Chapter 37
I walk right in not bothering to knock because one I'm expected and two we have no time for such things. I see my mother reading at the table, Regina is at the side window while my father is by the front, but I don't see Henry or the Charmings.
"Have Snow and Charming arrived yet?" I ask and they come into the room from the bedroom in the back.
"We were tucking Henry in, we got here about ten minutes ago." Snow answers with David standing at her side.
"Good that's probably for the best." I said and then wave my hand putting up the sound spell again so we can talk without disturbing the boy.
"Okay I guess I'll just start at the beginning so that everyone's on the same page. I took the afternoon patrol around town today and as I was passing by the dock's Hook flagged me down. I followed him onto his ship where he informed me that he saw someone poking around the cannery last night. He said he took out his spyglass and looking through it he thought he may have seen Greg Mendel." I explained and everyone looked rather uncomfortable with the news.
"I thought Henry said Greg and Tamara were dead...Killed by Pan when they failed their mission and they had their shadows torn away." Snow said interrupting my tale of the afternoons events. Clearly Charming hadn't taken the time to explain to her the details of why they were coming out here.
"We are here because of a tip that marauding cur gave you?" My father spat at me before I could answer Snows question.
"No that's not why your here, now may I finish?" I asked annoyed and they all stay silent so I continue.
"I told Hook that Henry had said they were dead but he asked me a very interesting question. He asked if Henry had actually seen this happen or if he had only seen Pan pass judgment them. Now I had to admit that it had not occurred to me to ask for specifics when we were returning from Neverland. So that is when I went to Regina's because unfortunately that was a question I needed answered by the only person who could." I said and Regina cut in.
"That's what you asked him? No wonder he was so terrified, how could you do that to him?" She scolded me, but I refused to be lectured in these matters by the evil queen of all people.
"As I told you earlier Regina It's not like I wanted to." I hissed and she glares at me.
"The only reason I brought any of you into this at all is because Henry did not see Greg die. He said he saw Pan start to rip Tamara's shadow away as the lost one's took him away to be locked up. That it was her that was still screaming when he was finally out of ear shot. Therefore there is still a possibility that Greg is still alive and has made his way back to Storybrooke." I said finishing my explanation and they all look around at each other uneasily.
"What do you intend to do about it?" My mother asks concern evident in her voice.
"Well Greg knows and will be looking for most of you. He doesn't know Warren, and I doubt he knows much if anything about me and that gives me an advantage to find him." I said before Charming pipes up.
"How do you know that? He could have been watching for a while now and know a lot about you." He said asking a valid question but I had to smile.
"Because I'm pretty sure I know how he got here. The day before yesterday I spent running around to different realms collecting a few thing's. When I was in Neverland I ran into Tinkerbell and we had a bit of a disagreement. If Greg is here then I'm almost positive that Tink commanded the shadow to bring him, and It's one thing I intend to ask him if and when I find him. If I'm right and this is Tinks doing then I have a promise to keep." I stated coldly and watch as Warren, Regina, and my father all smirk and the rest of them look worried.
"If he's here he came prepared to be dealing with all of you. Now Tink might have told him to look for me as well, but she doesn't know much about me. Tink and the shadow are not be able to come into town because of the cloaking spell but any gadgetry of Pan's can. Greg may know that I'm magical but even if Tink told him as much he still doesn't really have any clue who he's dealing with." I stated confidently trying to ease their fears.
"Be careful you're not being overconfident there dearie, you'll end up underestimating your prey." My father warns and I nod.
"I'm well aware of the danger he poses Dad. That is why I'm enlisting Warrens help, Bae's and Emma's too once they return from Florida. Between my magical abilities and Emma's experience as a bounty hunter we should find him relatively quickly. And when we find him I will give him a few choices. He can choose to forget this vendetta of his and leave us in peace forever, or he can choose to join Pan in his netherworld prison." I explained and they all gave me a surprised look.
"And what happens when he says he will leave forever and then doesn't?" Regina asks and I hear David groan slightly.
"If he chooses the first option and goes back on his word and returns... Then he will have really chosen the third and consequential option." I explain with a cold tone and David folds his arms over his chest and sighs.
"Ya why don't you tell them what you told me about that third option. Tell them what you told me in the station." He said urging me on.
