Twilight Soldier, 2/37
Title: Twilight Soldier
Rating: T
Summary: Dark Angel/ Twilight Crossover. X5 Bella/Edward. No Pulse. After escaping the harsh treatment at the hands of a secret government organisation known as Manticore, X5-472 has tried to settle into life as an Ordinary with varying degrees of success. Going by the name Bella, which was given to her by the CO of her unit, Zack, she comes across the Swan family and is soon adopted by them.
Years later, after an Eyes Only broadcast revealing the possibility of her location being compromised, she decides to go to a small town called Forks. There, she meets Edward Cullen. They both have their seeming impossible secrets, but that doesn’t stop them from being drawn to each other. However, when Bella’s past finally begins to catch up with her after ten years on the run, she finds that her life just got even more complicated.
Masterpost
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Chapter 2: First Day
Bella woke up at dawn, like she had been trained to do. At Manticore they had an early inspection at dawn. Even after ten years she couldn’t shake out of that ingrained habit. However, now she used the extra time to get some reading done.
About a year or so after her adoption, when she was settled into school, she tumbled across the library. After scouring the shelves, she had picked up the first book that she could get her hands on - Romeo and Juliet. She was soon immersed in the book, transfixed. She read it again and again. On that day, she had discovered a whole new written world. She particularly liked the classics - Shakespeare and Jane Austen. She loved being swept away into the world that the books created.
Bella came down the stairs when Charlie woke up and had a shower. She started on a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs, so that when her adoptive father finally made an appearance downstairs, she had the breakfast ready on the table.
“Bells, you didn’t have to,” Charlie said, surprised. He was hesitant too and that was when Bella remembered Renee’s disastrous cooking attempts. She laughed inwardly as she thought of them.
“Good morning,” Bella greeted. “And I did. Don’t worry I believe I’m a much better cook then Renee. Somebody had to be a decent cook in the house,” she joked.
Charlie laughed in agreement as he sat down in front of his plate. “You don’t have to do this every day, though, Bells. Most of the time I go to work early.”
“Why not today?” Bella asked, although she thought she already knew the answer.
“I wanted to make sure you’re all settled in. Are you going to school tomorrow? I can call the school, if you want to take today off.”
“That’s alright. I think I can handle it.” The sooner she started school, the sooner the gossip of the new girl would settle down. At least, that is what she hoped.
Forks High School had only three hundred and fifty-seven - now fifty-eight - students. It would be a smaller school then her previous one, having more then seven hundred in her junior class alone. She would be the talk of the school, she knew, especially in a small town like this, where everyone knew everyone and grew up with them. But she hoped that would pass quickly. She hated attention, especially with her training emphasising on remaining inconspicuous. In these circumstances, though, it couldn’t be helped.
Bella said goodbye to Charlie and drove her new truck to school. She found that it was alright to drive, it was slow but steady. It definitely needed a little tune-up.
Bella’s nose twitched as she took in new smells in the cab. There was a quite strong and distinctive smell of what she presumed was Billy’s scent, mixed in with tobacco, gasoline and peppermint. The radio was alright, but may have to get replaced eventually.
It was easy to find Forks High; it was just off the side of the main road. It had a single sign that revealed it was a school, although it didn’t look like it. Instead, it looked like a collection of matching maroon-bricked houses.
Bella parked in the student parking lot. There were mostly older cars parked, like hers. She was glad that it wouldn’t stand out. There was one car that did though - a shiny silver Volvo. Cutting the engine, she grabbed her backpack on the passenger’s seat and climbed out of the truck. Surveying her surrounding she was pleased to note that the school backed onto a forest - there were tall trees littering the edge of the school’s perimeter.
She ignored the curious glances and the whispering as she made her way to the Front Office. Opening the door revealed a brightly lit and warm office. She winced a little at the clock ticking loudly on the walls covered with notices and awards. There were three desks behind the counter, which she walked up to. The sides of the room in front of the counter were lined with foldable and uncomfortable looking chairs. In between the chairs were plants that overflowed in their large plastic pots. The room had orange-flecked commercial carpet, which contrasted the plants a little, not that she was an expert on that topic.
