❪ 𝓢𝑰𝑿 𝓕𝑬𝑬𝑻 𝓤𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 ❫ ⚰️ ˖ ׁ ⁩ 𓂃
𝚃𝚅𝙳  ⸻  ✸ 🔮⭑.ᐟ
❝ 𝖲𝖧𝖠𝖬𝖤 𝖲𝖯𝖨𝖱𝖠𝖫 ❞

✦ ╮ 𝟔𝟐. ❝ 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖪𝖨𝖫𝖫𝖤𝖱 ❞ ── .✦

"𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘 hell did Connor escape?" Stefan asked from his crouch down position, Anastasia standing behind him angrily as he held his phone, Klaus on speaker.

"I'd blame my numbing incompetence, but pointing fingers isn't going to help me, you're going to help me." Klaus tells them.

"He could be any damn where!" Anastasia exclaimed.

"Think, Anastasia, Stefan. He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin."

"Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires." Stefan said.

"Which is a pity, as I'm half the world away digging up a dead hunter, you'll have no access to my blood and therefore, the antidote." Klaus says, "Nevertheless, his tattoo is our only map to the curse, so your task is quite simple; find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead."

"Damon's been looking everywhere for him, if they cross paths....,"

"You'll both need to keep Damon in check."

"Be a lot easier if we could just tell him the truth." Anastasia rolled her eyes at her uncle.

"You trust Damon with the cure? I imagine he prefers Elena the way she is."

"Nice try, Klaus. But I trust Damon a hell of a lot more than I trust you." Stefan says.

"He's my dad, and I'd rather trust Klaus and he's tried to kill me numerous times."

"You tried to kill me first, love." Klaus says, "And I trust no one. Which is why my sister is lying daggered in a box. The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words, tell one soul and I will throw the hunter's sword in the Mediterranean and we can end this quest right now. Am I understood?"

₊˚.༄𖥸

𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗔 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦 her bedroom door and Damon walks inside, "Excuse me? What are you doing?"

"Where's Stefan? Or my daughter?" Damon asks.

"Okay, uh, good morning to you too."

"Neither of them are answering their phones and they're not here, which you know, big deal, we've only got a killer vampire hunter on the loose."

"I haven't talked to him today." Elena says, "And I haven't seen Anastasia since she left this morning."

"Hmm." Damon walks towards her and holds out his hand, "Give me your phone. Maybe they're just dodging me."

Elena starts to dig through her purse for the phone, "Why would Stefan be dodging you?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the hot, sweaty dance party business." He says, causing Elena to look up, "I figured you spilled your guilty, little guts the minute I left last night."

Elena doesn't say anything as she continues to look for her phone.

"Ohh, you didn't tell him, did you?"

"No, Damon. I didn't tell him that I got high on blood like some crackhead and then dirty danced with you. It was a mistake, okay? I wasn't myself and besides, he's already got enough to deal with trying to get me through this vampire stuff." Elena hands Damon her phone as he begins to dial Stefan's number.

"No, I see, it's just a classic shame spiral."

"I'm not a shame spiral."

"Oh, you so are." He says, "Newbie vampire remorse? Oof, it's worse than a hangover.

"I'm not a shame spiral, Damon."

"Hey, it's Stefan, leave a message."

Damon rolls his eyes before dialing his daughter's number.

"Hey, it's Anastasia. Sorry, I can't come to the phone right now due to the fact that I'm causing chaos in whichever town that I'm currently in. But if you leave a message, I'll be sure to never call you back. Bye!"

Damon hangs up again as he and Elena both look troubled. "So, either their dodging both of us..,"

"Or something's wrong."

₊˚.༄𖥸

"𝗦𝗜𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡!" Connor shouts as he has Jeremy in a headlock, walking forward. "Sit down!"

Matt and April, who were also in the Grill, backs up and sits down in the chair. Connor pushes Jeremy down into a chair next to them.

"Gilbert, give me your cell phone." Connor demands.

"At least let April go. She doesn't have anything to do with this." Jeremy tells him, digging his phone out of his pocket.

"She has everything to do with this." He takes the phone, "Her and her father. Plus, she and I have history."

"What are you talking about?" April asked him, "I've never seen you before in my life."

"Well, you kids need to get some vervain. And don't just wear it as a bracelet where anybody can just take it off." Connor looks down at Jeremy's wrist, where his vervain bracelet that Anastasia had given him rest. "Maybe then you'd remember our conversation at the hybrids yesterday."

