Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Blood And Steel

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 23:

Cape Matapan

“I don’t like this place.” Gavin muttered to himself. Connolly had resassigned the teams to cover these so called gates of hell. He really didn’t believe they were true until he and his team arrived.

“For once you and I agree on something Gavin.” Jasper whispered as the two led the way into the cave, wolves, vampires and humans behind them. They had entered by water, Seals insisting they go first, vampires and then the wolves who were not exactly naturals in the water.

They moved through the remains of the Spartan temple and deeper into the passage than tourists had been allowed to venture, having no idea what waited for them.

Jake phased from his wolf form.

“We need to hurry. Multiple vampires have been through here recently. Can you smell them?”

“Yes of course.” Garrett responded, moving quickly past Jasper and Ty, the darkness of the cave granting him his full strength and speed. Ty grunted and motioned for everyone to run, the cautious approach out the window. Brody, Hawk and Ty jumped on the backs of the phased wolves who followed Jake and the vampires.

Within seconds the wolves stopped. Ty flipped on his night vision goggles and was not encouraged by what he saw.

Vampire body parts littered the ground. Normally this would be a good thing, except for the stone wall inornately carved with symbols none of those present recognized. The stone wall had a hole in it. A very large hole. In front of the hole was a vampire in two pieces, wearing a tunic. His arms were ripped off and he lay on the ground appearing to be trying to mend his arm to his shoulder.

“Who are you? Has Aro sent you to finish me?”

The wolves growled and stepped forward. Hawk jumped off and ran to the vampire lifting him by the neck before his arm could be reattached.

“Who are you?”

“Hawk I ask the questions.” Ty told him, walking up beside the big man. “Who are you?”

Hawk would have rolled his eyes but the effect would have been lost behind his goggles.

“I am the guardian of this gate.”

“Great fucking job.” Jasper commented.

“I did not expect the numbers. The last time Aro came himself. I was able to easily defeat him. I defeated the first wave easily. I can make any vampire or other creature who comes near me as weak as an infant. Tearing them apart was easy, but three slipped by and crashed into the gate. When I turned A female vampire, an old one, in much more control than these children, tore my arms off from behind. She killed the newborns who crashed the gate and left.”

“It must have been Chelsea. Did you see Aro?” Garrett asked.

“No.”

“We need to move. This gate is crushed, too late to stop it. Get to the transport and we head to the next gate. We need to find out of Clive and King’s team are having anymore luck.”

That said Ty Hawk and Brody mounted the wolves, one of whom, Leah, was very agitated, and ran towards the surface. The next gate Ty was assigned to was a full 3:48 minutes away, even orbiting the Earth, and orbit they would have to. Belieze waited.

Lough Derg Ireland

Clive Barkley and his team were not far from the gate when the call came in. They had used ground penetrating sonar under the church and to his still great surprise there was a definte pit below the monastery they were now inside.

The pit appeared to go straight down to an unknown depth. Clive had a fairly good idea how far the depth was and where exactly it led to. Somewhere at the bottom of that pit was a gateway to the land of the dead. According to legends, of which Clive was having more and more belief in, St. Patrick was given visions of Hell by God near the pit that was supposed to be under this monastery. In order to protect the gate from being opened, he built this monastery over it.

Clive had no intention of going into that pit. The monastery was in perfect condition and the tour guides and monks who kept this place had reported nothing unusual. A group of newborn vampires running through the monastery and breaking through the floor would definitely have caught their attention.

Clive sent the civilians away and had his team positioned outside and inside the monastery, twenty two of the best the SAS had to offer.

He thought back over his life, career, the events leading up to this moment when he stood over a pit leading straight to the other side of life. Clive had never given much thought to what happened after death. Some men in his position did their best not to, and others obsessed over it. Clive preferred not to think about it. He accepted his life was about the next mission. He had devoted himself to Queen and Country and never doubted his decision. Despite what he had missed, a wife, children, the peace of having a stable place, that he could call home and go to at the end of the day, Clive knew he would never know peace. something was missing in his soul. The part that yearned for comfort and stability. Instead it had been replaced by a burning desire for as long as he could remember to find the next fight and win. Nothing else mattered as much. There had been women but no love. To love, you had to put someone above all else in your life. He had been unable to do that, not like Connolly. Of course it had cost Connolly his career and nearly his life. Clive would prefer to go down fighting on his own, no regrets, no attachments.

That said he had no plans to die today.

“Bad form to keep us waiting.” his staff sergeant, Walters whispered.

“They are waiting for night time.” Clive told him.

“They have to know from your previous missions, at least this Aro guy, must know that we have the tech to light this area up.”

“True but there are many corners in this building. They are still strong in light. Don’t underestimate them.”

“I never underestimate any enemy. The Aurora is hovering above four hundred feet. It will drop to one hundred at the first sign. I don’t like defending.”