One of the three desks was manned, the large red-haired women looking up as Bella stood behind the counter. She wore a purple t-shirt and had black glasses on. Her casual dress made Bella feel overdressed herself. She had donned on a thick jacket, allowing the collar to hide her barcode, and black slacks.
“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked politely.
“I’m Isabella Swan. Charlie, my dad, said that he enrolled me earlier,” Bella informed her. The receptionist’s eyes immediately lit up in recognition. Bella was, just as she suspected to be, the talk of the town - the Police Chief’s adoptive daughter coming to live with him and who no one has ever seen before.
Great, she thought sarcastically. Though, it was to be expected. Still, she could do without all the attention. Her goal was to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Maybe after a week or so, she mused silently.
“Of course. I’m Mrs. Cope. I have your documents here,” she said as she rifled through some documents on the cluttered desk until she found the ones she was looking for. She placed them in front of Bella. “Here’s your schedule, a map of the school and a slip that you will have to get all your teachers to sign today. Bring it back at the end of the day.”
“Okay,” Bella said, as she took the papers and turned to go back outside. She quickly glanced at her schedule and the map of the school. Her photographic memory came in handy sometimes. She wouldn’t be stuck today, nor would she have to rely of anybody to guide her around. She placed the paper into her backpack and headed to her first class, just as the bell rang.
As the masses of students made the way to their classes like a stampede, Bella had hoped to just slip into class unnoticed, but it wasn’t meant to be. A gangly boy with skin problems and black hair intercepted her. She sighed inwardly in frustration.
“You’re Isabella Swan. The new girl … Hi!” he exclaimed. “I’m Eric, the eyes and ears of this place. Uh… Anything you need? Tour guide, lunch date… shoulder to cry on…” he trailed off, obviously expecting an answer.
This time Bella’s sigh was audible. Eric looked confused.
“Look,” she started to say before he interrupted.
“I’m on the paper and you’re news baby, front page.”
“No, I’m not. Really. Look I appreciated your friendliness to approach the new student, but it was unwanted and unneeded. I just want to be left alone,” she said dismissively.
He looked a little hurt, which was understandable, but Bella needed to be upfront about it, otherwise he was the type to never leave her alone. The overly helpful, geeky, chess club type, she categorised.
“Now.” She nearly said please, but felt that it would just undermine what she was trying to achieve.
The first half of the day followed much the same. Bella successfully dodged several friendly attempts to strike up conversation. When the bell finally rang for lunch, Bella was the first out of the classroom. However, instead of heading to the cafeteria for lunch, she started to walked around the school, giving herself a self-tour of it.
There were many possible entry points, as well as escape points. Bella was confident that she would be able to escape safely if Manticore’s TAC soldiers were to storm the building. The forest on the perimeter of the school would become her greatest advantage here, just like with her home.
When the bell rang and the students began to make their way to their classes again, Bella slipped into the Biology classroom just as the teacher entered.
“I’m the new student, Bella Swan,” she introduced herself to the teacher. “Could you please sign my slip? Thank-you.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, doing as she requested. “Welcome to Biology. We have a free seat in the back.”
People began entering the class room now, settling into their seats. When they saw her in the classroom, talk began to be about her. It was then she realised the flaw in her plan, noting all the stares and whispers about her and her standoffish behaviour. While it worked to deter anyone from becoming friendly with her, it has drawn her more attention then she wished to have. But, she couldn’t risk anyone to be harmed. She couldn’t put any of them in danger, she rationalised to herself.
She looked down at her table, as she began to get a notepad out ready. She wouldn’t need it - she was beyond the high school biology level. Just before the next bell rang, to signal the start of class, somebody moved the chair next to her, it scraped irritatingly across the floor. Bella looked up to see who her biology partner would be.
She only just managed not to gasp out loud.
Sitting in the seat next to her was an impossibly, inhumanely beautiful boy. He had reddish brown hair and black eyes, with dark, purplish bruise like shadows under them. His features were all perfect.
Too perfect, if anything. This conclusion immediately put her on alert.
Manticore had genetically engineered its X5 soldiers to be beautiful. And her partner seemed to be inhumanely beautiful. Was there a connection?
Bella shook her head slightly. How could there be? She had only just moved here, and it seemed like the boy had been in here for awhile.
However, she still resolved to find out more.
