This oneshot just came to me the other day – I thought it was a good of getting back in the swing of writing. Enjoy ;)

Just one note – when I talk about 'hunter', I don't mean in a Jeremy Gilbert sense, I mean more in a Supernatural kind of way.

Disclaimer: Don't own TVD nor do I own klaroline (unfortunately)

The Warrior Inside

Caroline Forbes walked through the streets of New Orleans with confidence, her heeled, thigh-high boots clicking on the cobbled sidewalk. She could feel the stares of the people around her, eyes wandering over the tiny black dress she wore, the way her brown hair curled over her shoulders in thick waves. What they couldn't see was how her real hair, her blonde hair, was smartly tucked into her brown wig and how she had weapons hidden all over her body, silver knives and wooden stakes. She would've brought her trusty Glock (filled with wooden bullets, of course) but even she wouldn't be able to hide that on her person, not in this dress.

Either way, she was as prepared as she was going to be and so made her way slowly to the club her contact had told her about. The place she would find her prey.

Klaus Mikaelson.

The most feared and infamous monster of all time. His name was known to everyone in the supernatural community, said only in hushed whispers.

Caroline may not have been a hunter all her life (unlike others, who had been so since practically the cradle), but she was a damned good one all the same. It was because her journey had been one made through fire; she didn't come from a long legacy of hunters, their lessons taught through generations of their bloodline… no, she learned her trade through trial and error, through hard work and blood and sweat. She'd killed, slaughtered, all monsters that had been in her way.

Nothing would keep her from her revenge. Nothing would keep her from Klaus, the heartless beast that had murdered her father. For twelve years, she had been working towards this. She wouldn't let anything stop her now.

So here she was, closer to her goal than she had ever been. Finally, finally she would be able to have her vengeance.

Caroline slowed her walk as she finally made it to the club where she'd been told Klaus held his 'court'. She approached the surprisingly nondescript door, pausing in front of the burly man standing guard outside.

"And who might you be?" He asked, not even bothering to mask his leer as he raked his eyes up and down her form, before finally meeting her own. She watched as his pupils widened, obviously trying to compel the truth out of her. Stupid vampires… they should really remember that anyone worth their salt carries vervain on them.

She said none of this, however. "I'm Crystal." She replied instead, biting her lip slightly and idly twirling the ends of her brown hair, playing her role to perfection.

"Well, honey, I think you're in the wrong part of town." His tone was patronizing. Caroline could feel anger begin to course through her veins but managed to lock it down, knowing she had bigger things to worry about. Maybe next time though, she thought with wicked glee, her hand itching to pull out the thin stake she had hidden in her left boot.

"No, I think I'm in the right place. My friends, they said this was a good place to have a little fun?" She tilted her head slightly, causing her hair to fall away from her shoulders and expose her neck to him. The vampire's eyes darkened and she knew she had passed her test.

A slow grin crept up his face. "Then you're in the right place. This way." He opened the door for her, allowing her into the inner sanctum.

"Thanks." She said, flipping her hair back over and sauntering inside the packed room.

As she had come to expect from vamp hideouts, the area was barely lit, leaving everything and everyone covered in shadows. The music played at high volumes, allowing some cover for more… intimate activities, despite the enhanced hearing of most of those attending. As she wandered deeper into the crowd, her eyes scanned the room, spotting exits and the biggest possible threats as she had been trained to. She looked on impassively as humans danced around the vampires, some getting pulled aside into private booths. The humans followed without any fight, unknowingly headed to their own demise.

On any other day she might have tried to stop it, but today she only had one mission.

And, speaking of, she finally spotted said mission. Her eyes went wide as she saw the man, no, the monster, that haunted her nightmares. He sat in a throne-like chair, tucked away on the top balcony, sharp gaze overseeing the floor below him and everything that went on in it. He sat like a conqueror, observing the fruits of his labor, ready to take advantage of his spoils.

Caroline felt her heart beat faster, adrenaline surging through her system, making her mind snap into complete clarity. She couldn't allow herself to give into the panic that was creeping up her, the fear that the child inside her still felt, the same child that had found her father's corpse. She stomped it down.

