Wowza, this is a long one! A LOT happens in this chapter, so I highly encourage you pay attention to the details! We really get to delve into Val's character in this chapter, and we see the flaws that affect her and often drive her decisions. Vindictive, fears the harm/death of her loved ones, wrath and pride. If you guys want to see an example of her fighting style, I encourage you watch the movie Anna. It's an AMAZING movie, IMO, and if you can't watch it, go on youtube and look up 'Anna fight scene restaurant'. It'll give you an idea of how Val looks when she's fighting.
Playlist for this chapter
When Val is fighting the vampires: Show Me Your Teeth, Lady Gaga
When she's with Mikael: Blood in the Cut, KFlay
Enjoy!
Ah, first day of school. If things weren't so downright terrible, Val would find it fun to be back on the first day. All the fresh faces, all the greetings of friends who hadn't been around all summer, and the feeling of starting off on a clean slate.
Unfortunately, that wasn't what it felt like to her this year.
Once she was inside her office, Val unpacked her laptop, determined not to use the school's computer. It was trash. Then, she reviewed her schedule. Practice would be on Wednesday's and Friday's after school, and they also had a game in a few weeks that she fully intended on winning; she was going to be the coach to take the team to the state championships this year.
She was about halfway through her paperwork when she got a text from Rick.
We'll need to keep a closer eye on the kids today; Elena's first day of training went well.
Val knew all about Rick's decision to train Elena; in fact, it had been her idea. The teen was human, and that meant she was fragile. And if Val understood anything, it was having a disadvantage when you were fighting for your life. Not only was she a human, but she was a woman. And that came with its own issues.
As she was heading down the hall to use the bathroom, she spotted Rick walking towards his classroom. Smiling, she waved him over, nodding her head in approval as she surveyed in outfit.
"Not bad," she commented lightly, "look at you, looking like a fully responsible and functioning adult."
"Is that supposed to be a joke or a diss?" He asked her, eyebrows raised, and she shrugged, smirking.
"It could be both." She chuckled, but her eyes flew behind him, and the smile dropped off her face immediately. Stefan was holding Elena's wrist, and the teen was obviously fighting to get away. Rick saw the change in her face and turned, cursing quietly upon seeing the commotion in front of him. Without saying a word, the hunting pair made eye contact and immediately started for the pair.
"Stefan, let go!" They heard Elena growl once more as she tugged sharply at the grip he had on her wrist, and Val took that as a good a time as any to announce their arrival.
"Pretty sure I heard her tell you to back off, Stef." She warned lowly. The vampire looked over the hunters, a mocking smile coming across his face. As they got closer, he nodded and started to turn away. But right as they relaxed, he whipped back around, shoving Rick up against the lockers.
"You're not going to want to get in my way, hear me?" Stefan warned the history teacher, his tone deceptively light. But before anyone could blink, Val was behind him, digging the tip of a stake in between his ribs on his back. A warning; if she were to shove it forward, she could easily pierce his heart, or at the very least, scrape it.
"Back. Off." She snarled, and the vampire watched her for a beat before stepping back, raising his hands up in a surrendering position.
"I'll see you both in history." He told Rick and Elena, and nodded at Val. "Nice to see you again, Val." And then he was gone.
"So, why the hell is he here, again?" Val inquired. The trio was now in Rick's classroom; his class would be starting in just a few minutes. Elena shrugged, arms folded, as the teacher nodded at his friend's statement.
"Klaus compelled him to watch over me." The teen explained begrudgingly, "Apparently I'm one of his 'assets' since my blood is the only way to create a hybrid."
"So, now he's a bodyguard?" Rick asked in disbelief, and Val could only shake her head, running a hand through her hair.
"Great, now we're dealing with two asshole Salvatore's." She muttered, mostly to herself.
"I don't know what he is, but he's definitely not Stefan." Elena responded, and the bell chimed. Taking that as her leave, Val gave a quick farewell to her friends, knowing too much time spent with the both of them would start to draw suspicion. So, she went back to her office and spent her time going over paperwork.
She kept her eyes sharp on all the students through out the day, ensuring no one suddenly up and disappeared. As the day wound down, she got another text from Rick.
We have a plan for Stefan. Meet in my classroom at 8 tonight.
A sigh pulled itself from her chest.
Oh, yeah, they were definitely back.
"Ok, I'll lure Stefan away from the bonfire, and then, once we've caught him off-guard…"
"We'll shoot him." Rick finished Elena's sentence, nodding at himself and Val. The group had gathered in Rick's classroom, going over their plan to lock Stefan up and hopefully ensure their plan to get Klaus to leave them all the hell alone went over much smoother once the vamp was gone.
"Can't Bonnie just ju-ju him?" Damon spoke up, but Elena shook her head.
"I'm trying not to get Bonnie involved in this. I don't trust that Stefan wont' hurt her." She explained, and Val nodded. Both she and the teen had actually come to that conclusion together. "Caroline," Elena continued, looking to her blonde friend, "you covered?"
"Yes, I will make sure the Forbes jail cell is prepped and ready." The vamp agreed, but Damon's voice interrupted them.
"Aren't you forgetting a key player here? Rebekah. Wherever Stefan goes, the blonde ponytail tends to follow."
"Which is why it's going to be your job to keep her away." Elena instructed him smugly, and the vampires blue eyes widened.
"How? She's an Original, last time I checked, we're out of daggers."
Elena waved him off, "So, use your charm."
Val snorted derisively as Rick spoke up. "Might have better luck finding the dagger."
"Are you two ever going to stop being mad at me?" Damon asked his old friends, exasperated, and they both turned to glare at him.
"Doubtful."
"Not in this lifetime."
They spoke simultaneously, and the vampire rolled his eyes as Tyler walked into the room.
"Hey, we're gonna need you to raid your mom's vervain supply, enough to keep Stefan down for a while." Elena explained, but Tyler stared at them like they'd just asked him to cut off his hand.
"You can't do that to Stefan." He told them matter-of-factly, and all heads turned to him in shock.
"Trust me, Tyler, I think it's in his best interest." Elena attempted to explain, but Tyler only shook his head.
"But it's not in Klaus's." He shut her down, and Val's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, God forbid we make life hard for the guy killing everyone." She quipped, and Tyler shot her a glare as Caroline spoke up.
"Klaus is the bad guy, Tyler." She tried to explain to her boyfriend, then shook her head. "You know, why are you acting like some freaky-hybrid-slave-minion?"
"Uh-oh…" Damon muttered darkly, and Rick turned to him.
"What?" He asked his friend, but Damon didn't respond, walking closer to the hybrid.
"Klaus made me who I am, Caroline, I owe him everything." Tyler's words were actually making Val's jaw hit the floor as she stared at the scene in front of her. What the hell? Why was the rebellious, cocky, take-no-shit teen she'd always known suddenly worshipping the ground Klaus walked on?
"Oh, boy." Damon muttered again, and Caroline whipped around.
