KLAUS was sitting in his study, seated at his desk, and explaining their situation with Lucien with Ingrid, who was standing next to him with her arms crossed over her chest, and Elijah, who paced around in front of the fireplace.

"And, given the circumstance, Lucien qualifies as both friend and foe, and according to Freya's prophecy--" Klaus began but was cut off.

"--You are to beware both friend and foe. But, let us not forget family, Niklaus." Elijah pointed out sternly then looked at Ingrid. "You are not excused from the possibility either."

Ingrid scoffed and rolled her dark brown eyes. "Of course. But with that idea in mind, neither are you." She pointed out sternly, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him.

Klaus, clearly hurt by Elijah's insinuation, paused for a moment before shrugging it off. "Lucien's two out of three-- I say we put him down. Just like old times."

"Just like old times?" Elijah questioned drolly with a sarcastic smile. "Brother, I wonder who among our family do you suppose has the greatest predilection for betrayal?"

Ingrid bit her lip to keep from snapping at him and nodded her head slowly, musing to herself.

Klaus was beginning to grow frustrated with Elijah's refusal and sighed loudly. "Brother, please--"

Elijah interrupted him again. "Now, before we murder Lucien, there are certain questions that need to be answered. Chiefly, what is he doing here?" He asked them and Klaus remained silent, but looked at him curiously. "And the wolf venom... Why would he lie to you, his sire?" Elijah picked up one of Klaus' larger paintbrushes and tossed it in the air before catching it several times. "I'm afraid we might have to resort to something deliciously medieval here."

Klaus soaked in his words and smirked. "We? I take it you will lower yourself to associate with your bastard brother?" He questioned on surprise and stood to his feet as Elijah smiled fakely at him. "Have you finally forgiven me?"

"I will consider it..." Elijah started with a blank look as Klaus became pleased by this answer and smiled at him. However that was short lived when Elijah was not the least bit amused and finished his sentence. "...When Hayley forgives you, Gia rises from the dead, and hell freezes over. For now, however, let's just hope your little friendship with Lucien doesn't disrupt our mission." Elijah sneered before turning around and leaving the room without another word.

Klaus, surprised and hurt by this reaction, just gaped in shock at Elijah's words and watched him walk away. Ingrid sucked on her teeth and glanced at her husband with a pointed expression. "He is rather adamant in his position as am I. ... let the petty games begin." She remarked with a devious smirk.

The trio made a plan and burst into Lucien's apartment to question him further on what he was doing in New Orleans. "Lucien.... Come out, come out, wherever you are." Klaus taunted as he threw the large orante doors wide open.

At the sound of his voice, Alexis walked into the living room with a sly smile. "I'm afraid you missed him."

"Where is he?" Klaus asked in suspicion.

"At the police station. A detective, Kinney, had some questions for him." The witch explained with an amused smile.

"And he allowed himself to be arrested?" Elijah queried, skeptically of Lucien's cooperation.

"He has nothing to hide." Alexis answered smugly.

"Lucien's innocent." Ingrid commented with a condescending smile. "I'm not fond of that bastard, believe me, but I suspect he's being played for a fool."

Elijah seemed to get an idea and smiled as he sat down on the leather couch with a smirk on his face. "Lucien's occupied. Perhaps we should entertain ourselves right here?"

Ingrid chuckled darkly and walked around Alexis, circling her almost. "Yes..."

Klaus smiled at his family before looking over at Alexis, who seemed amused. "Oh. Well, I've never been one to turn down a snack..." Klaus hinted devilishly at Alexis.

Alexis started setting up ingredients for a spell on one of the small round tables in the living room. She lit some candles as the Originals watched her with interest.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Klaus questioned impatiently casuing Ingrid to pat his arm gently.

"Elijah and I can begin now, but just us." Alexis explained as she blew out her match. "Sadly, I've already shown you both what visions of yours I've managed to divine."

"The warning was for all of us-- friend, foe, and family. I'd like to see his, please." Klaus requested sternly.

Alexis looked at him curiously for a moment then walked toward them. "Since family is one of your concerns, and you two are brothers, are you so sure you want to see what I have to show you?" She brushed her hair off of her neck and both Klaus and Elijah smirked in amusement.

"Oh, I never could resist a good spoiler." Elijah smoothly remarked and grabbed her roughly by the neck.

Klaus held out Alexis' left wrist to Ingrid, which she took, and grabbed onto the witch's right. The trio bared their fangs before sinking them into her flesh in a synchronized motion.

