Chapter 6: Bargains in the Aftermath
POV: Adam
Vicki's scream still echoed in Adam's skull hours later, bouncing around his mind like a pinball made of accusation and helpless rage. He lay in his borrowed bed, staring at ceiling shadows that seemed to move independently of the tree branches outside his window, replaying the night's events with the obsessive precision of someone trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
"First attack," he thought, his fingers drumming against the blanket in a nervous rhythm. "Damon's announcing his presence, testing the waters. Which means Stefan's about to accelerate his courtship of Elena, and the body count is about to start climbing."
The system interface hummed quietly at the edge of his vision, patient but insistent, like a phone waiting to be answered. It had been more active since the bonfire, responding to the supernatural proximity in ways that suggested his abilities were evolving faster than the standard progression curve indicated.
"Danger breeds power," he realized. "The more threats I'm exposed to, the faster the system adapts. Which means I need to stop hiding and start hunting."
Saturday morning found him in the kitchen before Caroline or Liz had stirred, nursing coffee that tasted like determination and browsing local news on his phone. The story was already live: "TEEN INJURED IN ANIMAL ATTACK AT POPULAR GATHERING SPOT." The article was masterfully bland, full of reassuring quotes from Sheriff Forbes about increased animal control patrols and the importance of staying in groups during outdoor activities.
No mention of bite marks that looked suspiciously human. No discussion of the complete lack of actual animal tracks around the scene. Just the comfortable fiction that small-town Virginia produced nothing more dangerous than the occasional aggressive raccoon.
"And everyone wants to believe it," Adam thought, scrolling through the early comments. "Because the alternative is admitting that monsters are real, and nobody wants to live in that world."
Caroline appeared in the doorway, her hair a blonde explosion and her eyes still puffy with sleep.
"Please tell me you made extra coffee," she mumbled, stumbling toward the pot with the single-minded focus of the desperately caffeinated.
"Full pot. And I may have stress-baked muffins at five AM."
"Stress-baking is a totally valid coping mechanism," Caroline said, then paused with her mug halfway to her lips. "Wait, are you okay? Last night was pretty intense."
"I'm planning to make supernatural deals to gain enough power to protect my new family from century-old vampires," Adam thought. "So no, not particularly okay."
"Just processing," he said aloud. "Seeing someone hurt like that... it brings back stuff about the accident."
Caroline's expression immediately softened with sympathy, and Adam felt a stab of guilt for manipulating her emotions. But the system had taught him that survival sometimes required strategic dishonesty, especially when the truth was too dangerous to share.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.
"Actually, I was thinking about doing something productive instead. Like maybe getting more involved at school. Meeting people, building connections. You know, all that healthy social integration stuff."
Caroline's face lit up with the kind of enthusiasm that suggested she'd been hoping for exactly this conversation.
"Yes! Oh my God, yes. I have so many ideas. There's the decorating committee, and the fundraising efforts, and the tutoring programs..."
"I was thinking more along the lines of informal networking," Adam interrupted before Caroline could launch into full event-planning mode. "Maybe offering tutoring services to some of the upperclassmen who need help with history. You know, build up some social credit."
"And identify potential deal partners with actual influence," he added silently.
"That's perfect! Matt could probably use help with his grades—he's been struggling since he started working double shifts at the Grill. And there are definitely some seniors who would pay for private tutoring."
"Matt first," Adam decided. "Establish the basic deal mechanics with someone trustworthy before moving on to more complex negotiations."
An hour later, he was sitting across from Matt Donovan in the town's single coffee shop, watching the quarterback struggle with a history textbook that looked like it had been through several wars.
"I don't get it," Matt said, stabbing at a passage about the Civil War with his highlighter. "All these dates and battles and political stuff... how am I supposed to remember any of this?"
"It's not about memorizing," Adam said, pulling the book closer. "It's about understanding the story. Look—this isn't just random information. It's the foundation of everything that happened afterward, including what's happening in Mystic Falls right now."
"You mean like the founding families and their old-money drama?"
"Exactly. The Gilberts, the Lockwoods, the Salvatore family... they all have roots that go back to the Civil War era. Understanding that history helps you understand current power dynamics."
Matt leaned forward, suddenly more interested. "You mean like why Tyler acts like he owns the school even though his dad's barely around? Or why the Gilberts get special treatment from the town council?"
"Perfect opening," Adam thought. "Time to make this official."
"Tell you what," he said, keeping his voice casual. "I'll help you get your history grade up to a B or better, and in exchange, you help me navigate the local social scene. Introduce me to people, fill me in on the town dynamics that don't make it into the official stories. Share the kind of information that helps a newcomer avoid stepping on the wrong toes."
Matt's face brightened with relief. "That sounds amazing. I was seriously worried about failing Tanner's class, and you obviously know this stuff way better than I do."
"Deal?"
Adam extended his hand, and Matt shook it with the earnest gratitude of someone who'd just been thrown a lifeline.
