NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: Hate
(Author note: Well, a 7k words chapter. Hope you guys enjoy! It took me a fucking while, man am I tired...
Well, bye!
Age:
Sam-18
Dean-22
John-45
Lucien-13)
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2 Years Later
The Impala's engine rumbled like a slumbering beast as it crested the final hill overlooking Roanoke, North Carolina.
Late afternoon sun painted the town in amber hues, glinting off church steeples and colonial-era weathervanes.
John Winchester's calloused hands rested easily on the steering wheel, eyes scanning the approaching townscape.
Lucien sat in the back seat, one leg folded beneath him, watching the town grow larger through the window.
At thirteen, he'd grown several inches in the past two years – still lean, but with the first hints of wiry muscle developing beneath his faded flannel shirt.
His brown hair, longer now and tied back in a small ponytail, framed features that had begun losing their childish softness.
"Five disappearances in a month," John said, breaking the comfortable silence. "All after dark. No signs of struggle, personal belongings taken with them."
Dean nodded from the passenger seat. "It could be that they for some reason ditched, but it could also be a classic supernatural snatch and grab. Best check it out anyway, since we're already close."
"Any patterns to the vics?" Sam asked, looking up from the case file spread across his lap.
"Local historian, college student, groundskeeper, high school teacher, and a tour guide," John replied. "All connected to historical sites somehow."
Lucien's eyes remained fixed on the approaching town, but his mind was elsewhere – cataloging the familiar weight of the knives concealed beneath his clothing, the comforting pressure of the handgun holstered at his ankle.
Two years of intensive training had done him well.
"Lucien?" John's voice pulled him back to the present. "Thoughts?"
Lucien straightened, shifting into analytical mode. "The disappearances form a rough pentagram when mapped. Centered on the old Fairchild plantation house according to these coordinates." He tapped the map spread across his knees. "Could be ritual abductions."
Dean twisted in his seat to look at the map. "Kid's got a point. That's definitely a pattern."
"Our cover?" Sam asked as they passed the town's welcome sign.
"Historical researchers," John answered. "Documenting local folklore and settlement patterns for a university project. Gives us access to historical sites and explains why we're asking questions."
"And explains why I'm tagging along," Lucien added. "Research assistant."
Dean grinned. "Yeah, the whiz kid who knows more than the professors."
The Impala rolled down Main Street, passing storefronts. Locals turned to watch the sleek black car – strangers were always noticed in towns like this.
"People seem on edge," Sam observed, noting the tense postures and quick glances of pedestrians.
"Five disappearances will do that," John replied. "Especially when the local authorities have no leads."
They pulled into the parking lot of the Riverside Motel, a single-story establishment with peeling paint and a flickering vacancy sign.
As John checked them in, Lucien stretched his legs, extending his Force awareness outward in a practiced sweep of their surroundings.
Nothing immediately threatening registered, but something felt... off. Like static on a radio frequency that should be clear.
He frowned, trying to focus his precognition on potential dangers in their immediate future - something he's learned to do these past two years.
To truly focus through that 6th sense, but the usually reliable sense offered nothing concrete – just vague unease.
"All good?" Dean asked, noticing Lucien's expression.
"Not sure," Lucien admitted. "Something feels strange, but I can't pinpoint it."
Dean nodded, not questioning the assessment. Two years of hunting together had taught everyone to trust Lucien's instincts. "We'll stay sharp."
John returned with room keys. "Sam, get the research station set up. Dean, Lucien, gear up for a visit to the historical society before it closes. I'll check in with local authorities."
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The Roanoke Historical Society occupied a restored Victorian mansion near the town square.
Its polished wooden floors creaked beneath their feet as Dean and Lucien entered the main exhibition hall.
Glass cases displayed Civil War artifacts, colonial documents, and Native American relics.
"May I help you?" A middle-aged woman with a name tag reading 'Margaret' approached with a practiced smile.
Dean slipped smoothly into his role. "We're with North Carolina State University, researching local folklore and settlement patterns. I'm Dean Forester, and this is my research assistant, Lucien."
"A bit young for university work, isn't he?" Margaret asked, eyeing Lucien.
"Gifted student program," Lucien replied with the perfect blend of adolescent awkwardness and academic confidence. "I'm cataloging primary sources for the project."
Margaret seemed satisfied with the explanation. "Well, we close in an hour, but feel free to look around. Let me know if you need access to the archives."
As she walked away, Dean nudged Lucien. "Nice save."
They moved through the exhibition, Lucien making careful notes while Dean charmed information from the staff.
The Force remained a constant presence at the edges of Lucien's awareness, like an ocean current flowing around and through everything.
He had gotten far stronger in these two years - but his control was still nothing compared to how much access he had, and how much power his body could endure.