“I don’t like the idea of trying to take on out of control new vampires with sever bloodlust in the open with no cover where it is harder to weaken them with UV. We go out there they are fast and more vicious. Faster than we can aim and fire. We wait for them and pick them off.”

“And if there are too many?”

“You have seen the picture of Aro?”

“Yes.”

“Make sure he is taken out, even if we are overran. We have no idea if they are even going to be here tonight. Word is Greece has fallen already. Gavin is on the way to Belize with the freak team. King is setting up in Naples.”

“New Orleans?”

“The young lasses are underneath the City. Dante reports they have been there a while and he is starting to worry. No word besides that.”

“How do you think Aro is moving so quickly?”

“I don’t. He has probably had this Chelsea lady bond them to Aro’s will and send them on missions. This Peter Whitlock vampire thinks that is possible and Abrams agrees.”

“Meaning we have no idea if Aro will be with them or where he is.”

“Gavin reported that he was not involved in the attack in Greece.”

“So why don’t we just drop a hellfire on these bastards when they show themselves?” Walters asked, a tactic Clive had considered.

“This is a historic site. If we have to blow it we will retreat and blow it but I would prefer not too. Plus there could be quite a bit of collateral damage. I really don’t want to see the charred body of a child on the street outside. This area isn’t crowded but it isn’t unpopulated. A hellfire will destroy everything.”

“Sir we have a lady approaching half a click away.” a voice said through the com.

“Ask her politely to leave the area.”

“This woman’s temperature signature is 92 degrees. North side.”

Before Clive could move he caught movement out of the window he had been observing through.

Eighteen vampires, the darkness caused by the setting sun hiding fangs Clive knew must be there.

“Anymore joining the lady?” he whispered.

“Ten behind her.” the steady, calm voice reported.

“East side? West side? report.”

“Nothing.”

“Three stay back on both sides and observe. The rest split to either side. Michael light the area up and use miniguns on ones in back. Once they are close to us we will engage. Time to kill boys.”

UV light filled the area, turning day into night and the miniguns from the Aurora lit up the sky. Clive fired his weapon at the vampires who attacked. Twenty eight vampires rushed a monastery in Ireland.

Even in the artificial daylight the new vampires were fast and strong, though not smart. They had no sense of preservation it seemed, not bothering to be slowed down by their comrades turning to flames on either side.

Despite being outnumbered Clive felt confident.

Until the ceiling of the monastery caved in and ten vampires dropped into the church, focused on those around them.

Tossing a UV grenade, Clive pulled his K Bar and prepared to fight in close quarters, protecting the floor below him or dying in the attempt.

Clive heard the screams of the men inside the chapel. He heard then sounds of automatic weapons and the shrieks of vampires ripped apart. His blade ripped through a throat before the fangs above could bit him. Another grabbed him from behind. Beofre he could reach back, the vampire let go.

Turning, Clive saw the vampires on the ground, a lad of no more than 16, trembling in fear.

The screams had changed. Now he heard noise closer to moans. Looking around the chapel he saw his men who were not dead were staring in awe at the vampires rolling around on the ground some clutching at their faces.

The stones on the floor cracked open and a chasm opened up. A young man, pale with red hair and green eyes, wearing a Monk’s robes floated up and landed softly on the floor, gazing at the vampires around him. He walked up to each one of the dead soldiers and traced the sign of the cross on their foreheads with his thumb.

Clive began to feel pain and looked at his body. His uniform was ripped in several places blood seeping through. He wasn’t sure the extent of his injuries but he was alive, more than he could say for many of his men.

“I am sorry it took me so long. I was waiting below for Aro. When I heard the noise up here I assumed he had brought an army. It took me a bit to realize not all the noise belonged to foes.”

“Who are you?” Clive asked, a bit of awe in his voice at this seemingly ordinary man who emitted such power in his presence.

“You may call me Patrick. I am the guadian of this gate.”

“What have you done to these vampires?”

“God once showed me visions of Hell in this spot. I have shared those visions with them. It would be prudent if you and your men would deliver these souls from torment. They are new and out of their minds, bound to a mad man by a vampiric witch, but they are not evil, not yet. Set them free. Then you need to leave. Take your dead and gather your living. Yoso wll be rising soon and you will need to be ready. The twins will need you and your brothers. Go to Italy.”

“But…”

“Hurry. God goes with you.”

Galveston, Texas

“Has anyone heard from Bella and Winter?” Connolly asked Vivian.

“Still underground in New Orleans from what I understand.”

“Situation update?”

“Barkley is reporting he has taken major losses but the gate has been protected. Ty says the gate in Greece was already broken and they are enroute to Belize. King’s team is in Naples. His team has entered the cave so they are out of contact right now. The cave is very fucking deep.”

“We need a team in Turkey.” Webb said quietly.

“Bella and Winter will have to go if they can manage to leave the graveyard.” Connolly said quietly. Then he asked the question he dreaded.

