Seven
The following morning Stefan showed up to the Gilbert residence not knowing what to expect. What he saw had him choking on air. The twins were decked in all black outfits, combat vest, thigh holsters, gloves, and gloves. Zheko was loading up Jenna's car with the rifles they bought into the back. Echo was double-checking her handgun and holstering them. He cleared his throat, gaining their attention, "I uh…unlocked Damon's room and aired it out, changed the bedding and everything. I think you might be right. His room looks like it hasn't been touched in decades and he usually visits Mystic Falls as much as I do. Just not at the same time which is why I didn't realize he had been missing."
Zheko closed up the back of the suv and went and got into the driver's seat. Echo turned to Stefan, "Fair warning. We're going in there with the intent of shutting them down. If you're not ok with possibly killing someone, I suggest you stay." Stefan sighed and shook his head, "No. I'm going. I would regret it if this is Damon and I wasn't there to help. I already feel horrible for not realizing he's been missing this long." Echo nodded, "Ok, let's go."
On the drive, Stefan couldn't help but ask, "So? Are you guys trained to handle guns?" He wasn't sure if he was stepping out of bounds, but he had been observing them for a few months now and never once had any implication that they knew how to shoot a gun. Stefan flinched when Echo smirked, it reminded him too much of Katherine. But Echo isn't an exact copy of her ancestor, so he relaxed a bit. "Grayson and Uncle John taught us over the years. They felt we are better off knowing how to and not need to, then need to and not know how to." Stefan noticed she said her father's name and how she spit the word uncle like it had a sour taste in her mouth. Not knowing that the twins know John is their biological father. Well, in this life. They still consider Tool their real father and nobody can replace him.
They were getting close to Whitmore Campus as the sun was setting, the three of them discussed the plan to get in. Echo opened her laptop and hacked into Whitmore's public records and, "The Whitmore House is now registered as Eminent Domain. It's open to the public, no invitation needed." She closed her laptop and put it away. Zheko parked close but not too close to the back door of Whitmore House, "Ok, when we get inside, we're not only rescuing but also salvaging. We are swiping every bit of research we can before burning the place to the ground."
Stefan looked a little confused, "Why?" Echo answered as Zheko got out, "Whitmore House may not be the main lab for Augustine. This way we can see if there are others. If there's not, then we have nothing to worry about and without the research those left alive can't continue." Stefan nodded as he understood. He was also hoping Damon is not here but there's only one way to find out.
The twins went to the back of the suv and cautiously looked around. Not seeing a lot of people, they picked up their fully loaded firearms and quickly moved towards Whitmore House. Stefan closed up the suv and followed behind them. Coming up to the back door, Zheko tried the doorknob and rolled his eyes, "Cocky fuckers. Not even locked." He swung the door open, Echo held her firearm and aimed down the hall and moved swiftly inside. Zheko held the door and motioned for Stefan to enter.
The vampire cautiously stepped over the threshold and released the breath he was holding then followed Echo, keeping a safe distance from her. Zheko silently closed the door and caught up to them. The halls were quiet. They haven't come across any people. Zheko turned to Stefan, "Can you hear anyone?" Stefan concentrated, "None on the first or second floor but several on the lower floors. Very muffled, like the walls are thicker down there than a normal cellar." Echo scoffed, "I wouldn't doubt it."
The door to the lower levels wasn't too hard to find. Echo tried its doorknob, "Idiots." She quietly opened the door. The three of them moved down the stairs with the twins leading, firearms aimed ahead of them. Stefan winced at the strong smell of cleansers, Vervain, and blood, "I smell blood, a lot of it, and Vervain." "It's strong enough we can smell it," Echo scrunched her nose.
The further down they went, the stronger the smell. Their thoughts were disrupted when a scream was heard. A scream one of them recognized. Stefan's eyes widened, "Damon!" Zheko held up his hand, "Whoa, hold on. You and I will go into the lab, while Echo searches the place. Don't go running in there and possibly getting captured yourself. We go in together." Stefan wanted to push past them and go get his brother but knew Zheko was right. They continued until they reached a heavy metal door at the end of a short hall. Once again, not locked. By this time, the twins thought the humans were just plain stupid.
The door opened to a hallway on the left and a set of stairs on the right. Another scream was heard from the left. Zheko and Stefan both told Echo to be careful and she said the same to them. The twins couldn't help themselves though. Part way to their destinations, they started whistling "Twisted Nerve".
The familiar whistle caught the attention of one of the captive vampires. He perked up a little when he was reminded of his friends. He couldn't help himself with what he did next, "Zheko! Echo! Down here! Zheko! Echo!" The whistling that was closest to him stopped and he held them moving faster. What he saw next had him smiling ear to ear, "Echo." "Galgo?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Echo was shocked to see one of their Expendable family in this world. Galgo shook his head as he watched Echo look for the key to the cell, "I'm not sure. I died a few years after you two and then woke up in this cell as a vampire. A vampire! Can you believe it?!" Echo unlocked the cell, "I believe it. Zheko and I woke up not too long ago either. We're here to shut this place and rescue someone. Come on, let's go."