If he truly had complete control over the power his body could access in its young age- then he would be able to contend with beings thought gods.
Dean and Lucien had nearly completed their circuit of the main hall when Lucien felt it – a cold ripple in the Force that raised goosebumps on his arms. He turned slowly toward its source.
A man stood examining a display of Civil War-era jewelry and personal effects. Tall and lean, with dark hair and striking features, he projected casual elegance in his expensive clothing.
But what caught Lucien's attention wasn't his appearance – it was the void he created in the Force. Not absence, but distortion – like a rock in a stream, forcing the current to flow around it unnaturally.
Damon Salvatore.
Lucien's heart rate increased slightly, but his expression remained neutral as his mind processed this.
"Interesting collection," the man commented to no one in particular, his fingers hovering above a display case containing a crystal pendant. "Especially the Bennett pieces."
Dean approached, professional curiosity on his face. "You know your historical artifacts."
The man turned, assessing Dean with a quick glance before offering a charming smile. "I'm something of a collector. Particularly interested in Civil War era pieces from prominent families." He extended his hand. "Damon. Pleasure."
"Dean Forester, North Carolina State University." Dean shook the offered hand. "This is my colleague, Lucien."
Damon's gaze shifted to Lucien, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. "Rather young for university research, isn't he?"
"Gifted student," Dean replied smoothly, repeating Lucien's earlier words.
Lucien met Damon's gaze evenly, careful to betray nothing while subtly reaching out with the Force.
The vampire's presence felt old and predatory – a cold void surrounded by ripples of death. But trying to read his intentions was like trying to see through murky water.
"I have a particular interest in the Bennett family artifacts," Damon continued, turning back to the display. "They're said to possess unique... properties."
"Properties?" Dean asked.
"Historical significance," Damon clarified with a slight smile. "The Bennetts were rumored to be closely connected to the town's founding families."
Lucien studied the crystal pendant Damon had been examining. Even without touching it, he could sense residual energy – witch magic, powerful and old. He filed the information away, maintaining his role as an attentive assistant.
"Are you in town long?" Dean asked conversationally.
"As long as my research requires," Damon replied. "I'm particularly interested in the old Fairchild plantation. I understand there's been some archaeological activity there recently."
The mention of the plantation – the center of their disappearance pentagram – sent a warning pulse through Lucien's Force sense.
He tried to extend his precognition, to glimpse what Damon might be planning, but encountered unusual resistance, again, like trying to see through static.
"We're headed there ourselves tomorrow," Dean said. "Part of our folklore documentation project."
"Perhaps we'll run into each other," Damon suggested, his tone pleasant but his eyes calculating. "I always enjoy meeting fellow... researchers."
As Damon moved toward another exhibit, Lucien leaned closer to Dean. "We should wrap up here," he murmured. "Dad will want to hear about this."
Dean nodded, sensing the urgency in Lucien's tone. They made their excuses to Margaret and left quickly, the weight of Damon's gaze following them out the door.
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In the Impala, Dean glanced at Lucien. "Alright, what's up? You've got that look."
"What look?"
"The 'I sensed something but I'm trying to act normal' look. Spill it."
Lucien exhaled slowly. "That collector back there? He's a vampire. Old one. European strain. And he's almost certainly behind the disappearances."
Dean's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? I didn't get any weird vibes from him."
"He's old enough to hide it well," Lucien explained. "But his Force signature is unmistakable. And he's specifically interested in the plantation house – the center of our disappearance pattern"
"I think he may know we're hunters and is baiting us, wanting us to know he's the cause so that we go there, and make - in his eyes - the job easier for him to deal with us."
Dean didn't question the assessment, immediately shifting to tactical planning. "Dad needs to know. European vampires are a whole different ballgame."
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Back at the motel, Sam had transformed their room into a research center. Maps covered one wall, photos of missing persons another, and his laptop sat surrounded by local history books.
John looked up from cleaning his weapons as they entered. "Find anything?"
"Vampire," Dean announced without preamble. "European strain. Calling himself Damon. Posing as a collector interested in Civil War artifacts."
John's hands stilled. "Lucien?"
"Confirmed," Lucien nodded. "His Force signature is unmistakable. Old, powerful, and definitely interested in the same locations where people have been disappearing."
John didn't hesitate or question. Two years of hunting together had established absolute trust in Lucien's supernatural detection.
He immediately began assessing options. "European strain means we need to adjust our approach. Let's review what we know."
Sam closed his laptop. "Vervain prevents compulsion and burns on contact. Wooden stakes to the heart. Sunlight's fatal without a daylight ring. Decapitation works. Fire works. Need invitation to enter private homes."
"They're faster and stronger than American strains," Dean added. "And the older they are, the stronger they get."
"And they can shut off their humanity," Lucien continued. "Making them even more dangerous because they feel no remorse or hesitation, and are in that state more uncaring to pain, able to power through."
