The circle is unending. #7

[ Robert's restaurant ]

[ February 29, 00h04 ]

Standing over the body devoid of life, Alec crushes the emerging guilt before it can slow him down. His gray eyes glides over the second lifeless body, it's neck broken, and the face facing the wrong way.

A sigh escapes him, uncertainty invades him, but as often, he finds himself confronted with a situation which requires to make decisions quickly.

Standing up from his squatting position, Alec walks toward Robert's temporary dead body then grabs both arms before pulling him out of the restaurant. He drags him to his car and throws him in the trunk then he locks it and even decides to cast a little protection spell just in case.

Still draped in the starless night, Alec heads back inside the restaurant, he steps over the body then he goes to the back room hidden behind a large metal door that opens when pushed.

He immediately regrets having entered, the room looks nothing like a kitchen but more like a slaughterhouse. Bodies emptied of their blood are hung from the ceillings by hooks while large pots are strategically placed to collect as much as possible the precious liquid which constitutes the entire diet of a vampire.

The fool smell makes him nauseous and it doesn't take him long before he empty his stomach on the cold, dry blood-stained floor.

" Fucking degenerate ! " Alec says quietly, what he would righteous anger burning in him as he fully realizes the horrors committed by the guy he locked up in the trunk of his car, a car he temporarily forget isn't his.

[ Virginia Highway ]

[ 1h29 ]

His hands tap nervously on the steering wheel. The dark landscape is hidden from him, despite his obvious power certain things are not inherent to him. So it is with the headlights of his taxi that he heads straight for what is called by some the cradle, a peticular land which carried and assisted the greatest miracles, whetever they are good or bad ones is subjective, it differ as much as there is opinions.

BAM ! BAM !

A tired sigh escapes Alec's lips as the angry vampire locked in the trunk bash against his sheet metal sarcophagus. If Alec hadn't taken his precautions by spelling it to endure the reckless abandon of a desperate pray then there's no doubt it would have work.

BAM ! BAM !

He seizes the volume knob of the radio and turns it to stifle the incessant blows which no longer annoys him but enrages him. He has been putting with this for a while now, the only thing on his tired mind ; to get to his destination.

[ 3h33 ]

" -I'm walking on sunshine !

Whoo-hoo hoo

I'm walking on sunshine ! " The vampire dubbed Robert demonstrates his skills in singing, another attempt to rile up Alec.

At the wheel, Alec ignores the wrong notes piling on top of the rock music on the radio. He slows down then takes the road exit on his right overlooked by a green sign indicating Mystic Falls at a twenty miles distance.

A quarter of an hour later, he reach the town. Turning around the roundabout which surrounds a white stone monument in memory of the founding families he sees the police station but also a bar restaurant the 'Mystic Grill' and the town's bell tower, it's 18th century architecture perfectly preserved.

Alec does not stop, as night visitor not wishing to be noticed he sets out again towards the outskirts of the city, where the pine forest dominates the landscape.

Turning the engine off, he gets out from the car. He goes behind and opens the car's trunk, he makes the mistake of underestimating Robert who sends him waltzing against a tree trunk with a quick punch.

" Asshole ! You know how unpleasant it is to be in an enclosed space for so long ? " Robert shout as he extricates himself, once he's in the open air he stretches while his senses subconsciously focus on the closest prey.

Alec's hands sink into the damp soil, the pines thorns scratches his skin but he needs to lean on something to get up after the blow he has taken. Without having a chance to react, Robert is at his throat, his sharp canines sunk in his neck.

He feels his consciousness evaporate, giving way slowly to nothingness. Before that happens, he makes a last magical effort that sends the vampire back to his box and locked it back. The generic trunk of a taxi Alec shamelessly stole.

" Bastard- " He quietly says as he put his hand on the wound to estimate the extent of it. The darkness comes back, this time swallowing him all. Unconscious in the forest, he stay like this until the first ray of the sun hit him.

[ 5h02 ]

Laying on the soil, Alec grogily wakes up. His cheek as well as his chin have turned purplish, as for the bite on his neck it still makes him suffer. It burns, pikes, in short he find it unpleasant to be injured and he is starting to really asks himself if he should have taken a clandestine passenger on this ride.

