A/N:

Happy holidays, my lovely, lovely readers. For everyone who voted for me in the You Want Blood Awards, I bribed you with an update and I pay my debts. Today, you're getting a prologue and a chapter...

I know, wrong story. You totally want to stake me right now.

I don't blame you.

Still, I'm posting this anyway and I hope you enjoy it. Lately, I've gotten myself hooked on crossovers and, since TPMK has been benched for highly technical reasons (my inability to figure out my own technical problems), I decided to start a Twilight/Avengers fic. I've been experimenting with my style, so this is not in first person. Let's hope it flows just as smoothly, though I'm sure you'll let me know if doesn't, lol.

Anyway, here's what you need to know: in this story, the Cullens never returned. Victoria couldn't get past the wolves to get to Bella, but she didn't immediately start creating an army when she hit that furry wall. Instead, she realized Bella would leave the town limits eventually and waited until Bella left for college to go after her. She changed Riley about three months into Bella's first semester, but she didn't change anyone else. Laurent never attacked Bella and she found out about the wolves differently, which is something you'll find out in a future chapter. We're just gonna close our eyes and make believe Bella waited for Jacob to jump off that cliff like a maniac, so Alice never caught that vision. Everything else is the same. In the Avenger world, Hawkeye's a little younger than he was in the movies and his backstory is a little different than the one in the comics. He's about 28 and doesn't have a secret family.

I know! Shocker!

Like I say at the beginning of every story I write, I freaking love your reviews, but I write to entertain myself. I seriously only write what I want to read, so if you totally want to torch it? Just don't. Hit the back button instead and there will be a whole different selection of writers for you to choose from. Uncanny how that works, right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the Avengers. Their all around awesome characters and plot lines belong to Stephanie Meyers and Marvel's. I just think birds of a feather should flock together.

Bella wearily climbed the steps leading to her dorm's floor, her shoulders sagging beneath the weight of her exhaustion. It was nearly three in the morning and she desperately needed to grab a few hours of sleep if she was going to make it to class on time tomorrow. Spending most of the night in the university library, brushing up on Norse mythology for a test in her humanities class, really took a toll on her. She was practically dead on her feet after studying so hard.

Reluctantly, Bella had to admit to herself that the night wasn't a total waste. The subject did interest her, yes, and she actually enjoyed learning about the magical talents of the gods, but she was far more intrigued by vampire mythology and Native American lore. At least those subjects had a practical application, a fact Bella knew well since she'd actually met vampires and shape-shifting wolves. Viking gods, however, didn't hold the same appeal for her mystically inclined mind. Even if she one day learned those myths were also true, what were the odds she'd ever meet a Nordic god?

Yawning, Bella shook her head sharply, attempting to wake herself up as she opened the third floor door and stumbled into the empty corridor. The hallway was eerily quiet, which was something Bella should've expected on a Tuesday night. Still, it sent a shiver of unease down her spine and set her senses on high alert, waking her up quicker than the strongest cup of coffee ever could. The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridor, making her hyperaware of how alone she was. She quickened her pace, unable to shake the feeling of vulnerability now resting on her shoulders.

Bella let out a small breath of relief when her room number finally came into view. With a quick glance behind her, she pulled out her keys and turned to place them in the lock. The door creaked when her fingers brushed against the doorknob and Bella froze, realizing the door was already open. Cautious, Bella pushed it open a few more inches and whispered her roommate's name, "Jenny?"

A pregnant silence greeted her in return, spilling out the door and into the empty corridor behind her. Bella hesitantly pushed the door open the rest of the way and called out her roommate's name in a louder, concerned tone. Once again, silence was the only thing to greet her.

The hairs on the back of Bella's neck started to rise as she stared into the inky black darkness of the room. Something was wrong. The air was too still, the room too dark, too quiet... Something waited for her in there, in the shadows, and Bella was reluctant to find out what that something was. The unnatural silence unnerved her and the air itself felt heavy with warning. It felt as if the whole room was holding its breath, waiting for her to make the next move.