"The third option is not one I want to use because it can have side effects, bad ones. The third option involves a more advanced use of my ability to enter someones mind. Normally I only go as deep as someones surface thought's, but I can go deeper. Manipulate their memories, control their actions, even use their senses as if they were my own. If used to manipulate their memories you can erase or alter them permanently creating a blank space or whatever you want in their memory. The down side is the deeper you go the more strain it put's on the mind your invading, and you chance breaking it. You can break it and trap them within their own mind, turning them into something a kin to a catatonic." I explain leaning and glaring at the table we are standing around and I hear both Snow and my mother gasp.
"Greg has memories from when he was a boy of this place so it would require me to go quite deep. There is a good chance that in trying to do this he would end up in an asylum for the rest of his days. I don't want to do it, but I won't let this mans vendetta with one person endanger the whole town." I explain and then push away from the table to walk over and look out the window while they process what I'd said. I can feel their eye's on me as I stare out into the forest. They don't realize how much I hate myself right now that I was even considering this third option. But I had gone over everything I could think of and these were the best options available. If he leaves then he can move on with his life mourn his father and just forget about this place. If he chooses to be imprisoned then maybe someday he will learn his lesson and I can set him free then. If either of those fail then taking his memory's is the only way to be sure he will never bother us again, short of killing him. I had considered many other things but they had been ruled out for one reason or another.
"How do you make these decisions so lightly?" I hear Snow ask behind me and I turn back to look at them feeling both confused and a little hurt.
"I assure you Snow I make no decision like this lightly." I spat taking a deep breath so I didn't loose my temper. Charming takes Snows hand as if to tell me that they stand united. I walk back slowly to the table and fold my arms as I reach it leaning on my left leg slightly.
"As some of you know in the time I came from Storybrooke is at war and has been for some time. What I hadn't told anyone but Warren before this was the role I play in that war. I... am not...just a soldier. I'm the commander of Storybrooke's defenses in effect the general of our army. When I make a decision on such things I do not just act on the first thing that pop's into my head. I consider everything I can think of weighing each for it's pro's and cons. And as the only one in my time that knows more than me is my father, he is my only real counsel. But as I'm not in my time and I know everything he knows in this time and then some, he can't really help me in this regard. Just because I make these decisions quickly I assure you does not mean I take them lightly." I seethed and they all looked stunned by my words but still skeptical. I'm really getting tired of having to prove myself over and over again.
"I considered wiping his memory using a memory spell but it could wear off or be broken. Maybe I should turn his clock back making him a child again. It would remove the memories but it would also take away who he is and would make him an orphan so no. We could imprison him here but he could escape, or one of his friends could find some way around the barrier and let him loose, again no. Banish him to another world? No he's our problem and he could always find a way back. The list of thing's I considered goes on...Shall I continue or have I made my point?" I said a bit coldly and get no response but a small snicker from both Regina and my father. Both Snow and Charming finally shake their heads and I sigh and smile at them.
"Look I know that it seems I'm unfeeling at times. But trust me I do feel and I don't want to do this anymore than you want me too. The way I deal with memories is permanent unlike a spell, or a curse, because I literally change what is in their mind. I don't lock it away, bury it, or put it behind something else. I remove it and destroy it. It can't be undone because you can't restore something that simply no longer exists. But if all went well he would remain who he is essentially...Just won't have a clue how to achieve his goal. He would also no longer be able to enter town because he no longer knows the town." I explain and they all look confused by this.
"I thought that if you have been here before it can't stop you?" Charming asks.
"Yes that's true but if I did this... to his mind he would never have been here before. Since he would have ill intent for the town and it's people the barrier would keep him out. Don't get me wrong he would still remember the people he met here, and the event's that transpired. But in his mind they would have taken place somewhere else. You see the way my barrier works is it looks into your mind and searches what it finds there. If you aren't a resident but have been here before the barrier went up, the magic assumes you must be an approved visitor and let's you pass. If you haven't been here before then it looks at your intent for your visit. So if the memories are no longer in his head then it will see his intent and will treat him as a threat, and thus he will not gain entry into the town." I explain. I can see that the only ones who truly understand what I'm talking about are Warren, Regina, and my father. The rest nod as if they do but I can see in their eye's that they really don't.
