Meeting The Cullens

[Forks, Washington - June 14th 2006]

{Frank's POV}

I've finally made it to Forks, I have been watching the newborn army for weeks now. They started in Seattle where I saw the true mastermind behind it, the Redhead. Victoria I believe her name was, James' mate. James must be dead. This is about revenge. They were being watched by the Volturi. I saw Jane, Alec, Felix, and Demetri were there watching the army feast. It seems that Aro is not in control of the situation if Jane is in charge of this motley band of Volturi Guard. Maybe I will get to kill one of them during this hunt. But that is not what is distracting me currently. I arrived in Forks last week and scouted the place. I saw the Cullen family. It seems that I was wrong. The members are fairly easy to spot with their golden eyes and pale complexion. Carlisle. The father and doctor at the local hospital, I spied him leaving work and snuck into the hospital to mark several children there to make sure I was prepared for anything. I saw his wife Esme and the twins Edythe and Edward at the grocery store buying supplies for the graduation party I heard they were throwing. I later spied Edward open his car door for a young brunette woman, human, this must be Bella the one the army is going after. I have not gotten close enough to mark her but I will be sure to do so before the battle. I will need the strength, the army has grown in size to nearly 40 newborns. This may be my greatest battle. I've killed well over a hundred vampires in my long life but I have never faced so many at once. I am simply praying that they do not manifest any special abilities. I saw a tall and burly man kissing Edythe, Emmett. I saw the wolves as well, or at least I think they are wolves. I am not sure but they all reek of dog and dirt so it is my best guess. They cannot be Children of the Moon as the Volturi would have wiped them from existence so they must be something else that has similar abilities. Fascinating. But after that, I followed the Cullen clan to their home where I saw the rest over the next few days. Rosalie, now there is a woman. Quite possibly the most beautiful creature I have seen in my entire life. Long, straight, and sleek blonde hair with a dainty nose, pert lips, and flawless cheeks like all the others but she just seems to look better with said features than most. She seems to have cemented a scowl upon her pretty face which is truly a shame as I imagine her smile would radiate a warmth akin to the sun for whoever it was directed towards, not that I can feel the warmth of the sun. Then I saw a young blonde man with curly hair. He opened the door and stepped aside to allow his female companion to exit the home before him like a true Southern gentleman. This had to be Jasper. Then I saw her. Alice. Alice. Alice. Alive. Alive. ALIVE. Alice is alive. It seems as though I have failed her once again. It is a habit for me I suppose, failing to protect those that matter the most. With her short pixie cut it seems that she was turned shortly after she escaped from the asylum, her hair would have been shorn to facilitate the electro-shock. I know that she will not recognize me but that does not stop me from feeling as though I am the king of the entire world as I see the smile on my sweet sister's angelic face. Yet at the same time, I feel as though the whole of the world is upon my shoulders. That a great axe has cleaved itself into my heart and the weight of the possibility of Alice suffering injury or death in this upcoming battle is tearing my very being in half. Jasper stumbled slightly and Alice looked at him confused. He started to look around almost as if he knew I was there. I am excellent at what I do and I am certain that he cannot hear or smell me but when he starts to turn his gaze towards my hiding place, I run. And I run. And run. Until I reach the other side of town. It seems that Jasper has some kind of special ability. It doesn't matter, I know where they are all going this morning and I plan on making an introduction. I will not fail my sister again.

~~ Time Skip ~~

[Clearing in the woods, Forks, Washington - June 14th 2006]

{Frank's POV}

I watch as Emmett is flung through the air by Jasper, he reacts quickly and regains his footing. Emmett is clearly stronger than Jasper but Jasper is a warrior this is plain to me.

"Again," Emmett states with a determined glint in his eye.

Standing by the side are most of the other Cullens. Carlisle stands stoic and analytic, and Esme stands next to him arms crossed. Edythe is there watching Emmett with a look of lust in her eye. Alice and Rosalie are standing next to each other on the other side of Carlisle from Edythe.

A jeep pulls up and skids to a stop blowing up a small cloud of dust. Out steps Edward from the driver's side while Bella gets out of the front passenger seat. They clasp hands as they walk up to the rest as the spar ends. They gaze upon the hill to the right of them as eight giant wolves skulk out from the treeline and shamble down the hill with grace. One look and I can tell that they are on edge, there is conflict between these groups and that will hamper their ability to work together. They all need me here. I know this.

"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward comments on the wary wolves.

"They came. That's what matters," Carlisle states. "Will you translate?"

Edward nods his head. I wonder why Edythe does not do so, she must have had some kind of conflict with the wolves.

"Jasper has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them," Carlisle lectures to the newly arrived wolves. A few of the wolves, including the large black one, definitely the leader of their pack, glance toward Edward, seemingly thinking about their question.

