Author Note: This chapter has a two song combo, ignore the other one if you don't like electric music, I just dig it for the type of scene it is. Enjoy!
Deep End
I'm slipping into the deep end
I'm in over my head
I can't catch my breath
I'm slipping into the deep end
Feel the current within
I can't help, I give in
Like light in my veins,
Darkness is sinking
Darkness is sinking me
Commanding my soul
I am under the surface
Where the blackness burns beneath
-Ruelle
What was her life right now? A mess. A bad dream. She took comfort in knowing that Klaus was nearby. That he allowed her the small comfort of holding onto him, holding onto the realness. Any minute it would slide to the left, tipping her vision sideways and spilling her out into a sea of nothingness. And then she'd blink, bringing the world back into focus. She was back in Mystic Falls. Surrounded by her oldest friends...and the Originals.
Outside, the night was a dark blanket around the Mikaelson's mansion. And there Caroline sat, perched on the couch, legs curled to her chest with one arm wrapped around them and one hand clutching the bottom of Klaus' Henley. She was clean now, in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that someone, Bonnie probably, thought to grab for her. Her eyes drifted to the floor, to objects on the wall, even the fireplace, but she couldn't look at anyone there. Not that she felt anything negative to them, they had risked their lives to save her. But she couldn't process any of this. In time she would. But for now...the facility took what made her...her. And she was trying to find herself again through the madness that she had lived in for the last three weeks. She squeezed his hand again.
Moxie was talking again, "We don't know anything valuable, guys. I just know that they fucked with us- big time. Her more than anyone else." She half gestured to Caroline. "From what Rebekah told me about her experience there, I had a very different experience." She folded her arms against her chest, maybe to protect herself from what she would tell them, maybe to keep a grip on her own sanity, "I was given a lot of drugs and jabbed with a lot more needles. But mostly they just beat me." She shook her head swiping at a tear that had fallen traitorously down her cheek.
"But, why you?" Stefan's voice was soft. Not condescending but confused.
A cynical laugh escaped her, "I asked myself that the whole time I was there. It wasn't until the last night I was there that the 'good doctor' told me. Apparently, I come from a long line of werewolves located in Ireland, the Gilvaethwy clan. I don't know much more than that, just that I wasn't triggered till Caroline went missing. My clan isn't like other werewolves, they're bigger, more vicious once turned." She shook her pink head, "What the fuck am I now?"
Silence. "We're monsters." This time it was her own voice. Croaking out in a hushed tone. She could sense the eyes on her now.
"You're not a monster, take it from a true monster." Klaus scolded.
"She's right though," Moxie fumed. At his look of angry disbelief, she continued, "Then what are we? We're not just one creature anymore, we're something different altogether. Not a hybrid of two creatures, we're...monsters. Nightmares."
Klaus made to move to her, to shut her up, make her stop, anything. But he paused as the hand that held him there moved to palm his hand. He looked at her. The beautiful, broken girl before him. Every painful, sorrow she held in her features, every lost look in her eyes, renewed his vow to fix everything.
With big eyes, blue and sad, she shook her head, "Moxie's right, Klaus," she looked down, "Whatever we are, we're not like the rest of you anymore."
"You're a hybrid now, Caroline, I don't think that-"
"No...I'm not..." Her voice was so small. She continued, despite the need to curl up and go to sleep and be done with the bad dreams, "We all know I'm not, I didn't suddenly develop werewolf genes any more than Moxie suddenly changing the definition of what a werewolf can be. We're different now," she swallowed, trying to find her lost bravery. It was there deep in her heart and she would force it out. She would be strong. Caroline held her head up, forcing the familiar feeling of confidence that she didn't really feel right then, "Those people changed us, I don't know how and I don't know why."
Elena, quiet the whole time sat forward, "Caroline, you should rest, regain your strength. We can fix all this later."
"Is there time, though? A place like that, there's probably another somewhere. They could be looking for us right now, we don't know." Caroline admonished. She felt that old flicker of a flame inside of her. The one that held all her confidence, all her loyalty, bravery, happiness, anger. Everything that made up Caroline uniquely her. She could feel it trying to roar up into the flame it used to be, it was failing a little but she suddenly felt hope for herself. For what they would need to do in the coming days.
Rebekah, who had been standing by the window looking out. "We know what they did to me, and to Moxie," she turned away from the window, "Now, I want to know what they did to you, Caroline." Of course, she'd bounce back to her old self faster than the rest of us.
Caroline looked away from her intense stare, Rebekah's eyes unsettled her in a way they never had before.
"Rebekah." Elijah's calm and assertive voice cut through the air. Caroline caught the low growl from Klaus.
"What? We need to know what we're dealing with. Tell us, Caroline."
