𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋
your mind is a weapon, keep it loaded

DAMON stood behind Echo who was throwing darts.

Elena was on the phone leaving an angry message for Jeremy, "Jeremy, the minute that you get this, call me," she demanded hanging up.

"You're feisty when you're mad," Damon commented while Echo's dart landed directly in the middle.

Elena sighed, feeling stressed. "It's not that I'm mad. I'm just... I'm worried."

"Why? I think he'll survive, Elena," Damon told her.

"He'll be okay 'Lena," Echo said as she threw another dart, smirking as it hit the target. "He lost his job not something that wouldn't happen eventually."

"He's spiraling," Elena argued with her, "Ever since Bonnie broke up with him, he's moody. He's not really talking to anyone."

Speaking up as she threw another dart, Echo said, "Just a typical teenager. We're moody, full of angst, and love sarcasm."

"Who's seeing ghosts and who's lost everyone that he cares about," Elena added while Damon also threw a dart.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Not everyone. He still has you two."

"Are you okay?" Echo asked as she turned to him. "You know... since Mikael literally stabbed me in the back?"

"I'm fine," he said, taking a swig of bourbon. "What makes you think I'm not?"

Echo clicked her tongue. "Well, you're a day drunk. It's not exactly your most attractive look," she said earning looks from both her sister and Damon who moved closer to the Gilbert girl.

Teasingly, with s smirk on his face, Damon asked, "What is my most attractive look, then?"

Echo tilted her head and smirked up at the raven haired vampire. "I think sleepy Damon is the hottest. You know, when your hair is messy, and you have a lazy smile on your face, and-" she stopped herself as she saw Elena's amused face, and Damon's shocked face. "Um," she cleared her throat and looked away, blushing.

"Don't mind me," a voice said making all three turn around facing him. Klaus was there with a man, the same man that the twins saw on their jog earlier.

Damon stood in front of Echo and Elena slightly, not wanting him near them, especially Echo. "You going to do this in the grill, in front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?"

Klaus looked directly at Damon, replying, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate. Get a round, then, would you, Tony?"

The hybrid looked at Elena smiling, making her suck in a breath.

"I'm surprised you stuck around town. Long enough for happy hour," Damon retorted.

"My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out," Klaus said making Elena and Damon tense, and for Echo to frown. They hadn't told her that they had the blonde barbie daggered.

Sarcastically, Damon asked, "Cute, blonde bombshell, psycho? Shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Truth is, I've grown to rather like your little town," he replied making Echo tense as he looked over Damon's shoulder at her. "How are you since the run in with my father's dagger?"

Echo pursed her lips and was about to say something when Damon grabbed her hand, and said, "she's just fine."

"And why do you want to stay here?" Echo asked, giving Damon a look. "It's pretty boring."

"Thinking I might fancy a home here." Looking directly at Echo, he told her, "Theres so much... history here." He then added, "I imagine you're wondering how does this affect you. And the answer is, not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want, and everyone behaves themselves, you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word."

"What do you want?"

Klaus looked directly at Damon. "Well, for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan?"

"Stefan skipped town the second he saved your ass," Damon explained bitterly.

"Well, you see, that is a shame. Your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine," Klaus said, his accent thick.

"That sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem," Elena retorted, grabbing Echo's other hand, a hard look on her face.

Klaus got closer to the twins, but Damon put himself in front of them. Klaus looked at him and smiled at the sight of him standing in front of both girls.

"Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart," he said to Elena and Echo with a smirk on his face.

THE twins and Alaric were in the kitchen preparing their dinner. Elena said how it would be a good idea to talk to Jeremy about how he's been doing lately while Damon was busy with his brother.

"So, you're ready?" Alaric asked the girls.

Moving around setting things up Elena replied, "Vampires, hybrids and originals. No problem. My rebellious brother. I'm worried."

Echo nodded and said, "So am I."

Alaric looked at them and said, "Proof that you're still human."

Just then, the front door opened, and Jeremy entered heading straight for the fridge.

"Just in time! We're cooking," Echo said, smiling at him. She wanted to spend some time with him.

Regretfully, he said, "Sorry, just passing through."

"Ah, well I thought we would all stay in, have a meal together like a typical, atypical family," Elena explained to her baby brother.

Confused, he asked her, "Why?"

"Maybe because you got fired and you didn't tell anyone," Elena stated, staring him in the eyes.

In a rush, he replied, "Ahh- look, can we do this later? I made plans with Tyler. He's right outside."

The twins shared looked with Alaric, surprised, and Elena asked him, "Oh wait! When did you start hanging out with Tyler Lockwood?"

"Wait, as in sired-to-Klaus-Tyler?" Echo rhetorically asked.

"I don't know... Does it matter?" Jeremy asked, confused.

"Yeah, Jeremy! It matters. He was sired by Klaus. He's dangerous!" Elena snapped, her eyes full of concern.