"Ok, can we cool it with the commentary, please?!" She stressed, before turning back to her boyfriend. But the hybrid pointed behind him at the door.
"Ok, I'm gonna go." He told them, starting to walk out of the room. But before anyone could make a move to stop him, Damon was right behind the boy, slamming a vervain dart into his back.
"What are you doing?!" Caroline cried, rushing to her boyfriend's side.
"He's been sired." Damon informed them grimly, and they all turned to him in confusion.
"What?" Rick responded, confused.
"Sired. He feels loyal to Klaus because Klaus's blood created him." Damon explained, and Val cocked her head to the side.
"How loyal?"
"He'll do anything to seek acceptance from his master."
"How do I fix him?" Caroline asked from her spot next to Tyler, and Damon shrugged.
"Get a new boyfriend."
Val shifted in her spot of Rick's passenger seat; his SUV was parked by the stoner pit of the school, watching the bleachers not too far away. Elena was supposed to either fake being drunk or get actually drunk and lure him over towards them, where they'd hit him with a couple vervain darts.
"So, how's Hector and Ally?" Rick inquired, and the mention of her siblings made Val pause.
"They're having a blast over in Texas." She responded, running a hand through her hair. "Of course, their former foster parents are so much better at the whole 'raising-stable-children' thing, so…" She trailed off, pursing her lips and shrugging. He looked over at her in surprise.
"You think they're doing a better job than you?"
Val shook her head, looking around at the dark world that surrounded them. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, look at this, Rick. Look around us. Vampires, werewolves, witches, hybrids, blood, murder; I've spent the last three years swearing to myself I would never put them in the situations my mother put me in, but," she paused, licking her lips, "by bringing them here, am I actually much better?"
"Hey," Rick turned in his seat, placing a hand on Val's shoulder, "hey, don't do that. Look at me." She did, turning to see his brown eyes, face stern.
"You're not your mother, Val. I was there in Texas, I saw you. You pulled those kids from that house, from that situation, because you loved them. Because you genuinely wanted what was best for them, not because you were lonely, or needed a purpose." A small smile crept onto his lips. "I mean, you may have a lot of quirks and faults, Val, but I'm not sure if 'selfish junkie' is on that list."
She stared at her friend, a grateful smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks, Rick." She patted his hand. "I'm glad you and I are in this together, you know. With Elena and Jeremy, and Hector and Ally. It's like our own, weird, dysfunctional family."
They both chuckled at the image, and Rick nodded, smiling. "Yeah, we should get a photo shoot done."
The thought sent both of them into a new round of laughter, but they were interrupted when they saw the figures.
"Show time." She announced, and he nodded, grabbing the dart launcher and quietly slipping out of the truck. They both crept along the side of the bleachers, staying far enough away that Stefan wouldn't notice them with his focus on Elena.
Val's breath caught as she watched the girl plummet from the top of the bleachers, heading straight for the cement below her, and nearly shot forward in an attempt to catch her. But the hunting pair stayed back, tense, as Stefan swooped in.
Seeing their chance, Rick crept forward, raising the launcher. Val could see the teens whispering, but it was so quiet, she couldn't make out what they were saying.
But they didn't need to.
The second Elena's feet were on the ground, Rick fired. Once, twice. The vervain darts hit him in the back, and even from several feet away, Val could see his muscles starting to go slack. A surprised, pain grunt sounded from his chest, and he tipped over, hitting the cement and going still, all except for the rise and fall of his chest.
She walked towards Elena as Rick bent down, grunting as he pulled Stefan into his arms.
"You are not sober, chiquita." She observed, watching as the girl swayed. Her eyes were glazed over, and Val put a hand on her arm to make sure she didn't tip over.
"The plan worked, that's all that matters." Elena brushed off, "Let's just get him out of here."
The group managed to lug Stefan's unconscious form into the back of Rick's SUV, and Val and Elena hopped in the front seat. The huntress's eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw the ignitions was empty; hadn't Rick left the keys? She looked around on the floor and in the cup holders, but they weren't there either. Groaning softly, she instructed Elena to stay in the car and jumped out.
"I thought you left the keys?" She asked Rick, who stared at her in confusion.
"I did." He replied, and as he was walking forward, his foot hit a can. An empty one, of gasoline.
"Well, I see all the genius' came out to the bonfire." He noted dryly, but Val's eyes were trailing over the asphalt. Only in one long, continuous line it was wet, and by the time she saw the falling cigarette, it was too late.
"Rick!" She cried, but the flames were already speeding towards them. The hunters immediately backed away, and Val turned to pound on the window.
"Elena! Get out!" She shouted, but the brunette was already tugging on the door. Thing is, it wasn't opening.
"Open the door!" Rick cried, pulling at her doors handle on the outside, but Elena shook her head frantically.
"It won't open!"
The flames were now further engulfing the car, and Val realized with a sick feeling that they had maybe five minutes before it hit the fuel reservoir, and then they were all screwed.
"Find something to break it!" She yelled, bolting towards the large pile of junk in the corner. Rick yanked a tarp off the back of a truck, shuffling through it. Val kicked over several piles of firewood, trash, and old car parts when she saw it.
Tire iron. Perfect.
Grabbing it, she bolted back towards the car, where Rick was unsuccessfully attempting to break the window with a lacrosse stick. Running up to the other side, the huntress grabbed the iron like a baseball bat and swung with everything in her.
But before she could even make contact with the window, she was flying backwards, too surprised to even cry out. She made contact with the asphalt hard, knocking the breath from her body. Rolling onto her stomach, she worked to take several deep breaths as the flames climbed higher and higher, feeling the heat from them even ten feet away. Grunting, she stood, ignoring the screaming in her right wrist as she ran back over to the car.
Without warning, the backdoor of the SUV went flying, and Val saw with a start that Stefan was awake; or, sort of.
Both she and Rick ran to the back, grabbing the two teens. "Hurry, it's gonna blow!" Val warned, and both adults threw Stefan's arms over their shoulders, running away from the car.
BOOM!
The jaw-rattling explosion knocked them all back into the cement wall, but it was a lot less severe than it could have been. Val watched in horror as the flames climbed, hearing sirens wailing somewhere in the distance as what was left of Rick's car continued to burn right into the ground.
NEXT EPISODE: GHOST WORLD
Val knew something was wrong the second Rick and Damon willingly sat together at the bar. She looked up from where she was wiping down a sleeve of shot glasses, tilting her head. "And why are you two suddenly buddy-buddy again?" She asked dryly, grabbing two glasses and a bottle of whiskey.
"Well, I miss our unholy Trinity." Damon told her, a tight smirk lifting his face for half a second before it dropped back into a somber expression again. "Look, you remember how you were there to help me torture and kill Mr. Mason Lockwood?"
"Um, no," she shook her head as she poured the shots, "you tortured and killed Mason Lockwood, I left."
"Well, you might want to remember, because-" his words were cut off when a mans hand snatched up the shot glass, and Val's stomach dropped as she watched Mason fucking Lockwood shoot it back.
