Madness
Feel the fury closing in
All resistance wearing thin
Nowhere to run from all of this havoc
Nowhere to hide from all of this madness, madness, madness
Madness, madness, madness
-Ruelle
The group trudged through the woods, going down a forgotten fire road off a closed off portion of one of the many trails attributed to the Blue Ridge mountains, in the middle of the night. The moon was full but provided a little light for them, not that anyone but Bonnie mind.
It had been two more days since Rebekah's return. It took everything to convince Klaus to wait but Bonnie was glad they did. Her gut was telling her that they needed a few items on hand before they attempted this. It had been difficult to wait for them to be made and delivered, she was just lucky that the provider for the cloaking charms lived in DC.
"Remind me again why all the secrecy, why can't we just go in guns blazing," Damon whispered to no one in particular.
Elena shot him a glare, "Really?"
"Because we're going up against science here and I'm sure they've got the place on lockdown for your kind, Damon." Bonnie was tired of having to be the voice of reason and logic.
"If they're tough enough to get the drop on Original Barbie why the hell are we-" His sentence was cut off as he was thrown into a nearby tree.
"Another word and I'll rip your fucking throat out." Klaus' words oozed out like they were poison.
Ignoring the scene before him, Elijah chimed in, "She's right, it's better to be cautious than to be taken out easily. If they could do the things our sister told us of, it's better to be prepared." In the darkness, Bonnie could barely make out a grimace on the face of the oldest vampire.
Back on track, they made their way, agonizingly slow, through the woods. Until Elijah told them to fall back. It was time to set their plan in motion. He looked to his brother, "Niklaus, I still do not think that this is a good idea." His brother hadn't stopped his steps ignoring anyone around him. Sighing, Elijah then glanced at Stefan and Elena, "Go ahead."
Bonnie watched as Stefan and Elena continued on, only to disappear into thin air as they put their charms on. She prayed that this would work. Her rising anxiety didn't bode well.
In a minute they happened upon what looked to be a bunker door set into exposed rock. Klaus stopped. His body tense, the predator waiting for their prey to appear. But at the moment, and with their plan in mind, it seemed more like they were the prey. Stefan set himself up next to the door while Elena mirrored him on the other side. The door made a metallic beep and swung open.
He was not a patient man by any means, no he liked to take the more direct path as soon as he was able to. Planning was more his brother's tactics. But when you were the most powerful being in existence- you waited for no man. But this was for Caroline's safety. And when they had finally found the lead they had so desperately needed; he was forced to wait. To stave off the blinding need to kill anyone who could harm someone so pure made him very, very impatient.
He needed to fix this, he needed to get to her. He would do one better, he would replace her spot in the darkness with himself. After all, he thought sardonically, darkness is my old friend. This wasn't his first idea for a plan. Be captured and hope that her friends wouldn't mess anything up. But it was all for her. Something he was having to come to grips with.
The metallic door opened as if it were sliding into the rock. He waited.
Minutes ticked by, his muscle in his jaw ticked away in time with his annoyance and growing worry. But then suddenly he was surrounded by armed guards, their guns pointed as if they posed a threat to him. What looked to be a scientist, or maybe a doctor, broke the line. They kept their distance to him.
"I believe we had a deal." He all but growled out.
The doctor nodded, then smiled, "Yes, I believe we did." His eye widened a fraction, he knew her voice. Klaus was very aware that the cause of Caroline's suffering was calmly standing in front of him. Then she was talking again, he fought to keep his emotions under control, "Would you kindly follow me. But first I'd like to take a sample of your blood. I've been most eager to meet you. Then I will lead you to her."
Grimacing, he pulled his sleeve up and held his arm out, "Have at it." Another white coat darted forward, took some of his blood and quickly darted ahead. If it had been anyone else who these people had, he wouldn't have gone even this far. But love makes fools of us all, he supposed.
A sharp pain hit his neck, surprised, he brushed the area with his hand only to find a dart sticking out of him. He looked at it quizzically. Cool rage filled his mind. He looked up and made to move. He couldn't. He looked down as if the answer was at his feet. He tried to move his foot, and again he couldn't. His eyes shot to the doctor in front of him. His knees buckled under him. The Original Hybrid had been brought to his knees by this meager human in front of him. He seethed, "What have you done?"
