I don't own anything.
A/N: Alright it's time for another update but first I want to thank my reviewers from last week; Vie, Quizas, David Fishwick, NaeNae1495, jimi18, babyshan211, Eddieizzie, Lady Daejah, ShadiyaRay, Cynner and CrimsonEyedCullen. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter and please remember to Review.
Baby S
Chapter Three
Damon walked out of the Salvatore Manor and looked at Benjamin Bennett who stood outside with his black duffle bag slung over his shoulder, however the most striking thing was the sleek black Chrysler 300 parked in the driveway. Damon raised an eyebrow at the car as he walked down the remaining steps until he was standing right beside Benjamin. "Nice" he said as Benjamin headed over to the driver's side of the car. Benjamin opened the door, but didn't immediately get in. Instead he pointed at the passenger side.
"Just get in." he said before slipping into the car and slamming the door close. Damon frowned for a moment before slipping into the car. As he settled back against the seat, Benjamin pulled out and headed off in the direction that would take them towards the outskirts of town. Damon studied the area for a few moments before speaking up.
"Where are you going Benjamin, the exit is that way." Damon said pointing over his shoulder back in the other direction. Releasing a small sigh, Benjamin just shook his head while tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"We aren't headed that way, we need to get out of the country." At the look on Damon's face, Benjamin found himself rolling his eyes heavenward. "Damon, do you really think that Lucius has a Coven in North America?"
"I don't know much about him except the things that Jaxon told me." Damon admitted as he looked over at Benjamin who merely raised an eyebrow and nodded his head.
"Well then let me tell you some more things about good ole Lucius, he doesn't really like the U.S.," he said with a shrug of shoulders as he turned the car down a dirt road. "He's an old man and he prefers the old feel of Europe and other areas so if he has Bonnie, he's more than likely overseas." Damon just nodded his head before looking back at the window. They continued driving in silence for a few more minutes before Benjamin spoke up. "If there are some things you need to ask me before we really get going then you need to go on and ask me." Damon glanced over at him before slowly nodding his head.
"Alright so you're Azrael right," he waited for Benjamin to nod his head in agreement before coming. "What is that like 007 for witches and warlocks?" Benjamin was silent for a moment before slowly nodding his head.
"Yes, despite your way of putting that's exactly what Azrael is. The best get the title and for the last fifteen years I've been the best." he said proudly as he looked over at Damon. "Is there anything else?"
"When you said you couldn't have a family-that you weren't suppose to have Bonnie what did you mean?" Damon asked bluntly as he looked at Benjamin, who seemed to tense up at the question, for a moment the older man was silence and then finally Benjamin spoke up.
"When you're apart of the WADA, it is strongly suggested that you don't have a family. Things can happen if you do decide to have one. I remember one of my colleagues Austin Carr," he paused and looked over at Damon who's mouth had dropped open in surprise. "Yeah that Carr-Vincent's father. He had been captured, while investigating some murders that we believed were strongly tied to the Lucius case. He had been Azrael before me. He was a great warlock, powerful as hell. Lucius killed him, found out about his family and killed his wife and took his children."
"So you-."
"That's what I mean when I say I wasn't suppose to have her, but I met Alexis and I fell in love and we had Bonnie. I don't regret a thing really. Bonnie has been a great child there's only one decision I truly question," he murmured while sending Damon a look.
"Well I guess it's a good thing I don't really care what you think of me." Damon replied back while crossing his arms over his chest. "But was never telling her about you and your witchy ju-ju really keeping her safe."
"Witchy Ju-Ju," Benjamin drawled out as if the word had a bad aftertaste on it. "Oh you have got to be kidding me with that, Damon."
"Sorry I'm used to discussing things out with my little witch."
"Is that one of your little nicknames for her-little witch?" Benjamin asked with a shake of his head. "All an enemy would need to do was listen to you talk to her once and they'd know all they need to know."
"When Marcel and Garrett came here they already knew all they needed to know." Damon stated firmly. "I didn't have to tell them anything." he said as he looked at Benjamin who just clenched his jaw and focused on driving. "Now about this whole leaving the country thing, I'm sure the airport is in other direction as well." Benjamin just tilted his head back and laughed aloud at Damon's statement sighing and slowly shaking his head.
