El Cazador de la Bruja
AN: The hunter of the witch, story based on my all-time favorite anime. I do not own Once Upon a Time, or El Cazador, I just love both. Here is a little run down of the charters so no one is completely lost. This story takes place in the El Cazador universe and will follow most of the plot of the anime, some things will of course be changed to give it a Once feel. At any rate, if you like this story you can watch the anime on Hulu I cannot explain how wonderful it is.
Emma-A maverick female bounty hunter and a top sharpshooter, she carries an old Colt M1911 .45 pistol as her weapon of choice. She holds an optimistic attitude. In actuality, Emma was the sole survivor of an attack on her hometown. Working for Mary Margret Blanchard, Emma accompanies Regina on her journey.
Regina-A girl wanted as a suspect for Dr. Stablehand's murder. She heads south in order to seek the truth of the incident, as well as to find her birthplace; based on the vague memories she holds, and an old fortune teller's advice. Regina has "Witch DNA", but her abilities are accidental and incomplete. These include superhuman strength, temporary levitation, and heating as well as freezing of physical objects. She cannot control her abilities at will, usually becoming active only in times of need. She speaks whatever is on her mind in an almost expressionless way of talking, she could be classified as a comic relief character because of some of the things she does.
Green-Eyes, Mary Margret- First appearing to be a member of the Central Intelligence Agency's accounting department, Mary is actually a mole for another mysterious group. For the first part of the series, she is tasked with watching Gold and uncovering information on Project LEVIATHAN. After uncovering the true nature of the project, she breaks her cover and is assigned to work more directly to disrupt Gold's plans. From this point on, she is only referred to by her code name "Green-Eyes". It is never made clear whether Mary Margret Blanchard is her true name or only part of her cover. It was Green-Eyes who hired Emma to protect Regina. All things italicized are Green-Eyes narrating at different plot points. Everything will eventually make sense.
David- A taciturn bounty hunter that was hired by Gold. He is a retired mercenary. In the later episodes, David and Emma find themselves working together in order to thwart Gold's plans to capture Regina. He is generally quiet and would do anything to protect Henry.
Henry-A young boy about 5 being raised by David and is seen constantly following him around. Henry is very attached to both Regina and Emma.
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Regina walks into the room where Dr. Stablehand died. As tears streamed down her face, she ran from the house crying. She never looked back; she just kept running south until her legs gave out.
There once was a physicist who published a new theory, which shattered all previously established notions of thermodynamics. Assuming the existence of an invisible entity that observes the movement of molecules, he concluded it was possible to control molecules. In other words, that entropy could be decreased. The physicist called the entity that controlled molecules a demon, and the resulting theory, Maxwell's Demon, was named after him. However, through scrutiny by prominent scholars, it was concluded that Maxwell's Demon was in all practically impossible and the theory was debunked.
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Tampico Mexico
Emma sat outside of a restaurant. Her head firmly planted on the table blonde curly locks cascading down her back. Her thin muscular arms resting at her sides. She was exhausted, every muscle in her body burned in pain. The hot sun beating down on her sick but Emma refused to move. She did not care if she was burned, it just felt nice to finally rest. The last bounty nearly killed her and she was enjoying her rest. Her peace was disturbed when the waiter walked over with a telephone, not even bothering to lift her head from the spot it rested comfortably on she reached out a hand and grabbed for the telephone. Emma jolted up the moment she heard the voice on the other line. Finally she had a job and damn it, she needed the money. This bounty was worth her weight in gold. A few hitchhiking setbacks and Emma finally made it to the small town her bounty had been hiding out in for over the past year.
Emma finally spotted the bounty she had been tracking for the last week. The thing that surprised Emma the most was how tiny and adorable the girl looked. She figured the girl would look like a drug addict or something, but no. The girl still resembled the picture Emma had been given at the start of her journey. Emma was used to tracking middle age drug trafficking thugs down, not young women. The girl and Emma had to be around the same age. Late teens early 20, Emma knew she looked older though. Her life had been hard and the scars that covered her body where proof.
The dark haired girl had just left a grocery store and stopped briefly to smile at a little with boy and his father. They both nodded and smiled back. Emma followed the girl for a few blocks. She was even more surprised to find that the girl had been staying with a fortuneteller.