"It's an interesting cocktail. It has the ability to weaken like vervain, but I've added a bit more flare to it than what the hunter's use." She casually walked over to him, all ease and reassurance. "Would you like the same thing the other's get?" His eyes bore into her, willing himself to move, to tear her apart. "You won't have to wait long, thank you for coming to me, I hope your sister is well." She motioned to her right and two guards grabbed his arms. They pulled him up, dragging his unresponsive body with them, and proceeded to enter the facility.
The first thing he noticed was the cleanliness. Like being in a hospital that had never been used. The effect was unnerving. They passed corridors with rows of blank, nondescript doors. Glimpses of clean metallic tables as they passed doors that were open and waiting for their next victim. In different circumstances, he might have been impressed. A screech echoed from one of the rooms nearby. If he could control his body he'd have lashed out.
Sensing this, the doctor, who had been leading the group, turned to him, "That would be our newest arrival. Subject 036-HX hails from an interesting lineage. I had to have her for my research." The sense of dread grew but he reassured himself that Caroline would be safe now and he would unleash hellfire on those who caused her harm as soon as he was able to.
Down another hallway, this one much wider and containing what appeared to be cells, they came to a stop at one. Each cell they passed was only illuminated by the hall light, making the cells seem very dark and empty. He had assumed that there would be other people around, but save for the group that took him to this cell there was not another soul.
The clear glass wall slid down into the ground. He was hauled in and placed towards the front of the cell. They shackled and chained him to the wall. The slow burn told him it contained vervain in its metal. With his back against the wall, he watched the guards leave out of his peripheral.
The doctor stayed in the hall as the glass wall started to emerge. "I'm so glad you've decided to join us. I must tell you that the knowledge you will give us will be invaluable." She paused, thinking and then continued, "I'm quite eager to hear your thoughts on the concoction we made using Hunter's blood. My researchers cracked a special chemical in the DNA that had proven to be a major improvement in our project here. Each Subject has taken it. But alas the side effects are less than promising. I believe you've had some experience with it. They call it the Hunter's Curse, right? I think with your help it will be remedied soon." She glanced to something behind him, but then her gaze returned to him, "I look forward to our tests together. I wonder if you'll be more cooperative than the girl."
"We had a deal," he growled out between his teeth, "you will release her in my stead."
She stared at him, her eyes were dead, "You're right, and as I said outside, we did have a deal. I have tests to run, good night."
"Then let me make a promise, I will kill you and everyone in here." He roared as she walked away. He silently seethed at the woman. Deep down he knew that she wouldn't have followed through. He supposed he wouldn't either if he had something to gain. That gave him pause, but he quickly shoved the thought aside.
He attempted to test his strength but found that he couldn't move anything except his head. Being this vulnerable terrified him in a way that sat ill on his chest, all for her. He swore. Playing the distraction for once wasn't something he'd like to repeat. He hoped the two imbeciles made it farther than he did.
A soft sound came from the corner of the room that was cast in shadow. What looked like a person was kneeling, folded over themselves, in the opposite corner of the room. Their arms were behind their back and chained to the wall just like himself. He cursed himself for not noticing anyone else in the room with him. He cursed himself for how stupid he was, for not being able to move, for not making it here sooner.
"Who's there?" He demanded. The person moved their head slightly, a curtain of yellow hair obscuring their face. Her scent, faint and slightly changed, wafted over to him. He swore he felt his heart seize, "Caroline?" How had he not noticed? A horrible concoction of emotions took over him, almost choking him with their need to rule him. They had placed him in the same room as her and he couldn't go to her, couldn't take her from this place. He forced himself to remain calm, "Caroline," he waited.
She moved her head a little more. Her voice was soft and weak to his ears, but still melodious, "I'm not going to talk to you..." She sighed, "try something else, or else let me die here in peace."
Klaus could feel his heart drop, what was she talking about? Did she really think she'd die here? And why the hell was she not going to talk to me? "Sorry my presence is so tiresome for you, love, but forgive my persistence. I'm not leaving without you." His hands flexed in his shackles, good, the serum seemed to be weakening.