"Man, I missed whiskey." He told them roughly, shooting her a mocking wink before he smashed the glass over Damon's head.
"So, wait, where's the necklace?"
Val was jogging into the school, the only sound around her was her beating heart and the sound of the thick heels of her boots clacking against the floor. Her phone was pressed to her ear as she raced towards the row of lockers she was looking for, amber eyes scanning the numbers.
"We're not sure; Damon stopped answering his phone a while ago, and now, Elena doesn't seem to want to answer hers." Bonnie paused, and the huntress heard her sigh on the end. "Jeremy isn't being much help either, he's convinced Anna is still trying to help us."
"And why do you think it's hidden here?"
"I don't, I just want to make sure we cover all our bases. Check Rebekah's locker, and Stefan and Anna's old ones. Maybe they hid it in their somewhere, but either way, we're running out of time. The balance can't be upset like this for too long, or things will start to get really freaky."
"Freakier than ghosts, huh?" Val muttered, nearing the locker she was searching for. "Ok, I'm here. I'll call you if I find something."
After hanging up, she pulled a bobby pin from her hair, bending it with her teeth and beginning to work on the master lock. She wasn't even close to done when she felt it.
Danger, danger, danger…
She whipped around to see some very familiar and unwelcome faces.
Ben, the vampire she'd roasted, and three others she'd definitely killed were standing behind her, smirking wickedly. She felt adrenaline start to flush through her veins, and her fingers started inching towards the mop that was propped up against the wall.
"Well, well, well," Ben spoke, "what have we here? The little badass huntress, all alone."
"No help from any Salvatore's or witches." Another vamp, the first one she'd ever killed at the decade dance, chimed in.
But Val refused to show fear. In fact, as she stood there, something strange happened. It started in her chest, directly behind her crucifix, and continued to spread throughout her body, lighting her veins on fire with strength, confidence, fearlessness.
She felt like a hunter.
Smirking, Val gabbed the mop, slamming her foot on the head and snapping it off, creating a long, sharp stake. "Well, looks like I get the gift of killing you all twice, huh?"
One of the vampire's rushed at her, but she was already prepared. She slammed the mop handle through his chest, and for some reason, she once again knew she'd pierced his heart. He dropped, growling in agony and grabbing at the stake, but he couldn't draw the strength to pull it out. He may have been a ghost, but hopefully she could keep them busy while Bonnie did the spell.
The shock from the other vamps wore off as she hit her wrists against her sides, shooting two stakes into her hands. One of the vamps she'd killed at the farmhouse came at her, snarling, and she began swinging at him. It was like being water, her movements felt so graceful, so smooth, so natural. She managed to slash his face and chest several times, distracting him, and she slammed her left hand forward, shoving the stake directly into his heart. He was already dead, but that didn't mean it wasn't slowing him down. The vamp-ghost dropped, struggling to remove the wooden assailant from his heart as his friend came forward. Val didn't bother to wait for this one and threw the stake as hard as she could. Unsurprisingly, the vamp-ghost caught it, but she was already running forward behind it. She whipped out her wooden dagger and stabbed at the man. He dodged, moving to hit her with the stake, but her foot came up faster than either of them were expecting and kicked it from his grasp.
Using his shock to her advantage, Val knocked his hand away from his face and shoved her dagger into his mouth and down his throat. His eyes flew open in shock, and she yanked it from his mouth as he gurgled on blood, shoving it into his chest. It hit its target, and that was another vampire down, unable to pull the weapon from his chest.
Now, Ben stood in front of her. She panted as they stared each other down, looking out of the corner of her eyes for a weapon.
"You know," Ben started as she slowly shifted towards the mop, "when you were roasting me like a marshmallow, I remember thinking, 'No way is a human girl this strong'."
"Yeah, well," she snatched up the long stake, twirling it in her hands, "there's a pretty long line of people who have underestimated me, so don't beat yourself up."
"Oh, I haven't." He told her darkly, and then shook his head, chuckling. Val's grip on the mop handle tightened.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh man, it's just, when you're on the other side, people talk, y'know? And I learned some pretty great details about your ancestors."
The mention of her bloodline definitely startled her, but she stayed steadfast, staring him down as he continued.
"I just find it hilarious that you're spending all this time hunting down the monsters and killing them for hurting innocent people, when you don't even know how your family got to this point. You think a witch could grant all this power on her own? You think you're the hero of this story, Valentina?"
"Oh, buddy," she chuckled darkly, "I'm not a hero."
And with that, she raised the mop handle back and launched it like a spear. The sharp end whipped towards Ben at an impossible speed and impaled him.
He froze, staring at the mop handle in both shock and anger. Blood started to come from his mouth, and he dropped to his knees, growling through his agony as he and the other vampires struggle to remove the weapons.
"You won't be getting away with this much longer, you bitch. You-"
He didn't even get to finish his sentence. Because one second he was there, and the next, he wasn't.
The makeshift spear that had been impaled through his heart dropped to the ground, and she heard the distinct noises of the other weapons clattering to the floor as well. She whirled around in a circle, still looking for a threat, but there wasn't one.
All of the ghosts were gone.
The loud sound of clapping made her startle, and she turned, ready to fight again. But it wasn't anyone she knew. It was a man; blonde, a little older, with a suit on. Something about his face seemed extremely familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He was walking towards her while slow clapping, and that was when she realized it. Every step he took, closer to her, she felt stronger, faster, better.
"Now that is what I call impressive." He spoke in a low tone, a British accent, and Val's muscles stayed tense as he stopped only about a foot away from her.
"Who the hell are you?" She demanded, and he smiled tightly.
"Yes, I suppose you wouldn't know me very well. After Lucas and Sofia ran, I lost track of you all, and then I had, other priorities to attend to." He paused, eyes searching her face. It was then she realized the wet feeling on her face; some of the blood from the vampires was smeared across her cheek and eye. "I must say, you're much prettier than the last few." He observed quietly, reaching out a hand for her hair, but she smacked it away. Her heart was still racing from the fight, and for some reason she felt like she could just rip this guy apart if he started a fight with her.
"How the hell do you know my family?" She snarled, and he only shook his head, chuckling derisively.
"Well, who do you think has been training the great Rodriguez Hunters for all these years?" He asked her, cocking his head to the side. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and the dry smirk came back.
"Lovely to meet you, Valentina. My name is Mikael."
AWWWWW SHIT
CLIFFHANGER
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
I'M JUST KIDDING LMAO HERE ARE THE NEXT EPISODES
ORDINARY PEOPLE
"So, what exactly is down here, Rick?" Val heard Elena's voice, but she hadn't torn her eyes away from the drawings in front of her. She was holding her crucifix as she stared at the white figures, specifically on the runes off to her right and the names they translated to.