Bella nervously bit down on her lower lip and gathered her resolve, telling herself she was being foolish and overreacting. This wasn't the first time Jenny forgot to lock the door... just the first time she forgot to close it. Her heartbeat hammered away as she left the security of the lit hallway behind her and stepped into the tense dorm room.

Bella reached out, searching blindly for the light switch. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Bella, her fingertips brushed against the cool plastic and she cut on the light. She looked around warily, her books tumbling to the floor with a clatter when her eyes landed on her roommate. An odd choking noise escaped her as she took in the scene and she covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound.

Her roommate's body had been left on the floor in the middle of the room, discarded like a piece of trash. Jenny's limbs rested at an unnatural angle and her glassy eyes were wide with terror. A nasty gash had been torn into her throat and blood dripped from the wound, a wound that made Bella's stomach drop.

Vampires, she thought. A vampire killed her.

Slowly, Bella's eyes wandered away from her body, focusing on the wall to the left. There, above Bella's bed, a message was left for her, written in her roommate's blood, We're coming for you next.

Bella blinked sluggishly and turned sharply, throwing herself into the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet before she hurled. Wiping her mouth, Bella pulled out her phone and numbly dialed the police. Her eyes blurred with tears as she waited for the call to connect.

"911, what is your emergency?"

A vicious sob escaped Bella and she quickly forced it back. She didn't have time to fall apart. She needed to focus.

"I need to report a body. My roommate... she's dead. I'm at the University of Washington," she forced out, her throat tight. She quickly answered the phone operator's questions, doing her best to hold it together. The operator told her the police were on the way and Bella faintly registered a voice telling her to stay on the line, but her thoughts were miles away. With unfocused eyes, she nodded robotically and hung up.

Bella wiped her tears away, trying to think. Why would a vampire leave her a message? Why leave her body for Bella to find? Unless... unless it wasn't just a feed.

She was confident the message was a scare tactic, one meant to terrorize her. The vampire who left it wanted Bella to know her death was coming, that her end was inevitable. They wanted Bella jumpy and frightened. The vampire was toying with her, torturing her emotionally, like James did...

Then it dawned on her. Victoria.

Bella's hands started to tremble and she nearly dropped the phone. She sank to her knees on the bathroom floor, an unnatural calm washing over her when her knees connected with the hard tile. Everything had just changed and she swallowed hard as she weighed her options. Flipping through the numbers stored on her cell, she selected Jake's. Just as she was about to press send, she glanced over her shoulder and paused, her eyes catching the first word of the bloody threat on the wall. Her blood ran cold as the meaning of the word truly sank in. Not Victoria... not just Victoria.

Vampires, plural.

Bella stared at the bloody word for a moment longer and slowly shut her phone. If more than one vampire was hunting her, then the wolves... they couldn't handle an army...

Bella couldn't shake the feeling that Jenny's death hadn't been planned. Usually, Bella spent Tuesday nights alone in their dorm room. She stayed in and studied while Jenny normally spent her Tuesdays over at her sorority's house, getting in the requisite study hours for the week. Bella had a test tomorrow, so she went to the library instead and Jenny must've come back for some reason. She suffered Victoria's wrath in her place. Victoria had to realize her roommate's death would send Bella scurrying back to the wolves... which meant Victoria knew she needed reinforcements if she wanted to get past the pack.

Eight wolves, that was all that stood between vampires and the destruction of Forks and La Push. If Victoria was changing others, she could overwhelm the wolves with sheer numbers.

Maybe Laurent's helping her. Maybe that's what she means by we, she thought and skeptically eyed the bloody threat, unconvinced. Defeated, Bella closed her eyes and shook her head. She'd wait for now. She'd wait until she knew for sure.

And if there was an army on the way?

She'd run.