In the visions, there was another flash of a page from a spell book, which was covered in unintelligible writing around two pentacles drawn on either end of the page. It then flashed to the Mikaelson compound's living room, where the portrait of Elijah had been splashed with a fount of blood, dripping down the length of the painting and onto the frame.

The vision cut to Marcel, who was on his knees on the floor of what looked like St. Louis Cathedral and wiping at a cut on his face as someone stood over him. Then the vision flashed over to the police department, where Lucien was seen stroking the palm of Cami's hand in the interrogation room, as though he was reading the lines. Cami looking nervous as he did so.

Klaus and Elijah were shocked so much that they snapped Alexis' neck as they pulled away from her.

Concerned, Elijah gently lied her body down on the table, taking care not to drop her on the candles.

Klaus, agitated, looked from Alexis to Elijah. "Well, at least your visions were specific. It seems Lucien has intentions for Camille."

"Camille?" Ingrid snapped in offense and glared at her husband. "Who cares about Camille! What about Marcellus?"

Elijah wiped the corner of his mouth and nodded in agreement. "For what feels like an eternity, Ingrid and I are finally at a concensus. What of Marcel-- family and friend? Where do his loyalties lie?"

"No." Ingrid argued and pointed a finger at her brother-in-law. "That was not what I meant. Marcel is no threat to us. Marcel is family and that vision shows that he is in danger. We need to help him."

"Find him and question him." Klaus ordered as he turned to leave.

Elijah looked at him in confusion, furrowing is eyebrows accordingly. "And where are you going?"

"I'm going to eliminate an old friend before he gets his teeth into my therapist!" Klaus responded quickly with wide eyes and ran off frantically.

Elijah and Ingrid shared a glance and the latter of the two growled furiously before storming out the door. Elijah sighed and observed his surroundings, making sure nothing would catch fire, then followed suit.

They arrived at Marcel's loft to find all of his vampires sprawled on the floor. Elijah walked over to Josh, who was laying flat on his back on the floor with face covered in his blood, and gave him an amused, albeit patronizing, look. "Joshua. Would you kindly enlighten me as to what happened here?" Elijah asked while pulling out his pocket square and dropping it on Josh's chest so he could clean himself up.

Ingrid stepped over bodies, searching for Marcel in a panicked fashion. "Where's Marcellus?"

Josh groaned in pain and sat up, rubbing his right shoulder as he did. "Ohhh... God, this woman..."

Elijah walked around the room and took in the sight of the other vampires, many of whom were still unconscious. The furniture in the room had also been trashed as well and the loft was left in disarray. "What woman?"

"I don't know. She walked in like she owned the place. Said she had to talk to Marcel in private." Josh explained, rising to his feet and wiping at the blood that had crusted under his nose. "We tried to get rid of her, and boom-- Smackdown City. Which obviously went quite well." He remarked sarcastically, gesturing around him.

"Do you know where she took him?" Ingrid asked quickly, her heart pounding away at her chest.

Elijah noticed something familiar lying on the floor and crouched down to grab whatever it was. He examined what appeared to be a black business card with a stylistic looking owl stamped on the front in white ink. "Did this woman happen to have a name?"

"I don't know." Josh answered with a shake of his head and thought about it for a moment until he remembered. "Um... Aya?"

Ingrid's dark brown eyes widened and she immediately turned toward Elijah, who closed his eyes and sighed in recognition. "Aya. Let me guess-- Five-foot-seven, built like a goddess, vicious as a viper?"

"So, you know her?" Josh commented with a flat-lipped smile.

"I sired her." Elijah admitted then dipped the card in a pool of blood until an address was revealed in the bottom of the card. He then held it up to show Ingrid causing her to take a deep breath with a dreadful facial expression.

"The oldest society of vampires this world has ever known. We are called The Strix." Aya explained to Marcel at their headquarters.

Just then, Elijah appeared in the doorway behind her. "Quite the prestigious organization! Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues, assassinations..."

"You know... just all the fun stuff." Ingrid added, walking forward to stand next to Elijah.

Aya froze at the sound of his voice, and at first, she kept her back to him so he couldn't see how displeased she was by his presence. "You have to break rules if you want to build a new world." She remarked haughtily then finally turned to face him. "Hello, Elijah. It's been a while." She greeted him in disdain and looked at the hybrid in annoyance. "Ingrid."

Marcel, now suspicious of her as a result of Elijah's words, circled around her. Realizing they're not strangers, Marcel rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You two know each other."

"Intimately." Elijah answered in a sultry tone and smiled for a brief second before speeding toward Aya and holding her as though he was dipping her in a formal dance until shoving his fist into her chest and grabbing her heart. Aya groaned out in pain as Elijah whispered to her, unamused. "Whatever you are doing here, I know you're not alone."

