Chapter 8

The doors of the tube carriage opened, and Regina was greeted by a misty darkness. The tube station they had arrived at was even more run down then the previous station she had been at. Walls had begun to crumble and the floor was covered in sand and dust. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

Slowly armed guards led her and Emma towards the stairs of the station. In this moment, Regina began to feel a whole range of emotions flood her body all at once. She was excited and curious to see the supposed desolate world above her but also frightfully nervous as she was about to meet the leaders of the resistance.

As she began walking up the stairs in her new coat and trousers that Emma had given her on the tube, she began fumbling around with her gas mask. It had began to rub around her chin and her ears and this was annoying Regina.

"Stop fiddling" Emma said, as she spied Regina out the corner of her eye pulling her gas mask around. "If you keep fiddling, it will break and then we are screwed" she said, her voice teasing but still serious.

"Sorry but I've never had to wear one of these before" she said finally sorting the mask out, it now resting perfectly on her face.

"Your such a child" Emma said, looking back at the brunette and laughing inside her own mask.

As the pair finally reached the top of the stairs, Regina couldn't believe how quiet everything was. No loud floating advertisements, no hum of hover cars rushing by, not even the sound of a bird tweeting. It was silent.

"Ready to brave the old world" Emma said before they stepped outside into the unknown.

Regina gave her a quick nod and then the pair and several armed guards began walking into the open.

What Regina saw, shocked her to the core.

Buildings stood tall and cars littered the streets but everything felt dead and destroyed. All the glass had been blown out of very building and car and sand coated the floor. As Regina look around the small area of "No mans land" she spied several guards positioned in the tall buildings above them, snipers in hand.

"We are nearly there" Emma suddenly said, breaking the silence. "Its just that building up there". She pointed to a large church like building that had somehow managed to escape as much destruction as the others. Its walls were made from stone and it had several large windows positioned throughout. A large tower also stood on top of it.

As they walked into the building, the pair were then led into a small decontamination room. As they stood inside, a small switch was flicked and Regina felt her who body begin to warm up.

"CLEAR" one of the guards shouted.

She turned to Emma who had now taken off her gas mask. The blonde gave her a quick smile and then began to help Regina with her own mask, removing it carefully. She then handed them to the guard next to her and proceeded to hold Regina's hand.

"This way" Emma said, her voice as soft as silk. She began guiding Regina into the next room, where they were met by a wall of several guards.

Suddenly a well armoured lady stepped forwarded and approached Emma.

"They want to see her alone" the women said, looking directly at Emma. She had dreadlocks and a strange tattoo flowing across her forehead.

Emma began nodding intently. "Okay, okay" she mumbled. She then looked up at Regina and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. The look that Emma gave Regina explained it all. Regina knew she was safe, she knew she would see her again. Regina gave her a quick nod of the head and then looked deep into the blondes eyes.

"Don't go too far" she said, smiling at the blonde.

"Okay" Emma breathed, smiling back at her.

It wasn't until now that Regina really hand the chance to take in the beauty of the blonde. She was stunning. Her body was defined and strong, yet her face was soft and sweet. She couldn't believe that this women was actually her wife. Suddenly a feeling of sadness began to flow through her body. She did not want to leave the blonde, not even for a second. This woman was now everything to her. But unfortunately, she had no choice. She had people to meet.

Giving Emma a quick wave, she turned around and began making her way down the solid stone stairs, taking in the large room before her. To her surprise the room was well lit with only a few patches of darkness. As Regina looked closer she could definitely see that this building was an old church. Its grand staircase and its gothic features revealed everything. However whilst the building itself was old, the technology inside was not. The room was covered in screens and generators.

As Regina reached the bottom of the old staircase, her eyes automatically landed on a screen which was showing several locations around the U.F.B. They were CCTV camera's she assumed The Resistance had hacked into.

"Mrs Swan Mills" a deep voice said.

Regina quickly looked around.

Suddenly a well-built, young looking man began approaching her followed by a small, petite women with a dark pixie haircut.

"What is it that you want?" This time it was the women who spoke. Her voice was strong yet soft and somehow she demanded attention just from standing in front of the brunette.

"I want to help you" Regina boldly said, all her fear being out aside. She knew who these people were and she could not show any sign of fear or weakness towards them.

There was a small pause and then suddenly the pair began smiling and small "huff" coming from the mans lips.

