A few of you may have noticed that the story is progressing faster than before while my other stories are just sitting there. I just wanted to be honest with you guys; I'm doing it on purpose. FSO is my priority. However, that is because I've started working on the original version of the Alexanders story. It's tentatively named "Soul of Eternity: Cavern of Madness" which will feature our Alexanders (and the Graves' from Ad Mel, except little sister Val is now little brother Oliver) but they'll be quite different as Amunet will have been left in her tomb for 4500 years. In order to dedicate more time to that, I really want to finish FSO. At the same time I don't want to forsake quality more than I already have been so that's leading to faster pacing. For those of you wondering about my other stories; I'll be updating slowly. If I eventually decide a hiatus is necessary it will be added to the summaries.

-37-

Finn

Getting carted away from his time sparring with Dainn was not in his agenda for the day. Finn pulled at the vervain soaked shackles that held him suspended above a concrete floor. He was trapped in a cell under a mausoleum. At times like this Finn remembered the feel of his own magic and wondered if he'd have gotten out of this more easily had he not been a vampire.

But going down the road of 'what if' wouldn't lead to an escape plan, he knew. So he glanced at Dainn's unconscious form again, frowning. The witches had done something to the elder Viking in order to subdue him. Even then, Dainn had killed three of their enemies while Finn and Elijah had been detained by consistent aneurysms. It was lucky for Elijah that Emeric and Kol had happened to be walking into the woods just in time to rescue him.

Emeric had lunged like he was going to rescue Finn and Dainn as well. But he stopped abruptly when Finn shook his head just slightly.

Having Finn as leverage would be considered a boon to the enemy. But Finn had his own tricks, and he didn't think it should be up to Isolde to be the sole gatherer of information within the family.

Finn was also versed in espionage. His methods were just very different from hers, and he wasn't as experienced.

That he wanted to prove his usefulness was another primary motivator. He'd taken Isolde's brand with fire in his heart, a yearning to belong to something bigger than himself. To be of use to Isolde in whatever way he could.

This was the first opportunity to prove that he wasn't just some uncompromisingly moral dullard like his brothers and younger sister accused him of being.

Quiet footsteps drew near, the rumbling of a man's voice telling the guards to take a breather, and then Gaius was entering the doorway where Finn and Dainn were being held.

"Out of all your family I've heard least about you…" the King's second in command spoke, hands behind his back and stance wide, arrogance that hadn't been there on the airplane was now present and oozing off the man like a thick layer of slime, "… but Dainn seems to have taken a liking. He's a hard one to impress. Never did warm to Marcus. His sons are a lot like him."

How should he respond to get the most information? Gaius hadn't given the impression that he was much of a talker, that seemed to be more Marcus' forte.

"I don't understand why you've chosen to betray Emeric. Is he not far more powerful than you?" Blunt might be a better way to approach the austere old soldier.

Gaius' visible eyebrow rose. "More powerful, yes. Smarter, clearly not."

Finn didn't think it was smart of Gaius to betray the God of War, let alone a family of deities, but kept this opinion to himself. Gaius had to have a reason to be cocky. Finn betrayed nothing of his thoughts as more footsteps sounded in the distance, the unmistakable continuous noise of someone being dragged followed.

"In fact," Gaius said, looking happier than Finn had seen him since meeting the man, "I'll show you why I'm unconcerned. Bring her in."

Half carried and half dragged by two robust men was an unconscious woman. The same one Finn had met a few hours ago when he found Isolde in the basement of a church. Missy. Artemis. Greek goddess of the hunt.

Finn fought to control the fear that surged through him.

"You're wondering how," Gaius stated, opening the cell so the men could toss Missy inside. They did and she smacked against the concrete floor with little ceremony. "Well, we've developed a toxin strong enough to mute a lesser deity's power," he kicked Missy's leg as if to prove to himself she was really unconscious, "had to wait for Set to take off first– greater deity and all– but it worked. Artemis should be killable now."

"We can't kill a Greek, uncle," Marcus chastised as he swept into the room, "those were our specific directions. You–" he leaned down with a condescending grin aimed at Finn "-are the bait for my dear Empress. All I have to do," Marcus lowered himself into a chair that looked out of place in the corner of the room, "is wait."

