57Summary: Five years have passed since Bella left Forks with her best friend Madison, a lot has changed but some things still remain the same. She now has new obligations and goals that have now defined her life. One of her goals is to get to the bottom of the many vampire attacks she has been putting up with for the past few years. She may not know of many vampire customs and laws but she does know the attacks center around the Cullens. What the Cullens don't know is Coyote is on thier trail and she won't stop tracking them until she gets her answers. Now if only she can hold back her anger long enough to get the answers she seeks, before she tears each and every Cullen vampire into shreds.
poorasdirt: YAY! As you can see this is the sequel to Solar Eclipse. Things don't start off right after Bella leaves Forks obviously, but this is a few years in the future. The time jump was one of the things that I was having trouble fitting into my original outline for some reason, it just didn't look right to me. So I split it up, there may be another story after this one as well simply because I doubt I've managed to be satisfied with the ending just yet. I'm still unsure on that front but if there will be one I'll let y'all know. For right now I don't see a pairing for Bella but I'm still open to the idea. Anyway, hopefully I'm still doing my previous story justice with this one and I don't see me posting for at least a day or two since I don't have anything prewritten and have to type out all the chapters from scratch with this one. Be patient though and I'll get to them should life allow.
Disclaimer: I looked this one up so I could get it right on the first try, the Twilight series belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I already knew Xmen has Marvel written all over it so that one was easy. As you can probably tell none of those things have my name on it so it's safe to say I don't own them. Yes, I do not, repeat, do not own anything besides the OCs and plotline.
ENJOY!
Diederick Grunewald was nervous; his mate should have been back with their coven's dinner already. He paced the entrance hall of his grand home with a frown on his face. He had already lost three coven members the two days previous. He admitted it was his fault on all three accounts since he underestimated the cunning of the woman they were after. He was asked to find and capture Bella Swan a few weeks ago when rumor placed her in his territory. He had at first thought it would be easy to find and capture one human woman; that was until one of his coven members, Franz, came back badly injured and horribly charred. He decided they had to rethink their plan since the Grunewald Coven only had four members now, one that was still recovering from his encountered with the woman even now. As he paced and waited he cursed the Cullens, he was unaware of the eyes watching him.
Golden eyes glowed as they caught the moonlight for a second. Those eyes took in the form of the pacing vampire cautiously before suddenly the eyes disappeared. They reappeared on the other side of the old castle like mansion, peering into a window to a vampire couple. The eyes recognized the slowly healing male vampire but didn't recognize the female with him. Assessing the situation the eyes disappeared once more only to reappear peering into the entrance hall.
Leaning back on the heels of her feet Bella Swan contemplated what her next move should be. Deciding the male vampire in the entrance hall would be the best one to take out first, she started to make a plan of attack. It took a day and a half of tracking to find where this vampire coven was, then another half a day to observe their habits. Luckily enough for her, one of the vampires had seen it fit to leave the safety of their home. That female vampire was easily taken down and her crest now sat in Bella's coat pocket. She knew from observing the coven, that the vampire pacing in the entrance hall had the ability to predict, with certainty, another's movements. She would have to overcome that advantage if she wanted to kill the vampire. Luckily enough for her, she had the element of surprise that she was going to use to her full advantage. She didn't know if her ability to block telepathic powers would work against this vampire and she wasn't going to try to find out either.
She waited in a ready position on her tree branch for the vampire to turn to make another round across the entrance hall floor. Once he did, she struck. Diederick didn't know what hit him as he felt his legs being swept out from under him. Not even a second later he saw a flash of golden silver before he was cut right down the center from head to sternum. A few more seconds of slashing Bella tossed some gasoline on the vampire before lighting a match. As the vampire's body began to burn away she pocketed the ring that had the Grunewald crest on it. Knowing the smell of smoke would alert the other vampires, Bella easily and quickly jumped into the wooden rafters of the entrance hall and waited. A minute later, the female vampire from the other side of the mansion rushed in.
