Welcome To The 21st Century (Open)

As I entered the Grill, I tried to search around for some.... worthy company. This town must have really been dry, it was nearly impossible to find anyone worth while here - at least for me. I could have easily settled for some lesser company, but where is the fun in that? If I were going to make a name for myself in this forsaken town, I would have to be around the elegant and sophisticated. But as my luck would have it, my family wasn't here and I was in a bar - oh how sophistication goes a long way.....

I threw myself onto a bar stool and compelled the bartender to come my way. I probably could have seduced her, tried anything - got her to give me free drinks, but where is the splendor in such a mundane act? If I want something, I am going to take it; and what better way than to take it from right under their noses, without them even knowing. Avoiding my past mistake, I tried to dumb down my language and get modernized, yet it still felt awful on my tongue.

"Hello beautiful, how about I propose something. First, you bring me your finest bourbon - and all of it. And second, how about after work I take you out... for a bite to eat?"

My devilish smile crept across my face, as I chuckled mentally. A pun on words, oh how she would regret accepting that offer - hell, if I am feeling generous, she may live throughout the night. But that's to bad, I am not feeling generous - just incredibly and impossibly thirsty. Now all I had to do was wait, maybe someone interesting would come into my presence, and worship the ground I stood on - maybe then, I would allow them to be my company.

Another long day resulted in another night spent at the Grill. A long day wasn't necessary, but it sure increased the odds. And there he was, having a drink at the Grill's bar, all by himself. Sure, he could have had any girl there, with or without compelling them, but he just didn't feel like it. His problems with Elena, Stefan and the Originals seemed to be finally getting to him.

As he glanced around, wondering where the waitress was - after all, his glass wasn't going to fill itself - he caught a glimpse of a very familiar face, one of those who had led him to spending the night at the Grill without having any blood or girls. Kol.

That was his chance to speak his mind. Getting up from the bar, Damon made his way to the Original.

"Kol, right?" He asked as he sat in front of him, not caring that he hadn't been invited.

Ah, someone was coming to my side - finally, some company. As I turned to see who was going to be my company, I wrinkled my nose at the mere sight of him - but I wasn't going to be completely mean, maybe... just a bit. I smiled to myself and stared forward and taking sips of my bourbon every once in a while, not directly giving him any acknowledgement.

"Yes, Kol. Now what do I owe the pleasure of the great Damon Salvatore. Come to discuss your flings with that slut Katerina, or are you here to babble about how you yearn for the new doppleganger.... Elena, is it?"

I couldn't help but put emphasis on great, because I knew it would irritate the piss out of him. As I swung the glass around, I watched my bourbon make waves - as I ushered for the pretty bartender to come back over.

"Bring this gentlemen some drinks, thank you very much, dear."

Maybe Damon had had one too many drinks, but the fact was that he wasn't going to back down. He knew it was a bad idea to share unfriendly drinks with an Original vampire, but he didn't really care. The feeling that he could speak his mind was somewhat liberating. It was exactly what he needed. Besides, it looked like he was going to get some free drinks.

"Actually the great Damon Salvatore wanted to ask what such fine gentleman like you is doing in such a simple place like the Grill. Got ditched by your family? Again? I hear that they have a habit of doing that. Weren't you daggered by your own brother?"

"Yes" A part of Damon's mind, the one that hadn't been affected by the many drinks he had had, concluded. "You've definitely had too many drinks."

I thought at first I wasn't going to have to be aggressive tonight, but the Salvatore's must have an unnatural urge to get beaten. Everyone in here was compelled more or less, so it didn't matter what I did - I could kill him if I wanted to, stake him with his own tibia. I simply shook off his comment, before placing my drink down elegantly - and grabbing him by the throat. As I spoke to him, I let my own bestial snarl out - I wasn't going to let his comment go.

"Do you Salvatore brothers just have the urge to be beaten mercilessly? And to have you know, my family didn't ditch me - I simply just wanted a drink. Ah, you comment about my brother - you act like you and Stefan are so great... But you can't even help yourself from fighting over a little girl. So question, how many bites does it take to sever a head?"

I was furious, and if I didn't have any control - he would already be dead.

It seemed like a normal night at the Grill had turned into something much more dangerous. But Damon didn't really care. He didn't want a normal night, he wanted to say what he had always want to say to Kol. If Rebekah, Klaus, Finn and Elijah walked in, he would want to do the same to them all. His risk assessment was quite impaired, much more than what was safe.

