Kismet | Damon Salvatore

Chapter 10

Kidnapping and torturing. That was his idea.

"I should have figured this is what you had in mind," Maribel said when she found a bloody Traveler body waiting for her at the Salvatore Boarding House four days later.

"Well, you needed a test subject," Damon said. "Here you go. One Traveler, ready to be turned into a lab rat."

Hesitantly, she withdrew a small amount of the powder she'd made. "Woah," said Damon, noticing she'd put it in a small bag. "You brought cocaine into my house? You're the crackhead Fell sister."

"Oh, shut up!" she said, withdrawing a syringe and needle to take an initial blood sample. "Sorry," she muttered out of habit when the Traveler winced.

Damon stared at he in disbelief. "Why are you apologizing to them?"

"Force of habit!" she shot back. "Besides, I feel bad hurting people. Obviously you don't know what that's like."

"I know what it's like. I just don't let that feeling in. You could learn a thing or two from me."

She handed him the syringe wordlessly, taking a small amount of the powder onto her fingertips, then blowing it into the Traveler's face. They didn't react, which was a good sign. If they didn't know their magic was being shut off, it would ensure they didn't see a trap coming until it was too late.

"There we go," she said once she'd finished taking a second sample. "I'll just take a peek at these in the kitchen."

"Using what, my blender?" asked Damon.

"My microscope! I brought it with me!"

"You are such a nerd."

"You wouldn't have survived without me! Besides, I think I at least qualify as a geek."

"Geeks are nerds that know how to have fun. In what way, exactly, are you 'fun?'"

"Now you're just being mean."

"And what are you going to do about it? You're like a flightless bird. Fight-less Fell."

"You're welcome to figure this problem out on your own. I'm happy to block your number and go back to my life. Or, better yet, use your money to fly myself to Dubai."

He left her alone to examine her blood samples under the microscope. To her delight, the gene had successfully been turned off. The effect lasted an entire three minutes without her having altered her original solution. Obviously it helped that most Travelers chose human and witch hosts rather than hybris who could heal much faster.

"Stefan called," announced Damon when he found her cleaning up. "He and Elena were being held by the Travelers but they escaped. Right now, they're partaking in squirrel slaughter to survive, but they'll get to us soon enough. And Bonnie says she and Enzo can come back from the Other Side when Liv saves her, or whatever. So our new plan is: find Markos, kill Markos, save Mystic Falls from becoming Traveler home. Time for us to strap on our hero hair."

Maribel blinked. "And where do I fit into this?"

He pointed at her bag of powder. "How strong is that cocaine?"

"It lasts three minutes."

"You know, I've met guys who last less than that so it's perfect. Three minutes is enough time to commit a mass murder with bare hands. And, if we take your suggestion and use guns, we'll get it done sooner." He snapped his fingers as Jeremy appeared in the doorway. "You, I need you and your XBox buddy to run an errand for me. Come on, let's go."

"What about me?" asked Maribel before he could leave.

"Find your inner Walter White and make us more of that coke! Focus on that, the Tyler thing can wait."