Mikael
Esther
Finn
Elijah
Niklaus
Kol
Rebekah
Henrik
"See for yourself," Damon's voice brought her back down to reality, and she looked up to see Elena and Rick coming in, Damon stopping at the entry way.
"This is as far as I go." He groaned, leaning up against the wall. Elena came over to stand next to Val, brown eyes wide.
"What is it?"
"A story, from what we can tell." Val explained softly, still not looking away from the names. "Archeological stuff, so of course, this is more Rick's territory than mine."
"In simple archeological terms," her friend picked up, and she suppressed a smile at the underlying note of eagerness in his voice, "it's a really old story." He nodded at a series of drawings, of the moon cycle and several stick men, as well as a wolf head. "That right there is the moon cycle, man, and wolf."
"Werewolf." Elena murmured, and the others nodded grimly.
"Yeah, it's the Lockwood diaries, Pictionary style." Damon joked dryly, and Val shook her head as the teen responded.
"But I thought the Lockwood's came over with the other Founders one hundred and fifty years ago."
"Well, maybe the Lockwood's did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that." Rick explained, shining his light on the runes Val had been observing earlier.
"How long?"
"You see these?" The huntress chimed in, wiggling her light over the names, "they're names. Written in Runik, an old Viking script."
"Vikings?"
Val nodded at the girl, "Yeah, that was my response. But it gets better. You see this one?" She pointed to it, "When translated, it reads 'Niklaus'."
"Klaus…"
"Yep, and Elijah," Rick showed them Elijah's name, "and Rebekah." He moved it down to the second to last name on the wall.
"These are the names of the Original family?"
"Yep." Rick answered, "Carved into a cave that was here way before the founding families, or even the entire new world, for that matter."
"Ok, this has gotta be one of Klaus's fakes." Elena guessed, but the others shook their heads.
"Trust me, we thought of that." Val explained, "But look at the last name." She shined her light on it, then turned back to the others. "Mikael."
"Mikael? As in, the vampire vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?" Elena voiced in disbelief.
"Yep. But I like to call him 'Papa Original'." Damon piped up.
"So, Mikael didn't say anything to you after he watched you destroy some vampires?" Rick asked Val. They were all in his loft; the two human adults were standing over a table covered in photos of the walls, trying to label them correctly. She shook her head.
"Nope, just dropped the bomb that he's the one that taught my family everything they knew dating back to who-knows-when, called me pretty, touched my hair, creeped me the hell out, and then he was gone." Val repeated her story, not wanting to dwell on it. It wasn't just that Mikael had told her that, as well. Ever since their encounter, Val still felt the effects. She was stronger, faster. She could actually go toe-to-toe with Damon, and nearly won several times. But she had a feeling her skills depended on if he was near, if what he was saying was actually true.
"These images tell a story." Rick sighed, "To tell the story, you have to decipher the images."
Val turned her head towards the pair when she heard grunts and hits, seeing Damon yank the stake from Elena's hands. "Sloppy." He scoffed, then lightly shoved her away.
"Shut up, I'm new at this."
"The ghost of Christmas past, Mason Lockwood," Damon blocked a kick from Elena, "said that the cave will lead us to the weapon to kill Klaus."
Elena slammed the stake towards Damon, but he caught it. "Doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" She panted, and he nodded.
"Yes, which probably means the wall will lead us back to Mikael, who we've already found."
"And lost." Val chimed in, feeling annoyed that she hadn't tried to force the hunter to stay. She'd just been in so much shock at what he'd told her that when he zoomed away, she hadn't been able to follow. "Here," she approached the two as Elena shoved away from Damon, grabbing the stake, "let me show you." She told the younger girl.
"These images, at the very least, might tell us what that weapon is." Rick guessed, and Elena took Val's spot at the table.
"Ok, so that means we just need to figure out what they mean."
"Don't we have an Original nearby? Would she be open to a little female-teen-bonding?" Val asked Elena, then swung the stake into a more comfortable position in her hand, getting into a fighting stance in front of Damon. The two other humans turned to watch as she lunged at him; he dodged, bringing his hand up to grab her wrist, but she lifted her elbow and slammed it into his jaw as hard as she could. It didn't take him down, but it knocked his head back. Taking the opportunity, she pulled the stake back and round house kicked him the gut, sending him back a few steps. She lunged forward again, but Damon had already recovered, and he grabbed her arm, twisting it until she grunted and yanked the stake from her before slamming her against the wall, his arm on her throat.
"Cute." He smirked, but his face froze, then looked down. She'd pulled her wooden dagger out and had it positioned directly over his heart.
"I win."
"So, do you think that Rebekah would tell Elena about why you're suddenly Buffy 2.0 when Mikael's around?" Damon asked her. Elena had left for school, and the trio was standing over the table of pictures as Val and Rick attempted to label them.
"No, that would alert her that he's awake, and we can't do that. We have an edge, and I'm not willing to give that up so easily." She sighed through her nose when she looked up and spied the calendar Rick had hanging on his fridge. Thursday. Hector and Ally would be home in just a few days, and the town still wasn't anywhere near safe.
"We won't let anything happen to them, you know." Damon's voice, just a tad gentler than normal, made her look up from her work. He was watching her with that same intense, blue gaze. "Hector and Ally; when they get back, they're under the protection of everyone here. You're not alone in keeping them safe, I promise."
She bit her lip, then gave him and Rick a small grateful smile. "Thanks, guys."
After a few more minutes, Damon left, and she and Rick worked with nothing but the music. She wasn't sure how long they worked in comfortable silence, with the sound of classic rock in the background, but within an hour, she heard footsteps coming towards the door. It swung open to reveal Elena, phone pressed to her ear.
"I've got this Damon," she was saying, "if we can find a way to kill Klaus, Stefan will be free of his compulsion."
"And we can get back to own brand of normal in this town without worrying about the constant murder." Val added, patting the girls shoulder as she and Rick were finishing pinning some more pictures up, each one now labeled with sticky notes of their meaning.
Eventually, Elena hung up and turned to them. "Rebekah will come around."
"Are you sure about that? I mean, a thousand-year-old vampire, I'm sure, has learned the art of patience."
"She's a thousand-year-old vampire who's joined the cheerleading squad," Elena explained, and held up her phone, which held a text from Rebekah. "There's a whole different set of rules in play here, Rick."
"I know I've said this before, but," Val shook her head, "I am so glad I'm not in high school anymore."
The day wore on after Elena left, and Bonnie had come by to drop off the necklace that refused to die. Sure enough, just like Rick had guessed, it was the same as the symbol on the wall they hadn't been able to identify, and that meant it was the symbol for a witch. Elena had been texting them updates, and at first, it sounded like the Original Witch was a woman named Ayanna. But, just like everything involving the Original family, nothing was as it seemed, and it instead turned out to be their mother and Mikael's wife, Esther.
One of the stories had been running around in Val's head the entire time, and when she heard Elena tell them about how Mikael had killed his wife, she felt that sense of curiosity and urgency even stronger than before.
That didn't sound right.
