A new chapter after a very long time, so sorry for this but this chapter simply didn't want to be written. Enjoy!

It is not betaed, so there will be mistakes. As soon as Senema has the time, she will amend this chapter and I will replace it. I just didn't want to keep you waiting any longer.

Chapter 20

Klaus had to admit, he always enjoyed watching Elijah playing mind games to reach his goals. It was so typical Elijah to scare everyone without even raising his voice above normal volume once, there was no one else who could do this with so much style.

While most of his attention focused on watching Elijah's back, a small part of him thought about what he had just heard. Klaus knew that Elijah and he remembered both Lucien's Elixir, developed with a mixture of magic and science that had allowed a vampire to survive werewolf bites.

Luckily, Elijah had arranged with the help of some of his contacts the destruction of Lucien's company before they had their fight with Marcel. Klaus just hoped that Elijah's contacts had managed to destroy all records and samples in this raid; they definitely had to check this out.

Klaus frowned as he thought about Marcel's venom as well. It was undoubtedly capable of murdering vampires in the manner described but even if someone managed to drain all of Marcel's blood, it wouldn't be enough to kill every vampire in Los Angeles. Unless, of course, there was a scientist involved, who had the means to develop and refine it further. Maybe Marcel was just a victim after all and not a co-conspirator.

Now that so many people and especially werewolves had left the room, Klaus could tell the smells apart better. Here in the room was one of the werewolves that Klaus had scented in the alley behind the LUX but it wasn't the one from the courtroom.

It took Klaus a few seconds, but then he matched the smell to the right person. It was a blond, medium-sized man who slowly pushed his way through the crowd. In his hand, he held half-hidden a scalpel and his intended target seemed to be Elijah.

Normally Klaus wouldn't have worried much but the knowledge about a poison that could kill vampires made him nervous. There had to be only a little of Marcel's venom on the blade of the scalpel and he would lose his brother again. A werewolf could be fast enough to give Elijah a light scratch, which would be more than enough. And who knew if Freya would be able to save Elijah from Marcel's venom a second time.

"Brother, there's a werewolf sneaking up on you, he's holding a scalpel and he's one of those guys who's been lurking in the alley." Klaus whispered so softly that even werewolves couldn't hear him unless they were completely focused on him. And that was unlikely with the whole room watching Elijah so avidly.

Klaus saw Elijah turn his head slightly and he knew that he had heard him. He saw the little clues in Elijah's body language; he was preparing himself for the impending attack.

The werewolf passed Maze on her left side, who suddenly whirled around, grabbed his wrist and brutally dislocated his arm. The werewolf cried out, surprised at the attack from this unexpected direction and let go of the scalpel.

Maze twisted his arm until he dropped to his knees, then she bent down and picked up the scalpel. She folded it up with one hand and slipped it into her pocket. "Go ahead, Elijah, this is very entertaining. I have this one under control, he won't go anywhere."

"Thank you Maze, I appreciate your vigilance", Elijah said calmly and Klaus didn't have to see his brother's face to know he was smiling. "But I would be very interested to know which pack this gentleman belongs to."

One of the werewolves sitting at the council table now stood up and looked downright angry. "He belongs to me. Tell your bodyguard to let him go!"

"Maze, could you make him scream again?" Elijah asked nonchalantly.

"With pleasure", Maze replied sweetly and a second later, the werewolf screamed even louder than before.

"You're not ordering me what to do", Elijah said dangerously softly.

Klaus knew that tone, just like his siblings. That was Elijah's tone when he reached the end of his patience. "If I were you I'd be very careful what I say next", he warned, chuckling. "My brother is very close to turning this hall into a graveyard."

The werewolf swallowed. "I apologize for my arrogance."

"That's better", Elijah said calmly. "Did you orchestrate the murder that got me arrested?"

Klaus heard the werewolf's heartbeat increase significantly and knew that he was indeed one of those responsible for it. And if he could hear it, so could Elijah.

"Why this human, who had never any contact to the supernatural?" Elijah asked softly.

"Because he was convenient. There were more than enough witnesses, who watched your confrontation." The werewolf shrugged. "Easier than planning a fight and sacrificing any of us. After all, who will miss one more human?"

Elijah sighed. "Who indeed, except the human authorities of course. Why send me to jail?"

"That was just our backup plan," the werewolf admitted. "We were hoping that you would compel the police officers and trigger a magic trap a few witches had prepared."

