Michael folded his arms slowly in front of Elena, studying her like an interesting but disappointing problem.
"Well, Elena," he said mildly, "I have to say… trying to stab someone in the back." He clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk tsk. How very Katherine of you."
Elena shook her head sharply. "You don't understand."
Michael tilted his head. "Oh, I'm sure I don't. I mean, I'm only a few thousand years old. Surely there's no possible way I could understand betrayal, desperation, or people justifying terrible choices to themselves." His lips curved. "Please. Enlighten me."
He straightened. "Why exactly were you planning to put a dagger in Rebekah's back? Right after she opened up to you, no less."
Elena swallowed. "Klaus is her brother. No matter how angry she is at him, he's still her brother."
Her eyes lifted to meet his.
"And you," she added quietly.
Michael was suddenly right in front of her.
"Ah," he said softly. "Yes. Me."
Elena stiffened but didn't back away. "Will you even allow us to kill him?"
Michael's brows lifted. "I did promise, didn't I?"
"I know, but—"
He laughed, genuinely amused. "Oh my. So if I had gotten in your way, I would've received the same treatment, I assume?"
Elena said nothing.
Michael chuckled again. "Assuming, of course, that dagger would've worked on me and which I can assure you, it wouldn't have. But still."
He stepped closer, eyes searching her face. "I am… impressed and disappointed, Elena. Quite the combination."
Then he moved past her.
Michael knelt, slid an arm beneath Rebekah's knees and another behind her back, lifting her easily into a bridal carry. As he turned toward the door, he paused and glanced over his shoulder.
"I'll keep Rebekah out of your way," he said calmly. "So do what you must."
And then he was gone.
—————-
Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie were dressed for homecoming. Damon leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes flicking toward the door for the tenth time.
"So," Damon said, breaking the silence, "he basically said he'd stay out of our way. That about sum it up?"
Elena nodded. "Yes."
Stefan exhaled. "Well then, I guess we don't have anything to worry about, do we?"
Damon barked out a laugh. "Really? Because the last time we trusted an Original, it kinda blew up in our faces."
Bonnie nodded. "He's right."
Damon smirked. "Thank you."
Elena frowned slightly at the fact that Bonnie agreed with Damon, "He didn't exactly do anything to stop us."
"No," Damon replied smoothly, "but he didn't exactly help either, did he?"
Stefan grimaced. He couldn't argue with that.
Suddenly out of nowhere, Mikael blurred into the room, his expression was cold and… a bit disturbed?.
"Kanen'to will not be interfering with our business tonight," he said. "That, I assure you."
Stefan narrowed his eyes. "You sound confident."
Mikael's gaze hardened. "Oh, yes. You see, we had a conversation a while ago about how Niklaus has treated Rebekah."
His voice dropped to an edge as he regarded them.
"And let's just say… we share the same feelings about anyone who harms my daughter."
The room went silent.
Damon let out a slow breath. "Well," he muttered, "that's comforting. In a deeply unsettling, probably lethal way."
FLASHBACK
Mikael stood across the street from the Lockwood mansion looking at the boy, Tyler Lockwood who emerged first, arms straining as he carried two kegs of booze like it was nothing. Caroline followed close behind as she held the door open.
"You are officially a lifesaver," she said brightly. "Seriously, thank you for this."
Tyler adjusted his grip with a grunt. "Yeah, well, it's the least I could do. Especially after the committee decided the one part of the school that wasn't destroyed is now off-limits too."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Of course they did. Mystic Falls just loves a good crisis."
They set the kegs down, Tyler straightening as Caroline crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"You know," she said, "Elena is supposed to be here helping."
Tyler snorted. "Yeah, well, she's a little busy planning you-know-who's downfall. I don't think party prep is high on her list right now."
Caroline sighed. "She better not ditch homecoming. Both her and Bonnie."
Tyler paused. "Wait, Bonnie has a date to homecoming?"
Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. But she's coming. Just in case things go wrong."
Her expression softened for a moment, then she frowned, eyes narrowing as she looked past Tyler.
"Hey," she said slowly, "where exactly are you getting all this booze from by the way?"
Before Tyler could answer, another figure walked up, carrying two more containers with an easy grin.
"Well," he said casually, "that would be courtesy of Michael."
Caroline folded her arms tighter. "That doesn't mean he's forgiven for what he did to Bonnie."
The man carrying the two kegs only smiled, unbothered as the spoke about his boss.
From across the way, Mikael in silence.
"It's been a while, Kan."
Mikael spoke up suddenly without turning.
Behind him, walking slowly with a smile on his face, Michael stood there with his hands in his pockets with a relaxed posture, eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Aww," Michael said lightly. "Missed me Mikael?"
Mikael turned at last, his gaze was hard and cold, "Hardly," he replied.
Mikael stared at him, eyes cold as iron, "What do you want?" he asked flatly.
The question made Michael laugh a soft, almost fond sound.
"Aww," Michael said, spreading his hands. "Can't I just say hi? I've missed our little moments together, you know."
Mikael's jaw tightened. "Speak plainly. Why are you here?"
Michael's smile faded, he glanced around, then, very deliberately he looked past Mikael, toward the empty stretch of land where a house had once stood a millennia ago.
"Feeling sentimental," Michael said lightly.
Mikael scoffed. "There is no need for such useless feelings."
Michael tilted his head. "Then why are you staring at where your home used to be, Mikael?"
Mikael's gaze snapped back to him. "Enough. Why are you here? Are you going to try to stop me from killing Niklaus?" His lip curled. "You always did pamper the boy. Always coddling him, excusing him."
Michael shook his head. "Oh, not at all. I know for a fact that at least one of you is dying tonight." His eyes sharpened. "But that's not why I'm here."
He stepped closer.
"Tell me something, Mikael. Why?"
There was a beat as Mikael looked confused by the question.
"Why did you hate him so much that you destroyed all of your children in the process?"
Mikael's expression hardened, but Michael didn't stop.
"I understand betrayal," he continued, voice low now. "Esther hurt you. Lied to you. Broke something that never healed. But Niklaus was a child." His eyes held no expression whatsoever, "He didn't deserve what you did to him."
Michael's voice lost its sarcasm entirely.
"You could have sent him away, he'll, even banished him. But instead you broke him, mentally, physically and spiritually until the monster everyone feared was all that was left."
Mikael said nothing.
The silence dragged on, heavy and uncomfortable.
Finally, he spoke quietly.
"I… I don't know," he admitted. "I did what I did."
Michael studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"That," he said softly, "is the tragedy of it."
He straightened. "I won't interfere with what you want tonight. I told Elijah the same thing. If you wish to kill your son then fine, give it your best hand."
A crooked smirk curved his lips.
"But hear this, Mikael." His eyes gleamed with pride. "Do not expect Niklaus to fall easily. I trained him, after all."
Michael stepped back, his amusement returning as he decided to tease the eldest Mikaelson one last time, "So do watch your back, boy."
Boy? That word felt foreign to Mikael being called a child.
And then, Michael was gone.
Mikael scoffed at the empty spot, "Infuriating man."
Now
"Well," he said while looking at them "are you all ready?"
Damon rolled his shoulders. "Let's get this over with."
Elena nodded with resolution.
Mikael's eyes hardened, centuries of rage was about to come to a conclusion tonight.
"Very well," he said. "Then let us be done with it."
He turned, leading the way.
"Let's go," Mikael said grimly,
"and kill my son."