Pacing around the car wondering if he'd better get rid of the vampire right away, he notices strange marks on the soil and in the distance, on the treetops. Glancing at the safely locked trunk, he walks towards the origin of what he recognize as a fire's results.

A few steps away, he arrives at a clearing bearing the vestiges of what was clearly a violent fight. A battle with a huge creature, sections of charred hundreds-years-old pine trees are smashed on the ground, others spared from the touch of fire are squarely broken in two. Although it arouses his curiosity, he quickly finds himself lost in his thoughts, again.

" Damn it ! " He shouts, his frustration at the bad decision to kidnap a centuries old vampire reaching an all time hight.

Walking back towards the cab, he grab a piece of wood from the floor then he stand beside the trunk, a small movement of his head and the locked trunk fly open. Encompassing Robert in his magic, Alec takes a decided step towards the vampire, his rudimentary stake raised in the air and ready to strike.

" Wait wait wait ! I lied ! I know about the originals, I know a lot ! " Robert says, even with his body fully immobilized he continues, always searching an angle to play in the hope of taking the advantage over him.

" Yeah ? I don't think so, I'm pretty sure you just don't want to die. You know what you remind me of ? A cockroach. " Alec says, no believing him and not desiring to. His arm stretch back and he gets ready to end his first vampire.

Robert see the stake coming for his heart with all the clarity his vampire senses afford him, the tiny splinters on the surface of the wood, Alec's eyes red from weariness, the almost imperceptible shaking of his hand and the fats beating of his heart.

" Mikaelson ! " He screams an instant before being reduced eternally to silence.

" What now ? " Alec says, his narrowed eyes indicating his persistent urge to kill the source of his annoyance.

" Well you wanted a lead on the originals, so here it is. Mikaelson, that's their name. " Robert explains hastily. Alec register the name, he never heard it but nevertheless its a start.

" Well, you've won a reprieve, we'll play twenty questions again later. If you knows their name then there's a good chance you know more, right Robert ? " Alec says with an eyebrow raised then closes back the trunk. He gets inside the car and collapses on the driver seat, quickly he is grabbed by the sandman and swept away into the unreal realm of sleep.

[7h59 ]

[ Salvatore Boarding School ]

Hope is outside of Dorian's classroom, she seems strangely alone. Surrounded by witches, werewolves and vampires she stand amongst them but not quite with them. They respect her, some might fear her but most chooses to stay away from her. Not knowing her exclude all risks, a common thought in the Salvatore Boarding School.

" Hope ! " A voice she easily identify calls her. Forcing his way towards her, Landon earns himself a few odds look. " You're here... " He says clumsily once he gets close to her.

" Why wouldn't I be ? " She answers dryly and immediately sneaks in the classroom afterwards.

Landon stares at her disappearing back, after she back the door his attention is captured by the students giving way to a blonde girl that he's beginning to appreciate less and less the more he get to know her.

" Give her time Gollum. She's a badass but that don't mean she invulnerable. " Lizzie says before sneaking into the classroom too.

[ 8h07 ]

[ Forest of Mystic Falls ]

Alec wakes up with a start, his neck totally healed, not a scratch or scar only unblemished skin. A good surprise, it gives him a little more enthusiasm to begin what promise to be a long day.

Getting the key, he turn on the engine and drove out of the forest following the wheels trail he left in the mud last night.

Once he's back on the road it only take him a couple of minutes to reach town, after crossing the bridge he arrives in a small town center, a town hall, a police station, a church and a snack-bar, he misses Seattle.

Despite his preconceptions, he let himself be tempted to a burger at the Mystic Grill. Stationing a yellow cab in a town where everyone is probably on a talk each-morning basis isn't the most reasonable thing he did but it's certainly thrilling, parking behind the bar, Alec hurry up to be sure no one see him getting out of the car.

Especially with a famished vampire in the trunk he tells himself as he pushes the doors open under the bashful gaze of high-school girls seated at the terrace, milkshake in hand.

The inside is how he imagined it, drab, a billboard unused is in the back of the room, there is bench table. The bar is nice, wide and well lit, it's why he chooses a stool away to be in peace.

