30. Vampire Army

Several days had passed. The house was quieter than usual as another foggy Forks day faded into night. Maxwell sat on the porch, a book in his hand, watching the darkness.

A half-drunk bottle of blood sat on the table beside him. He closed the book carefully and turned his eyes to the forest. Everything was quiet except for the distant hooting of an owl. But Maxwell looked peaceful.

In the kitchen, Felix worked feverishly over a large saucepan. He had stuck to his old habits, showing his love of cooking at every opportunity. He yelled at Axel as he checked the recipe.

"If you're not going to cut these onions properly, please stay away!" she said as she put her knife down on the table.

Axel put down the onions and rolled his eyes. "Felix, I don't understand why we're still cooking. Immortals like us don't need a sense of taste, you know that, right?"

Felix replied, holding up a finger. "It's not a matter of need. It's a matter of art. I think even John will appreciate my cooking one day."

Just then, John appeared in the doorway. The tired look on his face and an old file in his hand caught her attention. "Felix," he said in a stern but gentle tone, "stop revolutionizing the kitchen. We have important matters to discuss."

John's serious tone changed the mood of the room. Maxwell came in from the porch while Axel and Felix left their work in the kitchen and went into the living room. John put the file on the table and began to speak.

"I talked to Billy again," he said, getting right to the point. "And he gave me some new information about Victoria. The situation is more complicated than we thought."

Maxwell asked, frowning. "More complicated? So it's not just the Cullens?"

John nodded. "Yes. Victoria isn't just out for revenge. She's blinded by the power she's gained in her quest for revenge. She wants to build her own kingdom. "

Maxwell was stunned. He couldn't decide if Victoria was stupid or crazy. In his previous life, he had never seen a vampire act so crazy.

"How is she supposed to control all these vampires? Is she too stupid to consider the possibility that her newly turned vampires might betray her in the future?" Felix couldn't imagine what would happen if this woman got what she wanted.

John sighed slightly. "He's not stupid. I understand him. If I wanted to avenge the woman I loved, I would do anything, I wouldn't care about anything. My first priority would be revenge."

Axel leaned forward in his chair and pointed to the map. "Why don't we just kill him?"

John pulled some notes out of the folder and handed one to Axel. "Victoria is building an army of newly created vampires. But not just any army, they are being trained and bred to be targeted. According to information from the pack, most of these new creatures are being kept in an abandoned area near Forks. We don't know their numbers yet, but from what Billy says, he may be working with another leader to lead them."

Felix leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "This leader he's working with... another vampire? Could the Volturi be involved?"

John took a deep breath. "Billy suspects it might be connected to the Volturi, but that's a silly idea. The Volturi would never allow something like that. Victoria is not capable of such a complex plan on her own. If I were starting an army, the first thing I would do is establish a hierarchy. You have to have commanders."

Axel looked pensive. "So we have to be careful. If we want to dissolve an army. We have to kill any vampire who might take over, or they'll take advantage of Victoria's death and want to lead the vampires under their command.

Maxwell asked thoughtfully. "And what do the Cullens know? They are the target, aren't they?"

John nodded with a serious look on his face. "Yes, but so far the Cullens don't understand the full extent of the threat. Billy and I have talked and we've decided to set up a meeting. We will meet with the Cullen family and the Quileute pack. All parties need to be at the table to lay out Victoria's plans and formulate a strategy."

Felix asked, raising his eyebrows. "Vampires and wolves at the same table? Are you sure these two groups can get along peacefully?"

John smiled slightly. "I am not sure. But we have no choice. If we don't stop this threat together, we will all suffer. You understand that."

Axel spoke in a serious tone. "When is this meeting?"

John replied, pointing to a note in the file. "Billy's son is working on convincing the pack and the Cullens. The meeting is in two days, at the Cullens' house. We will be there. Be prepared."

Maxwell looked at John curiously. "Will the young wolf make it?"

Axel, faster than John, spoke to Maxwell. "If he can't convince them, I'll step in. There's no time for stupid fights and arguments.

"You're right, but calm down. Don't let your anger blind you." John hoped the process would be quick, but he couldn't guarantee that nothing would go wrong. For he knew werewolves well. They were a species that could act on emotions rather than logical thinking. John knew his own species very well.

"All right, we've got two days," Felix said with a sigh, getting up and walking to the kitchen. "Until then, let's check out the area around Forks as much as we can for this meeting, and if we can, capture a member of Victoria's army. If we can catch one of them, we might get some useful information. "

John turned to the others and spoke with a serious voice. "So far, the only information we have about this new army comes from a newborn vampire that the werewolf pack captured in the woods. Surprisingly, they interrogated him before killing him."

"So you don't think we'll get any useful information even if we capture one of them?" Maxwell said skeptically.

"There's been no new information for two weeks. 2 weeks is a long time, of course it would be useful." John looked confident.

Axel got up and looked around the room. "Then I'll take a look around Forks. You visit the Cullen family."

"I can help." Maxwell stepped forward.

John shook his head in disapproval. "Both of you should be at that meeting. Axel, they are outnumbered. If you don't show up, we'll be seen as the weaker side. When a plan is made, the stronger side and the side that looks stronger will influence the decision."

"Axel has to show his strength there?" Maxwell was a little surprised, not expecting John to give him such an idea.

"We'll do what we have to do, no more, no less." John hadn't made such hard and fast decisions in a long time. For a long time he had lived like a family man, but now he was a real leader.

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