"Okay now that everyone is updated on the situation I believe Warren and I have work to do." I said turning to leave but feel a hand grab my shoulder firmly to stop me. I look over my shoulder at my father who's face says that we need to have yet another private talk. I sigh and then nod at him and he let's go of me and gestures toward the door. I drop the sound barrier as he walks to the door and opens it waiting for me to follow.
"Give us a minute Warren." I stated and he nods going to sit on the couch to wait. I walk out the door and Dad follows me out shutting it behind him. We walk about twenty feet from the house any further and we would no longer be inside the cloak he had put up. I turn to face him and gesture for him to say what he needs to.
"You were acting strange earlier on the phone..." He said and I gave him my condescending expression.
"Is their a question in that?" I ask and he obviously doesn't like my tone.
"That is exactly what I'm talking about... You can be sarcastic, impulsive, and over-confident yes but I have never seen you act intentionally disrespectful. Why didn't you just tell me all this over the phone?" He asks and I can't help but raise my eyebrows in unbelief at him.
"You're kidding right?" I ask and he steps closer to me and I see his patience is wearing a bit thin.
"No I'm not kidding...Now Why are you pretending to be someone you're not?" He asks with his not taking no for an answer tone.
"Greg may not be magical but he does understand this worlds technology very well. If I were him the first thing I would have done once I found my hiding place is set up phone taps on my enemies, so that I could keep tabs on them. Tink knows I'm the one who sent Pan away, that I'm powerfully magical and Immortal. She knows that my family has history with him but I didn't name anyone and I doubt she would connect me to you as I'm too old. She knows about your son Bae but only a few people in town know that I even exist yet. She also knows that Pan has done terrible thing's to my family and friends. But the same could be said of many families in this world, even this town. I don't think blinded by her rage as she is...I don't think she will have the clarity of thought to connect the dots and tie me to you as family. Which is why I didn't call you Dad on the phone, why I spoke to you as I did, and why I said that protecting Henry was your families responsibility. I'm trying to keep him in the dark about who I really am. I'm acting as if I'm just doing my job protecting the town as a deputy." I explain and he seems to get it now but still doesn't like it.
"So how do you plan to find him?" He asks dropping this argument for now.
"Well with him not being magical and having help from Pan's devices it complicates things. I have a plan to draw him out and I'm fairly confident it will work." I state and he just waits silently for me to continue.
"If he's been listening in as I'm almost certain he has... Then he knows from our talk on the phone that I was meeting you all here tonight. I'm going to let it be known that in the morning I'm going to get Greg's father to use as bait for catching him. That when we came here tonight Regina told us that he is actually alive and well in the hospital's asylum. He may be skeptical but I don't think he will pass up the chance that it might be true and not follow me." I explain and he looks furious.
"You're using yourself as bait!?" He shouts at me in disapproval.
"Yes It's the quickest way to resolve this and he can't do any real permanent damage to me." I explained matter of factly.
"That's not the point Monori!" He continued to shout.
"Dad will you please calm down nothing is going to happen. The worst he can do to me is temporarily arrest my magic." I said before he cut me off.
"He tortured Regina and could do the same with you!" He screamed and I could see we were drawing the attention of those in the cabin. The others are watching us from the window and my mother is out the door and coming toward us.
"Anything he could do to me I would be able to heal one way or another." I said folding my arms over my chest.
"No this is unacceptable you are not taking this course of action! You are not intentionally throwing yourself in harm's way! I will not allow it!" He said as my mother reaches us and reaches out to hold him and try to calm him.
"You will not allow it?..." I said glaring at my father and he nods. I have never liked being treated as a child and it's high time he understands that I think.
"I didn't know I was asking for or needed your permission!" I seethed through gritted teeth walking back to the cabin and ignoring my parents calls after me.
"Let's go Warren, the sheriff's station now!" I said and he simply nods and disappears. I throw my arm in the air and put up my own cloaking and hard barrier spell. I look to Snow, Regina, and Charming who look slightly unnerved.
"Don't bother trying to leave you won't be able to. Just stay here and keep Henry safe when it's over I'll drop the barrier and you can all go home." I said. I then walk off through my barrier and then teleport to the station.