Bella watched as the vampire became hysterical at the sight of the burning dead vampire. She crouched down and waited for just the right moment. Once that moment came, she was on the female vampire like lightning, already tearing into it with her claws before it had a chance to understand the situation. Another vampire down and burning, another crest pocketed into her coat. Bella now knew she had to turn her attention to the other vampire in the mansion. He may not be much, but he was a good fighter and survivor, Bella learned that when he and three others jumped her in Stuttgart. Moving at speeds that made her seem like a blur even to vampires, she flicked down the hall until she got to his room.
"Frau Swan, I know you are there." The vampire said in his thick German accent. "I knew the minute I smelt the smoke."
"Then you know I'm here to kill you." Bella said appearing before the vampire.
Franz Grunewald wasn't afraid of many things after his long life as a vampire, but he could honestly say this woman terrified him more than the Volturi ever could. He could see the warrior in her golden eyes, eyes that looked so much like but weren't at all the same as a vegetarian vampire. He knew she wasn't like the Volturi who cared about etiquette or laws; she was as wild as her appearance seemed to be. Her long soft untamable brown hair that easily went to her knees in length, her sleek yet toned sun tanned body, her wild eyes and sharp teeth. He had never encountered a woman quite like her before, not even his Ana, who he knew was already dead by now. Looking over the woman before him, he took in her brown leather vest-like halter-top that hinted at her generous bosom and toned stomach, the form fitting blue jean clad shapely legs, the waist length black form fitting leather coat, and the black slightly scruffy and muddy combat boots. He also noticed the golden silver claws that had already nearly been his undoing once before, when he last fought her. Although she didn't have the dark gold metal plates under both of her eyes that seemed to follow her cheek bone, he wondered if they were retractable as well. He could see why she was underestimated, wily and sleek she practically oozed sexual confidence and strength without seeming to be very intimidating.
"Ja, I know. Had I not been stuck to this couch because of the spine damage you caused me, I would have enjoyed fighting you once more." Franz said after a minute of just observing the woman. "But may I ask before I die, why is it you hunt and kill those of my kind?"
"Your kind has been hunting me and has tried to kill me more than once, I much rather kill those who want to kill me first, before they can accomplish their task." Bella said coldly getting a nod from the vampire. He accepted her statement and also accepted his fate, so she didn't hesitate to finish the wounded vampire off. It wasn't long before his crest joined the rest of his covens' crests resting in her jacket pocket. She didn't take anything else from the vampire home and simply left the way she came.
Bella sighed as she made her way through the forest back to her bike. She couldn't believe she was now twenty three years old and hunting vampires of all things, let alone that she was in Germany. Looking back on it she decided her life took a turn for the completely strange when she was abducted by that crazy scientist Dr. G, who was still trying to capture her even now. It had gotten so bad at one point that Bella and Madison split up, Bella went to Europe and Madison headed for Asia. Bella had to hand it to the crazy doctor, she was quite persistent. Although Bella really wished the HYDRA scientist was better at assigning codenames.
Flashback
Bella was walking back to her truck with some burgers. They had gotten a flat and managed to pull into a nearby Texaco to fix it. While Madison worked on replacing the tire, Bella opted to go get some lunch from the Wendy's next door to the gas station. Bella also made a mental note to get gas while they were there since they were running a bit low. As she walked through the parking lot of the fast food joint she let her eyes wander over the small quite New Mexico town the two were in.
Madison and Bella honestly didn't have a plan for their road trip and after two months found themselves skirting along the southern states. The two stopped for a short while in Phoenix but didn't stay long since they still had HYDRA after them. Luckily enough they kept in contact with Conrad and his two friends. Felix had managed to make a secure line they could communicate over so they weren't in a danger of someone tracking their calls or webcam conversations.
As Bella looked back at the truck she was amused to find her blonde friend sitting on the hood talking to Felix over the computer. "No Felix, I don't think we'll be skipping country just yet. We may be desperate to find a place to hide from those HYDRA bastards, but we aren't that desperate yet." Madison was saying as Bella walked up to the truck.