"Our conversation? Are you saying someone compelled me?!" Jeremy asked.

"Would someone please tell me what he's talking about?!" April questioned.

"Compulstion, secrets, vampires."

"If you know so much, then you know our friends are going to come for us." Matt speaks up.

"Oh, yeah, I'm counting on it. Every vampire that comes for you is another one I get to kill. Now, who should I text first?" Connor looks down at Jeremy's phone, "Damon Salvatore, his brother Stefan, Tyler Lockwood? The vampire that you are so foolish to be in love with? Nah, all of the above."

He places Jeremy's phone down on the table when he sends out one big message to all the vampires before stabbing it with his hunter's knife.

₊˚.༄𖥸

"𝗦𝗢, 𝗪𝗘 each take a different entrance; hit them at the same time." Damon says to everyone in Tyler's house just as Anastasia and Stefan walk inside.

"Stefan!" Elena gets up and walks over to him as Anastasia passes and dramatically throws herself against Tyler's standing figure.

"My ass needs a nap!"

Tyler laughs, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Where the hell have the two of you been?" Damon looks between his brother and daughter.

"Coming up with a plan." Stefan tells him.

"Yeah, we have a plan. The plan is I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him." Damon says.

"That's not a plan, dad." Anastasia rolls her eyes, "We need to be careful, the asshole has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages."

"Hence, the open heart surgery."

"Damon's right. Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of us." Elena says, making Anastasia roll her eyes at the Gilbert girl.

"I called in the hybrids to help too." Tyler says.

Caroline walks into the room, "My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go."

"Good, great. No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around."

"Alright, hold on, you're not all going." Stefan says, looking over at Caroline and Elena.

"He shot me like nine times. If we're killing him, I want in." Tyler said.

"He's got Jeremy. I'm going."

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into." Stefan tells them.

"Until you figure it out? Is that what the two of you were doing all morning? Out buying bossy pants?" Damon asked.

"You are so immature." Anastasia spits at her dad, "Grow up."

"This guy is known for setting traps, right? We' be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom." Stefan said.

"Does he?" Asked Elena.

"He's had it before.

"Fine." Damon says, clearly angry, "Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour." He walks out, hitting Stefan on the shoulder as he goes.

₊˚.༄𖥸

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦 werewolf venom into a glass jar as he rigs up a bomb. Jeremy, April and Matt sit together at the table.

"He's clearly delusional." April cries, "I mean, right? All this -- all this talk about vampires, but I mentioned, he mentioned my dad."

"Hey, this guy's a nut job, okay? Don't let him get in your head." Matt tells her.

"What if he knows something? Jeremy, did he say anything to you about why he's doing this?" She asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. I just can't remember." Jeremy gets up.

"Let it go, Jeremy!" Matt tells him as he walks over to Connor.

"You said we had a conversation yesterday."

"Mm hmm."

"About what?" Jeremy questioned

"We'll get into that. First, take a look at my hard work." Connor gestures to the homemade bomb, "Pick up some tips from the hunter's trade."

"What is all that?"

"The fluid is derived from werewolf toxin. Trip the wire, bomb goes off, nails deliver a lethal dose into the bloodstream." Connor explained.

"And what's the point? What do you get out of this?" The Gilbert boy asked.

"You know, I used to think that there was no "get", that I was just supposed to do. Kill vampires. That was until I realized that the mark held the answer to why I'm the way I am. The more I kill, the more it grows and once it's complete, I'll know my story -- and all of this will have meant something."

₊˚.༄𖥸

𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗔 𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗦 back the blinds in Alaric's apartment, looking down at the Gril.

Damon walks over to her, "Stefan and Stacie are on the way. This will be over soon."

"Will it?" She asked, "I mean, haven't we already been here before with Jeremy? Isn't this why we sent him to Denver?"

"Well, we'll get him out of this and we'll compel him down to the Bahamas. Maybe he'll find an island girl." He smirks.

Elena gives him a look as Stefan and Anastasia walk in.

"Did you find the tunnel map?" Stefan asked.

"Got it. It was in his weapons drawer with seven stakes, some weird MacGyver crossbow, and the last remaining vervain in Mystic Falls, so how about we get this party started?"

"Not yet. Klaus is sending one of his men. He'll take the front, the three of us can take the tunnels." Anastasia tells them.

"Since when did we team up with Klaus and the Lollipop Guild?"

"Well, I already told you, Connor has werewolf venom." Stefan answers, "We need someone to draw his fire, the hybrids are immune to it so they're our best bets."