“Viv how many did Clive lose?”

“Out of twenty two men he has lost fifteen.”

“Fuck.” Jack whispered.

“What are Peter and Charlotte doing?”

“They are in Israel with Mina trying to find information on Aro’s whereabouts.”

“No time for that. The attacks are in full force. I have no idea how Aro is moving around. I have an idea he has set up teams with this Chelsea bitch who will follow his orders no matter where he is. We have one gate down and two secure.”

“One secure.” Jack reminded him.

“Bella and Winter won’t fail. If Ty’s team can get to Belize before the vampires attack he will hold the gate.” That gives us three secure. We have to find out what happens with King. If he wins we have four gates secure and one open. Send the Whitlocks and Mina along with whatever soldiers she can dig up to Turkey.”

“That leaves one gate.”

“I know. If Peter and Charlotte can handle Turkey it will be up to Bella and Winter to get the last gate in Rome. They need to be closer to Volterra than Turkey anyway. Keep me informed Viv. I want to know the second Bella and Winter are clear and King is clear.”

“Clive just reported he is heading to Italy, with his remaining men.”

Connolly thought for a second and a second is all he needed.

“Negative. Send his team to meet Peter, Charlotte and Mina in Turkey. We have to protect that gate.”

Naples Italy, The Cave of Sibyl

“The gates of Hell are open night and day, smooth is the path and easy is the way.” Ian King whispered as his team passed deeper into the cave of Sibyl.

“Don’t forget the second part as long as you are going to be cryptic Cap.” Sgt, Brent told him.

King smiled despite the feeling of dread that had entered his entire being since he started the descent.

“But to return and view the cheerful skies, In this task and mighty labor lie.” the sergeant finished.

King walked in front of his thirty men, a mixture of Delta’s, Force Recon, and Seals, each handpicked by himself. There had not been time for much training or even for these men to become familiar with the enemy they would be facing but men like these never needed time. They needed tools and a target. King hoped this would be enough. This was not a typical battlefield he was preparing to battle on and this was not a typical enemy for his men.

They had passed the door into the tourist section long ago. Coming to the end of the tourist section King had set charges against the seemingly rock face of the cave. The team had snuck into the cave after hours not having time to go through the red tape of closing it off.

“Fire in the hole.” Ore, the team’s demolition expert told them quietly. All backed up fifty feet and covered their ears.

The explosion was loud but the explosives set perfectly sending the blast forward and clearing a large hole in the rock. Darkness lay beyond.

“Goggles on gentleman. Night vision. Infrared will do us no good against these hostiles.”

So far so good, King thought. Unless the vampires found another entrance this one would have been torn open.

“Be on the lookout for something or someone who does not have fangs.” he whispered. He had read his briefing packets. Chris Jennings had described where he believed the seven gates to be. He had also explained that each was protected by a guardian who may be vampire or other, and some were gifted, a main reason Aro had wanted Bella in his guard. Not having Bella or his guard now he had resorted to making newborn armies and leaving them with specific instructions, they were bound to by Chelsea, some mind controlling vampire bitch.

He had no idea how the other defenses were going. He could only focus on his. Defense was not in his nature. He preferred to attack.

“You will die if you continue this path.”

The corridor lit up in an unnatural light with seemingly no source. King and his men raised rifles and aimed at… a very old lady. Ancient, her age was impossible to tell.

“Who are you?”

“I am Sibyl. This is my home. Ian King, if you continue you will die.”

“That so? You planning on killing us?”

“I am the guardian of this gate. My voice echoes off these walls and can paralyze those who listen. I used it to stop Aro 1000 years ago. I can also see the future. I know not what will happen when the demon is set free, only that this gate cannot be protected. I cannot use my voice to stop the hordes that are coming. I have seen my gate fall and I have seen your deaths. You must leave. This gate is doomed regardless of your presence.”

“You can’t protect it?”

“Thirty new vampires led by Aro himself will be here within the hour. Aro knows what I can do. He will have made plans accordingly. I cannot die but I can be defeated.”

“You freeze them with your little super voice ad we will take them out. We have tricks of our own.”

“You cannot win. We cannot win. Leave now.”

King took a long look at his men, searching for signs of fear.

All he saw was determination.

“Sibyl we have been given a mission. We will complete this mission or die in this cave attempting to do so. I would suggest you show us this gate so we can get into position. It doesn’t appear we have much time.”

“You will die.”

“And I will take out as many of those undead fucks as I can.”

Sibyl nodded in acceptance and began walking down the corridor.

“Anybody want out?” King asked, already knowing the answer.

The chambering of rounds was all the response he needed.

“Move out men.”

New Orleans, Louisiana.

The zombies and vampires collided, Bella and Winter in front of the gate

“Skeleton man, do your thing!” Bella shouted.

The Baron stood watching his dead attack the undead, not moving.

A vampire barreled towards the gate.

