Tony Stark: I build the future with my own hands and turn theories into technology before most people can even spell them. But every so often, I see an equation that makes even my brain slow down for a second
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(Stefan POV)
I knew he was here before I even saw him. Some things don't change.
The front door creaked open, and there he was, with the same smirk and arrogance, like he owned the place. He's not welcome, not after Gail.
"Hello, brother," Damon said, strolling in without a care. "Still living the small-town dream, I see."
I crossed my arms. "What are you doing here, Damon?"
He sighed like I was already testing his patience. "Not even a 'how have you been?' No hug? Stefan, I'm hurt."
"You don't just show up without a reason."
"Maybe I missed home," he said, looking around. "And you, of course. Can't forget my favorite sibling."
I didn't react. He was waiting for it, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "If you're here to start something"
"Relax." He clapped a hand on my shoulder just long enough to make a point. "I just wanted to check in. See if you were still... you know, doing the whole self-control thing."
(Damon POV)
Stefan looked the same, too serious, if you asked me. He also looked like he was always one wrong step away from a breakdown. Some things really don't change.
"You keeping up with the whole 'I'm a good vampire' routine?" I asked.
"Not a routine," he said flatly.
"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night." I walked past him, taking in the place where we grew up. "Nice place. Thought you would spruce it up, but fitting."
"Damon." His voice had that sharp, warning tone. "Why are you really here?"
I sighed. "Fine. Maybe I got tired of the road. Maybe I missed the old town. Maybe," I glanced at him. "I heard you met someone."
His expression barely changed, but I knew I hit a nerve.
"Leave her out of this."
"Touchy," I smirked. "Let me guess, she looks like her. Who am I kidding? I've seen her around town."
Stefan clenched his jaw. Bingo.
"Well," I said, clapping my hands, "this is going to be fun."
Stefan
I hated how easily he got under my skin. It took him seconds. He knew exactly what buttons to push and pressed them without hesitation.
"You're not staying here," I said.
Damon grinned. "Oh, come on. I just got here."
"I'm serious."
He held up his hands. "Fine, fine. But you know how it is, Stefan, wherever I go, trouble follows."
"Yeah," I said, looking him in the eye. "I know."
Stefan had that look on his face, the one that said he already regretted letting me through the door. Too bad. I had bigger problems.
I poured myself a drink. "So, a funny thing happened a couple tonight."
Stefan sighed. "Damon"
I cut him off. "Some guy jumped into my business. And by 'jumped,' I mean moved faster than anyone I've ever met."
That got his attention. He frowned, arms crossing like that was gonna stop the inevitable. "Faster than any vampire, you mean?"
I took a slow sip, letting the suspense build. "Yes, and that includes Lexi."
Now, that got a reaction. A flicker of something behind his eyes. Surprise? Concern? Good. At least he was taking this seriously.
"And here's the kicker," I continued. "Not only did he move fast, but he smelled human." I leaned in, watching the confusion settle on his face. "Human, Stefan. Yet he snapped my neck like it was nothing."
Stefan's jaw tightened, yet he had that smug look in his eyes. "A human killed you? How the tables have turned, brother."
"Technically, he incapacitated me," I corrected. "Details, brother." I waved it off. "But yeah, one second I'm about to remind some unlucky girl why she should've stayed home, and the next? Boom. Lights out. And when I wake up, he's gone, and she's god knows where running scared, probably knowing exactly what I look like."
Stefan's shoulders stiffened. "This is bad."
"Wow, you think?" I leaned against the counter. "See, if it's a problem for me, it's a problem for you. Which means we need to figure out what the hell he is who he is and fast and to either silence or, in your case, compel that girl."
Stefan POV
I ran a hand through my hair, already feeling the headache forming. "Why now?" I muttered. "Of all times, why would you do something this stupid?"
Damon raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"You come back to Mystic Falls after God knows how long, and you're already making enemies within hours? You didn't think, maybe, just maybe, to not cause a scene for once?"
Damon took another sip of his drink, completely unfazed. "Nice speech. Feel better?"
I exhaled sharply. There was no point in yelling at him. What's done is done. "Alright," I said, forcing myself to focus. "Let's start with the basics. Name, age, any defining features both for him and the girl."
Damon smirked. "See, this is why I came to you. That diligent, problem solving mind of yours."
"Damon."
"Fine." He set his glass down and leaned back against the counter. "I didn't catch his name, but busy was temporarily dead and all that. He also wasn't exactly in a talking mood. But tall, lean, decently built, with dark hair a cocky attitude. Oh, and he had what looked like a burn mark on the left side of his face. And those eyes," Damon paused, his usual sarcasm fading for just a second. "They weren't normal. There was something off about them."
That didn't sit right with me. "Off how?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. Like he wasn't just looking at me, but through me. And not in the usual 'I'm about to kill you' way. More like… What are you, like he already knew what was going to do yet curious."
I frowned. That definitely didn't sit right with me. "And the girl?"
Damon shrugged. "Brunette, defining facial features, hot, late teens senior perhaps, probably going college later this year if not the next. I did stalk her from the party that was going on around the woods. She was high off something, typical druggie?
I nodded grimly. If she is who I think it was, along with if she really had a clue about what he was or just went to the authorities in general, then we had a problem. A big one.
(Katherine POV)
Mystic Falls. The town never changed. The people did, but the games? The games were always the same. And I was always watching.
I leaned back against the plush velvet of my chair, swirling the wine in my glass as one of my boy toys finished their report. Damon had been taken out, if only briefly, by someone interesting. A human, of all things.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. A human moving fast enough to outmaneuver a vampire, strong enough to snap a neck, and bold enough to leave Damon Salvatore lying in the dirt like a discarded toy, not like the person knew of him.
"You're sure about this?" I asked, tilting my head.
The man in front of me, a local nobody who thought working for me would earn him my favor, nodded quickly. "Saw it myself. It happened fast, too fast, but it wasn't vamp speed. Trust me, and I've seen you move. And he.... he was something else."
Something else. Now that was intriguing.
"Damon must have been humiliated," I mused, smiling. "And Stefan?"
"Hasn't made a move yet, but if I had to guess, he'd be looking into it. Damon's already run to him for help."
Of course, he has. Damon liked to play the lone wolf, but the moment something rattled him, he went straight to his dear little brother. Predictable.
But this? A human capable of taking on a vampire and living to tell the tale? That wasn't predictable. That was a problem or an opportunity.
I set my glass down and stood, my mind already spinning with possibilities. Whoever this person was, they weren't just strong; they were dangerous. Dangerous things had a way of disrupting things, and I hated disruptions or the ones I didn't control.
So, the question was…
How did humans manage to gain extraordinary abilities? And, more importantly, how could I use it to my advantage?
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Power Stones!!!!!
Took a break so I would be able to churn out many chapters