Battle (The Originals Fan Fic)

ch. 4: Girl in New Orleans

At a nightwalker bar, I fed on a girl at the bar, feeding until she died, letting her body fall to the floor.

Josh walked toward me. "Hey, Noah. Right. So, um, any way to fast track the whole getting a daylight ring thing?"

"You get a daylight ring when you get invited to the inner circle," I told him. "For you, it may never happen."

"Yeah, but there's an opening, right?" Josh asked. "I mean, now that Thierry's, like, you know--"

I stood, turning to face him. "You shut up about Thierry, all right? He didn't deserve what he got. Marcel was just showing off for Klaus. Can't wait till his ancient ass is out of here."

Rebekah Mikaelson walked toward us. "You and me both."

I clapped sarcastically. "Look alive, boys. We got ourselves one high-class Original vampire."

"Hmm," Rebekah hummed. "Nice to see you again, too, Noah. I can see that you're still quite the charmer. What if I told you that I could help you out with your Klaus problem in exchange for the tiniest bit of gossip?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"You might have heard the rumors that Marcel and I were quite the item back in the day," Rebekah told me.

"I didn't just hear about it," I told her.

"Right," Rebekah told me. "Well, he seems to have moved on, and I would like to know with whom."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "You've seen him with the bartender."

I turned toward the bar.

"What, that plain Jane that he carries on with?" Rebekah asked. I sat down, turning to face her. "Well, only a blind man would choose her over me. There must be another girl in his harem." I shook my head. "Look. I just need the tiniest bit of closure, and then I can leave New Orleans, and I'll be sure to take Klaus with me, which, let's face it, would make your life a whole lot easier. I mean, you've never really liked either of my brothers."

"Why are you coming to me with this?" I asked.

"Because you and Marcel are the best of friends, like brothers, almost like Klaus and Marcel, but, honestly, you're not the one who abandoned him," Rebekah told me. "If anyone knows, it's you."

"Look, Marcel's got a full plate," I told her. "If he's seeing some other honey, she's somewhere in the Quarter. She's probably close by, and that, my lady, is all I got."

"Or you're playing me," Rebekah told me.

I stood, taking a drink, starting to walk past her. "You played me first."

I walked away, leaving.

*

There was a music festival in the Quarter tonight.

Marcel and I led the other vampires through the streets.

"Big even tonight," Marcel told them. "A lot of people drinking, a lot of eyes watching. I don't want any trouble, which means no witches. Send word through the Cauldron. Any witches come here, we kill them."

"And while we're at it, no Originals," I told them. Marcel raised his eyebrows at me. "I don't like how Rebekah's been snooping around."

Marcel nodded, turning toward the other vampires. "I got my girl Cami coming, her and a little friend of hers. I want eyes on them at all times, eyes only, all right? I don't want anybody going anywhere near either of them."

"Everybody's got a post, everybody keeps an eye out," I told them. "You cool?"

We all dispersed.

*

In the street, Father Kieran walked toward me. "Noah."

"Father Kieran, welcome back," I told him. "I wasn't sure when you'd be coming home."

"I can tell, judging by what's going on in my church attic," Kieran told me.

"Oh," I said. "Well, see, we didn't think you'd mind. Lord knows, we've done you a favor or two."

"I take it you know the Originals have returned," Kieran told me. "The sister, Rebekah, I saw her earlier, snooping around the church, asking about the attic. She doesn't know I take vervain. You got a problem on your hands."

"No disrespect for the grieving process, for you and your church, but I am going through a little bit of grieving myself, in a different way, so I'm not in the best of moods, but just so I know, are you here to help, or are you just gonna drop in with the criticism?" I asked.

Kieran chuckled. "Never forget, Noah, that you live in this city by the grace of those that know your secret and tolerate you."

"And this city thrives because of me and my people," I told him. "Anytime you need a reminder of that, just let me know."

Josh walked up to me. "Noah, Diego and Marcel said they lost eyes on the girls."

I looked at Kieran. "To be continued."

Josh and I walked away.

*

Marcel had found Davina back at the church, both her and Cami okay.

He spoke to all of us in the bar now. "I was crystal clear. Eyes on my girls at all times."

"What?" Diego asked. "Girl's little friend sneaks away from your party, and that's our fault? What, Marcel, you gonna send me to the garden now, too?"

Marcel snapped Diego's neck, letting him fall to the floor.

Everyone else looked away.

Marcel looked at me. "When he wakes up, tell him that an apology would have gotten him a lot further than his attitude."

Rebekah walked into the bar. "Awful what happened at the church. I hear they're calling it a gas leak. Such a pity."

"I heard that you were quite the woman on a mission today," Marcel told her.

"What can I say?" Rebekah asked. "I want Elijah back."

"Is that all you want?" Marcel asked. "You'll get Elijah back. In the meantime, stay out of this bar and stay away from my guys."

"What's wrong?" Rebekah asked. "You jealous?"

"Me?" Marcel asked. "I've already found my queen."

"Cami the bartender?" Rebekah asked skeptically. "Stop fooling yourself, Marcel. She's comfort food, something to distract you from what you really want, which, after all these years is impossible to deny because I'm standing right in front of you."

Marcel pushed past her, walking out of the bar.