"I know but I'm just saying it would be easy for you to lose them there. They don't have much of a solid structure in terms of a full organization. It is mostly small fractions working together these days, the government organization S.H.I.E.L.D. saw to that." Felix said with a shrug. "From what I gather through a few contacts I've made, your stalker Dr. G isn't on very good terms with the guy that runs HYDRA's operations in Mexico."
"Well at least that is good to hear, if we're desperate we can always go there to gain a few days up on them. How are their relations elsewhere?" Bella asked setting down the take out bag.
"Eh, all the same pretty much. Some fractions have better relations with others but for the most part the main HYDRA organization seems to be mostly American based. That's not to say they don't have bases all over the world, it's just most of their connections seem to lead back to the Nazis and the US." Felix said with a shrug.
"Charming, Neo-Nazis are after our blood." Madison said making Bella snort.
"So, have you managed to work out all that stuff I sent you on that USB drive?" Bella asked getting a large amused grin from Felix. Surprised by the response the two girls shared a look and turned back to him.
"Well I haven't yet found much on James Howlett or Victor Creed, but I haven't checked many archives, though the DNA test seems legitimate enough. I'm still looking into it and other connections HYDRA has made, but I've found the files they've created for you." Felix said and Bella had a funny feeling she wasn't going to like what she heard.
"Let me guess they wanted to give us fancy nicknames as well." Bella said with a snort.
"Good guess, since you're right. Dr. G was gracious enough to give you two both codenames while in her care." Felix said and Madison perked up.
"Really what are they?" Madison asked looking like a five year old waiting for a surprise present.
"Well she decided that Mad's codename should be Silverpool which kind of fits if you think about it." Felix said thoughtfully.
"It's more like a silver puddle than a silver pool but whatever." Bella said while Madison cheered the coolness of her name.
"So what's Bell's codename?" Madison asked after calming down a bit.
"Coyote." Felix said with a smirk. Both girls blinked for a second before Madison howled with laughter and Bella glared at him.
"What the hell?" Bella asked with her eyebrow twitching. "She could have come up with a hell of a lot more names and she settles on Coyote? What sort of crack was she on?"
"Awe, come on Wile E. you would make a great coyote." Madison said teasingly before dodging a fist to the face from an overly annoyed Bella.
"You have to admit she has a point, you and Wile E. Coyote have a lot in common actually. After all you're very smart and adaptive but perhaps not the most graceful pup in the park." Felix teased with a chuckle of his own.
"Oh don't you start too; I'm still wondering if that lady has a vendetta against me I don't know about." Bella growled at the computer while Madison ended up on the ground giggling hysterically.
"Or it could just be since you're related to Wolverine and Sabertooth she thought you'd feel left out without an animal codename." Felix pointed out with a slight snicker. "Besides, have you taken a good look at your armor when it's fully out? You definitely have markings like a coyote and the color of your armor doesn't help to persuade against that."
"Har, har, har, laugh it up all you want, it's not like you guys will ever get to call me that." Bella muttered with a disdainful sniff.
End Flashback
Bella shook her head realizing those were her famous last words. Ever since Conrad found out about the codenames he thought they would be useful. So, as much as Bella hated to admit it for the first year and a half, she was called Coyote. After a while she figured she should get used to the name and soon made it her own. It wasn't the most horrible codename ever and considering how easy it was to hide it in a coded message it was a plus. When the group was passing around coded messages Madison's codename had been shortened to simply Pool to hide her identity. Otherwise the blonde was adamant that her codename was Silverpool.
It wasn't long after that conversation that the two mutants were first attacked by vampires. It had been a relatively uneventful week, and then suddenly vampires started to spring up. Bella had thought the two of them were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but soon that theory was out the window when they learned the bloodsuckers were after Bella. The girls never got an exact reason why the vampires were after Bella, but they knew it had something to do with the brunette's association with the Cullens. Once they understood that, their attention went from simply protecting themselves to hunting down information.