"Touchy subject? I imagine that with so many family issues it sure must be. What I really can't understand is: Do you just want to be bossed around? Klaus daggered you all and you still stick around. He betrayed Elijah! In the end, I guess you have to stick. It's not like anyone would actually want to be with you, and who wants to spend eternity alone?"

Damon had decided to ignore Kol's comment on his relationship with Stefan and them fighting over Elena. He didn't need to explain himself to him.

My eyes glared red, my veins protruding as he insulted me further. I was done playing nice - my composure was gone, I was simply pissed now. Betrayal of the family was nothing, it didn't mean anything, and truly - the only one that betrayed the family was Fin. Any vampire that wanted to commit suicide and hated themselves was a disgrace, and that was Damon - he was asking for death. In a quick motion, I snapped the leg of a bar stool and with it in hand, I ran towards the wall - smashing Damon into it. My snarl was more terrifying now, I could feel what little bit of humanity I had, slipping away.

"Bossed around? Damon, we all act on our own free will - not by Klaus'. The bond of family is strong, even you know that, or should - Salvatore. I am actually great company, I just despise the likes of you, so I would rather be alone - than with you."

With my last word, I drove the broken chair leg into Damon's gut. As it penetrated the skin and organs, I twisted it menacingly - to show him that he needs better word choice.

As Damon was shoved into a wall, he started to get a little worried. Maybe he had overdone it. Sure, he hadn't been looking for a normal night at the Grill, but he also hadn't wanted a fight, especially one he knew he couldn't win. However, what was done was done and he wasn't about to back away.

Bonds of family... He used to know a lot about it, at least the bond between brothers. But after being turned into a vampire, things had gotten a lot more complicated, and he wasn't sure if he still believed in such things.

He hadn't seen that Kol had a stake, or rather, an improvised stake, until he felt it being shoved into him, and then twisted. Letting out a groan of pain, Damon decided to stay still and wait for the best moment for him to try and get it out of him. Any little movement would be very painful.

"Free will, really? So you don't hear Klaus above everyone else? You don't support Klaus in everything he does? You haven't forgiven him for daggering you and leaving you locked in a coffin for a hundred years? The bond of family is pathetic excuse for all that, Kol, and you know it."

Every single world that came out of his mouth disgusted me, the words were all... filthy. Honestly I don't know why I come to these places and deal with the trials and tribulations of simple vermin like the Salvatores. I pulled the stake out and simply threw it into the ground, as I threw Damon across the room, him sliding on his back. Making accusations against one person, I could understand - but targeting an entire family? Damon had to either be really stupid, or really wanted to die - I would be glad to grant him that wish, I haven't had a decent fight in a while.

"And there you go again with your petty talk. If your goal is to pit me against my brother, then you are going to be gravely mistaken. We all have free will, and of course I don't bow down to Klaus. I listen to my beautiful sister above everyone else, you know... the one that you can't quit screwing around with? I swear, if you touch her again - that pretty tibia of yours? Straight through your damn, filthy heart."

As he came to a halt, I sped over to him and got to where I could see his face. With one, bone-shattering blow - I slugged him and smiled, as I went back to the bar.

"Mystic Falls is like a coffin Damon, so you have been in one longer than I have. And that punch, that makes us even - from our party at our mansion. I could have ripped you apart because of that, but - eh, you are simply not worth my time."

I snickered, with a smile plastered on my face - as I went back to sipping my bourbon at the bar.

Out of all things Damon had thought could happen, a punch was the one he least expected, though it was probably the best of all outcomes. It caused no damage that he couldn't quickly heal from.

He wasn't angry at Kol because of that. He was angry at him because he had brought Rebekah into the conversation. She had been one big mistake, one that seemed to haunt him even after days. He'd been upset and drinking, and Rebekah had been there, just for the purpose he wanted her to. It wasn't like he had done it against her will, and it wasn't like he didn't wish that night had never happened. He sure had been punished for it.

"Pit you against your brother? With the way you worship him I would would never bother trying. I know better than to waste my time with things like that. And Rebekah was a mistake. A big mistake, but nothing more than that. Don't worry about it, it seems like she knows how to punish someone for misbehaving." Damon said, getting up from the floor where he had fallen. "And we're not even."