"Ok, so this is the one I'm talking about," she told them. She, Rick, Elena, and Bonnie were all down in the cave. They'd been explaining to the girls their educated guesses for each of the symbols and had been labeling them in the cave as they went along. She pointed to the figures, the lights they had set up illuminating them. "So, upside down clearly means destruction and/or death, meaning the Original witch was killed."
"Mikael killed the Original Witch by ripping out her heart." Elena repeated the information softly, but Val's eyes widened.
"Wait, wait," she pointed to the symbol in between the two other images, "but that's not the symbol for Mikael."
"No, that's the-" Elena stopped dead in her sentence, and she met Val's eyes in horror.
"Oh my- Rebekah doesn't know the whole story!"
As Val was cleaning up the cave, her phone dinged. She flipped it open to see a text from Damon.
We found Mikael. Meet me at the boarding house.
She sighed, wanting to text him back and tell him to wait, but she knew they couldn't. Not only were they on a life-or-death, time sensitive mission, but her own curiosity was impossible to quench. She still had a million questions, and none of those could be answered by anyone but an Original.
As she walked into the boarding house, she started to open her mouth to call for Damon but stopped when she heard it.
Crying.
As she walked closer, she realized it wasn't just crying, it was heavy sobbing. Her compass wiggled, then pointed, and as she followed it and the sobbing around the corner, she realized with a start that the tears were coming from Rebekah.
The blonde was kneeling next to the fire, chest heaving as the sobs wracked through her body. Val took a step back, not really wanting to be a part of what was going on, but her foot hit a loose floorboard and a loud creaking caused the Original to look up.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She growled, and Val shook her head, holding up her hands.
"Just looking for Damon."
Rebekah laughed sarcastically through her tears and stood. "You know, you must love this. A Rodriguez catching an Original in such a vulnerable position."
The huntress grimaced and shook her head again. "I don't know you well enough to take joy in your pain."
Rebekah raised her eyes to her own, looking surprised. "Well, that's definitely the first I've heard something like that."
"Why does my family hate yours?" Val asked, taking a brave, experimental step forward. But the blonde shook her head, glaring.
"No, I've told enough stories tonight. Damon's in his room, go talk to him if that's what you're here for."
Realizing she wasn't going to get anymore, Val turned and started walking away when Rebekah spoke again, stopping her.
"Did you know?" When she turned back around to stare at the vampire in confusion, Rebekah continued. "Did you help Elena figure out the truth about my mother?"
Val paused, knowing she had to choose her words very carefully. "I aided her, yes." She shrugged. "I was also all for telling you the truth."
"Why?" Her voice turned venomous, "So you could rip my family apart? Turn me against my brother?"
Val's own temper flared, and her jaw tightened before she shot back. "Look, Rebekah, I'll just tell you what I think, ok? If telling you the truth about someone turns you against them, then, well," she paused, "maybe the only fault lies with the person who lied in the first place."
"Don't get cocky, Valentina." Rebekah warned, "You know, you Rodriguez's hold yourselves all high and mighty about defending others, but you all pull dirty moves to get what you want."
"Hey, your brother is the one who came here, ok?" Val snarled. "He was the one who came looking for a fight." She raised her arms out to the side, "And if it means defending my home, and the people who live here, I'm happy to oblige." She let her arms fall, then shook her head, snorting. "Klaus is threatening all of us. Elena, her family, the Salvatore's, myself, the whole fucking town. So, yeah, you're right. I will do whatever I need to." Her face darkened, and her eyes narrowed. "He killed my best friend directly in front of me. He murdered her in cold blood, and enjoyed it, so don't accuse us of making him out to be some villain. Klaus is evil all on his own, he doesn't need any outside help."
And with that, she turned, stalking out of the house. She could talk to Damon tomorrow.
Right now, she just needed to hit something.
NEXT EPISODE: HOMECOMING
"Alright, we'll say that Mikael followed Elena in here and tried to use her as bait for Klaus." Stefan told the group. Val, Damon, Elena, and Stefan were all at the boarding house, discussing their best plan of attack. They all followed Stefan into the library as he spoke, looking around at their 'crime scene'.
"And you what, vervained him?" Elena clarified, and Damon shook his head.
"No, we vervained him. Guy's an Original, make it realistic."
"Ok, fine," Stefan cut his brother off, "we vervained him, and in the process discovered he had a dagger."
"Which he planned to use on Rebekah, but instead…"
"You or I drove it through his heart." Val finished for the girl. "Remember, they can't use it."
"And what happens when he asks to see Mikael's body?"
"Good point." Damon answered the younger girl, "You, my brother, have been compelled to do what Klaus says. So, if the idea is to lure him back here and kill him, the last thing we need is you getting tripped up and tongue tied."
They all turned to look at the youngest Salvatore, but he shook his head. "Don't look at me. I'm just in charge of getting him back here."
"Klaus is too damn smart, so if we tell him Mikael's dead, he's going to ask for proof. How do we do that?" Val asked, hands on her hips, but a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Then I shall be dead."
They all turned to see the man in question walking into the library, holding a bottle of ash and something wrapped in cloth. Val's hand flew up to her crucifix reflexively, confused.
Why hadn't she sensed him coming?
He set the cloth and bottle on a table as the group came down the small set of stairs to meet him, unwrapping it to reveal a dagger. As Val got closer, she started to feel the effects again. Adrenaline began to leak into her veins, and her hands were jittery, like they got when she was beating the shit out of the punching bag when she was pissed off.
"What if he wants to see you in person?" Elena questioned, and Val brought herself back down to reality, watching the old vampire through narrowed eyes.
"Well, that means our plan is working. Klaus will absolutely want to see my body; you lure him here, and I will kill him."
"With what, exactly?" Val spoke up, meeting the man's intense gaze. "If I remember correctly, those daggers don't work on him."
"Well, I'm in possession of a stake fashioned from the wood of the ancient white oak tree." He told them, and her eyes widened as he continued, the group staring at him surprise, "The one that left these ashes when it burned."
"Where is it?"
"Not here." Mikael answered Damon simply, "It's my, uh, 'insurance policy'." He explained as he dipped the tip of the dagger into the ashes.
"Against what?" Stefan interrogated, and the Original smirked.
"You leaving this in my heart." He pulled the dagger from the bottle, holding the blade. "You see, a vampire can't dagger an Original without dying, and I don't think the human girl here wishes to be the one, so." He stepped in front of Val, holding the handle towards her. "It falls to you, Valentina."
Val's lips parted, and she looked from his face to the dagger. He only nodded.
"Not only will Klaus leave nothing to chance, but I've trained at least one person from every generation of your family up until your great-great grandfather." He explained. "So, consider this your first lesson." He grabbed her hand, raising it and wrapping it around the handle of the dagger. Keeping his hand wrapped around her own, he gripped her elbow. "When daggering an Original, or staking any vampire, you must be quick. I've seen you do it, but your form is sloppy." He slapped her elbow with his palm, then wrapped his fingers around it. "Steady arm." He nudged her right foot until she slid it behind her, steadying her form. "Back foot steady." Then, he placed his hand on her shoulder, of the one that held the dagger. "Muscles ready. Now, you thrust forward, quick and precise." She raised her eyes to meet his, and he nodded.