Isolde

Isolde unshrouded herself and Klaus in a clearing just yards away from the hotel. Trees had fallen, ripped apart, blood and bodies scattered the woods and her family lingered in a heavy silence as Kol tore through screaming hotel staff.

"He wont stop and I didn't think I should force him when he was like this," Vera started, nodding to Emeric, who was swelled up and glaring at Vera, "I'm holding Em back from hurting Kol, I'm not sure how durable he'd be to Em's attacks. I think Kol's having—"

"-a panic attack." Isolde finished, creeping closer to where Kol was growling menacingly at them all, teeth sunk into the throat of the front desk woman they'd compelled into letting them have their own suite.

"You're not going to talk him down," Elijah began as she came up beside him, Klaus moving to Elijah's right, "daggers are all we've found to work when he's like this. He'll run out of steam soon enough."

Isolde tisked, a disapproving look shuttered her face before she closed it off completely. "We don't have time for that." She raised her hand and shadows descended over Kol, completely wrapping him and the woman that was already dead in darkness.

"Let him go," Rebekah hissed, in front of Isolde in an instant, "let him go, now. If you hurt him…"

Isolde didn't know if it was the stress of the day, or the fact that Rebekah had been getting on her nerves since that first time they met in her kitchen, but at the moment when the accusation that she would harm Kol hung in the air, what was left of Isolde's tolerance snapped.

The temperature around them plummeted as Isolde's back straightened. "It's a sensory depravation cone you daft twit," Isolde hissed, he lips curling back as she took a single step forward and Rebekah's expression warped from anger to fear, "he's over stimulated and it's causing him to lash out. Do not ever–" she growled low, "- and I mean ever accuse me of trying to harm him again. Just because you're piggybacking off my brother's five thousand year struggle to become who he is in order to build up a regal image of yourself does not make you the real deal, and you may not speak to me like some human you're about to gorge on or compel to do your bidding. I do not answer to you. Humble yourself, Rebekah, or you will be humbled."

Anger spread across Rebekah's face again and she opened her mouth spewing venom. "You little bitch!"

"I don't want to hear from you. Either be helpful, or go back to special ordering the crown you didn't earn and let those of us who have earned their place deal with the battle ahead."

There was a pregnant pause before the shroud that had covered Kol dispersed and he was sitting on the ground, knees up with his elbows rested on them, looking calm but a little dazed. Isolde turned away from the gaping group of Mikaelson's and Alexanders to close the distance between her and Kol. She dropped to her knees in front of him and laid a hand over his when he looked up, a bloody mess.

"You okay?" She asked him, giving his hand a slight shake. Trying to give him some stimulus to focus on in case he was still having a little trouble.

He laid his other hand over hers. "Better now," he swiped his thumb over her wrist, as the look in his eyes intensified from grateful to angry once more, "this city, these people, all of them should burn."

Kol said this with conviction, and Isolde nodded in understanding as she stood. Kol followed.

"This city has burnt once before," she announced to everyone, ignoring the way Rebekah was leaning into Theo like he was her only shield from the big, mean Isolde, "and it has drowned. I'm not going to burn it," she glanced between them all, "I'm going to freeze it."

She waited, but no one spoke. "Emeric, Klaus, and Kol. I need the three of you to go and face off with the vampires. Theo, knock out the power grid and destroy the cell towers. If you have any loyalists that you are absolutely sure of, get into contact with them to ensure that any information leaks online from New Orleans over the next week are blocked or removed. If not, let me know and I'll get in touch with some of mine. If the princess wants to help, take her," she waved a flippant hand at Rebekah.

"This is what furious Isolde looks like, boys," Emeric quipped, to the Mikaelsons, before turning to his sister, "if we're in code black I'm meant to call the shots." Isolde leveled him with a menacing glare and he threw up his hands.

Taking his silence as his acquiescence, Isolde continued. "Vera, Elijah, and Freya, I'd like you with me. We're going to get Finn."

"How are we going to locate him? A spell?" Freya asked, arms folded over her chest. She was right beside Vera, turned just so in a way that looked like she was trying to shield the youngest Alexander. From what, Isolde could only guess.

She was in war mode, and war Isolde could be more than a little intimidating.

Emeric was shaking his head before Freya finished. "He's marked, Isolde already knows where he is."

"That's why I need to move," Isolde stressed, "because Marcus is in the same vicinity, along with Dainn."