"Damon, after everything I did to you in your house. The fire, the lightening, et cetera, et cetera. Do you seriously think that I travel by plane when it's an emergency?" Damon heard what Benjamin was telling him but he seriously couldn't figure out what the man could do to get them overseas without a plane. Witches and Warlocks were powerful supernaturals but even some things weren't possible.
"Bonnie had to drop you off at the airport before?" Damon pointed out as Benjamin pulled over into a desert field. He looked around and wondered if he had made a mistake coming along with the man. Turning off the car, Benjamin turned in his seat and looked at him.
"It was never an emergency then, just a job. Plus, I had to spend time with my daughter. I didn't like being called on case after case without spending time with my little girl. The car rides were just that. A way I could spend time with Bonnie, any little time would do." With that said Benjamin stepped out of the car and motioned for Damon to do the same. As Damon stepped out of the car, Benjamin reached into the backseat and pulled out his bag. He slowly walked to the hood of the car and sat the bag down. Reaching inside he pulled out a gun and handed it to Damon. "Here take this, you do know how to fire an automatic weapon don't you." Damon looked at the gun and then back over Benjamin.
"I think I can handle myself just fine without this?"
"Just take it as insurance, I have a feeling that when I do find my daughter and you're dead because of an unfortunate accident, she might be upset." he said as he turned and looked at Damon who a cheeky smile. "So please just take it, besides we all need a little bit of insurance every once in a while." Damon stared at the man, before tucking the gun into his pants' waistband. Benjamin eyed him silently for a minute before standing up and tossing the bag aside. Damon watched as the bag sailed through the air and quickly caught on fire until it disappeared.
"Are you sure you won't need anything else from the bag, Benjamin?" he asked, Benjamin just nodded his head and focused his attention on his car.
"As from this point on you call me Azrael. Don't call me Benjamin and definitely not Bennett." Damon didn't say anything as he watched the car shift and then fold in on itself until it was nothing more than a small black plastic box. Benjamin walked forward and picked up the object and stuffed it into his pocket while glancing over his shoulder at Damon. "Do you understand me, Damon. From now on, I'm Azrael do not call me Benjamin Bennett unless we're alone." Damon just nodded his head as he looked at the space on the ground where the car used to be.
"I understand you loud and clear, Fil."
"What da hell is that?" Benjamin asked as he turned completely around and looked at Damon as if he had grown several heads in the space of a second. Damon smirked at the older man's face and just shrugged.
"My nickname for you."
"Which means what exactly." Benjamin asked as he eyeballed Damon.
"Father-in-law," at the look on Benjamin's face, Damon pushed on. "Yeah, it's that serious between your daughter and-."
Azrael and nothing else, Damon." Benjamin snapped out as he walked a few steps away from Damon while shaking his head. Damon looked after him and rolled his eyes.
"I think I'll stick with Fil, otherwise I'll just be helping that massive ego you have grow even bigger than it is right now. Oh and another thing, since you decided to make our only means of transportation a matchbox toy," Damon called out as he watched Benjamin reached out into the air. "I was wondering just how we were going to get to Bonn-IE." Damon finished with a startled shout as Benjamin yanked his hands up. Damon felt as if the world had been ripped up from under him. Darkness surrounded him and all Damon could feel was the sensation of falling, he felt like he was moving faster than he normally did when using his vampire speed. As abruptly as the feeling started it ended, and Damon found himself dropping down to his knees on a cold coddle stone street. Benjamin stood right by his side and patted his back as he dry heaved.
"Happens to everyone on their first time." Benjamin muttered plainly as he looked down at Damon and wrinkled his nose at the smell.
"First time what?" Damon snapped as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before looking up at the man he knew he couldn't stand. "What in the hell did you do?" Benjamin looked down at him as if he were slow and then sighed.
"I got us to Rome-where one of the contacts we're going to visit currently lives." Benjamin said as he looked back down at Damon. "Hurry and finish up here. We don't have all day and please try not to hit my patent leather shoes."
"My mother? Whose my mother?" Bonnie exclaimed as she looked at the goddess who stared back at her and released a deep sigh.
"Alexis Moore, even though she doesn't know," the goddess paused and shook her head. "Or I guess the right term would be at the moment she doesn't remember." Bonnie clasped her hands over her mouth and stared wide eyed at Hecate. The goddess looked at Bonnie for a moment before rising up from the spot she was currently sitting in. Bonnie frowned at her as she studied the goddess before her.
