everyonelives | watch it close, let it brew

[Fortunately for the wolves but unfortunately for their friends, there aren't a lot of city cameras out in the bayou so that location is out. On the other hand, Josh will recognize the outskirts of the cemetery where the witches do their work, as well as the streets around the Abattoir and he might catch a glimpse of Cami and a strange man moving up the steps of City Hall.]

She had to. We heard rumors she was in town months ago but we never found her. She must have been hiding out and planning her next steps.

[She grits her teeth.]

We shouldn't have been distracted by Mystic Falls. We should have looked harder.

( "She was never distracted. Not for any of it. Not in London, Prague, or Mystic Falls," Derek concludes, trying to brace against his chains again. (6) )

I'm sorry. What have I stumbled into?

( The (11) thins her confused facade she's establishing, for anybody looking at trying to see through it. Like Derek (14), who is still keeping one eye out on her, but not knowing any more of the story gives him nothing else to go on.

"Uh, guys," Josh says clearing his throat, eyeing the man. He talks quieter for anyone superhuman (Derek, Hayley) (16) to keep it from the strapped human.. "They're watching us. Cami's at city hall. They have eyes on the Abattoir, and the cemetery."

Maybe it's the mountain ash or whatever spell, but Derek's push against the chains and subsequent grunting (3) drowns it out. )

[Davina picks up on Derek's suspicion and has some of her own regarding this new witch (11), but that might just come from unknown witches in town never really meaning anything good.]

Hunters. Who I'm betting are planning to take out every supernatural and ally in New Orleans right now.

[She does make out what Josh mentioned, however, and concern shows on her feautres (19). This is going to get messier before it gets better.

Hayley licks her lips as she considers. "Maybe we should--"

Before she can finish that sentence, the door opens and Monroe strides her way in. A thin smile crosses her face, as she walks into the room. "Look at that. You're all awake."]

Thanks for your hospitality. You might want to rethink Saw traps and chains, but I don't usually host dinner parties.

( Or, kidnappings. Though, he's both been privy to them and a victim of them.

"You're making a mistake," Derek threatens.

Maura's eyes narrow, staring daggers at her old - colleague? Stooge who turned things around on her? Either way, she knows better than to speak right now. )

["Been a long time, Derek." He's been chasing her for a while, but it's been a long time since they've been face to face. She makes her way closer, crouching down in front of him so they're eye level. "You know, I wasn't actually after you this time. But my men just know a good thing when they see it."

She then glances over at Josh, but doesn't rise. "And for the record, this isn't my hospitality. We would have to be friends for that."]

( Before he'd known her presence, he was on the run himself, only brought in at the end of everything, or what he believed to be the end. )

You don't make friends. You manipulate high schoolers and small towns ( seriously pot calling the kettle, Derek ) and soldiers who actually fought for their country. Have you ever once thought about Gerard Argent's real legacy? Why he was in hiding for a year. Why he chose you. He didn't believe in you, just your paranoia and hatred. He wasn't even your friend. And he betrayed his family. So what were you?

["Great men are never understood by people who refuse to see their vision. And I was against your kind before I was ever introduced to Gerard."

Gerard didn't have to help her see the light. She was already there - he just gave her the tools to succeed.

"But what am I going to do with you, Derek? You weren't part of today's festivities. But I wouldn't want you to not feel included."]

You could let everybody else go. Include me exclusively. Maybe as payback for turning sad high school students, or anything my uncle Peter has done. What's the quote? I volunteer as tribute?

( "Dated Hunger Games reference aside, I like him," Josh whispers. )

[Hayley gives him a small look at that, because yeah, she likes him too. But she also doesn't like this plan. Still, she keeps her mouth shut, just picturing the way she's going to kill this woman in her mind.

But Monroe shakes her head. "That's not the plan, Derek. As much as you've been hanging out here, you're not someone who's going to mean something to them. And I'm here to make a statement."

But don't worry. She'll find something for him soon enough.

She pushes up and turns back to the guard with the security cameras.

"How are we doing?"

"Squad Three just arrived at the cemetery and are getting into position. We don't have eyes on the bayou, but according to the comms things are getting underway."]

Squad three's about to get their asses kicked. And, sorry to say that the bayou will end in bloodshed.

( It's a little too Klaus for him to put it like that, but doesn't everyone have a little Klaus Mikaelson in them. )

For every witch or innocent werewolf you try to go after, there are four that won't miss. You could call it off. I know your boys would be better off. They may even thank you for saving their lives. After losing all respect.

He's right. The witches of New Orleans aren't your usual hippie, one with nature witches. We have no problems getting our hands bloody when someone threatens us.

