A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wished I owned the rest….*sighs*
Damon continued to weave through the thinning crowds as the town was starting to gather near the grandstand. The sun was setting and soon it would be nightfall which meant a certain red haired hunter would be arriving. The vampire was irritated with his brother for his attitude towards the budding relationship they shared. He didn't care if Stefan knew Brooklyn longer than he did- Damon wasn't going to deny the raging emotions that burned bright!
"To Hell with him," Damon muttered bitterly and carried on the search for Alaric and Brooklyn. The throngs of people had finally thinned the closer he got to the grill and scanned for the cobalt colored Charger.
"Not here yet," he said aloud and turned around to go back only to run into Anna.
"You're still around?" He greeted her with a snarky tone. Anna merely rolled her eyes and dragged him away from the lights and people to the nearby alley.
"There's something you need to know. The vampires from the tomb are going to attack tonight."
"And you know this how?"
"They think I'm with them but I'm not. They want revenge on the Founding Families Damon."
"When is this supposed to go down?" Concern grew in Damon's tone.
"When the fireworks start," she quickly responded.
"John Gilbert wants to use the invention on them," Damon realized.
"We can't be here then," Anna panicked but Damon wasn't.
"But it doesn't work- it's been deactivated."
"Then a lot of people are gonna die."
"Where are they?" Damon calmly demanded.
"They're already here," Anna scanned the crowd but didn't see a single one – yet. Damon rushed off and punched Alaric's number with a shaky hand. He feared the vampires knew who Brooklyn was and would kill her on site.
Brooklyn was getting out from behind the wheel when her phone rang.
"Damon where are you?"
"Where are you and Ric?"
"We just got here. We're by the Grill why what's going on?"
"Did you bring that little handy bag of yours?"
Brooklyn sensed there was something he wasn't telling her but didn't ask immediately.
"Yeah I never leave home without it. Now what is going on?"
"The town's crawling with tomb vampires and they intend on taking out the Founding Families. I need you and Ric to get inside the Grill and wait."
"No way Damon! I'm not running from a bunch of damn bloodsuckers!"
"Brook if they see you they'll kill you!"
The hunter felt her heart stop in her chest and leaned against the side of her car. Alaric caught the sickening look that shadowed her face and rushed around to Brooklyn's side.
"Brook what is it?"
"Brooklyn please I am begging you to get inside the Grill!"
"You're not fighting them alone," she snapped her phone shut then tapped the top of the phone against her forehead in frustration.
"The tomb bloodsuckers are here Ric," she admitted quietly, "They're going after the Founding Families."
Damon growled at his hunter's stubbornness. He knew the tomb vamps were really pissed off and if they saw Brooklyn…..
"No," he shook his head and started to take off but caught Elena's laughter in the distance. The vampire spotted his brother and Elena walking hand in hand and pulled alongside them taking her free one.
"What are you doing?" Elena gestured with her eyes.
"Saving your life," Damon responded with a cool urgency, "Fifteen words or less- The tomb vamps are here. Founding Families are the target. Get her outta here- now."
Stefan looked at Elena then his brother. "Wait…wait…wait... where are you going?"
"That's more than fifteen words Stefan," he hollered back anxious to find Alaric and Brooklyn.
Brooklyn grabbed her bag and slung it across her shoulder. She handed a smaller one to Alaric and nodded nervously. Sure she had tangled with more than one vampire alone but this…A dark heavy feeling starting to slip into her soul as Mayor Lockwood started speaking at the grandstand. As much as she despised and loathed the son of a bitch, she felt the duty to protect compel her to do just that. Alaric took her hands and pressed his lips upon the as he rested his forehead against hers. Both leaned on the other as they prepared to do battle knowing it would be to the bitter bloody end.
"150 years….Mystic Falls has been the kind of town everyone wants to call home. Safe…Prosperous…Welcoming. And we have the Founders to thank for that and that's why I would like to dedicate this evening's fireworks display to their legacy."
Brooklyn spotted Damon making his way to Grayson Gilbert's old building and darted off before Alaric realized what happened.
"Brook!" He hollered and frantically scanned the crowd but lost sight of her almost instantly. The hunter sprinted across the square then empty street before reaching the opposite sidewalk. She knew Damon was going to kill John Gilbert.
John prepared to trip the device when the door behind him slammed shut as Damon stood and blocked his way out.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Yes I have," he calmly replied and flipped the switch as Damon lunged for the human. The small brass gears started to turn and filled the air with a high pitched sound. John watched as Damon crumpled in pain, grabbing his head as the sharp jolts attacked over and over preventing him from moving.
Brooklyn heard Elena across the street and snapped her head around as Stefan collapsed to the pavement.
"Shit," she raced towards them as a sheriff's deputy headed towards the incapacitated vampire and teen. Alaric spotted Brooklyn then the burly form of the deputy marching for them. Thinking fast, he grabbed a stake and cut the deputy off
"I've got this one," he slapped the stake against the solid chest. "There's one over there. Take this and go."
The deputy took off in a dead run and Alaric headed towards the trio.
"Brook what's going on?" Elena was confused.
"I don't know Elena but we need to get him outta here," Brooklyn slung an arm over her shoulder as Elena followed suit. Alaric arrived and helped the two get Stefan to his feet.
