The burdens of family

19

Arkyn took Elijah to an abandoned warehouse a bit further out from Mystic Falls. He didn't want to explain Elijah not being dead in case the Salvatores came a-knocking.

"Arkyn." Elijah said once he woke.
"Elijah." Arkyn replied.
"That wasn't very brotherly of you."
"Well if only you all died in New Orleans like you were supposed to."
"Niklaus told me you admitted to tipping off Mikael. How did you even know where we were?"
"I kept my tabs on you. I used it to figure out which cities to avoid and all. You're supposed to be in Manhattan right now."
"I got a message to meet someone."
"Right."
"All your talk on how we're the monsters, yet you're the one who called Mikael to kill us."
"Do you even know what Niklaus did? Or do you just care more about finding his non-existent redemption to think of how he could attack others."
"He told me he retaliated against you."
"I told him I called Mikael. But only after he reminded me of what a monster he is. See, you're so eager to defend him, but he came after me with the intent of hurting me."
"What, he tried to stick a dagger in you?"
"It's really none of your business."
"I'm not here on Niklaus's behalf. I'm here against him. He's daggered Rebekah. He's got Kol daggered and he never bothered to take the dagger out of Finn. You're right. He can't be redeemed."
"Yes, well, Nik might be a monster, but so are you. Leave Mystic Falls be."
"It's the only way to kill him." Elijah said.
"Why now? What's changed? He's daggered Rebekah and Kol before. This is nothing new."
"Consider it an epiphany."
"I don't care what you think. I won't let you harm Mystic Falls."
"That girl. Alexis. I assume her knowledge is because of you? You have my word no harm will befall her."
"No it won't. Because you will not involve her or Mystic Falls in any of your nefarious plots."
"You've grown attached. That's careless of you."
"Is that a threat?" Arkyn narrowed his eyes.
"I'm taking him down, Arkyn. What do you say? You can help me make the plan foolproof."
"It'll never be foolproof Elijah. Never, and I will be left to pick up the pieces. Mikael has been hunting us down for centuries and could never kill him. You think after less than a few decades you can do what a man stronger and smarter than you couldn't in a millennium?"
"Niklaus was stronger because he had his siblings. Now he's alone."
"You will never be able to beat him, Elijah. Not as long as he has our siblings. That is his hold over you." Arkyn explained.
"You're either with me or with him."
"I'm neither."
"You picked a side once before. Why not again?"
"Live your life Elijah. Away from Mystic Falls. Before you ruin the lives of these innocents."
"Sorry, brother. I suppose I'll see you around?" Elijah headed to the door.
"Don't call me that." Arkyn stepped in his way.
"You're the worst of us all." Elijah glared.
"Yes, I'm the evil one because I don't want to be murderer."
"At least we tried. You gave up on our family."
"I stuck around for seven centuries. Two and a half of which Nik kept me locked in a box."
"You used every excuse to stay away from family. You were only truly with us as our brother for the first century."
"Yes and the next two, Nik decided to keep me daggered with Finn. You say I gave up, but you never even gave our older brother a second thought."
"You never gave any of us second thought."
"Have you ever been daggered Elijah? For longer than a few minutes, that is? Do you know what it feels like to lose that hope in family?"
"Rebekah's been daggered dozens of times, and it's never prompted her to give up on family."
"Well Rebekah's always been naive, and close to you and Nik. It was always the three of you."
"You never tried back then either. Even when we were human, you hated us all."
"That's your bloody excuse for everything. That I never tried. You never did either. Rebekah avoided me like the plague, Nik never liked me, and you. You, the noble, family-oriented brother, could never find time for me. I only ever had Kol. And you know what? That's okay. As long as you don't try to call me family and judge me for living my life far from you assholes."
"You can deny it all you want but we are family. Always and Forever."
"You're the one who wants to kill the man you swore that oath to. That oath is you, Nik, and Rebekah. It had nothing to do with Finn, Kol and I."
"Step out of my way."
"You're not going to Mystic Falls." He stood his ground. Elijah pushed Arkyn to the ground, but he got back up immediately. "I won't let you."
"You don't have a choice. I'm stronger than you."
"And I'll keep fighting." Arkyn tried to shove his brother. Elijah snapped his brother's neck.
"Sorry, brother." He carried Arkyn's neck. Looking around, he compelled some poor man to give him his car and roughly shoved Arkyn in the trunk.