Being a vampire in New Orleans was like nothing else, you could do whatever the hell you wanted as long as you stuck by Marcel's rules, but being a vampire who befriended the witches made you an outcast to most. However, Marcel found Caroline's close connection to the witches to be useful and therefor she had become part of his inner circle, like a little sister who came and went as she pleased. But whenever he needed her, she would come.
Things however where different now, Caroline had been keeping her distance from Marcel and all his schemes since she learned of the witches plans to stop his tyranny.
She had heard about the Original family of vampires, she knew Marcel was in love with the hybrids sister and that the two of them had been conspiring behind the hybrids back. She knew of the werewolf carrying his child and of his brother doing everything to protect her, but from what she learned from Sophie, the only thing that mattered to the man the witches were putting all their hopes onto was the child.
Caroline had showed up to one of Marcel's meetings tonight, not because she wanted to but because she knew something grand was going to happen and she couldn't not show up.
She stepped inside the quarter and was immediately surrounded by some of Marcels closest, Drake being one of them.
"Drake" she greeted him as he walked next to her, two others flanking either side of them.
"Evening Caroline" he responded and cast a glance around the streets.
"What's with the sudden protection detail?" she questioned and motioned to the men around her, there were even some on the roof following them.
"After tonight it'll be gone" Drake reassured her and Caroline rolled her eyes at his antiques to keep her out of the loop.
"I know this is about the hybrid, but as far as I know this has nothing to do with me" she pointed out and Drake only looked at her without saying anything.
The rest of the way to Marcels they remained silent, Drake led her inside and disappeared to a group of some vampires she had seen around but never really been familiar with.
She spotted Marcel standing in the corner talking to another leggy blonde, she was beautiful, Caroline tuned in her hearing to catch part of their conversation and quickly understood the blonde was none other than Rebekah Mikaelson and that the two of them had great plans of removing the hybrid tonight.
She sighed and shrugged out of her jacket before walking inside Marcel's apartment and to the kitchen where she knew he kept his blood bags.
"Welcome home" she heard from behind her as she pulled out a bag of B+ and turned around to greet him with a smile.
"Hey Marcel" she smiled and stepped into his arms as he opened them for a hug.
"It's good having you back" he told her honestly and she pulled back with a laugh.
"Please, I haven't been gone that long, and you know where I've been" she amended and he sighed as he leaned against the counter and watched her put the mug full of blood into the microwave before she turned to face him again.
"I know you've been staying with Sophie, I don't like it Caroline. She knows what you mean to me, if she wants payback for Jane Anne; all she has to do is go through you." Caroline shook her head and sighed before pulling out the mug with fresh blood.
"Please, Sophie isn't stupid; she knows all hell will descend if she touches a hair on my head. And besides, Sophie likes me, she just doesn't like that I like you" she clarified and stepped past him and out onto the balcony, looking down at the large gathering under her.
"So," she said as he came out and joined her.
"That's Rebekah?" she asked and pointed to the blonde who was pacing back and forth nervously.
"That's her" he said and Caroline smiled before she sipped at her cup.
"She's pretty" he chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"She is, and she is also very deadly" he sighed and leaned on the railing.
"Yeah, about that… What's going on here?" she asked and motioned to everyone.
"We're going to take him out tonight" he told her and she swallowed, she already knew but Marcel didn't need to know that.
"Okay, how exactly are you planning on doing that?"
"The garden" he said and she nodded her head.
"I see" she said in her own thoughts.
"Come on, it's almost time" he told her and straightened as his eyes met with Rebekah's who cast a curious glance at Caroline.
Caroline left the mug in the kitchen before following Marcel into the courtyard. He led her over to Rebekah and a large crowd gathered around them.
"Rebekah, this is Caroline" he introduced them and Caroline and Rebekah looked each other over before giving a brief nod of recognition.
"Nice to meet you" Rebekah told her less then truthfully and Caroline laughed before responding with just as much sarcasm.
"Likewise" Marcel frowned at their exchange but he didn't have time to worry about that at the moment.
"He'll be here any minute" Rebekah told Marcel and as if on cue everyone heard steps coming into the circle, everyone spread out in a wide circle, and Caroline retrieved into the shadows behind Marcel and Rebekah and watched the newcomer with interest.
He was handsome was the first thing she noticed, and like Marcel she could feel power radiating of him, only the power she felt was tenfold the power Marcel had.
He stopped in the middle of the ring and looked around, his eyes landing briefly on Rebekah before he turned to the masses again.
