THE SAINTS AND THE PROFANE
BY: J.P. COLTER
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters related to the CW series, Vampire Diaries. I do own any original character not belonging to the series, Vampire Diaries.
[Chapter I – Father and Son Reunion]
The homecoming party at the Lockwood mansion. Very inconvenient, Damon Salvatore thought to himself as he was surrounded by frolicking teenagers toting red solo cups. No doubt this was Klaus's idea. The wretched old vampire sure had a tendency to do things with flair. Hell, the whole Original family sounded elitist and narcissistic. Every time he heard Klaus's annoying British accent during his boring proselytizing banter, Damon had bouts of temptation to perform seppuku just to interrupt the moment. After tonight, it shall be no more. Klaus must die.
Damon reflected upon that fact intensely. Truth be told, Klaus should have already been dead. The night when Klaus broke the curse preventing him from being a true hybrid, he was at his most vulnerable. He slaughtered that werewolf bimbo Jules, Elena's aunt Jenna, whom he turned into a vampire, and even drained every drop of Elena's doppelgänger blood. During transition, Klaus was weak. Bonnie ambushed him with her magic from one hundred dead witches. All Elijah had to do was rip his brother's heart out. Instead, he pathetically fell for another empty promise by Klaus's ever deceitful tongue.
The consequences of Elijah's actions affected far more than Klaus's survival. His brother, Stefan Salvatore, turned yet again to his ripper side to serve Klaus, in exchange for the cure for a werewolf bite that endangered Damon's life. Now Klaus was driven to create an almighty army of hybrids. And yet again, Elena was in the middle of it all. Her blood was the key to Klaus's plans, thanks to his successful experiment on Tyler Lockwood. She would never be safe until Klaus was no more. Damon's hatred of the snobbish Original knew no bounds.
As he trekked his way through the crowd of hormonal teenagers, he kept an eye out for any signs of trouble. He spotted Bonnie Bennett, the resident witch, with her friend, Caroline Forbes, a vampire turned by Damon himself, by the entrance of the house. Elena arrived with Matt Donovan, a blonde jock whom Elena used to date. Matt was supposed to be here with Rebekah, Klaus's sister, but Elena was willful enough to literally stab her in the back. Damon admired her handiwork.
Elena spotted him and came over, leaving Matt to join Caroline and Bonnie. "These people, they don't look familiar."
"Klaus," Damon commented with a devious smirk. "He always has to make a spectacle out of Mystic Falls school events. Something tells me he wasn't loved when he was a teenager."
"Well, we have met his father," Elena said. "Imagine growing up with him."
"Are we all set?" Damon asked her.
Elena looked over and saw Klaus passing the doorway. "Let's get this over with."
Damon and Elena parted ways. While Elena was being Elena, Damon circled the Lockwood premises until he found Mikael, the father of the Originals, in a secluded area. "Y'know, I never quite saw my son as excited as he is now. He must be pretty stoked about my being dead."
"Let me guess," Damon chided, "this is Klaus's idea for a wake."
"Most of these people here are compelled by Niklaus," Mikael observed. "As it turns out, he did not come alone. There are hybrids at the entrances." He fetched a white oak stake from his sports coat pocket. It was the only weapon that could truly kill an Original. "If I cannot draw him outside, it will be up to you to do the job. You're the one that has been invited in. Don't screw it up, mate."
Damon accepted the weapon and concealed it. He left Mikael to do his part and went back to the house. Before going inside, he saw Klaus talking to Elena. He paused for a moment to ensure that nothing was going to happen then and there. The voluminous chatter in the air made it difficult for him to hear them from a distance. He heard Klaus say, "Give it your best shot." Of course, you can't be an Original vampire without thinking everyone is out to get you these days.
He went inside, after ripping a Hybrid's heart out, to check on the status of Tyler Lockwood, who was sired to Klaus. Perhaps he could get information on what Klaus was up to. Going up the stairs, he found Matt coming downstairs with Caroline slung over his shoulder. "What happened?" Damon asked him.
"Vervain," Matt told him. "Tyler said to take her away to safety."
Damon sighed, annoyed by Tyler's sire bond. "Might as well. I'll take it from here. Take Caroline home."
Matt followed instructions and left. Damon made his way up the stairs and ran into Tyler coming down. Damon ferociously grabbed him and tossed him into an empty office. "As the host, you should know these hybrids don't make the best first impression," he said sarcastically.
Tyler shoved him off of him. "Whatever move you're making, Klaus is going to be ready for you. He'll kill anyone at this party if he has to."
Damon scoffed. "Tell someone who cares."
