6,000 B.C
Niklaus POV:
I have no idea how long I have been like this. How long since I last ate 'human' food? How long since I could walk under the sun without shining like a lone star in the night sky?
It's been centuries since my 'father' turned me into what I am now. When I first woke up, the first thing I remember was the agonising burn at the back of my throat, as if I had been walking through a desert all my life. I remember the human he threw in front of me, the blood seeping from a wound in her neck. I couldn't stop myself. I threw myself towards her before my mind could even react. He has turned me into a monster.
It's been centuries since then. There were more that he turned. My 'brothers'. Vile men who cannot even be considered human anymore. They drain the blood of anyone they come across. They pillage, murder and rape whoever and whenever they please. Since becoming whatever we are, they believe themselves to be gods, beings inherently superior to humans. They threw away their humanity for power, and it disgusts me.
No matter how disgusted I am by my so-called family, I can never seem to leave. It's like there's something that keeps pulling me towards them, keeps me submissive to our father, keeps me bound to him. I will break this bind even if it kills me.
5,790 B.C
Father keeps calling us 'vampires'. I have never heard of such a term before. Sometimes he baffles me. It's as if he comes from another time. He has taught us things that aren't even considered elsewhere, and tells us that they will help us build his kingdom. I believe he may be insane.
On a brighter note, I have discovered something that may help me break his hold on me. Father calls himself a 'progenitor' and says he is the beginning of our race. This connection between us began after he bit me and turned me into what I am now. I believe that, should I become strong enough, I will be able to break this hold. I will replace his 'blood' with mine, and become my own 'father', then I should regain my freedom. After all, it's impossible to order myself, so I have nothing to fear.
5,620 B.C
It's time to put my plan into action. I cannot watch that man who calls himself my father be allowed to roam free anymore. He is too dangerous and acts with reckless abandon. It may seem hypocritical of me, after all, I use humans as my food source too, but I always use people who deserve to die. It's strange. I remember nothing of my original family, not their voices, their faces, or even their names, and yet I still remember the values that they instilled into me as a boy. The humans call me a demon, yet I will do all I can to keep them safe from my family. I will do it in honour of my forgotten parents.
5,598 B.C
As I sit upon a cliff, overlooking the beauty of the valley before me, I hear a rustle in the bushes behind me. I don't even need to turn around to know who it is. My senses have long surpassed the need to turn around to know what's behind me.
"Bjorn, I thought I ordered you not to disturb me", I call out.
As the bush finally parts, my oaf of a brother finally walks out. He is large, in an inhuman way. He was like that even while human. He is at least a foot taller than me, perhaps more. He has dark brown hair reaching his lower back, tied into a single braid. His dark brown eyes and full beard give him a rather wild look. His strength is considerable, too; it's a shame that his arrogance and lack of intelligence significantly lower my evaluation of him.
He snorts, "Your arrogance will be the death of you one day, brother"
"You're the last person who can lecture me about arrogance", I retort
Bjorn is the only brother I can tolerate in our dysfunctional family of psychopaths. He may kill more than he needs to, but to this day, he has never forced himself on a woman, nor does he command the humans around like they are his lapdogs.
I look up at him, "What do you want, Bjorn? I'm busy"
He tilts his head, the look in his eyes suggesting that I have said something idiotic
"A fight, of course. What else is there to do in this boring world?"
Of course
"Why is it always fighting with you? There is so much to do in this world, and yet you decide to destroy it with your pointless battles with lesser beings"
He chuckles at that. "For someone who preaches about how humans are equal to us, you sure are quick to label them as lesser, brother"
"I believe that humans are equal to us morally, but we are without a doubt superior on the evolutionary scale", I explain to him. I don't consider myself to be a god among men, but I cannot deny that I am vastly superior to them in every aspect.
He lowers himself into his battle stance. "Regardless of your views, brother, I will fight you here. The others offer little except to extend my boredom"
I glance back at him and sigh. There doesn't seem to be any way I can leave this place peacefully today. I push myself to my feet and stand up straight, watching him.
"Very well, but when you inevitably lose, there will be no rematch for the foreseeable future"
He grins at that. "You'd better not hold back. If you don't use your gift this time, you might die here"
Ah, yes, the gifts. Another thing that came with our evolution. Father has turned multiple vampires outside our coven; however, they were banished because they were not 'gifted'.
The gifts allow us to truly become inhuman. Father tells us that they are manifested based on our desires or talents as humans. Bjorn's gift allows him to fully ignore pain, to continue battling despite any injury he may receive. He truly has an addiction when it comes to battle. I suppose I do as well; however, I am more interested in studying different fighting arts rather than simply fighting like a brute all the time. I suppose that's what puts me above my brothers. I learn while they boast, I study while they run around aimlessly.
I was lucky enough to gain 2 gifts, something my father seemed rather pleased with, though I am not sure why. He grows more unstable by the year.
My gifts consist of 'Speed' and something my father calls 'Copy'. Speed pushes my body to impossible limits, even by vampire standards. I can reach speeds up to 10 times faster than that of my brothers, making me seem like a blur, even to them. It is not without its drawbacks, however. It cannot be used for long periods; it is designed for short bursts of speed. Not so useful for travel, but incredibly powerful in combat.