She had to stick to her plan. So, keeping her eyes firmly on her target, Caroline began dancing through the crowd with earnest, flipping her hair to the side, doing everything to call his attention to her. She knew how to play vampire bait; she knew how to do it well and soon enough Klaus' ever-roaming gaze was firmly on her.

Getting closer.

Caroline met his eyes head on, trying to ignore how her body seemed to heat under his stare, her pulse melding with the beat of the music. She stilled from her dancing and tilted her head at him invitingly, making it clear that his attention had not gone unnoticed. It seemed to be the right move as his lips tilted in a slight, pleased grin. More a smirk, really. He gestured to one of his lackeys, sending him to her.

"Mr. Mikealson has invited you to the balcony." Said lackey told her when he got to her.

Caroline smiled with her teeth, looking more a monster than many of the literal monsters in the room. "Well tell Mr. Mikaelson that I'd be only too happy to oblige…" she adjusted the man's tie for him, enjoying how he stilled in shock under her hands, and ducked her head closer to whisper in his ear, "…if he comes and gets me himself."

As soon as she pulled away from the man, Klaus was suddenly in front of her, obviously having heard her challenge and having used his supernatural speed in response. Despite gambling on the fact that he would so something like this, that he would take her challenge, Caroline couldn't help but be slightest bit surprised. With the excessive background noise of the club and the lowered tone of her whisper, even most vampires would not have been able to hear her words. But then she supposed Klaus was not most vampires. She would have to be on her guard… she would have to remember justwho, just what, she was dealing with.

"You're dismissed." She heard him growl to the lackey, deep and guttural.

His voice, it sounded so familiar, reminded her of that night. When she'd found him standing over her father's dead body, blood on his hands, fangs extended and eyes dark. She remembered how he'd approached her as if she'd been a wild animal, slowly and cautiously… trying to calm her screams. And she remembered how he'd finally compelled her to be silent and then the words he'd said.

"That's right, be silent now, little Caroline." He'd crooned, holding her young face between his hands. She'd glared at him with all the force she could muster, muted tears running down her cheeks. "Look at you, staring at me with such hatred… Perhaps I should end this now, end your suffering… But I won't; because, it will make you strong." He had stood to his full height then and let his hands fall from her face, leaving bloodstains in his wake. She still remembered the feel of her father's dried blood on her cheeks, cracking her skin. She remembered how he had taken her by her shoulders and forced her to meet his eyes, his cruel, cold eyes. "Cultivate your hatred, Caroline, keep it with you. And one day, I promise you will see me again. And you will have your revenge."

And with that, he had disappeared. And all nine-year-old Caroline had been left with was the blood on her cheeks and his words… and the small spark of fury that had settled into her young heart and taken hold.

She had never forgotten… and so here she was, standing before the same man.

Caroline plastered a fake smile on her face, approaching him, Klaus, slowly. She forced herself to go into his personal space, despite her own revulsion, and allowed a coy light to enter her expression. "Mr. Mikaelson, I presume?"

He did not back away, instead moving closer until he loomed over her. He looked her over her appraisingly. "And who might you be? I've not seen you around these parts before." His voice was soft, almost melodic, but with barely suppressed power.

She ignored the shiver up her spine and focused on her hatred, needing it to get through this. "I'm Crystal, I just moved to town."

"Well Crystal, care to join me?" He held out his arm.

She swallowed any residing fear and threw him a victorious smile. "It would be my pleasure." She took his arm and allowed him to guide her away, her mind focused on her next steps.

Only instead of taking her up to the balcony as she expected, he veered off to the right into a long, quiet corridor. She tried not to show any panic, knowing her performance as 'Crystal' would be the only thing that could get her through this. So, she leaned a little closer to him, her stomach rolling. Finally, they reached their destination, and Klaus pulled her inside a study of sorts, locking the door behind him.

She didn't show any discomfort as she leaned idly against the big mahogany desk, running her hands over its smooth surface. Klaus observed her with dark eyes, walking towards her in the same slow manner as she had done with her earlier. Predator to prey. She didn't shiver as she wanted to when he got close to her, knowing she need him there. The element of surprise was all she had. He lifted his hand to her face, and allowed his fingers to stroke down her cheek in a surprisingly gentle manner. His thumb dipped down to run over her bottom lip, almost curious. The motion was tantalizing, and she could feel the pull of his gaze, trying to lull her into a false sense of security.