"Let me guess you influenced that to happen?"
"If I hadn't used my influence your mother would have died years ago. However things needed to happen. Choices needed to be made so that I could get you, your Coven."
"My mother works for Lucius and you don't see anything wrong with that, Hecate." The goddess crossed her arms over her chest and released a tired.
"I see plenty of things wrong with it, but it still needed to be done otherwise Lucius would have gotten you when you were nothing more that mere child."
"My father thinks she left him," Bonnie whispered as she thought about the way her father tensed whenever she used to mention her mother. "What about him, you claim he's a servant of yours right then how could you allow your servant to suffer." Hecate shrugged his shoulders. "He loved my mother."
"And in the grand scheme of things that matters how," Hecate asked. "Your father may be a servant of mine and my husband but that doesn't mean we set out to make his life easier. Your mother leaving set several things into motion. Your father threw himself into his job as our new Azrael and became more powerful because of it."
"So is that what you do? You play with people's lives, like it's a game of chess. Maneuvering people into situations just so you can make a better move later on." Hecate narrowed her eyes at Bonnie and slowly shook her head.
"You need to watch your tone when speaking with me, Bonnie. I'm usually well tempered but this is the second time that you have taken a disrespectful tone with me in my domain and I will not allow you to do that again." Hecate shouted as she stood up from her position on the floor. Bonnie took several steps back but didn't cower underneath the heat of Hecate's gaze. Hecate took several deep breaths and looked away from her for a moment. "I do not like the imagery you created, I do not play games with people's lives. I am simply trying right wrongs the wrongs that our kind has made and you reduce it to me being some uncaring god simply doing things. That is not true."
"So do you care about people-the people that you've done things too." Hecate narrowed her eyes at Bonnie and released a small smirk.
"Of course I care. Otherwise I wouldn't be trying to take out Lucius. It is time for him to be brought to justice so he can pay for his numerous crimes. Influencing a few things so that certain people can be ready when I called them is nothing. Hardship helps some build character and that is merely what I did." Bonnie didn't say anything but she continued to look at Hecate who sighed brokenly. "I needed your mother to care for the children that were taken by Lucius and his men and she did that."
"What about me?"
"You had your father and grandmother," Hecate pointed out. "Because your mother left, you built up certain character traits that you needed. Loyalty being one of them, that seems to drawn people into your sphere and forces them to extend that same blind loyalty back to you. It's a good thing, Bonnie. However I understand that you may not see it that way. You're young though and you have quite sometime to get used to it." Hecate muttered plainly as she looked at Bonnie before releasing a tired sigh. "Now I do believe it's time for you to head back-" she paused for a moment and looked up as if someone was talking to her. Finally after a few moments Hecate lowered her head back down and looked at Bonnie. "My husband just informed me to give you a choice. Do you want to go back or would you ready just remain here."
"You know I have to go back." Bonnie said softly as she looked at Hecate, "I can't leave Damon behind and-."
"I knew you would pick the right choice but before you go I want to open your mind to the magic that you still haven't yet unlocked." Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her words before slowly taking a step back.
"What are you talking about? You said I was powerful, you talked about me being able to control lightening and all that stuff so I really don't understand."
"If I do this your powers will increase. . . greatly." Hecate said as she stepped into Bonnie's personal space. Bonnie looked at her and Hecate released a small sigh but didn't try to do anything at first. "Before I do any of this, I want you to understand that going back will cause you some pain so prepare yourself for that." Nodding her head, Bonnie clenched her fist and lowered her hands down to her side.
"Fine go ahead and do it." Bonnie said bravely, Hecate released a small smile as she looked down at her.
"So brave and loyal. You have certainly proven to be one powerful witch and you have done the Bennett line proud." she said as she lifted a finger and touched it to the center of Bonnie's forehead. As soon as the finger pressed into her flesh, Bonnie felt a crippling pain surround her like fire. She clutched her stomach and felt backwards towards the floor. The last image she saw was one of Hecate smiling and waving at her as she felt backwards. As she descended backwards, the pain whited out her vision until she heard voices above her.
"Go and tell Lucius that she is waking up." A deep voice shouted out from somewhere far away. She groaned and turned over onto her side and took several deep breaths as she tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. She swore she could hear Hecate whispering over the air, 'good luck,' opening her eyes she found herself in a well furnish room.