Their hunt for information had turned into a long five years of continuous adventures. They looked for the Cullens, dodged HYDRA, made more friends, and worked on their powers. The extensive work Bella put into her physical condition had increased her agility, strength, and stamina passed normal human levels. She also was at the level of an Olympic gymnast, but she wasn't really one to go for flips and fancy moves. Her fighting style had always been fast and precise; she didn't know why some fighters would pull a dramatic move when a simple punch or kick could deal with the problem easily enough. Also she increased her mental capabilities as well, for one she got a better understanding of computers. She had gotten a few degrees over the internet and liked to do private research. She didn't showcase this intelligence though, preferring the quiet life of an acclaimed author over that of a scientist any day.
Her four acclaimed novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn were best sellers around the world. They were also a good reflective and psychological experience for Bella. She got to look back and analyze her time with the Cullens in Forks. She was annoyed to note that the Cullens hadn't really told her much about vampires or their culture. The one solid thing she really knew about was how to kill them, James taught her that. She reanalyzed her relationship with Edward and wondered not for the first time what she was thinking. She understood the lure of immortality but really, she had been too much of a child to understand the true scope of what it was. She also noted that Edward just used her feelings to try and figure the puzzle of her out. Madison told her, after learning everything, that perhaps Bella's mutant powers had been slowly awakening even back then without her realizing it. It made sense now, since she could control her scent and shield her mind extensively as well as the minds of others from mental attacks. It could have been a subconscious thing on Bella's part to lure Edward in because she was intrigued by his beauty and immortality. Thinking of it that way she knew she was partially at fault for everything that had happened between them, but instead of leaving her alone it seemed the Cullen coven had come back to haunt her.
Her novels also allowed her to analyze each of the Cullens' personalities. She knew Carlisle meant well but he obviously was lacking in the common sense area. He was so stuck on trying to save everyone that he didn't realize what he condemned Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward too. To an extent he damned Esme as well but not as much, because the female vampire had been a full adult at the time. Bella knew Esme was perhaps the most adjusted of the coven aside from Carlisle, but that was mostly because she wasn't turned as a teenager. She had time to grow and learn, letting her mind and morals to develop to their fullest. She could also see why the woman had such a hard time reaching the Cullen "children".
Rosalie was young minded and too hung up on her death to really see what was going on around her. Bella did acknowledge of the coven Rosalie would be the most likely one to help protect them from themselves, simply because she was so paranoid. However despite this paranoia it didn't do much help when the vampire was so narcissistic. Sure she cared about her family, but Rosalie's main priority was Rosalie, she was also a scared coward. She hid behind Emmett who followed her like a puppy since she had "saved" him. Bella had no doubt that if Rosalie ever landed in a situation where it was a choice between her family and her life, Rosalie would ultimately choose herself.
Emmett on the other hand tended to go from competition to competition; he didn't show his lust for violence by going out to start fights. No, Emmett Cullen lived vicariously through competitive situations, Bella could tell that by giving just the right push he would become a battle crazed monster. He proved that he was always ready for the next competition, the next battle of wills. If he ever got into a situation where it was a free for all fist fight, he would lose his values and fall victim to his lust for battle. It was probably one of the reasons why he chose animal blood over human, animals could run faster and were stronger fighters than humans were. It wasn't because he liked humans or anything; it was because people wouldn't prove the fight to sate his need for violence.
Then there was Alice. Bella had once thought of the pixie vampire as a friend, but now saw her as a control freak. The vampire was so reliant on her gift and to make things how she saw them that she often manipulated people into getting her end result. Bella saw it back during James' hunt for her. Alice had gotten that vision of Bella's old dance studio and regardless as to how much Edward and the others tried to stop it, that's where the final battle took place and Bella nearly died. Bella had no doubt the pixie vampire saw Bella going to their house for her birthday party and pushed to make that happen, she had even gone so far as to get her mate to manipulate Bella into going. In the end it was Alice's way or no way, and simply put, it was because Alice had the gift to see the future so she knew what was best.
