AU: WARNING! This chapter contains some relatively graphic violence eek! Consider yourselves warned.


Chapter 9. Repercussions

"We have a problem, brother. And when I say problem, I mean global crisis."


**FLASHBACK**

"I'm looking for Michael."

Damon stiffened as he heard the throaty chuckles of the henchmen, as well as the angry growl of the guy's pet wolf hound under the table, and he swallowed uneasily, whilst trying to appear calm. He had to play this right, or else this might be his very last few minutes on this miserable planet, and he still had shit to do.

"I'll give you this kid, you've got balls coming to me after what happened."

The man sitting in front of him went by the name of Sage, as in wise, although Damon liked to think of him more as cunning, devious, sly, unreadable... He was the son of a man who many believed to be the living devil; a drugs baron who practically owned Chicago.

And Sage had known Damon ever since he'd left Mystic Falls. Damon had been desperate to prove himself so that he could join this powerful group and he'd done everything he could to ingratiate himself.

But he'd made a mistake.

Instead of killing a girl on his hit list Damon had gone soft and had allowed her to escape, going with her himself to Italy, where he'd sought protection with the Mafia, drawing on his familial blood ties to the group. It hadn't worked and the thugs had got her anyway. Her name was Rose and she was a reformed addict, but she had refused to pay up the money she had still owed from her high school days. Damon had seen a lot of himself in her, not to mention her good looks, but as always he had cut off his emotions to her after she died. Living on the edge left little time for love or mercy or guilt or just plain old human goodness.

So he knew he was a first class idiot to stand before this man now, even if they had once been almost like brothers not so very long ago. He knew this, yet he also knew that out of all his contacts, Sage would know best how to find Michael.

"What made you think I wouldn't just kill you on the spot Damon?"

"You wouldn't risk the displeasure of my other friends."

"True true. The Italians are well known for their loyalty. And yet, it hasn't stopped me before. You say you seek Michael? He is one of Elijah's crew is he not? His right hand man?"

"Yes."

Sage deliberated for a moment. On the one hand the most sensible thing to do at this point would be to kill Damon, the traitor. It would set a valuable example to others about what the consequences for disobedience would be. But on the other hand, the vendetta against the Salvatore family that would ensue if Sage allowed Damon to kill Michael would be too delicious to miss. Let alone the damage it would do the structure of the rival drugs group in Chicago. And he knew of two other people who might not be so happy to see Michael gone. Two very powerful and dangerous people. Sage flashed his golden teeth and petted his dog absentmindedly.

"I'm not gonna kill you right now. That wouldn't serve my greater agenda." Sage paused to let his comment sink in, before he offered. "Michael is hiding in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Alex will take you there."

Damon watched as Sage motioned to a big man sitting opposite him, to get up. He whispered something in the guy's ear, who began to smile in a frankly unnerving manner.

"All right, let's get this show on the road!" Damon grinned and left the bar as quickly as his legs could carry him, whilst trying not to have the appearance of a fleeing rat.

Alex motioned for Damon to get into back of a blacked out salon; Damon could tell that it was appropriate for a drug baron's car with its rocket proof exterior and powerful engine. The man at the wheel drove like a madman, keeping to the backstreets and dodgy neighbourhoods, moving out of the centre of the city towards the industrial estate. They pulled up at what looked like an old and abandoned warehouse. The place was deserted, yet Damon saw a flash of light ahead.

He got out of the car and moved like a panther towards its prey, keeping to the shadows and cocking his gun. Suddenly he got a visual on his target and he began to take aim before he caught sight of a fist swinging at his head from the corner of his eye. Damon quickly ducked and shot the man in the leg, alerting his presence to Michael, who got out his own gun, as well as his own henchmen who came out. Damon knew he had to move quickly now and he fought like a madman taking down men left, right and centre by incapacitating them with his gun and fists.

Finally it was just Michael left, who was fleeing towards the back entrance. He didn't get very far. Damon grabbed hold of the guy's arm and spun him round to face him. Unfortunately Michael was fast and landed a punch in Damon's eye. That was going to look pretty.

"I so would not have done that." Damon deadpanned, then, quick as a cobra he struck Michael in the cheek, knocking him down.

Michael grimaced then sneered at Damon, knowing that he was about to die he decided to taunt his attacker for his personal satisfaction. "Do you think they're proud of you? Your parents?" He paused dramatically as Damon growled. "You know how I killed them? I started with the usual, fucked up your dad, fucked that delicious wife of his, she was always a slut you know? Then I told them to drive right off that bridge, otherwise I would kill that sap Stefan and that girl Elena. And they just did it. Just like the bitches they were."

"YOU BASTARD!" Damon let out a roar then he really went crazy.

From the roof of the warehouse Alex was capturing all the action on his camcorder. This stuff was golden and he knew that Elijah wouldn't let this pass when he saw it. The final shot was of Damon's face, now splattered with blood, as he looked up to the sky after finishing Michael off. He gazed directly at Alex and gasped as he realised what Sage had planned and he tried to run after the man on the roof, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Well, shit." Muttered Damon and turned away, starting the long walk back to his transportation home.

**END FLASHBACK**


"Why can you never think with your head and not your fists?" Stefan shouted at Damon who was now lying back on his bed with an ice pack over his eye. "I mean we could have just gone to the police about it! Sheriff Forbes would have known what to do. But no, you have to kill him and start a bloody vendetta against this town. We're all going to suffer for what you've done."

Damon winced at the shouting, he was really beginning to develop a killer headache. Great. Life just kept on getting better and better.

"Look. We can sort this out okay? Just trust me. I've got a plan..."


Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far and added my story to their alerts/favourites list, I feel so honoured that anyone is taking time out of their lives to read my ramblings :)

It also comes as a very welcome break from the stress of exams at the moment. Things are going to be hectic until late June, so I won't be updating regularly until then. But please hang on in there! I'll try and update as much as I can.

You may notice, my Sage is basically the book's version, as I didn't really like the TV version.

Let me know what you think :) Cxx