Bella sliced him at his waist and Winter took his head.

This caught the attention of two zombies who jumped towards the girls only seeing threat to the gate and not defenders or allies.

They moved quickly, not as zombies in movies but as vampires in the dark. The girls were tackled, and slammed against the wall. Other zombies not involved in battles with the vampires turned and moved quickly, covering Bella and Winter on the ground.

Bella was afraid. She struggled to lift her sword but a body was on her arm. Kneeing a zombie on top of her she felt him give but no sound of pain came. He was dead, he felt no pain.

Winter felt teeth near her neck. Focusing on the area directly around her and Bella she grasped a hold of Summer’s spirit and sent it out, causing bodies to fly back off the two. Both hopped to their feet and saw vampires had attacked their assailants from behind, beheading four of them.

“We are going to have to kill them all if we want to survive this.” Bella said, relieved to be on her feet, sword in front of her with no plans to drop it.

“If these fuckers are this fast can you imagine how fast Yoso will be?” Winter whispered.

“Stay in front of the gate. I’m attacking.”

Before Winter could argue, Bella flipped in the air and landed in the middle of the fray, striking in circles, cutting everything in her reach, legs, arms, heads.

Until she was hit in the back of the head, sending her to the ground. She screamed when she felt teeth bite into her shoulder. Whether they were zombie or vampire teeth did not matter. The bone crunched.

Winter was unable to move. She was straining, trying to channel Summer’s spirit into a protective barrier, keeping vampires and Zombies from attacking the gate for different reasons. She could not rely on the dead to defeat the undead. The battle was evenly matched.

Bella switched her sword to her left hand and rolled, taking whoever had bitten her over with her.

Once on her back she turned quickly, screaming while landing on her right shoulder and stabbing with her left into a fanged bloody creature, that still had her blood dripping from it’s teeth.

A hand on her back landed, her leg kicking back in response and swinging with her left hand, her right hanging uselessly.

“Heal already. Kinda need two arms here.” she whispered to herself.

Taking a look around the room she saw body parts all over. Winter stood in front of the gate holding zombies and vampires both back. Her nose was gushing blood.

Bella jumped up and ran over shoulders and heads, slicing the hostiles from behind, twisting and turning cutting everything in reach, not even sighting a target before she swung. A part of her hoped the Baron was in her path.

A second before teeth would have fallen on her neck from behind, Winter’s sword flew past her head and planted itself in the head of a vampire. Bella turned and beheaded the creature, pulling Winter’s sword out with her right arm, causing her pain but a bit of relief as well that the bone seemed to be mending. Pain she could deal with, she had for a very long time, but the breaking of bones that made it physically impossible to move was another different altogether.

“Bella I need you over here.”

Bella slid under two combatants, engaged in a battle to see whose teeth would reach the other’s neck first. Jumping up she stepped onto shoulders and heads and landed in front of Winter.

For a moment neither vampire or zombie paid mind to either of the women.

“I count four vampires still in one piece. Ten zombies. Baron call these fuckers off and we can handle the remaining vampires!” Winter yelled.

“I am afraid that cannot happen. Once they are released they will stay released until any living or undead being near the gate is dead.”

“Great. We kind of have a date with Yoso so I would suggest you figure something out.” Bella told him.

Bella glanced around and wondered how they would make it out. The zombies were actually stronger than the vampires. Another just went down to a zombie’s teeth.

“Fuck it.”

Winter pulled her sidearm and started shooting, taking the heads off the remaining four vampires.

The fighting stopped.

Until all zombies turned towards Winter and Bella.

“Ten zombies. We just cut right?”

“Go for the heads. They won’t stop moving but…”

“You cannot win. I am truly sorry. If you destroy these more will follow.”

The Baron’s skull blew to pieces.

As the bones began to move together on the floor, Dante Youngblood stepped into the room.

“We really need to leave. Vampires dead?”

“Yep.” Bella confirmed.

“Let’s move.”

“More zombies will come if we kill these.” Winter told him.

“So don’t kill them, cut their fucking legs off and we run.” Dante ordered and pulled a shotgun strapped to his back. A zombie ran towards him and he blasted the gun into the creatures knee, taking his leg off.

Bella and Winter needed no further encouragement, running through the nine remaining zombies, arms out, knocking down as many as possible and cutting the heads off two.

Standing on front of Dante they both hit the ground and tossed their katanas, watching them twist and slice, taking the zombies out by the knees.

“Okay, they are still alive but immobile. They won’t attack the gate. Lets move.” Dante ordered and began running. Winter and Bella, though faster stayed behind him, keeping an eye on anything following them. They reached the grave they had entered and followed Dante up.

Bella had never tasted air so sweet.

“What the hell happened to your shoulder Bella?” Chris asked. Francis was already looking at her wound with a flashlight.

“Vampire bit through my collarbone. The bone is healed, the gate is protected. We need to leave.”