"Ms. Bennett, you need to stay still." A voice said, opening her eyes she looked up into a face that she didn't recognize, even though the eyes looked awfully familiar. Bonnie closed her eyes and released another painful groan.
Nikolas stepped back and looked over his shoulder at Richard who had obviously come by because of the commotion. Richard stepped into the room and looked over at Bonnie who was groaning as if she were on the threshold of death. "What da hell did you do to her?" he shouted over her loud groans. Nikolas looked up from Bonnie and lifted a hand silencing Richard's next comments. Once he had Bonnie on her side, he lifted his gaze towards the other man.
"I don't have time for your shit, Richard."
"Where's Lucius he would want to be here?" Richard demanded as he glared at Nikolas as if he were breaking some type of code. Nikolas felt his eyes narrow at his words, without even thinking about it, he lifted his hand and sent out a pulse that slammed Richard into the wall near the door.
"Do you seriously think I need this right now?" he shouted out angrily as he focused back on Bonnie. "What I need right now is water and food, she's been out for quite some time and she hasn't eaten in days." He lifted his head and looked at Richard who was slowly getting up off the ground. "Now go before I do something else to you." Richard sent him a hard glare before hurrying from the room. Once alone, Nikolas looked back down at Bonnie and sighed.
"Ms. Bennett, come on snap out of it. You're fine." he urged as he looked down at her struggling form. Nikolas watched as Bonnie bolted up right in the bed with a loud gasp, he barely caught her as she slumped over to the side. She clutched his arms and took several deep breaths. He could see her eyes frantically looking over the room before they settled on him. He opened his mouth to ensure that she was safe but her panic scream accompanied with a powerful aneurysm had him on his knees clutching his head. Nikolas groaned out in pain and felt a steady stream of blood leaking from his nose as she continued her assault.
"I won't let you hurt me Lucius." he heard Bonnie murmured as she focused on him even more, Nikolas groaned and fall to his side as the blood coming from his nose continued to rush out. Nikolas lifted himself up off the floor and rested a hand on Bonnie and murmured a quick spell. As soon as he finished her hold over him stopped and he slumped to the floor in pain. He barely heard the door open with Lucius rushing in.
"What did you do to her?" Lucius shouted out as he reached out for him and pulled him to his feet. Nikolas' nose was still a bloody mess as he looked up into Lucius face.
"She was going to kill me, I had to stop her. She's just out right, she woke up in this fighting rage I had to stop her." Lucius narrowed his eyes at him for a moment before releasing Nikolas, who dropped down to the floor. Turning his attention away from his right hand man, Lucius focused on Bonnie's form. She was resting on the bed, her chest rising and falling slowly as if she were merely taking a nap.
"What did you do to her, Nikolas?"
"A simple," Nikolas paused and wiped a hand underneath his nose. "A simple sleeping spell, you can wake her up whenever you want. I just put her under cause I needed the pain to stop." Lucius just nodded his head and looked at one of the men who had come to get him.
"Clean up this mess," he said as he pointed at Nikolas' blood on the floor. "And Nikolas go ahead and take a break, you look like you need it."
"Thank you, sir." Nikolas murmured as he slowly strolled from the room still reeling from the pain that Bonnie had laid on him when she woke up. He stopped at the door and looked back inside and saw Lucius leaning over Bonnie and whispering a spell that would probably wake her back up. He really wished the girl hadn't woken up, at least then she wouldn't be trapped here with Lucius. Plus he, his brother, Giselle and Jasmine would be so much closer to nearing their own deaths.
Once he was alone, Lucius placed a hand on Bonnie's arm and murmured the spell to wake Bonnie back up. He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest as she started to slowly stir. After a moment, he watched as Bonnie blinked open her eyes and slowly looked around. "Damon?" she whispered and Lucius could feel his incisors drop in rage. Angry that he had to hear that name from her lips, he knew it was probably that damn vampire that he had smelled on her the day she had been brought to him.
