Time for a short-ish 'Alexander Interlude' chapter. Anyone been wondering what's happening in NOLA?

-45-

Theon

Reconstruction efforts began the moment Vera closed the portal on Isolde and the Mikaelson brothers. Those loyal to the House of Alexander gathered in the city within minutes, hauling in semi trucks and equipment with billions of dollars in materials–they'd been on standby the town over, waiting to be called in.

That was one thing that most citizens of the supernatural world all admired the Alexander's for. As gods they could do as they willed. But still they never left the devastation they created in their path. What was broken would always be fixed.

Many lives were lost, and there was nothing they could do to satisfy the anger and pain that was left in their wake.

But rebuilding a destroyed city was something they could do.

And so they did.

God, Incubi, Berserker, Changeling, Vampire, Witch, and Shade alike worked diligently clearing rubble from the fallen city. The Alexanders themselves were covered in grime and dirt from their labors, elbows deep in the wreckage beside their people.

Vera had an army of Witches with her, Freya by her side. They'd taken over the hospital and were working on the wounded who were being brought in in droves.

Emeric directed the masses while lifting a collapsed structure that had trapped several children. Many hadn't made it but a few were able to be pulled alive and taken to the Witches for healing. Berserkers were in full power mode, moving large blocks of cement to be crushed into the heaping pile that was growing at the edge of town. They'd deal with that later.

Theon commanded the Incubi to use half their number to wipe memories of what caused the devastation from the minds of the mortal townsfolk and plant a memory of a sudden tropical storm instead. The other half of his people were to aid the Witches in healing whoever needed it–whoever was still alive–and working to allocate financial relief for survivors.

Rebekah was among the Changelings who were sniffing out survivors with their heightened sense of smell, helping by clearing heavy pieces of collapsed buildings whenever they found someone. The Shade were shifting around through buildings that weren't fully collapsed to do the same, aiding Rebekah and the Changelings.

Theon had been asked by his older brother to help in a different way, now that the worst was cleared. He was currently sitting atop the hospital, sustaining an illusion of a peaceful night over the entire city to keep those who were dying in calm serenity, locked into a perfect dreamland supplied by their own minds while they passed from this life.

It had only been two hours since Theon watched Vera send Isolde and the Mikaelsons into the Prison World. Only two hours since they'd learned that the monster inside Isolde had been Anubis.

It was still unfathomable to him.

As he sat working this illusion, Theon considered his relationship to his second eldest sibling. It had never been a good one. Contentious from childhood, actually. He'd been a shit growing up–he knew that. Theon had dragged Vera into his schemes often, as well, and it had caused her to weigh her principles against her love for him all the time. Usually her love for Theon won out and even more often it was at Anubis' expense.

All because young Theon thought Anubis was… weird.

And he was, there was no denying that back then. Antisocial. Clung to Isolde as if there were no other in the world. Anubis had a hard time speaking to people. Didn't really regulate his emotions well which caused him to lash out when overstimulated. He struggled to understand sarcasm, his voice rarely had an inflection. And he always, always noticed things no one else did. He was dull. He was odd. Infuriating at times. And smart. Smarter than Theon by far.

Now that he was older, and had done many studies into psychology and other sciences of the mind and body, Theon thought that his second eldest sibling wasn't weird.

Theon's professional opinion was that Anubis was autistic.

He regretted acting like he did toward Anubis now, of course, but the damage had already been done long ago.

Anubis had not one shred of care for Theon before he went to the Underworld. Or Vera, for that matter. He'd been cruel to the second set of twins since they were young children. Since the day their lies had gotten Isolde hurt–Theon couldn't recall the lie but it had been stupid and had caused a battle between Set and the three elder siblings.

Of course, Anubis gave as good as he got the older he got. Often he gave harder, more concise retribution that Theon could ever come up with.

Anubis could be absolutely wicked.

Now Theon feared what Anubis would do when Isolde returned his soul to his own body. Because she would. There was no question she would. And after sitting inside her body for forty five hundred years there was no doubt in Theon's mind that Anubis was furious.

They'd done quite a lot to her, after all. Anubis didn't have the same familial attachment to the rest of them as Isolde did. He wouldn't so easily forgive them for their trespasses and he wouldn't allow her to do so either. Theon's only hope was that Isolde's love for them all would outweigh Anubis' rage and calm him enough to at least coexist.

Theon sighed deeply, fearing the future for the first time in his many years of immortality. He hated being unable to predict what would happen, and Anubis had always been an unpredictable wild card.