"As you suspected, brother," Klaus said quietly.

"We would then have taken you to a warehouse with a cell, which can even hold an Original. That's all I know", the man admitted.

"Who created the magic trap or my future cell?" Elijah asked harshly. "These spells require power and preparation. How long before did you know of my presence? Do have the witches of this city the necessary strength? "

"I don't know," the werewolf replied sullenly. "We got word that you snatched up the building from under Morningstar's nose and that he was planning a party for you. So we chose the LUX for your kidnapping."

"What is the address of the warehouse?" Elijah asked further. The werewolf gave him grudgingly the address.

"That's near the docks", Lucifer said. "There are only containers, no permanent human staff and an area like a labyrinth, very isolated. With a few security measures nobody would ever have heard you there or found you, at least not in time."

"What was in for you? And do you know what would have happened to me?" Elijah asked, although Klaus suspected he already knew the answer.

"As price for our help we would have gotten the poison to kill all vampires. To your second question, all I know is that our visitors have claimed you for themselves." The werewolf grinned maliciously. "It seemed quite personal to them. I think you won't like their plans for you."

"Yes, I don't think so either", Elijah said thoughtfully. "Do your two colleagues in the council also know about all this?"

Klaus heard the werewolf's heartbeat increase again. Elijah's next actions didn't surprise him in the slightest. He suddenly stood in front of the werewolf and ripped out the heart of him and the werewolf standing next to him. Then he stood behind the third member of the Council and snapped his neck. Everything happened so quickly that the now dead werewolves hadn't even the chance to cry out beforehand.

"That ends my business with the council, except with you, witch." Elijah pointed with the index finger of his right hand at the last surviving witch before he turned to face the silent, terrified crowd. "You may go now." He smiled sunny. "But I would advise you to stay out of my sight and way for the rest of my stay here."

Klaus chuckled loud. He seriously doubted anyone here had the slightest desire to encounter Elijah ever again.

"Niklaus, please open the door", said Elijah. "I think by now everyone here must be in a hurry to get home and spend the rest of this lovely evening with their family, who will certainly already miss them."

Klaus did his brother the favour and watched with amusement how at first only the bravest dared to walk past him. He saw too how Danny also looked shortly longingly towards the exit but then stayed unobtrusively in the background.

When Klaus didn't move, everyone rushed out, leaving only the whimpering werewolf at Maze's feet, the old witch, and the two human council members in the room.

"What about Kate and me?" Edward Brighton asked hoarsely.

Klaus couldn't help but admire the man's courage, he reminded him a little of pastor Kieran O'Connell, Camille's uncle.

"You may go too, Kate should just remember my warning", Elijah replied.

Now that Klaus didn't have to guard the door anymore, he went for the old witch. He grabbed her long hair and wrapped it around her hand a few times before dragging her rough to Elijah. "What am I supposed to do with her, Elijah? You have to admit that I was very well behaved." Klaus grinned bloodthirsty. "Don't I deserve a little fun too?"

Elijah rolled his eyes but Klaus saw the amused glint in them. "See what you can get out of her. I'll talk to our other involuntary guest."

"With pleasure." Klaus dragged the witch out of the room. He would find a secluded corner in this house where he could spend some quality time with her.

xxxxx

Elijah shook his head while looking after Niklaus. "Like a child in a candy store. Well I suppose we can forget about her, she won't survive talking to him." He looked at Maze. "Please let go of him, Maze."

Maze obeyed without hesitation.

Elijah looked unsure at her and Lucifer, a little worried about what they thought of his violent actions and him now. But he quickly realized that this was unnecessary. Maze gave him a bloodthirsty grin, which equalled Niklaus's. Lucifer looked serious but his mouth twitched slightly and he didn't seem shocked or outraged either.

Elijah pulled the werewolf up by his shirt. "What is your assignment related to me?"

"I didn't have one", the man growled at him. "I just wanted to kill you."

"How? With your ridiculous scalpel?" Elijah mocked. "Did you actually think you could harm me with it?"

Elijah knew very well that there had to be more to this scalpel but he wanted to draw the werewolf out of his reserve. One thing you could always count on with werewolves was that they would quickly lose their temper when provoked and then stopped thinking.

Klaus was the prime example for that, his outbursts of temper and acts of stupidity were legendary, although only his siblings truly knew of his acts of stupidity and never hesitated to remind him of them.

