Twilight Soldier (6/37)
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 6: Avoidance
It took Bella two days to recover from the heat and just to be sure, she also took an extra day off. She was still a mortified that she acted the way she did when she was with Edward, especially since she behaved that way in front of his father as well.
However, she now also had a major problem - Edward, Carlisle and probably their entire family know that something is different about her. And they knew that she, at the very least, suspected that there is something different about them, too.
After much deliberation - which she had plenty of time to do - she decided she would just avoid him at school. It was getting a little too close for comfort. She wasn’t in control of the situation - there were too many variables. It meant that a great deal of mistakes could be made which may lead to Manticore finding her trail.
She had to regain control.
Charlie saw her off for school, asking her if she was alright. She had replied with the affirmative, and that was the end of their morning conversation.
She arrived early to school. There were only a few cars in the parking lot. She climbed up a large tree by the perimeter of the grounds, waiting for school to start. It had a good vantage point and oversaw the parking lot and all the students arriving.
It gave her ample time to think.
Her thoughts lately had been consumed by Edward. She couldn’t quite figure out what exactly he was. He wasn’t from Manticore, as he lacked the subsequent barcode on the back of his neck. And Bella doubted that the rest of his family had them, either.
If he wasn’t from Manticore then perhaps he was from a rival organisation, she thought. It would have to be from another country. She doubted, especially with the money involved, that the U.S. government would authorise two operations alongside each other, but that still doesn’t explain why they would be at a school. Why would they be sent on an undercover mission in a small town like Forks? It couldn’t be for her and there would be no reason why they would suspect her being from Manticore. Maybe now, she would admit, however they arrived a while before she did, which didn’t make sense for that particular line of theory.
Then there was that unexplainable connection that her and Edward seemed to share. Well, Bella hoped Edward was able to feel it as well. She didn’t want to be crazy. It was like a hot electrical pulse would shoot through her arm and her entire body. It made her feel warm… safe… and dare she say it, even content. Why did he draw out all these emotions? Bella hadn’t felt this way since… well, ever. Manticore made sure of that.
Regardless, she was no closer to figuring out the Cullens.
As the time went on, drawing closer to the start of another school day, more students arrived. They went about their day as they always did, content with the familiarity of their routine. They talked with their same circles of friends; they went to their same classes, and same well, nearly everything. They were ignorant of the true trials and secrets of the world, and as such they were also carefree and unburdened. Ignorance truly is bliss. Bella certainly never had the opportunity to live a carefree, unburdened life. And because of that, in some way she envied their life.
Well, at least to some extent, she admitted. When she thought more deeply about it, she doubted she would trade burden for ignorance. It could get her killed, without ever knowing what attacked her. There were both pros and cons of being human, just like there were pros and cons of being a transgenic. Bella just had to live life to the best of her abilities with whatever it dished out at her.
At the conclusion of her epiphany, the first bell rang. Great timing. Bella jumped down from the tree branch she had perched herself on and joined the massing crowd of students, keeping her head down and trying to fit it in. It worked. She had resolved to ignore and avoid Edward. It would be best that their secrets didn’t mesh. For both their sakes. One major secret seemed bad enough.
The avoiding worked pretty well - for the first half of the day. Mostly because they didn’t have any classes together and were most likely on opposite ends of the school (she hoped, anyway).
Then lunch time came.
Bella got into the line at the cafeteria, intent on buying her food. She forced herself not to even look in the general direction of the Cullen table, as she began calling it. She managed to get her own table again and set herself down so that her back was to the Cullens’, even though her instincts told her not to position herself with her back to a potential enemy. She steadily ignored that instinct. She could practically feel Edward’s eyes bearing down on her back as soon as she sat down.
She’d finished her lunch when a loud chuckle sounded from the direction of the Cullen’s. Automatically, she moved in her seat in order to see what all the commotion was. Her eyes locked with Edward’s. She had just caught him staring at her. How long had he been looking at her?
The whole time, probably, she mused. She didn’t know how she felt at that.
She quickly glanced over at the rest of the teenagers at Edward’s table before turning back. She deduced that the muscular guy was the source of the laughter. And by the smirks and smiles on the others’ faces, they found the situation, whatever it was, amusing as well. Bella had missed finding out why, because she was so focused on trying not to turn her head back to look at Edward.
The bell rang for biology, and Bella swiftly rose from her seat and put her rubbish in the bin and her tray on the designated pile. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Edward’s lips barely moving. He was talking to Alice, who wasn’t saying anything at all. Bella strained her hearing but try as she might, she couldn’t her anything. She was too far away.