A cynical laugh escaped her, "I've heard you say that before. You'd think I'd imagine someone else after being here for so long. Tell me, why do I torture myself with the visions of you? 'It's all in my head' as they like to say."
The Hunter's Curse, or whatever they were giving her to induce it. He realized that she thought he was another hallucination, one of many. And she's been seeing me this whole time? What Rebekah had told them came back to him. An odd sense of hope, anger, and elation swirled in him. Klaus shook his head. With a sad smile, he responded, "Unfortunately, I'm the real thing, love."
Her head gave a small shake in denial, "You've said that before, too."
"At least now I know you care about me, Caroline," his head rested back against the wall, this was going to more difficult than he had thought. He was truly at a loss, "You know, I've been trying to wrap my brain around this whole mess you've gotten in." He realized he was lashing out at her, but he was so scared that he'd lose her and it would all be his fault. "I received a video from that woman almost three weeks ago." He fought to keep his voice under control, "I saw what they- why didn't you give me up? You could've been free. You could've been safe. Dammit, Caroline, why?!" He shook his head at her, "So I had to come to the only explanations I could think of, either you're incredibly stubborn or you care about me, truly care. Because I can't understand how you would risk your life for a monster like me."
The woman that would somehow forever hold his heart, sat in the corner of this prison cell, staring at him with wide blue eyes that could see through his very being. Slowly, she moved her head side to side, as if unsure of what he was saying, "We're all monsters, Klaus, no one is innocent in this life." She shook her head more vigorously this time, dropping it back to the floor. "I can't tell if you're real or not," she said in a half sob.
Hope reared it's ugly head inside his chest like a vicious traitor, "I need you to believe me, love. I'm here for you. I will get us out of this." He fought with his immobile and uncooperative body, trying to will them to work for him.
"If you are real, that can only mean you've given her the final piece to whatever she's planning."
"I had to- she had you, I couldn't just leave you here."
"You should have, you don't know what they're capable of."
"Caroline, love, I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking like that," he forced himself to sound more casual than he felt. Klaus wasn't sure it even worked. The way she was talking reminded him of the time he was under the hunter's curse. Nothing mattered anymore in those days, he was almost willing to end it all himself once before. "Not that I don't enjoy your voice, it's just that normally I'm the more cynical of the two of us and I could really use the old Miss Mystic Falls attitude right now."
She was quiet. As if she was withdrawing inside herself again. But then she spoke, "Klaus, is this real? Are you really here?" Her eyes were watery, the doubt written all over her face.
He chuckled, "Took you long enough." His eyes bore into hers, he needed to tell her so many things, touch her and make her believe that he was real and she was never going to leave him again.
A loud beeping suddenly filled the room, emanating from the ceiling itself. Her head snapped up in terror before she looked out towards the hall. "They never come at night. Why-" then she looked at him, "Did they take anything from you?" He didn't know what to say, but he didn't have to say anything.
Her head moved back and forth slowly, "It's all over, you have to find a way out, Klaus. You have to, you can't let them win." She was frantic now. Like the animal in the cage that knew what was going to happen. She probably did.
"Not without you, love." He'd be damned if he left her behind, let these demons win their game they wanted to play.
Her head fell to the floor in defeat as the glass wall started to recede into the floor. Footfalls from the hallway became louder. A group like before, he assumed they were the same people who brought him here, appeared at the entrance of the room. They ignored Klaus and went straight to Caroline. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he growled out.
No one moved at the threat. One man, syringe in hand bent and administered a dark liquid to her neck. He was helpless to stop them. He focused on his inevitable revenge.
Caroline let out a small yelp that was cut off by a soft sigh. Her body became limp and she sunk further to the floor. Two men grabbed each of her arms, removing her shackles. The soon left the room. Klaus cursed them and fought to gain control over his limbs once more.
Author Note:
Thank you for reading guys, I've gotta say it's really cool to see that most people are digging this, and now we finally have some much coveted Klaroine time in this chapter- the next one's going to be intense.