"Everyone's decided I need a break. They're relentlessly persistent, those Changelings. They even got the Shade in on it and one threatened to shroud me in darkness for an hour if I didn't take a break." Rebekah's voice broke through the haze of his thoughts as she sank to the ground beside him. "I told them I don't get tired but they wouldn't listen."

"They're respecting your station." Theon assured with a small smile, glad to see her. The feeling he got when seeing her face was like looking at the Nile after centuries away from home. He was blown away by the feeling of completion.

"What station? I've been reprimanded for thinking I had such claims quite thoroughly." Rebekah said, without sarcasm or anger in her voice and Theon tilted his head at her with a raised brow. She looked away, back toward the wreckage. "I do believe Isolde had a point. Sharp as it was."

"She can be prickly," Theon nodded, staring off in the distance too, "how did it feel to hear what she said?"

He saw Rebekah's jaw jump from the corner of his eye. "It… hurt, at first. I was upset. Angry, really. I didn't think I was 'piggybacking' off your successes and struggles. I hope you don't think that of me." He shook his head but Rebekah kept going. "I thought about it, while we were on the way to shut off the electricity in the city. She's right. I hate that she's right but she is."

"Is she?" Theon questioned, trying to prompt Rebekah to really think about this. Because she shouldn't just take someone else's opinion as law in her own life. Not even Isolde's. "Or is she right in her own perspective?"

Rebekah's gaze snapped back to him with a knit brow and a slight frown. He continued. "She's been a Princess, a Goddess, a Pharaoh, and an Empress her entire life. Not once has she lived the way normal women did during the last five millennia. She's never been held in subjugation under the rule of men, in fact she's killed many men and destroyed many kingdoms for presuming to try. Normal women do not have the ability to do this."

"But I've been under the heel of first my father, then my brothers since childhood." Rebekah murmured to herself, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I've never done anything for myself, have I? All my life I've only ever wanted simple things. I want a home. I want a family. I want someone to love me, and I want to live. I think–" her breathing hitched and Theon watched her press her forehead against her knees, her voice quiet and raw, "I think I saw you as an opportunity to have that but in order to have it I have to conform to this person I am not. Some sort of public figure I've never wanted to be. I've never wanted power other than power over myself and the power to live my life as I wish– I just got caught up."

"You do have that power now. So live how you wish, Rebekah, and know that I will support whatever decisions you make. It is the twenty-first century. Your brothers should learn what that means."

Theon ran a soothing hand down her back as she sighed deeply, turning her head to look at him and pressing her cheek against her knee.

"I want to be with you." Rebekah admitted quietly. "I just want time to discover who I am underneath everything that has happened in the last thousand years– and I don't want your crown."

Theon nodded with a small smile. "All of that can be arranged, dearest."

Emeric

"Take three quarters of your number and support those in the north east where the werewolves are digging through that collapsed tunnel. It's beginning to flood because of a water main break and there are survivors down there, that takes precedence right now. The other quarter of you, retrieve supplies and witches from the hospital and head to their location to help. There will be wounded trapped in cars, so tell the Berserker unit near the hospital that we need their aid creating holes in vehicles to retrieve them." Emeric was directing people from where he stood, lifting an overturned city bus off a sewer grate that a dozen people had opened and fled under to get away from the rampaging monster.

New Orleans was an utter disaster. That was the first time the modern world had seen a god's rampage, and so long as they're diligent with the clean up the rest of the world would never see a shred of evidence that Isolde's attack happened.

Dealing with the other Pantheon's after this would be a headache. Isolde just barreled her way through about six of their own laws, ones that she helped write, and there were a few who would see her brought to heel for it.

Not that that would be something he would be attempting. At all. Never again. And the other Pantheons knew it.

Most would keep their silent disapproval, unless one decided it was high time they had a war to take power from the Egyptians.

Emeric would love to see them try it. Especially the Greeks.

He wanted another shot at Zeus.

It was probably best that they never fought again, though. Besides, they had been allied for nearly three thousand years. So Emeric banished the thought.

If anyone were to stand against them it would be Yahweh, as the most prominent God over them all in the minds of mortals. He still had almost four billion believers world-wide between the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths. His silence over the last several thousand years was concerning, certainly, and Emeric worried that this might draw the God out from his Heavenly Halls.

Emeric didn't want that. Not until Isolde was fully merged, anyway. Because fighting the other Pantheons and fighting a Creation deity were two very different battles.

Emeric knew they couldn't stand against one of the Creators without the eldest of Creators and the one who stood at the helm of them all; Ra.

At least one good thing would come of Anubis' inevitable return. Isolde would see to it that his soul was back in his own body and she would become all that she was meant to be. He was happy for her, truly. He wished to see her ascend and succeed in all areas of her life. It's all he'd ever wanted for any of his siblings.