"Let's end this charade, shall we?" was the first words he uttered and Caroline couldn't help but enjoy his confidence and the way the words sounded with that British accent of his.
He threw out his hands and regarded the masses, focusing in no one in particular.
"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?" he asked and pointed at Marcel who remained poised and calm, she was impressed at his composure.
"What if, one of you lot were to release me, knowing I would be eternally in your debt." He said with a smile before it quickly disappeared and a voice of threat replaced it.
"Oh, I would pity those of you who would dare to cross me. I can assure you, your ends would be spectacular." He promised and looked at Drake who Caroline could see was struggling with holding himself back.
"To borrow a trick, from an old friend" he said and held up a coin for everyone to see, and Caroline took a step forward to get a better look, only to have Marcel block her sight when he positioned himself protectively in front of her.
"Whoever picks up this coin, gets to live!" he called out and dropped the coin to the ground, nobody said anything as he looked around the circle, seeing if anyone would step forward and take the coin, and for a moment Caroline was tempted, but she wanted to see how this would play out.
"Now which one of you magnificent bastards wants to join me?" he questioned confidently and Marcel took a step forward, addressing everyone.
"Anyone who wants that coin, pledge allegiance to Klaus, take it now" so that was his name, Klaus Mikaelson. Marcel was confident of victory where he stood, she could see that much, but Caroline wasn't so sure, there was something about the hybrid that told her he was very much mistaken.
"Go ahead, the choice is yours" Caroline knew that was only something he said; every vampire in this courtyard was scared out of their mind. And yet all of them were sure of Marcel's victory, who wouldn't be?
Klaus was facing off against at least thirty vampires and he was only one man after all, hybrid or not. Even his own sister had turned her back on him, and Caroline was sure this was going to end badly for everyone, one way or another.
When no one went for the coin Marcel smiled and gave the order.
"Take him" two vampires went against him, but they were dead before they could blink. Klaus smiled at Marcel and threw out his hands, but he wasn't prepared for the vampires standing behind him with chains. They tossed them and they caught around his wrists, they yanked him back and that's when everyone attacked at once. The only ones not in the cluster was Rebekah, Marcel and Caroline.
For a few moments it actually seemed like they would win, the hybrid was chained up and he was being attacked over and over again. Both Rebekah and Marcel seemed pleased until something suddenly changed. Rebekah moved towards her brother with a dagger in her hand and as soon as she did, he looked up at her and his eyes were glowing yellow, he was audibly growling and Caroline could make out the fear on Rebekah's face.
All hell broke loose from there; Rebekah dropped the dagger and Klaus broke free, killing of every vampire in his way like flies. Caroline swallowed as she stepped up behind Marcel, who cast her a warning glance over his shoulder as he watched vampire after vampire go down.
"Marcel, come and finish this!" he yelled with blood covering his chin and another vampire dropping at his feet. Marcel was furious and moved to meet him when she saw Rebekah grab his arm and hold him back.
"No," she said nearly hysterical as she watched her brother slaughter more and more vampires.
"Take the coin," Marcel looked at her unbelievingly and Caroline no longer had an idea where to leave her eyes. On the man destroying everyone coming for him or on his sister trying to save her lover.
"What?" Marcel said in disbelief, she could see the terror on Rebekah's face.
"He won't stop until everyone is dead, and he will kill you too! End this, pick up the coin" she begged him and he looked at her and she could see his pride was getting in the way, so she stepped up next to Rebekah and looked him in the eye.
"Pick up the coin Marcel, or I'll join the rest of them" she threatened and pointed to the masses of dead vampires everywhere.
"Enough!" Marcel called out just as Klaus grabbed the throat of another vampire and squeezed all the air out of her lungs before he dropped her ceremoniously to the ground.
He stepped forward and kneeled down, picking up the coin and holding it in his palm.
"I Marcel, pledge my legience to Niklaus Mikaelson." He said and tossed the coin away.
"Well, well, the mighty Marcel bending down before me" he mocked and Marcel glared up at him in contempt.
"The key to my kingdom is yours" he told him begrudgingly and Klaus smirked as his features went back to normal. He looked over Marcel's shoulder at Rebekah, a look of betrayal so deep Caroline had to look away, and then she felt eyes on her. She turned her eyes back and they locked with his, he cocked his head to the side and studied her and that was when she decided the smartest thing for her to do would be leaving.
She turned around and grabbed her jacket, sending a look at Marcel who gave her a brief nod before she left the massacre and started down the street. She needed to get out of the Quarter fast, and she was just praying that Cami was working tonight; maybe she could stay at her place.