John nodded, satisfied with their knowledge base. "This changes our approach. No more splitting up into pairs. We move as a unit."
"He's specifically interested in Bennett family artifacts," Lucien said. "And there was a crystal pendant at the historical society that had residual witch energy. I think he's hunting for something specific."
"Bennett," Sam repeated, flipping through his notes. "There are references to a Bennett family in the town records. They were rumored to be witches back in the 1860s."
John considered this. "Vampires and witches often have connections. Could be he's looking for a magical object."
"Which might explain the disappearances," Dean suggested. "Leverage to get local witches to help him, or sacrifices for some ritual."
"Something's interfering with my senses," Lucien suddenly admitted, after once more trying to look through the Force. "I can't get clear readings on how dangerous things are."
John's expression darkened. "That's concerning. Could be the vampire has protection, or there's something else at play we're not seeing yet."
"We need to investigate the plantation house," Sam said. "If that's the center of the disappearance pattern and the vampire's interested in it, there must be something significant there."
John nodded. "First light tomorrow. For now, we prepare. Dean, inventory our vervain supplies. Sam, dig deeper on Bennett family connections to the plantation. Lucien, see if you can get any clearer readings with your abilities."
As the others went about their tasks, Lucien sat cross-legged on one of the beds, closing his eyes to focus.
He reached for the Light Side first, its familiar warmth responding to his call. His Daugher's presence enveloped him like sunlight, but even with her help, the future remained frustratingly opaque.
Shifting approach, he reached for the Dark Side. Malek's presence surged forward eagerly, cold power flowing through him.
For a moment, the static cleared slightly – enough to glimpse shadowy figures and a sense of ancient power beneath the plantation house – before the interference returned stronger than before.
Lucien opened his eyes, troubled. "Something's definitely blocking me. I got a brief impression of the plantation house – there's something beneath it, something old and powerful – but then the block comes back, and fixes itself. I think it could possibly be a trap. That Damon knows we're hunters."
John exchanged glances with Sam and Dean. "We go in prepared for anything then. Full arsenal."
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Dawn painted the sky in watercolor pastels as the Impala rolled down the long, overgrown drive leading to Fairchild plantation.
The house - massive, more a castle than a house really - stood like a decaying aristocrat – once grand columns now crumbling, paint peeling from ornate woodwork, windows staring blankly like cataract-clouded eyes.
"Cheery place," Dean commented as they parked.
They moved efficiently, checking weapons and establishing hand signals. Despite his age, Lucien was fully integrated into their hunting unit, his role clear and his abilities respected.
"Lucien, what are you sensing?" John asked as they approached the house.
Lucien extended his awareness, pushing against the strange interference. "Multiple presences inside. Weak life signatures – probably the missing people. And something else... deeper in the house. Colder."
John nodded. "We find the missing people first, then deal with the vampire if he's here. Dean, take point. Sam, watch our backs. Lucien, stay centered where you can monitor all directions."
They entered through a side door, moving silently across rotting floorboards. The interior smelled of mold and decay, sunlight filtering through broken shutters in dusty beams.
Room by room, they swept the first floor, finding nothing but abandoned furniture and animal droppings.
At the main staircase, John held up a closed fist – wait. He pointed to dark stains on the wooden steps – blood, relatively fresh.
Lucien closed his eyes briefly, focusing his senses. "Basement," he whispered. "The life signatures are below us."
They found the cellar door beneath a moldering rug in what had once been a pantry. John tested the hinges, which opened with surprising silence – recently oiled.
The stairs descended into darkness, the air rising from below noticeably colder.
Dean switched on a flashlight, revealing stone steps leading to a wine cellar. Ancient racks stood mostly empty, a few bottles still gathering dust in forgotten corners.
But what caught their attention were the five people, bound and gagged, sitting against the far wall.
"Check them," John ordered as they hurried forward.
The victims were alive but weak, eyes wide with fear and relief as their rescuers approached. As Sam began cutting their bonds, Lucien's Force sense flared with warning – too late.
The cellar door slammed shut above them.
"Well, well," came a smooth voice from the shadows. "The research team decided to do some exploring."
Damon stepped into the flashlight beam, casual as if they'd met for a scheduled appointment. His eyes, however, held predatory focus.
"Let these people go," John demanded, shotgun raised.
Damon at the demand gave him a look like he found John stupid, "Seriously? You think just by saying 'Let them go,' in that so-so deep gruff voice of yours, I'm just gonna roll over and say, 'Yes sir,' 'At once, sir,' 'Will do, sir' ?" Damon asked, his tone full of mocking.
"They're collateral idiot. Insurance. Leverage. Food. Ingredients. Choose your term." He smiled, revealing lengthening fangs. "But I'm personally more interested in what brings a family of hunters to my little treasure hunt."
