"GOOD LORD, THAT one has some lungs on him." Rebekah drawls as she drops the dead body in her hands to the ground. "He should've been an opera singer. Might've ended better for him, actually."
"Is this absolutely necessary?" Freya questions, clearly annoyed with her siblings.
"That depends." Rebekah shrugs. "Do you want us at our full strength, or do you plan on rescuing Nik on your own?"
"Well, death rattles are distracting, and I'm trying to break a cloaking spell." Freya states.
"Kol, would you please?" Elijah finally shouts, having enough of Kol and his desire to hear his victim scream. When the screaming stops Elijah nods. "Thank you. You were saying?"
"I can sense. Klaus is still in New Orleans. Most likely somewhere underground. I can't get a read on exactly where, unless I'm in the city itself." Freya explains.
"Yeah. That's gonna be a problem." Cullen speaks up. "Hayley's lived in New Orleans for the last five years, she calls to update me every month. As you can imagine, the place is crawling with vampires, all of whom hate all of us. Whatever we do, we need to do it fast."
"Well, I wasn't planning on a pub crawl." Freya reasons. "I don't want to stay any longer than we have to. But we need to go."
"Whoa. Wait... Wait." Kol interrupts. "We're not doing this today?"
"Hasn't Nik suffered enough?" Rebekah questions, glaring at her brother.
"Yes. And I've died. Twice. I'm not about to give Marcel a shot at a third. Now, I say, we draw that Muppet out of town. And when he's gone..." Cullen cuts Kol off before he can finish.
"I have been away from my daughter and husband long enough. If you're afraid..." Cullen trails off.
"It's called being sensible." Kol exclaims. "Until you and Freya can make enough cure with your werewolf hostage, Marcel can basically chew through our bloody throats."
"Enough." Elijah states. "We're all in danger. We free Niklaus today. Even if I have to burn that city to the ground."
-
Deciding to split up Elijah and Rebekah make their way to Josh while Cullen, Freya, and Kol head to the cathedral.
"This is where you absolutely had to do a locator spell?" Kol questions as the trio walk into the run down bell tower.
"Ah, well, when I first moved to New Orleans, I primed this space. Marked it with my magic, made it mine." Freya explains. "I'm weak enough as it is. I'll still need Cullen's help, being here will only amplify our power."
"This dusty bell tower may be your own, but this is Marcel's city, and we're nothing but targets." Kol continues as Freya lays out a map on the only table in the room.
"All the more reason to let us work." Cullen stress, walking over to the table to stand in front of Freya. "The sooner we find Klaus, the sooner we get out of here." After Kol quiets down Cullen and Freya get to work, easily locating Klaus once they combine their magic.
"Alright let's go." Freya speaks up as Kol grabs onto the two of them, speeding them to Rosseau's where they were meeting Rebekah, Josh, and Elijah.
"Everyone's out." Josh announces, giving the all clear for the Mikaelson family to enter. "Place is yours."
"See?" Kol smiles as they walk in. "Wasn't that easier than us having to try to kill everyone?"
"Yeah." Josh quips. "So, what now?"
"Would you be so kind as to move that freezer unit, so that we might be able to access the tunnels?" Elijah questions, gesturing to the back room.
Cullen arches an eyebrow when Josh doesn't respond. "Times ticking, Josh. Go on."
"Are you absolutely certain we're looking in the right place?" Kol turns to his family as Josh walks to the back.
"We know this tunnel runs the length of the city. Marcel must've carved out a section to serve as his personal dungeon." Freya explains.
"Ingenious and sadistic. Well done, Marcel." Elijah mutters.
"Save the compliments for when he comes to kill us. Your flattery might give him pause." Kol replies, his comment earning a bored stare from his older brother.
"Okay, you're all set here." Josh joins them again. "So, uh, good luck, break a leg, and I'll just be on my way."
"What, so you can rat us out to Marcel? Not bloody likely." Kol stops him.
"Oh, just snap his neck." Freya suggests. "We'll be done by the time he wakes."
"And if he wakes before that?" Elijah drawls.
Kol shurgs. "Then kill him."
"I'm right here, guys." Josh interrupts.
"We're not killing him." Cullen tells them before walking to the back room.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Elijah agrees. "For some reason, he's of value to Marcel. Kol, would you?"
Kol leans forward, placing his arms on the table between him and Josh. "Happy to stay and have a drink and eviscerate anyone who tries to follow you."
"Good, then let's go. We're wasting time." Freya hums, following after Cullen.
Elijah smiles tightly before following his sister. "Splendid."
-
"Niklaus!" Elijah calls as the three of them run through the tunnels, stopping when they finally reach Klaus. Elijah bangs on the gate between him and Klaus, but it wouldn't budge. "Brother."
"Klaus." Cullen breathes, pushing past Elijah. She couldn't believe after five years she was seeing him, let alone being in the same room as him. Placing her hands on the gate, she mumbles a quick spell allowing the gate to break open.
"Niklaus." Elijah tries again as they enter the room, stopping when they see the circle of salt around him. "We're here."