"It's a trap," Klaus warned, glancing between Rebekah and Isolde like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop on their argument, "surely."

"Of course it's a trap. I'm going to spring it." Isolde looked at him with a malicious grin that was all teeth and rage.

"And if they have some means of killing you?" Elijah interjected with a raised brow. "Or us?"

Isolde pointed at him. "That reminds me," she pulled the white oak stake she'd taken from Klaus while he was disoriented from being shrouded for the first time, "there are probably more of these in play. Mikael didn't exactly explain how he'd gotten it but if I were a betting woman I'd say our enemies have several."

"Mikael?" Kol asked, getting to his feet a look of disbelief clouding his face. "Sorry darling, did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes we had a run in with father, back from the dead," Klaus said in a rush, holding his hand out to Isolde, "give me that, love."

"And where is he now?" Freya asked, desperation in her voice as she took a few steps away from Vera to stand between Elijah and Isolde. "Where did he go?"

Isolde was feigning interest in the dagger as Klaus slowly drew nearer. She glanced at him, then in a swift move she threw it to Theon, who immediately raised a hand and turned it to ash. Then he bumped his raised hand with the other and spread them apart. The molecules fanned out over the grounds and fell. Useless.

"Where is father? If I could talk to him we—" Freya's question cut through the annoyed growl Klaus' let rip.

"Gone," Klaus was in front of Freya in a heartbeat, the veins on his neck protruding as he nearly spat the next words, "though you longed for reunion with the worst of us, it shall never come. The destroyer has been destroyed, Freya."

"Niklaus," Elijah warned, stepping forward to lay a hand on Klaus' shoulder. Kol stepped around his three siblings who were each varying degrees of angry and slid behind Isolde, laying his hands on her shoulders. She figured he did so in case things got explosive between Freya and Klaus.

Freya's eyes filled with tears, jaw jumping, and she staggered back. Vera steadied her with a hand on Freya's elbow. Through girt teeth, Freya asked; "What do you mean 'destroyed,' Niklaus?"

"I sent his soul to my brother, he's not coming back." Isolde responded, seeing the sadness morph into rage in the eldest Mikaelson's expression and hoping to take the brunt of whatever torrent of magic she felt she had to unleash in her grief.

"You sent Mikael to Anubis?" Emeric asked with wide, uncomprehending eyes as he rubbed his hands over his hair in frustration. "Was he that bad?"

Theon whistled low, clicking his tongue. "Must've been a terror if you sent him to Bis."

Isolde just nodded once.

"What's going to happen to him?" Freya asked, false serenity in her voice and Isolde knew better than to answer that question truthfully.

Unfortunately, Vera didn't seem to think misguiding her bond was the right thing to do. "It's up to Anubis to decide the fate of a soul. We don't know how the process works but we do know (just because we know him–not because of anything official) that if his beloved Amunet sends someone to him, he won't allow that soul to enter the afterlife," Vera paused, ignoring Isolde's pleading look, "he'll torture that soul for eternity."

"Nice going, V." Isolde whispered as Freya widened her stance with fury in her eyes. Isolde waved a hand and shadows shot out to keep Freya from moving. "We don't have time for all this in-fighting," she looked to Vera pointedly, "since any trust between Freya and myself has just been destroyed, working together is not really an option now, I suggest the two of you go with Em, Klaus, and Kol," then she turned to Elijah, "with me or no?"

"You don't even care," Freya accused through grit teeth, her voice a bit growly, "you're just going to move past it like destroying him was nothing to you."

Isolde took a long, deep breath. Rage and stress winning out once again.

So much had happened in the last week that had been wearing on her but today, most of all, she'd gone through much that had her walking a razor's edge. She'd realized her most trusted friends were working against her, the extent of their betrayal unclear but enough that they'd actively worked to cut her off from her family and support system. She'd been repeatedly disrespected. Ignored for decades. Discarded over and over throughout her life.

And now there were young immortals who were in her life that had barely the vaguest idea just how powerful she was.

Everyone seemed to be forgetting that though she'd taken a brief hiatus, she was still a fucking Queen.

The monster's low, threatening growl rippled through her own vocal cords as the green in her eyes became gold. Emeric lashed an arm out and yanked Freya back toward him, Vera following.