John didn't waste words. He fired the shotgun, wooden flechettes spraying toward the vampire.
Damon moved, dodging the projectiles. As he then looked at what was shocked, he turned his gaze back at them, "Prepared for my kind specifically, I see. So you already knew I was a vampire before coming here, huh. I thought I covered my tracks well."
"I even made sure to make it look like the people just ditched town. Compelled even a few people to make 'em think so. But I suppose I underestimated how much of a tight circle small towns are- see they're not really my thing. Been many years since I've been in them. They bring back bad memories. "
The vampire's gaze fixed on Lucien. "Though what I find particularly interesting is that, you guys have brought with you a child to a vampire hunt. Either you're all dumb as bricks - very much on the table since you came to hunt me - or he is something special."
"Dean, get the civilians out," John ordered - uncaring to respond to Damon -reloading smoothly. "Sam, east corner. Lucien, stay central."
They moved as they practiced, Sam and John creating a defensive perimeter while Dean herded the weakened victims toward the stairs.
Lucien as he positioned himself, had his hands hovering near his concealed weapons.
Damon watched with growing curiosity. "You're not ordinary hunters. Too... I don't know how to really word it, but you guys feel off." His eyes narrowed at Lucien. "Especially the kid."
"We know what you are," John stated flatly. "We know how to kill you."
"Are you sure?" Damon's smile was chilling. "I've been hunted by experts for over a century. What makes you think you'll succeed?"
The attack came without warning – one moment Damon was standing still, the next he had crossed the room and slammed John against the wall, moving faster than human eyes could track. The shotgun clattered to the floor.
Sam fired immediately, wooden bullets nearly striking Damon's back, before the vampire dodged and with a turn threw John at Sam. Both Winchesters crashed into the wine racks.
"Dad! Sam!" Dean shouted, torn between helping them and protecting the civilians.
"Get them out!" John ordered, struggling to his feet.
Damon turned toward Dean and the victims, but found his path suddenly blocked by Lucien, standing calmly in the center of the cellar.
"The boy wants to play hero," Damon mocked. "This should be quick."
Lucien's expression remained neutral as he reached into his jacket, drawing two gleaming knives.
Three more rose from sheaths concealed beneath his clothing, floating into position around him – a deadly orbit controlled through the Force.
Damon's eyebrows rose. "Oooh, now that explains it. You have powers, I see."
The vampire lunged, moving with vampire speed. But Lucien had already moved, his precognition giving him just enough warning to sidestep the attack.
His floating knives slashed at Damon, flying at him, one drawing a line of blood across Damon's arm.
"Go!" Lucien shouted to Dean, who hesitated only briefly before herding the victims toward the stairs.
Damon's expression shifted from amused to focused. "Telekinesis? Interesting trick." He circled Lucien warily. "But parlor tricks won't save you, kid."
Lucien didn't waste energy on words. He reached deeper into the Force, enhancing his physical abilities.
When Damon attacked again, Lucien met him faster than any kid should be, his knives weaving a in a defensive way, while his floating blades struck from multiple angles.
The vampire hissed as a knife sliced his cheek. "You're full of surprises. But you don't honestly think I'm going all out do you?"
John and Sam had regained their feet, moving to flank the vampire. But Damon was too fast, grabbing a heavy wine rack and hurling it toward them. They dove in opposite directions to avoid being crushed.
The distraction cost Lucien. Damon appeared behind him, one hand closing around his throat. "Enough games. I need strong souls anyway, hunters will do far better than the cattle."
Lucien's floating knives dropped to the floor as the vampire's grip tightened. But instead of panic, Lucien glared at Damon as he reached desperately for the Dark Side.
It's presence surged forward eagerly, cold power flooding through him. With a gesture, Lucien sent Damon flying backward with a Force push powerful enough to crack the stone wall where the vampire impacted.
"What the hell?" Damon growled, rising from the rubble with genuine surprise in his eyes.
Lucien stood with hands outstretched, as he channeled the Dark Side.
The floating knives rose again, their edges glowing with Force energy as they spun faster around him.
"You're not human are you," Damon realized, reassessing his opponent.
"Human enough," Lucien replied, his voice eerily calm.
The vampire's eyes narrowed. "Let's test that theory."
Damon moved like liquid shadow, crossing the distance between them faster than human eyes could track. Luckily, the Force gave Lucien just enough warning to sidestep the initial lunge.
The vampire pivoted instantly, a smile revealing lengthening fangs. "Quick reflexes. Impressive for a brat."
Lucien didn't waste breath responding. His five floating knives accelerated, forming a defensive perimeter that rotated around him in hard to predict patterns.