He charged at Tyler with all of his speed. They wrestled around the office, trying to dominate the other. Suddenly Tyler began to transform, his fangs descending. Damon was quick to avoid getting bitten. Rebuking his attack, Damon knocked him to the floor and was about to stake him in the heart. Before he could do so, Bonnie came barging in and immediately began to cast the infliction spell on both of them. Tyler and Damon succumbed to her powers, groaning loudly as they held their heads in agony. In the process, Damon dropped the white oak stake on the floor. Tyler became unconscious.
When Bonnie was satisfied, she released them from the spell. Damon groaned as the pain subsided. "What the hell is wrong with you? You weren't supposed to witchy migraine me!"
"You weren't supposed to kill Tyler," Bonnie retorted.
"He tried to bite me," Damon said. He looked for the dagger and retrieved it from the floor.
"What is that?" Bonnie asked as he put it back in his jacket pocket.
"Nothing," Damon replied, shrugging himself off.
"Oh my God!" Bonnie said with sudden realization. "Is that the –"
"Shhh!" Damon insisted immediately. He mouthed while he pointed to his ear. "They're everywhere!"
"Why do you have it?" Bonnie said more quietly.
"Because I'm the only who can get inside the house!" He went to the office door. "Now, time to wait for daddy dearest to make his move."
It turned out he did not have to wait long. He hid behind the corner near the entrance of the house. At the doorway, Klaus was confronted with his very much alive father.
"Hello, Niklaus," Mikael greeted snidely.
"Hello, Mikael," Klaus laughed. "Why don't you come in? Oh, that's right. I forgot you can't."
"Or you can come outside if you want," Mikael challenged.
"Or," Klaus held his finger up, "I could watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb."
"They can't kill me," Mikael rolled his eyes.
"True," Klaus admitted. "But it'll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce."
The hybrids were amassed behind Mikael, awaiting for Klaus's command. Mikael just chuckled, amused by Klaus's delusions. "The big bad wolf," he commented. "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You only forget. They may be sired by you…but they're still part vampire." He smiled deviously. "And, they can be compelled by me."
A female hybrid came up and shoved Elena into Mikael's grasp. Klaus was dumbfounded by the turn of events. "Come out and face me, Niklaus!" He pulled a dagger from his pocket and put it toward Elena. "Or she dies."
Klaus's eyes boiled with rage. "Go ahead. Kill her."
"No, Klaus," Elena pleaded. "He'll do it."
"If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations," Mikael seethed.
"I don't need them," Klaus hissed. "I just need to be rid of you."
"To what end, Niklaus?" Mikael shot back, tightening his grip on Elena. "So you can live forever, with ono one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one!"
Klaus's eyes welled up from the hate he felt for Mikael. "I'm calling your bluff, father." He took a step forward. "Kill. Her!"
"Come outside and face me, you little coward," Mikael taunted. "And I won't have to."
Klaus's body was shaking with rage. "My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her, you lose your leverage. So go ahead." He growled with fury. "Go on. Kill her. Come on, old man. Kill her. KILL HER!"
Mikael cackled at his son's desperation. "You impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great."
He looked at Klaus square in the eye as he drove the dagger into Elena's back. Klaus gasped in surprise as Elena dropped to the ground, dead. Damon used this moment of distraction to execute his end of the plan. He came from hiding and charged at Klaus from behind, twisting him around and gouging the white oak stake into his stomach to subdue him to the floor. Meanwhile, "Elena" picked herself off the floor. Mikael was taken aback. "Katherine!"
"Kaboom!" Katherine shouted with a smirk on her face, throwing wolfsbane grenades in the air at the hybrids about to avenge Klaus. They all cried out in agony as they fell to the ground, their skin burning. Before Mikael can get ahold of her, Katherine fled from the scene.
Damon had Klaus right where he wanted him. Before he could shove the stake in his heart, Stefan tackled him away from Klaus, pinning him to the floor. "What are you doing?!" he demanded of his younger brother.
Klaus saw the stake on the floor and quickly grabbed it, ambushing Mikael to the ground. But, before he could kill his father with the weapon, Klaus was shot with a silver arrow laced with vervain. Another arrow impaled his hand, causing him to drop the stake. Klaus growled and yanked the second arrow from his hand, then quickly snapped Mikael's neck to render him unconscious. Then he took out the first arrow from his ribs and looked at the direction of his attacker. He was a young guy, in his mid-twenties. Black hair and steel blue eyes. He held a hunter's crossbow.
"Hmm, a new hunter," Klaus said. "Interesting."
The hunter fired another arrow at him, but Klaus was faster and caught it in the air. Then he charged at his foe and slammed him to the ground, shattering the crossbow in the process. He tried to get ahold of his neck to bite his jugular, but the hunter was quick and stabbed him with a stake he hid underneath his sleeve. Klaus was becoming aggravated by this boy. He grabbed him by the shirt and wrestled him at vampire speed into a tree. There, he pinned both of the hunter's arms against the bark, his neck vulnerable to his fangs.