"Yes." Ingrid said while strolling further into the room. "Where is he?" She snarled out in disgust then saw the younger vampire and smiled widely. "Marcellus." She greeted him happily and walked straight for him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Are you alright?" She asked in genuine concern.

He laughed wholeheartedly and nodded his head. "Depends on what you've gotten me into." He teased. She scoffed with a fake offended expression and smacked his chest earning another laugh from Marcel.

Suddenly, a familiar male voice called out to him from the doorway. "Let her go, Elijah. No need for this to become vulgar."

At the sound of their voice, Ingrid laughed sinisterly and turned to face the owner. It was Tristan, who was accompanied by at least a dozen fellow vampires. She moved her body to block Marcel from him and clapped her hands sarcastically.

Elijah rolled his eyes with a smirk while Aya continued to gasp in his arms. "And there he is." He drew out slowly and, still clutching Aya's heart, turned to see the leader, who looked amused by them. "Tristan."

Tristan, with his hands shoved into his front pockets, grinned smugly at the Originals.

Marcel stood back-to-back with Elijah, seeming to be gearing up for a fight as the members of The Strix close in on them, while Ingrid still remained protectively in front of him. Marcel turned his head toward them and spoke lowly. "Ingrid goes forward, you go left, I go right?"

Elijah was suspicious of Marcel's intentions with The Strix and narrowed his eyes. He yanked his hand out of Aya's chest, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized he considerately left her heart intact. He then glanced over at Marcel suspiciously. "Why don't you stay where I can see you?"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and reached behind her to grab onto Marcel, who was visibly offended and hurt by what Elijah was implying. The hybrid grabbed ahold of Marcel's arm and pulled him further behind her.

Tristan smiled at them, bemused. "It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good scrap, but, uh... It's not why I'm here." He rolled his eyes and reflexively handed Elijah his pocket square, assuming he would want to clean himself up.

Elijah seemed slightly embarrassed by this reminder but ultimately took the handkerchief and used it to mop Aya's blood off his hands.

Tristan turned toward the Strix and excused them. "Mr. Mikaelson and I require the room. Please leave us." He ordered politely

The Strix exited the room without another word while Marcel stayed behind.

"Elijah, your sireline-- your life-- is at stake. You want to hear what I have to say." Tristan spoke in a dull tone, giving Elijah a serious expression.

Elijah sighed and turned to dismiss his adopted nephew. "Marcellus, please. And you would do well to be selective about the company you keep in the future."

Aya couldn't help but smile at this statement but Marcel just became even more annoyed and defensive. "Maybe you should remember who your friends are. It looks like you're going to need 'em." He snapped and shook his head while walking out the door.

Tristan stared at Elijah for a moment before turning to Ingrid with an adoring look. "Ingrid, my darling! You are still the most exquisite woman I have ever lied my eyes on."

The hybrid couldn't hold back the reflex to gag and placed a hand on her chest. "Oh, God. My apologies but you're still as revolting and repugnant as the day I first saw you."

"It's almost adorable how you still reject my advances." He commented in amusement and shrugged a shoulder in nonchalance. "No worries, one day I will win you over."

"You have staked that claim over the course of the last millennium. I'm not as regretful as I seem but I must inform you... what ever is is you're trying to do is not working." Ingrid informed him in an overdramatic whisper.

Elijah licked his lips to hide his amused smirk and turned toward her. "Ingrid... You're excused. This is Strix business."

Rolling her eyes, she gave her brother-in-law a sarcastic smile. "Oh, well of course. I forgot. My apologies. I'll leave you to your pretentiousness. But please remember to pull your head out of your own ass long enough to come up for air." She snarled in offense then walked out door.

Ingrid was walking down the street while dialing a number on her phone. When the recipient didn't pick up, she growled in aggravation and left a message after the tone. "Niklaus, please call me back. We have a problem." She vaguely explained then hung up the phone. Coming to a familiar loft, the Original knocked on the door and waited to be greeted.

The door opened wide revealing Marcel standing before her. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he motioned for her to enter. "What are you doing here?"

Ingrid walked into the loft, noticing Josh sitting across the room, and stopped in the living room. "Well, I'm here for several reasons actually." She admitted honestly and glanced up at him with a soft expression. "My number one reason, and priority, being to ensure that you're alright."

Marcel smiled in appreciation, held his hands out his side, and spun around in a three hundred sixty motion. "As you can see... I'm good." He reassured her with a chuckle.