'Copy' allows me to copy anything I see. It is only limited to physical movements, though. I cannot copy gifts, only martial arts. Combined with my speed, however, I can execute these moves faster and, therefore, better than my opponent. There is no worse feeling than losing to your own move set. Or so I'm told.
Father seemed particularly pleased when he saw my gifts. You'd think he gained them himself, by the look in his eye. Now that I think of it, I've seen him ignore wounds like they were nothing in the past. It was remarkably similar to how Bjorn fights. Even his move set showed traces of Kol, another of my brothers. My father truly is full of mysteries.
Bjorn grinned as he saw me stand up. The man is constantly itching for a good battle. He will be disappointed again.
He runs towards me, however finds himself upside down almost instantly
"Huh?"
After he began moving, I sped up to him and flipped him upside down.
My favourite fighting style is simply demoralising my opponents until they lose the will to fight. I take no joy in fighting weaklings. My brothers are the only ones who don't look terrified when they see me move.
My father doesn't get scared of me either, but given that he is stronger than I am, I suppose it makes sense. It's strange, he never seems to train, and yet he always keeps ahead of us. I have no idea how he does it.
Bjorn charges me again, but I instantly get behind him. A simple kick to the back, carried by my speed, sends him flying away into and through multiple trees.
I get behind him again before he touches the ground and send him kicking back in the direction he came from, before catching up to him again, grabbing him by the throat, and slamming him into the ground, creating a crater 10 meters around his body.
I dislocated his arms and legs before he could pick himself up. He may be able to avoid pain, but the damage still hinders his body. Without his arms and legs, he becomes powerless.
"I demand a rematch!" He shouts, as I wince from the volume. The downside of my enhanced sense is that volume can throw me off.
I have been training my senses, but it seems I still need more practice.
"I told you, no rematches. I have better things to do than humour a man-child like you."
"What could you possibly have to do besides playing with your little human pals?"
I narrow my eyes at him and leak a little of my killing intent. He instantly curls into himself slightly.
"They are not my 'pals'. I simply enjoy learning from them. Humans have short lives, and their rules and values change more frequently than ours do. I don't wish to be stuck in the same mindset for all eternity. I wish to grow and learn with the humans. To blend in and experience their cultures like a civilised person. It's much more productive than simply killing anything you find unfamiliar."
He grunts, "They should learn from us, not the other way around. Father has already taught us more than they could imagine. They should be grateful to be in our presence!"
"You're doing it again, Bjorn. We cannot be our own people if we follow every word that our father tells us. We must see and learn for ourselves, only then can we be our own unique people"
He closes his eyes, "I'm sorry. I really try to see things from your perspective, but I'm starting to think they're right. They see us as monsters. They call you 'The Demon' in the human settlements. If they are going to treat us so differently, then why should we bother trying to understand them if they can't return the same courtesy? We are the Original coven! We should reign over all, as we are the oldest beings in the world!"
"Age does not make you right, nor does it make you wise. Look at our brothers. They have hardly changed in 400 years. What will become of us in 1000? 2000? Will we still be the same brutes who care for nothing but strength?"
Bjorn sighs. "I just don't understand you, brother. Father gives us all we need; he allows us to do whatever we please. Why would we ever need to change when this method works so well?"
"Just give them a chance", I ask of him, "just watch them, see how they work, how they interact with one another. It's not perfect, nothing ever is, but I can't help but wonder how it would be to be one of them. How would it be to walk among them? I don't expect to be welcomed by them, but in 1000 years? Perhaps they will forget about my nature, perhaps I will find a place to belong in this chaotic world"
"You have a place to belong!" he snaps, "You belong with us. With our family. You wish to leave to play with beings who will be dead before you even notice?! All you will suffer is loss and pain. There is nothing for you on that path, Nik."
I sigh and look back into the valley.
Perhaps he is right. Humans really will die out far faster than I can count. Perhaps I should listen to him and give up on my wishes.
"Bjorn, one day I will leave this place. Our father and siblings are far too barbaric. For now, they are killing the humans, but how long until it is us? I have seen the way Damon and Kol look at us. Eventually, they will decide we are simply a stain on their name, and they will erase us. I will not wait around to die simply for some notion of family."
I pause, taking a breath. "Just remember my words. Take a look at the humans, see how they live. I'm sure you will understand my view, brother."
He looks at me, deadpanned, "Fine, I will give them a chance, brother. But I cannot promise anything"
"That is all I ask"
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[I understand that Niklaus is taking a long time for his 'escape', but he is already 700+ years old. He perceives time differently from others and, therefore, has less urgency. He is also mostly arrogant in his strength and believes he can defend himself from all his brothers at once.]
[Yes, I know that all his family (except for Bjorn) are named after characters from TVD and TO. There is a reason for that, which will be explained soon. Elijah, Stefan and Marcel will also be their brothers. Everyone except Niklaus will look like the actors who play their characters. I am not great at creating new looks for OCs]