When Damon darted forward again, trying to out speed them, two knives went faster and slashed simultaneously from different angles, forcing the vampire to twist mid-attack.
"Cute," Damon commented, eyeing the floating weapons with newfound wariness.
The vampire suddenly grabbed a broken wine bottle from a nearby rack, hurling it. Lucien deflected it with telekinesis, but the distraction cost him - Damon appeared at his side, grabbing his shoulder hard enough to nearly crush it.
Lucien channeled the Force through his body, enhancing his strength even more, that it is just enough to break the grip.
He spun away, simultaneously commanding two knives to strike at Damon's back. The vampire sensed the attack and bent backward, the blades missing by millimeters.
"Telekinesis and enhanced strength," Damon observed, circling. "What else can you do, wonder boy?"
Lucien extended his hand, sending another Force push that caught Damon mid-step. The vampire slid backward but remained upright this time, digging his feet into the stone floor to anchor himself.
"Interesting," Damon smirked, as he kicked the floor hard and ripped a chunk of stone from it, hurling it at Lucien's head.
Lucien caught it with telekinesis, suspending it mid-air before launching it back with doubled force. Damon shattered it with a casual backhand, stone fragments exploding outward.
"My turn," the vampire growled.
Damon, moved with blinding speed, zigzagging across the cellar. Lucien's precognition gave him split-second warnings, but Damon was adapting - changing directions mid-lunge, creating false openings, testing the limits of Lucien's reaction time.
A feint left followed by a true strike right caught Lucien's defenses. Damon's fist connected with his ribcage - pulled at the last microsecond, he had no intention to kill the brat after all - but still powerful enough to send Lucien sliding across the floor.
Lucien rolled with the momentum, using the Force to flip back onto his feet. His floating knives formed a protective barrier again as he caught his breath, ribs aching but not broken.
'Shit, I actually nearly died,' Lucien thought to himself, as his heart was hammering faster than ever.
"You're holding back," Lucien observed, forcing himself not to stutter, that his voice doesn't show his fear.
"I need you alive, besides I'm curious," Damon admitted with a shrug, stalking forward.
"You say you're human, which sure - I guess is possible, psychics are quite rare, and their abilities aren't really explored - but it's still kind of hard to believe. I doubt even a trained witch would be this strong at your age. At least I've never met one like that."
Instead of answering, Lucien gathered the Force and lifted an entire wine rack telekinetically, hurling the massive wooden structure at the vampire.
Damon didn't dodge - he charged directly into it, splintering the wood with his body and emerging through the debris without slowing.
Lucien barely had time to cross his arms in a defensive position, channeling the Force to reinforce his body as Damon slammed into him. They crashed into the wall together, stone cracking from the impact.
The vampire pinned him, one hand around Lucien's throat. "Game over, kid."
Lucien locked eyes with Damon - now that he is so much closer, Lucien's control over the Force is stronger - and reached out with the Force, targeting the vampire's neck.
Damon's eyes widened as he felt his head being forced to turn unnaturally.
"What the-" he growled, muscles straining as he resisted the telekinetic grip.
For a moment they were locked in stalemate - Damon's strength against Lucien's telekineses. The vampire's neck turned inch by agonizing inch, his face contorting with effort.
With his free hand, Damon drove his fist into the floor, breaking through the ancient stone. He grabbed a jagged wooden beam from the subfloor and swung it toward Lucien's head.
Lucien released the neck hold to deflect the improvised stake, sending it spinning away. The momentary distraction was enough for Damon to break free, leaping backward to create distance.
"Not bad," the vampire conceded, rolling his shoulders. "But I've been fighting for over a century."
He demonstrated this experience immediately, grabbing a handful of dust and debris from the floor and flinging it into Lucien's eyes. As Lucien instinctively raised his hands, Damon kicked a heavy oak barrel from its stand, sending it rolling directly at the boy's legs.
Lucien sensed the attack through the Force despite his impaired vision. He jumped, using telekinesis to boost himself higher, flipping over the barrel.
His floating knives responded to his mental command, converging on Damon from five different angles.
The vampire moved fast, dodging three blades and deflecting a fourth with his forearm, which opened a deep gash. The fifth knife caught him across the shoulder, drawing a hiss of pain and genuine surprise.
"Okay, seriously, enough," Damon snarled, his playful demeanor vanishing.
He grabbed the fallen barrel and hurled it upward, smashing it against the ceiling. Ancient wood splintered, raining debris and creating a cloud of dust and wine residue that filled the cellar.
Using the obscured visibility to his advantage, Damon moved silently through the haze.
Lucien closed his eyes, relying entirely on the Force to track the vampire's movements. He sensed Damon circling, felt the predatory intent building-
The attack came from behind, Damon dropping from where he'd braced himself against the ceiling.
