I, the Original

Chapter 12: The Emperor Strikes Back

Marcel POV:

Damnit, Rebekah, can't you see I am doing this for your own good?

It is what he thought, not that he would ever said it. He wanted a relationship with Rebekah but did not want to disappoint Klaus either.

First though he had to correct this before Klaus found out.

Marcel picked the dagger up, but before he could react....

"Excellently put, sister of mine." A hoarse voice whispered. "Perhaps, I could help you all shove it."

"Rebekah! Look out!" Marcel shouted in warning and managed to get Rebekah behind himself before the Original Vampire, who was meant to still be desiccated, lunged at her and instead grabbed Marcel by the collar.

His skin was ashen grey, his eyes were pale yet focused, his clothes almost rags from the passage of time. There was no doubt though.

They had made a terrible mistake.

"Hello, Marcellus." Cyrus greeted with a husky voice. "I am your uncle, Cyrus. How good it is to meet you. And beside my sister no less. I must admit, this is funny."

As Cyrus cackled, Rebekah stood there in shock, as if she wasn't the one responsible for this.

"How is this possible?" She questioned at last. "How..."

"Oh, come come now, sweet sister. Is this any way to treat your brother?" Cyrus took a brief glance around him. "How long has he kept me daggered, hum?" He asked. "HOW LONG, REBEKAH?"

"You have been daggered for almost four hundred years. It is 1887." Marcel answered instead. This did little to cease the Old One's rage.

The old vampire jumped above him with an agility that a vampire, who hasn't had a lick of blood for centuries, should not possess. Cyrus grabbed Rebekah by the throat and lifted her up.

"You lot have left me to rot for four hundred years?!" He roared and before Marcel could move, Cyrus shoved Rebekah into him with such a force that it sent them both to the ground. "So much lost time. Time I could have spent with my Katerina. And all....because....of HIM!"

Cyrus lifted Rebekah back to her feet and stared into her eyes. "When you wake up, tell our brother that I shall wait for him in his precious city. Tell him not to tarry though. For I have his son."

Before Marcel could react, Rebekah's neck had been snapped and the angry Original was staring into his own eyes.

"You will obey me, Marcel, and do nothing that could anger me. And you will follow me."

Marcel lost control of his actions and followed Cyrus Mikaelson as the Original scavenged through his belongings and left the Mikaelson Mansion soon after.

Elijah POV:

"How the hell is this possible?" Niklaus roared. "How could you undagger him, sister?"

"Fuck you, Nik. You ruined everything for me again. Why should I care that you or Marcel will suffer as well?" Rebekah snapped at him. "I hope he puts his head on a spike."

"Rebekah, you do not understand." Elijah decided to intervene before his brother and sister started fighting each other again. This was the worst possible time. "Cyrus has promised retribution for what our brother did and he is more than likely to enact it here."

"I was justified, Elijah. He ruined the ritual."

"Be that as it may, he may well try to summon father here and have him destroy everything we have built in this city. And that is if he does not take to the task himself. We still have enemies here, who would gladly use the chance to fight against us."

"Just find him, witch." Niklaus addressed the witch Celestine. She had been working with them for years and was trustworthy. "It is what I am paying you for."

"I should charge extra for all the shouting." She muttered under her nose. "There." She pointed to the map, she had been using for her locator spell. "This is where he is and so is the other vampire."

"St. Louis' Cathedral?" Rebekah questioned. "What would he want to do there?"

"It would probably be packed with people." Elijah answered, having come to a grim realization. "Today is the wedding of the governor's daughter. She is supposed to marry there. And with so many guests attending, I fear our brother is planning a massacre."

They arrived in the cathedral just in time to see said massacre that had unfolded mere moments ago conclude in its bloody entirety. Marcel was holding the unlucky bride by the neck and was about to drive his fangs into her.

"Stop this, Marcel!" Klaus shouted.

"I....can't." Marcel uttered.

"He can't really do anything unless I allow him to."

They looked straight ahead and saw their brother, lounging on the altar. The blood on his clothes, which he had obviously taken from somewhere as they were not the old rags he had been in for centuries, suggested that he had partaken in this slaughter.

"Hello, oh massive disappointments of mine." Cyrus got to his feet. "Welcome to my reckoning. Isn't just so...fitting?" Klaus prepared to lunge at him, but before he could make a move, Cyrus continued. "I would not recommend this brother. Unless you want dear Marcel to stake himself."

They turned their eyes to Marcel who had produced a stake and had aimed it at his heart.

"Alright, brother. You have us all here. What do you want?"

"I want to turn back time and get the girl. Can you provide it? No, then SHUT UP ELIJAH, YOU SANCTIMONOUS FUCK!" He bellowed and then looked at Klaus. "So, brother. Was it worth it? I see you have settled again in this fine city. New Orleans. Perhaps I should burn it to the ground."

"You had it coming, brother. YOU BETRAYED ME!"

"I betrayed you? Me? I offered you a chance to do your stupid sacrifice right. I told you what you needed to do to get what you want and instead you smashed it all to bits on the floor." He chuckled darkly. "Perhaps, you were meant to fail. Perhaps it is destiny. The bastard brother indeed."

Elijah decided to put an end to this. "Brother. Please. Katerina is still out there. Klaus never managed to locate her. Go. Find her and let's live in peace. Let us put an end to this squabble once and for all. I implore you to show reason."

If looks could kill, Elijah would surely be dead as the glare that was currently piercing his eyes was truly poisonous. Cyrus grumbled to himself, but then suddenly, he smiled. Not a true smile, but one of spite and cruelty.

"Very well, brother." Cyrus smirked and lifted his arms. "I shall leave your city in peace. But first, I would like to leave you something to remember me by." Then he turned to Marcel. "Marcellus Gerard, here is my final command after which you will be freed. You shall maintain this suicidal stance until midnight. Should any of my siblings deign to leave this place, you will stake yourself. The same if anyone tries to enter this place. The slightest move from them and you will stake yourself. A single word from them and you shall stake yourself."

Cyrus jumped from the altar and straightened his coat. "You will be free at the stroke of midnight." Cyrus went for the doors, but before he left through them, he addressed Klaus one last time. "Let's see how much of your precious city is left standing once I leave it. In pieces."

Only after midnight, were we free from Cyrus's threat to Marcel's life. He knew none of us would hurt him. He knew Klaus and I cared for the boy and that Rebekah, due to her still lingering feelings for the man, would not let him die like that either. By the time Cyrus Mikaelson left New Orleans, half the city had been set ablaze and hundreds of their family's subordinates in the city were put to the death.