This Chapter rated 'M' for violence, language, dark themes, and some suggestive comments. That's quite the list...
Previously: Bella calms down the Major after he find out about Victoria's punishments on her, and she leaves to scout. Riley and Jasper meet newborn Eddie.
Bella's P.O.V. (3336 words):
"Look, here she comes now. Bow down and stare in wonder." ~Everybody's Fool by Evanescence
.:!*!:.
I'd gotten lucky today. I'd parked my motorcycle at a Walmart in Dallas and had started walking the streets when I saw him. Riseborrugh, Nathaniel's second-in-command, had been out hunting with his own right-hand. Riseborrugh and his second split up to hunt, and so I followed his second into an alleyway. I saw his muscles twitch toward me, and I knew he was going to go for me. He was in for a surprise.
I pulled out my aerosol sunscreen and lighter and let him have it. He screamed as it hit him. I kept it on him until his screams died. I ran forward and put him out. This way, he was too injured to fight me but was lucid enough to hear me. The purple smoke was rising, and I knew I had to move quickly. Grabbing the second's hair and pulling his head back toward me, I couched behind him and chuckled as darkly as I could.
"You have until midnight to abandon your territory and surrender to Vic's army or be slaughtered." I whispered into his ear. "Riseborrugh is on his way. I'm sure he's seen the purple smoke and is thinking the worst, so I'll be going. Tell him Boss Swan said hello."
I took off at top speed down the Dallas streets back toward my bike. I wasted no time jumping on and taking off back toward Vic's territory. I came to a skidding stop in the stables where I parked my Honda. I removed my helmet, hung it up on the rack, and started walking to the farmhouse. I went inside, noticing that Riley had the newborns running drills behind the house. I checked my watch. It read 2:20 P.M. I had only been gone eight hours, and I had plenty of time before I needed to prepare for the battle. I opened the sliding door, and Jean came to stand before me.
"Riley had me run an extended perimeter an hour after you left, boss. All is clear. Our defenses are a little weak near the East Border, but they have strengthened down near the San Antonio Bay area." Jean reported, and I nodded.
"Thank you, Jean. Know that all is as planned." I let her know. She nodded and went back to training with the others. I stood where I was and observed the spars carefully. "Keep your hands at waist level until you strike, Kyle! You'll get them ripped right off if you keep that up. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Sorry, Boss Swan." He shouted back, doing as I instructed. A move caught my attention.
"Woah! Jessie, let me see that again. Danny, go at her from the left this time." I walked forward a bit more, and I watched as Jessie twisted down, grabbed Danny's right arm as he threw a punch, flipped herself over his arm, and twisted him into her grasp. It was kill position for a newborn. "Yes!" I shouted. The army stopped to look at me. "You saw that, right Riley?"
"Hell yeah, boss." He replied, nodding and looking as stoked about it as I was.
"Get them into the line. I want them to have that twist down like a street whore before the battle." I ordered. Riley hesitated, looking worried. "What is it?"
"We had another visitor today." He said, pursing his lips, which he did a lot. I sighed with dread.
"I'll tell her, Riley." The Major's voice came from beside me. "I'll do any necessary restainin' also. You go ahead and work with the newborns."
"Restraining?" I repeated with a groan. I started mumbling angrily under my breath. "Why don't they ever talk? I think they like making my life complicated. Where is the little turd? I assume it isn't in the pit. I don't hear any screams or moans."
"No. He's in there." Jasper answered me, and Riley nodded in my direction before getting the newborns into the training line.
"Did you get angry again?" I asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of my tone. He smirked as I started walking.
"Maybe a little. Don't worry. He's still questionable, once we put him back together, that is." His smile grew, and I rolled my eyes.
"Let's get the turd to talk." I said, irritation making my voice dark. "What's his name?"
"Edward." Jasper replied. I stopped in my tracks.
"This poor newborn is going to meet a worse fate than his stupid friends if he doesn't talk just because of his name." I shook my head before I continued around the house toward what Riley and I referred to as 'the pit'. It was just that, a pit on the side of the house that we kept ripped up vampires in. "What do we know?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his posture and expression change as we walked at my pace.