“Winter, your face…”

“Nose bleed Chris. It will be fine, we need to move. Where to next?”

“We need to contact Connolly and find out the status of the other gates. I could check in the spirit world…”

“No time, Thanks for the help Dante. I’m glad you shot the Baron first.” Bella commented.

“You shot the Baron?!”

“Yes I did Chris. I heard him tell Bella and Winter that the zombies would keep coming if the ones still standing were destroyed. He didn’t’ seem upset about it so I shot him in the back of his skull before he noticed me.”

“Had you not, he very well could have kept your soul down there Dante. I appreciate the help but you can’t take risks like that.” Winter pointed out.

“My soul belongs with my ancestors and that is where I will travel when my time on this plane is done. No walking skeleton will change that.”

“Thanks Dante. Thanks for your help too Emmett.” Bella said coldly.

“I asked him to stay Bella. Should Aro arrive while you were below I doubted Chris and I would have much of a chance to stop them. Emmett could have helped us thin out the army.”

“Are you ever going to trust me Bella?”

“No Emmett, I won’t. It doesn’t matter now. Aro wasn’t there. How is he controlling these newborns Chris?”

“I think once Chelsea bonds them to Aro’s will he is able to send them anywhere. He has had a couple weeks to prepare these newborns in different locations. He may also know how to use portals, or wormholes. Yoso could have easily taught him that trick. We need to protect those gates and get to Volterra. I have a feeling we are running out of time. The closer Yoso is to the portal when it fades the easier it will be to force him back in and close the portal.”

“Then contact Jason and find out where we need to go. Dante, get the Aurora please. We need to move.” Bella ordered. Her shoulder hurt but was mending. Her body ached from the blows she received. Still she had a sinking feeling these would not be the worst injuries she had before this mission was complete.

Actun Tunichal Muknal Cave, Belize

“This place is fucking creepy.” Ty whispered. “They sacrificed people here, the Mayans? Kids man.”

“I know. I red about this place when it was discovered in 1989.” Jasper told him, thinking that vampires are not the only ones who have committed foul deeds in the history of humanity.

The team had traversed a kilometer hike, swam half s kilometer and was now wading through the dark caverns filled with waist deep water. They had made it halfway when Leah began to moan.

“What’s wrong Leah?” Jake asked.

“I’m sore. I hurt all over. It’s Winter.”

Leah’s nose was bleeding.

“Can you continue?”

“Yes. She is alive. I can feel it.”

Garrett moved ahead, strengthened by the darkness. Once back on solid ground the wolves undressed and phased. Japer and Ty stepped up next to Garrett while Hawk and Brody covered the rear.

“It’s too damn tiny in here.” Hawk complained.

“Maybe you are too damn big. Try some cardio with those power lifts you love so much.”

“Fuck you Gavin. Where the fuck are we going?”

“Quiet! I hear someone coming.” Jasper whispered.

The wolves phased back to human form and began vomiting. Jasper felt fear and could see the others did as well. He fought back against it, sending his fear back towards the source. Ty, and Brody moaned in pain and dropped to their knees. Hawk clenched his teeth, his head exploding in pain but refusing to go down.

“Impressive Empath. I have never met a creature who could deflect the fear I have caused. Of course your companions don’t seem to be faring as well.”

Jasper’s vision focused in the darkness and saw nothing.

Until twelve men appeared before the group.

“Who are you?”

A tall man with silver hair and grey eyes, cloaked in a red robe, stepped forward. The features of the others were difficult to see as they all wore hoods.

“The Lords of Xibalba. We are protectors of this gate. We have been expecting you. I am quite surprised that Aro sent humans and wolves along with vampires. What hold does he have over these humans and wolves?”

“None. We have come to defend the gate. Aro is sending a newborn army against you. We are friends.”

The wolves and the humans stopped moaning and came to their feet. The wolves phased immediately and growled.

“I am not surprised. He must be planning to send many. He never made it as far as your group has the last time. I would be surprised if he attempted it himself this time. We thought he may bring someone like you vampire, a gifted one who could block our gifts.”

“He tried.” Garrett responded thinking of Bella.

“We need no help.”

“I understand this but our mission is to protect this gate. We will be here until Aro’s army is dead.”

“You will go nowhere without our permission, human. You are all warriors, but this is not your responsibility. The way to the gate is treacherous.”

“Been in places like that before. You gonna let us help?”

“Let them come brother. We have no way of knowing how many Aro sends. He will not take us lightly.”

The silver haired man nodded.

“Follow us.”

“Fucking great.” Brody whispered.

The party continued on past the skeletons, with crushed skulls and bones lying about. Unlike other historical sites this cave was not protected and the bones were not protected from the public. Soon they realized that they were no longer in an area ever seen by the public. Torches lit a rocky path on either side of the walk. A river of red liquid that everyone recognized by sight and smell was blood surrounded the walkway.