I continued sipping my bourbon as I listened to Damon's speech, lackadaisically. That was a new claim, no one had ever said I worshiped Niklaus - but it was interesting to hear it. Even if he did jab at my sister with that comment, I was done with my violence for the night - on worthless people, at least. Honestly, I didn't see what was attractive to Rebekah, about that Salvatore - he was appalling, he didn't even come close to being anywhere near as good looking as myself. With a laugh and a bit of a menacing grin, I took another sip of bourbon before giving Damon anymore time.

"If you believe that I worship Niklaus, keep thinking that - doesn't mean it is true. As for my sister, you were the mistake - not her, she is far to good for the likes of you. Hell, that brother of yours has my grace to be with Rebekah, but certainly not you."

I hadn't deliberately ignored the not even comment, I was just letting it boil. Damon Salvatore, if he wanted a fight - I could give him one, and he would surely die. With the white oak gone, myself along side my family, are invincible - so there is no hope for them.

"Stab me with a stake then Damon, but it won't end well for you. If you have balls you will, until then - we are even."

One single thought ran through Damon's mind after he was done listening to Kol: That sorry excuse for an Original thinks Stefan is better suited for a girl than I am?

He was absolutely outraged. Comments about his fights with Stefan didn't bother him, and most of the comments Kol had done up until then hadn't really ticked him off. But that one, that one was worthy of a fight. He didn't know why he was so angry. Maybe it was because girls for whom he cared had the habit of picking Stefan over him, or maybe he just wanted a fight, but the fact was that someone was getting out of there with quite a few bruises, if the person got out alive, and Damon didn't think that was going to be him. He was far too angry to realize that he was centuries younger than the vampire with whom he was picking a fight.

"My brother? My boring, brooding, brother?" Damon was using every little bit of self control he had not to start screaming. He didn't mind having a fight, but he refused to lose his composure before the fight started.

Right after saying those words, Damon dived for the stake that had been previously lodged inside himself.

Ah, my comment did the trick - I could see Damon's every being boiling at that comment. Seeing as I had been quite the prick, I figured I could let him sustain a few hits on me - before I decided whether to spare him or utterly obliterate him. It was true, Rebekah had been happy in the 20's, from the way she talked - with Stefan; that is the only reason I said what I did. But then again, Damon was more fun to have around, more exciting - a hell of a lot stupider too. As Salvatore the Boy Wonder dived for the stake, I leaned back against the bar - ready to lunge at any second, as I took a few swigs of bourbon.

"Yes, your boring - brooding, suicidal brother that can't seem to choose what he truly wants. Sometimes I think he hates you, but other times - he cares for you, god only knows why - you are a moron. But regardless of how your intelligence matches up with his - you are more fun, and won't back down from a fight - regardless of how perilous the odds are for you, Damon."

What a day! I couldn't help but smile, it was truly becoming a glorious day - drinking, feeding and a fight? The point, disregarding that this is like an adult beating up a baby, was that I was having fun for the first time in a long time, and my fun would not be interrupted.

Damon was quite surprised when he actually managed to get the stake. Glancing back at Kol, he understood why. He hadn't moved an inch, just leaned against the bar. If he was trying to intimidate Damon with his nonchalant attitude, it hadn't worked. He was going to have a fight against Kol.

The only dilemma in Damon's mind was whether he should go for the heart or not. Sure, it wouldn't kill the Original, but it would take him out of the fight for a while. But still, Damon was in the mood to fight, and if Kol was incapacitated even for a couple of minutes, he would be very disappointed. The best option, then, was to go for somewhere else.

"You're insane." A part of his mind told him, but Damon just ignored it. He was getting far too much satisfaction out of that to listen to the rational and not drink affected part of him. Far too much.

Without a second thought, Damon ran and tried to shove the stake just bellow Kol's heart.

Watching Damon was simply amusing, I tried to keep myself from laughing - but that didn't work. It was nearly like a game of cat and mouse, when he got the stake - he seemed overwhelmed with joy, but that must have been cut off shortly - because I hadn't even moved, well technically. My eyes grew wide with anticipation as I saw him charge me - oh this was going to be fun! The stake penetrated right under my heart, and it stung, but only slightly. Hell, I was surprised it even avoided any major organs - all I needed right now was to heal a kidney, and actually get drunk. I took one last swig of bourbon, before I decided to take any action.

"Watch yourself Damon, and be careful - you could put an eye out. And what medical precision! Not even a vital organ or anything major was damaged, I am quite impressed Damon. But here is the one thing, stakes are so.... boring. Why not have some real fun?"

