Let me just say how much I loved the premiere of OUAT the other night. Regina had so many great lines that I'm still laughing about! Anyway, continue reading!
Chapter 48: Torture
Mandy slowly opened her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. She was freezing and she felt the tight restraints around her ankles and wrists. She was strapped down to a cold, metal table and couldn't move. She tried with all her might to loosen the straps, tugging and pulling at them but nothing seemed to be working.
"Trying to escape?" Mandy heard a man say. She lifted her head slightly and saw Greg standing at the door. "You're not going anywhere little girl."
"What do you want with me?" She asked angrily in a raspy voice leaning her head back down on the table.
Greg leaned over her and ran the back of his hand over her cheek. "You look just like your mother."
She pulled away from his touch. "Get away from me!" She growled.
"I see you inherited her personality as well." He said grabbing her chin and turning her head towards him. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"
Mandy didn't say anything. She tried to be as brave as she could but she was completely terrified inside. She saw Greg coming towards her with a knife. She gulped and braced herself. "Regina hurt someone I care about, so now I'm going to do the same to someone she loves."
The group was awaiting Cora's arrival from Storybrooke. She was using the magic beans the giant had grew, bringing an extra one for their return home.
Gold heard someone calling his name faintly and he couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
"Rumple, I'm in your pocket!" He heard. He reached in and pulled out the traveling mirror. Cora's face was in the mirror. "We are waiting on you, dearie."
"Well I'm trying to fucking find you, dearie." She said mockingly. "Could you give me a clue where you all are?"
Gold shot a fireball into the sky for Cora. "Thanks Rumple, way to be subtle." She said after seeing the fire in the sky.
"Wouldn't want you getting lost…" He replied. She disappeared from the mirror.
"What the hell are doing Gold!" David yelled. "Do you want the birds to come back?"
"Cora is on her way. She needed help finding us." He replied.
"Well you could've come up with a better way, dad…" Neal said a little annoyed.
"Where is my daughter?" They heard Cora ask behind them. They pointed to a cave a few feet away. "Snow is in there as well." David said.
She nodded and headed into the cave. She saw Snow and Regina sitting on the ground next to one another. "Are you two seriously going to sit there and cry, while your kids are being held captive by an evil woman and her henchmen?"
Regina stood up quickly, straightening her shirt and wiping the dirt off of her pants. "Mother! You need to help us, please!"
"Why do you think I'm here, darling?" Cora asked smiling.
"Did you bring Daniel with you, mother?" Regina asked hopefully. She needed her husband with her.
"No, dear. Someone had to stay behind and run that crazy little town you created." She waved her off. "Besides, we wouldn't anyone else you hold dear getting hurt now would we?"
Regina put her head down. "No, I suppose you're right."
Snow stood up. "Do you have a plan, Cora? Please tell me you have a plan!"
She nodded. "I do, Snow. I always do."
Emma was pacing back and forth in her cell. She was pissed she was captured and that she couldn't help Mandy and Henry. She began shaking the jail cell, trying to get it open. She heard people talking from the door on the far side of the room. The voices were getting closer. The door finally opened and she saw Mandy being dragged in by some boy.
"Romulus, why are you working for her? I thought we were friends?" Mandy asked as he led her further down the cell hall.
"I have my reasons." He replied.
"Miranda!" Emma exclaimed when she saw her.
Mandy turned to the direction she heard her name being called from. "Emma." She whispered with a smile.
Romulus quickly unlocked the cell and threw her in with Emma and locked the door. Emma caught her and held her tight. "Why did you do this to her?" Emma yelled when she saw the cuts all over Mandy's body.
He shook his head. "Wasn't me. It was Mendell. He has a personal vendetta against her mother and decided to torture the girl to hurt Regina."
"He is so messed up!" Emma screamed. "I can't wait to get my hands on him. Where's Henry?" She demanded to know.
"He is being held on the other side of this place. You'll see him when the final phase begins." Rom replied.
"What's the final phase?" Mandy asked weakly.