"No, I'm afraid he isn't here." Lucius said, he watched as she jerked around and looked up at him. He slowly took in her features now that they were animated. She looked so delicate and beautiful, and he wanted that. Bonnie looked over at him and he could see the fear rising in her eyes right before she gave him an earth shattering aneurysm. He tilted his head back and groaned out loud before reaching out and wrapping his hand around her neck. "Stop it." he shouted out through the pain, while shaking her. As he tightened his grip around her throat, he felt the pain in his head stop. Once the throbbing was completely gone, he released her and stepped back while letting her go. He watched silently as Bonnie tried to catch her breath while looking at him. He studied her slender neck, silently and saw some bruises slowly rising up on her skin. "It's a damn shame you forced me to mar that beautiful neck." he whispered as he looked at her. "I had hoped our first meeting wouldn't be like this." he said with a broken sigh as he looked at her. "Do you even know who I am?" he asked, his voice growing slightly sinister as he looked at her.
Bonnie studied him as he stood at the side of her bed. She would have to be a fool not to recognize who exactly he really was. She knew he was Lucius and that she could fight him but she probably wouldn't be able to kill him. "Bonnie do you know who I am?" he asked again, his voice getting slightly harder as he glared at her.
"You're Lucius, Jaxon told me all I-."
"I don't care to hear what that traitor Jaxon has told you about me." Lucius snapped out angrily as he looked at her, his incisors coming down in the mist of his rage filled reply. Bonnie moved back towards the wall and looked at him as he rubbed a tired hand over his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he looked at her. "I didn't mean to snap at you," he whispered as he looked at her for a moment before releasing a crazy sounding chuckle that sent a chill up and down Bonnie's spine. "You're quite the looker though I should expect that, your line does produce beautiful witches. Did you know that? Did you know that you're beautiful."
"Did you know that you're a monster?" Bonnie snapped out angrily as she glared at the man before her. Lucius narrowed his eyes at her and reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back towards him. Leaning forward, he stopped just as his lips brushed over her ear.
"A monster," he chuckled and slowly shook his head. "If I were a monster I would have already killed your child." he whispered as he lowered his free hand to her stomach, Bonnie gasped as she felt his nail dig into her skin. "If I were a monster I would be digging that child out of your womb at this very moment limb by fucking limb while feeding you my blood so you could continue to live and watch as I kill that child." he lowered his head then to her neck and allowed one of his incisors to nip at her flesh pulling away from her he released a soft sigh and looked down at her still flat belly which was now bleeding due to the small cut he had given her during his speech. Lifting his bloody fingertip to his mouth, he slowly licked the blood off while staring at her. "Be careful Bonnie that you don't wake the monster in me."
"Black, black and more black. How original." Benjamin drawled out calmly as he looked up from the paper he was currently reading to look Damon over, who was currently wearing a black suit jacket and pants along with a black silk shirt that currently had a few buttons undone. "Are you serious?" Damon popped his collar and sent Benjamin a look while nodding his head.
"Yeah, I'm serious and as for the original comment-I've been pulling this style off since before you were a glean in your mother's eyes. Besides you told me to dress up Fil and that's what I did. I dressed up." Benjamin narrowed his eyes at Damon's comments especially when he heard that horrible nickname that Damon had made up when they had been back in Mystic Falls. Like hell, he was Damon's father-in-law.
"Please refrain from truly showing me your age. Makes the relationship between you and my daughter. . ," he trailed off with a shudder while waving his hands in the air in hopes of getting the thought out of his head. "And I thought I told you to stop calling me that." he snapped out angrily as he looked over at Damon who merely stood across the room with with a small smirk on his face as he took in Benjamin's reaction.
"I already told you, I'm not calling you Azrael, cause I refuse to feed that ego of yours." Damon pointed out with a shrug as he walked over to a chair and settled down. "Besides Fil is a good, fine nickname, hell I'm being pretty respectful considering the fact that I don't like you that much and FYI it's not because of the usual tiffs in-laws usually have."
"Oh really and just why is it that you don't like me Damon?" Benjamin asked as he folded his paper and set it to the side while sending the boy a heated glare that Damon returned in kind. Leaning forward in his chair, Damon lifted a hand and began counting off his reasons.
"For number one, I don't like the fact that you kept yourself and your whole magical powers to yourself over the years. Bonnie could have used your help with a lot of things. That's the first thing I don't like even though I have to admit I understand your decision on the matter now that we've talked about it. Secondly, you've been slinging your magic around from the moment you came and tore up my Manor." Benjamin's frown slowly curled into a smirk.
"Oh so you're still mad about the jump."