"I was drugged and tortured like you," Caroline replied quickly. It came out easier than she had thought it would. Shaking her head, trying to find better footing than what she had just said. She decided to explain a little more, "Honestly, I don't remember much. It was like going into a room, forgetting why you did, and then walking back out." She paused and took a breath, "I would go in, and then come out a lot worse than when I went in." She could feel how tense Klaus had become. He moved his hand to the back of the couch in a nonchalant manner, but his thumb trailed small circles on her back through her shirt. The action comforted her. So she continued, "I know that they killed me a few times, or at least I assume they did. I mean, there were times where I know they did, but sometimes I'd wake up in my cell without any memory of being taken back. They drugged all of us. There's not really anything I can give that would be useful." She looked back up at everyone. Most of them wouldn't look at her. Stefan did, Rebekah and Moxie, too. Even Damon looked away from her. She smiled at those that didn't, but she could tell it wasn't a very reassuring one.
Silence filled the air for a long time, then Bonnie spoke up, "This just doesn't make any sense. I feel like we're missing something...like there's-"
Bonnie stopped suddenly seeing Elijah's hand fly up in a halting gesture. There was a small sound by the front door. Like paper gliding across the floor. The Original Vampire flashed out of the room.
Caroline stood up. A seed of apprehension had found its way in her chest. Something was off. She couldn't tell what but something was wrong here. Her eyes found Klaus', he was watching her with a mix of worry, intrigue, and protectiveness. She decided to move to his side, standing next to him made her feel better. She didn't want to be so clingy but she needed to be close to him.
Minutes ticked by before Elijah finally walked back in with an envelope in his hands. He turned it over in his hands and then looked at Rebekah, "It's for you."
"I've had enough of bloody envelopes," Klaus muttered to himself.
Caroline glanced at him but soon watched Elijah walk across the room and give Rebekah the paper in his hands. Don't read it! Don't open it! Throw it away! Just thinking that had made her scared. She was aware that she was breathing heavily for some reason. She felt Klaus' hand on her arm. But she ignored it, all of her senses were on the woman in front of her.
She hadn't wasted any time in opening it. "What the hell?" She said in a perplexed tone, "It's just numbers and rubbish." Her gaze met each of her brothers.
"What does it say?" Caroline was surprised at how her voice came out. Small and frightened. She was certain that she already knew what was on it. So why on Earth was she asking?
"1-Charlie-20-India-Victor-1-20-echo"
With each word, Caroline's fear increased. She shook her head, say something, anything, warn them! "No..." she whispered, so quietly that she didn't know if she had said it at all.
Klaus' attention snapped to her. "Caroline?"
This wasn't happening, she had to fight this. But how can I fight the impossible? How can I even hope to win? Caroline had to say something, she just had to, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry- I ca-won't be able to- you have to stop..." God, she sounded nuts. What are you even saying? How do you know this is bad?
"Melinoe, awaken. Follow your orders from Dr. Ophelia."
A switch in her head had suddenly been flipped on while another had been flipped off. And then her mind went blank.
Chasing Heaven
-Bassnectar, Levitate
or
Red Lips feat. Sam Bruno (Skrillex Remix)
-GTA
couldn't make heads or tails of what the message was supposed to be. Was it a clue? A threat? Why was it addressed to Rebekah?
"No..." Her voice drifted to him like a soft breeze.
His head whirled to look at her, alarm bells going off. He could feel the tension and fear from Caroline. Knew that something wasn't right. With an unwelcome apprehension, he spoke, "Caroline?" The panic and fright in her eyes and voice sent shards of dread through his chest.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry- I ca-won't be able to- you have to stop..." But she didn't finish the sentence. Without warning, she doubled over clutching at her chest. Several sickening snaps filled the air. She inhaled sharply and fell to her knees before he had time to process what happened.
"Caroline!" He was next to her in a second, kneeling beside her. There had to be something he could do. He placed his hand lightly on her back.
"What happened?"
"Oh my god, is she okay?"
"What the hell's going on?"
Several voices rose up at once.
Stefan appeared on Caroline's other side. He seemed almost as worried as Klaus was. "Caroline, can you hear us? What's happening to you?"
Her hands shot out in front of her, bracing herself on the hardwood floor. Her fingers were longer than before with razor sharp nails that resembled claws instead of human fingernails.
Klaus cursed before he spoke, "She's shifting."
"What should we do? Do you think we should snap her neck?" Stefan questioned the Original Hybrid.
Before he could answer, Caroline shot up from the floor, standing in between Stefan and him. She was calm now, her head slightly bowed down, a sheet of golden hair obscuring her face. She appeared too calm, too in control. Catatonic, came to mind. And that wasn't good in the least.
Cautiously, he stood up, Stefan followed suit. The idea of snapping her neck, while unpalatable, would be necessary. It was the last thing he wanted to do. But whatever just happened they needed time to figure it out without an unstable hybrid in their midst.
Her head rose up, hair falling away to show the telltale features that he was so used to, except for her eyes. The black, spider like veins crept towards her black eyes, there were no irises of gold, blue, or red. They were all black. Caroline turned her head towards him. He watched Stefan move to snap her neck. Then everything went to hell in seconds.