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David and Henry walked into a local bar. Sitting down, Henry copied everything the older man did.
"Do you serve food in this place?" The old bartender nodded, and listed of the menu. David nodded "That will be fine, just as long as it isn't too spicy. Get me a beer and the kid milk." A group of men watched from behind but were interrupted when their friend came rushing into the bar whispering and pointing and saying 'niña está aquí.' All the men ran out and the last one purposely bumped into David. He had a deep gash over his left eye. The scared man waited to see if David would respond with the kid present. David just ignored him and kept drinking his beer. Looking down the man shrugged and walked off. David sat down his beer down and turned to the boy.
"So much for a nice quite meal," David patted the boy on the head who smiled up at him.
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Regina sat in the middle of the town, a pack of cards in her hand and a small group of people around her. Regina shuffled the deck and then laid out all of the cars so they were all in order by color and suit.
"Give me your money." Regina stated in an emotionless voice and the group just laughed at her except for a tall thin muscular blonde girl, who walked up and dropped a few coins into the box Regina had set out for tips.
"For a street performer, you don't play to the crowd so good, kind of refreshing really."
Regina looked down to the box and said sadly, "that's all," Emma's jaw dropped she could not believe the brunette didn't at the very least say thank you. Regina shrugged "I can't even buy bread." Looking down at the girls big doe brown eyes Emma dropped a few more coins in the box.
"I want those." Regina pointed to coins Emma still had in her hand.
"Not happening." Emma said annoyed and with a raised eyebrow.
"Fine," Regina said sadly then got up and walked away.
"You're not even going to thank me."
"Thank you, what for?" Emma stood back, shocked at how rude the girl was.
"Well because…"Emma breathed deeply trying to figure out how to tell the girl she was being ungrateful. Finally, she resolved to tell the girl 'oh well' but was beat to it when Regina shrugged.
"Oh well," the brunette declared and kept walking. Emma was surprised for a second then shook her head.
"Hang on, Hey that's my line," Emma yelled and chased after the girl. "Hey come back."
"Show is over for today." Regina said never turning around to look at the blonde.
"That's not what I am after, wait." Emma ran in front of Regina "Just hold up."
"I don't need an apprentice."
"Yeah that's what I want." Emma yelled sarcastically. "You are Regina right."
"What." Regina eyes grew wider.
"I have finally found you."
"I am sorry I don't know any Regina's."
"No uses playing dumb." Emma held up an old picture of a girl with long flowing hair. Regina had since cut her hair short and her clothing was dramatically different. She now sported a pair of cut of jeans and old t-shirt instead of the designer dress. Emma knew the street performer was the same girl in the picture.
"Oh, she is very pretty. Who is she?"
Emma glared at Regina from over the picture. "It's you no matter how you look at it."
"I told you I am not Regina."
"Whatever, just come quietly there is a huge bounty on your head." Emma grabbed Regina hand and started to pull her along.
"Bounty?"
"Now, before anyone else finds us." Before Emma could finish her words, two armed gunmen approached the duo, and another standing on a rooftop.
"Hand the girl over to me, doll." A dark haired man hissed.
"Great had to jinx us."
"Today," The dark haired man held out his unarmed hand waiting for Emma to give up the other girl. Emma smiled at the man then kicked dirt in his eye. Before he had time to act she had her pistol out and shot the gun out of his hand. Then she shot the man on the roof in his shoulder. She shot the last one in the wrist.
"You bitch," the third one cried out in pain.
"I could of just killed you, now scram." Then three more shots rang out and all three of the attackers fell to the floor. Out stepped a fourth man, the same one who had bumped David.
"What did you do that for?" Emma demanded.
"They were amateurs who didn't deserve to live." A second man appeared at his side and they both sneered at Emma and Regina. Then fired two shot straight for Regina's heart. Emma knocked Regina to the floor and covered her body protectively with her own. One bullet grazed Emma's arm and Regina looked up at the blonde scared and in shock. Emma had her gun out within seconds and shot the man in the hand. The man fell to his knee and Regina got up and took off running. Emma was right behind her.
"I am going to kill that girl," the man yelled to his friend.