"Do it."
Without hesitating any further, Val drove the dagger into his chest with all her strength. He grunted, face screwing up in pain, and then collapsed. Turning to Stefan, she nodded.
"Call him."
It was the day of the homecoming dance, and Val found herself back in the clearing. Clad in a white tank and some black leggings, she was shooting targets again. She was down to only one arrow left, and she drew it back slowly, breathing deep.
The arrow flew forward, impaling the painted target at dead center. She smiled to herself; even after all this training, it still felt good to know she was still pretty decent at what she did.
"I'm surprised."
Mikael's voice had her whipping around to see him standing on the patio. He'd shed his suit jacket and undone the top buttons of his shirt, and was holding two bow staffs, one in each hand.
"The last ancestors of yours that I trained preferred close-range weapons," he continued, walking down the steps, "but then again, they were all men, and were all much bigger than you." His eyes raked over her, and she resisted the urge to shield herself from his gaze; it made her skin crawl. "They looked much more intimidating, as well."
"I like to think my appearance gives me an edge." She responded evenly, "It gives me the element of surprise."
A dry chuckle escaped his throat, and he threw one of the bow staffs her way. Her hand shot out and caught it, looking back to him in confusion. He nodded once.
"Like I said before, I am responsible for training your entire bloodline to fight supernatural creatures; every time I've come close to catching Niklaus, a Rodriguez has been there. Now that I will succeed tonight, it's only fitting that I have confidence in your skills."
Val hesitated, then dropped her bow, twisting the staff in her hands. "I don't normally fight with these. I prefer knives."
She'd barely finished her sentence before he was lunging at her, his own staff coming right at her head. She blocked, staring at him in surprise as he spoke.
"If you are going to be a huntress, you must be well-versed on all weapons!" He ordered, then spun, moving to hit her ribs. She brought her staff down, slamming the end to the ground and effectively blocking his hit.
"You must be quick!" The other end of the staff came at her face, and she barely ducked in time, rolling out of the way. "No hesitation!" The staff came down where her hip had once been narrowly missing it as she jumped to her feet. "No mercy!" It slammed towards her head again, and she blocked, but the other end swung around and hit her right in the side. An angry yelp of pain ripped through her lips and she stumbled, her temper flaring up.
"You're a vampire, I'm just a human." She reminded him, but he scoffed, shaking his head.
"You may be a human, but you could beat me in a fight, if you showed effort!" He came at her again, this time a rapid series of hits. She blocked them all, but barely, she still couldn't deliver any of her own. "I know of the Rodriguez temperament!" He knocked her back again, and she stumbled, but stayed upright. "So, come on, girl, are you a Rodriguez or not?!" He came at her again, and she blocked his hits, kicking one away from her and using the opportunity to cartwheel away. "Are you strong? Or are you as weak as you look?"
The second the word weak left his lips, she felt it. That same fury, the familiar red haze falling over her eyes and her mind. With a small cry, she flew at him. Her hits were stronger, reflexes faster, and it felt like she saw almost everything before he did it. She was so pent up in her rage and aggression, she didn't notice that the hits she was landing were actually doing some damage. Finally, he moved to smack her feet, but she moved, tilting and bringing her foot up to kick him harshly in the face. The hit only made him stumble, but she swept her staff, hitting in the gut and knocking him back even further. His back met a tree, and she came up in front of him, slamming her staff against his throat.
"Don't ever call me weak." She snarled, and he sneered. Val's breath left her lungs when his fist met in between her ribs, and then he knocked her staff away, along with his own. She felt his hand grab at the back of her knee, and then she was on her back, staring at the sky and his face as his hand enclosed around her throat.
They sat there, both breathing heavily and glaring at the other for several seconds, until Mikael spoke.
"Good. You're strong, and you're motivated." Standing, he reached his hand out, but she ignored it, pulling herself to her feet on her own. She glowered at him, then gestured to her crucifix.
"If I'm going to trust you, then I think you can tell me something about this."
Mikael smiled dryly, looking away then back at her. "What do you know of it already?"
"Your son, Elijah, he told me it's called the Rodriguez Armor. That holds the blood of my ancestors, and that's why it protects me."
"And have you ever wondered why you can't be compelled?" He asked, and Val floundered for a second. She'd wondered that for a very long time, but with everything going on, it hadn't exactly been on the forefront of her mind.
"Your ancestor, Diego Rodriguez, had a run in with my children only a few years after their transformations, after they had run away. Upon seeing their true, monstrous natures, he attempted to find out what he could about stopping them. When he found out about me, he sent word for me to travel to their location immediately. But by the time I got there, it was too late. My children had learned of his true intentions, and his heart had been ripped out. But his children still lived."
"His children?"
"Yes, he had two. A son, Diego, that was a young child. But his daughter, Maria, was thirteen. And she'd been the one to find his body, as well as his killer."
Her mind flashed to her dream, the one that occurred so long ago, and she realized what she had seen. "Elijah…"
Mikael nodded. "My son prides himself on defending his siblings, and he did what he had to do in an attempt to ensure no one could lead me to them. But even he could not find it in himself to kill the children, and in his mercy, Diego's daughter sought vengeance."
"By turning to you."
"I brought her to a witch, who told of us of a spell. Her and her brother's bloodline could be strong, fast, agile, enough to keep up with the supernatural. They could not compelled, and if they were to wear a spelled object, they could not be permanently killed by one, either. But this spell was dark magic, and all magic demands balance. In order to ensure the spell would be successful, Maria slit her own throat and allowed her blood to run into the crucifix that had once been her fathers. She only asked that I raise her brother to be strong, and with one goal: kill all supernatural beings that crossed his path."
Val was silent, taking in the information. It was insane, and yet, it wasn't. She honestly wasn't sure how to feel about any of it. She had all these amazing gifts, abilities to defend others, but at what cost had she received them? She realized something, and her eyes fell to the bow staffs on the ground before looking back up at Mikael.
"Why am I…better with you? When you're near, I'm stronger, faster, better. I can actually stand a chance in a fight with a vampire or a werewolf."
Mikael said nothing, and suddenly, he was in front of her. Before she could react, she felt the chain of her necklace go over her head, then he was holding it, dangling it in front of her eyes. She stared at him in disbelief.
"You-you can touch it…"
"Who else do you think offered their blood for the spell, Valentina?" He asked her, and she felt the blood drain from her face. "Why else can I touch it? Why doesn't it warn you when I am near?" He now placed the chain back over her head, letting the crucifix settle in between her breasts.
"Because that crucifix carries the blood of your ancestors, and mine as well."
Val was pacing. She couldn't help it, and though she knew it was pissing Damon off, she wasn't going to stop.