Dodging the man's arms that came towards her head, she reached up in less than a second, grabbed his arm with her left hand, then shot her right up to create a counter force on his upper arm and breaking it with a sickening snap. Her right hand swiped towards his throat, jabbing his jugular. She quickly clutched his shirt with both hands and threw him into the man standing to her left. She didn't watch as they toppled, together, over the couch.
The dark-haired man with the bright blue eyes had caught her from behind, his lean arms wrapped around her torso. Without warning, she threw her head back hard connecting with his head. He dropped her with a groan. Turning, she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her while he was distracted. Her knee connected with his diaphragm. As he was still in her way, she pulled him to the ground before she jumped up to kick off of the doppelgänger behind the dark-haired man, sending the girl flying backward into the wall. A painting crashed to the floor along with a vase. On her way down from her jump, she threw a small portion of her strength into her elbow to sever the man's spine. She crushed several vertebrae, the man fell unconscious.
Sensing the rapid movement of air towards her, she knelt forward. A knee flew towards her head, her hands instinctively moving up to stop her attacker's leg before she pushed them away. Standing on firm feet, now, she saw that it was the blonde woman who had been by the window. The other woman went to throw a punch, which she blocked quickly before her own fist connected with the blonde woman's ribs. She felt them crack under her fingers.
Her senses alerted her to another presence behind her. They were trying to be quiet, inconspicuous. She turned rapidly kicking her leg out to connect with the man's head. She caught him by surprise. His head snapped back suddenly. He was dressed nicer than anyone else in the room. Her attention had been diverted for long enough for the blonde to come close enough to almost grab her head. Before the 'final' blow could be given she dropped to the ground sweeping her leg out to knock the other off their feet.
She returned to a standing position to see that the suited man, now with a sour expression, grab at her. Throwing her arms up and out to keep his arms from grabbing her, she gripped at his lapels, throwing her knee up into his ribs before she kicked her leg back out when she felt someone behind her. Her foot found the blonde woman's chest, sending her across the room. She swung her foot back to loop around the man's leg. Her foot pulled back, effectively throwing him off-balance. She pushed back hard, throwing him to the ground.
Without warning her back hit the wall, sending a sharp pain up her spine. A grunt escaped her lips. The hybrid had the base of her neck in his hands now. His eyes widened a fraction, he was going to compel her. She flashed her hands up, joined them, then brought them down to her side breaking his hold. She head butted him hard before she wrapped her arms around his ribs and pushed off the wall. Both of their bodies flew back into the middle of the room. Before the hybrid could react, she rolled off him and flashed to the kitchen.
With a slightly surprised look, she saw that the doppelgänger had beaten her to the kitchen, halting her next move.
"Caroline, snap out of it! It's me, Elena, your friend."
The girl must have a death wish. With a speed that surprised the girl in front her, she grabbed her neck, pulled her close and bit down hard on the girl's neck. The girl, Elena, cried out in pain before she slammed her into the wall. The brunette crumpled silently to the floor.
Her hand closed around a nearby knife. A floorboard creaked down the hall behind her. The knife that had been in her hand now flew through the air at inhuman speed. It found its home in the chest of the man that had started her attack. He looked down perplexed before he fell to the floor.
An arm wrapped around her throat. She didn't have to look to tell that it was the suited man again. His other hand was on her head in an attempt to snap her neck. Her elbow flew back into his side. She twisted in his grip so that her shoulder now met with his chest. Her foot pushed his leg back while her upper arm found his jaw. This time, she quickly snapped his neck. Her patience was running dangerously low.
She grabbed another knife as she headed back to the other room. The blonde woman met her halfway. One of the woman's arms jutted out to stop her. Shifting away she slit the other woman's throat before the other had time to even see the knife. She left her to bleed out in the hall as she made her way back into the main room. The hybrid and human were all that was left.
The hybrid stood in the middle of it. It appeared that his control was slipping. Interesting. She threw the knife up, catching it by the tip of its blade and threw it across the room, issuing a soft gasp from the only human in the room. The knife missed her face by a mere inch, instead, it sliced part of her ear.
She began to walk to the front door, the appearance of being done with everything in the building on her features. The sound of him flashing towards her made her pause for a second before she shifted backward out of his reach.
He was relentless in his pursuit, though. With each attempt to grab at her, she perceived his direction and countered accordingly. The fight would have been more interesting if she had time to give him her full attention. A knock at the door distracted him long enough for her to jump up, wrap her legs around his head and throw herself backward, sending him to the ground. Her hands gripped the sides of his head, snapping his neck in seconds.
The house was finally quiet, no movements, just the sound of the rapid heartbeat and breath of the brown skinned girl in the main room. As she walked to the front door, she passed that room. She glanced at the girl, who flinched away at the sight of her, only for a moment before she opened the door.
An armed guard from the facility stood behind it. He held an ear piece out to her. She placed it into her ear, activated it, then spoke, "Mission complete, no humans killed, threat incapacitated. Will meet at the rendezvous. Melinoe, out." She clicked the equipment off. Looking at the guard, she spoke in a commanding tone, "Let's go."
