Immortal Children; infected in their youth, trapped forever in the emotional and hormonal turbulence that made them dangerous and unpredictable. They were considered abominations by nearly everybody who had any dealings with vampires, something that should never be. The presence of the child was enough to stoke Bella's fury even more than it was already.
She crept out to the front room and made her way to the second door, searching for traps as she went. Edward was being lazy if he didn't protect his lair, but if he had surrounded himself with children then he might not feel the need to trap his lair against invaders. The thought sickened her as much as the thought that she would have to destroy these vampires as well. She knelt next to the door, scanning the frame and door for anything out of the ordinary. Finding it clear she slowly turned the knob, cringing inwardly at the slight squealing sound it made as the bolt slid against the metal frame. So much for the element of surprise.
Bella turned away at the last moment as the door suddenly burst outward from the frame, flying across the small room and smashing onto the stairs. Two small vampires charged out, fangs and claws extended as they searched for the intruder to their lair. Bella snapped off two shots, coring the head of one of them before the other spun around and leapt at her. She tucked her shoulder and rolled, but not before the vampire slashed his claws across her back. Her jacket stopped the claws from reaching her, but she knew she would have to replace it after this hunt. Bella completed the roll, turning to face the vampire, only to find it wasn't where it was supposed to be, it was to her left and closing quickly. She readjusted her aim but didn't have time to fire as it collided with her, sending them both tumbling to the floor, biting at her, but only getting a mouthful of clothes and armor over her arm. She held him off as best she could, the creature's strength forcing her arm back as he tried to bite through her armor, his claws scrabbling at her jacket to try to find the soft flesh beneath. Bella activated the spring-loaded sheath along her right arm, launching the six-inch blade into her hand. She stabbed it, sliding the blade into the vampire's chest, then again, and again, but to no effect.
In her haste and near panic she had missed the heart, causing only cosmetic damage to the vampire. He turned his head, lashing out with his fist and catching her wrist. Her hand went instantly numb, the knife flying from her hand and clattering against the wall. Bella drew her legs up under the vampire, planting her feet in the boy's hip and shoving for all she was worth. The vampire flew off her, smashing into the wall and giving Bella a moments reprieve to roll to the side and grab for her pistol. The vampire was on her back just as her hand closed over the grip of the ManHunter, and she could feel its clawed hands jerking at the collar of her coat and shirt. She twisted her arm around behind her, shoving the barrel into the vampire's side and pulling the trigger, feeling the boy jerk with each impact. The round counter quickly dwindled down as she pumped round after round into the body until the vampire finally let go, tumbling to the floor next to her. Bella rolled onto her side, facing the shattered body of the vampire. With a breathed prayer, she aimed at the vampire's head, unloading the last two rounds in the magazine into the boys head, reducing it to a bloody stump on his neck.
Bella rolled up to her knees gagging, fighting the urge to empty her stomach onto the basement floor. She spat the rising bile out as she switched magazines in her pistol, tucking the empty magazine into her cargo pocket. There was no way that Edward didn't know she was here, but he was waiting, baiting her into his trap, she was sure. She took a breath and rose to her feet, edging closer to the door and peering around the frame to look into the next room.
The room was larger, sparsely furnished with a handful of small, basket looking objects along the walls, and a bed at the back wall large enough for an adult with company. Bella fought the urge to gag again as she realized that the bed wasn't empty. Edward was laying on the bed wearing a pair of pants and boots, his hard muscled torso bare save for what looked like body glitter in the dim light. A young boy was kneeling next to him, fresh blood trickling from two puncture wounds in his neck. Edward reached up and turned a switch, turning on a series of lights above the bed, causing his bare chest to sparkle like diamonds as he turned and rose to his feet, facing Bella.
"Do I dazzle you?" he asked in his sultry voice, gesturing towards the door Bella hid behind.
"No, you sick frag, you just paint a better target," Bella snarled, stepping into the doorway.
"Oh, Bella, Bella, Bella," Edward crooned, his perfect lips crooking into the smile that would have had Bella begging him to kiss her when she was younger. "It is too bad that the others had to interfere so long ago. I would have kept you with me forever, with your young, perfect body."
"Why? Because I looked like a little boy with a pussy instead of a cock? Get tired of shoving your prick into little boys?" Bella snapped as she brought her pistol up.
"Ugh, so vulgar, Bella. You just don't understand how disgusting your body has become, do you? All that hair, those curves," he looked like he might become physically ill as he looked her over.
"Forget it, Eddie-boy, I'm here to end you."
Potter pulled up to the curb outside the house. He barely waited for the car to come to a full stop as he jumped out and ran for the door. He knew Edward was here, it was the only reason Bella would have been there. That stupid bitch was going after Edward again. Harry knew all about Bella, Edward had told him everything. She had been so manipulative, luring the vampire to her so she could tease him, then crying out for help whenever he acted on the feelings she caused in him. Harry never teased him, though. He would never tease Edward the way Bella had. Clearing his head, he ran to the door, throwing it open and running into the house. He had to find the way down to Edward's lair before it was too late. Rounding the corner of the first room, he spotted the open door that led to the stairs. He drew his Ruger SuperHawk and ran down the stairs.