"They want to know how the 'newborns' differ from us," Edward translates the wolves' gaze to Carlisle.

"They're a great deal stronger than us because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful. . .than in our first several months of this life," Carlisle elucidates the nature of vampires to the wolves. He is quite a trusting man to be so straightforward with the fact that his coven is physically weaker than their enemies, or he is just desperate for their help so he wants to remain honest.

The pack takes this in. Carlisle nods to Jasper to take over. Jasper appears uncomfortable with both the wolves and the attention. But steps forward to speak anyway.

"Carlisle's right. That's why they are created. A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them. The two most important things to remember are, first... Never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second. Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that. And you will lose." Jasper explains with that Southern lilt coming out stronger the longer he speaks, he turns and nods to Emmett as they step away from the group to where they were sparring previously. "Emmett? Don't hold back."

"Not in my nature," Emmett says with a smirk that Edythe then replicates.

Emmett charges Jasper with speed, but Jasper is a bit faster. Neither are particularly difficult for me to see but I know that if I were to spar I would need to mark Bella to use my enhanced abilities. Emmett lunges several times, his arms grabbing at the air. Jasper stops long enough to say "Never lose focus. One more thing. . .never turn your back on your enemy."

Emmett lunges again with similar results until suddenly he is practically frozen as Jasper comes up behind him and has bared his teeth an inch from Emmett's throat.

Everyone takes turns sparring with Jasper or pairing off against each other. They're all quick but clearly, only Jasper and Carlisle have any real training which becomes visible as they defeat almost everyone that they spar with and their spar together is a sight to behold even to me.

Then Alice comes up and my heart, if it did in fact beat, would have stopped at that moment as she looks so confident, smirking at Jasper like she knows that he is going to lose. I've never seen her look so strong before. The only memories I have of her are of a scared little girl.

Alice and Jasper spar, spiraling, twisting. Jasper launches at her but with her eyes not looking at him but seemingly nothing at all as she is almost certainly using her precognitive abilities, she sees his moves before he makes them. Suddenly, Alice is perched on his back; she kisses his neck. I saw her quite clearly though Bella was certainly amazed at their speed and fortitude. 

"Gotchya," Alice says with a small smile.

Edward and Carlisle attack one another, but Edward can read Carlisle's mind which gives him the advantage. He twirls beyond Carlisle's grasp, then slams into him delivering a vicious body blow.

"Focus on speed, and agility, keep your opponent off guard," Jasper informs the wolves.

The wolves rise or pace, watching intently, itching to get into the fray but holding back.

"Use their momentum against them," Jasper continues.

Bella anxiously watches these fierce, life-and-death war games. A portent of the violence to come. One of the wolves, most likely Jacob Black nuzzles up to her seemingly trying to comfort her. I've heard much about this deranged love triangle in the week I have been here but to see the way Edward is subtly glaring at Jacob makes all the whispers seem gentle in comparison.

"Some of you are gonna get hurt. Some of you could get killed, because of me. It's gonna be a hundred times worse than this, isn't it?" Bella asks the Jacob-wolf who freezes up and then simply nuzzles her again, she pets him and leans slightly as if his presence brings her comfort while the other wolves are seemingly disconcerted by this action. Though I could be wrong, it is difficult to read facial cues from a 6-foot-tall wolf.

Edward catches this action between the Jacob-wolf and Bella and sneers slightly, though reins it in before anyone can take notice except for his twin Edythe who glances at him as he speaks, "We're done for the day."

Done for the day? DONE? These morons only have a few days left before the newborn army is here and trying to rip them apart. I suppose this is my cue as just as the wolves start to turn around I leap from my perch nearly 60 feet in the air upon a branch outside the clearing.

I hit the ground hard. Creating a small crater and blowing up dust everywhere which settles only a few moments later. They are all gazing at me in open shock, nobody knew I was there. Except Alice, it seems as if she is gazing at me with a small knowing smile but with no true recognition. Edward and Edythe can read minds so I quickly start thinking in a mix of German and French hoping the twins do not understand either language and purposefully ignore Alice as best I can even if it feels as though my heart is being sundered. The wolves snarl and raise their haunches as if to pounce upon me like prey. I merely put up my left hand in a calming and peaceful gesture as 3 of the wolves in the back start to relax but the large black one is not having it. I speak before the foolish creature decides to humiliate himself.

"Done? Truly? Without going over the most important lesson in preparing for battle?" I ask with my voice ringing out amongst the stunned silence. Edward and Edythe start to glare at me and place themselves in front of Bella quite quickly even to my eyes. I feel a tingling in my mind as they are no doubt reading my thoughts but I relax and empty my mind as I gaze towards Jasper.