"Well, how are you sure that he even has werewolf venom? Why is Klaus involved, Stefan?"

"Stop being so fucking paranoid, Dad." Anastasia scoffed.

"Start telling the truth. Why is Klaus involved? Did he compel you two?"

"We are telling the truth. This is the best way to get everyone out."

"Okay, what is with you three? We're wasting time." Elena butts in.

"You know what, she's right." Damon says, "Screw your plan. I'll kill Connor myself."

Damon and Elena start walking towards the door. Anastasia picks up a vervain dart and tosses it to her uncle. Stefan rushes at Damon and stabs him in the back with the dart.

"Stefan!"

Damon starts to fade away as Stefan slowly lowers him to the ground as Elena looks on in shock. After laying his brother on the couch, Stefan takes his phone inside Damon's jacket pocket.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked.

"Damon had the right idea with the tunnels." Stefan opens up the picture of the map on Damon's phone, "But, I'm not gonna go in there if I can't count on him to do it our way."

"If you can't count on him? You just vervained him."

Anastasia rolls her eyes, "Oh, he'll get over it."

"Do you think he cares about April or Matt? He'll get Jeremy out for his daughter and you, but then he'll go right after Connor, no matter who gets hurt."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"You're not coming with me, Elena. I have Anastasia."

"You need my help, Stefan."

"We don't need anything from a vampire that can barely control herself." Anastasia tells her bluntly, Elena turning to look at her in shock, "Don't look at me like that. Just because you're a vampire now, doesn't change the fact that all you are is weak and you'll get in the way. So, for once in your pathetic life, listen to what we tell you to do. Or I'll rip your heart out myself."

₊˚.༄𖥸

𝗔𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦 to back up after being startled by a loud noise, running into Anastasia who stands behind her.

The hybrid covers her mouth before she could make a sound, and places a finger over her own lips to get her to keep quiet. "Matty, listen to me." She grabs her dad's phone and pulls up the photo of the map, "Follow this map, okay? Take April and get out of here. Take her to Caroline, she's at Tyler's. She'll make April forget all about this."

"Ellie, that guy is armed." Matt tells her, "If either of you go out there, he's gonna kill Jeremy."

"No one's killing anyone." She tells him, "Now get out of here."

Both April and Matt go out through the panel in the wall. Anastasia and Stefan walks out of the backroom.

Back in the front of the Grill, Jeremy walks over to the hunter. Connor takes off his jacket and sees that his tattoo is growing after having killed one of Klaus' hybrids.

Stefan and Anastasia slowly, and quietly, come out of the back room. Connor sees them and grabs Jeremy. He points the gun towards the two and they both speed behind the bar as Connor shoots at them multiple times with his gun but misses.

Both vampires duck down and hides behind the bar.

Connor pushes Jeremy aside, and the teenager steps onto another mat with a switch that activates another bomb. The hunter walks around, keeping the gun pointed to where Stefan is.

"Connor, you don't have to do this!" Stefan calls out to him.

"Stacie!" Jeremy calls out for her

The hybrid does her best to keep quiet as she hears the sound of the bomb ticking. Jeremy stands completely still as the bombs are right next to him and he's standing on the pressure-sensitive mat that triggers them.

₊˚.༄𖥸

"𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗥, 𝗪𝗘 can end this right now! Just put down the gun and come with me!" Stefan calls out to him.

"Sure. Come out. I'll hand the gun over."

"I hate sarcastic people. And I know I'm sarcastic most of the time, but it's cute when I do it." Anastasia glares at nothing.

"Think about this. No one has to die. I'll tell you everything you need to know!"

"I don't make deals with vampires!" Connor shoutes.

"Listen to me, if you die right now, then you're whole life, all that killing; it'll all be for nothing." Stefan is still trying to get through to the man. "My niece and I, we can give you the truth! Just put down the gun and let Jeremy go!"

"Please!"

Anastasia's head drops at the sound of Elena's voice, "I'm really getting to the point where I'm going to rip her head from her shoulders or her heart from her body."

Connor points his gun towards Elena.

"Don't hurt him." Elena says, and Connor turns the gun to Jeremy.

"You come any closer, he's dead."

"Elena, get out of here!" Jeremy calls to his sister.

She doesn't listen, keeping her eyes on Connor, "He's the only family that I have left. Just -- just let him go."

"You hear that?!" Connor shouts to Stefan hiding behind the bar, "Your girl is watching. I will shoot the boy right in front of her! On the count of three! One! Two!"