Emma and Regina ran into a dead end. A tall, wooden fence blocked their path. Regina shook her head. "Why, why are they after me?" Regina said looking up at the fence
"Those men where trying to take the easy way, your bounty is dead or alive. Even dead, you're worth the same. They can just turn over your corpse and still get the money. Pretty terrible way to treat a girl don't cha think." Emma said never taking her eyes of the road they just ran from waiting for the moment the men would catch up with them.
"Even dead." Regina said quietly.
"Regina." Emma put out her hand. Regina pulled away and with one jump was over the fence. Emma stood speechless not believing her eyes.
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Gold sat comfortably in his office. When he answered his phone, he smiled at the voice on the other end of the line. "You found her? Good, and they are trying to kill her, well something's can't be stopped." Hanging up the phone and smiling at a picture of Regina on his wall. "Kill her," Laughing "Not a bad idea." The phone rang again.
"Um, high this is Miss Blanchard in the auditory department. I contacted you the other day about a small matter." Mary Margret's voice was shaky and she sounded nervous.
"Ah yes, Miss Blanchard, my apologies, I am just now on my way out the door. I have a party to host for the Governor." Before Mary Margret could get a world out Gold was hanging up the phone. "I am a very busy man after all."
Hanging up the phone Mary looked up to see her angry boss hovering over her. "Is he coming down?" Mary Margret's boss yelled. "I want him down here within the hour, god I am so sick of his ambiguous spending, and he better be on his way." She started to stormed off and turned back. "Make sure all the expense reports are done before you leave." Mary Margret sat back in her desk and nervously started to rub her Incan Rose pedant, she was instantly claimed by the act. Her cell phone vibrated. Looking down at it, the brunette smiled. She has made contact.
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Emma sat in front of the fortuneteller. "I never had my future told with corn before, is it accurate?"
"In the old days some would have called me a witch."
"Really?" The old woman just smiled.
"Now hold out your hand." Emma did as she was told, and held out her hands for the old woman. Who then dumped a pile of dry corn into her palms.
"Now spread them on the ground in a line."
"Sure," Emma shrugged then smiled up at the old woman. "So am I going to be rich?" The old woman shook her head and frowned.
"I thought Regina was a strange girl, but like her, your fortune is most unusual as well." Emma shrugged her shoulders sadly. "I see a life of ups and downs."
"I doubt you need the corn for that." The old woman ignored Emma.
"In your future, many difficult challenges lie ahead."
"What, that's not what I want to hear. I just want to find happiness."
The old woman closed her eyes. "It's not as if everything that happens will lead to miss fortune. The key is in how you handle it."
"So just make everything happy. You are a witch, can't you use your magic and go presto or shezam?" Emma threw her hands up in the air as if she had just done a magic trick. The old woman just smiled and laughed. "I wasn't really going for laughs."
"I think you're the one I can entrust her to."
"Huh." Emma looked up at the old woman confusion evident on her face.
"She is a good kid that one, born under a slightly odd star, but still a good kid. I am not her real granny everyone calls me granny. I found her, or really she found me a year ago, when some kids ran past me and knocked me down. She helped me up, and has been at my side ever since. She wants to go south though."
"South…south to where?"
"Truth is I don't even think she knows where she wants to go. All I know is her fate lies elsewhere. With you perhaps, but not me. She just can't abandon this poor old bag of bones." Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw a shadow run past. She stood up ready to leave.
"Already."
"Yeah."
"She won't be coming back."
"She is being hunted."
"Protect her for me, ok. I am counting on you."
Emma felt guilty but she responded with, "Yeah."
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Regina crawled out of her hiding spot in front of her home. Someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down into a shrub. Looking up she was relieved to see Emma hushing her and pointing to the fortuneteller's house. Two men with guns were outside looking around the property. Emma seized Regina hand and pulled her away. "Come on."
Emma and Regina hid on top of a roof behind a billboard watching as two men wearing make-up and short shorts wear accosted by the police. Emma watched eagerly for the moment she could swoop in and steal the vacant car. Regina was intensely staring at Emma's arm. "
"What this." Emma stated looking down at her injury. "Just a scratch, already closing up."
"Right," Regina said then poked causing Emma to shriek out in pain. Regina looked down at the blood on her hand.
"Big liar."