Lucien spun, directing all five knives in a defensive pattern, but Damon had anticipated this. The vampire deliberately impaled his hand on one blade, gripping it tightly despite the pain, using the surprise, to close in and with that same hand yank Lucien forward.
As Lucien stumbled, Damon's other hand closed around his throat, lifting him off the ground.
"I'm impressed," Damon admitted, blood dripping from his self-impaled hand. "But playtime's seriously over."
Lucien struggled, his telekinetic control over the remaining knives wavering as his oxygen depleted.
With desperate focus, he gathered the Force for one massive push - not directed at Damon, but at the floor beneath them.
The stone cracked with explosive force, the ground dropping away as ancient support beams gave way.
Both combatants fell to a previously hidden sublevel, Damon's grip breaking as they crashed through rotting timbers- Lucien at this moment was really thankful that these ancient buildings are so big, that Sam and John can stay in the corner through all this.
Lucien rolled away, gasping for breath, while Damon landed in a crouch. The vampire looked around the newly revealed chamber with genuine surprise - ancient symbols covered the walls, and a stone altar stood at its center.
"Well, well," Damon murmured, momentarily distracted. "The Bennett ritual chamber. I was just looking for this when you guys interrupted.
The brief respite gave Lucien precious seconds to recover. He reached deeper into the Force, drawing on both Light and Dark aspects, feeling power flow through his exhausted body.
When Damon turned his attention back to Lucien, the boy stood up, his floating knives once again orbiting in perfect formation.
"Last chance to walk away," Lucien offered, his voice steady despite his fatigue.
Damon laughed. "You've got spirit, kid. But you're still outmatched."
The vampire blurred into motion, moving faster than before, clearly done with testing and restraint. He zigzagged across the chamber, creating afterimages that confused the eyes.
Lucien closed his eyes, surrendering completely to the Force. He didn't need to see Damon - he could feel him, sense his intent before action.
When the vampire struck from the right, Lucien was already turning, one hand extended. He caught Damon in mid-lunge with a precisely focused Force push that slammed the vampire into the altar with enough power to crush bones.
Stone cracked under the force of the collision. Damon recovered instantly, using the broken altar piece as a weapon, hurling a jagged chunk directly at Lucien's chest.
Lucien stopped it inches from impact, the stone hovering between them. With a gesture, he pulverized it into dust that billowed outward, momentarily obscuring Damon's vision.
Through this cloud, Lucien sent all five knives flying in a attack pattern he'd practiced for months - a sequence designed to be impossible to dodge completely.
'All I need to do is imobalize him for one long moment, one long moment, and I can stake him,' Lucien thought to himself desperately.
Damon moved with grace, avoiding three blades, deflecting the fourth with a piece of debris. But the fifth sank deep into his thigh, enhanced by Force energy that burned like fire.
The vampire snarled in genuine pain, ripping the knife free and flinging it away. "What is that energy? It burns!"
Instead of answering, Lucien pressed his advantage. He gestured upward, using telekinesis to tear loose a support beam from the ceiling. As it crashed down, he directed it like a battering ram toward the wounded vampire.
Damon caught the massive beam, his strength allowing him to stop its momentum. With a grunt of effort, he swung the entire beam in a wide arc, forcing Lucien to dive aside.
The beam smashed into the wall, revealing yet another hidden chamber. Damon glanced at the opening, then back at Lucien, calculation evident in his eyes.
"You're full of surprises, kid," he acknowledged, limping slightly from the knife wound that was healing slower than it should. "But I've lived too long to lose to a child - no matter how gifted."
He grabbed a handful of dirt from the floor, but instead of throwing it at Lucien's eyes as expected, he flung it upward, using vampire strength to hit a structural beam that was already cracking. The ceiling began to collapse between them.
Lucien raised both hands, using telekinesis to hold back the falling debris. The strain was immense, sweat beading on his forehead as tons of stone and wood pressed against his Force barrier.
Damon used this distraction to circle behind him, moving through the shadows with stealth. "Impressive power," he whispered directly into Lucien's ear. "But divided attention is a weakness."
Before Lucien could react, Damon struck - not a killing blow, but a precisely targeted hit to Lucien's temple that sent him staggering. The Force barrier wavered, debris beginning to fall.
Damon grabbed Lucien by the throat once more, pinning him against the wall as the ceiling continued to collapse around them. "Now, can you tell me seriously what you are? I believe you're human- but you're a new breed, that's for sure. You feel like nothing else I've ever met." he stated, with geniune curiousity.
Lucien felt his consciousness beginning to fade, the strain of maintaining the Force barrier while being choked proving too much. His control over his floating knives faltered, the blades dropping to the ground with metallic clangs.
It was now or never. With all his remaining strength, Lucien threw himself face first into the Dark Side. Pulling at every bit of fear, rage, hate, and passion he had at this moment.