But then suddenly he gripped her chin tightly and forced her forward, causing her fall into his chest. His other arm immediately went around her waist and trapped her two arms behind her back, holding her wrists brutally in one hand.

Wait, what?

"So she's finally found me, the infamous hunter Caroline Forbes." Klaus growled, triumphant, his hand leaving her chin only to rip off her wig and toss it aside.

Cold realization flooded through her heart. Her head started banging, her eyes losing their focus. "This… this was a trap." She managed to whisper, nearly choking on the words. No… no, this can't be happening… This was my plan… It had to be my plan…

But it wasn't.

Klaus' hand gripped the hair at the back of her head, his fingers tangling in the blonde locks and forcing her to look only at him. He laughed, cruel and remorseless. "How astute of you. Did you really think it would be easy?" He asked, mockingly. "I've walked this earth for a millennium, I have seen and done things you couldn't possibly image in your darkest nightmares and you think one inexperienced girl would be finally be the one to triumph over me? And here I was under the impression that you had some semblance of intelligence."

"You killed my father!" She spat at him, seeing red, her pulse racing with sheer fury.

Klaus' hands left her wrists and hair and went for her throat. He pulled her away from the desk and slammed her into the wall beside it. All air was forced out of her and she was left gasping, her vision fading in and out. "I spared you, in case you've forgotten." He hissed menacingly, one hand still firm around her throat, the other returning to grip at her hair.

"No, no I haven't forgotten." She hissed through her gasps. You fucking bastard. I won't let you win. I won't. "I have spent everyday in the last twelve years of my life training for one purpose. Killing you." She taunted, distracting him by making him even angrier. And then, with speed only experience could bring, she reached into her right boot and pulled out her trump card, an ancient dagger covered in White Oak ash.

Using all the power she could muster, she shoved it brutally into his chest, right where she knew his heart should be.

Klaus' body jerked, and his grip around her throat loosened, allowing her to fall to the floor. He stumbled back, looking down in shock, skin growing pale. She couldn't believe she'd actually done it… She could practically taste her victory. I did it. I finished it. I… I killed him. I killed Klaus Mika-

And then she heard it. Derisive laughter. Mocking her. And all her thoughts of victory faded to dust when she looked up and saw Klaus still standing. Alive.

"You've wasted your time, love. You don't seem to realize… I've already beaten you." He raised his hand and casually pulled the dagger free from his chest. He twirled it idly in his hand, taunting her, before tossing it aside.

Despite the sudden heaviness of her limbs, Caroline scrambled to her feet and in a last desperate attempt, ran at him. "You monster!" She howled.

Klaus caught her however and held her prone against the desk, leaning over her until their noses almost touched. "Oh you're right about that, sweetheart. I am a monster. The worst monster you could ever hope to know. The Hybrid." His smile was wicked, sadistic. "I think it's time I taught you a lesson."

Caroline bared her teeth and head-butted him to try to get him to loosen his grip on her again; he didn't, in fact his fingers only tightened around her. Still, she was not willing to give up her battle against him, no matter how futile it seemed.

He clucked his tongue. "You have fight in you. But you are directing it at the wrong man… I wasn't the one to kill your father…"

"You're lying!" He has to be. It's Klaus, it has always been Klaus… I saw him. I saw him.

"Am I?" He asked her, teasingly, before he yanked off the vervain-filled bracelet she wore. His fingers went to her temple. "Come, let me show you what truly happened."

With that, Caroline's mind spiraled and she saw memories… memories that weren't hers. It was disorienting and, frankly, terrifying wandering through another's thoughts, especially one so ancient as Klaus. After a long, sickening moment, she managed to figure out what he was showing her. The truth of her father's death. She watched through his eyes as related the events of that night, how her father, Bill Forbes, a man she had thought was just a normal human being, had actually been one of Klaus' human servants… One of his most trusted ones, in fact. And how, Klaus' father, Mikael, had been the one to murder Bill in the hunt for his son. She watched as he found his former servant only hours after his death, how he'd crouched down beside the body and checked for a pulse despite knowing he was truly dead, in the process getting the man's blood on his hand.

And Caroline learned of how Klaus made a silent vow to himself to keep Bill Forbes' legacy intact… to keep her alive. He would make her into a weapon for his use, make her strong as her father had been before her.

