Hook's head felt like it had been pounded into dust, his arms echoed with excruciating pain, and on top of all that he had no clue where he was. He opened his eyes and took in the room around him. Dear God. Hook tried to move, get free; he had to get to her, but he couldn't move. He was chained down. Old chains with spikes all around them dug into his arms. Other chains held him secularly against the wall. He struggled desperately but the chains were too strong for him. The pain in his arms was intense, but he had to get free because directly in front of him Emma Swan sat unconscious in a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back and there was a bad gash on her right shoulder.
Hook heard what sounded like a door open above him. He stopped his struggling and listened quietly. He heard the sound of footsteps coming down stairs. Sharp little clacks of stilettos hitting the wooden steps.
"Who's there?" Hook called angrily. Who would dare tie him up? And who would be foolish enough to do this to Emma? Rage flared through him. "I swear to you I will kill you!"
"Oh darling we both know you won't be able to do that," said a horribly familiar voice. Fear rippled through Hook. His anger was gone. All he had left was the hope he was mistaken. But, he knew that voice all too well.
"Cora?" he whispered. It came out more like a prayer, a prayer that it would be anyone but Cora. Let it be the evil queen or even the bloody devil for all he cared, but not Cora. It couldn't be Cora. She was back in the Enchanted Forest. She hadn't made it through. Hook had been so sure about that.
"Hello lover," Cora said as she stepped under the light. Seeing her nearly stopped his heart. This was a nightmare, it must be. But he couldn't wake up. No matter what he did, he couldn't wake up. She was here. Cora was here. And that meant he was a dead man. She smiled at him with a look in her eye so cold it could freeze a dragon's breath. She walked over to where Emma sat unconscious. Cora pulled a knife out from her sheath around her waist.
"How did you get through?" Hook demanded frantically, trying to pull her attention away from Emma. "You can't be here. We closed the portal! How did you get here?"
"Hook, Hook, Hook," Cora said ignoring his question. She circled Emma, while lightly brushing a knife against the skin around Emma's neck. "Isn't she adorable when she is sleeping?" Cora whispered as she stroked Emma face with the cool steel blade. The older woman looked at Emma for a moment before she brought the blade down on Emma's arm and cut.
"No!" Hook shouted as Cora cut into the upper part of Emma's left arm. Emma let out a slow whimper but didn't regain consciousness. Cora giggled, a sound that did not seem to make sense coming out of her mouth. She whipped the blade of on Emma's pants and slid it back into its sheath.
"Did you really think that I would let you two go?" Cora asked in a matter of fact. She turned away from Emma and began walk toward Hook. Her eyes locked with his. It was enough to make his heart speed up. This woman was one of the only people he truly feared and here she had all the power.
"You betrayed me, tried to leave me behind in our land, and all for her. That idiotic child." Cora snarled quietly. Her eyes displayed no emotion, except for hate.
"We worked together Hook, you made promises to me." Cora said as she closed any remaining distance between them. She reached up and grabbed a handful of his hair to pull his head down. She lean forward and whispered in his ear, "There is a price for betraying me, love."
Cora gripped his face and forced him into a kiss. He fought against the embrace but that just made her push against him harder. Then a sharp pain went through his lip and he tasted blood in his mouth. Cora laughed and pulled away.
"I remember you being better at that my dear." Cora said with a bitter cackle as she whipped blood off her chin. "All those times when we were scheming… You were a much more willing then."
"Ah yes…" Hook said letting out a mad laugh. "It was a joke among the men! The Captain was playing with the old hag's heart. We always had such a good time after you left. You never meant anything. You where just a means to an end." He said viciously then instantly regretting it. He wasn't sure taunting her would help this situation. But seeing Emma so defenseless because of him well, it clouded his judgment. Besides, with Cora, he knew the end result would be the same.
"How dare you mock me?" Cora shouted as she slapped him straight across the face. Her eyes burned with pure loathing.
"How dare I mock you?" Hook laughed. Ignoring the pain that laughing inflicted. "I'm a pirate. What did you think was going to happen Cora? We work together and I would fall madly in love with you? Follow you to the ends of the earth? I betrayed you. Yes, I went with Emma. It was the better option for me to get what I wanted. Did you expect any different?"
Cora's face changed. A small amount of amusement filled her eyes.
"Oh no don't even try that Hook. We both know why you betrayed me. And we both know it was not because your little group of princesses was the "better option". You went with them for a completely different reason. And we are both painfully aware of 'whom' that reason is." Cora smiled at hook. The worst smile in the world. And then Cora turned to Emma. "And now we are going to have some fun with her."
"Cora no, hurt me not her. Emma had nothing to do with this. It was me who betrayed you." Hook pleaded. He would not let her do this to Emma. Not after all they had been through. If there was one fight left in him, it would be the fight to save her.
"And that, my dear Hook," Cora said, the sound of delight obvious in her voice. "Is why this is going to be so much fun."