"Jump!" Damon exclaimed heatedly as he looked over at Benjamin while rapidly shaking his head. "A jump is if I climbed up on that table and bent my knees and propelled myself through the air over towards you so I could punch you in the eye. What you did back in Mystic Falls wasn't a jump. I-I fell through something and landed in freaking Rome and you didn't even think to say, 'Hey, I better warn Damon, I'm about to pull some type of witchy juju bullshit warp out of my magic hat."
"I don't think I like that term." Benjamin said with a slow shake of his head. "Witchy juju-come on Damon you can do a little better than that."
"Well I didn't like falling through hell."
"That wasn't hell." Benjamin pointed seriously. "Besides that's how I usually do first timers. I didn't have time to explain to you what the hell I was about to do and since you're you, I knew you were going to ask me a bunch of silly ass questions and then you wouldn't do it. I mean seriously what better way to spring a new way of traveling on people then to just do it. After all, you better get used to it cause as long as you're around me that's going to be your primary way of traveling." Damon rolled his eyes at Benjamin's statement and just shook his head.
"And once we got here you acted like you cared more about your patent leather shoes than my well-being."
"I do care more about my patent leather shoes." Benjamin stated as he stood up and sent a look towards Damon who was simply staring back at him with a look that clearly stated that he was not amused by that last statement. "Now are we finished here cause we do need to focus on the mission at hand."
"I'm always focus on the mission at hand, especially this mission." Damon replied with a sigh as he looked at the man. "Now what are we suppose to be doing tonight, Fil."
"Azrael."
"I'm sticking with Fil." Damon replied with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So what are we suppose to be doing tonight, whose this contact."
"Not really a contact just a vampire who knows this area and probably knows what areas to stay away from cause if you're a vampire and you don't want to get picked up by Lucius and his people."
"Jaxon told me that they basically used vampires for target practice and training." Benjamin looked over his shoulder at Damon for a moment and shrugged his shoulder.
"What do you care, you aren't exactly a vampire anymore." Benjamin noticed the look of unease that crossed over Damon's features and sighed. Turning around so that he could face Damon, he spoke up while reaching out and placing a hand on Damon's shoulder.
"Come on, I don't need to see that man. My daughter fell in love with you for a reason right and I'm sure one of the reasons was because you had plenty of self-esteem now pull yourself together alright cause Poppa Bennett don't want his daughter messing around with no punks." Deciding to ignore the fact that maybe Benjamin was trying to call him out his name, Damon instead focused on what Benjamin had just called himself.
"Poppa Bennett is that like your frat nickname or something?" Damon asked sarcastically as he shook his head at the older man, whose only response was to shrug his shoulders.
"Don't try to disrespect that nickname its ten times better than dumb ass name Fil," Benjamin snapped as he looked over at Damon. "Now let's focus on what we're going to do tonight because judging from my watch, it's about time we get started." Benjamin said as he rubbed his hands together. "Now we're going to go to this club named Afterlife."
"Wow, creative." Damon deadpanned as he looked at Benjamin who merely rolled his eyes and nodded his head in agreement.
"Please I know, anyway we're going to Afterlife to meet up with a vampire named Mathis," he reached for a picture on the table and handed it to Damon so he could see who they were going to hunt. "Hopefully we get our information and nothing happens that will result in us having to kill multiple people."
"Multiple people?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked over at Benjamin who was now handing him the gun that he had dropped on the table when he had disappeared into his bedroom to change.
"It's a club, Salvatore." Benjamin sighed as he sent him a look. "You have been to those right?" Damon just smirked and nodded his head while Benjamin pulled out one of his guns and checked the chamber. A habit he had formed during his earlier days as a mere agent for the WADA. Damon looked down at his gun and then back over at Benjamin.
"You know I may be old and all, but even back in my day we had extra bullets on hand in case we ran out and-."
"There's no need for extra clips Damon. The gun reloads the clip by itself. Besides the gun is merely insurance like I told you before," he stated with a shrug before turning to and looking at Damon who was staring at him as if he couldn't believe what he had just been told. Rolling his eyes heavenward he released a tired sigh. "Oh come on don't act so surprise, just think of it was my witchy juju bullshit." he said quoting Damon's earlier statement. Turning on his heel, Benjamin quickly made his way out of the house and down towards the garage with Damon right on his heels. When they entered the garage, Damon paused in the doorway when he saw the Chrysler 300 that Benjamin had shrunken earlier that day sitting before him as if he it hadn't been folded into a tiny matchbox car.