"That is not the only reason you're here" the man said, now looking Regina up and down, taking in every feature he could.

What were they looking for? Did they think she was an imposter?

"Look, I just want to remember okay" Regina said, he voice irritated. She hadn't come here to be questioned, if anything she had come here to ask the questions herself. She had come for answers.

"Why" The women asked her voice still soft.

Regina sighed.

"So I can be myself, be who I was, please Mary Margaret….David" but she was interrupted.

"It is each women's quest to find out who she truly is but the answer to that lies in the present not in the past" David explained. "As it is for all of us."

"Yes I understand that, but does the past not tell us who we've become" Regina questioned.

"The past is a construct of the mind" Mary Margaret chimed in. "It blinds us, it fools us into believing it" she said, her voice full of power. "Now the heart, the heart wants to live in the present. Look there" she said softy and pointed at Regina's chest. "You'll find your answer"

Regina looked down to where Mary Margaret was pointing. She was right. Her heart was telling her so many things, things her mind could only wish to tell her. She took a deep breath and moved her hand over her heart. It was beating quickly.

"Now Regina, I am told you have information that may save us all" David said as he stepped back from her, his large oversized coat sweeping the floor.

"I am told the same" Regina said. She then suddenly noticed David's eyes glance towards a darkened part of the room. She followed his gaze and looked closely into the dark.

No, it couldn't be.

It was. Another chair, just like the one at Rekall, however this one look tired and slightly more intimidating. Its frame was made out of thick, dark metal and it had large, curved metal prongs coming out from behind the chair and sweeping round to the front of it.

"Great" Regina thought as she moved towards the chair.

"Please take off your coat Regina and then take a seat" Mary Margret said, as David moved round to what Regina assumed was the computer of this thing.

As she removed her coat to reveal her toned, tanned arms, she began to feel cold. This place was clearly not heated and when you are sat still in nothing but a black t-shirt, it can be pretty chilly.

"Just relax Regina" David said, as he booted up the system. She sat still as Mary Margret placed several monitors on her head and then made her way back over to David.

Suddenly the prongs began to light up and a metal square above Regina's head also began to light up.

"Just look forward Regina" David said as he tapped away at the system.

She did as she was told and began to look straight forward. What she was please to see was that Emma was now standing only a few metres away from her smiling. This is what she needed right now.

"Just breath babe" Emma practically whispered.

At hearing this, the warmest feeling began to spread through Regina's body.

Then suddenly David pressed the last button on the computer and Regina felt as if the who world had just landed on her shoulders. He body was being forced downwards and her head felt as if it was being squeezed aggressively in a vise. She could feel her hands begin to shake as she gripped tightly onto the chairs arms. Her head was now moving side to side as she tried to keep her eyes open and focused on Emma.

Suddenly a large square of light was now surrounding her and images of places and people began to flash before her.

"The firewall to the memory banks" David mumbled "We're in."

Emma was now moving forwards and looking closely at the memories her and Regina shared. There was one memory where the pair had visited a local take out in the U.F.B. She watched as Regina placed a drop of Vanilla milkshake on Emma's nose and then kiss it off. She watched as the pair smiled at each ither lovingly. She could remember this like it was yesterday.

As Emma kept watching she could see aspects of Regina's life she didn't know about. Quickly flashes of Regina in U.F.B army uniform popped up. She looked so strange. Suddenly the memory was gone and placed with another.

"There, you see" David said, now pointing at a memory. It was of a synthetic but it looked like blueprints of its body. A large code was also running next to it.

"Jesus" Emma said as she looked closely at the ever changing code. "Can you retrieve it?" Emma asked.

She looked at Mary Margret who was now tapping away at the computer.

"It's encrypted" Mary Margret said as her taps now became more and more aggressive.

The code was now getting bigger and changing faster and faster.

"What is this?" Emma asked, almost touching the speeding number in front of her.

Regina had now stopped shaking and was beginning to relax into the chair now. She watched as the blue prints of the synthetics lingered next to her. Suddenly red dots began to cover some of the numbers to the code and then the computer began to shut down, the buzz of the hard drive falling silent.

Emma jumped backwards and watched as Regina began to panic in the chair. She could see that MM and David had no idea what was going on. Then suddenly they all saw it. A hologram of Chancellor Gold flashed up around Regina instead.

