The Major is Shirtless in this Chapter
Carlisle stood alone in front of the house, reminiscent of how he greeted Jasper just an hour before, when the scant members of the Volturi came out of the woods, black crimson lined cloaks billowing, despite there being absolutely no wind. Carlisle recognized all of them, though he knew having familiarity with them would do him no good. Demetri and Felix weren't the kind of members of the Volturi you wanted to have sent to your coven for any reason. Demetri was the best tracker the vampire world had. James was good, but Demetri made him look like a boy scout. His gift was being able to follow the tenor of a person's mind. Once he latched on, and he stayed within range, you would never be able to lose him. As he aged as a vampire, his ability's distance grew. Carlisle had wondered once, out loud to Aro, that perhaps one day he wouldn't even need to move, and he could track someone's location using a map. Aro had commented if only that day were today. Carlisle had always wondered what particular vampire Aro had wanted to track down that eluded him, but he didn't dare ask.
"Carlisle Cullen." Demetri started, once he and Felix were in front of Carlisle. "I am Demetri of the Volturi, and this is Felix. Where is the rest of your coven?"
"They aren't here. I was informed you only wished to speak to me?" Carlisle wasn't too great of an actor, but knowing Jasper was nearby and having him bolster Carlisle's strength, willpower, and courage, helped immensely. Carlisle wasn't a stranger to tense situations and being diplomatic, but seeing how the Volturi sent their tracker and executioner, he was incredibly on edge. Carlisle had been witness to more than one of these witch hunts by the Volturi. Whatever it was they thought they had on his family, it was the excuse to take Edward and Alice. He assumed Chelsea was somewhere nearby, ready to twist their familial bonds from Carlisle to the Volturi.
"Where are Edward and Alice Cullen?" Demetri tried again, cementing Carlisle's fears while gesturing towards the house. "Felix, search the house." It was noted he didn't mention his mate, Esme, or the other two members, Rosalie and Emmett.
"What is this about?" Carlisle tried asking again, getting nervous once Felix passed him and opened the front door. He wasn't entirely sure where Jasper was hiding but he hoped it wasn't in there. Though he couldn't imagine him letting himself get cornered that easily.
He hadn't seen Jasper in action, aside from that one time at the ballet studio in Phoenix. But he had heard enough about The Major from his time with the Volturi before he even welcomed Jasper into his home and family. And all of it was terrifying. More than a few of the Volturi guard that were sent to quiet the whispers of vampires in the south didn't come back, and the even fewer that did never went back to the Americas. Except for Demetri, who was the one to call for a retreat. Something the Volturi hadn't done before. They had to make a second attempt with Jane and Alec and by then Jasper had left with Peter and Charlotte, forever to become a myth Demetri was teased for. The powerful blonde vampire, who could decapitate dozens of vampires in a mere minute, who had control over your emotions and could immobilize you with your own fear. The Major was like the chupacabra. People had stories, but no one had a story of their own. Except for Demetri, who no one really believed except for Aro. Who could easily see what Demetri had saw, but chose not to publicly say so.
"We have heard accusations against a member of your coven. You are to return with us to Volterra for questioning." Which Carlisle knew, was code for Aro wanted to read his thoughts, and either find an actual crime or he would make one up. How would anyone know if Aro was lying or not? "Where are your other members?" He asked again.
"You can question me here." He boldly replied. Grateful for Jasper's gift urging him along. He was not a fighter and if things turned violent his best bet would be to run, but running from Demetri was delaying the inevitable, and he hoped Jasper was true to his word and would intervene if things came to that. "If there is suspicion against my coven, I would like to know what it is so I may refute it." Felix came out of the house behind Carlisle and started to tell Demetri that there wasn't anyone here, and hadn't been for at least two days, but he trailed off as he saw Jasper slowly sauntering up the gravel driveway towards them. Carlisle noticed and turned away from Demetri towards what had caught Felix's attention and halted him mid sentence.
Jasper had chosen to tie his shoulder length blonde locks back in a pony tail, to showcase the silver film of overlapping scars along his shoulders and neck, from vampires who had gotten too close. It was an uncharacteristic sunny day, and Jasper's choice to go without a shirt made him downright glimmer, his scars like twinkling stars when they caught direct sunlight. The completed silver line around his right arm, showed that his arm had been detached and reattached at least once. This was the body of a vampire who had been alive for a millenia, let alone the barely two decades Jasper had been alive. Demetri didn't even have a fraction of this amount, and he had literally been alive for over a thousand years. Felix had barely a dozen from his several centuries with the Volturi.
By the time Demetri had turned to see what was going on, Felix had walked past Carlisle intent on confronting the unknown, scar besotted vampire. Demetri recognized the blonde vampire immediately as The Major, the vampire he would have had nightmares about if vampires could dream. He was stunned silent, shocked to see the very vampire no one else believed existed, the vindication of his existence overshadowed by the overwhelming urge to flee. Jasper's head turned and his vermilion eyes met Demetri's crimson ones, and though there was no recognition in Jasper's eyes, he knew Demetri recognized him. He could feel his emotional cocktail swirling in chaos, fear overwhelming everything as Jasper amplified it over his hesitance, shock, validation and building anxiety over realizing the Volturi fucked up in sending such a skeleton crew.