"There's poison on the scalpel." The werewolf sneered contemptuously at him. "One scratch and you would have died in agony within hours."

Elijah's face was impassive. "Where did you get it?"

"I stole it. Originally I was hoping to find some vampires to try out its potency on." The werewolf glared hatefully at Elijah. "In theory, the younger they are, the faster they die. However, I couldn't let the chance of killing you passing me by. Killing an Original, I would have been famous."

"You would be dead. Where is the rest of the poison now?" Elijah asked coldly. He had to find this poison before it got into the wrong hands.

Now the werewolf was stubbornly silent, he had finally realized that Elijah was just goading and interrogating him.

"Is it in the warehouse I was originally supposed to be taken to?" Elijah asked softly. The heartbeat treacherously quickened and Elijah had his answer.

Without further hesitation Elijah ripped out the heart of the werewolf, he had outlived his usefulness.

Next, Elijah took a deep breath before staring at Maze. "Would you please keep that scalpel with you at all times and make sure no vampire can come into contact with it?"

"Of course, Elijah", Maze replied softly after looking to Lucifer, who nodded without hesitation.

"I want to thank you, Maze, for saving my life. I probably wouldn't have recognized the danger I was in in time and he might have managed to cut me. I owe you a very big debt." Elijah looked completely serious. "You can cash it in whenever you want."

"I'm glad I could save you", Maze replied and smiled slightly. "Honestly, this is the most fun I've had since I left hell."

Elijah smiled involuntarily. "It's imperative that I make sure you don't have too much contact with Kol and Niklaus."

"Maybe I should look if I can find Klaus", Maze said eagerly.

"That's unnecessary, Niklaus is already on his way back to us. Apparently, after a little persuasion, the witch was very talkative." Elijah had heard her screams but he didn't find it in himself to feel much sympathy for her.

As Elijah had said, Klaus entered the room a little later; his mouth smeared with blood. "She tasted pretty stale."

"She was old, what did you expect, Niklaus", said Elijah laconically.

"I keep forgetting that unlike wine or other alcohols humans don't taste better with age", Klaus grumbled before turning to the door. "Our siblings are back. I'm curious what they found out."

Kol and Freya entered the room first and looked around.

"It's safe, you can come in", Kol said loudly.

Immediately Rebekah, Davina and Charlotte came inside. The only one who stumbled at the sight of the dead was Davina.

"These are really very few deaths, I expected a lot more. I mean Niklaus and you love to kill after all", Kol said mockingly. "Did that day in jail made you soft?"

"No, not at all. And don't you think that killing is more yours and Niklaus's favourite pastime", Elijah countered just as mockingly. "After all, it was the two of you who went regularly on a murder spree together, while I cleaned up behind you two so that Mikael couldn't find us prematurely."

Kol flinched slightly and looked guiltily at Davina, who studiously ignored the exchange.

Elijah felt a little sorry, especially since Kol had come to Los Angeles specifically to stand by him. But some things had to be said, occasionally they both needed to be reminded that Kol wasn't the innocent lamb Davina always made him out to be. The two's hypocrisy had improved, but every now and then Kol would still get on his high horse and pretend that he had been more decent and not so murderous as rest of his family.

"What did you find out, Freya?" Klaus asked, fully focused on the mission and ignoring the banter.

Freya and Rebekah exchanged glances, then in a low voice, Freya related what they had learned.

"Vincent and Marcellus, allied against us, again." Elijah laughed humourlessly. "I can't wait to find out what we did to them this time to trigger this. Well, they will certainly tell us."

Klaus frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? We haven't done anything; the last few years have been sickeningly peaceful between Vincent and us."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll think of something to blame us for. Both have always been good at shifting the blame and responsibility for their actions onto us." Elijah shrugged, apparently bored. He knew that to outsiders he didn't seem particularly surprised or devastated.

Freya looked at him sympathetically and he winced inwardly; of course he couldn't fool her.

"Let's go to the warehouse. I'm curious to see what they've planned for me." Elijah smiled and noticed his siblings exchange worried looks between them.

Like Freya they knew that his composure was just for show and that this new knowledge disturbed him greatly. Not Marcel's betrayal, he expected that from him by now, but he wondered about Vincent's reasons. Did he really think his siblings would ever stop looking for him or his killers? Or didn't he care because it didn't matter anymore after his plan was carried out?

Elijah sighed, only one way to find out.