"What did you have to do get this back to size, Ben. Add water and wait?" Benjamin cut him a look as he made his way over to the driver's seat. Lifting a hand he pointed at the passenger side of the car.
"Get in the car Damon." he snapped out through clenched teeth as he opened his door and slipped inside, Damon waited a beat and then quickly did the same. Once he was fully in the car, Benjamin sped out of the garage.
"Damn couldn't you have at least waited until I had my seatbelt on?" Benjamin looked over at Damon for a minute before rolling his eyes.
"You have a healing ability." he said in a singsong voice as he pulled out into the heavy late night traffic, "Unlike humpy dumpy you can put yourself together again."
"Really, that's what you're going to say to me." he asked with a shake of his head while Benjamin just shrugged his shoulders and continued driving. Damon just rolled his eyes at Benjamin's silence and looked out the window. After a few minutes of silence, Benjamin cleared his throat and tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel.
"When we get there I think it would be best if you were to remain quiet and let me do all the talking." he stated seriously as he looked over at Damon who was looking back at him. Nodding his head, Damon just looked at Benjamin before glancing back at the city lights that he could see as they drove down the hillside towards the city. He knew it was time to get serious, they needed this Mathis guy to tell them what they needed to know so they could get Bonnie away from the sicko Lucius and her crazy-ass mother Alexis. He wanted Bonnie back just as much as her father did. Glancing back over at Benjamin he sighed.
"Don't worry I won't say anything, unless I'm asked-we can't make things awkward." Benjamin nodded his head in agreement.
"If that happens try not to give to much away. Lucius may hate vampires but I'm pretty sure they know his business at least the vampires on this side of the world. Knowing Lucius business helps them stay alive." he muttered with a sigh. Damon just nodded his head and leaned back in the seat. As he settled back he felt the weight of the gun at his waist. Opening an eye, he looked at Benjamin briefly before asking the one question that had been on his mind since he had been introduce to his 'insurance policy.'
"What's the likely hood of us having to-."
"Kill multiple people," Benjamin supplied with a laugh as he pulled up to a stop light and turned to look over at Damon who was silently watching and waiting for an answer. "I didn't think I'd hear that question from you, I generally thought you wouldn't care."
"I don't care, I just don't want to be bored and I feel like taking my anger out on a few people. Haven't really gotten to do that yet?" Damon said as he thought about Lucius, Alexis and the Coven. "And the people I want to hurt aren't anywhere to be found."
"Well in that case, I'd say the likely hood of us having to kill people is about fifty to a hundred percent."
"That-that. Really fifty to hundred percent."
"Yes really, it all depends on me and my attitude and patience cause some vampires seem to be quite long winded and that is one trait that annoys the hell out of me," he paused and blew out a breath while shaking his head. "And it also depends on if this guy has done anything extremely bad lately that he thinks would have gotten him mine-Azrael's attention. So you see I can't really give you a better percentage than that." Damon leaned his head on the window and thought over his long life and then glanced back at Benjamin.
"I've done some bad things during my time and I've never even heard of this whole Azrael thing until you came barging into my home." Benjamin released a snort and shook his head rapidly at Damon's words if what he had said was completely off base.
"Oh come on Damon, we both know you weren't that bad. The WADA is all about stopping the truly bad members of the supernatural society, you haven't been put in that category," he paused and look over at Damon who was opening his mouth to say something else. "Damon really you aren't that bad. You weren't farming humans for their blood or terrorizing an entire city, taking their children because you claimed to like their blood the best. I have a lot of other horrible things I can name and you wouldn't have even thought of them. Let's face it you were never that bad." he said as he pulled off the street into a small lot. Turning off the car, he looked over at Damon and sighed. "If you had been that bad my daughter would have never wanted a damn thing to with you and she certainly wouldn't have saved your life." Damon's mouth closed at the statement and both he and Benjamin just sat there in the car silently. Damon knew Benjamin was speaking the truth. Bonnie brought out the good in him and she wouldn't settled for anything less. Hell, she hadn't liked him when he had been his normal bad self back in the day but she certainly wouldn't have liked him if he had even attempted to do the things that Benjamin had pointed out besides if he had been that far gone into the dark side, he probably wouldn't wasted his time on her. "Come on let's get this over with," Benjamin said cutting into his thoughts. Damon nodded his head and reached for the door handle. "Damon if we get in trouble, show those bastards that there's a new supernatural entity in the world. Surprise the bastards before you seen them on over."