"Hello David, Mary Margret. You can't imagine how much I've been looking forward to seeing you again, its been far too long"

Quickly David tried to override the system but it wasn't working. As every second ticked by Regina was growing more and more anxious in the chair. She was beginning to shake again.

"You know, you two are very hard to find" Gold said, his holographic face smiling.

"SHUT IT DOWN" Emma shouted as she lunged forward and began pulling the suckers off Regina's head.

"Are you okay babe?" she whispered as she held Regina tightly in her arms.

"Secure all entrances"

BOOM

A large explosion boomed at the top of the stairs and then floods of soldiers began bursting through.

"Move move move!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Emma pushed Regina into cover and then drew her gun from her trouser leg. She began shooting at several well armoured soldiers that had begun running down the stairs.

Suddenly Regina saw a spare, loaded gun on the floor only a few metres in front of her. Without even thinking she ran towards the gun, picked it up and ran towards MM and David who were hiding behind one of the church pillars.

"GET THEM OUT OF HERE" Regina shouted at one of the guards. But as soon as the words left her lips, the guard standing next to them was shot.

"Fuck" she whispered.

He fingers suddenly caressed the trigger and bullets began flying through the air as she noticed two synthetics shooting at them from the church balcony. Resistance guards began dropping like flies and to Regina's dismay more synthetics and soldiers began flooding in.

"Gun's down now!" One of the soldiers shouted. "NOW!"

Regina knew when she was beaten. Then were clearly outnumbered and by complying with these rules nobody else would die. Slowly she lowered her weapon to the ground and let her body be pulled into the middle of the room by two synthetic soldiers.

As she looked around the room, she saw not only Emma being pushed around by one of the soldiers but Robin walking smugly down the church stairs, two synthetics at his side and a large gun resting at his side. His body was covered in a tight fitting bullet proof vest and his hair was slicked back. His eyes rested on Emma instantly. He gave her a evil looking smirk and then carried on walking past her.

However it wasn't just Robin that had descended the stairs. Chancellor Gold was also here and now walking down the stairs also dressed in a bullet-proof vest. His face looked angry and his gold tooth was sparkling in the light.

He came to a standstill in front of Regina, MM and David.

"Well done" he said looking between Regina and the pair. "Its impressive…..all this" he said gesturing his hands around and then lingering on the now inactive chair.

"You'll be interested to know that there is no kill code" He said proudly, looking at the shock now on David and MM face. "It was a fake" he said, a evil smile ruling his face.

"You're lying" Regina breathed struggling slightly against the two strong synthetics holding her in place.

"Sorry" Gold smugly said. "It was the only way to get to you"

"All this trouble for two people" David said looking Gold straight in the eyes, his voice cold and full of hate.

"Oh never underestimate the power of two people, even one if I'm being honest, I know I don't" Gold said. He then quickly raised the gun that had been strapped to his leg and shot two bullet directly at David and MM.

Both bodies fell to the floor with a thump and Regina felt as if she had watched her whole chance at a new life disappear.

"NO!" Emma yelled, only metres away from Regina. "LET GO OF ME" she screamed, struggling to escape but getting nowhere.

Regina was now on her knees. The synthetics had pushed her to the floor but still gripping hard onto her shoulders.

"Lieutenant?" Gold shouted.

"Its all here sir, MM and Davids defensive plans, troop numbers and location coordinates on every Resistance outpost in Storybrooke. The first wave of attack is already underway"

"Brilliant" Gold said, looking at the data his lieutenant had found. "Congratulations my friend, get her up please, up, up, up" Gold signalled to the synthetic. "You did it, you're a hero" Gold said, looking Regina dead in the eyes. But all Regina could think about was not hyperventilating. Her body was exhausted and she could feel her breathing getting quicker and quicker.

"What are you talking about?" she spat as Gold approached her closely.

"MM and David are dead, Storybrooke is about to fall and its all thanks to you. It was just brilliant. What better than a double agent, who doesn't realize she is one?" Gold said laughing as he walked over to a table and began rummaging around in a bag that one of the soldiers had given him. He then produced a vile full of green liquid and began walking towards Regina.

Regina had had enough now, anger was pulsing through her veins. She lunged forward, only to be held back even firmer by the two synthetics which were now practically crushing her arms.

"Oh there it is! The old Regina, your going to need that" Gold said, tapping her lightly on the stomach.