"He can still hear you," Jeremy stated defensively. "He is right outside. Besides you of all people are gonna lecture me on who I can and can't hang out with?"

Not liking her brothers tone, Echo steppes forward. "Wait it, Jer! We're not your friends and we're no lesser than. We're your fucking sisters, and all we want to do is look out for you."

"Yeah, whatever, this is lame. Tyler is waiting," Jeremy replied , not caring as he tried to leave.

Before he could go anywhere, Elena blocked his path. "Oh, no no! You're not going anywhere, especially not with Tyler."

Jeremy looked at Alaric for help who said, "I'm with her on this, Jer. Sorry."

Jeremy huffed. "All right, fine. You want me to stay in? Let's all stay in then." Looking directly at his older sister he called out, "Yo, Tyler! Come on in!!"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "Jeremy...!"

Tyler, having heard him, opened the door, and walked inside to only see the entire Gilbert family staring at him.

JEREMY handed Tyler his drink as he sat at the table. In front of him, was Echo while her sister stood behind her, and Alaric was still in the kitchen watching.

Awkwardly, Tyler replied, "Thanks."

"This is weird." Elena began shifting uncomfortably adding, "Klaus has hybrids stalking Echo and I, and now you're just sitting in our kitchen."

Tyler looked between them. "

"Look, maybe I should go."

"Oh, stay. You're not doing anything," the younger brother said as he put his food down.

Sarcastically, Echo suggested, "Unless you have to, you know, check in with your hybrid master." Even though she understood Klaus a little more, it didn't mean she trusted him.

Laughing a bit, Tyler said, "It's not like that Elena."

Sitting down, Alaric asked, "Tell me Tyler... What is the difference between being sired and being compelled?"

He sighed. "Compulsion-that's just mind control-like hypnosis. And being sired is... it's like faith. You do something because you believe it's the right thing."

Echo raised an eyebrow. "So, you believe that serving Klaus is the right thing?"

Shaking his head, he corrected, "I don't serve him. Klaus released me from a curse that was ruining my life. I owe him for that."

"What if he asked you to jump off a bridge?"

Sure of himself, Tyler replied, "He wouldn't! And even if he did I'd be fine. I'm a hybrid."

"Okay, so what if he asked you to rip your own heart out?" Elena questioned, curious.

Annoyed with her , Tyler repeated himself, "Again, he wouldn't."

"What if he did?"

"I don't know! Then I'd rip out my heart!" He yelled slightly, and they all froze in shock. He then added, "You guys sound like Caroline, getting all freaked out over something you don't understand."

Echo scoffed. "You're right Tyler, we don't understand. Klaus has terrorized every single one of us and you're just blindly loyal to him."

"You're over-thinking it. I can still make my own decisions," Tyler tried to explain.

Everyone looked to each other all feeling a mixed sense of emotions.

After a few moments of just sitting in silence, Jeremy ended his phone call which had gotten somewhere in between the argument.

"What was that about?" Echo asked, curiously.

Dismissively, he replied, "It was nothing."

Tyler cleared his throat and said, "I got to go. Umm, thanks for the food offer, but..."

"Next time," Alaric replied.

Swiftly, Tyler got up leaving the house, shutting the door behind him

As soon as they got up, the twins and Alaric got up going into the kitchen and said, "That was illuminating."

"So, Tyler Lockwood is a lunatic who has access to our house," Elena stated, sighing.

Echo crossed her arms. "I will admit this whole sire bond thing is... wild. I don't even think Tyler is fully aware of what little reason lies behind what he's saying. It's this weird cult logic."

Sighing, Elena sarcastically said, turning to see their brother, "Well, great, that's a wonderful influence for you Jer..."

As they turned, they saw he was gone.

Echo grew worried. "Jeremy?!"

The three of them walked towards the table, seeing his protection ring lying on the middle of his plate on the table.

"Where did he go?" Alaric asked them.

The twins shrugged as they walked outside, and as she looked out, Echo saw her brother in the middle of the street, standing still.

Suddenly, a car came whipping around the corner and straight towards Jeremy.

Instantly the three of them ran towards him. "Jeremy!!"

Echo and Alaric picked up their speed, and Echo happened to beat Alaric to him by a split second, which made the other man shove both of them to the side.

It was the last second, so it resulted in him getting hit by the car instead. Elena screamed and ran towards Alaric's body, turning him over. While she did that, Echo rolled off of Jeremy, and looked him over for any scrapes or bruises.

The car came to a stop by Elena, and the guy in the driver's side, said, "There I go again. Bumping into people." He then drove off as Echo angrily stood up, clenching her jaw.

Jeremy and Echo approached Elena who said, "He's gonna be alright." She showed them the ring on his finger.

"I don't understand," Jeremy told his sisters, visibly upset.

"Who was that on the phone earlier?" Echo asked him as they still sat in the street.

The Gilbert boy thought for a moment, unsure what to say. Thinking back he finally answered, "It was Klaus!"