Bella raised her pistol, drawing a bead on Edward's chest, ready to blow the vampire's heart all over the wall behind him. Her finger was just beginning to tighten on the trigger when she felt something, a tickle along her neck that caused her to throw herself to the side. The unexpected sound of gunfire echoed in the basement, the rounds smashing into the brick wall. She spun towards the stairs, catching sight of the purple coat that fluttered behind a dark figure that dashed for cover behind the wall. She barely had time to throw up her magical defenses when she felt a surge of mana smash into her. She knew that mana signature, she had worked with it for four years on the Star.
Edward came rushing out of the room at that moment, turning to launch at Bella with inhuman speed. Bella rolled, stuck between facing Edward or exposing herself to more assaults from Potter. She snapped two quick shots towards the stairs to keep Potter behind cover while she dashed away from Edward. She had only taken a couple of steps when Edward's fist connected with her shoulder blade, hurling her towards the wall. She barely managed to turn her shoulder toward the wall before she hit, her head smashing back against the brick. Her head swam as she fell to the floor, black spots appearing in her vision. Edward was over her in an instant, crouching down to look into her face.
"You should have just stayed away, Bella," he said quietly, reaching out to grasp her throat in his cold hand.
"Edward," Harry's voice sounded breathless as he stepped into the basement, his eyes wide as they focused on Edward's glittering body. "I knew you would come back. I've missed you." Edward's face screwed up in annoyance, but he was turned away from Harry's line of sight. He schooled his features as he stood, lifting Bella from the ground and tossing her across the room into the opposite wall.
"Harry Potter," Edward said with a smile as he turned to face the inspector. "I haven't seen you in, what, three years?"
"Yes, the night I saved you," Harry said. He smiled brightly at Edward as he walked closer to him, his hand out to touch the glittering vampire.
"Yes, that night," Edward said slowly. He suppressed the urge to shudder at the memory of Harry's touch that night, and forced himself to stand still as Harry approached him.
Bella struggled to sit against the wall, her limbs feeling heavy and uncooperative. Her vision was still swimming, but she could see clear enough, and wished she couldn't. Harry stood in front of Edward, the mage's hand gently stroking the vampire's chest like one would a lover. I fragging knew it, she thought. Her stomach flipped, and she fought the urge to retch, though whether it was because of the sight in front of her, or the head injury she couldn't be sure.
"I owe you for that," Edward said, reaching up to stroke Harry's cheek, flinching at the feel of stubble under his hand. "I always pay my debts." He leaned in close, his lips a bare breath from Harry's, his hand slipping around to the back of the cop's head, twining into his hair. Harry smiled, his eyes dilating with the anticipation of the kiss to come, and what was to follow. He gasped as Edward's hand tightened in his hair, pulling his head back, then the sharp pain as his head was twisted hard to the side. His neck broke with a snapping sound, and the last thing he saw was Edward's perfect, beautiful lips twisted into a sneer of disgust as he nearly ripped Harry's head from his body.
Bella slipped her other knife out of the sheath and into her hand, forcing her breathing to slow and her vision to stop swimming. She could only watch as Edward snapped Harry's neck with a twist.
"Why am I not surprised," she mumbled, feeling almost drunk as she pushed herself up to her feet. "He too old for you now?" Edward dropped Harry's body to the ground and turned to face Bella.
"He was fun for a little while, but far too willing," he said, walking slowly towards her. He reached out and grabbed her shirt, hauling her off her unsteady feet and into the air. "Not like you, Bella. You were a challenge, and if I only had a little more time I would have enjoyed you. But not now. Now, you are just a dried up old hag to be tossed on the rubbish pit like the rest of the trash." He drew her in close, smiling triumphantly as he reached up with his other hand to grab a fistful of her hair. The feel of her knife sliding into his gut changed his smile to an "o" of pain in an instant.
Bella twisted the knife in Edward's gut, pulling it upward, feeling the splash of blood and organs against her. He dropped her and she fell back against the wall as he tried desperately to keep his guts from spilling across the floor. Bella pulled one of the stakes out of her belt and shoved herself toward Edward, her aim low, but still on point. Edward howled at the sharpened steel rammed into his crotch, just above his organ, effectively severing it from his body. They fell to the ground together, Bella landing atop the vampire and getting coated in his blood.
"Guess you won't be using that again," she said, pushing herself up to her knees. She drew her sword, finding it hard to coordinate her limbs to bring the blade up over her head, then down across the vampire's neck, severing the head. "Won't be getting ahead now." She dropped the sword as she fell forward onto her hands, vomiting noisily onto the vampire's body. She managed to push herself to the side, falling onto the floor next to the body with the sound of sirens ringing in her ears.