"His name is Edward. He doesn't seem more than four months into this life. He has Maria's mark, and he is extremely loyal to her. He was obviously sent here to scout. I also believe he is not nearly as afraid of you as he should be. I have an idea that could remedy that situation though." He answered, his military background shinning through.
"Your idea, Major?" I asked, wondering where this was going.
"Riley mentioned Chris and Lucy. I think if you question him where he can see them dying, it would give him a bit of incentive to open his mouth. The fact that I'll be there will probably help too." He said, and then he smiled. "By the way, I want to know how you do it. I didn't know it was possible to burn a vampire over a week's time."
"If baby Edward doesn't talk, you'll be able to watch the process. If he does talk, I can tell you after we win the battle tonight." I replied, coming to a stop at the pit. I looked down and saw the enemy newborn's pieces in two boxes. I almost laughed, but I restrained myself. "Would you carry him? I like your idea, but we'll have to pass Icky Vicky to get to my playroom."
"Your playroom? Jesus, woman." Jasper muttered, causing me to chuckle. "Oh, and can I ask why you smell of burnin' vampire?"
"I attacked one while scouting to deliver my message." I told him, smirking at his surprise as he lifted baby Edward from the pit. "That's a story for the post-battle celebrations tomorrow after I sleep."
"Celebrations?" Jasper asked, sounding incredulous.
"It keeps up moral. I also use it to help remind the army that I can either be their best friend or their worst nightmare as their commander." I said, leading the way back to the farmhouse. No one payed us any mind as we went through the backyard or the house and into the basement.
"Back so early?" Victoria sneered the second the door closed behind me.
"Only because I'm so effective, honey." I replied in an artificially sweet voice when I reached the landing.
"Whatever." Victoria waved me off before pointing to the giant, laminated map on the wall and handing me a dry-erase marker. "I want to know what my land is going to look like by five o'clock tomorrow morning."
I nodded, taking the Expo marker and approached the wall. I started the line at Austwell, Texas and proceeded to draw it through Victoria, Texas. I then made the line veer over to encompass north San Antonio. The line extended all the way to reach 35 miles north of Abilene before heading east to include Fort Worth and Dallas. It continued into Louisiana until it hit Lake Charles before heading down to the Gulf of Mexico. After tonight's battle her territory would literally double in size. I handed the marker back after capping it.
"Is this satisfactory?" I questioned. It was an area of about 183,500 square miles. It had better be good enough.
"It will have to be. You are too much of a coward to go against Maria." Vic said, tapping the marker against her chin.
"Speaking of Maria, I have another of her little puppets to interrogate, so I'll take my leave." I said, ignoring her comment on my 'cowardice'. I turned and moved aside a bookshelf to reveal a sound-proofed door. "Through here, Major."
Jasper came over, and I punched in the code. There was a click, the heavy titanium door opened in, and the screams and smells broke through, filling the air. I ushered Jasper in and punched in a different code to close the door behind us. I led us down the hall and to the room the screams were coming from. Before I opened the simple door, I turned to Jasper.
"You sure you want to go in here with me?" I asked him under my breath.
"Open the door, darlin'." Jasper replied softly, smiling at me. I nodded at him before closing my eyes. I took a deep breath and began to prepare myself.
I made myself as detached as possible, and I thought of everything in the world that made me feel apathetic. Once I was feeling indifferent and cold, I took another deep breath and opened my eyes, pushing the door open roughly.
"Tone the screams down, would you?" I said dryly, closing the door behind us. Chris's growls increased in response. I gave him my best glare. "Keep that up buddy, and I'll brand your tongue!"
"Where do you want this one, Swan?" Jasper asked, and I could tell he had detached himself from his emotions also.
"Just put him on the floor near the open drain. If you could put his head back on, that would be greatly appreciated." I replied, before taking a quick look around the room.