"It. Was. Nothing." Isolde's lips curled, her teeth sharpening, and two voices, one Isolde's and the other dark, masculine, unyielding, sentiment matching Isoldes as they spoke in tandem. "Like stepping on a spider. I removed a parasite from the lives of the people I care about. Am I to feel sorry for such a miserable, abusive, hateful man's expiation when he earned his own fate? If I ever hear someone speak to Klaus, or any of your brothers, in the way I heard Mikael do so, I will rend them limb from limb and banish their soul to the depths for the indiscretion."

Isolde took another deep breath. The monster receding with a deep growl, gold became green once again. "Now," she began as Alexander and Mikaelson alike stood frozen in place, "I mean it when I say we don't have the time for this. Put a pin in it, and when this battle is won we can revisit this conversation with clear heads."

With that Isolde turned on her heel to stalk back towards the hotel, feeling Kol's fingers drag across her lower back and then slip away as he remained with everyone else. Isolde stalked toward the back entrance, intent on grabbing a bottle of water quickly before proceeding toward what was most certainly a trap.

As she broke through the tree line she heard Theon say; "She's mad as fuck."

"Yes, and the monster is close. She's going to lose it soon, plan or no, we need to be prepared for the collateral damage," Vera added, "Rebekah, Freya, as her sister I can only apologize for her behav…"

Isolde scoffed as she moved out of earshot, choosing not to enhance her hearing anymore as Emeric fell into step with her. She braced for a chastising that didn't come.

"I need to get Davina out of here. You're close to tipping over the edge and I don't want the hotel to be collateral damage with her inside."

Isolde nodded her agreement, glad he wasn't upset with her, using her keycard to access the hotel and striding toward the elevator. She pulled her phone out to fire off a text. "I can get Samael to take her to my house in Virginia."

"Good, put them under my jurisdiction for the time being? So I can give them Davina related directions." At Isolde's slightly narrowed eyes, Emeric raised his hands. "Just until we're all safely returned to your home."

"Sure," Isolde caved, hoping Emeric wouldn't try to take advantage of Samael, "I–"

"How do we know Samael is trustworthy?" Elijah asked, suddenly right beside them as they stepped into the elevator.

Isolde's head whipped to him, brows narrowed questioningly. She was under the impression Elijah was going to remain with his family, since he hadn't responded and she'd ripped into his sisters so thoroughly over the last several minutes.

Instead of answering the question in her gaze, he simply stood tall beside her, raising his hand to gently touch the middle of her back as the elevator lifted them to their floor. His other hand reached up to adjust his tie.

"Samael is a long story," Emeric began, "but it all pretty much boils down to them being an Alexander by marriage. When Sam was a man named Moses…"

At Elijah's raised brow Isolde explained a little more as the doors opened and they all stepped into the hallway. "... my first husband." She saw Elijah's eye twitch. "We had six children together, but we've been divorced since before the tomb. Irreconcilable differences. Mostly because I think Yahweh is a dick and Mo couldn't get over my being a deity because Yah-jerk-weh is the 'one true God.'" She said in a way that inferred how ridiculous she found that idea, opening the door to their rooms. She breezed in and swiped a bottle of water from the countertop, drinking it down in seconds.

Emeric finished for her, sliding into a barstool. "During the brief time between their divorce and Isolde's imprisonment, Moses led the Hebrew population out of Egypt. Unfortunately, he was accosted by a servant of Apophis and began transitioning into a demon. Sol was able to forestall the transformation by making him Shade but unable to undo the damage that had already been done. Demons are hermaphrodites. Therefore, feeling scorned by Yahweh, Moses renamed themselves and decided they no longer identified with being a male. They have been Samael for forty-five hundred years."

"That's the short version," Isolde threw the empty bottle in the garbage, "I'm going to get Finn," she said, shucking off her sweater and pulling her hair into a bun so it would be out of the way, looking at Elijah, "are you with me, then?"

"I'm with you." Elijah gave her a small smile, gesturing towards the door. "Always and Forever."

Kol

Their old home had not been terribly well maintained by Marcel. Kol had been informed of a horrific hurricane that had torn New Orleans apart when the levees broke a few years ago. From what Kol had researched on that handy rectangular device, Katrina had caused a whopping eighty-one billion dollars in damage. To put things into perspective with today's inflation, since he'd been under for a century, Kol had done the math. Eighty-one billion converted to seconds would be over 2500 years. So if he earned a dollar a second it would take him over double his own lifetime to have enough capital to rebuild what one hurricane destroyed.