Echo handed Galgo her sidearm, even though she knew he didn't need it. She linked her brother, "You're not going to believe this. Galgo's here." "What? Seriously?" Zheko responded. "Yeah. We're on our way to you now," Echo closed the link. The two moved up the stairs and down the hall where shouting and gunfire could be heard. Zheko and Stefan came across a few scientists in a room a few doors down from the lab. Zheko stood out of the way as Stefan let go of the Ripper and tore them apart. Not looking into the room, Echo and Galgo ran past them and into the lab. The scientists in the lab were scrambling to gather their things and preparing to run.
Galgo whooshed past Echo and attacked the first guy in front of them. Echo moved around Galgo and shot one of the other guys. His body slumped onto the floor on the other side of the metal table Damon was strapped to. Echo was able to get close to the vampire but did not speak. She knew if he heard her voice, he would think it was Katherine. However, she gasped when she noticed his eyes were gone. His eyelids were cut off and his beautiful ocean blue yes were gone, only leaving gaping holes.
Before anything else could happen, Stefan came into the lab, "Damon! Fuck, Damon! I'm so sorry." Stefan started to unbuckle the restraints but Echo stopped him, "He needs blood, Stefan. And a lot of it." They could see and feel Damon starting to struggle against his restraints. Luckily Galgo had gone looking for blood and found a fridge full of blood bags. He sucked down two before grabbing an armful and returning to the starved vampire.
Once seeing Galgo, Echo unhooked Damon's wrist and had his hand grip her wrist before speaking, "My name is Echo. I'm human. Well, mostly. We're going to torch this place, but first, do you know where they put your ring?" Damon was being fed by Stefan. He stopped to respond, "The locked cabinet in the other room. They have several." "Ok, I'll go grab them. Galgo and Zheko, concentrate on all the files, hard drives, and any samples or specimens. We don't want them to have anything they could use to start over." Damon paused while drinking his fourth blood bag, "This is not the main lab." "Shit! That's what we're afraid of," Echo entered the other room and found Damon's daylight and all the others. She took them and gave one to Galgo.
While swiping the hard drives on the main computer, Zheko spotted what they were searching for. The files, research, and vials of the Ripper Virus. He made sure to grab everything pertaining to it, hoping it was the main copy but knew better. Between himself and Galgo they were able to grab everything vital to Augustine's research. The rest can be burned. Zheko found some accelerant and poured it over every surface, "It's primed to burn. Let's get out of here."
Echo, Galgo, Stefan carried Damon, and Zheko exited the burning building and made it back to their suv. Galgo laid down in the back, happy to be out of that cell. Zheko was driving again, Echo in the passenger seat, while Stefan held onto his brother and silently cried. He felt ashamed of himself for not realizing Damon had been missing. He kept whispering, "I'm sorry." Damon let his consciousness fade after breathing in fresh air for the first time in over 50 years. Stefan didn't want to think about the fact he let the Ripper loose. He would have to deal with it soon but now, his brother is all that mattered.
The trip back to Mystic Falls was long, but it felt like it took forever. The Salvatore Boarding came into view, finally. Stefan carried Damon to the door and stopped, "Zach!" His too-many-great nephew groggily came to the door. Stefan asked, almost demanded, "Invite Damon and Galgo in. Please." He added. Zach yawned, "Damon, Galgo, please come in." Stefan came in and carried his still unconscious brother up to his old room. Galgo slowly followed behind him and helped pull the covers back on the king sized bed. Stefan carefully laid his brother down, "You're home now. I'm sorry, brother. So, so sorry." Stefan covered Damon with the blanket but put the top of the covers in his hands so he could feel the softness and know it's not restraints.
Stefan double-checked the balcony doors in Damon's room were unlocked and cracked, letting in the fresh Fall air before leaving the room. The door into the hall was also left open a little bit. The ensuite was an open layout up a small set of stairs inside Damon's room. Stefan made it a point to check on Damon in a few hours. He led Galgo to a guest room a couple doors down, "You can stay here as long as you need. Just don't bring any attention to yourself." Galgo nodded, "Understood. Damon, he's a good man. Today was my day but he made them take him instead." Stefan didn't know what to say to that, so he just nodded and walked away.
The twins were in the sitting room waiting for Stefan to join them. They noticed Zach had gone back to bed. Stefan thought that maybe Zach should go visit his ex-wife and daughter for a while. Especially now that the gravity of what he'd done is weighing on him. As the adrenaline wore off, he could feel the Ripper wanting to tear into the twins, "You guys better go." They could see he was struggling. Zheko moved towards the door after saying goodnight but Echo stayed behind a moment, "Would it be better if you were locked in the cellar? For Zach's sake?" Stefan ran a hand through his hero-hair, thinking it over before shaking his head. He denied he needed help and walked them out the door, "I have it under control." Echo sighed but nodded her head.