“ We are a long way from La Push guys.” Quil thought. The other wolves did not want to think about it. Leah was focused on the ache she felt from Winter, injury or distance she didn’t know, while Jake wondered if Bell was alright and Embry simply wished vampires would appear so he could have something to take his mind off the hell surrounding him. He had never imagined there could be a place that reeked of death like this place was. He prayed to Taha Aki that he would taste fresh air again.

“We are here. The entrance to the afterlife.”

Ty looked at the crystal skull ten feet high seeming to emerge from the surrounding stone wall.

“It has never been broken and never…”

The twelve looked back at the path that they had just traversed.

Ty, Brody and Hawk turned, rifles in front, except for Hawk who had the large minigun in his hands.

“They are here.”

A large contingent of vampires began walking out of the entrance.

They kept coming.

“How is Aro controlling this many vampires? There ain’t no way he could just give them orders and leave. There must be fifty and they are still coming.” Ty murmured.

“Chelsea must be here.” Garrett said, unable to catch her scent in the multitude of vampires. Over fifty had walked out and more were still coming. The vampires stepped off the walkway into the pools of blood on either side. A few were licking their fingers after dipping them in the blood.

Chelsea walked into the middle and smiled.

“I’ve been quite the busy girl. You would be amazed how many vampires Aro and I have turned in the past few weeks. The Volturi always has a reserve. Did you not think of that God of War?”

“Doesn’t matter. You won’t get this gate.” Jasper told her.

“I have a gift for a Ty Gavin. You would be the optimistic black man aiming a rifle at me correct?”

“Yeah, what you got bitch? We need to get this shit started already.”

“I was under the impression humans only fought vampires in daylight or artificial daylight as the case may be. Do you really plan to fight with these inhuman demons behind you?”

“I really do. I’ll take these weird ass bitches behind me over your kind. Least these demons hide in the dark and don’t try to walk the earth getting Aro to suck their cock while they doin it. What do you think you gonna be if that monster gets out?”

“I’ve been devoted to Yoso long before Aro. It was at his command I bonded so many undead to Aro. I will be his queen. Speaking of I think you know a man named King?”

Ty froze, watching the object thrown softly by Chelsea, land at his feet.

The blonde hair soaked in blood was recognizable but Ty turned the head over regardless.

The face of Ian King stared up at him.

“Sibyl tried to warn him. She was not strong enough to defeat us. They weren’t either. That gate is destroyed. This one is next.”

Ty said nothing, feeling his blood boil. Rather than talk Ty shut up and aimed. His first shot missed, as Chelsea dodged with forewarning, at full strenght miles beneath the earth. The shot was all that was needed to start the attack.

Hawk unleashed his minigun, Ty and Brody firing, Brody putting aside his grief at seeing the head of his oldest and closest comrade. The wolves charged.

Jasper and Garrett attacked Chelsea.

Vampires fell in pain, weakness, confusion. Jasper forced feelings of fear at Chelsea backed by the demons behind him. Severely outnumbered, it did not matter. The wovles were mowing down everything they came in contact with. Hawk ceased randomly firing into the crowd and pulled his fire arm, hitting targets with accuracy and avoiding the wolves.

Quil was caught from behind only to be saved by Embry.

The vampires simply were not quick enough to stop Jacob and Leah who rushed into the pools, covering their fur in blood, making them appear as hell hounds.

Jasper was the one who got to Chelsea first as she tried to escape. He grabbed her from behind and turned her towards the fray. Garrett prepared to rip her head off before Jasper shook his head. Garrett stepped aside and saw the furious face of Ty Gavin as he fired his weapon. Jasper’s face was covered with the remains of Chelsea’s head.

Without their leader the vampires panicked. They tried to run.

The gate was left closed. Vampire bodies littered the floor, at least 70, while only ten escaped.

Brody grabbed a torch and dropped it on Chelsea’s body.

“The hold will be gone but Aro may still have some at his command. You must go to Italy. If any return we will hold this gate.” one of the guardians told them.

“Thank you. Ty, what’s your call?” Jasper asked him.

Ty placed his hand on Jasper’s shoulder and squeezed, grateful he was given the opportunity to kill the bitch.

“We head to Volterra. Gates have been opened, we need to find those bodies. Once the spirits enter them I doubt they will be hard to miss. This Japanese demon is gonna want his boys close by. Let’s get the fuck out of here. Hawk can you take…”

“I got him.” Hawk said quietly, wrapping Ian King’s head in a pack and walking out.

Lacus Curtious, Rome, Italy

Dante hovered the craft fifty feet above the site. In the darkness it was impossible to see should any trespassers wander the ground. Of course should any trespassers enter they would most likely see a sight they would never forget.

“Two gates are down, three are secure. Mina, and the Whitlocks are in Turkey. We have this one. Two gates is more than enough to allow enough souls to escape and enter thousands of bodies.” Chris told the group, not happy with the turn of events.