As all these thoughts finished running through Caroline, Klaus finally released her mind.

"No, no this can't be true." She gasped, stumbling away from him as his grip finally loosened, too late.

"But it is. And I have kept watch over you ever since, in accordance to the blood oath I owed him. How else had you been able to track me easily, who else would have given you that tidbit about the dagger… This, everything for the past twelve years, has been scripted, Caroline." Klaus told her, looking at her with calculating eyes.

"No!" It's not true!

He shook his head and his gaze changed to something akin to pity. "Look at you, still thirsty for your revenge. It must hurt to have your life's purpose ripped out from under you." He stepped back into her personal space, uncaring of her distress and played with her loose blonde locks, looking at her with muted interest as if she were just another toy to him.

"I'm going to find a way to kill you, Klaus, I swear." Caroline hissed with dark promise, pressing herself back into the wall behind her away from him. Her entire body shook with the force of her anger.

He quirked a brow. "I have a better offer for you. I can help you kill the man that ruined your life."

He means Mikael… All this time, it was Mikael. And all this time, my father wasn't the man I thought he was either… He'd been on the other side all along.

But she was still my father, my dad… and he was still murdered, brutally.

Maybe all was not lost. Maybe she could still have her revenge. Even if it meant giving into someone she had hated most of her life.

"And what do you want in return?" She finally asked, defeated.

Klaus' smirk turned triumphant. "You. Your services. You would be my assassin, my right hand. I need a human weapon among my ranks, to do what we cannot…" His hand came to rest possessively against her cheek.

There was no refusing Klaus, this was one of the first things she had learned when she'd started her hunt for him. She would have to do what he asked if she wanted to keep her head. But besides that, he was offering her what she wanted most in the world. What she had worked more than half her life towards; he might have thwarted her plans but it wasn't the end of them. Just as he had used her, used her grief, her anger, to turn her into the person she was today, into the hunter, the weapon she was… just as he had used her… she was use him too. And when she ran out of use for him, she would find a way to finish what she had started all those years before.

"So, what do you say, love? Are you ready to make a deal with the devil?" Klaus asked, his gaze holding hers.

Steeling herself, she gave her answer.

"Yes."

"Good. Then we must seal it." And then Klaus was biting into her exposed neck, fangs tearing through her flesh, deep enough that she knew it would scar. The mark would remain on her neck forever, a reminder to her and everyone around her of whom she now belonged to.

When Klaus was done with his vile ritual, he surprised her by pressing his lips brutally to hers. It was only for a brief moment, a way of showing his dominion over her but for some reason Caroline knew that it was also a promise of something more. Perhaps, one day, they would be more than just tools to one another. As it was now, however, Klaus' mouth left hers with no ceremony and he walked away without another word to her, leaving her with an open wound on her neck and her lips stained with blood.

It was the bleak start of a new life, one filled with nothing but darkness.

The supernatural world called her The Warrior. They whispered of her cruelty, her brutality. And soon enough, she became her own breed of monster. And all through this, she and Klaus stayed together, growing closer until they were no longer simply master and servant.

And now here they were. An unholy alliance. It turned out that even after she'd gotten to Mikael, she found herself still at Klaus' side. She decided he had more use after all… She didn't even think to protest the day he decided to give her eternal life.

In another life, Caroline might have flinched away from that knowledge, tried to make excuses for herself.

But the Caroline she was had been forged from fire… had been broken and dark from the day she saw her father murdered and she decided that she would have her vengeance. She had fallen into the abyss and couldn't crawl back out.

But when she felt Klaus move to her side, as he always would from now on, she found she wouldn't have it any other way.

The world was going to burn, and she'd be laughing all along the ride.

FIN

That's it! Just a quick explanation of one thing – in this fic, not many people know that Klaus is a Hybrid, not just an Original, which is part of the reason Caroline thought that the dagger would work on him ;) Hope that makes things a little clearer!

Also, as with all my other dark klaroline oneshots, this is technically part of my 'Inside' series. They are all separate dark AUs but have similar themes ;)

And for those of you who have been waiting for my other fics to be updated, specifically Just Give Me A Reason and Blood Bound, I am working on new chapters now. Hopefully I will be able to get them out soon so be on the lookout!

Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think!

RW