He turned in his seat to look at her. Bella looked back unintimidated. He had a confused, frustrated expression on his face, almost to the point of agitation.
“Hello,” he said, his voice was quiet, musical. It was something she had never heard from an Ordinary before. Her suspicion rose. “I’m Edward Cullen. You’re Bella.”
“Yes, I’m Bella,” she all but dismissed him. She turned and stared back at the front. They were just taking notes today. Bella didn’t bother. She already knew everything that the teacher was talking about.
Edward got the hint, and turned to face the front too. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that he, too, was not taking any notes from today’s lecture.
Bella breathed deeply, utterly bored. She really should have brought something to do. However, as soon as she breathed in, a sweet, attractive smell filtered through her noise. She let out a shaky breath.
What was that? She breathed in deeply once more, noticing almost immediately that it was coming from Edward.
What was about him that made him so different from any other Ordinary that she has encountered?
The unanswered question irked her.
As the lesson drew on, she began to tap her pen, rhythmically. When she felt it was safe, she glanced quickly at Edward. She noticed that he had the same annoyed expression on his face that she knew she had on hers. It was then that she caught him glancing at her, the same way she was glancing at him.
Why was he so frustrated at her, though?
It only piqued her curiosity.
Some time later, and not a moment to soon in her opinion, the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Immediately Edward had gathered his books and was out the door, Bella following closely behind. He walked too fast and fluidly for a human and he was taller then she had thought. He must be at least six foot three, maybe even four.
She managed to get to her next class without any hassles. Unfortunately, it was gym. This meant she had to really downplay her abilities, which required more effort on her part.
Luckily, Coach Clapp, the gym teacher, didn’t make her participate in the volleyball games that were going on today, he still had to find her a uniform. She sat on the sidelines, watching the four games playing simultaneously.
Towards the middle of the lesson some of the girls started a conversation about Edward. It was the same group that had approached Bella earlier, in an attempt to make friends. She tuned into their conversation.
“Did you see Edward talking to Bella?” the girl, whose name Bella thought was Lauren, asked jealously.
“I know, right? I don’t know why she is wasting her time trying to flirt with him! He didn’t even give her the time of day. I think he was annoyed with her too!” the brown haired girl, Jessica, replied.
Bella could judge from their tones that they didn’t like her one bit and were jealous of the attention she had gotten from Edward, no matter how brief it was. Bella was thankful that she hadn’t taken the time of day to become friends with them. She could tell by the way they acted that they were very superficial and hardly worth the time to be friends.
Soon enough, they didn’t give her anymore to go on with Edward and Bella tuned back out of their meaningless conversation.
After gym, Bella headed straight for the front office. She walked in behind a girl who placed a note in the wire basket before going back out. She walked up to the front desk, placing her now signed slip on the counter.
“How was your first day, dear?” the receptionist asked maternally.
“Good, thank-you,” Bella replied, sliding the slip across to the receptionist’s side of the counter.
When Bella left the receptionist and walked back to the parking lot, about half of the students had already left.
Bella’s eyes automatically scanned the parking lot and they eventually came to rest on the Volvo. Edward was leaning against the driver’s door. It figured that he was the owner, Bella thought. With him were four other people, two boys and two girls. They were all similar, yet also different at the same time. Each of them was very pale - more so then she thought was actually possible for Ordinaries. One of the boys was very muscular, with dark, curly hair. The other was had honey blond hair and was taller and leaner then the first. Of the girls, one was statuesque and extremely beautiful, out of all of them. She had long, wavy golden hair. The other was shorter and pixie like, if anything. She was thin with small features. Her deep black hair, cropped short was pointing in every direction.
When Bella started to walk across the parking lot to her truck, all five of them turned their heads in her direction. Bella kept her face straight, not revealing anything. Edward said something, his lips barely moving at all and the others turned back to him. She couldn’t make out what they were saying; it was too soft, even for her.
As Bella got in the cab and started the car, she saw, through the use of her rear-vision mirror, that they were all still looking at her. She pulled out of the student parking lot, intent on going home. She couldn’t help but wonder, because of their behaviour in the parking lot, if Edward had noticed anything about her, as she did him.
It certainly seemed so, in any case.
Things just got a little more interesting.
Next Chapter >>
Chapter 3: Edward Cullen