"This spell is strong." Cullen mutters as both her and Freya place their hands against it, trying to get a feel for it.
"It's been reinforced over time." Freya adds. "Which means it's going to take time to break."
"We don't have time." Elijah shakes his head.
"We could try brute force." Cullen suggests, turning to Freya. "Overwhelm it."
Freya nods. "That may work. Elijah you'll need to keep watch." Both women get on their knees in front of the circle, grabbing ahold of each others hand.
"Apne en vrata. Apne en vrata. Apne en vrata. Apne en vrata. Apne en vrata. Apne en vrata." The spell has barely even begun when Elijah spins around, he's not the only one. For a moment Cullen's focus wavers as she hears someone enter the compound. Turning to look at Elijah she gives him a single nod before going back to the spell.
"Whatever happens, don't stop until Niklaus is free." Elijah instructs before speeding away.
The spell only gets harder as they continue, but that doesn't stop Cullen or Freya. "Freya." Cullen raises her voice over their chanting.
"I know." Freya responds as they continue to chant. "You're going to have to take the blade out."
Cullen nods as they go back to chanting. Jumping up to her feet, she watches as the salt barrier begins to break. When the smallest spilt can be seen in the sand Cullen raises her voice, pushing her magic into the barrier.
"Go." Freya shouts making Cullen speed forward, slamming her hand into Klaus' chest as she grabs ahold of the blade, yanking it out. Klaus screams in pain as the blade leaves his body, but the minute it's gone he gasps, arching forward in relief.
"Klaus." Cullen whispers, dropping to her knees in front of his weak body. She places her hands on his face, pulling him close. "Klaus. I'm here."
"Cullen." Klaus mumbles, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Almost as if he's snapped out of some trance he seems to become more lucid. "Cullen." Lunging forward he pulls the woman closer, placing his lips on top of hers. "You're really here."
"I'm here." Cullen nods, whipping away a stray tear as she pulls Klaus to his feet. "But we need to go."
"Not just yet, love." Klaus smirks, already back to his old self. "I believe I have a favor to return." Grabbing ahold of his sister and wife, Klaus speeds them upstairs just in time to hear Marcel's speech.
"Why? Why? Because you think that would be justice for your family? They were my family, too. And you tore my heart out and threw me off a bridge. And your brother just stood by and watched. There is only one justice left." Marcel yells at Elijah just before Klaus speeds behind him, shoving Papa Tunde's blade into his chest.
"Klaus." Elijah mumbles as his brother falls forward.
"Go." Freya exclaims as Elijah catches Klaus. The four of them don't stay around to watch Marcel double over in pain, quickly fleeing the compound. They follow their plan, making their way through New Orleans before they reach the Bayou. Cullen hadn't exactly given them the directions to her house, but that's where they planned to meet.
"Nik." Rebekah exclaims when she sees her brother.
"Hey, you can hug him later. We need to leave." Freya stresses.
"Marcel's right behind us." Cullen tells them. "Go. Go."
"Actually, I'm right here." Marcel speeds in front of them, blocking their path to the car. "You shouldn't have come back none of you."
"That's what family does." Cullen emphasizes. "We fight for each other."
"Yeah, so I've heard." Marcel shrugs. "Though it didn't really work out for me, did it?"
"Oh, for God's sake." Kol groans. "You were never a Mikaelson, get over it. Don't you have a city to run? Vampires to boot out of town?"
When Marcel begins to move towards Kol, Rebekah jumps forward. "If you want to kill one of us, you'll have to kill us all."
"Hey, don't push me, Rebekah." Marcel scolds.
"Then get on with it." Rebekah narrows her eyes. "Let's end this once and for all."
"That's enough." Klaus steps forward. "That's enough, Marcel, you've won. New Orleans was our city once. Now it's yours. For good."
Marcel smirks. "Is the great Klaus Mikaelson accepting defeat? Or is this all just another distraction?"
"Neither. In fact, despite your appalling behavior, I'm offering you a chance at peace. Attempt to kill us all, and you will be making a mistake. Any who survived would no doubt return to seek revenge, bringing our enemies back to your city in our wake. And even if you did manage to eliminate us all, one day my daughter would come for you. And her daughter after that. On and on for all your days An endless cycle of violence you will bring upon yourself. Or... Or we leave and we never come back." Klaus finishes.
Marcel laughs, shaking his head. "After all that time buried in a hole, you still got some nerve. Yeah, well, you stand there with a straight face and try to sell this like it's your choice. But here's the truth. I could kill all of you right now. And tonight I would sleep like a baby. Hell, that's what you would do. You've destroyed more people, taken more lives, ended more families than anyone who's ever lived. All because you can. But here's the other truth. Despite being raised by you people I am nothing like any of you. In fact, I'm proud as hell I'm not a Mikaelson. I beat you all without turning into you. And now you can live the rest of your lives knowing that the only reason that you exist is because I am showing you mercy. Now go. And don't ever come back."
Cullen stands back, watching as her family get's into the car. Following after them she get's into the drivers seat. And once again she was driving away from the city that hated them, but this time. This time they were all together.