CHAPTER 2 Victims and predators
"They got Rebekah."
Bonnie got up, ready to leave. She picked up her textbook, not even bothering to look at the hybrid. ''No.'' She said, looking like she doesn't care that it will upset him. He was shocked and mad. Niklaus has spent thousand years being in charge. He loved the power, it fed his ego better than anything else. And there was her, in her skinny jeans and grey sweater, walking away from him. Not giving a single fuck.
He immediately stood up to follow her. ''Excuse me?'' He asked, obviously in a state of shock. No one turns down Klaus Mikelson. No one walks away from Klaus Mikelson.
''I said no.'' Bonnie repeated. ''I know you heard,'' she was looking through bookshelves. "I'm important now. And skilled. So, I get to chose the cases I work on."
She took one book and briefly got through it, just to make a dramatic pause. He stood beside her like a puppy waiting to be fed and he couldn't believe he's actually in this position. To say it was driving him wild, would be an understatement. ''A guy who temporarily killed me doesn't deserve to be helped.''
Klaus was a creature of habits. He remembered exactly how he got her to help him last time around. Threats. Moral servants of nature cared about those meaningless human lives. He, on the other hand, didn't. That fact got him a lot of spells. So, naturally, following the pattern, he said. ''I will kill everyone here.''
Bonnie and Klaus looked around. There was a dozen humans in the library. ''Go ahead.'' Bonnie said coldly, before she turned her attention to another book.
Klaus ripped the book out of her hands, so she looked up. Weakness on his face was priceless. That expression was such a boost for her ego, she couldn't help but smile. Klaus made a wrong assumption. He thought she was still selfless and caring teenage witch he knew. She wasn't.
Those who are heartless once cared too much, was a quote Bonnie came across years ago. It described her perfectly now. She has reached a point she visualized as a line, once pain became too much, she crossed that line. She changed. She shut down.
Caring became too much of a burden, so she gave it up. ''You don't get it do you?'' He, however did not change one bit. He was still that selfish, evil man who forced her to switch his and Tyler's bodies again. Action that made her grandmother suffer great amount of pain. Action that broke her heart. ''You need ME. And I'm not afraid little teenager anymore. So go on, kill all of them. It only means I'll have it easier telling you no second time.''
Then she walked away. She got out of the building, completely calm. A little part of her was scared. It would be stupid not to be afraid of him. But that little part of her, that part that was still abused 17-year-old her, was deep below the surface. Boom. Quicker than her eyes could blink, she was push against her car, his hand on her neck choking her.
''Alright, love.'' Klaus said as he watched her struggle to breathe. ''If you don't care about them, you still care about you. Everyone cares about themselves.''
She figured easily what he has done. He assumed she became like him. Self-centered and hungry for power. She laughed in his face. That wasn't easy, because he was choking her, but with all the energy she had, she laughed in his face.
And it felt amazing.
He let her go. After several deep breathes that calmed down her lungs, she spoke. ''If you kill me, you kind of kill the whole point, love.'' She hated that he used that phrased, so she mocked him. She got into her car, ready to drive away.
Furious, Klaus smashed a window on her passenger side. ''I will kill everyone you love!'' He shouted.
''Good thing I don't love anyone, then.'' She drove away.
Bonnie needed a minute to compose herself before she continues with her day. So she sat in the parking lot, breathing deeply. Five years.
Five fucking years.
Spent in hiding; fear, anger and so many emotions she felt towards him it actually made her sick to her stomach. She has been used and neglected during her high school years, her friends, oftentimes treated her like this magical solution to all the problems they faced. Still, she gladly took part in their plans, she sacrificed herself because it felt right. With him, it was manipulation. The most sadistic kind.
He threatened to hurt the people she loved. He threatened to hurt Jeremy who was just starting over in Denver. She still remembered it clearly, how her heart broke into million pieces that Jeremy wasn't safe, even in another town. She felt so powerless doing that spell for him. She felt weak and stupid.
And then, not much later, he did it again. He threatened to kill Tyler in front of Caroline's eyes, in front of her. He stopped at nothing to get what he wants. He made her sick.
He was the last straw.
She left her hometown that night and never looked back. ''You alright?'' Connor's voice interrupted horrible memory lane she was on. ''Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.'' Bonnie put on a fake smile, undid her seat-belt and got out of the car. Not showing weakness was high on her priority list these days.
In her earlier days away from Mystic Falls, she realized there's two kinds of people out there. There's a predator and there's a victim.
And she sure as hell was ready to stop being a victim.
''What happened here?'' Connor asked about her smashed window.