Still, Emeric wasn't too thrilled with the idea of welcoming Anubis home. He was worried. Because Emeric had broken his one and only promise to Anubis long ago. It churned his stomach knowing that Anubis would've seen all of his dastardly deeds.

There would be consequences. Emeric wasn't certain how severe, but he had an idea and it was enough to have him on his phone making arrangements for Davina to be taken care of in case death was his penance.

"Your Grace." Emeric was shaken from his thoughts by a lone soldier, kneeling before him as he dropped the bus after the last mortal left the sewer. "Please excuse my approach, I beg a private audience."

Emeric dusted his hands off with a critical eye on the young-seeming man. He wasn't Berserker or Changeling, but Shade. And since their Empress was currently indisposed and Marcus a traitor, Emeric knew it was his duty to lead them in her stead.

He didn't recognize this one. To be fair, though, it had been many centuries since he last consorted with a Shade that wasn't Marcus, Nailah, Samael, or his niece Yasu.

"I'll be more inclined to excuse you when you introduce yourself." Emeric said to him, holding out a hand. The Shade looked at his palm with wide eyes and his adams apple bobbed as he took it, standing fluidly. It was clear that this was not the reaction he was expecting.

Emeric enjoyed that response to him, he worked hard to cultivate his image and then tore it down whenever he met a new person. Just to show them that the first image was the correct one should they cross him because they thought him weak. It was a game. Emeric enjoyed mind games.

"I am Eztli Yaotl, lead Shade Sentry of South America, Your Grace."

Isolde would have someone whose name meant 'blood warrior' as a lead sentry.

"What's a sentry doing so far from his post, Eztli?"

"I've sent a time sensitive report to Her Majesty and have not heard back. I thought to come to her with the information and…"

"... she's out of commission at the moment and the chain of command dictates you come to me," Emeric nodded at the man, sentries reported directly to their sovereign, so Eztli couldn't go to any of the Imperial 'higher ups' with his information, "you may give your report."

Eztli handed a phone over to him and Emeric pressed 'play' his neutral expression becoming a deep frown as the video went on.

"No one else has seen this?" Emeric glanced over to Eztli, who was shaking his head. "Not even Marcus Antony?"

"No, Your Grace. I am duty bound to the Royal House of Alexander. Her Majesty the Empress insisted the Sentries communicated directly with her."

Pride washed through Emeric. He wished his sister were here so he could hug her for thinking to keep some of her own people duty bound to her alone. After all this was over, after the culling's that were coming, Emeric hoped that they'd all learned a valuable lesson.

Don't ever fully trust anyone.

"Come with me, Eztli, you can tell your full report to us all together." Emeric said, whipping out his cell phone.

Vera

"My brother is calling a family meeting on the roof in five minutes." Vera said as she slid her phone into her back pocket, coming up behind Freya.

They'd been working on the wounded for hours now and Freya was just about depleted of all her energy. There were deep purple bags under her eyes and she had begun stumbling over her own feet a few minutes past. Vera had been just about to haul her bond off to the next town over to sleep, since the hotel was buried, when Emeric's text came through.

"Alright." Freya agreed quietly, rubbing the back of her hand over her forehead with a pinched frown. Her hand left a streak of blood on her face that she didn't notice as they walked out of one of the hospital rooms and into the hallway where more people were being rushed in. It really did look like a battlefield hospital. "I think I need to try some of that coffee you've been drinking like it's life giving elixir."

Vera huffed a laugh and handed her Styrofoam cup over to Freya, who took it with an appreciative smile.

"Don't blame me if you don't like it."

Freya took one sip, made a face, and shoved it back into Vera's waiting hand.

"That was awful." Freya shook her head as if to rid herself of the taste. "How can you drink that?"

"I drink it black– meaning without sugar or cream– as nature intended." Vera smiled, crossing her arms after downing the rest of her cup. "You'd like Isolde's way better, I think."

Freya's jaw clenched and she turned away, busying herself with an abandoned gurney, folding the blanket that laid on top of it. "Should we head up?"

Vera picked up on the mood shift immediately, and knew it was because her older sister had killed Freya's father without giving Freya the chance to see him again.

"Yes. We probably should. Emeric gets moody when people are late." Vera nodded, gesturing to the nearby stairwell.

Part of Vera understood Freya's upset. The other part of her felt her sister's actions were more than justified and Freya got her own justice. Vera had been filled in on Freya's matricide. It was clear that Finn and Rebekah had felt just as betrayed and upset as Freya did right now over that whole incident.