All of the kids were at the dance; well, almost all of them. Damon had made the appropriate call that even Mikael could not be trusted, and she agreed. So, Elena wasn't there. Instead, Katherine had put on her dress and done her hair like Elena's, and was standing in. As far as she could tell, no one but she and Damon knew that the real teen was still stowed safely away in a part of the boarding house far away from Mikael.
Rebekah was covered by a sheet with a dagger in her back up in Stefan's room; now that had not been planned. Val wasn't happy about it, but she would admit the blonde was a wild card, and she wasn't willing to take the risk of pulling it out. She'd been pissed at Elena for stabbing the girl right in the back, literally, but there wasn't much else they could do now.
She sat there, running her fingers over the crucifix, still not able to believe what Mikael had told her. It was a lot to process, and she wasn't quite there.
"Is my daughter at the dance?" Speak of the devil; Mikael had entered the room, dressed back in his suit. Damon looked up from where he was pouring himself another glass of human blood.
"Yep, you missed the photo op." He responded evenly, and the man walked towards the two. Val folded her arms over the silk burgundy tank she'd put on; she didn't want to stand out at the party too much. "Did you get the stake?"
"I did."
"I'm not going to take your word for it, no offense to your honor and all."
Mikael shrugged, "None taken." Reaching into his suit, he produced a long, gray stake. It was intricately carved; the sides looked almost like dragon scales, and she stared at it, transfixed, as Damon spoke.
"Fancy." He reached a hand towards it, "May I?"
But Mikael held it away, giving the vampire in front of him a look that said, Do you think I'm that stupid? "This is the only vampire that can kill an Original, so I think I'll hold onto it, no offense."
Damon shook his head, "None taken." But Val couldn't tear her eyes away. Seeing this, Mikael held it towards her.
"You, my dear, may feel it." She looked up to him in surprised, and he nodded. Reaching forward, she ran her fingers down it. Surprisingly, it was smooth, and almost perfect. She pulled her hand away, meeting his gaze with a hard glare.
"I'd offer you a drink, but Katherine tells me you're more a of a vampire on the rocks kind of guy." Damon remarked, and Mikael shrugged as he slipped the stake back into his suit jacket.
"Well, technically, you could still offer." He told the vamp, and Val felt her own muscles go rigid at the veiled threat. Damon glared at the man, the two holding each other's gazes for several seconds before he spoke up again.
"Why feed on vampires? Don't tell me it's for the smooth after taste."
"I had a hand in creating vampires, but the blood lust was never my intention. Over the centuries, I've learned to feed from the predator, not the innocent." He turned his gaze over to Val, "Speaking of feeding, I do believe there is only one more thing you should know before tonight."
She cocked her head, wordlessly notifying him she was listening, and he continued. "My blood runs with your ancestors through that crucifix, so when I am nearby, the spell encased in it recognizes me as well, and that is what gives you your 'abilities', if you will. But I will need to know that I have a huntress who does not need me nearby to handle herself." He grabbed a knife on the table next to him, and the other two's eyes widened as he dragged it across his wrist. Dropping the knife, he turned to her. "Drink."
"What? No." She denied vehemently, feeling disgust rise in her. She avoided taking blood for a reason, and Mikael definitely wasn't a good enough guy to make her break that. But he only nodded, face stern.
"Yes. I consulted a witch some five hundred years ago and asked if there was a way for the Rodriguez bloodline to operate on its own, without my help. If you drink my blood, you will still be strong, still be quick, still be able to take on a vampire, a werewolf, a hybrid." She stared at his wrist in doubt, and his eyes bore into her. "Should you die, it will not turn you, my dear. Your crucifix would bring you back first, and even if it didn't, it was a part of the spell. In order to keep the balance, I cannot be the one to turn you; it is physically impossible."
She stared at the blood just a little bit more, then turned back to him. "How long until it leaves my system?"
"A few days." He grabbed the knife again, looking annoyed that the wound had closed. "But even when it does, the spell will hold true. So long as you remain human, you will carry out your families legacy." Seeing her pause again, he continued. "Your great-great grandfather was trying to find me, to see if it was true. So he could take it, and keep his family safe from Niklaus." Upon hearing about her grandfather, she looked back at him, hesitation starting to drain away. He cut it again. "Drink, Valentina. And begin your destiny."
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed his hand, raising his wrist to her lips. Trying to avoid breathing in, she enclosed her mouth around the wound.
When it hit her tongue, she nearly recoiled away on reflex; all vamp blood tasted absolutely horrendous. But as soon as she tasted his, she leaned into his arm unintentionally. She felt a gentle hand on her hair, nearly stroking it, but she could barely think about that. The taste was euphoric, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized why vampires suddenly chased after blood once they saw it; she didn't want to ever stop.
Suddenly, she remembered where she was and what she was doing, and she shoved his wrist away, stumbling back. Lifting a hand, she ran it over her mouth, panting and wiping away the blood, as the two men in front of her stared at her. Damon look shocked and almost horrified, but Mikael…she couldn't read his face, but his eyes were dark as they watched her wipe the blood away from her lips. She looked down and wiped at her mouth again, desperate to get it all off.
"Hey!" She had never been so grateful to hear from Stefan than in that very moment, and their attention turned to the younger vampire as he ran into the room, clad smartly in a suit. "Klaus is back, he's at the Lockwood's. And he wants your body," he turned to Mikael, "delivered to his doorstep."
"Well, I'm afraid he's in for a colossal disappointment." Mikael shot back smoothly.
"Welp, he's not coming here." Stefan put his hands in his pockets, smirking. "Hope your plan didn't depend on that."
"It doesn't." Damon confirmed.
"But you do have a plan, right?"
"Oh, yeah, we've got a plan." Damon assured his brother. "Just doesn't involve you."
With that, Mikael rushed forward and buried his teeth into Stefan's neck. Val's mouth dropped and her hand shot out, grabbing at Damon's arm. The two watched in surprise and near terror as the Original drained Stefan, letting his body drop to the ground.
"Why didn't you just snap his neck?" Damon exclaimed, but Mikael only shrugged, pulling out a white handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
"Well, it certainly occurred to me." Was all he said, then walked off. The two friends met each other's eyes, and then Damon grabbed the bag and his jacket, following Mikael. Val went after him, but all the while, she could feel her stomach sinking.
Something is going to go very, very wrong tonight.
Once they were there, Mikael left them to go to his spot. Val couldn't help but let out a breath she didn't know she was holding once he was far enough away, and she and Damon started walking across the lawn to the front door.
"Ok, what the hell was that?" His voice interrupted her thoughts, and she avoided his gaze, face hard.
"I need to be able to fend for myself, Damon, and I don't trust him anymore than you do."
"Fend for yourself?" He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Val, we can protect you, I can protect you, and I have! I will!"