I called this my playroom, and I had convinced Riley that torturing these vampires didn't bother me. It was a lie, of course. I hated doing this, but I could handle it. Perhaps that's what was the worst. I could do this, and I didn't lose sleep. The way I saw it, it had to be done. This was war, however unjustified the motives behind it were. If I didn't get Victoria more territory and keep the Volturi away, she would kill me. As long as I continued to be the best she could hope to get, I would survive.
My 'playroom' wasn't very large, but it was big enough. I had three drains on the tiled floor for redirecting spilt venom. The venom fell into containers I had placed underneath the floor. I used it as an accelerant when needed, and I kept it in a small chest against the back wall.
Right above the three drains were chains (bolted into the ceiling) that were connected to electricity. These were used to suspend vampires by their wrists, and the electric current kept them from being able to break free. I had a furnace in the corner of the room, a rack with different shaped metals, and a vacuum in another corner. They all had their own purposes.
"Chris, Lucy! Oh God. I thought they were joking." A voice said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I lifted my eyes to see the newborn scout that Jasper had carried in with his head reattached. He seemed to finally notice me then. "What the hell are you doing here, girl?" I felt a cold smirk grow on my face.
"What am I doing here? I believe it would be in your best interest to concentrate on what you are doing here." I replied, beginning to pace in front of him. "Your comrades here are suffering for their stupidity and insolence. I'd hate for you to join them."
"Who do you think you are?" Baby Edward shouted over Chris and Lucy's screams of pain.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to show the same insolence that got Chris and Lucy into the position they are in? You do not have the authority to ask me questions. You answer mine." I said, pausing my movement to peer down at him over my nose to where he lay on the tile. "What were your orders, newborn?"
"I do not answer to you, human!" Little Edward defied, spitting at my feet. I chuckled and bent down to look him in the eyes.
"You will." I answered coolly. "Sooner or later, you will. If you don't, I'll use that vacuum in the corner to suck most of the venom out of you after I rip off your feet, and then I'll light your feet aflame and watch you burn for a week like your friends here."
Jasper emitted a wave of horror and surprise before getting his gift under control again.
"I don't understand." Eddie said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him over the screams. He was shaking his head, and he honestly looked confused and frightened. I felt myself soften a bit.
"What don't you understand? I'd be glad to explain my side before we move on to you. You have momentary, revocable authority to question me." I allowed, speaking the truth.
"Who are you?" He asked again, but since he was polite this time, so I figured I'd respond.
"I am Boss Swan." I told him, and I watched as he ceased all movement.
"You're insane. She doesn't exist!" He screamed at me. I smiled and turned to Jasper.
"Talk about deja-vu, Major." I laughed, remembering when I'd said nearly the same thing to him. He laughed at the memory as well, causing baby Edward to turn his head and cringe away from Jasper.
"I thought I'd made you up." Little Edward admitted, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
"He knew who I was the second I called him soldier. I guess Maria tells them more than I first assumed." Jasper replied, and I rolled my eyes.
"It's a good thing that everyone is going to find out about you tonight anyway." I said to Jasper before returning my focus to the newborn. "As I said, I am Boss Swan. Do you have any more questions?"
"If I tell you what you want to know, will you give me a quick death?" He whispered, and Chris and Lucy began growling at his mention of betrayal. I put a comforting hand on little Edward's shoulder.
"That's all I'm asking." I agreed, letting my indifference fall so that he would see my sincerity.
"Okay." He said, nodding to himself, and I could see the acceptance in his eyes. I dropped my hand as he began to talk. "Mist-" He cut off, sending a quick glance at Jasper before changing his words. "Maria's new second-in-command exited Maria's tent last night and told me that Maria wanted to see me. I had no idea what she could possibly want from me. I mean, I'm not even four months into the war.
"I went in right away, of course, and she began to seduce me. I was extremely confused at this point. She never did anything with her newborns. Sex was something she reserved for her second-in-commands, which, as you most likely know, are almost always male. She told me that she planned on promoting me, but that I had to do something first. I now have no doubt in my mind that she meant for me to fail, for when I left the tent, her second-in-command was smirking unabashedly.