But the soul bond had Vera biting her tongue. How the Mikaelson siblings moved forward now that their parents were forever gone from this world was on them. The Alexanders would be there for them each if they wanted emotional support, but they would get no aid in their family feuding.

At least not between the siblings. They would help with Dahlia.

That's what they would expect from the Mikaelsons were the situation reversed. Or at least, that's what Vera would expect. She didn't want anyone meddling in Alexander family business, not even the bonds.

And they were going to have trouble, soon. When Anubis returned. Vera was dreading it. Her childhood bully, back from the Underworld.

As they made it to the top of the staircase and Vera magicked the door open, she thought that Mikaelsons would likely insert themselves in whatever family drama was to unfold when Anubis returned, anyway. The boys, at least, seemed like busybodies and they were already altogether too obsessed with Isolde. Vera didn't quite understand how they'd all bonded so rapidly. She was struggling to bond personally with Freya.

Theon and Rebekah were already there, both sitting on the rocks in the center of the roof. Emeric hadn't made it yet.

"Em's late." Theon deadpanned as Vera took a seat next to him, conjuring a large cushion beside Rebekah as Freya dropped down beside her. The eldest Mikaelson looked over at Vera with wide, grateful eyes and Vera smiled back at her before answering Theo.

"To his own meeting. We should get him scheduled for a check up." Vera joked just as Emeric swooped down in Falcon form, becoming himself in a fluid motion and making no noise even as he landed on the scattered rocks.

A Shade appeared suddenly right beside him, too. Vera's brows shot up. "Eztli?"

"Priestess, I am glad to see you well." The old Shade bowed low to her, then to Theon. "Your Highness, well met."

At Emeric's questioning brow Vera spoke. "I've worked alongside the Shade sentries in South America for quite some time. But Eztli and the two of us go way back. He was instrumental in tearing down the enchantment on Isolde's tomb. He's actually older than we are."

Emeric's brows shot up as Vera and Theon both got to their feet, waving off Rebekah and Freya so they didn't think they also had to get up. Freya truly needed rest and Rebekah took one look over at her sister and understood why the twins were waving them off.

Eztli turned to Emeric as Vera and Theon closed the short distance between them. Still close enough for Freya to hear their conversation.

"Eztli is a much younger name for me. I apologize for not being honest with you, but there were ears everywhere and I prefer to keep my privacy, which is why I agreed to become Shade some three thousand years ago." Eztli's back straightened and he seemed to ooze confidence and power, his pupils extending until they covered his eyes completely, then little spots of glitter shined in them and Vera found herself just as entranced now as she had been when she'd first seen the stars in the eyes of a Creator. "I was once known as Kukulcan. But please, do not worry. I returned most of my power to its source long ago. Now I am merely Eztli. "

"A fuck mothering Creation deity– which makes him billions of years old. Older than our parents by far. Actually, he's about the age of our grandmother. The literal Earth." Theon filled in for the Mikaelson sisters' benefit. "But he's not that powerful anymore."

Eztli shrugged, looking at all of them as the stars faded away. "The Earth has no gender, your highness." Eztli corrected. "But to get back to the point. I did many terrible things with my power for far too long. I gave it up as a recompense. I serve the vessel of my eldest sibling; Ra, as my penance."

"Is he saying what I think he's saying?" Emeric asked with a calmness that would scare anyone who knew him.

"No." The twins both said, and their oldest brother deflated. "He's saying he's serving Isolde because of his connection to the Sun."

Emeric had been asking if Eztli was trying to assert that he was Isolde's sibling through her connection to Ra. That would've been ridiculous and Vera understood Emeric's tone. None of them would've been comfortable with that.

"Okay." Emeric ran a hand back and forth through his hair. "That would've been good to know before the video, but it's okay." It wasn't okay, Emeric didn't like curve balls that he didn't see coming. And they were all going to hear about not telling him they'd made the acquaintance of the illusive Kukulcan thousands of years ago– and that Isolde had made him her minion. He nodded at Eztli. "Show them."

Vera's head pressed against Theon's as Eztli handed over his phone.

"Oh sweet merciful gods, is that Dahlia leading a demonic horde?" Theon nearly shouted.

Oh did I say I was done with twists? I forgot I had a few more. My bad. Y'all shouldn't trust me. lmao

Kukulcan is the Mayan/Mesoamerican Creator god. So basically, Isolde's had him around for a long fucking time. And she's been keeping him in her pocket so to speak. Safe to say our girl knows a whole hell of a lot more than she's ever let on about the Universe, how it began, the planet's history, and the Creators themselves etc.