This chapter is rated 'M' for mature language and the usual dark themes.
Previously:
"Tonight, we attack Nathanial's army." I turned my back on her and marched up the stairs, not caring if the others followed.
Riley's P.O.V. (2703 words): "This double life you lead is eating you up from within." ~Broken Pieces by Apocalyptica
.:!*!:.
Ares, Jean, and I followed the boss from the map room. She went directly up the stairs to change and grab her purse for scouting. The boss had never stood up to Victoria like that. She had always taken everything in silence. I was proud of her and worried about her at the same time.
"Hey, Riley?" Ares asked, his eyes on the stairs.
"Sir?" I answered, waiting for whatever it was he was about to say.
"How did she become a scout?" He questioned, and I smiled at the memory.
"Maybe I should start at the beginning and just tell you everything. She wouldn't mind." I said. He nodded, and I continued. "In Phoenix, when you and the big guy..."
"Emmett." Ares supplied the name.
"Thanks, so when you and Emmett killed Vic's mate, James, Vic started wandering the States. She was trying to come up with a way to kill seven vampires and get passed a giant pack of wolves to get her revenge."
"A giant pack of wolves? I only ever heard stories from Carlisle about them." Ares said under his breath.
"Excuse me, who's Carlisle?" I asked.
"The Olympic coven's leader, the most tame of them all." He explained with a chuckle. I smiled slightly.
"I know who you are talking about now. The boss has mentioned the doctor before." I commented. "Anyway, so Vic ended up in Monterrey, and well. You can guess who she ran into. Vic had heard the stories of the South, the legends, but Maria went into detail. She explained how things worked, and Vic was intrigued by the lifestyle. Vic decided she wanted in. She created me to be her second-in-command, and after a few months of training me, we went back for the human she blamed for her mate's death.
"We found her, dying of hypothermia on the forest floor. I had been in medical school before I was changed, so I was able to nurse her back to health. We brought her here, and Vic was trying to think of ways to use her without changing her. Vic wants to keep her human. It's easier to 'punish' her that way." I saw Ares tense, and I raised an eyebrow.
"She uses her venom." He hissed, and for the first time, I felt a bit cautious of him.
"And a dull knife." I admitted, waiting for him to begin shaking with anger. He caught me off guard, and he channeled his rage in an unexpected way. I watched as his body stilled completely, his eyes darkened, and I was hit with every emotion imaginable. It took everything I had to stay standing. I definitely wouldn't be able to move my feet against it. The newborns collapsed under the strain, and I grabbed Jean around the waist before she did as well. I didn't want the newborns thinking she was weak if she were to fall too.
"Cut it out before you kill me, Major!" I heard the boss's strangled yell as well as her stuttering heartbeat. Ares's eyes squeezed shut, and the emotions being emitted lessened considerably, but they were still too heavy for the newborns to stand. The boss came flying down the stairs and ran up to Ares, placing her hands on his face. "Concentrate on me and my emotions. Think of Peter and Charlotte. Don't let anger rule you. You've dealt with 100 times worse. Remember your strength. Remember Esme and Emmett's emotional climates. They were always so loving and happy. I'm not leaving until you are calm. I'll fight through this with you. You're worth it too."
The boss continued to mutter things to him that didn't make much sense to me, but they must have meant something to him. He slowly regained control of his gift, and his eyes lightened. He took in a shaky breath, and he looked into the boss's eyes.
The newborns were all getting to their feet slowly, and I could tell they were about ready to lose it out of fear. Jean was still pressed against me, so I simply turned my head to speak into her ear. "Go control them. Come and get me of they defy you in anyway." Jean nodded and dashed away.
"Ella morirá." Ares promised Victoria's death in a dark voice that nearly made me shiver in fear.
"Someday." The boss agreed, watching him with stone eyes. "But not now. There is too much at stake."
"If I so much as see her again, I will rip her to pieces." He replied, his eyes darkening again.
"No. You won't. You will control yourself, Major." The boss ordered, shocking me.
"You are worth more than this!" Ares growled harshly. The boss was still for a moment before she stood on her tip-toes and planted a quick kiss on his nose.
"Thank you." She whispered, and Ares's face softened. "How about a compromise?"
"State your terms." He replied.
"You can keep her from laying another hand on me, but she stays alive and in her current position. Deal?"
"I can live with that." He said, taking her hands from his face gently, and he kissed her forehead. "The sun has risen."