"Ric what's going on? Stefan just collapsed," Brooklyn kept her hold tight as they staggered down the stairs.
"He's not the only one," Alaric explained hurriedly, "Cops have gotten everyone who went down and injecting them with vervain."
"What?" Brooklyn immediately got ill all over as she realized what happened to Damon.
"They're rounding up the vampires," Elena figured.
"Ric stay here with Stefan and Elena," Brooklyn transferred her friend to him, "I'm going after Damon."
"Wait what? No Brook! You're not going alone!" Alaric protested out of concern.
"Someone has to keep the cops away from Stefan until he gets his groove back. Ric please stay here," her eyes pleaded with him to stay. Alaric said nothing as Brooklyn rushed up the steps two at a time and disappeared around the corner.
John watched as the final vampires were dragged down into the basement and dropped like bags of potatoes. He didn't mask his contempt for the undead and spied Damon unconscious off to the right. It wouldn't be long before the town was free of the vampire plague.
"The device is done. The only thing holding them now is the vervain so we don't have much time," John watched as the deputy doused the vampires in gasoline, "Let's finish this."
"You son of a bitch!" Brooklyn bolted down the stairs and across the room as rage filled her being. John leapt to the side avoiding her outstretched arms. He shot out an arm and swung the hunter around until her body slammed against the wall. John motioned for the deputy to leave while Damon could only watch, helpless to do anything.
Brooklyn felt the pain stab through her shoulder but forced herself to her feet. Adrenaline had started to pump furiously through her veins, instantly dulling the pain.
"You disgust me," John shook his head.
"Feeling's mutual," she panted and held her shoulder.
"You would so willingly put your life before that," he pointed at Damon who lay still on the ground.
"Absolutely," she grinned.
"You're no different than them," John spat. Brooklyn didn't see Stefan and hoped he had managed to hide or escape. John stood off against the angry hunter, not surprised to see her there before him.
"All you see is black and white John!"
"You're nothing more than a whore for them! You allow one to feed freely from you while you allowed others to escape! They're monsters! Unnatural things!"
"I think I'm staring at the real monster John," Brooklyn pulled a stake from her bag ready to use it against a human. She had done it before and didn't lose any sleep over it and wouldn't bat an eye if John Gilbert died by her hand. John started to back away towards the stairs but a hand shot out stopping him short.
"Anna," he looked down at the young vampire, "I appreciate the information but now you are no longer of use to me."
The stake appeared in his hands and John took careful aim.
"No…please," Anna begged and tried to get up as John crouched over her weakened form.
"NO!" Brooklyn rushed her foe knocking him away from Anna. Damon fought to rise but the vervain continued its course, rendering him feeble. He could only lay and watch in horror as Brooklyn struggled against John. Their bodies rolled around the cold floor, banging against the wall and foundation posts. The hunter grappled his wrists and slammed it against the stone wall with every ounce of strength she could call upon. But John proved to be a worthy opponent and held fast against her vicious strikes. He head butted Brooklyn, stunning the hunter and felt her grip slacken. She fell against the floor and grabbed her head as the shooting pain seared her eyes and skull.
John grabbed the stake and stepped over the fallen hunter but Brooklyn wasn't one to give in so easily. She caught his left ankle and snapped it to the right watching John tumble and loose the stake. The hunter forced her body upright and dragged him back towards her, inch by inch until her fingers were looped tightly around his belt. She felt them screaming in pain but didn't care and deepened her hold on John.
"You stupid bitch," he growled and swung his hand behind his back missing the hunter's face. Brooklyn pulled harder and launched him up and in the air away from Anna and Damon. She heard the loud thud and string of curses as he crashed back first against the wall. From the corner of her eye she spotted movement and saw Pearl to the right. Her eyes went straight to John and she held nothing back.
"You fucking bastard!" Brooklyn leapt to her feet determined to finish the job. She didn't care about the tomb vampires- her concern was Damon then Anna and Pearl.
John spied the stake and dove for it as Brooklyn spotted it and went for it at the same time. John got to it first. He gripped the smooth wooden surface and darted for Damon.
"Oh no you don't," she tackled him with the poise of a linebacker taking them both to the ground. The melee continued for several more moments with Brooklyn kicking and punching any and every bit she could. John kept the stake in hand but it was turning impossible with the raging battle against the hunter. They locked together and rolled around again until Brooklyn felt the pain surging from her stomach. The hunter collapsed on her back and saw her hands were coated in something warm and sticky, instantly knowing it was her blood.
John saw the stake protruding from the hunter's mid-section and slowly stood up and over her. He watched Brooklyn's face contort and twist as she writhed in agony. Her grey shirt absorbed the warmth and turned an ominous dark shade.
"Like I said," John picked up the can, "Nothing more than a whore for them."
Brooklyn felt her fingers slide over the slickening wooden surface as blood escaped around the puncture wound. She tried to calm her breathing and attempted to take slow deep breaths only to be met with pain from the sharpened point embedding deeper in her flesh. She looked over to Damon and could feel the angst that raged beneath the surface.
"I'm sorry…." She whispered with a tear trickling down her cheek. Damon tried to speak, to tell her to fight but heard a quiet whimper push from his lips.
Next chapter soon...
