Marcel walked into the courtyard at the abattoir. "All right. I'm here. Let's do this." He looked at me. "What did you find out?"

I looked from Tyler to Marcel and Diego. "I'll keep this simple. This kid is an old enemy of your favorite person Klaus. Now, he's got plenty to say about what that traitorous son of a birch has been up to behind our backs. Now, for those of you faint of heart, there's the door. Because those of you who stick around, you're signing up for battle."

There was a confused murmuring across the crowd.

Marcel nodded.

*

"You all know Klaus wasn't always the hybrid," Tyler told us. "When he broke the curse that kept his werewolf side dormant, somewhere in all that, certain parts were now able to trump his vampire side. Like the ability to pass on the werewolf gene. That's where the werewolf girl he's been hiding from you all comes in. She rolled through my town, pretended to be my friend, and ended up hooking up with him. Now she's pregnant with his kid."

"What the hell is this?" Diego asked.

"Just listen," I told him.

"When Klaus became the hybrid, he figured out a way to turn full-bred werewolves into creatures like him," Tyler told us. He raised his hand. "You're looking at one of them. On the plus side, we had all the perks of being vampires. We were stronger, faster, and the toxins in our bites could still kill a vampire. But on the downside, we were loyal to him, like, supernaturally loyal."

"Right, and that's why you're here spilling all his secrets?" Diego asked.

"No," I told him. "That's the point, Diego. He figured out a way to break free of it."

"And I helped the rest of them, too," Tyler told us. "Then Klaus killed them for their betrayal."

The door opened and Rebekah walked in. "Because that is what Klaus does." She closed the door. The crowd was murmuring. "Don't mind me. I'm fascinated by this story. Hello, Tyler."

"Rebekah," Tyler replied. "Long time, no see."

"What Tyler was about to tell you is that my brother can use his baby's blood to sire more hybrids," Rebekah told us. "What you will all figure out is that vampires don't stand a chance. So, Tyler, I assume you were trying to rally this lot into making sure the baby isn't born."

Tyler stood. "Yeah. You don't like it, go ahead and take your brother's side, but you know I'm right."

"I believe you've mistaken the lady's intentions," Marcel told him.

"All right, what's going on?" Diego asked.

"You're absolutely right, Tyler," Rebekah told him. "My brother is a scrap enough individual as it is. The last thing he needs is to sire a superior species." I looked at her in confusion. Rebekah looked at Marcel. "Go on. You can tell them."

"She's not here to fight us," Marcel told us. "She's here to help us."

"That's right, but first..." Rebekah trailed off, rushing up to Tyler, snapping his neck and letting his body fall. She sat down in the chair, propping her feet up on the table. "That is enough talk about harming that baby. Klaus is the one we're putting a stop to."

*

Later, after everyone had been dispersed, Josh pulled up to the abattoir with his tinted windows rolled up as far as they could go with being able to talk without dying from the sunlight.

"What do you got, Josh?" I asked.

"What do I got?" Josh repeated. He looked at Marcel and Rebekah behind me. "Klaus wants me to steal some dagger from you. It's a test, okay? He knows I'm working for you. I'm sure of it."

"That blasted wants to dagger us again," Rebekah told us. "He deserves everything he's gonna get."

I looked at Josh. "Relax. If he knew, he would've ripped your spine out through your nose by now."

"Oh, great," Josh said sarcastically. "Now I feel totally at ease. What am I supposed to do?"

"You tell him you searched high and low but you couldn't find the dagger," I answered.

"Oh, God, I'm so dead," Josh told me.

"Then you tell him you saw I had it on me, that if he wants it, he'll have to come and get it," Marcel told him. "Which won't be easy as I'm paranoid and I beefed up my posse."

*

Klaus entered an empty abattoir courtyard.

Marcel suddenly stood behind him. "Klaus."

Klaus turned to face him. "You've been avoiding my calls."

"A little posses off lately," Marcel told him.

"Apologies for my behavior can come later," Klaus told him. "You have something of mine. I want it back."

Marcel pulled the dagger into view. "Sorry, but I can't do that."

Rebekah walked into view, taking the dagger from Marcel.

"What is this?" Klaus asked.

"Apologies for your behavior?" Rebekah asked. "You don't apologize, Nik. You just act. I've had enough. We have had enough."

Klaus smirked, stepping closer. "Well, look at you, finally in possession of the one thing that can take you down. How does it feel?"

"Great," Rebekah answered.

Marcel whistled through his fingers.

Vampires came into the courtyard, including Diego and me.