"I will be back before sunset." The boss promised him, and she smiled at me before jogging out the door. I heard her motorcycle start up and tear down the driveway.
I had no idea what the hell had just happened between the boss and Ares. I felt numb and thoughtless for a moment. I wondered if this was how it felt to go into shock.
"Go ahead and continue, Riley. I won't lose it again." Ares said suddenly. "Victoria wants to keep her human..."
"The boss was the one that came up with the idea of scouting in the first place." I dove back into her story right away, happy for the distraction. "Vic had already told us how things worked: plan and train and feed by day, kill and conquer by night. The boss, as you know, is far from stupid. She was well aware she needed to be far away during feeding time, so she suggested she help with the planning and training and go somewhere else during the hunts. Vic laughed at her and said she'd need to do more than that during daylight hours if she expected to live.
"The boss asked Vic if she had anyone to scout the bordering territories. Apparently, she was a fan of The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Vic said she didn't yet, and the boss quoted the book, saying: 'Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.'
"I remember her smiling darkly before explaining her idea. She could scout the areas during the day. It isn't like any vampire would expect a human to know what to look for, let alone to take any acquired information behind enemy lines. It was beyond genius, really. Most of our kind see humans as nothing more than meals. This army is far different, especially where the boss is concerned. You'll be able to witness the respect the newborns have for her when she makes her pre-battle speech tonight."
"She gives pre-battle speeches?" Ares asked, something that looked very akin to awe on his face.
"Just like you did." I answered honestly. "She's been studying The God of War since the beginning. 'To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.' She would quote that at me every time I questioned her obsession with your methods, strategies, and tactics. For eighteen, long months, she's been fusing your ideas with her own to mold an army, the likes of which the South has never seen, for the soul purpose of taking Maria down. It's working too. Maria sent two scouts just two days ago. They never made it back, of course. We got the message though. She knows we're coming."
"I hear Maria trains her newborns the same way I used to." Ares commented.
"It sure has been working for her. She still has the superior army, and she knows it." I replied, pursing my lips. Something wasn't right. I turned my head, listening for anything that sounded off. Ares suddenly looked to the back of the house.
"Riley, I need help!" I heard Jean scream, and I went dashing out of the back door of the farmhouse toward her voice. She had a newborn pinned to the ground. He was not part of our army. I growled as I went to rip off his arms and legs.
"Throw his limbs in the pit, and then I want you to run a full perimeter, Jean. Use your gift and move quietly like the boss taught you. I've got the goon." I ordered her, and she nodded, taking off. Just before she left, I called out her name. She turned around. "Good work." She nodded again and was gone in the next second.
"That meant a lot to her." Ares said from behind me. I was glad to hear it, but I didn't voice it. He'd know anyway because of his gift.
I had the enemy newborn by the hair, and I lifted him to look him in the eyes.
"Who are you scouting for? Who owns you?" I demanded.
"You don't even have to ask him." Ares said, standing beside me now. "See the bite-mark on his left eyebrow?"
"Does it mean something?" I asked, confused as to why he'd point that out.
"Look at my left brow, Riley." He said, and when I did and saw the same bite-mark, I understood.
"Maria marks all the ones she creates?" I whispered, beginning to get worried now. That was three scouts in three days. Was Maria moving in on us? We weren't ready to take her on. We were at least a few months away from that.
"She always has. She's been doin' it since long before me, even." Ares replied, grabbing the newborn by the jaw. The newborn began shaking with untainted fear. I figured that physical contact made his influence on emotions stronger and more concentrated. "¿Qué hizo María enviar estás buscando?"
My English-thinking brain automatically translated the Spanish sentence into "What did Maria send you looking for?" It was a good question, one I definitely wanted to know the answer too. When the newborn didn't answer, and Ares began to crack his jaw under pressure, I found myself so glad we were on the same side. Shaking my head, I jumped back into the game.
"Staying silent won't save you from a painful road to hell, boy." I said, removing my lighter from my pocket. "Good information, on the other hand, tends to soften me up a bit."
"The Mistress would kill me if I told." The newborn squawked.
"Don't call her Mistress in my presence." Ares ordered darkly, and the newborn flinched.
"Nothing you can come up with would be worse than what she'd do to me if I were to tell." The newborn replied.
"I highly doubt that." I countered. "Why do you think you were sent here for information in the first place, newborn? She's uneasy with the thought of us, fearful of our talents, cautious of our growing power, worried by the stories floating around... as a matter of fact, you remember Chris and Lucy?"