Stefan and Anastasia stand up, hands raised in surrender and Connor points the gun towards the two of them.

Elena rushes at the hunter, who shoots the gun in his hands and hits Jeremy in the stomach with a bullet. She throws Connor to the ground and sits on top of him, grabbing him by the throat and choking him.

Anastasia notices that the bomb is about to go off and she rushes forward, throwing herself and Jeremy over one of the tables.

"Jeremy?!"

Connor manages to rip Elena's hands off his throat and tosses her to the side. He rolls on top of her and grabs her by the hair. Connor goes to stake him, but Elena grabs his wrist and fights back.

Stefan rushes at Connor and knocks him off. He knees down next to the hunter and grabs him before he and Anastasia rush out of the Grill.

₊˚.༄𖥸

"𝗨𝗚𝗛, 𝗜'𝗠 gonna kill the next person that makes me get my shoes messed up." Anastasia grumbles to herself as she walks behind her uncle, who has Connor with him.

Damon stands in the tunnels, "Good work, brother. Daughter."

"It's over, Damon. I have him."

"Not after what I just went through. I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel. But it'll be worth it." Damon says.

"We're taking him with us."

"That's the thing, you're not. I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over the two of you, but even if I have to go through you, I'm gonna kill him." Damon moves closer to Stefan and Connor.

"You better back off, Damon."

"Why? Because Klaus wants him alive?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with Klaus." Anastasia tells her dad. "You just need to trust us."

"I don't want to. I don't have to. Not gonna. Now, give him to me, brother."

Stefan looks at Connor, "Run as fast as you can!"

He pushes Connor away from him and the hunter runs off as Stefan rushed towards Damon, pinning him to the tunnel wall.

"You're not gonna kill him.

"Why are you protecting him?! Tell me!"

Anastasia sees what her father's about to do and rushes to push her uncle out of the way just as Damon's hand enters her chest and wraps around her heart.

The green eyed girl grunts out in pain, tears pooling in her eyes at the pain. "Klaus will kill anyone who knows."

"Then it has to be good. Spill it!"

"Connor's tattoo is the key to a cure." Stefan says quickly, watching his nieces face who is in pain.

"A cure for what?"

"For her. For Elena." Stefan says.

"Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?"

"Yeah, and if Connor dies then we'll lose it forever." Stefan says, causing Damon to look at him in shock, "I know it's crazy, Damon. But it's hope, do you understand me? It's her only hope. Now get your hand out of my niece's chest!"

Damon, finally realizing what he was doing, pulls his hand from his daughter's chest, watching as she crumbles to the ground in pain.

₊˚.༄𖥸

𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗔 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗦 durt up with a shovel near the steps descending into the cellar. She's making a grave for Connor, who she caught up to in the tunnels and snapped his neck. As she digs, she cries.

"Elena."

Elena looks over to where the three Salvatore's were walking up. "I need to bury him. I killed him, I should -- I should bury him."

She continues to dig while the two brothers and Anastasia look at each other. Stefan walks towards Elena and grabs her gently.

"Don't!" Elena shoves him away, "I heard you talking to him. Making some secret deal with Klaus? You said you were going to protect Jeremy! Keep me from this. You said that I could trust you, Stefan."

He looks down in shame.

"Elena, it's complicated." Damon speaks up.

"No, it's not complicated, Damon! You want to know why? Because -- Because he's dead now. You told me to kill him, so I did." Elena starts to cry while Damon looks helpless. "I -- I killed someone. I -- I killed someone."

₊˚.༄𖥸

"𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗗 me." Jeremy bursts into Anastasia's bedroom as she walks out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair.

"I'm sorry, what? When did I do that?" She throws the towel back into her bathroom.

"Oh, I don't know. After I was at Klaus's house?"

Anastasia looks up at him in confusion, "Jeremy, I've only ever compelled you twice since we've met. One, when I told you all about my life and turning. And two, when I let you remember that vampires actually existed! Don't come in here accusing me of shit that I didn't do! Why the hell would I want you to be compelled?"

"You didn't compel me?"

"No, I didn't." She says, sitting on her bed. "And since you're here, you might as well stay."

Jeremy looks down at his hand, back at the tattoo that had suddenly appeared on his hand before nodding, "Alright. Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah, you still have clothes here. Knock yourself out." Anastasia tells him, throwing herself back on the purple covers.

"I'm using the good body wash!"

"No! Don't use that one! It's expensive and you use half the damn bottle!"