“So we have two gates we cannot lose.” Winter whispered in deep thought. Bella, lay still on the floor of the ship, hoping her shoulder would mend itself. The bone had healed and the skin had almost reattached. She could barely see the teeth marks, although the sight of vampire fang marks on her, had shaken her to the core.

Knowing there was no more time, she stood and wrapped her shoulder across her chest with gauze hoping to speed up the process. Fighting left handed was not something she enjoyed but Jason had insisted she learn to use both.

“I’m going down.” Emmett told the two.

“Fine. Chris, Father, please stay?” Bella begged.

“We will, unless it looks desperate.” Chris told her.

“If it is that desperate…” Winter began, wanting to tell Dante to drop a hellfire missle.

“If it is desperate you two run.” Father Francis told them.

“I’ll be damned if I run from any…”

“Bella you and Winter have to fight Yoso. Thousands of souls have already escaped. Once he is out the souls will inhabit bodies as he orders. There are probably already more than enough to enter the bodies the Volturi have stored. If this is the case the only way to stop those souls and force them back through the gates is to defeat Yoso. You have to meet him when he leaves. One gate or two won’t make a difference.”

“Every gate makes a difference Chris!” Winter yelled.

“King is dead! His whole team is dead! Clive’s team was nearly wiped out and what remains is going to Turkey to fight with Mina and the Whitlocks who will most likely be outnumbered. They are giving their lives so you two can do your jobs and you will do it. Get down there, find out if the gate has already been broken, warn the fucking guardian and get back out this time. We are running out of time and there is no room in the schedule for you two to be getting onto fist fights with zombies!”

Bella and Winter were both quiet, slapped in the face by the reality of the deaths of family members and the simple fact that Chris yelled. Chris never yelled. He was panicking.

Chris never panicked.

“Let’s go Winter.”

Bella, Winter and Emmett jumped to the ground and landed in front of a slab of stones on the ground. Both knew that the stones were a gate. Unlike the others the gate was open to the surface, hidden in plain sight.

“Can I help you?”

The two turned and saw a man in full ancient Roman garb mounted on a beautiful white horse.

“I’m glad you speak English.” Bella said with a smile. Emmett hissed.

“Please tell me Aro did not send one vampire and two human girls to break the gate? No you two are not human. Not now. You are the twins. Or should I say triplets? Your sister stays beside you and she is powerful.”

“The vampire is with us. We have come to warn you of Aro. He is sending an army here to break this gate. You are Marcus Curtious?”

“I am, Winter. You are Bella correct? Relax, no matter the vampire numbers I will not be defeated. I never have been. You have my word as a Roman.”

“We don’t have much time. Do you want us to stay?”

“You are not meant to be here. The guardians guard the gates. You know where you are supposed to be.”

“Volterra.”

“Yes.”

The sounds of growls filled the air.

The four figures turned and saw 18 vampires by Winter’s count.

Bella turned back to Marcus only to see his horses eyes were glowing read and was now black. Marcus had a broad sword in his hand and a smile on his face.

“The fool did not send enough.”

“Go Bella, Winter. I got this.”

“Emmett?”

“Go! I will watch the gate while he attacks. I won’t let it fall. I will be in Volterra as soon as I can.”

A rope ladder dropped to the ground. Bella and Winter climbed, Bella giving one last look at Emmett who winked at her.

“I’ll be there. I got a demonic gladiator on a horse. What else do I need?”

“Thank you.” Bella whispered.

“Go kick that Japanese demon’s ass Bella. I’m just starting to like my existence. Make sure I have one to enjoy when this is over.”

Denizli Turkey, The Gates of Pluto

Mina, along with Peter and Charlotte Whitlock were shocked by the sight that greeted them as the Aurora dropped from the sky. Clive and his five remaining men, covered in blood and most limping exited the craft, weapons in hand.

“How many do you have Mina?”

“I was able to find 30 agents who had combat experience. They are wearing gas masks inside checking the air. It doesn’t look good though.”

“What doesn’t look good?”

“Me and Char smelt vampire when we arrived. A lot of vampires. We are about to go down but I have a feeling if the Guardian didn’t step up, it may be too late. I guess you guys have heard about King?”

“Yes, Connolly briefed us. Let’s move.”

“Stay out here Clive. You and your men cover the entrance so no one comes up behind us. We got this.” Mina told him. Clive wanted to argue but saw the wisdom in her words. His men would only slow then down.

Mina donned her gas mask and met her team who were also wearing masks, the air poisonous all around.

“It shouldn’t be poisonous at this point.” Peter whispered. “We are too late. Walls have been broken.”

Still they continued ahead, Mina running behind but not able to keep up with the two vampires. When she did catch up she saw vampire body parts and black venom everywhere.

A torso of a vampire was thrown against the side of the wall near a black rock formation that appeard to have been blown to pieces.

