|15.| HAUNTING PAST
WHEN YOU BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY UNTIL YOUR DEMONS COME HAUNTING YOU. One of Damon's kills has came for a visit, unaware that he has a sister which will give him leverage. Tyler's uncle Mason finishes chaining Damon up into a chair just like how he had did so to the werewolf before he killed him. Mason wanders upstairs, searching for her room and there's Cora's door wide open, the girl peacefully sleeping. He looks around the hall for something to draw her attention and he sees another elegant vase and breaks it by pushing it to the ground.
The vampire's eyes shoot open and she slowly sits up, looking around confused to what was the sound. Mason tosses another vase and Cora groans, assuming it is Stefan making the disruption as Damon had thought before he was tied up. She stands up, wrapping her silk robe around her body and walking out of her room. Another vase was broken, but is downstairs where she rolls her eyes.
"Keep it up Stefan, then you'll definitely get your heart torn from your chest," Cora says out loud, hugging herself.
The Salvatore walks downstairs and stops at the end where the rug is supposed to be laid out, but it has been rolled up without getting picked up. Cora's eyebrows furrow and huffs as she kicks the rug so it is completely rolled up.
"Now, you're cleaning stuff up? What a monster," Cora sarcastically said. She feels a presence near by and she quickly turns around, seeing no one. "Okay, Stefan, this isn't funny anymore."
Cora jumps once she hears Damon screaming in the other room and she speeds over. There he sat chained in a chair with his skin blistering from the sun burning him. She quickly grabs his ring and puts it on his finger, seeing his skin start to heal.
"That was a low blow from our little brother," Cora states, breaking the chains with ease.
"According to Stefan, it wasn't him that did this to me," Damon groans and stretches his wrist as they are now released. "But I might have an idea of who did this."
"You see, I know everyone literally hates you, but who in their right mind would actually bend over backwards and successfully torture a vampire?" Cora crosses her arms.
"When you say everyone, you mean everyone including the deceased," Damon stands up, grabbing his car keys. "Killed a werewolf like this once. Didn't go out well for him."
"Payback's a bitch, hmm?" Cora cocks her eyebrow and Damon rolls his eyes.
"You're coming with me. We're gonna figure out this witchy problem."
"Hold on then," Cora groans and speeds up to her room.
The sister gets dressed for the day and goes with Damon to his car and drives towards the Grill where everyone else is located. Cora asks her older brother questions as to why he tortured Mason in the first place and connecting it to Jules torturing them as well. Damon being Damon was stubborn and answered that it wasn't all his fault. He parks the car and they both walk in to see Alaric alone so the duo stand alongside him.
"You know, I've had enough vampires today, thanks," Alaric's face drops when he sees the two, mainly frowning at Damon.
"Hey, I'm the sane sibling," Cora points out and Alaric rolls his eyes, not completely hating her but just the fact that she's a vampire as well.
"Oh, come on. Have a drink with me. We've got trouble," Damon tries to slide through.
"No, you've got trouble," Alaric dodges his statement. "See, we're not a team. You tried to kill me. All right? We're not friends. I don't like you anymore."
"Ouch, big bro," Cora hisses dramatically and pats his shoulder sincerely. Damon glares at her and shrugs off her hand.
"But remember back when you liked me and we conspired to kill Uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood," Damon asks the man. "Yeah, and?"
"Wolf guy is still pissed at Dummy D over here," Cora uses her hand to cover her finger pointing at Damon.
Damon glares at his little sister and slightly shoves her face back, making her lose her balance for a moment. Alaric shakes his head at the siblings and walks with them towards the bar, ordering a drink for the three of them. Cora quickly downs her drink and smiles at the sensation of the alcohol. Not too long after, a man appears right in between her and Damon, grabbing the bottle of whiskey. The three turns towards him; Alaric and Damon's eyes widening and Cora looking at him in confusion.
"Mason," Alaric breathes out.
"God, I miss whiskey," Mason finally speaks up.
He takes a drink from the glass then he smashes the glass onto Damon's forehead. Cora covers her mouth and huffs, stopping herself from laughing at what just happened. Damon groans and looks at his sister and ex-friend.
"Karma is a real bitch," Cora chuckles and slightly smirks.
Damon quickly recovers from the unexpected strike from the undead werewolf that he killed a long while ago. Mason continues drinking the alcohol like it's his first time and he glances at Cora, who he barely noticed until now. She winks and waves at him by wiggling her fingers.
"And you are?" Mason slides over a shot glass for the girl. Cora takes it and downs it before answering his question.
"One of the people who didn't torture you in any way," Cora shrugs and pours herself some more whiskey. "Cora Salvatore. The better older sibling."
"I have super hearing, sweetheart," Damon fake smiles and looks down at his phone as he sends a text then sighing. "I am never going to hear the end of that damn necklace."
"One of you will pay for this, right? Cheers," He clinks his shot glass with Cora's randomly and drinks it.
"Let's get to it. I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line," Damon shakes his head.
"Actually, I just want an apology."