"Granted, there were a few hiccups along the way: you popping your memory cap at Rekall for instance, that wasn't good and then their was your lovely Husband, who strayed from his directive" he said as he approached Robin. "Look at me" he demanded. "He was ordered to bring you back alive"

Then suddenly a loud slap ran out through the church.

Robin gripped his face tightly, trying to cover the red raw skin that was now spreading across his face.

"Ill deal with you later" Gold spat.

"But you led us here Regina. You helped us with this and for that I'm going to give you a second chance"

Regina could see Emma's face drop. She knew something, something that was about to happen.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked

Gold nodded at one of the soldiers who pointed his gun firmly at Regina's chest, whilst the synthetics guarding her began to pull her towards the broken looking chair.

"NO" Emma screamed as she tried to break free of the soldiers grips but it was no use, she was trapped.

"What are you doing?" Regina began to say, panicking as she felt herself being pushed into the chair and strapped down. Every bone in her body told her she needed to fight, to struggle, to get free but she couldn't, there were simply to many of them.

"I'm bringing back the old you Regina"

"No" she breathed, she couldn't go through this again.

"We made sure to back up your memory before we sent her in there. Before she became corrupted. Just think of it, in a few hours you'll awake and you will be the old Regina again".

Emma couldn't listen to this, hell she couldn't watch this. She had just got Regina back and now she was going to lose her again. Tears began to form in her eyes as she watched the women she loved be forced down.

"You'll be loyal again, patriotic…ruthless" he said as his evil smile burned into Regina's eyes.

"Now what to do with you?" he said, wandering over to Emma and caressing her face with his cold, wrinkly hand. "I think we will keep you" he said but Regina wasn't having that,

"Leave her out of it" she boldly stated.

"I think the world will be very interested to hear the confession of MM and Davids Lieutenant.

"NEVER" Emma spat.

"GOLD!" one of the soldiers shouted, letting the chancellor know the machine was ready.

"You'll be very surprised to see how good Regina is at beating a confession out of someone"

That's it, Regina thought.

"Goddam Gold, you have me, isn't that all you wanted" Regina said. She would do anything to try and save Emma now.

"Let her go" Gold said

Regina watched as two soldiers accompanied Emma out of the building. Robin however was still stood there, his face a picture of disgust, if it had been up to him, that bitch would have died a long time ago.

"Right Regina, try and relax, it'll all be over soon, I promise you" Gold said "We will be reunited very soon and meanwhile I have an invasion to lead" he said pulling down slightly on his bullet proof vest and walking towards the stairs.

However now Gold had gone, he had been replaced by Robin who was looking coldly into Regina's eyes.

"I wish I could forget that easily" he breathed.

"Robin" Gold shouted from the middle of the stairs. He turned back one last time to face Regina and smiled. "Sweet dreams" he said, before running towards the stairs and following Gold out of the building.

Now it was just Regina and a load of soldiers. One solider attempted to place a needle in Regina's arm but her struggling and kicking meant he couldn't.

"Hold her down Ruby" one of the soldiers instructed and Regina suddenly felt gentle arms touch her own. Wait a second. Ruby!

Regina look up and into the eyes of the women who was holding her down. It was her, the women she had spoken to on the glass window, the women who had helped her get to the bank. She was also now the women who was helping her try to escape. As Regina looked down, she noticed that one of the hand restraints had been freed.

As Ruby walked away and pack into her position, Regina listened as the solider began to slowly administer the drug.

"Do me a favour bitch" he said. "Struggle as much as possible, hurts more that way"

This made Regina's blood boil and she finally saw her chance. One of the guards had turned their back on her and his gun was now near her freed hand and leg. Quickly she lunged forward grabbing the gun and kicking the nearst guard to the floor.

Gun shots then filled the room as Ruby also began shooting at the synthetics and soldiers. Quickly Regina began picking them off one by one her left hand and foot still trapped against the chair but that didn't matter, her and Ruby had killed the lot. But then she noticed Ruby on the floor.

Quickly sitting back down, she ripped the restraints off her arms and legs and ran straight over to the women who had saved her life. She removed her helmet and checked for a pulse.

Nothing

"Jesus, Ruby" she said as she picked up the dead soldiers gun next to her.

She need to make it back to the U.F.B, she needed to find Emma and she needed to do all of this fast. She had an invasion to stop.