The metaphysical click was immediate and satisfying, sending a warm pulse through Adam's chest that the system interface translated into concrete numbers:
[DEAL COMPLETED: MATT DONOVAN]
[TYPE: SERVICE EXCHANGE]
[STATS GAINED: +0.2 ALL CATEGORIES]
[CURRENT STATS: STR 10.2, AGI 10.2, STA 10.2, MAG 0.2]
[FIRST HUMAN DEAL BONUS APPLIED]
The stat increase was small but noticeable—like the difference between being tired and being well-rested, or between feeling clumsy and feeling coordinated. Not enough to matter in a fight with a vampire, but enough to confirm that the system was real and responsive.
"So," Adam said, settling back into teacher mode, "let's start with the easy stuff. What do you know about the founding of Mystic Falls?"
"Uh... it was founded in 1860-something by a bunch of rich families who wanted to get away from the big cities?"
"Close. 1864, and they weren't just escaping city life—they were establishing a power base. Think about it: you've got families with old money, extensive land holdings, and political connections setting up their own private kingdom in rural Virginia. What kind of secrets do you think they were trying to protect?"
Matt's brow furrowed as he considered the question. "The kind that required privacy? Like... I don't know, illegal business dealings?"
"Among other things. There were rumors about the founding families being involved in activities that went beyond simple commerce. Occult practices, secret societies, connections to European aristocracy that didn't bear close examination."
"All technically true," Adam thought, "just not in the way Matt thinks."
But as he spoke, Matt's expression shifted from academic interest to something more personal.
"You know, my dad used to tell stories about weird stuff happening in town when he was growing up. Animals behaving strangely, people disappearing for days and coming back with no memory of where they'd been. He always said the founding families knew more than they let on."
"Compulsion and supernatural cover-ups," Adam realized. "The supernatural activity has been going on for decades, probably centuries. Matt's family has generational knowledge without realizing what they're actually remembering."
"What kind of stories?" he asked carefully.
"Just... odd things. Like Mrs. Lockwood never seeming to age, or people seeing lights in the old church ruins at midnight. Dad always said it was just small-town gossip, but..."
Matt trailed off, looking uncomfortable.
"But you think there might be something to it?"
"I think this town has secrets," Matt said quietly. "And I think some of those secrets are dangerous. Especially after what happened to Vicki last night."
"He's already suspicious," Adam noted. "Good instincts, even if he doesn't know what to do with them."
"Speaking of which," Adam said, "what's the word on the attack? Are people buying the animal story?"
Matt snorted. "Most people are, yeah. But my mom works at the hospital, and she said the bite marks looked... weird. Too precise for a wild animal."
"And there's the opening for deeper information sharing."
"What do you think it was?"
"Honestly? I think someone attacked Vicki and tried to make it look like an animal did it. But proving that is a whole different problem."
As they continued their study session, Adam found himself genuinely enjoying the teaching process. Matt was a better student than his grades suggested—he just needed someone to help him see the connections between seemingly unrelated facts. And in return, Matt provided a steady stream of local intelligence that filled in gaps Adam hadn't even realized existed.
The Lockwood family's iron grip on local politics. The Gilbert family's mysterious charitable foundation that seemed to fund projects with no obvious purpose. The way certain council meetings were held behind closed doors, with attendance limited to specific bloodlines.
"It's all connected," Adam thought. "The supernatural community, the founding families, the power structures that keep secrets buried. Matt doesn't know what he's describing, but he's mapping the shadow government that enables vampires to hunt freely."
But the most valuable information came when Matt mentioned Coach Tanner's latest tirade about "outside influences corrupting traditional values."
"He's been extra nasty lately," Matt said, packing up his books. "Like, beyond his usual asshole behavior. Yesterday he spent twenty minutes screaming at Jeremy Gilbert about 'disrespecting legacy families' just because Jeremy asked a question about local history."
"What kind of question?"
"Something about the old cemetery and why certain graves don't have dates. Jeremy's been researching family genealogy since his parents died, trying to understand his roots or whatever."
"Jeremy's digging into supernatural history without realizing it," Adam thought. "And Tanner's reaction suggests he knows more than he should about what Jeremy might find."
"Tanner's one of those guys who thinks knowledge should be controlled," Adam said carefully. "Probably sees curious students as threats to his authority."
"Yeah, well, his authority is going to get someone killed one day. The way he pushes people around, someone's going to snap."
The words hung in the air with the weight of unintended prophecy. In the original timeline, Tanner would be dead within weeks—drained by Damon in a fit of petty spite. Another victim of Mystic Falls' refusal to acknowledge the monsters in its midst.
"Red shirt syndrome," Adam thought grimly. "He's marked for death by narrative necessity."
But as they parted ways, Adam felt something he hadn't expected: genuine fondness for Matt Donovan. The quarterback was kind, honest, and brave in ways that would probably get him killed in a supernatural conflict. Exactly the kind of person Adam wanted to protect, and exactly the kind of person the system would help him save.
"First deal completed," he thought, watching Matt walk toward his car with a lighter step than he'd had an hour ago. "Nine more to go before Level 1, then the real work begins."
The system interface pulsed approvingly, displaying his updated stats like a progress report. The numbers were still pathetically low compared to what he'd need to face actual vampires, but they represented something more important than raw power: proof that he was moving in the right direction.
"Power through contracts," he reminded himself. "Every deal is a step toward survival. Every alliance is armor against the darkness."
Now he just had to figure out how to escalate his negotiations without revealing what he was really preparing for.
MORE POWER STONES == MORE CHAPTERS
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