When the twins were far enough away, Zheko asked the rhetorical question, "He's not under control?" Echo shook her head, "No. I say we get some sleep then head back to the boarding house and see if Stefan has Lexi's number." Zheko was doing a big 'no-no' while driving. He was on his phone, "Or, we go to Atlanta and check out Bree's bar? It seems some things may have still played out like canon." That got Echo thinking of something else they could change that would make a big impact but kept it to herself for now. "Good idea. Should we both go or just you? Because the moment I step into any kind of place swarming with supernaturals, I'm going to get kidnapped. I'm surprised I haven't been yet," Echo laughs to herself.
A few hours of sleep and a shower later, Zheko was riding his Harley to Atlanta, hoping to find Lexi. The ride was nice and peaceful, even though Zheko's mind was running in circles. He arrived at Bree's Bar nearing dusk. Zheko entered as he took off his helmet and spotted Bree behind the bar. He sat on a stool and waited for her to approach, which wasn't long. Bree looked him over, "What's a kid doing in my bar?" Zheko smiled, "I'm looking for somebody. Thought you might know them." Bree scoffed and proceeded to wipe down the bar, "Look, kid. I don't allow minors in here, so I think you should leave."
"The lady I'm looking for hasn't been a minor in centuries, so to speak," Zheko sassed but Bree caught what he meant. "If I do know this lady, what's it to you?" Bree asked cautiously. Zheko only smiled again, "We have a mutual friend." "Do I know this friend?" Bree crossed her arms. "Probably not. They saw Bon Jovi together in the 80s," Zheko replied. Bree threw her towel down on the bar, "Hang tight." She moved to the bar's landline and made a call.
About 15 minutes later, two new people walked into the bar and spoke with Bree before one of them sat beside Zheko. She looked him over. His unique features caught her off-guard for a moment. "So, we have a mutual friend? How do I know you're not lying?" Lexi needed to be sure this kid was for real. Zheko laughed lightly, "One of the last times he got really drunk, he skinny dipped in the Trevi." Lexi also laughed as she recalled the memory, "Good times. How is Stefan?" "Off the wagon," Zheko bluntly answered. "Shit! How long?" Lexi is now concerned.
"Yesterday," Zheko glanced at the tv above the bar that coincidentally is on the News covering the Whitmore House fire. Lexi followed his line of sight then turned back to Zheko, and pointed, "That was you guys?" Zheko nodded, "Rescue mission. He ate and tore apart the scientists that were dissecting his brother." Lexi may not like Damon but nobody deserves that, "Ok. We'll follow you. Just let me talk to my friend." Lexi stood up and went to talk to Bree, leaving her boyfriend, Lee, with Zheko. The newly turned vampire kept looking at Zheko but the teen was used to it. Bree came over and shook Zheko's hand, "Sorry for the third degree." Zheko nodded, "No problem." With that, Zheko, Lexi, and Lee made their way to Mystic Falls.
While Zheko was retrieving Lexi, Echo was gathering the courage to speak with the Bennett matriarch. She stood on Sheila's stoop for a good minute before knocking on the door. The older woman answered, "Yes? Elena? I see some things have come to light." Echo smiled, "Yeah. No more contacts or color shampoo. How are you, Miss Sheila?" Sheila crossed her arms, "Spit it out, child." Echo smiled even bigger, "Always the sharp one. I found out something concerning her ancestor, Emily." All she got as a response was a lifted brow so she continued, "Giuseppe Salvatore was buried with Emily's grimoire. He wrote about taking it and his secrets to his grave…Literally. I just thought you might want that back. I mean, the grimoire is safe where it is for now but it does belong to your family."
Sheila sighed, "I'll see what I can do without alerting anyone. Why bother telling me?" "Well, with the comet approaching, there may be others wanting to witness the event. As well as take advantage of the magic from the cosmic event to reverse and release the spell cast the last time the comet passed over," Echo sheepishly admitted. Sheila just knew she was gaining more wrinkles and gray hairs, "When it rains…" "It pours," Echo finishes. Before Sheila closes her door, "I'll remove the grimoire before then." Echo nodded then turned and left. Inside the Bennett household, Sheila shook her head, "I need a drink." She also knew her granddaughter will need to be prepared for what's to come.
Zheko, Lexi, and Lee pulled up to the Boarding house. Lexi and Lee knocked on the door and Stefan answered, "Lexi?" The Ripper surfacing, he looks over Lexi's shoulder and sees Zheko, "Really?!" Zheko just gave a sheepish smile. Ripper steps over the threshold to attack him but Lexi stops him with a snap. Lexi cradles Stefan's unconscious body, and steps inside, "Shit! He killed Zach." Zheko hung his head, "Dammit, I should've come straight to you from Whitmore." Lee shook his head, knowing what the Ripper was like from stories Lexi had told him, "It wouldn't have mattered. He would've gotten you instead." Zheko sighed, "I'm going to check on Damon and Galgo then head home." Zheko came inside the Salvatore Boarding house. Lee closed the door, "I'll take care of the mess."
AN: Stefan killed Zach. Damon has been rescued, along with Galgo. Some things will be skipped or sped up because I don't want the story to get boring.