[Monroe turns, raising an eyebrow as she steps closer. "You know, you're not exactly making your case that you're worth being spared."

Davina raises an eyebrow.]

You intend to kill innocent humans just because they dare to work with us. Your moral code isn't exactly rock solid yourself.

And, not to add fuel to anyone's fire. But, nobody here seems concerned with being spared. Comes with the 'you kidnapping them,' territory. And, for the record, I'm Florence. I'm on nobody's side here.

( Sorry, famous Hale. And, truthfully, Davina dies, there's more magic to grasp. Plus, she's innocent in all of this, really. She only double crossed Monroe the one time. And she wasn't supposed to know. Does that count? )

[Oh, Maura. That was likely not the right thing to say. Monroe had been ignoring her, intending to deal with her later, but if she's going to inject herself into the conversation, well.

"Are you really?" Monroe takes a step closer. "Because that's not how you pitched it to me, Maura."

And the way she says her name indicates that she might know more than Sierra wants her to know (19).]

( Both Derek (3) and Josh (5) only see the inflection as posturing, and perhaps lies on Monroe's part. They don't see anything underneath. But, Maura is new.

"Maybe my pitch needs work," she shoots back. )

Leave her out of this. What is it you really want, Monroe? What kind of example are you going to set?

["My example, is going to be to show that even the unkillable Goliaths can be taken down, if you find the right slingshot."

She's here for the Mikaelsons. Weakening their defenses, crippling their allies, and then conquering, once and for all.

Davina shakes her head.]

You're all going to die. Pointlessly. I hope you realize that.

[The hunter with the laptop straightens up more. Perception checks, please.]

( (15, 15 for Derek and Scott, 17 for Sierra) )

Killing their allies isn't a slingshot.

[It's not hard for any of them to see the embarrassing way that Monroe's men are fleeing the cemetery right now. Cars are heading out of the gates, and another camera angle shows Elijah and Freya Mikaelson standing at the head of the mausoleum with the French Quarter witches as they watch them go.

Monroe clearly does not like this.

She grits her teeth. "The bayou?"

"We just got a report back. Allison Argent was there. She won't be a problem anymore. They burned the rest."]

( Derek snarls, fighting against the chains futilely again.

"Allison?" Josh asks, not knowing she was even here.

(16) for Sierra knowing exactly who Allison is. That's a big score for Monroe. )

[Monroe sets her shoulders, as a couple of hunters enter the room. She turns and points to Hawthorne, attached to the back of Derek's pillar. "It's time for him."

She then looks over to the other, and tips her head to the side. "Take Claire too."

Davina stares back at her, jaw set and determined.]

That really a fight you want to pick?

[Monroe glares back at her. "I'm sure of it."

And with that, the two hunters drag Terry and Davina out of the room, and Monroe leaves not far behind them.]

( "Davina!" Josh wrestles against the chains again but he's no match for the spell (4).

"Where are you taking them?" Derek asks. "He's human."

Sierra stays silent, like she should've from the beginning. )

[Monroe doesn't answer. The hunters haul up Davina and Hawthorne and leave the room, ignoring the protests of the others in the room.

And when the door closes, Hayley goes slack in the chains, before looking over at Derek with a sympathetic look.]

I'm sorry about Allison.

( "There will only be something to be sorry about once we know there is. Monroe will say whatever she wants. She always has." Derek sticks to his guns. Allison isn't dead until it's proven. )

I don't know about you all, but I think we are wearing out our pitiful welcome. Anyone got a plan?

( "We're stuck. Like, trap in a Saw sequel stuck," Josh says.

"We need to get to their witch," Derek says. )

While it's likely it's a witch, it's also likely there is something else in this room. Something overlapping the chains. Did you feel it?

( "It feels like mountain ash," Derek remembers. "There's something else." )

Right. So. Either an object, tethering us all here because of a spell, or mountain ash we could see. ...Or, a witch on the wrong side of the picket line.

Or all of the above. We don't know how deep Monroe's pockets go or her resources. And we know that trying to recruit witches was how London happened.

[Hayley's been catching up. She waves one hand awkwardly.]

How do you suggest we break our way out of this?

( She receives a wave in return. Fancy meeting like this Hayley. )

We need to find what's keeping a hybrid, a werewolf and a vampire? ( She guesses in Josh's direction. ) From breaking this chains. And fast. Why would they take Davina and Hawthorne?

Because the witches pissed her off, so she's going to make an example of their leader.

[It's what Hayley would do.]

And I think they already planned to make examples of all of us - she just moved up her time table with Davina.

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