I pulled the stake out and broke it in half, throwing the two halves to the floor. Now was for the fun part, I was ready - and I wasn't going to play nice, either. I dusted my suit off, from whatever particles he had gotten on me, and stood erect. With both hands, I gripped the Salvatore's shoulders, and swung him up in the air, before brutally slamming him onto the bar. Hell, it wasn't my problem - but I could easily pay for any damage I caused, and he was about to be savagely beaten, or killed - I hadn't decided yet.

As Damon was slammed into the bar, he could almost hear his rational side telling him 'told you so'. It was quite annoying, really. He needed his rational side to tell him what to do so that he didn't get killed, not what he shouldn't have done. It wasn't like he could go back in time and keep himself from staking Kol.

All he could do as he watched himself fall to the ground with a sickening thump was to wonder if his life was going to be spared, or if he would even want his life to be spared. He knew that there were somethings that weren't worth living through, and he was almost sure that Kol would know exactly how to make him suffer that much.

"Precision didn't do me much, did it?" He groaned as he tried to get up, wincing as he felt a few cracked ribs moving beneath his skin.

A marvelous response, I couldn't have been happier by what I saw. Damon was in so much pain that it gave me a sickly pleasure as I looked at him, as he lay there broken. Being an asshole wasn't exactly my style, okay so maybe it was - but I could reform from it and be nice.... Oh who the hell am I kidding?!? It is simply too fun to quit being evil, I enjoy inflicting pain on those that surround me, it brings me the ultimate sense of euphoria. As the broken boy pulled himself up, I braced him with my arm behind him - leading him back to the bar, the non-destroyed area. I figured the pain was enough for him, if he tried anything else, however - I could always see if I was as capable as Elijah, at decapitation.

"No it didn't, Damon. But I will cease the fighting - just drink with me, there is no sense in you being irrational any longer. I love to inflict pain on people, don't get me wrong - but it comes to a certain point where you grow tired of it, because someone that someone that doesn't know when to quit being daft, and accept defeat. That is simply frustrating Damon, but come - let us drink."

I got the bartender's attention, her ignoring the devastation we caused. She began to pour bourbon and whiskey for us, but I simply snatched both the bottles from her hand, and turned to Damon.

"Whiskey or bourbon, my friend?"

Damon's ribs shifted place with every step he gave, but he wasn't going to back down just yet, though having a drink and giving his ribs some time to heal sounded like a good idea. He knew that continuing the fight was just plain stupid, but he couldn't accept defeat. He already failed to fight one Original, Klaus, and he wouldn't just let Kol win as well.

Sitting down to give his ribs a rest, Damon wondered what was wrong with him. He'd just got beaten up by an Original but he still wanted to fight. Perhaps his suicidal tendencies that had manifested themselves earlier that week were still there, just waiting to strike once again.

"Bourbon." He replied, making a big effort to keep the pain out of his voice.

At Damon's request I literally threw the bourbon into him, making sure he still felt some pain. I couldn't help but smile, I was trying to be kind - but that was a rare word in my vocabulary, so the meaning was a bit... hazy. No one really deserved kindness, outside of my family - unless I fell in love, but that seemed nearly impossible. Each syllable that Damon got out was full of pain, and it made me laugh, mentally. One little attack and he was beaten up something horrendous, how could he have ever hoped to do anything more than a flick or a sting like a bee?

"So Damon, do tell - Why do you constantly try to kill yourself? Maybe it isn't direct as it seems to me, but it almost seems as if you want to die - that you attack my family just because you are sick of your life. So what is it? Elena to much for you to handle, that Petrova slut getting under your skin? Help me help you Damon, anything helps - or do you want another fight? I am up for another."

A wicked smile crept upon my face, as I turned the bottle of whiskey up - taking a large gulp. Interesting, over the years the taste didn't change, but this had a hint of... cherry flavoring? It wasn't the best, but I really didn't care - booze was booze, and it was all the same to me.

Waiting wasn't an option anymore. Damon didn't care that his ribs would probably break his skin if he forced them any longer, or that he was probably going to get his head ripped off. He was just plain angry. Nothing really mattered as long as he could inflict as much damage on Kol as possible.

A feral growl escaped his throat and he suddenly got up, almost doubling over as he felt one of his ribs break his skin and yet another pierce an organ. He'd make it through the fight, he was sure of that, though he didn't know why.