"You killed them!" The newborn screamed.
"No, no." I answered truthfully, causing Ares to cast a questioning glance at me. "They are both very alive, but were I in their position, I'd be wishing I wasn't. Did you know that there are ways to make it so that it takes over a week for a vampire to burn completely?"
"Holy fuck." Ares muttered.
"You didn't know?" I asked him, truly surprised. He shook his head, and I hummed thoughtfully. "I'll have to tell the Boss. She's bound to be proud that she thought of a brand new form of torture."
"Swan thought of it herself?" Ares repeated, eyes wide.
"She's the one that does all the torturing here. I don't have the stomach for it, I guess you could say. I hold them down for her sometimes, but there are times where I can't even cope with that. I'm not one to play the game." I admitted. Ares looked about ready to lose his eyes he was so shocked.
"Newborn, tellin' us would definitely be a good idea. Boss Swan is a hell of a lot scarier than Maria could ever dream to be." Ares said, and I had to agree with him. The boss was only human, and she was taking out armies with her wit and preforming tortures on vampires without so much as blinking. Maria had nothing on my boss. Damn, I was proud of the boss. I was proud to take her orders. I was proud to call her my friend. I was just really proud. It was in that moment, that I knew I'd follow that psycho human anywhere.
"What's your name, newborn?" I asked, smiling softly. My change in expression must have confused him, for he was looking at me suspiciously. "Hey, anyone that is that loyal to their creator and their leader's orders deserves a little respect. I'd like to call you by something other than newborn."
"My name is Edward." He said, and I burst out laughing. The irony was killing me! He'd better give us some information because if he didn't, I'd have to hand him over to the boss. She wouldn't be as nice as I would be.
"Well, Eddie. Things are looking a lot worse for you now." I said, and the newborn's eyes widened. "The boss has a bit of a bad history with an Edward, and she's bound to use you as an outlet if you force me to hand you over to her."
"I don't believe you. Your boss can't be worse than the Mistress." The newborn said, making Ares's eyes darken considerably. Newborn Eddie screamed out in pain. I assumed he was using his gift. I didn't dare ask though.
"What did I say about calling that bitch Mistress in front of me?" He spat in the newborn's face.
"Why the hell do you care!" Eddie shouted though his pain, but Ares only made him scream louder. I could feel the eyes of our newborns watching from the back windows. I let them. Seeing this would only boost their respect and fear. Ares must have let up on Eddie, because he stopped screaming and was gasping for unnecessary breath. "Who are you?"
"That's irrelevant." Ares told him. "I'm gettin' really annoyed with you, so this is your last chance. What did she send you lookin' for?"
"You have the Mistress's mark! I don't understand this!" Eddie screamed as a desperate last attempt.
"Let go of him, Riley." Ares commanded, and I listened right away. He was pissed. I had never beheld such fury. He had looked nearly this angry when he found out about the way Vic treated the boss, but now he had someone to take it out on. I stayed where I was, curious to see what the God of War would do.
"Do you have a lighter, sir?" I asked him, just in case. He nodded in my direction before crouching down and balancing on the balls of his feet. His left hand flashed out to yank Eddie to his eye level.
"Mention the mark again. I dare you, soldier." Ares's voice was a husky growl due to his anger. I watched, engrossed, as Eddie's face fell, and he stopped breathing. I had never seen anyone reach this degree of fear. I observed as the hairs on his body rose. "Ah, you know who I am now, don't you? What gave me away?"
"The Mistress's Major is the only one that has ever called newborns soldiers." Eddie replied, stumbling over and stuttering out his words.
"Well, damn. I was tryin' so hard." Ares said sarcastically before tearing the newborn's head from his shoulders without preamble. I actually jumped.
"Okay then." I slowly stated. "The boss is going to want to deal with him still."
"I'll put him into two separate containers, and she can do what she wants with him when she gets the chance." He replied, sounding totally calm and collected. "You might want to go settle the army. They heard little Edward say who I was, and they are freakin' out a bit."
"Sounds like a plan." I agreed, and he ran toward town to pick up some boxes. When I turned and saw the newborns acting even more wild than usual, I sighed. I was really missin' the boss right about now.
A.N.: Tell me what you think. Bella's story was written out in this chapter, but this is as far as it will likely be explained. It is not necessary to the plot. If you have any questions, ask away. I'd love to answer them. Was angry/sensitive Jasper all you hoped it would be?