Before he could plunge into the bloody vein, Klaus was blasted away from the hunter by a bolt of black lightning. Klaus landed near his hybrids, which were all sprawled on the ground, stunned. He groaned and stumbled as he stood back up, disoriented by the power of the electrocution. "That power," he seethed. "I know that isn't the Bennett witch!"
He turned to face a guy, same in age as the hunter. He had fair olive skin, maroon brown hair, and dark eyes. Klaus's eyes widened as the person standing before him reminded him of someone. "Ariston?!"
"That would be my grandfather you're thinking of, Klaus," the mystery boy said.
"Zubin!" Klaus exclaimed. "You've grown to look so much like Ariston. The last time I saw you, I was leaving you under the care of the very affectionate Ravana brotherhood."
"Too bad Farrell here found their nest and eradicated them all," Zubin said, gesturing to the vampire hunter beside him. "As it turned out, the seal on my powers was linked to their lives. Such a shame your little witch did not see that coming."
"You don't have the power to kill me," Klaus chuckled confidently. Suddenly, he charged at Zubin at super speed. Zubin countered him by firing another volley of black lightning bolts at him. Klaus cried out as he kneeled to the ground, struggling to resist the magic. "Stefan!" He called out.
Stefan emerged from the Lockwood mansion and charged to his master's aid. He shoved Farrell, the vampire hunter, back fifteen feet. Zubin was still channeling his power upon Klaus. Stefan charged at him. Zubin broke the channel and turned his attention to Stefan. He quickly flicked an open hand to him. Before Stefan reached his target, he was suddenly trapped in an ethereal ring of blue light, immobilizing him.
"Tsk, a common vampire as your lap dog," Zubin chastised. He turned back to Klaus, who was still wincing from his assault. "You're right. I can't kill you, but I can sure as hell hurt you…a lot." He delivered another charge of electricity through him to make his point. "But, that's beside the point. You know why I'm here, Klaus."
"Sorry," Klaus huffed furiously. "But I'm not anyone's bitch!"
He pulled himself up and dashed at Zubin with all his might. As they made contact, Zubin put his hand on Klaus's head. Instantly, Klaus was engulfed in a dark aura, his physical strength evaporating from his body. Klaus grunted and acceded to Zubin's dark power, falling face down into the grass. His entire body was quivering from the enfeeblement. His breath was shallow, as if his lungs were on the verge of collapsing.
Zubin squatted down by Klaus and gave him a pity squeeze on the shoulder. "I win this round, old man. But, assuming my memory is correct, that was your endearing father who took off with the white oak weapon you dropped." Mikael disappeared from where he was incapacitated, along with the stake, which Klaus had dropped nearby. "So now, I'm the least of your worries." He stood back up. "I'll get what I came for, one way or another."
Zubin motioned to Farrell for them to leave. "What about this one?" The hunter inquired, nodding to Stefan. "Perhaps he has answers."
"He's compelled," Zubin said, dismissing his magic upon the lesser vampire. He looked at Stefan straight in the eyes. "He's useless."
The hunter and the super-warlock left the premises without farther ado. Damon rushed over to Stefan to see if he was okay, then he punched him square in the jaw. "What the fuck were you thinking, Stefan! You fucked this up!"
Bonnie joined them, observing the still unconscious hybrids. "That guy was powerful. He must be using dark magic."
"Was he a witch?" Stefan asked her.
Bonnie shook her head. "He's not a witch. I did not sense a witch aura about him. He's something else."
"You're quite right, Bonnie," Klaus interjected, arising from the ground. He stumbled a bit as he tried to regain his balance. "He is no mere witch like you. He's a Necron, a very dangerous magical entity with immense darkness inside of him."
"He must be pretty powerful to go toe-to-toe with an Original Hybrid like you," Damon smirked. "Perhaps we'll become pals."
Klaus growled at Damon's sass. "Make no mistake. Necronai are consumed with destruction. He is as much of a danger to you all as he is to me. His powers have been unsealed, which means they will grow exponentially as long as he is alive." He paused and laughed to himself. "Besides," he looked up at Damon, "I'd be worry about you if I were smart. See, he's searching for his boyhood friend, Maddox."
Damon immediately remember Klaus's servant witch, who had captured Caroline and Tyler to sacrifice in Klaus's ritual to remove his curse. When Damon went to rescue them, Maddox intervened. He would have been killed by the witch if it weren't for Matt Donovan's meddlesome involvement. The teen shot Maddox with a vampire rifle, breaking the pain affliction spell. That gave Damon the opportunity to snap Maddox's neck, killing him on the spot.
Klaus smiled with bemusement at Damon's realization. "Yes, that's right, Damon. Perhaps I will not have to kill you after all." He winked at him slyly and walked away, leaving Stefan, Bonnie, and Damon to stew upon the new information.