Laughing at him, she smirked in amusement. "Alright, smart-ass." She mused with an eyeroll then sobered up slightly. "I did have something i wished to discuss with you... however, it's a family matter." She explained, side-eyeing Josh in a nonverbal hint to Marcel.

Receiving her hint, Marcel turned to his protégé. "Hey, Josh." He called out, getting the younger vampire's attention. "Do me a favor and go check up on everyone. Make sure they're good. While you're at it, bring them a few bags too."

Josh nodded in understanding, standing up from his spot on the couch. He then walked out of the room only to come out with a cooler in hand and leave the loft entirely without another word. Once they were sure Josh was out of earshot, Marcel turned to Ingrid with an intrigued facial expression and his arms crossed over his chest. "If it's a family matter, why're you discussing it with me?"

Gaping at him in disbelief, Ingrid shook her head in rejection. "Simple. Because you're family, Marcellus." She answered in a serious manner. Noticing his unconvinced facial expression, she grabbed his arm and smiled affectionately. "You are. How many times must I say it for you to be convinced?"

"Elijah doesn't seem convinced." Marcel argued gruffly and grew annoyed again from the events that happened earlier at the Strix headquarters. "He treats me like an outsider or an acquaintance. Hardly like family."

Ingrid rolled her eyes and curled her lips into a snarl. "Elijah doesn't seem to be able to comprehend the concept of family. He can't be bothered to even treat his family like family. He's too busy trying save the dogs out in the Bayou. Word of advice, darling? Don't sit around waiting for Elijah to treat you differently because you'll be waiting for an eternity." She advised angrily then took a deep breath to calm herself and smiled warmly. "But you are family, Marcellus."

"What was Tristan talking about when he told Elijah his sire line is at stake?" Marcel asked in confusion, walking over to the couch and tsking a seat.

Ingrid walked over to his bartop and set out two glasses. She studied his collection then held up a bottle of whiskey, shaking it side to side with a raised eyebrow. "May I?" She asked politely and he nodded in acceptance. The Original poured equal amounts of liquor into the glasses while speaking again. "That is actually one of the reasons I wished to speak to you." She handed him a glass and watched as he looked at her in caution.

"There is a... prophecy floating around. Each of the Mikaelsons shall fall. And I don't have to tell you what happens when an Original meets an untimely end." Ingrid explained, sipping from her glass. "Lucien and Tristan have decided to pay us a visit to play their part in securing their own sire lines. You deserve to know that because Niklaus' life is being threatened meaning so is your own."

Marcel nodded slowly as he took in the information. Ingrid sighed heavily and walked toward him with a frown. "While that may seem to be a nobel act, I fear what will become of our family with them here. No doubt Tristan is talking his way into Elijah's ear of ways to rid of Niklaus in order to save himself." She jeered in anger, sitting down across from him. "He always was the conniving..." She trailed off, gritting her teeth together, and smiled bitterly. "Well, you get the gist. It won't be long before both sides are pinned against each other."

"What's the deal with Tristan anyway?" Marcel inquired and leaned forward in his seat.

Looking down at her glass, the hybrid let out a small, humorless laugh. "He is Elijah's first sired." She answered vaguely before lifting her eyed to glance at Marcel again. "What feels like eons ago, when we were fresh out of our transition, we sought sanctuary in the Court of Marseilles out of no fault of my own...." Ingrid began to let Marcel in on her past. "We were on the run from Mikael and to keep our family safe, we hid what we were, who we are. It was safe for a brief moment."

Ingrid let out a deep breath and set her glass down on one of the side tables. "It's a very complicated mess... it started when Lucien wanted to win Aurora's heart and he pleaded for Niklaus' help, which he was happy to provide...."

Lucien walked down the hallway to find Aurora pressing her body against Klaus, who kept backing away from her until he hit a wall. Knowing she had him cornered, Aurora attempted to kiss Klaus on his lips but the Original continued to refuse. "Aurora, I am afraid I must decline. I---"

Upon witnessing this scene, it was clear by the expression on Lucien's face that he felt betrayed and hurt. "No..." He gaped out in horror.

Klaus turned toward him with wide eyes and held his up a hand in a non-threatening manner. "You are misunderstanding---"

Lucien, now furious, rushed toward Klaus and pointed a finger at him angrily. "I trusted you!"

Aurora, looking terrified, walked toward Lucien, grabbing Klaus' hand and pulling him along with her. "Quiet! I'm meant to be in prayer! If anyone finds you here--"

Klaus sensed something nearby and became alarmed, glancing at them anxiously. "It's too late. The guards are coming."