Connor is a rather ruthless and intelligent vampire hunter. Bonnie met him three years ago, when he saved her from a wild vampire. He is cold and calculating when it comes to bringing down his enemies, never backing down no matter how dangerous the situation. She admires that about him and he admires her power, and how dependent on it supernatural creatures became.
They work together, alongside Diana West and Atticus Shane. They are her team. Unlike Klaus, Bonnie doesn't believe in being alone. Each member of the team has its strong point and as a team, they add up perfectly.
''Old acquaintance.'' Bonnie was not in a mood to explain. Normally, Connor would insist she explains, because he was very protective, but they already reached the top of the stairs and were seconds away from knocking on Shane's door, so there was no time.
Seconds later, Connor knocked on Shane's door and quickly, Shane opened. ''Oh good, you're here. Come on in.''
Shane said in one breathe, completely preoccupied with something else. He has always been like that. Workaholic. Determent. Smart. Bonnie always thought he's smarter than all of them and in some way, she was right.
Bonnie met Professor Shane, six years ago at Shelia's funeral. He was her colleague and he deeply respected deceased witch. After the service, he promised Bonnie he would always be there if she needed something and three years later, when she saw him again in New York, she took him up on that offer.
In Shane's living room was an unknown male. His eyes widen when he saw Bonnie. She instantly noticed his eyes were red from crying and fear was written all over his face. Victim. Bonnie made a mental note right away.
There are only two kinds of people in this world.
''August Fitzgerald.'' Shane said handing them notes he has written on a piece of paper. Bonnie read it and Connor stood behind her, reading it himself. ''Where's Diana?'' Bonnie asked. These kind of situations were Diana's forte. She was sensitive and caring, she would always talk to the victims first, Bonnie was the one to talk to predators first. Both came to her.
''University.'' Diana was Bonnie's age and Shane's one word answer meant Diana's cell was off because she was in a classroom.
It was time to talk to victim himself. Bonnie preferred when Diana did it, but this time, she'll have to man up. Or better yet, become more emotional than she normally was. She sat down next to tall, fit 40-year-old man with a beard and said. ''Hello, sir. My name is Bonnie Bennett. How can I help you?''
Klaus was nervously sitting at JFK airport. Everything around him annoyed him. Especially the humans. Those stupid humans and their stupid heartbeat. It was driving him insane. He wanted to rip them all apart. Commit massacre. Imagines of lifeless bodies with bloody necks were vivid in his mind, but he had to control himself. Because of Bonnie Bennett.
Klaus smashed his hand against the empty chair to his right, causing it to deform. Someone made him change his pattern. Someone made him change his behavior. That made his furious. But what seamed even worse was that it was the same girl he easily blackmailed only five years ago.
Person Klaus was waiting for, finally appeared. It was his hybrid named Vaughn. ''Hello, mate.'' Klaus said, patting his slave on the back. ''There's a little job I got for you.'' He smiled a devilish smile.
Vaugh was a ripper. Agressive, horrifying and dispiteous. Exactly the kind of man Klaus needed to kill Bonnie's loved ones.
''May I help you?'' August Fitzgerald's neighbor opened the door to Connor.
She was an old lady, something about her seamed so harmless and safe. She reminded Connor of Betty White. However, he knew she wasn't the problem...it was her dangerous and terrorizing vampire grandson. ''Good evening, ma'am. I'm hoping I can help you actually.'' Hunter said politely and with a smile. ''Your grandson Jason is failing algebra and I'm a tutor. His teacher gave me your address, she sees a potential in a boy.''
Connor lied. It was a story Bonnie came up with. Hiding from Original hybrid for years sharpend her survival techniques and lying, was one of them. ''Oh, how nice. Come on in.'' Old lady smiled widely. She truly was good.
''Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Connor Jordan.'' Connor gave her a hand to shake. On it was a vervain glove. Nothing. Jason's grandmother was human, and naive one for sure.
Bonnie appeared on still opened door, same as Jason walked into the hallway. Connor swiftly grabbed his gun and shot four wooden bullets into Jason. As grandma started to scream, Bonnie covered her mouth with her hand, holding her in a grip. Without hesitation, she started chanting. ''Panton vos vidit hac nocte non evenerit...'' Erasing old lady's memory with a spell.
During Bonnie's spell, Connor wrapped Jason's body in a carpet and set it on fire.
Twenty minutes later it was all over. ''Job well done, Bennett.'' Connor said as they exited grandmother's apartment.
''Likewise, Jordan.'' Bonnie smiled.
A/N: Atticus Shane is nothing like crazy professor he is in TVD. I simply made him Bonnie's team because you all know what he looks like. That would be all. Reviews are love.