Malek surged forward once more, even more eagerly than before, helping his father pull at the Dark Side, as cold power rushed through Lucien's veins like liquid nitrogen.
The cellar's temperature plummeted instantly, frost crystallizing on stone surfaces. Damon's breath became visible, his eyes widening in confusion at the sudden change.
"What the-" the vampire began, but never finished.
Lucien's eyes flashed molten gold, pupils contracting to pinpoints. With new strength, he broke Damon's chokehold, simultaneously releasing a telekinetic shockwave that sent the vampire flying backward into the partially collapsed wall.
Stone fragments rained down as Damon crashed through ancient masonry. He recovered quickly, wiping blood from his mouth with a look of genuine surprise. "Your eyes," he observed, circling warily. "They changed."
Lucien didn't respond. The Dark Side hummed through him, heightening every sense, amplifying his connection to the Force and his emotions.
His fallen knives rose from the ground, edges now glowing with crimson energy as they resumed their orbit around him.
Damon assessed the shift in power, his instincts recognizing escalating danger. He grabbed a broken support beam, snapping it to create an improvised stake.
"Okay, I don't think I can take you alive anymore. Best just look for someone else later. Now, let's see if whatever breed of human you are can survive a heart puncture," he growled.
The vampire launched himself forward with vampiric speed, but Lucien was ready. Time seemed to slow as the Dark Side enhanced his perception.
He sidestepped the attack with grace, simultaneously commanding two of his floating knives to strike Damon's exposed flank.
The blades sliced deep, drawing a hiss of pain from the vampire. The wounds glowed briefly with crimson energy, resisting Damon's accelerated healing.
"You're just full of surprises," Damon snarled, pivoting for another attack.
This time, he feinted right before diving left. The Force warned him of Damon's true intent, allowing him to intercept the vampire mid-lunge with a precisely timed Force push.
The impact sent Damon crashing into the ceiling, dislodging more debris. As the vampire fell, Lucien gestured sharply, telekinetically grabbing Damon's ankle and slamming him into the floor.
Stone cracked beneath the impact. Damon rolled away, movements slightly slower now, genuine pain evident in his expression. "What are you doing to me?" he demanded, noticing his wounds still glowing with residual crimson energy.
"The Dark Side," Lucien replied, his voice eerily calm despite the power surging through him. "It destroys everything... even magic." So long you have enough of it - of course.
Damon's eyes narrowed. He ripped a metal sconce from the wall, hurling it. When Lucien deflected it with telekinesis, Damon was already moving - using the distraction to close distance.
The vampire executed a spinning kick that would have taken off a human's head clean off, but Lucien caught the leg mid-strike with telekineses.
For a moment, they were locked in another stalemate.
With a growl of effort, Damon twisted his body unnaturally, using the immobilized leg as an anchor point to swing his other foot toward Lucien's head. The boy ducked, releasing his telekinetic hold to avoid the strike.
Damon landed in a crouch, immediately springing upward to grab an exposed ceiling beam. He swung from it like a gymnast, building momentum before launching himself feet-first at Lucien.
Lucien crossed his arms before him, channeling the Force to create a protective barrier. Damon's impact sent him sliding backward, boots leaving furrows in the stone floor, but the barrier held.
"You're really strong kid," Damon acknowledged, landing gracefully. "But how long can you maintain that power? I can go all night."
In response, Lucien extended both hands toward the massive ceiling above Damon. With a sharp gesture, he tore down another massive section of stone and wood, forcing the vampire to dive aside.
As Damon rolled, Lucien's floating knives converged on his position from five different angles.
The vampire twisted mid-roll, avoiding three blades but taking glancing hits from the other two - one across his shoulder, another slicing his calf. The wounds pulsed with crimson energy again, visibly impeding his healing.
"Okay, can you just fucking not." Damon snarled.
He grabbed one of the knives, ignoring how the crimson energy burned his palm, and hurled it directly at Lucien's face.
When the boy deflected it telekinetically, Damon was already moving - appearing behind Lucien, hands reaching for his neck.
But Lucien had anticipated this. He dropped to one knee, simultaneously using telekinesis to pull a broken floorboard upward between them. The jagged wood caught Damon in the chest, not deep enough to hit his heart but sufficient to momentarily halt his advance.
The vampire staggered back, ripping the wood free fast with a grunt of pain before Lucien could push it in further. "You're starting to really annoy me," he growled, crushing the board to splinters in his fist.
Lucien rose slowly. "Last chance," Lucien offered, "Leave now."
'Leave now, since I really don't want to stay like this much longer. I'm doing all I fucking can that the Dark Side doesn't begin destroying me too.'
Damon laughed, though there was a new wariness in his eyes. "Not a chance, kid. I haven't had a fight this interesting in decades."