"I don't want to get myself killed." Damon snarled, narrowing his eyes. "I attacked your family because they deserve to be attacked. If I had wanted a fight, I'd just have punched you. And I'm not sick of my life, I'm just sick of you popping up in it."

And with that, Damon took a swing at Kol.

Were my ears deceiving me, because it sounded like he wanted to die - no matter how much he denied it. Some people really just pissed me off, and their sheer willpower was irritating, if you want to die admit - but if not, just freaking back down. Oh well, if it was a fight Damon wanted, I couldn't decline - I was an absolute bastard - but I was nice enough to grant at least one wish. Another blow towards my family, that was the last straw - it would be a miracle if he survived this bout. I shook my head at the mere mention of me popping up everywhere, I was everywhere - but that was my choice, Damon couldn't control that.

"Just like you deserve to die, but I still let you roam around - alive. You don't know exactly how generous my family is for you, Salvatore. But so be it, you may not walk away from here alive."

I caught his feeble attempt as a punch, as I forced him to his knees. Crushing his fist was possibly the most satisfying noise, of the day at least. As he was down, I gave him a quick kick to the ribs - to eliminate their healing process, for the mean time.

Damon grunted as he was forced to his knees and felt his fist being crushed in the meantime. He had failed to even as much as punch Kol, and then he was brought to his knees. That was just pathetic, not even Damon could deny it.

But the worst only came when Kol kicked him in the ribs, shattering them even more and forcing them into his body, making them get lodged in his organs. Not being able to control himself, he screamed in pain, doubling over and only torturing himself further. Any little movement hurt.

There had to be something he could do, anything, to at least scratch Kol. Even a small drop of blood would be enough to satisfy him. By that time he was already sure that he was going to die, and he wanted to go down fighting, not being overpowered ridiculously easily and being slowly tortured to death.

Knowing that it would probably one result in more pain, but not wanting to give up so easily, Damon went for Kol's arm with his free hand.

That scream made me rather disgusted with my behavior, but he begged for this - and I am merely a 'people pleaser.' As he lay there, hunched over - I simply watched as a bystander. This wasn't even fun anymore, Damon couldn't even last a second without spiraling into a pain tantrum, and that was irritating. If anything the only fair fight would be a spar with my brothers, because at least they can hold their own, even that pathetic twat Fin.

"Oh come on, I didn't even hit you that hard Damon! Show some manliness and quit screaming out in pain, I know it hurts - but really? When you sound like you are dying it just ruins my fun, I want this to be drawn out - if you are going to die."

As Damon grabbed my arm with his freehand, I simply stared at it. Was this some feeble attempt to do some damage against me, or was it a begging for mercy? Either way, I didn't care - I was simply going to wait for him to explain himself, or hell - let him get in a few blows, while I held back my rage.

Damon was pleasantly surprised when his other hand, the one with which he had reached out for Kol's arm, wasn't crushed. He knew Kol was giving him a chance, but he didn't care. At that point, he'd settle for anything. He knew that it was pathetic and that if he lived to see another day he'd be very embarrassed, but what was done was done, and he really needed to inflict some kind of damage.

Using as much strength as he could, he squeezed Kol's arm, hoping that he would manage to break it and perhaps manage to release his broken fist. At least that way it would be less pathetic.

He had a thousand things he wanted to say to the Original, but he wasn't going to waste his time and energy speaking to him. He wasn't worth it.

Damon's feeble attempts to hurt me were interesting, but he applied enough pressure to bust some blood vessels. As this happened, I felt my arm tear a bit, blood dripping out of it slowly, as my humerus broke, somewhat. My left arm was sort of useless, for at least thirty seconds, as it needed to heal. I figured Damon at least wanted the satisfaction of knowing he could make me bleed, but that wasn't that big of a goal - silly Damon. After I let him have his fun, I grabbed his hand that had the daylight ring on it, more specifically the left hand. With one quick snap, I broke the finger that his ring was on - only after sliding the ring off and placing it in my suit pocket, on the inside of my blazer.

"Now Damon, when you calm down - you can have this back. But until you calm down, I believe I will add it to my collection of dreams and lives I have crushed, but I am willing to return it. Much like getting out of prison on good behavior Salvatore, so prove your worth - and be good."

I snarled as I sat back down and began drinking the whiskey again. Geez, something about Damon just frustrated me, enough to drink freaking whiskey, which I never did. Hogging my bourbon and forcing me to drink alcoholic goat's piss, that was something I really enjoyed.