"Felix..." He started to warn him to stay back and to proceed with caution, but his words were caught in his throat. His fear overpowering his ability to speak. He felt helpless as he watched the next few short moments unfold.
"Stop where you are, this is Volturi business." Felix wasn't phased by the scars on the blonde vampire, he had Demetri at his back and Santiago in the woods guarding Chelsea. Let alone the full power of the Volturi behind him. He was a good fighter, and he was smug about it, and of his position in the Volturi. Not many could boast about being changed by Aro, after all.
"Anything involvin' Carlisle Cullen is my business." Jasper drawled, bringing his southern accent back from the past with exaggerated thickness. He had come to a stop by then, adapting a casual stance, hands resting on his belt buckle. The very image of a cocky cowboy.
"Carlisle Cullen has to answer for his coven, and we will be escorting him to Volterra." Felix stated boldly, standing between Jasper and Carlisle. The latter who stood silently by, Chelsea's influence already working on his compliance by changing his allegiances. Had Jasper not interfered, he would have agreed to join them in Volterra, and given up the rest of his family.
"I don't see why he can't answer y'all here." Jasper said, not bothering to send any sort of emotions towards Felix at all. Not because he couldn't, but because the vampire in front of him thought himself damn near invincible, and if there was anything that gassed Jasper's engine more, than was a cocksure asshole. The smug aura around the vampire was enough to make Jasper feel damn near invincible too. Except Jasper could back that smugness up with action. He wasn't so sure about Felix, having never heard of the vampire before now.
"Interfering with the Volturi will only get you a trip to Volterra along with him, or worse..." Felix threatened, trailing off his sentence as if he could scare this vampire with the threat of what if's like some inexperienced city vamp.
"You wouldn't want me to pay you a visit in Volterra." Jasper shrugged, as if he was merely rejecting an invitation to vacation in Europe and not a threat to be tortured Europe. Which, depending on what movie you watch, could be both! Never mind the underlying threat that him visiting wouldn't end well for the Volturi. "I suggest y'all get goin'. Carlisle ain't going anywhere with you folks." Jasper kept on with his southern accent, amused by how easily he was keeping Demetri petrified by his own fear and trepidation. If only Felix had spent some of the next few precious seconds looking back at his comrade, to see the terror plain all over his face. He did not want to two man fight The Major.
Felix didn't hesitate, once Jasper announced that Carlisle wasn't going anywhere, he pushed himself forward and flung himself at Jasper, his body leaning hard to one side, telegraphing his moves to the more experienced fighter. Jasper just stood there, letting the bigger vampire barrel towards him, nonplussed. By the time Demetri and Carlisle saw Felix reach him there was a terrible metallic screech, like a brief car crash, and Felix's body hit the ground with a thud. Standing there, in the same spot as he was before, Jasper held Felix's head by the hair and chucked it at where Demetri and Carlisle stood. Carlisle jumped away in disgust, the distant sound of two vampires fighting alerting them to Peter's arrival and subsequent tango with Santiago. Realizing that this was a good time to leave, Carlisle ran in the opposite direction. Jasper presumed he'd catch up with him later, or not. Still, Demetri was frozen, unable to act unless he was the next target, and even then, some vampires couldn't shake Jasper's influence if their very lives were at stake.
"I don't believe introductions are in order?" Jasper asked, grinning at Demetri, releasing him from his gift's power.
"No." Demetri said bluntly, as Peter walked out of the woods behind Jasper, with no vampire head of his own but with a victorious smile nonetheless. It had been quite some time since either of the Whitlocks had fought another vampire. James none-withstanding. It may not have been something they always enjoyed, but the Whitlock boys were surely enjoying themselves today, a fine release from the looming threat surrounding them.
"The Cullen coven is not under the Volturi's jurisdiction." Demetri was just as shocked at this proclamation, as he was when he realized that his memories of The Major were true. No one was 'not under' the Volturi's jurisdiction. They ruled the entire vampire world, the earth was their jurisdiction. Demetri opened his mouth to ask, but then closed it again at Jasper's hard stare. "I retired, Demetri. I have no urge to fight in another war. If the Volturi come again, I will not respond as lightly as I have today." He gestured to Peter building a fire in the drive. Demetri knew what that meant, and wondered if Santiago and Chelsea would be joining Felix in the flames... if he would be next.
Demetri didn't say anything as he watched Felix get tossed into the fire. Knowing that returning to Volterra with the news of not only The Major's return and actual existence, but that one of Aro's chosen few vampires had died at his hands, would be putting his own life in jeopardy for his ineptitude. Demetri could only hope that Aro could see he had no other options, when he looked through his thoughts. He knew Chelsea was still alive, because the urge to return to Egypt, to Amun, was still the barest glimmer of want. A vampire's call to their sire is everlasting, unless you tango with the Volturi. Then it's a mere inconvenient niggling desire, that never truly leaves you. Like regretting not buying that pair of shoes you never saw again, never having had the courage to ask that woman out, or missing something you don't quite realize why.
"You can go now." Peter said, after his work was done. Demetri wasted no time in chasing after Santiago and Chelsea. Aro was not going to like this, any of this. Not only was there no human, so Victoria's claim was unconfirmed, but they returned with zero of the vampires they were sent to return with. Something that has never happened before. Along with more tall tales about The Major.