" What you want ? " Alec give his order to the rude waiter. A cheeseburger with bacon and fries and a jar of water with a cup. He makes the effort to stay civilized when the waiter comment on the fact that he eats as much deapite the hour. He don't know what a man on a quest have to do and how much it requires or perhaps he's just a sick individual, Alec theorize, he loves to do so.

Eating his food, he chuckles to himself thinking about how unluckily he is when it comes to waiter.

" What is so funny, Mr ? " The abrupt question almost makes him snap his neck with how fast he turns around.

Alec doesn't if know if he should chech if he hadn't be cursed at this point, anytime, anywhere, but here and now. A cop, a sheriff moreover is watching him with an unusual suspicious undertone in his clear blue eyes eyes.

" Haller, Charles Haller. " Alec answers with a voice that only let self-assurance be heard. He takes a fry and eat it as he continues his observation of the blond haired sheriff.

" You're new in town or just passing by Charles Haller ? " The sheriff says to Alec, who is starting to ask himself if the cop in front of him isn't frankly off.

" I'm on a roadtrip so... Just passing by. " Alec respond with the same confident tone, this time he adds a polite smile as would do a normal young man meeting a cop playing cowboy.

" Well good for you, there's a cove not far outside town if you want to admire the view before leaving. " The sheriff says before taking his leave making a discret sign of the head to a guy seated in a dark corner of the bar as he do.

Alec finishes his meal as fast as he can then he gets out of bar, the waiter gaze burning holes in his back because he didn't left a tip. Walking behind the snack-bar, he checks around before getting close to his car.

Looking through the windows of his yellow cab, the sheriff himself. Alec thanks his lucky star, he came before the overly suspicious sheriff could open his trunk.

" Unbelievable. " Alec whispers before using his magic to violently project the unaware cop againts the bricks wall of the Mystic Grill building. Effortlessly, he cracked open the skull of a man. No ritual or incantation, just the manipulation of an object with magic in its barest form, for a human it doesn't ask a lot more than that. Alec could do it at eight, at sixteen it's now as easy as breathing.

[ 8h42 ]

Hope gets out of the room as soon as Alaric enters the room, Dorian let her go after brief words exchanged with Ric. It's a regular occurrence, when there is a situation she is generally, her versatility makes her helpful in many cases, she have his trust and it is reciprocated.

Today Dorian was teaching them about Silas and despite the differences between their story Hope can't help but see a distinctive similarity, a shared enemy. Nature itself. Working against them, seeking to correct mistakes, errors. This is the primary reason as to why she empathize, in her opinion she is the biggest bug in the matrix. A tribrid, something that simply shouldn't be.

" Aren't you even a little curious about where we going ? " Alaric asks perplexedly because of Hope's silence since they left the class.

" Seattle ? " She answers back, her pace accelerating to get to the car.

" Ha-ha-" He fakes a laugh in response. " I think we're going to avoids this part of the states for a while, no ? " He adds jokingly.

Looking at her getting in the range rover without even sketching a smile makes him thinks back on his harsh words but his ego, his pride keeps him from offering an apology.

" Well.. Sheriff Donovan is waiting for us at police station so I guess we're not in mortal danger today. " He says, trying to ease the tension, not obtaining a lot of postive results.

[ Burned clearing, forest ]

Dragging Robert by the arms, Alec pushes the temporarily dead vampire in the cave making him roll down the stairs until he hits the concrete floor.

The room is ridiculously small, there's empty barrels on the ground, shelves of boxed food smashed but what is the most disturbing is surely the smell of rotten food and burnt. And of course, the fact that the doors that were probably not very secure at first are now simply nonexistent today.

However it is an easily solvable problem, he has what's needed outside. After the untimely discussion he had with the town's sheriff he decided to get rid of the fabulous cab that has lead him to the end of his roadtrip.

Back upstairs on the clearing, Alec stands a few meters away from the car with his hands spread on either side.

Slowly he brings them together, his face red with effort, tensing as his hands seems to struggle against an invisible force, like a thick wall of water where hundreds of contradictory currents resist him. When he finally manages to clasp his hands, the body creaks and cries, the engine is crushed and so are the wheels.

An almost uniform blocks results from his hands slamming, a cube weighing more than a ton that he hastens to move in a similar fashion above the cellar entrance before releasing it. Sealing the entrance until his next visit.