“Apparently humans have come quite a ways since the last time I stepped out. Aro had the most remarkable device. A spear that exploded. I was unable to protect my gate.”

“How long has he been gone?”

“An hour. You just missed him.”

The fucker had an RPG. Apparently Aro was taking a page out of the human’s playbook.

Three gates down.

“What do we do Peter? Help him back together?”

Peter did not answer Charlotte right away.

“We don’t have time. Everyone needs to be in Volterra. The demon is coming out soon. We need to get there now.”

“Why? It’s Bella and Winter’s fight now.” Mina whispered sadly, thinking of her one time lover and her protégé.

“Bella and Winter have to fight Yoso. We have to keep his army busy or they will be screwed. The ancient twins barely defeated Yoso and Aro wasn’t able to open any gates. That won’t be the case this time. We need to move now.”

Volturi Castle.

Winter and Bella walked through the corridors of the castle that still wreaked of thousand of years of death. Bella had not been back since her near deathnexperience when she had arrived to save Edward from his suicide attempt. An attempt she desperately wished she could go back in time and allow. Still she had an idea that fate would have brought her here one way or another.

As frightened as she was, Bella knew this was where she was meant to be.

“Bella can you hear me?” Connolly’s voice sparked over the com.

“Hey darlin.”

“Zombies huh? I was kidding you know. How is your shoulder?” Jason asked through the com.

“Healed.”

“Winter?”

“She is ready.”

“Everyone left is assembling in the castle now. Where are you two?”

“Winter is searching. We are following Summer. She thinks she knows where the portal is. We will be waiting.”

“You know three gates are down? Emmett and the Roman guy tore into the newborns but Aro wasn’t with them. We think he may be with the bodies waiting on them to rise.”

“I know. Just keep them off of us as long as possible.”

“Leah wants to see Winter before you two go down.”

Winter heard and shook her head. She couldn’t focus on what she had to lose. Neither of them could.

“Tell Leah we will see her when this is over.”

“Will we Bella?”

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easy. I plan to hold you to that marriage and kids thing. It’s starting to sound more appealing.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that. I’m getting a perimeter set up. You will have the time you need. Just get it done and get back to me.”

“I love you. Loving you has made this life worth living.” Bella told him.

“I love you. Just come back to me.”

“Tell Leah Winter loves her. We will survive.” Bella said, not truly believing it. Winter cast a glance her way that reflected her feelings.

“Look we are heading deeper in the castle. I’m about to lose you. I will see you soon.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Be a leader, give me the time I need. I really don’t want to fight zombies again.”

Bella turned off her com.

“Think we can keep that promise?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter does it? Only one thing matters now.”

“We are close.” Winter whispered after ten minutes of walking down very dark corridors.

“Where?”

“Here.”

Bella stared at a blank, wall. No indication of any doorway.

“I don’t get it.”

“Watch.”

Winter could feel Summer examining the wall. She felt a push from her mind and a brick in the upper right hand corner slid into the wall.

A ten foot section of the wall dropped.

Walking in, Bella used her flashlight and saw nothing but darkness.

Then a bright light emerged from the floor.

“The portal.”

Inside the blue lit area, the two women saw it.

He was at least ten foot tall, skin midnight black, body lean and muscular. His face was twisted, the nose of a pig, horns of a bull protruding and eyes that were little more than black slits. His teeth were rows of fangs, not just the standard four that vampires liked to sport.

In one hand he held a club with spikes on the end. In the other a very large broad sword. Bella had a sinking feeling he could use both at the same time with little problem.

“So he doesn’t look so tough.” Winter whispered.

“How soon do you think he will be able to leave the portal?” Winter asked.

“Beat’s me. I guess we just wait.”

Bella turned back to the wall and saw a torch. She used her lighter to light it up and was surprised to see the fire spread into a ring around the suddenly very large room. The portal was glowing less than it had been.

“Well at least we won’t have to rely on flashlights.” Winter quipped.

“I guess we wait now.”

Yoso stepped out of the blue light.

“Looks like the wait is over.” Winter said.

Bella and Winter lifted their katanas and prepared to battle for the fate of humanity.

Ten miles away, Aro stood in the refrigerated cavern half a mile under the city. He had bought this land and the warehouse on top of it 30 years ago. While not all victims, the ones that were solid, not weak or infirm were sent here. His guard did not ask questions. The bodies were stacked on top of each other, thousands of them. Even Aro had lost count.

The bodies started to twitch. Moans, movement, limbs becoming animated, frost breaking off and he crack of bones as demons transformed the flesh. Lost souls simpy rushed to the bodies, eager for a chance to walk the earth again. The Oni who followed Yoso were able to reform there bodies to an extent. The more killed the more sould would enter the world.

Yoso was free. The souls were looking for dead and living hosts.

Aro’s time had come.

Aro smiled and prepared to lead his army back to the castle. It was time to claim what was his.