect more people."
"Ah, yes, the girl," Carlisle hummed. "You are certain she was infected?"
"Those hunters definitely didn't turn on her," Edward supplied. "In fact, it almost seemed like they were obeying her like she was their queen."
"She was smart, too," Alice added. "She wasn't like the mindless zombies or those brutes she had with her, but I don't think she was all there, either."
"It kind of makes you wonder how tough she has to be to make those big ones follow her," Emmett mused aloud, and I could almost see his biceps twitch in excitement. Rosalie huffed from beside him.
Emmett's comment made me think back to the confrontation. The way the hunters seemed to obey wasn't like a soldier following orders…not exactly. The movements were too abrupt and synchronized for something like a chain of command. It was more like puppets on a string being manipulated – no minds of their own.
My mind flashed to her eyes staring at me lifelessly, with not an iota of emotion or depth. She had told me that they had been looking for me – plural. At the time, I had assumed she meant the group she was with. But now, thinking back, I wondered if there was someone else – or multiple someones – who were pulling the strings.
"They were looking for me," I said aloud. "That's what she told us before the attack."
"Do you know what she wants you for?" Carlisle asked.
"No," I shook my head. "I've never seen her before – much less anything like her."
"There's nothing that can be done now to find out more," Carlisle said. "If she is here for you, she will make herself known again." I nodded, my mind still swarming with questions.
"I think we should leave," Angela spoke up, ducking her head down when everyone's heads swiveled to look at her. "I mean…if we have to worry about the pack and the infection, wouldn't it be best to leave while we can?"
"I agree," Edward seconded, looking to Carlisle, who appeared to be considering the suggestion.
"Shocker," Emmett huffed, earning a glare from his wife.
"We can't just leave Forks unprotected," Esme frowned.
"But the virus – or at least the girl – seems to follow Bella," Edward countered. "So if we go, the infection should follow and leave the town alone."
"I won't risk allowing what is happening to Forks to follow us to another town," Carlisle shook his head.
"We can go by sea," Alice chimed, sitting up straighter in her seat. "The infection doesn't like the water. There are plenty of yachts for rent in Seattle we could use."
"But I came here by plane," I shook my head at Alice. "I didn't leave a trail to follow and the virus still followed me here somehow. It would probably find me again."
"And if you left, it would follow you away," Rosalie snarked. I nodded slowly.
"You're right," I conceded. "The best thing for everyone would be for me to leave."
"No!" Alice snarled, gripping my forearm tightly. The sentiment was echoed more mildly by Esme, Emmett, and, surprisingly, Angela. "You're with us now and we'll figure this out together." I looked away, my logical decision to leave combating with my want to stay.
"Alice is correct, Bella," Carlisle told me, drawing my gaze up to the head of the table. He leveled both Alice and I with a critical eye. "You are part of our family now, and we will not abandon you."
In the end we had voted to stick together and keep our guard up, even after Edward had brought up the risk of exposing vampires if we stayed in the area. I wasn't quite satisfied with the decision – I was used to attacking and fleeing – but I went along with the majority nonetheless.
Esme had cooked Angela's family breakfast when they woke up, entertaining the young twin Webers with animal-shaped pancakes and an assortment of different-flavored syrups. While they were eating, Carlisle and Edward convinced Mr. and Mrs. Weber to stay with us until everything settled down. Esme gave them the spare guest room on the third floor to use and stocked it with sleeping bags and an inflatable mattress since the reverend and his wife staunchly refused to take up more room than they had to.
I was easier to convince, and Alice had practically shoved me into her room when the subject of living arrangements was brought up. Like the vampires, I didn't sleep or eat, so I assumed the gesture was just to placate the humans in the house. Alice had other ideas, though, and completely reorganized her bedroom to accommodate two people – her couch pushed to one side and another mattress on the other.
Charlie would stay in the hospital room and the medical equipment would be moved out once he was feeling better. Carlisle assured me it would only be a week or so before Charlie would be up and moving around on his own, though it would take longer for the fractures to heal. Charlie's medication had been lowered and he was expected to wake up soon, so the rest of the Cullens gave me some privacy – or a semblance of privacy – to talk with my father.
