VENUS MCCALL (ON HOLD)

Ch. 15

The screen flips to show the Mikealson compound.

Marcel is being fitted for a suit by a tailor while Thierry, who is sitting nearby, talks to him

Marcel: [smirks] Damn, I do look good in a suit.

Thierry chuckles, then turns back to the television, where photos of Tina McGreevy and Joshua Rosza, the tourists that Klaus killed after they had ingested vampire blood at Marcel's party, flash on the screen

Thierry: My guy at the docks is gonna come forward as an eyewitness, say he saw those two drunkenly fall into the Mississippi. They'll be dredging for weeks. No one will come looking around here.

Marcel: That's good, considering one's dead in a dumpster behind the county morgue, and the other one is a vampire now. Anything else?

The tailor accidentally pricks her finger on a pin as she hems Marcel's pants.

Tailor: Ow!
Marcel: Allow me, darling.

Marcel kneels down and reaches for her hand before gently sucking the drop of blood off her finger. Thierry, looking anxious, begins to speak

Thierry: One thing-- I sent four night-walkers to look into a werewolf sighting in the Quarter. I haven't heard from them since.

Venus smirks in pride at her future selfs actions.

Marcel: That makes ten dead nightwalkers in the last week. You think the werewolves are back in town trying to start some trouble?
Thierry: [hesitantly] Look, I know you and Klaus are friends, but the fact is, since the Originals showed up—

Before Thierry can continue, Klaus arrives and enters the room

Klaus and his siblings laugh at his beautiful timing.

Klaus: Oh, come now, Thierry. You're not still upset about that little, toxic werewolf bite I gave you, are you? I thought we were bygones.
Thierry: [turns to Marcel in annoyance] I see you've given him free rein of your compound now, too.
Klaus: Yes. Well, seeing as my family and I lived  here-- built the place, in fact—-

"Right you are brother." Elijah agrees with his words. "Honestly I don't know why you cured the arrogant vampire." Kol says annoyed by his behavior.

Marcel: [interrupts them] All right. Come on. You both know the drill. Thierry's my guy, inner circle. Klaus is my old-time friend and sire. He's also a guest here. Peace, all right? All right.
[He turns to Klaus] What you need, my brother?

Klaus: [sighs] I'm afraid my sister Rebekah is insisting I demand Elijah's return. She's quite worked up about it.

"You make it sound like it's her fault. When it was you who gave your older brother up. Stop acting like a child forced to finish his chores." Venus mothers him, Klaus huffs childishly crossing his arms over his chest. Pouting. She sits on his lap straddling him. Kissing his pout away.

His siblings who were going to agree with her stopped when they saw the sight. Sighing they sat back down letting the lovebirds have their moment.

Marcel: I'll say.
Thierry: [scoffs] We're not gonna have three Originals walking around town, are we? Half our guys think the sister killed the nightwalkers.
Klaus: [coldly] Is that an accusation against an Original?
Thierry: Eh.

Klaus goes storms at Thierry, who looks to be ready for a confrontation, but Marcel intervenes before they can be violent.

Marcel: [to Thierry] What did I say about peace? [He turns to Klaus] Come on. Walk with me.

Klaus smiles smugly at Thierry as Marcel steers him out of the room and onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Klaus: [unamused] You inner circle man lacks a sense of humor and respect. I suggest you keep him in check.

Marcel: He's a little overprotective, but loyal to a fault. I saved his life back in the '40s, found him dying of a war wound outside a VA hospital. He'd kill for me and die for me. Plus, that boy can play the trumpet like you would not believe. Maybe I'll see if he can play a little tonight at the party. You're coming, right?

Klaus: How can I miss my chance to meet the city councilman as he accepts your gigantic charitable donation?

Marcel: [laughs] Oh, he's a schmuck, but he lets us do our thing in exchange for certain community services, like keeping our fangs out of the locals.
[He hesitates for a moment] Listen, about your brother... I would love to help you out, but Thierry is right. My guys are on edge. They see the Original family moving in, vampires dying? It makes them nervous. If I hand Elijah back now, it might give the wrong impression about who's really in charge here. You know what I mean?

Klaus is clearly angered by this response, but he maintains his poker face and plays it cool.

Venus whose still sitting on Nik's lap. Smirks as she looks up at him. Her back against his chest, he stares at her. And she licks her lips seductively. Causing Nik to tighten his hold.

Klaus: [smiles fakely] You understand-- I had to ask.

Rebekah walks through the Quarter as she calls Klaus on her cell phone. The shots alternate between Rebekah out in the Quarter and Klaus in the cellar of the Mikaelson mansion.

Rebekah: Niklaus, for the love of Mary Magdalene, how long does it take to ask a simple question?

Klaus: Much longer than you'd think, considering the answer was, as expected, "No." Marcel's man, Thierry, is suspicious. He thinks you killed ten nightwalkers.

Rebekah: [feigns offense] Well, that's a lie! I only killed six your beautiful girlfriend the others. Should I make Thierry the ninth?

Klaus: Marcel is playing friendly. We can't kill the favorite son, or he'll catch onto us.
Rebekah: So, war it is, then?
Klaus: Indeed. Do you know what to do with the witch?
Rebekah: [smiles] I believe I do.
Klaus: Good. You manage Sophie Deveraux. I'll take care of the next step.

Klaus hangs up. He turns to the newbie vampire, Joshua, who has been minding Klaus' vampire hostage, Max.

Klaus: I ordered you to drain him of blood. What's taking so long?
Josh: [anxious] Sorry. I'm not, like, medieval-torture-expert-guy.
Klaus sighs although before he could do anything his beautiful brunette girlfriend walks in and grabs a pitchfork before she impales Max with it.

She smirks up at Nik. Looking at she assesses him. Nodding she smiles kindly. The newbie vampire shocked for a moment at the kindness. Hesitantly smiles back. Before asking Klaus why they're doing this.

Josh: What did he do to you, anyway?
Klaus: It's not about what he did. It's about what he's going to do when we're done here, which is whatever I want him to, just like you. For example--
[He stares Josh in the eyes and compels him]-- drive this through his torso.

Klaus, having removed the pitchfork from the vampire, compels Joshua and hands the weapon to him. Joshua immediately obeys, though he looks horrified as he does so.

Josh: That is crazy. I didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway.
Klaus: It's called mind compulsion. Vampires can compel humans. Originals, like my siblings and I, can also compel vampires, and no one can compel Originals. You following?

Josh nods, looking frightened.

Klaus: Good. That is how a brand-new nightwalker such as yourself is here doing my bidding with no one the wiser.

Josh: [confused] But I never had my guts drained out of me.

Klaus: Yes. That, young Joshua, is because I got to you before you had even a drop of herbal vervain in your system. You see, it prevents compulsion. Marcel has had his whole crew taking it since I returned to town, and that is why our friend here needs to be bled dry of it, so I can compel him to follow my every command. And with my brother currently in captivity awaiting rescue, we can't afford to be gentle about it, can we?

Klaus takes back the pitchfork and runs it through Max's abdomen before twisting it roughly.

He turns around, facing Venus who looks to be frozen staring at Klaus.

Klaus hears her heartbeats increase, but not out of fear. Grinning wildly he grabs her hand and pulls her out of the room.

Venus like in the screen, hearts had picked up watching Niklaus do that. Nik hearing it once again. Tilts his head downward before kissing her neck slowly.