The scale of mother nature was not something to be taken lightly. It never had been, and yet it was. He thought about this to distract himself from the clawing anxieties that threatened to overwhelm him again as Marcel and his goons began to rush into the courtyard.

He didn't like that Isolde was walking into a trap with only Elijah to aid her. He hadn't had an opportunity to voice his dissent, either, with the irritating amount of arguing that had been going on. Not that he was at all upset about Mikael's demise, in fact he was quite jubilant over the idea that Mikael's soul would remain in torment for the rest of forever, and he could tell Klaus was enjoying this information just as much as he.

Freya's reaction was to be expected, of course, she seemed to have a fantasy version of their father built up and standing proud upon a golden pedestal. Kol only wished she'd had the opportunity to get to know him as he was today, for a week or two, to see for herself. Then perhaps her attitude would reflect a different sentiment.

And that both of his sisters had had the nerve to speak to Isolde in the way they did annoyed Kol to no end. He didn't stand up for Rebekah because Isolde had a point. Bex had been acting as though she were a Queen since she learned Theon was a King. She'd been more entitled, which was saying something, and self-assured in the worst way. Kol was surprised Nik hadn't been the first to berate her for it.

Though, if he were honest, the dual-voice Monster/Isolde combination was more than a little frightening and the Alexander's were making it seem like her loss of control was inevitable at this juncture. He wasn't looking forward to being confronted with it for the first time.

"Marcellus," Klaus began with a sly smirk and Kol fought against the eye roll that threatened. Klaus was always the theatrical one, "alive and well after all these years."

"I'd say I'm glad to see you, Klaus, but this doesn't seem like a friendly visit." Marcel's smile was as false as it always had been, and Kol wanted to rip the young vampire's throat out. "I'm guessing it was you who tore apart St. Anne's, seeing as how my prisoner is right behind you and my girl is missing."

"Though it may come as a surprise I didn't destroy the church," Klaus gestured toward Vera, "her father did so. Temperamental man, some could say he is… chaotic."

"I really don't know what you're trying to infer but I'm not up for playing games with you, Klaus." Marcel raised his hand and snapped his fingers. In response, more vampires came through the doors.

They were outnumbered at least five to one.

But when it was five vampires versus two gods, a powerful witch, and two originals, Kol still thought the odds to be in their favor. When Theon and Rebekah showed up the odds would be even better.

"What is it you wish to accomplish, Marcellus?" Klaus asked, his arms folded behind his back as he took a step forward. "Standing against me will only lead to your death. As will killing me. It doesn't end with you being the victor in any scenario."

"He talks so much," Emeric groaned quietly from beside Kol, and Kol's lips twitched up into a smile, but didn't respond.

Marcel laughed audaciously and waved a hand again. This time, magic whipped out and Kol felt the aneurysms begin in his brain. He nearly fell to his knees when Emeric's hand whipped out to steady him, the aneurysms fading away as Vera held her hands out in front of her.

"That was foolish," Emeric said, eyeing Marcel as he released Kol, "bringing magic into the game."

"Doesn't matter," Marcel was still smiling, "because before the night ends all of our sire lines will be broken and no one will need the Originals anymore. Doesn't matter what allies you've acquired, Klaus, we've found stronger ones."

"Oh I doubt that," Vera laughed, and the sound was cruel even to Kol's ears, "are they named Gaius? Marcus?" Vera's smirk grew wicked when Marcel's expression morphed into recognition and anger. "I thought so."

Marcel pulled something from his jean pocket. A syringe filled with some kind of clear liquid, waving it in front of him with a raised brow. "I wonder what it would be like to have all the power in the world and a tiny liquid can take it away in seconds."

Kol's stomach dropped.

What the bloody hell was Marcel talking about?

"Our mutual friends have developed a neurotoxin that's potent enough to drop a god and mute your powers, make you mortal and killable," Marcel grinned, waving the syringe again, "still think your odds are better than ours?"

Note: Had to stop it here or I was gonna keep going. Lol I know I promised Finn and his part was short. There's Finn coming in the next chapter, too.