"That I can do." Damon replied as he slipped out of the car. Benjamin followed suit and exited the car as well. They walked down the street and eventually arrived at the club's front door. Damon looked up at the sign over the door that read Afterlife in blood red colors. "How original." he murmured only to receive a look from Benjamin. Walking up to the front door, the doorman eyed them and looked down at the paper in his hands.
"I don't know you old man, besides this isn't a club for old tourists." Benjamin frowned at the term and stepped over towards the doorman.
"Names Azrael." Benjamin stated on a growl before pointing towards Damon. "And this is my associate." Damon watched as the doorman's eyes widened in shock when Benjamin dropped the name Azrael. "We're here to see Mathis can you go get him for us." The doorman merely nodded his head before nervously clearing his throat.
"Oh okay well just give me a minute." he quickly turned and practically ran into the club. Once they were alone, Damon turned towards Benjamin and raised an eyebrow. Benjamin frowned at the look that Damon was currently sending him.
"What?"
"Oh so you can ask nicely to come in here," he said suggesting to the club. "But you have to break into my manor on an Armageddon cloud."
"Seriously," Benjamin murmured under his breath, but he knew Damon could hear him. "I put everything back in its rightful place so just let it go. . . let it go." he said with a wave of his hand as the doorman returned. He looked at Benjamin and Damon before opening the door and motioning them inside.
"Mathis is behind those doors over there." He said pointing across the crowded dance floor to a couple doors in the far corner being guarded by two men. Walking into the club, Damon reached over and slap his hand on Benjamin's arm.
"Seems like we're getting the VIP treatment."
"I suppose." Benjamin said as he and Damon crossed the dance floor and made their way for the door. Once they stood in front of the two men, they looked them over and opened the door which revealed itself to be a large office. Damon looked into the room and saw five men inside not counting the two doormen that entered behind them. There was one desk in the room with two chairs in front of it. He slowly took in the man seated behind the desk.
Benjamin's eyes surveyed the group until his eyes landed on Mathis who was seated at his desk with his men making a semi-circle of protection around him. Mathis smirked at them both and brushed some of his shaggy brown hair out of his face. His light brown eyes looked over Damon and then finally settled on Benjamin.
"Azrael, I never thought I see you on my doorstep. Please have a seat." Benjamin shook his head and sighed.
"This isn't a social visit." Mathis leaned back in his chair and sent a smirk, Benjamin's way.
"Oh really so why are you here?"
"I need information." Mathis chuckled and just stared at Benjamin while his men stepped forward even more. Benjamin had to fight the urge to smirk, did the man really think his vampire thugs would intimidate him. "Information I believe you can give me."
"I'm flattered you think I'm so important that I could give you information on what exactly."
"Lucius." Benjamin said dropping the name like a bomb, Damon watched as Mathis' face paled while he looked at Benjamin. "I need information on Lucius." Mathis cleared his throat and stood up from the desk.
"All information I give out generally goes for a price. An exchange if you will." Mathis said smoothly as he patted down his suit while looking at him.
"Of course an exchange," Benjamin replied slowly as if he were deep in thought. "How about this, you and your men live that's the only toll I'm willing to pay for information that you will eventually give me." Damon stood by silently and watched as Bonnie's father slipped into his Azrael personality. Ever since they stepped into the club, Benjamin's face had become like stone. His facial features gave nothing away. Mathis' eyes darkened at Benjamin's words and Damon could see just a hint of fang which clued him in on just how anger the vampire was getting.
"That's not how this works."
"That's how I work." Benjamin replied as he looked Mathis right in the eyes. "Either way I'm going to get my information. I don't care if it's willing or forced," he took a step forward and Damon watched as Mathis' men stepped forward. Benjamin eyed them all before settling his gaze back on Mathis. "Now is it going to be willing or forced-it's your choice." Mathis loudly snarled at Benjamin's words and that seemed to be the sign that his men were waiting on. In the blink of an eye, they all rushed forward crashing in on Damon and Benjamin from the front and the back, incisors down ready to kill them both.