Both Alaric and Cora laughs at his wish. Cora softly hits the counter dramatically and downs her shot, completely surprised that he thinks Damon will apologize. Mason gives her a weird look and she shakes her head.
"Good luck with that, Beast Boy," Cora leans over the counter to look for bourbon.
"Don't you have a family to haunt? You know your nephew has turned into a mindless hybrid minion," Damon states.
"That's why I'm here. To help Tyler," Mason nods his head.
"Well, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but Tyler can't be helped. At least not while Klaus is alive. Which is, like, always," Damon replies.
Cora tenses a bit at the sound of his name. It's random that she felt some type of chills when she heard his name; not because she's afraid of him, not at all, it was something totally different.
"Not necessarily. Not if you found a weapon that could kill him," Mason shrugs and Cora gives him a look.
"There is no weapon that," Cora shakes her head but she has a feeling he knows something. "What do you know?"
"I know he needs to apologize," Mason glances at Damon and he gives him look. "You got to be kidding me."
"Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologize," Alaric starts getting annoyed at the stubborn vampire.
"It's proven that he is incapable," Cora states and Damon mocks her then sighs. "You're right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do."
The trio waits for an answer from the undead werewolf and he just laughs, shaking his head at the older Salvatore.
"That's good enough," Masons stands up and stops. "Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel. Come alone."
"Uh, no, I am bringing my wonderful, side kick baby sister," Damon wraps his arm around her shoulders and she face palms. "I promise, she won't do anything. Plus, she will get bored at home—"
"Alright, she can come," Mason stops him and rolls his eyes, leaving the bar. Cora clenches her jaw and punches his arm. "Now look, he's going to try and bury us alive!"
"Positive thoughts, Cora," Damon points to his head. "Plus, we'll gladly die together. Brother and sister dying together to a dead werewolf who actually isn't dead. Poetic if you tell me."
"It's going to be dead brother dies to his sister soon," Cora gives him a look.
"Positive thoughts," Damon says lastly. She rolls her eyes, finally accepting the fact that her brother is pulling her into a huge mess.
-
The two start planning a back up plan if the werewolf does end up getting his revenge on Damon. Then once nighttime had fallen, they head towards the old Lockwood cellar where they would meet with Mason.
Cora stares at the entrance of the cellar and closes her eyes for a moment, blaming herself for actually agreeing to going with her brother. At this point, she believes she is signing her life away. Damon pushes her inside slightly with a shovel and she glares at him, continuing to walk and there stood Mason lighting a lantern.
"I'm surprised you both showed," Mason says as he turns around.
"You put a snag in my only other Klaus lead. So I'd say I'm highly motivated," Damon states and Cora sighs. "Was kind of put on the spot and forced to come."
"Not surprised," Mason says and hands her a lantern and turns his focus onto Damon. "Mikael? Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?"
"How do you know so much?" Damon gives him a look.
"There's not much to do on the other side but sit around and watch other people screw things up, or hide secrets," Mason slightly glances at Cora and she shifts awkwardly in her spot.
Why would Mason care about the secrets she hides, especially with her getting memories of Elijah and Klaus? Her little brother only knows of Cora and Klaus's past, nothing about her and Elijah's. But, she also wasn't around her brothers much after Damon's doing of causing Stefan to go into ripper mode again some years ago. They all sort of split to their own separate ways for reasons like Stefan becoming a ripper, Damon still holding his grudge on his little brother, and Cora's embarrassment of being a ripper and her older brother's betrayal.
"What are we looking for?" Damon says, breaking Cora out from zoning out.
"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original vampire. Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried," Mason explains.
He tries to break the wall with the shovel, but nothing happens. Damon takes it away from him and breaks it with his vampire strength. Cora shines the light into the dark hole and they all stick their heads in, looking around the place.
"Ladies first," Masons says and looks at Cora, but Damon shakes his head, standing in front of her.
"You first," Damon says, getting slightly overprotective.
"What, you think I'm leading you guys into a trap?" Mason asks.
"The thought crossed my mind," Damon states. The dead wolf shakes his head and goes first anyways. Cora and Damon share a look and she sighs, following after him.
The three species walk through hidden part of the cellar, not really saying much. Cora walks in between her brother and Mason, getting an eerie feeling something might happen. Damon gets a bit antsy and walks past Cora to talk to Mason.
"I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Your motives are deceptively pure," Damon comments.
"You talk the talk, but I know you'll do anything for your brother. The both of you," Mason looks over his shoulder. "You won't screw me over as long as we have the same agenda."
"I'm supposed to believe you're not going to screw me over?" Damon asks. They all stop as they look at the different directions.
"So, which way are we going?" Cora asks, breaking the awkward pause.
"I don't know. Flip a coin," Masons slightly shrugs.
"Aren't you supposed to be all-knowing?" Damon asks and Cora pinches the bridge of her nose, annoyed with his smart remarks.
"I'm a ghost. I'm not God. Go left," Mason says and the two Salvatores go that direction. But Damon being the paranoid one, he stops and looks back while Cora bumps into him and gives him a stern look.