"My orders were simple enough: find out what Vic's army was planning next, and get as much information on the second-in-command as I could. I was to take the information back to her by nightfall." He said, and an idea began to come to life in my head. It would require me to trust this newborn a lot more than made me comfortable, but the risks were minimal. The worst thing that could happen is that Boss Swan would come to life and no longer only be a rumor. The human second-in-command would be real. I wouldn't be able to scout anymore, but Jean was ready to take my place on that front already. I decided I had nothing to lose. I took a deep breath, preparing to make little Edward an offer.
"What if I told you there was a way you could make it to the four month mark?" I asked him, and his brows came together. Jasper cleared his throat to gain my attention. "Major?"
"Can I talk to you, alone?" Jasper asked, his jaw tight. I stood, excusing myself, and Jasper and I walked into the hall. I led him to a room down the hall that was also sound-proofed. The second we were both inside and the light was on, Jasper was pacing at vampire speed. "No me gusta este."
"What don't you like about this, and what are you referring to? You need to calm down so that we can talk rationally." I soothed.
"I know what you are planning'. It's exactly somethin' I would've done, but you are riskin' more than you think." He said, and his pacing slowed enough for me to follow his form with my eyes.
"Explain everything to me, please." I insisted, needing to understand where he was going with this.
"You want to turn him into a double agent, use him to give Maria the information that you want her to know... feed her partial truths. It's a genius strategical move, but you should reconsider." He took a deep breath and stopped his pacing to look directly into my eyes. "Let me take you through the worst case scenario step-by-step. After that, you can decide if it is somethin' you can live with."
"Okay. Shoot." I said, feeling slightly uneasy.
"He accepts your offer, we put him back together after I conclude that his emotions indicate that he will hold up his end of the bargain, and he goes frolickin' off back to hell and Maria's clutches." The darkness his voice took on in this moment alerted me to his change in mood. I had a feeling he was seeing Maria and her camp as if he had been there yesterday. With his memory, it was certainly possible. "He tells Maria the information we told him to tell her, and she holds up her end of the bargain, promotin' him to be her second-in-command. This is where things could go downhill. She treats him as she does all her second-in-commands, he begins to fall under her spell, and he falls in love with her, thinkin' that she loves him too. The next time she sends him to scout here, he doesn't come. Instead, he waits for a few hours before goin' to her and tellin' her everythin' he didn't the first time. He tells her all about Boss Swan, he tells her how you are a human scout, he tells her about how close we are, and believe me when I tell you that she will be very interested. Then, worst case scenario is she comes here with her army for one soul purpose, and it's not to kill you. Instead of death, she will make you hers."
I thought on that, and the more I did, the dizzier I felt. The blood seemed to drain from my face, and I felt myself taking shallow, shaky breaths. My heart began to beat irregularly. For the first time since James's attack, I was overcome with fear. Jasper let me feel it. He simply stood, staring at me, unblinking. I closed my eyes for a long period, and I began to weigh my options.
It didn't take long for me to make my decision. There was no way in hell I was going to let that even become an option. I don't know how I didn't think of it before. I should have acknowledged the possibility that Maria would want me for her own purposes. I had always assumed she'd just want to be rid of me when she found out who I was. I wasn't prepared for the possibility of becoming Maria's next weapon, her next plaything, her next possession. I shuddered at the very thought.
I walked forward two steps and wrapped my arms around Jasper's waist, hiding my face against his chest. I had never been more grateful of him. He, very well, could have just saved me from enduring much the same hell that he had.
"Thank you, Jasper." I whispered, using his first name automatically.
"Anythin' for you, Isabella." He replied just as quietly, and I relaxed as he used my first name and returned the hug. I stayed in his arms for a moment longer, letting the last of my fear ebb away before I pulled back.
A.N.: Well, that had a whole lot of foreshadowing! I hope you guys enjoyed getting a closer look at the bad-ass that our little Bella is.
Reviews make me want to update faster, so do your part! =P