As the hunters dealt with the vampires they found, Matt decided to investigate the car crash he heard outside and the people screaming, wondering if it had been caused by a vampire passing by as they activated the music box.
With everything under control inside, Bonnie followed him to ensure he didn't get into any unnecessary trouble.
Exiting the back, Matt walked down the alley towards the street when he saw Finn, and prepared to run back when his eyes caught sight of Tyler's crumbled form beneath him.
"Here, let me help you with that," said Finn, walking over to his friend, intending to finish him.
Clenching his jaw, Matt drew the pistol one of the hunters lent him and took careful aim down the sights, aiming for the head, and fired.
As Finn was lifting his foot, he was suddenly hit in the left shoulder by something unknown, resulting in a painful stinging sensation, and then he felt it, the venom coursing through his veins.
People screamed and ran in all directions, trying to get away from the area after the shot went off.
Looking up, Finn's eyes locked with Matt's, still holding the smoking barrel, and then he saw her with eyes of rage and fury. Bonnie's magic burst forth, sending the parked car before them blasting towards him like a cannonball.
Smashing into him and straight into the storefront behind. Another magic flare ignited the fuel tank, and the store exploded in a fiery blaze.
"Matt! We have to go!" said Bonnie, pulling his arm, not yet ready to take on Finn with so many people around.
"Bonnie! It's Tyler! We can't leave him," said Matt, pointing towards the street.
Seeing Tyler curled up on the ground, clutching his ears, Bonnie gestured with her hands, pulling him with her magic.
"Nice! Let's go," said Matt, catching him.
Running for their lives, they went to meet back up with the others to warn them. Flinging open the door, ignoring the weapons pointed at their abrupt entrance, "We have to go now! Bonnie just blew up an Original, and he isn't likely to be very happy about it," said Matt.
"Way to go Bonnie!" Penny grinned, lowering her shotgun.
Bonnie gave an appreciative nod.
"Explains the explosion. We're done here anyway, let's get out of here," said Tripp.
"Whose the baggage?" asked Galen.
"The friend we've been looking for," said Matt.
And Jay's gun was brought right back up, pointing at him, "What?! We can't take him with us, he's clearly a vampire."
Tripp frowned as Jay's gun was immediately flung from his hand by a glare from Bonnie.
"I told you, I'll handle it," said Bonnie sharply.
"Now isn't the time people, you heard them, move it," said Tripp, leading them out.
Nearing their base, the Gilbert's music box device's five minutes were up.
Entering, Bonnie looked back to find Matt gone.
"Matt! Where is he?" asked Bonnie, glaring at Jay.
"He was right behind me, I swear!" said Jay fearfully.
Bonnie's eyes widen as she checked the device, "Crap, I forgot about the timer, it ran out, we should have bound him."
"They couldn't have gotten far, Conner, Galen, with me, we'll find him," said Tripp.
"He's probably already dead," said Jay, only to wilt under Bonnie's fierce glare.
"He's not," Bonnie retorted confidently.
"Don't worry, we'll find him," said Conner.
.
Tyler brought Matt to a remote location, dumping him on the ground.
"Tyler!" Matt exclaimed as he rolled over and stood up.
"Why are you here Matt?" asked Tyler tiredly.
"We've come to rescue you," said Matt, looking his friend in the eyes.
Tyler frowned, "You shouldn't have come."
"Look man, you saw Bonnie; she can help free you from your compulsion," argued Matt.
"And you really shouldn't have said that," said Tyler dangerously, closing the distance.
Matt, feeling that something was off, started to back up. "What are you doing, Tyler? We can help you; let's just go back to Bonnie, and she'll take care of everything."
"Where's the device?" asked Tyler coldly.
Matt frowned, "Tyler? Are you still in there?"
"Tell me where the device is Matt, and I promise I'll make it quick," said Tyler.
Having nothing to lose, Matt tells him, "It's with Bonnie; she'll show you when we return."
"Wrong answer," said Tyler, catching Matt and snapping his neck.
Sometime later, Conner called out, "Over here, I found him."
When Bonnie arrived, his voice lowered as he said, "You should brace yourself, he didn't make it."
Bonnie walked over to the body, checking to see that the ring was still on him, "He's fine, he'll wake up any minute now."
Tripp bent down to examine the body, confirming Conner's assessment, "I'm sorry Bonnie, but he's gone."
Matt's body abruptly lurched awake, taking a deep breath.
Tripp and Connor, both jumped back, with the latter drawing his weapon, "What the fuck?"
Not wishing Matt to actually die, Bonnie magically tore the gun from his hand, "Don't do that."
"Seems alright to me," said Galen bemusedly.
"Told you," said Bonnie, helping Matt up.
"Hey Bonnie, I can't believe he did that," said Matt glumly, rubbing his neck.
"It's not all your fault. I should have bound him before the timer went out, remember he's been compelled," said Bonnie.
Matt sighed, "Yeah."
"Hold the fuck on one second, what the fuck is he? How is he alive? I checked his pulse myself; he was dead," said Connor, feeling agitated after having his weapon stripped from him.
"I agree with Connor, what's going on here?" asked Tripp.
Matt looked at Bonnie, wondering if they should explain the rings.
Bonnie sighed, "It's the ring, a ring of protection I gave him…" and goes on to explain it in more detail.
Connor's eyes lit up as he asked, "Can you make more of these rings?"
"Maybe? I don't know, like I said we found them," said Bonnie, and while it was her ancestor that created them, and she did have her grimoire, she didn't know which of the spells cast from it weakened her to the point that the council was able to capture her and burn her at the stake for being a witch. A risk she wasn't willing to take at this time.
A worry amplified by her experience of creating the tiara.
"We need to change bases before Klaus visits," said Matt seriously.
…
Hearing the sirens outside, Finn pushes his way out the back of the burning wreckage, checking his accessories were still intact before taking off.
Entering the house, Davina looks over in shock at his nearly nude, burnt ash-covered form.
"Oh my gosh! What happened!?" she exclaimed, rushing over to see if he was alright.
"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled, his head swimming from the venom as he walked by towards the stairs, intending to take a shower and to dig the bullet out. "Where's Sage?"
"She just left to get food. Should be back any minute," Davina answered.
After finishing, he returned downstairs to find Troy setting something up on the TV.
"What are you doing?" asked Finn.
"Sage was busy, so I brought food and games," said Troy.
"Games?" asked Finn.
Troy flashed a broad smile, saying, "Trust me, you'll love this."
He turned to Davina, who was busy chowing down while studying the grimoire he had given her.
She stopped mid-chew, feeling his gaze. "Oh, uh…" she swallowed. "I've been making progress, and I've been doing those control meditations you showed me. So I won't be a burden for long," she said firmly.
"You should know I killed the Regent and a bunch of her witch friends today," said Finn.
Davina's brows furrowed. "Good."
"Got it! Come check this out," said Troy eagerly. turning the console on.
Seeing how taken Finn was with the video game, Troy left to get more.
"I'm back, sorry about that," said Sage, walking into the living room to find Finn playing games on the TV while Davina worked on her magical studies in the background.
"Which bastard, I mean which friend, showed you video games?" Sage asked Finn sweetly, her left eye twitching, annoyed that he found another distraction.
Troy, about to open the door, quickly turns right back around and leaves.