Biology passed very slowly. They were taking notes, so Bella was able to use that as an excuse not to talk to him. She could feel his eyes on her. One time she felt his eyes move off her, she looked up. He had an intrigued expression on his face. Bella looked back at her book quickly, noting that as soon as she did so she could feel his eyes once again on her. It was getting a little annoying, but Bella didn’t say anything. When biology had finished, Bella was the first one out of the classroom this time.
Hopefully, Edward would get the message to leave her alone.
Leave her alone, she repeated softly to herself. She had been alone for ten years. The isolation was wearing her down. She was tired of it. Renee and Charlie had been great, sure, but she couldn’t talk to them. Deep down, Bella knew she might be able to talk to Edward, who seemed to hold secrets that were perhaps similar to hers. She craved that kind of companionship and maybe that was why trying to separate herself from him was proving difficult.
After school, she passed Edward and his Volvo in the parking lot. She was proud that she was able to withstand the almost overpowering urge to glance at him.
Instead of heading home, however, she turned in the direction of the public library. Perhaps Forks had some reading material that she hadn’t already read. If not, she could re-read her favourites. She signed up for the library with the librarian and received her library card. Browsing though the book shelves, she realised that perhaps she should have gone to Port Angeles instead, who would have a larger library. A bigger town would perhaps have more variety, as they would have better business. She made a mental note to go next week.
When the week was over, Bella breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had managed get through the week without so much as speaking to Edward Cullen. He seemed to take her hint and backed right off her as well. He didn’t as much as look in her direction.
“Charlie, I’ll be heading to Port Angeles tomorrow. I’m going to go to the library,” Bella mentioned when he got home Friday night.
“Okay,” Charlie nodded, turning his attention back to a sports game. “I’ll be at Rez tomorrow. Harry and I are going fishing. I’ll be heading out early.”
“I probably won’t see you until tomorrow night then,” Bella acknowledged.
When Saturday came, Bella headed out as soon as Charlie left. It took awhile in her truck, but Bella welcomed the opportunity to reflect.
Her thoughts, as they always seemed to do lately, turned once more to Edward. She was still unable to work out what he was. As Bella all but crossed out Manticore and other similar organisations, she was left hardly anything to go on. Lately, she had been thinking that he must be some sort of naturally evolved human, rather then a genetic experiment like her. It was bound to happen, she figured, though she knew it happened in centuries or thousands of years rather then the span of a few generations or however long with Edward.
At the Port Angeles’ library, she once again signed up with the librarian and searched the shelves once more. It had more books then the library at Forks. She reached the science fiction section and for some reason she stopped to look at the books on the shelve shelf.
She picked up a book at random. Reading the blurb, she snorted at the similarities between their lives. They were both science experiments, the only difference being, she, thankfully, didn’t have anything to set her apart from the Ordinaries. She replaced the book, continuing her search. With her right index finger she swept it across the spine of the books, searching for… something. She stopped when she came to Interview with a Vampire. She picked it up, intrigued. It wasn’t one she had read before, despite its popularity.
She didn’t know why this type of book appealed to her, but she would borrow it nonetheless. It would make for some reading material after all. That was what she came here for.
She continued searching along the various shelves, coming across the non-fiction section of the library. She had reached the science section. Her eyes swept over the books. None of them would be able to explain to her how she was made, how it was possible to successfully blend animal and human DNA. Nonetheless, it was still a topic that may prove useful in the future. She picked up a few books on different topics concerning biology. They probably wouldn’t tell her anything new, but it was still worth a read.
When she left the public library, new books in hand, she looked up as she closed the door behind her. There, on the opposite side of the road, was Edward and Alice Cullen. What were they doing in Port Angeles, on the same street, at the same time as her? A coincidence? Somehow, she didn’t think so. Were they following her? She scowled at the thought. Looking over her shoulder for Manticore was one thing, looking over her shoulder for them was another thing entirely. She was leaving them alone, mostly. They should extend the same curtsy to her! One would think that as etiquette.
Bella stormed back to her car, placing the books beside her on the passenger’s seats, with her handbag.
If Edward didn’t stop following her she would have to confront him about it. As she passed her two stalkers with her car, she glanced out of her side mirror. She saw Edward’s angered expression and Alice’s amused one. Why was he angry? Bella didn’t do anything that could garner that type of response.
Just what was up with Edward and his family?
Next Chapter >>
Chapter 7: Tremors