He looked much the same as he had before, lying unconscious, but the atmosphere in the room seemed less urgent. Physically, Charlie was going to be fine. I knew I caught a break with that, and didn't take his life for granted. It would have been so easy for the hunter to swipe him across the chest with its claws or take a chunk out of his shoulder, infecting him instantly.
I found myself holding my breath and becoming still as I inched closer, subconsciously afraid that the tiniest contact would spread my disease into my father's body and turn him into a zombie or a hunter. I forced a breath out as his eyes moved more rapidly beneath his eyelids.
"Bella?" Charlie's gruff voice came out in a half-awake groan as he squinted up at me from the hospital bed.
"Hey, dad," I smiled halfheartedly at him.
His lips pulled back in a smile for a second before his face blanked and his eyes widened. He tried to prop himself up suddenly, but his broken bones and ribs forced him back down as he winced in pain. I moved closer and took his un-wrapped hand in mine, squeezing it gently.
"Take it easy," I chided him. "You very nearly died." He locked eyes with me and breathed in and out for several seconds.
"Is it…" he hesitated, swallowing. "Is it happening here?" I nodded minutely, knowing what he was referring to. His shoulders bunched and he tried to get up again, making my eyes widen.
"Dad, no!" I emphasized as I pushed down on his upper chest, where there wasn't as much wrapping wound around his torso. "You need to lay down and heal." He breathed shallowly as he relaxed and I removed my hand.
"Where am I?" he asked, darting his eyes around the miniature hospital the room had been made up into.
"Alice's house," I told him. "Carlisle fixed you up after I brought you here." His eyebrows pushed together for a second, followed by his face draining of what little color it had as his pupils dilated.
"Those things," he sputtered, looking at me. I nodded and squeezed his hand. "They killed Mark and then…I was in the cruiser?" I nodded again. "And then you…you…pulled me out of the car."
"Yes," I swallowed, nodding. "I did."
"You pulled the frame apart with your bare hands," Charlie's voice wobbled unevenly as he searched my eyes for confirmation. "And you ran…we were going as fast as a car. I remember…" Charlie's hand shook in mine and he tugged it back to his chest, wincing as his breathing became more frantic.
"Yes," I croaked, feeling the black tears start to well in my eyes and leak down my cheeks. Charlie gasped as he undoubtedly caught sight of the abnormal streaks.
"Bella…what…how?" his hand reached out toward my face, causing me to recoil. I blinked and clenched my eyes shut, turning away slightly as I re-absorbed the tears back into my body.
"I was infected in Phoenix," I told him softly, keeping my eyes focused on the hard wood floor. "It made me different; stronger and faster."
"Are you like those things?" Charlie asked, drawing my eyes back to his. He looked at me critically, but there wasn't a sign of fear or disgust anywhere – only wariness. I nodded slowly.
"Sort of," I answered. "But I'm still me." My lips parted in slight shock as I realized I believed my own words.
I wasn't one of those mindless zombies and I wasn't a hunter. I certainly wasn't as cold and malicious as that girl, and no matter how many people were killed because of me, I doubted I would ever be like her. I might not have started out as Bella Swan, but that's who I was now.
Charlie grabbed my hand again and squeezed it.
"I know, Bells."
End notes: So there it is, a semi-resolution chapter that prepares for the transition into the 'second act.'
I was sort of, kind of hesitant to throw Forks under the bus (since in most stories it's a static, constant little town), but there's no way a hunter attack can go down in the middle of the street and not have serious consequences. You'll find out what happened to the good citizens of the doomed town next time...on Blacklight!
I haven't forgotten Victoria (but maybe you did?). That storyline will weave back in during the next few chapters.
The middle portion (the family meeting) keeps messing with me. I can't figure out if it makes sense and flows smoothly enough while answering the logical questions one would expect to come up during the meeting. You'll forgive me anyway. Probably.
Will Jasper be in this? Maybe. I'd say the odds are better than 50/50, but I'll just have to see.
Yes, there was a patient zero (and no, it's not Bella). We'll cover that more extensively in a few chapters or so.