"You'll find out in a few hours." That was the last thing he said before he left leaving many questions unanswered.
Emma held Mandy at arm's length, looking her over better. "What did Greg do to you?"
Mandy put her head down. "Let's just say it involved a really sharp knife."
Emma shook her head. "Wow, I'm sorry kid."
Mandy walked over and sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. "It's not your fault, Emma. My mom has made a lot of enemies over the years."
Emma sat down beside her. "Yea but you shouldn't have to pay the price for her past."
Mandy shrugged. "I don't want her to pay for it either."
"But she made those decisions on her own." Emma countered. "She has to own up to them."
"She's still my mom, Emma. I don't want to see her hurt." Mandy said looking straight into Emma's eyes.
"And she's not going to want to see you hurt." Emma replied. "She's going to be lost without you. You can't sacrifice yourself. It's gotta be me."
"Your destiny was to wake everyone from the curse. I have a destiny too, and this is it. I was born for this." Mandy replied. She knew deep down that this was how everything was supposed to happen. It had to be her who gave her life, not Emma.
"Kid, I'm not going to let you do that."
Mandy sighed. "Emma, can we not talk about this now. I'm way too tired to argue with you."
Emma gave her a weak smile. "Sure, kid." Emma wrapped her arm around Mandy and pulled her close so she could rest her head on her for comfort. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you in case anything happens." Mandy didn't reply, she was already half asleep.
The group reconvened in the cave so Cora and Gold could explain their plan to them. Gold began speaking when Regina interrupted him. She and Snow were still pissed at Gold for not telling them one of their kids was going to have to sacrifice her life. "Why the hell didn't you tell us about the girls? We could've prevented all of this."
"Well dearie, it was one child or the other. You can't have both." He replied.
"I'm not playing favorites, Gold. I love both of my children equally." Regina fought back.
"I never said you didn't, Regina. Now can we get back to the plan?" He asked a little annoyed that she interrupted him.
"We need to take out the birds first or we will never get in that lair of hers." Cora started. "We'll poison their drinking water and once that's completed we will sneak inside and see what we are up against. I'm sure with Regina's magic, Rumple's and my own we will be able to take care of anyone who tries to stop us."
"And what about this Enchantress?" Neal asked. "How do we take her out."
"We don't." Gold replied. "We need Mandy and Emma to do that."
"But what if they're dead already?" Hook asked.
Regina slapped his arm. "Don't even say that!"
"I'm just stating the possibility, my Queen."
"We are going to check the mirror one last time before we make our way up to the lair." Cora said pulling out her small traveling mirror. She waved her hand in front of it revealing a cut up Mandy sleeping on Emma who was keeping her eyes and ears open.
Mandy was shaken awake by Emma. "Someone's coming." She whispered to Mandy.
Mandy sat up and rubbed her eyes quickly. Emma stood up then proceeded to help the younger girl up. They saw the Enchantress and Romulus making their way closer to them.
"Stay back!" Emma warned.
"I didn't come for you, Savior, I came for the girl." The Enchantresses replied coldly.
Emma put a protective arm around Mandy. "Well you're not getting her."
She walked closer to the jail cell. "I always get what I want."
"What do you want with her anyway?" Emma asked still blocking Mandy from the Enchantresses view.
"Your little boy has just informed me of some very useful information." She said rather seductively.
"What did he tell you?" Mandy asked peering behind Emma's shoulder.
The Enchantress flicked her wrist, unlocking the door and strolled in. Emma and Mandy moved back quickly, hitting the cave wall. The Enchantress waved her hand, sending Emma to the side so she could see Miranda better. Emma was struggling but she kept her pinned to the ground with her magic. "I know who your grandmother is." The Enchantress brushed a piece of Mandy's hair out of her face. "Tell me, dear. How is the Queen of Hearts?"
"Look, I know you two had a thing going on…but can't you just let it go and move on?" Mandy pleaded.
The Enchantress put her finger to her chin as if she were actually thinking it over. "Hmm…I don't think so." She grabbed Mandy by her hair and began pulling her out of the cell. She called back to Romulus. "Bring the Savior along. I think she will enjoy the show."