"It opened back up because you poked at it." Emma hissed in pain. Regina took a bandanna out of her pocket and wrapped it around the wound. Emma looked down surprised.
"Thank you."
"Is Granny ok?" Regina stood up and turned her back.
"She will be as long as you don't go back."
"If I do…then she will be killed."
"Pretty much."
"Then I won't go back."
"Hey tell you what, I will swing by their later and pick up your things for you."
"So everyone is out to get me because I am a killer." A flash of the night where and the doctor lay dead play in Regina head. She could not remember how he died all she could see was blood everywhere, on the floor, on her dress, everywhere.
"So what happened?" Regina shook her head and shrugged "it's cool you don't have to say."
"I don't know, I don't remember it."
"Oh I see." Trying to change the subject Emma put out her hand. "I never introduced myself, Emma Swan. Pleasure to meet you." Regina just stood their staring down at the blonde's hand confused. "Ok, not so much." Emma pulled her hand back.
A loud explosion in the distance scared the girls and they forgot about their conversation. "Granny no." Regina started to race toward the noise easily jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"Regina no," Emma yelled in vain. "Come back it's a trap." Emma tried running after the brunette but stopped the moment she reached the edge of the roof. Looking down she knew there was no way she could jump the distance.
Regina arrived back at home to find the bounty hunters from earlier had killed even more men outside the fortunetellers.
"Oh hey missy, welcome home wasn't that a fun sound. KABOOOM!"
"Move out of my way."
"I think it's best if you don't look." The scared man said laughing. A second man snuck up behind Regina and placed a gun to the back of her head.
"You're coming with us, so do as we say. You know if you wanna live." The second man said, he was so close Regina cold smell his nasty breath. Before Regina could even respond, she heard the click of the hammer of the gun being pulled back. Ready to be shot at any time, except nothing happened.
"Drop your gun; you know if you want to live." Emma demanded cockily. The man instantly let his gun go feeling the barrel of Emma's old colt touching his skin. As soon as the gun was out of his hands Emma kicked the man in the groin. He feel to the ground crying. Then Emma kicked him in the face knocking him out cold.
The man with a scar over his eye pulled out his gun and pointed it right at Emma head. She never backed down held. She stood there ready to see who was faster. "Regina get outa here." Regina didn't move just stood at Emma's side. "Regina what are you doing get out of her. Get a move on go now." Regina never let Emma side. Regina breathing became heavy and her eyes glazed over and almost appeared to go from brown to light purple. The gun turned red and the heat caused the man to drop it. When it feel to the ground a shot fired hitting the man in the other side of his face.
Emma grinned, and looked over to the brunette. "What did you do?" Regina didn't answer she just ran inside. Up on the rooftop a mysterious dark haired man recorded the whole scene. Smiling to himself for getting the footage of Regina doing 'magic.'
Regina found Granny on the floor and held her while she lay dying. Emma stood just outside wanting to let Regina say her goodbyes. But close enough to keep an eye on her in case someone else wanted to attack her. "Regina you can back to me."
"I'm here for you, this is my fault."
"Don't blame yourself; this could never be your fault." Holding up a red shiny stone and placing it in Regina hand "This stone will guild you for what is to come."
"What."
"You're going south aren't you, Wiñay Marka." Regina eyes grew wide at the old woman's words.
"It means place of eternity." Emma whispered loud enough for Regina to hear.
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Gold stood in his office, clapping at the images of Regina using magic that played across his computer." Magnificent, here is to project LEVIATHAN."
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Standing inside the church where Granny's funeral was held, Emma reaches for Regina's hand. "We have to go, there will be more."
"You are one too." Regina pulled away.
"Regina wait."
"Stay away, people who stay around me just get killed."
"You can tell me not to follow you all you want, but it ant gonna happen."
"You care about the money that bad."
"Oh, I want the money. That and I made Granny a promise to protect you." Just then, the door of the church opened up and two more bodyguards rushed inside. Emma wrapped her arm around Regina shoulder and pushed her to the floor hiding under a church pew. The bounty hunter searched inside but Regina and Emma were already making their way outside and stealing the other bounty hunters jeep.
"Come on lets go south, but when you're done doing whatever you have to do. You're coming with me."