The vampire charged again, but changed tactics - instead of attacking Lucien directly, he targeted the chamber's structural supports. Each blow weakened the already compromised ceiling, causing more debris to rain down.
Lucien realized Damon's intent but wasn't fast enough to do much about it because of how damaged everything already was.
The vampire wasn't trying to defeat him directly - he was bringing down the entire chamber. With the ceiling collapsing, Lucien was forced to divide his attention between defending himself and preventing them both - more himself, since Damon would heal afterward - from being crushed.
He raised one hand toward the falling debris, creating a telekinetic dome that held back tons of stone and wood. His other hand directed his floating knives in defensive patterns as Damon continued his assault.
"Multitasking's a bitch, isn't it?" Damon taunted, landing a glancing blow to Lucien's shoulder that sent him stumbling.
The strain of maintaining the telekinetic barrier while defending against Damon's attacks was immense.
Sweat poured down Lucien's face, his breathing becoming labored as he channeled more of the Dark Side to maintain both efforts.
Damon pressed his advantage, circling with patience, striking whenever Lucien's attention wavered.
A kick here, a punch there - none direct enough to be killing blows, Lucien being good enough to defend himself that much, but each wearing down his stamina.
"I can feel you weakening," Damon observed, dodging between falling debris with grace. "Whatever power you're using, it's draining you."
He was right. His muscles burned with fatigue, his concentration fragmenting under the strain.
Damon suddenly changed direction, diving through a narrow gap in the falling debris. He appeared directly before Lucien, moving faster than the boy's exhausted reflexes could track. Cold fingers closed around Lucien's throat once more, lifting him off the ground.
"Game over," Damon declared, tightening his grip, trying to crush Lucien's neck completely.
Lucien pushed back against Damon's strength with his telekineses, but couldn't push it back enough that he could breathe. As his oxygen depleted.
The ceiling groaned ominously above them, massive stones beginning to slip through his weakening hold. In seconds, they would both be crushed.
With his remaining consciousness, Lucien made a desperate gamble. He released the telekinetic barrier above them completely, focusing all his remaining strength into a single, concentrated attack.
As debris began falling around them, Lucien extended both hands toward Damon's chest. Raw power gathered at his fingertips - not telekinesis, not a Force push, but something deeper and more... hateful.
"Here goes... Fucking... Nothing." Lucien bit out.
"What-" Damon began, sensing the shift in energy.
Lightning erupted from Lucien's fingertips - blue-white. The Force Lightning struck Damon directly in the chest, sending him flying backward with a howl of agony.
The vampire crashed against the far wall, his body convulsing as the power coursed through him. His skin blackened where the lightning struck, wounds that didn't immediately begin to heal.
Lucien maintained the attack, lightning pouring from his hands in sustained streams. The Dark Side flowed through him like never before, Malek's presence amplifying the power to unprecedented levels.
"WHAT IN THE FUCKING GODDAMN SHITTY HELL ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD!?" Damon screamed through gritted teeth, his body arching unnaturally as the lightning continued its assault.
The falling debris once more, held up as Lucien advanced slowly, the lightning never ceasing. His eyes blazed with golden fire, his expression full of hatred, rage.
"Your death, you piece of shit, cuck!"
Damon's skin continued to blacken and crack, the vampire's healing factor overwhelmed by the Dark Side energy.
For the first time in perhaps centuries, Damon Salvatore felt genuine fear - not of defeat, but of true death
"Oh yes, I know all about how you shared that vampiric bitch Katherine, knowing she was sleeping with your brother, having actually compelled him, cause he didn't want to and isn't a shitty cuck like you! "
Lucien was fully uncaring towards anything, so full of hatred, thinking of anything he knew from the show, that he could use to insult, humiliate and hurt Damon with as he killed him.
He wasn't wrong though either. Stefan at first truly never knew Katherine was with Damon either- Damon always knew, besides the fact his brother was compelled of course.
With tremendous effort, the vampire raised one hand toward Lucien, as if pleading for mercy.
"There is no mercy!" Lucien roared as the lightning intensified,
The chamber filled with the smell of burning flesh and the sound of Damon's agonized screams.
Stone around them began to melt where stray lightning struck, the ancient chamber groaning under the strain of such power.
Just as it seemed Damon would be completely consumed by the attack, Lucien's consciousness suddenly lurched sideways.
The physical world began to fade, the lightning still pouring from his hands as his awareness was violently pulled elsewhere.
The last thing he saw was Damon collapsing to the ground, body smoking but still intact, as Lucien's consciousness was ripped away.
into the realm of the Fates.
-----------------------
(Author note: Okay, fuck! That took so long, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter,
Do tell me how you found it.
Took me a long bit to write the fight scene. So, what do you think is happening to Lucien.
Realm of Fates? What?
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)