Spitefic: Teamwork

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Title: Teamwork
Author: gehayi
Fandom(s): New Moon
Rating: R
Word Count: 900
Summary: Marcus's power isn't weak or useless—and the Volturi are a highly efficient team.
Chapter Inspiration: Chapter 21 – Verdict
Author’s Note: Marcus's power to see relationships seemed pointless, save as a plot contrivance. Then I started thinking about ways that it could be both powerful and useful to the Volturi. By the time I was done, I realized that Marcus could easily be a badass after all.


Edward turned to her and explained again in a swift, low voice. "Marcus sees relationships. He's surprised by the intensity of ours."

Marcus curled his lip. That had been the most vapid description of his gift that he had ever heard.

His talent was a form of empathy, though it had nothing to do with feeling what others were feeling. It was useful for a predator to know whose death would cause another to hunt down the killer in unholy rage. Marcus was in favor of finding out who wouldn't be missed and feasting on them, rather than the ones who would be. He disliked burning.

And it was good for espionage, telling him precisely what--or sometimes who, though that happened less often than humans wanted to admit--was a person's breaking point. A basis for emotional blackmail could be extraordinarily helpful...particularly when Marcus shared that information with Alec, Jane and Chelsea, the sensory deprivation, torture and brainwashing experts.

The Volturi hadn't kept power all these centuries by being nice.

This sallow human cow wanted to be the male Cullen's breaking point. She wasn't. Reading her emotions was easy, for she had few--and all were concerned with herself. No mind to speak of, really, which Marcus supposed was why the two Cullen toddlers--honestly, one hadn't even reached her first century yet!--were so fascinated with her. To the boy-child, she was an unknown quantity. To the girl, who was bored, the cow was a variable in an otherwise certain and therefore monotonous future. And, sometimes, a doll to play dress-up with.

A vampire playing with living Barbie dolls. Marcus shook his head. There are times I despair of my species.

The cow, on the other hand, wanted one thing intensely. She craved vampirism--and was furious that neither of the Cullens had given it to her yet. She objected to the Volturi killing the boy-child because he was the one whom she could most easily manipulate.

Stupid creature. Marcus didn't mind selfishness and greed--those were useful traits that had helped build civilization--but stupidity could bring down kingdoms without even trying.

And not a drop of love in the cow--not for the boy-child, not for family, not even for her own species. Which meant that she was a dreadful prospect as a future vampire. He'd dealt with soulless humans--the ones that were now called sociopaths--before, and they had been nightmares when transformed. They tended to be obvious about their diets. And imaginative. Both factors attracted attention, which was not desirable. Humans weren't good at much, but they had an absolute genius for destruction.

"How fascinating," trilled Aro. He was gripping the cow's hand, so Marcus was certain that he'd read the few emotional thoughts that passed for her mind. "Is their relationship truly that intense, Marcus?"

He didn't normally show his hand this way, but Aro had given him an opening. And he wanted very badly to wipe that smirk off of the boy-child's face.

"You could say that. He intensely wants to read the cow's mind and can't, and the cow intensely wants vampirism and would do anything to get it."

The smug expression slipped from the child's face like snow from a roof. "But--"

"No, Edward! It's not true--"

Caius, who had never been a fan of animals bawling in the slaughterhouse, snapped his fingers. Instantly, peace swept over the cow's face. Chelsea, from her unobtrusive post near the wall, had replaced the creature's obstinacy with worshipful loyalty.

"Now," said Aro, "who am I?"

"You're my master."

"Excellent. Now, why don't you tell us truthfully why you want to be a vampire?"

"So that I can be strong. And beautiful. And powerful. And so that I'll never have to die or grow old. And I can follow Edward anywhere. He'll never get away from me again."

"Mmm. And how do you feel about Edward?"

"He's rich and beautiful and perfect."

"Amazing," Marcus drawled. "She truly knows the hidden depths of your personality."

The boy-child gave him what was probably intended to be a death glare. Marcus thought he looked constipated.

Aro continued. "If I promised to make you a vampire, would you kill Edward?"

The boy-child started to struggle. Felix broke his legs, back, neck and head with brutal force. The cow watched this with a smile; her gods were doing this, so clearly it was right.

"Of course!"

Aro nodded to Alec. In an instant, the Cullens lay sprawled on the floor, blind, deaf, mute and immobile—buried alive within their own bodies. Then he called for some servants to bring him gardening tools. "Do whatever Caius tells you," he said cheerily. "And please...do a good job."

The cow was not strong or graceful, but she was eager to obey. And Caius kept his orders cruelly efficient.

After the Cullens were dead, dismembered, crushed to dust and burned, the cow turned to Aro eagerly. "You'll turn me now?"

"Of course," Aro said, as if it were the most reasonable request he'd ever heard. "Lie down on the floor. We'll all do this."

The cow, smiling, complied--and eight vampires bit her at once.

She realized what was happening, and screamed. "You said I could be a vampire! You promised!"

Marcus swallowed a mouthful of blood and gave her a crimson grin. "Who honors promises to the main course?"

Comments

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Oh, my, my.... That was brilliant. :-)

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (Once I realized that Marcus's power could be more than a blatant plot device, I really had to do something for the poor fellow.)

[melissatreglia]

Ok, seriously. You are a badass writer, my friend. How I wish the Twilight series had been written by someone as gifted as you!

Your Marcus is brilliantly, wonderfully evil. The way the Volturi should've been.

[marienomad.livejournal.com]

Now, this is a villain to fear. Marcus could see shatterpoints, the relationships between people which could make or break others. Manipulate them with mere words and some loyal teammates and that's what happens. Bravo.