The twins shared knowing looks when Elena told him, "You were compelled, Jeremy! We've gotta get him inside - help me!!"

The three lifted Alaric up. taking him inside.

A now dead Alaric was lying on the sofa as the twins sat in front of him, waiting for him to wake up.

Suddenly the door opened and Damon entered the house. "How is he?" He immediately asked, walking over to Echo. "Are you okay?" He grabbed her face, checking for anything wrong.

She shook her head and said, "Klaus' hybrid did this."

As soon as he got close enough, Damon looked at the younger brother, asking him, "Jeremy, why aren't you wearing vervain? Where is your bracelet?"

Looking at his wrist in confusion, he answered, "I don't know."

Echo clenched her jaw. "It was Tyler." Everyone looked to her as she added, "It had to have been. That's why he was hanging out with you. To get you off the vervain..."

"Klaus is trying to send us a message," Damon tried to explain to them, "He wants us to find Stefan who stole his coffins full of his dead family members."

Elena asked, "Coffins?"

Nodding he told them, "Yep! So all we have to do is find four coffins and voilà! No one else on your family's Christmas list needs to die!"

Sitting up, pissed off with their situation, Jermey snapped, "Wait - that's your big plan? To steal back four dead originals so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah! Let's get the hell outta here!" Jeremy shouted. "Pack our bags and go!"

"Running away is never the option, Jer," Echo told him. "Calm down."

"No!" He shouted at her which made Damon move protectively closer to her. "I'm not gonna calm down! This happens every time, no matter what we do! Get on my case about school and work...Who cares? None of us are gonna make it out of this town alive!" He angrily grabbed his jacket and stormed off.

Echo sighed and ran over him. She found him in her room, rustling around in her floor board that hid some of her weapons in it. "Well, I see that I have to find a better hiding place than that," she retorted with a small smile. "You want to go kick some hybrid ass?" She asked her brother who grinned at her, holding up one of her crossbows.

"Hell yeah!"

TYLER Lockwood sat on a stump in the middle of the woods, drinking. Coming up from behind him, Jeremy aimed his crossbow at him. "Don't do it, Jeremy," the hybrid warned.

"Why not? You stabbed my back, I stab yours," Jeremy wondered.

Tyler slammed down his drinking, and jumped off the log. "I didn't stab you in the back!"

Moving closer with the vervain, Jeremy asked, "Is that why you wanted to hang out? To get me off the vervain?"

"Klaus asked me to. I never thought he would try to kill you," Tyler tried to explain.

"It's Klaus, Tyler!" Jeremy shouted, lowering the weapon for a moment. "What did you think was gonna happen?"

Trying to make everything better, Tyler said, "He doesn't care about you. All he wants is to get his family back!"

Instantly Jeremy shot his arrow, but Tyler was quick and caught it. "What the hell!" He snapped.

"Whenever Klaus wants something, someone ends up dead! You think about that next time before you blindly do whatever he says," Jeremy snapped at him.

The younger brother turned around to leave when Tyler shouted, "Jer! You should get home. Stay inside. Klaus isn't gonna stop until he gets all those coffins back. He is not done with you."

Out of nowhere, Tyler felt an intense pain in his gut, thigh, and shoulder. He doubled over in pain when Echo came from her spot behind a tree, using her bow to hit him harshly in his face.

The hybrid raised his arm, trying to stop her, but before he could, Echo punched him in the face so hard that she felt his nose crack under the pressure. He fell to the ground and she began to punch and kick him repeatedly, only seeing red.

Shouting down at him, Echo spat, "You tell that son of bitch if he comes anywhere near my brother, he'll really see that killer in me come out!" She continued shouting, "Tell him I'm gonna rip out his small intestine out his mouth, and rip his large intestine out his butt, and use him as a skipping rope!"

"Um, okay, then," Jeremy said and ran towards his sister, and threw her over his shoulder, and literally carried her away from the whimpering hybrid, kicking and screaming weird threats at him.

JEREMY and Echo walked up to their house, seeing the same hybrid from earlier, on the porch.

Not knowing they were there, he said, "He's gonna die. Might want to invite me in, Elena."

The younger brother raised his bow, shot him in the back with an arrow, making him fall to the ground.

Elena rushed to the door seeing her siblings standing there. "Echo! Jeremy!"

"He's not dead yet," Echo said as they walked up to the door. Without another word, she entered the house, and passed by Elena.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked, watching her go.

Echo left her brother and sister at the door as she went into the kitchen? getting the meat cleaver, and bringing it to the porch with her.

"What are you doing?"

Without anything being said, Echo walked up to the hybrid, cutting off it's head, allowing the blood to spatter all across her face. "Now he's dead," she said, trying to wipe the blood from her face, only to smear it, instead.

Standing back up, she told them,"We've gotta get Alaric to the hospital now." Walking in, she dropped the knife as her sister stood there in shock.