"Or not...You have trust issues. Anyone ever tell you that?" Mason says as he watches the siblings.
"Tell me about it," Cora rolls her eyes and steps back as Damon goes forward.
Suddenly sharp wooden poles shoot out from the walls and pierce into Damon's body. Cora quickly steps back and her eyes widen, watching as her older brother groans in pain with four, long, wooden stakes inside his body. She goes to pull one out but her hand burns at the touch, and she hisses in pain.
"Yo. Help your brother out," Damon groans more and more. Cora turns around to see no sign of Mason and she looks around. "Mason?"
"Oh, god. Don't leave me here alone," Damon whines and remains frozen in the same position.
"I wasn't planning on it," Cora says and looks at the poles. "Knowing you, you would cry for me."
"Oh, shut up."
-
Few minutes past and Cora sat their, thinking either Mason had left Damon to suffer or go find help, but her thoughts went towards the first option. Cora takes off her leather jacket and tries to use it to prevent her from getting burned, but with her luck it didn't necessarily works. She groans and throws her jacket down, holding her hand close to her chest.
"Keep trying, sis," Damon weakly states and Cora sticks her tongue out behind his back. Right on cue, Mason comes walking back with the shovel that they left at the entrance of the cave.
"Sorry. Thought you might need this. You're welcome."
He starts breaking the stakes with the shovel and all you could hear is the wood snapping and Damon groaning in pain. Cora kicks away the pieces that were near her and she puts her jacket back on. Mason then pulls out the remaining stakes from Damon's body and throws them to the ground.
"What's your game, man? I killed you. I jammed my fist into your chest. I ripped your heart out. There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real," Damon asks, still not believing the wolf.
"You know what the other side is like? We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we regret our decisions. That's it. Look, I can't change what happened to me. But maybe I can change what happens to Tyler. I don't need revenge, Damon. I need redemption."
The siblings fall silent at Mason announcing what he truly wanted instead of seeking revenge. They keep it at that and continue walking into the caverns, with Damon following behind his sister and Mason. Cora doesn't pay much attention, just wanting to hurry with what they're looking for and get out of there. She hits a barrier that causes her to jump from getting surprised by the sudden stop, ending with Damon bumping into her.
"God, this is not happening," Damon mumbles as he hits at the barrier.
"What now?" Mason turns back.
"We can't get through," Cora sighs in frustration and she slightly hits her head against the barrier.
"It's like we're not invited in. Wait!" Damon says but Mason shakes his head.
"I'm not stopping just 'cause you two are stuck. I'll let you know what I find," Mason goes to leave but Damon stops him.
"Yeah, but-"
"Looks like you're gonna have to trust me," Mason says as he continues on his journey as he leaves the two vampires. Cora slightly huffs and sits on a rock, waiting for any updates on what Mason had found. Damon taps his foot impatiently.
"So? What'd you find?"
"It's in-"
Before Mason could finish his sentence, it fell silent which confused Cora. Damon shakes his head realizing what had happened and he still tries to walk through the barrier.
"No, no, no, no! Where'd you go? Mason? Mason!" Damon yells for him, but no one answered back.
"We're SOL," Cora pouts and paces around the small space.
Damon pulls out his phone and dials Alaric's number, asking for him to meet them at the old Lockwood cellar. The Salvatores wait there in the cave patiently this time, knowing now that they have more time than what they had before since Mason could've disappeared any second, which he did. Cora's eyes perk up as she hears footsteps and she stands up and looks over, seeing Alaric walk in.
"You're here. It's about time," Damon greets his friend in his own way.
"Didn't have anyone else to call?" Alaric asks annoyed.
"No, actually, I don't. 'Cause I need a non-vampire to get in the cave, and other than Elena, you're pretty much the only one I trust," Damon states.
"Well, you have a crappy way of showing that," Alaric mumbles and Cora sits back, listening to the friends bicker.
"Look, if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can't you cut me a little slack, Ric?" Damon whines and Alaric gets frustrated.
"I shouldn't have to get over it. I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn't have done it in the first place."
"Well! Sometimes...I do things I don't have to do," Damon apologizes and Cora scoffs.
"Seriously? The man deserves a better apology than what you gave to Wolf Man," Cora throws her hands up and Alaric nods in agreement.
"You're going to recycle that same crap-ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?" Alaric asks and Damon slightly smiles.
"Yeah, well, I didn't mean it with him."
Alaric looks at his annoying friend and shares a look with Cora, seeing if he should continue arguing or go with it. Cora shakes her head and signals for him to just go into the cave. The human shines his flashlight inside the cave and looks around the place. The two vampires stand at the edge where they only have access.
"So was Mason screwing with us, or is there something in there?" Damon asks, but he doesn't answer.
"Ric?" Cora calls for him, getting slightly worried for her new friend since they're not able to see what's inside.
"I found something."
"What is it?" Damon asks slightly excited, hoping it's some type of leverage to kill the Original hybrid.
"I have no idea."