VERONA ━━ alec volturi

xii. battle cry

CHAPTER TWELVE:
BATTLE CRY

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VERONA HALE COLLIDED AGAINST the nearest newborn with an almighty slam. The crash of their bodies meshing together resonated around the clearing, their limbs a blur of colour in the misty air. Verona dodged a potentially fatal blow from the blonde in question, hissing in annoyance as her arm was gripped by frozen fingers, razor-sharp teeth grazing her skin. She swung out of the hold the newborn had managed to get on her, flipping the blonde over her shoulder and relishing in the way she screamed in frustration, before she hooked her fingers under the girl's jaw, separating her head from her body. She threw the limb aside, not even sparing it a glance as it slumped to the ground like dead weight.

Verona was moving again, appearing on the other side of the clearing as two newborns gripped onto one of the shifters' fur. Verona lurched her body onto a red-headed boy, whose teeth were about to dig into the shifter's neck. The newborn howled in rage, throwing her from his back and sending her tumbling through the air. She landed on her feet, her hands thrown out in front of her, before she raced back towards the red-head, grabbing one of his arms as the shifter - who'd just torn the boy's dark-haired companion to pieces - grabbed onto the other, the two enemies managing to rip them from his body. Verona nodded at the shifter, who nodded back after an instant of hesitation, a silent promise to finish the kill.

Alice was fighting against another rowdy newborn nearby. Her arms were looped around the dark-haired girl's neck, but her own limbs were vulnerable to the ruthless fingers on the girl's hands, which clawed at her body without remorse. Verona swooped towards them as the newborn's nails scratched down her best friend's face, legs swinging out to knock the girl's feet from under her, distracting her for long enough to allow her sister to separate her head from her body, rips and tears filling the air.

Verona went to say something, but before she could so much as open her mouth, a sandy-haired boy threw his body at her, sending them both sprawling to the ground. Alice moved to help her, but she too was distracted by a set of blonde twins rushing at her. Verona spluttered for unneeded air as the boy's arms wrapped around her neck, splinters of skin cascading from her body. She kicked and punched with everything she was worth, panic seeping to her bones as his grip on her became tighter and tighter. Darkness formed at the corners of her eyes, and she let out a strangled sob as her neck began to stretch.

Then suddenly, everything was bright again. The hold around her neck was ripped away. Rosalie's furious eyes peered down at her, fingers ripping the newborn that had almost killed her sister to shreds, a glint of triumph shining in her eyes. Verona accepted her hand with a sigh of gratitude, brushing the dirt from her clothes as she scrambled to her feet, ready to jump back into the fight.

And before she knew it, everything was over. Broken bodies were sprawled around the clearing, their family and the wolves standing above them. They'd won the fight, torn apart their enemies without remorse, and lived to see another day. Verona stood in the centre of everything, taking in the mess around her. Esme stopped by her daughter's side as they began to drag the bodies towards a fire burning bright in the distance, ready to rid them from the world for good.