"Yeah, but you won't always be around, will you, Damon?" She shot back, meeting his eyes. "Look, Hector and Ally will be back in a few days, and this town is crawling with creatures that could kill them without skipping a beat. Who the hell am I if I can't protect them, Damon, hm? And look around you; I've done a pretty piss-poor job at protecting the people of this town as it is. I just," she paused, looking away and the back to him. "I had to, Damon. And of all people, you can't look me in the eye and tell me you've never done anything severe to protect the ones you love." Yanking her arm from his hold, she stalked off towards her post, not bothering to look back.
Val slowly slipped through the crowd of people heading for the backyard. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Damon moving as well. She knew he had the stake; it was originally supposed to go to her, but even though she was faster now, she wasn't vampire fast. It was better not to take the chance.
She watched as Klaus approached the front door, where Mikael stood. Despite them holding no biological connection, she couldn't help but notice how similar it looked, the way they held themselves. Straight spine, shoulders back, tight jaw. Very intimidating, the both of them, and she hung back behind the staircase, watching carefully.
"Hello, Niklaus."
"Hello, Mikael." Klaus responded, "Why don't you come inside? Oh, that's right, you can't."
"Why don't you come outside?"
"Or I can watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb." At his words, Val watched as multiple people gathered on the lawn behind Mikael, looking like a pack of wolves (pun very much intended).
"They can't kill me."
"True, but it'll make a hell of a party game." Klaus lifted his hand, and thought Val couldn't see his face, she knew he was smirking. "All I have to do is rub these two fingers together, and they'll pounce."
Mikael watched him carefully, but a derisive smile came onto his face as the hybrid finished talking. "The big, bad wolf." He mocked, "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward."
She also didn't need to see Klaus's face to know Mikael's words were affecting him, she could read his body language.
"You only forget," Mikael continued, "they may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me." He held out his hand to the side, and several hybrids stepped forward, handing a dressed-up Katherine into his arms.
She looked over at Damon, and as they made eye contact, she knew they were both thinking the same thing.
Called it.
Katherine was doing an excellent job of acting scared; if Val wasn't how she was, she wouldn't even be able to tell it wasn't Elena. And clearly, neither could Klaus, as she watched him take a slight step back and his neck and jaw tensed.
"Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies."
Klaus's voice was almost too soft for Val to hear. "Go ahead; kill her."
"No," Katherine begged, "Klaus, he'll do it!"
"If she dies," Mikael reminded him, "this lot will be the last of your abominations."
"I don't need them." Klaus responded darkly, "I just need to be rid of you."
Damn, and I thought my hatred for my mother was bad, Val thought, watching the scene with narrowed eyes.
"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever with no one at your side?" Mikael's voice rose as he spoke, and she realized with a start that Klaus's jaw was trembling.
Holy shit, is he crying?
"No one cares about you anymore, boy!" Mikael continued, his voice dropping back down. "Who do you have? Other than those whose loyalty you forced?" He paused, as if waiting for an answer, then answered his own question. "No one." He leaned his head further towards Klaus, emphasizing his words. "No one."
"I'm calling your bluff, father." Klaus answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kill her."
"Come outside and face me, you little coward, and I won't have to."
"My whole life you've underestimated me." Klaus responded, his voice climbing in volume, "If you kill her, you lose your leverage. So, go ahead. Come on. Do it, old man, kill her. Kill her!"
Mikael shook his head at the hybrid, chuckling, and not looking at all surprised. "Your impulse, Niklaus. It has, and will forever be, the one thing that keeps you from being truly great." And with that, he slammed the dagger into Katherine's spine.
The doppelganger gasped, appearing to choke on her own blood, before she dropped to the ground, body going still.
And that was their que.
Damon flashed forward, slamming the stake into Klaus's side. He roared in pain, and Val rushed from her spot, moving to help hold him down so the Salvatore could get a shot at his heart. She saw Katherine stand up as she ran, and Mikael's shock as she pulled two wolfsbane grenades out of her coat.
"Kaboom." The brunette smirked, then flicked the pins off, tossing them into the air above the pack. The hybrids scattered as they exploded, shouting in pain, but Val was too occupied.
Before she could grab Klaus, a blur launched forward and tackled Damon off, ripping the stake out of Klaus's side. Her eyes widened in horror.
"No!" She cried, grabbing the stake. She slammed her fist into Klaus's solar plexus, watching the shock on his face as she was able to keep him down. She slammed the stake towards his heart, but he caught it. Val pushed harder, not willing to give up so easily. She was stronger now, she could do this, she had to do this for Jenna…
The two struggled against each other until with a roar, Klaus flung her off to the side. Her body smacked against the stairwell, and a yelp escaped her lips as her body hit the floor beneath them. She looked up, starting to pull herself to her feet.
But Klaus had used his opportunity. Grabbing the stake, he flew at Mikael just as the older vampire turned around-
-and slammed the stake through his heart.
A blinding, white hot pain erupted in Val's chest, and she screamed. It was awful, it was worse than anything she'd ever felt before. It was like it started in her chest and spread through out her body, and it truly felt like she was on fire. It was worse than the first time she'd been fed on, it was worse than being burned with the hot poker, it was worse than everything. Somewhere distant, she heard a man screaming as well, and she realized it was Mikael. But the pain was so intense, she couldn't think about that, she could barley think period. She continued to scream, writhing on the ground in agony, until it was just too much. She saw Stefan stand, and Klaus approached. They and Damon all stared at her, but the world was getting darker around the edges.
And, desperate for relief, she let go.
Ok, so, a LOT happened in this chapter, and I feel the need to go over some things.
First off, with Rebekah: I realize this point in the show is where some might start to say the gang is pulling some very shitty moves to win, and I'd agree with you there. However, I would encourage you to see this from Val's point of view: This guy came into the town she lives in, sacrificed a bunch people, one of whom was her best friend, right in front of her. Then, he took her friend. Then, after that, he started flooding their town with these new supernatural creatures right when she got these two young kids living with her. So, she's definitely on the team of 'Get Klaus the Fuck Out of Mystic Falls by Any Means Necessary'. Also, idk if anyone has picked up on this yet, but Val can hold a grudge. Like, for REAL. And I always feel like, when Klaus has a love interest, it's someone who's connected to the Gilbert family and is never upset at him for killing Jenna, like it never ONCE comes up and I just ? I don't get that? I feel like it would at least cause SOME tension, damn.
With Mikael: So, Mikael only gave Val a PART of her family history. Trust me, there's more. WAY more. But, he's a manipulator, it's what he does, and he's good at it, y'know? She has no reason not to take his word for it, as he seems to be helping them with their current goal. Val taking his blood was a desperate move of hers in an attempt to gain an edge, and it will impact her both positively and negatively as the story continues. Also, since I know some people are going to ask: NO, Mikael is NOT an romantic interest. At least, not to Val. Again, that'll be explained. And Val's a good-looking gal.
So, tell me what you thought! Were you a fan, not a fan, excited to see what happens, confused, what? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see you guys (hopefully) by next week!