Klaus stood in the entryway cloaked in shadow and just watched the remaining “guests” with glee. The brothers Salvatore had deflated completely, his traitorous hybrid now claiming the title of loud mouthed idiot from Damon. The cellar was a lot quieter after Elena left, the Salvatore’s no longer filling the hours with their promises of protection and escape. Klaus watched them both with disappointment, they no longer pulled at their chains holding them or brainstormed ridiculous plans that would never work. It was like without their precious doppleganger to protect they had no drive left in them. How boring.
Time to begin. Maybe he could bring a little life back to the party.
Damon heard Klaus step into their little circle of fun but he kept his head down. Without Elena there he saw no reason to participate in the psycho’s little reindeer games. When Klaus’s shoes came into his line of sight he knew it was his turn.
Good.
He didn’t want to live anymore. The original dick killing him would be a blessing now that all the meaning in his life had fled out that door leaving them and likely her sanity behind. Living forever, being forever young and beautiful, should be an adventure something to look forward to with relish and glee especially during the first century when everything is new and exciting. Now, the only thing Elena had to look forward to was misery and despair and he couldn’t stand it, mostly since he knew he would never be able to help her.
“So Damon, care to know what I have in store for you?”
“Just rip my heart out already and get it over with we all know you want to.” He couldn’t even make himself look up to see the look on Klaus’s face at his declaration, he just didn’t care enough to lift his head. Too much work for too little reward.
“Oh, you’re right about that I would love to end your existence since I see no reason for you to be on this earth, but the dead don’t suffer, and I have a far better idea in mind for you.”
And just like that with ten little words all the fight came pouring back into him. What better idea? Before he could ask Klaus went on with his little song and dance. He should have known his input wasn’t really needed for this, Klaus loved the sound of his own voice too much to want input from the rest of them, after all they might go off script then where would he be?
“For your crimes I came up with a more appropriate punishment than the sweet oblivion of death’s embrace.” He was looking far to smug for this to be anything near good.
“What crimes?” Maybe if he knew the charges he could figure out the verdict.
“Your crimes against Caroline.” Oh hell. “Do you not count those among your failings? Perhaps you have forgotten, why don’t I list them for you to help jog your memory.”
Damon just closed his eyes and let Klaus’s words wash over him without really hearing them. He didn’t have to be reminded of everything he’d done to the little Barbie back when she was human and considering how bent Klaus was over her he couldn’t even imagine what his punishment would be. Klaus had said he had a better idea than killing him, he felt cold sweat break out all over his body as he thought of what that idea might be. What he did know beyond a shadow of a doubt was that whatever it was, he was going to wish Klaus had just killed him.
“Now Salvatore, do you have anything to say before we get to the climax of the evening? Nothing? How unusual for you. Very well, on we go to your punishment. Since you so like turning people into your puppets I thought you might like to know how that feels and luckily for you I know just the puppet master to pull your strings. Kol, brother how do you like your present?” Damon closed his eyes and tried to hold back his shudder of unease. Not Kol, anyone but the Original dick, the only guy to give Klaus a run for his money for head D-bag.
While Klaus was Machiavelli, Kol was more like a shark. Klaus had goals and reasons and plans all Kol had was his hunger and his boredom. In some ways that was what made him the most dangerous of all of his siblings, the others could be bribed or reasoned with to some degree but Kol simply was.
“Well he’s not as pretty as my last toy, I will miss the younger Gilbert terribly, but I suppose he is more durable. I can think of so many games to play with this one I’m sure we’ll have loads of fun together.” Kol sounded so gleeful, like he couldn’t wait to begin, the prick was practically bouncing on his toes.
He’d been right; he was going to wish Klaus had just killed him. Opening his eyes again to see what was happening in the stretching silence he found himself caught in Klaus’s gaze. Fuck! The bastard had just waited for him to take a peek.
“You will serve my brother Kol in every way. You will take everything he says as a command you will have no choice but to follow. You are never to stray more than ten feet from his side without his express permission and you will not speak without his permission. If you are ever disrespectful of him or in his presence you will find the nearest sharp object and drive it through your right leg one hundred times for every second you were disrespectful. Am I clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now before you go I would like your help with your dear brother. Kol.” With a wave of his hand Klaus moved out of the way so Kol could move them all along.
Stefan hung numbly in the cellar all of his weight on his wrists causing them to fracture before healing and fracturing again, but he couldn’t make himself care about that. In only one night he’d lost the love of his un-life and his brother was about to be taken from him as well.
When they’d first woken up down here he’d known on some level that most if not all of them were going to die, but this was worse. Now, he knew the people he loved were alive, but he also knew they were suffering and he was helpless to stop it. He wished Caroline were here, he knew she was the only one who might have been able to stop this. His mind berated him for such a selfish wish, what kind of friend was he that he was wishing his best friend into this hell so he wouldn’t be alone.
He heard Damons footsteps coming closer to him, he was so aware of his surroundings they sounded impossibly loud even though he knew they were as soft and soundless as always. He wondered vaguely what was going to happen to him, whatever orders Kol had given had been whispered into his brother’s ear too low for him to hear anything, but then decided that he just didn’t care one way or the other, his reasons to care were gone. Forcing his head up he looked directly into his brother’s eyes trying to let him know beneath the layers of compulsion that he understood and that he forgave him for whatever he was about to do.
In two steps Damon was close enough to touch even in his restraints, and a moment later he knew why. He hadn’t felt fangs tearing into his flesh in decades, he was never one to share his own blood if he had a choice. Now he could feel the rush of pain and creeping lethargy as his brother consumed mouthful after mouthful of his blood. His brother was being forced to drain him, it wouldn’t kill him but he would begin to feel his own hunger soon and for him that was worse than any other punishment could be. He feared his hunger more than death.
He could feel the changes begin to take hold of him, he knew his skin would be turning grey by now and his veins were starting to protrude more and more by the second as they were sucked dry. With one last pull Damon pulled away and simply turned and walked back over to Kol, waiting for more orders. His brother was gone.
Klaus stood leaning against the far wall and just watched his old friend for a moment. Stefan was looking right at him without actually seeing him. He was defeated, resigned to what was to come, and it was sweet. He knew the ripper was so wrapped up in others, in his need for their presence in his life to make him whole and keep him sane that taking those people away would hurt him, but even he hadn’t realized it would crush him this much. It almost made this next step unnecessary.
Almost.
“Stefan, how was your night?”
No response, of course there wasn’t he didn’t have enough blood left in him to do anything more than exist. There was no more fight left in him, in fact only his hybrid still retained some of his fire but he had also wised up enough to keep his mouth shut, at least for now. Time to continue, this game was nearly complete, and there was another game he wanted to play so much more with a far superior opponent to the ones he’d been graced with so far.
“What’s the matter old friend? Are you feeling a little thirsty? I know, I know, when your hunger starts to get the better of you, you feel disconnected from the world. No worries on that score though, I know exactly where to put you so you can feel connected to your world again. You see I’ve had a tomb created under your little family home just for you and I’ve filled it with mementos of your life. You see one of my witches made it so that your memories would project from your mind onto the walls around you every second of your entombment. It’s up to you what you see, but considering how hungry you are, I think it’s obvious what you’ll be thinking about. Don’t be too fearful though I am not a monster, you and I were once friends, so I have left a little surprise for you inside that will help you toil away the days of your confinement. I’ll be sure to stop by so you can tell me what you think of my present.”
With that Stefan was finally unchained and dragged to his home, to his new resting place.
Kasey1939 