The image in the mirror became foggy and soon disappeared altogether. "I think she found out Mandy is your granddaughter, Cora." Hook pointed out.
"Unfortunately, I think you're right pirate." She said with a sigh.
"Then there is no time to waste." Gold said. "We need to move out now!" The group gathered their belongings and began walking towards the lair. They would be there very soon.
Regina hadn't said much after they saw what happened to Emma and her daughter in the cave. Snow strayed behind to check up on her step-mother. "Regina, I know what we just saw was a little unsettling but we can't lose hope. Our girls will be fine and we will get Henry back."
"How can you be so hopeful and optimistic?!" Regina said glaring at her. "They are being tortured and I can't do anything to stop it."
"The sooner we get there, you'll be able to destroy them Regina. You'll be able to stop it all." Snow said.
Regina arched her eyebrows. "You're actually condoning me to kill someone?"
Snow looked forward. "This time, I am. Now let's go."
Emma was chained to the cave wall in the huge room Mandy was in before. She watched helplessly as they strapped Mandy down once again. "Let her go!" She screamed but it didn't help.
They're going to cut me again. Mandy thought. She thought of what her mother would do and that was not to show fear. She put on a brave face and acted as though none of this was bothering her.
Emma saw Romulus bring in someone else on the other side of the lair. She squinted her eyes to get a better look. "Henry!" She yelled.
He looked over and saw his blonde mother. "Emma!" He tried running over to her but Rom caught him and pulled him back. Henry was then chained to the cave wall opposite of Emma.
"Are you okay, Henry?" She yelled to him.
"For the most part." He shouted back.
"Quiet you two!" The Enchantress snapped. "Are you ready my dear?" She asked Mandy.
"It's funny how powerful you think you are." Mandy laughed. "You are nothing but a sorry excuse for a person."
The Enchantress was not one to listen to such remarks. "Is that so?" She asked in a deep voice.
"Don't hurt her!" Henry shouted but the Enchantress ignored him.
"You're just like your grandmother, thinking you're better than everyone else but you're not. I have just as much power as you do little girl."
Mandy tilted her head. "Then why do you need Henry or myself to complete your mission?"
The Enchantress was growing frustrated with this little brat in front of her. Her eyes grew dark and cold, hollow almost. She threw her hands outward, towards Mandy. Whatever magic she was using on her made Mandy scream that pierced everyone's ears and echoed through the cave. It was so loud that it traveled throughout the jungle, reaching everyone in the group's ears. Regina grew more frantic than ever. She knew that was her little girl screaming in pain so she began running, running as fast as she could with the group falling in behind her.
"Whatever you're doing to her, STOP!" Emma screamed when Mandy wasn't screaming for a change.
"She deserves this!" Alice yelled.
"No, she doesn't! Cora does…and she is certainly not her grandmother! Let her go!" Emma yelled once more.
The Enchantress shook her head. "We're just getting started." She threw out her hands inflicting pain once more on Mandy's already weak body. Mandy let out another piercing scream and was breathing heavily once it stopped. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.
"Enchantress, you need to stop or you will kill her and the plan will not work without her." Tamara informed her boss.
The blonde huffed. "Fine. Take the Savior back to her cell. I don't want her causing any more trouble." She instructed Romulus. He nodded and began unchaining Emma. "Bring the boy here and strap him to the other table."
"What are you going to do to them?" Emma asked frantically. She needed to get answers before she was escorted out. She didn't know when or if she was going to see her son again, or Miranda who she considered as her daughter.
"Drain their magic of course." The Enchantress smiled wickedly at Emma before Romulus dragged her out of the cave and back into her cell. Emma fought hard to free herself, but it was no use. She was stuck in that cell until someone came to her rescue. She knew her only hope was for the group to get here in time before anything happened to Miranda and Henry and things weren't looking too good.
Thoughts? Any guesses as to what's going to happen? A lot is about to go down in the next chapter. Someone's going to die…just so ya know.