"So this is it," Klaus stated. "The evil blasted Klaus has gone too far, must be punished. And by his own sibling, nonetheless. How positively biblical. And you, Marcel, is this your idea of a hit? I taught you better than this paltry excuse for a takedown. You think you can subdue me with this?"

"No, but I think we can with this," I answered, whistling.

More vampires flooded into the courtyard.

Klaus sighed.

*

"Let's end this charade, shall we?" Klaus asked. "Vampires of New Orleans, do recall that I am an Original, a hybrid. I cannot be killed. Eternity is an awfully long time. How long do you think Marcel will stay in power? What if one of you lot were to release me, knowing I would be eternally in your debt? Oh, I would pity those of you who dared to cross me. I can assure you, your ends would be spectacular." He looked from me to Marcel. "To borrow a trick from two old friends..." He held up a coin. "Whoever picks up this coin gets to live." He tossed the coin to the ground. "Now, which of you magnificent bastards wants to join me?"

"Anyone wants that coin, pledge allegiance to Klaus, take it now," I told them. "Go ahead. The choice is yours."

No one moved.

I tilted my head slightly.

"Take him," Marcel told us.

One vampire rushed toward him. Klaus snapped his neck, pushing him away.

Another vampire rushed toward him. Klaus snapped his spine, throwing him against the wall, making him fall.

Klaus raised his arms into the air on either side of him, smirking. "Mmm..."

Marcel beckoned to the vampires behind him.

Two vampires slung chains around Klaus' arms, pulling him back, making him fall to the floor.

Klaus stood.

A vampire rushed toward him. Klaus snapped his neck, letting him fall. Another vampire rushed toward him. Klaus punched him in the face. The vampire punched him in the face, making him fall.

Everyone walked forward.

Two vampires held the chains steady against the wall so that Klaus couldn't break free.

The rest of us were kicking, punching and beating Klaus as he laid on the floor.

One vampire headbutted him, punching him, backing away.

A girl repeatedly stabbed him, backing away.

Klaus was weak, beaten, bloody.

Raising his head, I punched him in the face repeatedly.

Rebekah walked closer.

Klaus looked up angrily, transformed, growling.

Rebekah seemed to realize what a horrible idea this was, dropping the dagger to the ground.

Klaus broke free of the chains, kicking both of the vampires that had held them still.

One rushed toward him. He ripped out his heart, pushing him away. Another vampire rushed toward him. He bit him on the neck, letting him go, looking up, roaring. He threw the chains around one vampire's neck. He threw another against a wall. As two other vampires rushed toward him, he pulled out their hearts from their chests. "Marcel! Come and finish this!"

Marcel started to rush forward.

Rebekah grabbed his arm to stop him. "No." The fight continued. "Take the coin."

"What?" Marcel asked.

Klaus ripped out the heart of a vampire, snapping the neck of another.

"He won't stop until everyone is dead, and he will kill you, too," Rebekah told him. "End this. Pick up the coin."

Klaus pushed Diego against the wall, letting him fall.

Climbing across the wall, I kicked Klaus twice, making him fall. He stood angrily, gripping my throat, transformed, looking as if he was about to bite.

"Enough!" Marcel yelled.

Klaus let me go.

Everyone stopped fighting.

Marcel picked up the coin, kneeling to the floor.

Klaus walked toward him in amusement, blood dripping from his mouth. "Well, well, well. The great Marcel, self-proclaimed king of New Orleans, bowing before me."

Marcel threw the coin to his feet. "There. I hereby pledge my allegiance to you. You have the keys to my kingdom. It's yours."

Klaus smiled.

*

The surviving vampires, Diego, Marcel, me and a few others, were setting the dead vampires in rows of eight, three rows. 24 dead vampires.

All of them were covered with different colored sheets.

We doused them with alcohol.

Marcel was standing on the balcony with Klaus.

"Looking at what you've wrought?" Klaus asked.

"Look, if you're gonna kill me, let's get this over with," Marcel told him.

"Why would I kill you?" Klaus asked. "You picked up the coin. There are rules of engagement in battle, Marcel. Without them, you'd have anarchy. I would, however, like to talk about accommodations. Your living quarters, for example. I believe they used to be mine."

"You want all this?" Marcel asked. "Fine. It's yours. You can put me back on the street for all I care, but let's make one thing clear. You'll never have this. Loyalty. You can't buy it. You can't own it. You can't force it. It comes only out of love and respect for the people who believe in you. You taught me many things, Klaus Mikaelson, but this I learned myself, and it is something that you will never know. Enjoy your kingdom."

Marcel walked away.

I lit a match, tossing it onto the alcohol-doused bodies, letting them burn, walking away.