The sounds of footsteps, loud male voices, and clattering weapons grew louder and louder as the guards approached the room.

"My handmaids must have seen him enter. If the guards know, then Tristan himself will be alerted!" Aurora said in a panic, looking at Klaus in horror.

"I will deal with them." Klaus replied in determination.

Aurora's eyes widened in fear and she shook her head, distraught at the idea of Klaus killing Tristan. "No. No, Niklaus, he is my brother!"

Lucien, so upset he had broken down into tears, was still enraged by what he had seen and turned to Aurora. "Do you think he cares? Do you not know what manner of men you are with? He is a beast!"

Klaus, overwhelmed, pointed at Lucien in frustration and stepped closer to him. Lucien grew terrified and backed up as much as he can while Klaus tried to explain the situation. "Lucien, my friend--"

"We are not friends!" Lucien snapped furiously, cutting him off.

A still-panicked Aurora desperately grabbed ahold of Klaus' hand again and tried to pull him away. "Go! Now, please!" She pleaded, breathless from fear.

Devastated, Lucien collapsed onto the floor and sobbed as Klaus watched in guilt. He called out urgently to Lucien as he ran away, though he didn't turn around to look at him. "Lucien, follow me!"

Klaus headed for the window and Aurora knelt down in front of Lucien and took his hands in an effort to force him to leave as well. "Lucien, go! There is no time.

However, before Lucien could even attempt to escape, Tristan walked into the room with two armed guards to find his sister holding his hands. Stunned and appalled by the sight of them together, his eyes widened and he gritted his teeth together. "YOU!" Tristan, unable to look at them, turned to his guards. "Take him."

"Tristan had Lucien imprisoned and tortured for a simple misunderstanding." Ingrid informed Marcel with a deep frown on her face. "While I don't particularly enjoy Lucien's presence... I sympathize with what he had to go through." She whispered softly before continuing on with her story. "Niklaus snuck in to visit Lucien, trying to explain it all to him again. But Lucien refused to listen and in a fit of rage, he stabbed Niklaus..."

Lucien picked up a discarded blade and stabbed Klaus in the abdomen. Klaus groaned in pain and pulled away as he processed what had happened. When he realized Lucien has stabbed him, he became frustrated. "Are you mad? You know what I am!" Klaus pulled the knife out of his abdomen, the blade still coated in his blood, and held it to the side. "This rage is pointless, you cannot hurt me!"

Lucien tried to wrestle the blade out of Klaus' hand, and when Klaus tried to yank it away, he accidentally sliced Lucien's palm open. Lucien groaned in pain and opened his hand to examine the wound, but it immediately began to heal. Lucien gasped in shock, and Klaus, too, gaped in surprise. Within moments, the lacerations on Lucien's face and back healed themselves as well.

Klaus stared at him, stunned. "My blood... healed you..."

Lucien, horrified, instantly backed away from Klaus in confusion. "I... am like you?"

Both terrified and exhilarated, Lucien fleed the room, still covered in blood and gripping the blade he stole from Klaus, while Klaus continued to sit there, too surprised to move.

"Lucien then made an ignorant mistake and tried to kill Tristan. However, Lucien was executed on the spot before he could get close." Ingrid continued with a blank look on her face.

"He died with Klaus' blood in his system." Marcel concluded, taking in all the information. "Making him the first vampire."

Nodding, she shifted in her seat and rubbed her fingers across her forehead. "Tristan then thought it best to prove a point. That Niklaus was a demon of the night and I should be with him instead. I declined that offer and that seemed to fuel his anger for our family."

"So, what does Tristan have to do with the Strix or Elijah?" Marcel asked her in confusion.

"Elijah created the Strix as a... collection of brilliant minds to help create a better future as he put it. When Mikael caught up to us, Elijah was forced to leave all of that behind. He practically begged Aya to flee with us but she refused." Ingrid explained with a small frown and traced circles on the arm rest of the chair. "This... ultimately devastated Elijah. So, Elijah left the Strix, and Aya behind, to the slaughter. When it was safe, Elijah returned to find that Mikael had done just that and Elijah assumed that Aya had met the same fate. However, the Strix survived because Tristan took leadership but it wasn't the same. I believe Elijah described it as a collection of ego-maniacal sociopaths."

"There is something I would like to request from you..." Ingrid trailed off nervously and tapped her fingers together. "Tristan believes you to be a valuable recruit." She informed him with a devious look on her face. "Now Elijah won't be pleased if you get involved but I believe you being a part of the Strix could be an asset to saving your life. Which is why you need to play his game and I'm going to help you."

---
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