Savior | The Originals

13 | poison

Chapter Thirteen
𝙿𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗

Athens knew very well that these scratches weren't going to heal. She knew that the poison from the wound's infection was slowly killing her, yet she chose to not confide in anyone.

She hadn't seen her brother around the house, meaning Hades, or Willow had pulled him to the underworld. She only prayed that he hadn't been informed of her... incident. She didn't want to hear any incessant rationale from either of the men in her life.

Athens slid down the bathroom wall as a wave of nausea and hallucinations came over her.

New Orleans, 1994

"Please, Athens, yours always looked better," Willow practically begged her older sister to braid her hair. Athens sighed, gesturing to the floor in front of the couch. Willow smiled and sat, mumbling a small thank you.

"You're ten now, Willow, you need to learn to do your own hair, among other things," Athens scolded, but Willow wasn't paying attention, the tv had been distracting. "Are you even listening?"

Willow turned around, all progress on her hair having been lost. Athens had always thought Willow was the better looking sister, but she hated to see a scowl adorn her pretty face."You just talk so much, Athens. I get it, I need to practice my magic, learn to braid, take over the world. It's a lot, big sister."

Athens frowned, she hadn't been attempting to overwhelm the kid, but with Asher working his first ever job, being only fourteen, and their mother off doing god knows what, her and Willow were forced to grow up faster than they should have.

"What do you want, I'll make it up to you. Ice cream?" Athens offered.

Willow then faded into nothing, leaving Athens in her childhood home, alone.

"Athens!"

She snapped her eyes open, finding Niklaus looking at her extremely worried and pained. He had only been trying to pee, not expecting to see an unconscious Athens on his bathroom floor. "Athens, what is going on?"

He wouldn't ask if she was okay, he knew for a fact she wasn't— another of her many lies. He wanted to help, in any possible way that he could.

Yes, he knew what he could do. "Redemption," as Athens put it. He didn't think he was redeemable.
Klaus had told her he'd try his best, but what if it wasn't enough. What if every dead being is resurrected because he murdered too many people.

An incredibly high bar.

Athens blinked up at him, trying to regain clear vision. She could hear him clearly, but at the same time, couldn't. She didn't know why the venom was taking action so fast, or why her sister hadn't just finished her off.

Perhaps that would've been better, for everyone.

"Niklaus?" The fuzzy figure nodded, from what she could tell. She gave a strained smile, "I'm sorry," she whispered right before she was taken into darkness again.

——

Niklaus stormed the compound, looking for Asher. The first place he thought to look was Rebekah's room. When he pushed open the door he saw Asher... kissing her.

Klaus didn't know what made him more mad, the fact that Rebekah was kissing someone she didn't tell him about or the fact that she was doing everything he wished he could. He wanted to be able to hold Athens, kiss her, but he couldn't, and seeing Rebekah do it? He wanted to rip her head off.

"Asher. Let's go," he called from the doorway, his voice authoritative as he inwardly smiled at the fact that he had interrupted their moment. Before Asher could disagree, he added, "it's Athens."

The Young twin quickly excused himself from Rebekah, before following Klaus to his room. As they walked Asher asked questions that the original couldn't answer.

When the hybrid pushed open his bathroom door, he didn't see Athens, but by the way Asher fell to the ground, he knew it was just him who couldn't see her.

"Athens! Oh my god," Asher gasped. First he checked for blood flow, or if she were still alive it would be a pulse. She didn't have a heartbeat, her blood just flowed, alike to vampires. He sighed in relief when her felt the whoosh on her carotid artery.

Klaus watched in slight annoyance as Asher tended to the air— he knew that he was tending to his... girlfriend? Best friend? Friend? He didn't know what Athens was to him to be truthful, but he did know he never wanted to see her this hurt ever again.

Asher peeled back some of the gauze of her cheek, finding green veins sprouting from the cut, cursing under his heat. Of course, Klaus heard, "what it it? Asher, what's wrong with her?" The hybrid asked.

"Poison," is all Asher said.

He gently shook Athens, trying to wake her. At some point her unconsciousness turned into sleep, so when she woke after two shakes, Asher practically leapt with joy.

wc: 824