Jasper was a hard one to figure out, and had up until recently eluded Bella's understanding. The Texan vampire was aloof and could feel and manipulate emotions, a gift that on the surface seemed rather harmless. That was until Bella truly thought of what Jasper was capable of, he could drive someone into a deep dark depression with a single whim. She also recalled his reason for drinking animal blood was because he didn't want to feel his victims die. That proved to her that he was still a human bloodsucker at heart and would always be one. It wasn't so much that Jasper didn't like feeling his human victims die, it was the fact that he felt as if he was dying with them. He also got out of commanding the newborn army, supposedly because he was tired of it, but then Bella recalled what the Cullens told her about newborns. It was that, and a fight Bella had with another vampire a few months ago, that put into perspective Jasper's motives for not only being Alice's mate but following her every command. The Texan was afraid of dying, terrified of it in fact. He listened to Alice like an obedient puppy because she wouldn't let him die. He got away from the newborn army so he wouldn't die at their hand, and he lived with the Cullens because he didn't want to feel like he was dying with any of his victims. Bella knew for Jasper at the very end he would do anything to seek sympathy and to keep from dying.
Finally, the last of the children, Edward; Bella had thought long and hard about the vampire. He first caught her attention in the cafeteria because of his beauty and mystery. He had kept himself interesting and elusive to keep her coming back to him. He also was infatuated with the scent of her blood and the mystery of her mental shield. He had done everything to keep her interested but at arm's length until he deemed the puzzle of her too dangerous to figure out. He was like a spoiled child that only found interest in things that he didn't already have. When Jasper nearly attacked her on her birthday, he nearly lost his prized puzzle and that was unacceptable since he wasn't done with her yet. So he left and after some time he and his kind waltz right back into her life, she had no doubt he wanted to finish what he started but she would not be used by him again. She knew his love had been cold just like his touch and it stung her pride that she hadn't realized until she had already fallen once for the bloodsucker.
But really, she couldn't complain much about how her life ended up. Sure it had its ups and downs all the time, but it was interesting. On one hand she was the quiet recluse multi-millionaire author Susan Meadows, on the other she was the dangerous vampire hunting mutant Coyote; her balance was she would always remain Bella Swan. She was both her aliases and she knew just how much of herself to put in each one to find a balance in the life she lived. Since nowadays such as in her last award winning novel Shadow Hunter, she could write about some of the adventures she went through as Coyote with the safety of anonymity as Susan Meadows. Not only that but the group of mutants she had acquired to help her with her vampire problem were all very close, almost like a second family. She had long decided to live her life to the fullest and take each day at a time. The only thing stopping her from fully achieving this goal was the still unresolved issue of Edward Cullen and HYDRA. She knew however, that it was only a matter of time before she at least dealt with her vampire problem; the terrorist problem would take more planning and time than she had at the moment, so while it wasn't an immediate threat it was treated with caution.
As she reached her bike she sighed happily. The black Harley was a much newer model than the one she left in storage in the states, but it still brought her a comfort she normally didn't have. Slipping on her helmet and swinging her leg over the seat she started the engine. She needed to get back to the hotel she was staying at, she had been gone much longer than she would have liked. After all, she didn't want to become negligent of one of the duties she now had since leaving Forks.
YAY! But I find introductory chapters to be very annoying to write. I think it's because even if this is a sequel I somehow lost the flow I had just yesterday while writing the last chapter to Solar Eclipse. It took me two edits to get it up to my standards, but I'm sure in the next two or three chapters I'll get the flow going again. Right well this obviously is a glimpse of what Bella's been doing to help put in focus the setting. You will find out more in the next chapter or two but I think I touched on some of the major things for now. I'm still cleaning my house for when my aunt arrives tomorrow so I don't know if I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow or not. Usually I'm good at juggling my time to get at least two hours of writing in and maybe an hour of editing but I don't know this time. Anyway, tell me how y'all liked the beginning and any suggestions you may have. It's quite simple to do you just have to:
REVIEW!