Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
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Without hesitation, the siblings sped toward their mansion.
Both knew exactly what Niklaus would have done to their home.
As they neared the familiar grounds, voices cut through the air—sharp, heated, unmistakable.
"You will return my coffins," Klaus snarled. "Or you'll watch your brother burn."
Damon's reply was quick, uneasy. "Alright, alright, I'll go fetch them."
"Go with him," Klaus ordered Elijah coldly. "And keep him honest, brother."
Kol exchanged a look with Rebekah.
They didn't need words. The silent exchange said it all.
Nik and Elijah—always with the drama.
Finn, their eldest, stood off to the side. Silent. Still.
To Kol, he was the worst of their parents combined. Mikael's cruelty. Esther's sanctimony. A son molded by both.
Then Klaus turned to Elijah.
"What are you doing?"
Elijah's voice was low and even. Too calm.
"Waiting for dessert, brother. I no longer trust your promises. Our siblings will be returned. Immediately."
He turned to Damon.
"Your services are no longer required, Mr. Salvatore."
Klaus growled. Tension snapped taut in the air.
"Shall we, then?"
Kol moved.
In a blur of motion, the dagger in his hand buried itself in Klaus's abdomen.
Silence slammed into the room like a shockwave.
"Ah, Nik," Kol said smoothly, voice casual. "How's life treating you?"
Damon and Stefan stood frozen. Staring.
The infamous Hybrid—stabbed without hesitation.
By his own brother.
"Ah, Kol," Klaus rasped, sneering even through the pain. "How was your nap?"
Kol's smile was venomous.
"You wouldn't know, would you? You've never been daggered. Never felt a blade jammed through your heart for centuries."
He leaned in closer.
"But don't worry, Nik. I could arrange something similar for you."
In an instant, Kol stood before the Salvatore brothers.
They hadn't even seen him move.
"Didn't my brother tell you your services were no longer needed?" he asked, head tilted, eyes narrow.
Then his hands plunged into their chests.
Both brothers gasped—hearts caught in a vice.
"We'll go!" Damon wheezed. "We'll go!"
Kol smiled coldly.
"Good."
With a sharp motion, he yanked free a lung from each.
"Consider this compensation for crossing our family."
His tone was ice.
"I'll learn more about you soon enough. Rebekah's given me a glimpse, but I know treachery when I see it."
He stepped back, wiping bloodied hands on their shirts.
"So if I were you, I'd stay very, very still in this town."
His smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Leave. And wherever you run, let them know... Kol Mikaelson is coming."
He gave them a pat on the cheek with blood-soaked fingers.
"Now run along."
Kol turned back to Klaus.
Smile sharp as broken glass.
"So, my dear bastard brother... What should I punish you for first?"
He sat on the edge of the dining table, casual.
"The centuries of betrayal? Or your most recent crime—leaving our darling sister to face Mikael alone?"
Klaus didn't respond immediately.
His voice was quieter when he did.
"I didn't want to leave Rebekah. I returned too late. Mikael was already dead. I searched for her, but he found me first. I killed him."
Kol didn't blink.
"Did you preserve Mikael's ashes?"
"Yes."
"Good. A thousand-year-old cursed Viking's remains might be useful."
There it is. The practical mind of the family, Niklaus, Rebekah, and Elijah thought in unison.
He waved the thought away.
From across the room, Rebekah, Finn, and Elijah moved.
Three flashes.
Three daggers.
Klaus staggered, seething as he collapsed to his knees.
Rebekah's voice rang out, fierce and furious.
"We're leaving you here, Nik. We've wasted enough of our lives on you."
Klaus's response was a hiss.
"Then I'll hunt you down. I am the Original Hybrid."
Elijah's voice dropped, quiet and deadly.
"Then you'll become just like our father."
While they traded barbs and parting shots, Kol wandered to the liquor cabinet.
He found a bottle of rum, poured a glass, took a slow sip.
The taste hit hard.
He pulled up a chair and sat beside Klaus, handing him a glass.
"So, Nik," he drawled. "How does it feel to be reunited with your inner wolf?"
A grin tugged at his lips.
"Want to play fetch? Maybe we can toss a Salvatore next time you shift. Or better yet... I'll pet you."
Klaus gave him a flat look. Drank in silence.
Classic.
Kol chuckled. This family. Honestly.
Bekah stared at him like he'd sprouted wings.
Elijah didn't look amused either.
"Kol," he said slowly. "What are you doing?"
Kol raised a brow.
"What am I doing? I'm drinking rum."
He gestured lazily with his glass.
"Be a good brother. Fetch me a blood bag. Maybe grab yourself a drink while you're at it."
Elijah's sigh could've shaken mountains.
"No. I meant—why aren't you coming with us?"
His eyes said the rest.
Out of all of us, only Finn doesn't want to be involved. And even back when we were human, I didn't care for his opinion. So why not you?
Kol rolled his eyes.
Do they seriously think I'll jump just because they say so?
Especially when they'd all be dragged back within days.
Even Finn.
Kol took another slow sip of rum.
"Ah, Elijah... You'll stay behind and launch into another 'always and forever' speech anyway. It'll be a dull walk."
He leaned back in the chair, smirking.
"And besides..."
His eyes darkened just slightly.
I'm staying because I'm waiting. For her. That's the only reason I'm still here.