A/N: For those of you who are new to this fic, this a John Wick AU with Once Upon a Time characters. If you haven't seen the films, I advice you to read parts 1 & 2 before this one. As they are all connected. For my followers who have been with me since the beginning of this action packed AU, welcome again and I thank you in advance for all your support! :) Happy reading!

Chapter 1: Hunted

Crowd chatter, thunder clapping were the sounds that were heard, along with Emma's pants as she ran her way through a crowded street. Her clothes drenched in rain water once again. Wet strands of blonde hair sticking to the sides of her face. Some, flapping with the motions of her running.

It was 4:10a.m. and she hadn't stopped running for her life since she last saw Robert Gold.

Her file was being passed around, as her time was almost up until every assassin around New York city tried to kill her.

An older woman with glasses and a headset, opened up the blonde assassin's file, speaking into her microphone next, "Emma Swan, Excommunicado. In effect, 6:00p.m., Eastern Standard Time."

Another woman switched out name plates that were placed on a chalkboard. Placing the name plate titled E. Swan right on top. She erased the amount of another assassin's bounty, writing down a new amount that was placed on Emma's head. $14M.

Heads turned just across the street from a corner cafe, as two assassins looked towards Emma's way as she ran right past them.

The blonde stopped in the middle of a crowded street. The lights of New York city providing a nice lit up ambient, even during the hard pouring rain. She looked to her surroundings, glancing down at her watch that she wore around her wrist, to calculate the amount of time she still had left, before continuing on her way again.

A black car pulled right in front of the Continental hotel. Doors opened as Gold made his way out, along with Eugenia by his side as they walked right into the lobby.

"I do hope that Ms. Swan finds her way to safety." Said the older woman.

"She knew the rules, she broke them." Gold replied, unbuttoning the last button from his shirt, releasing the tightness around his neck, "She killed a man on company grounds, Eugenia."

"Do you expect her to make it out?" She asked Gold as they walked along the lobby.

Gold's head slightly turned her way, "Fourteen million dollar bounty on her head," He stopped walking, facing the older woman, "And every interested party in this city wants a piece of it." He inhaled, his puffed up chest deflating as he spoke, "I'd say the odds are about even."

Eugenia watched as Gold walked away. A tiny smirk forming on the corner of her lips.

Emma ran into a dark alleyway, the rain around her never letting up. She stopped until she reached an aluminum door, her hand slamming into it as she panted. Resting for a while. She checked the time again, hearing a homeless man's voice echoing in the distance.

"Hey, man, you think the hospital is going to help?" Asked the man, sitting just across from the blonde. His eyes looking over at her, "No way. They'll kill you just as soon as they'll make you better." He laughed, tapping on his head with his index finger, "But, I know better, man. I know better. I'm-"

Emma's eyes glared his way, just behind more strands of her golden, wet hair just as the man went quiet. He moved the end of his sleeve, revealing a gold watch on his wrist.

He tapped on it as he checked the time. His eyes on the blonde, "Tick-tock, Ms. Swan. Tick-tock." He held up his index finger, moving it side to side like the needle of a sound meter. Mocking her, "Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock," A laughter erupted from within his chest as Emma took off running again, "No time for dilly-dally, Ms. Swan!"

Emma held out her hand at the first free cab she laid eyes on as she made her way out of the alleyway. Wasting no time in entering the cab, "New York Public Library." She instructed the driver.

"You got it." The man nodded.

Emma checked the time on her watch again, for what felt like the twentieth time. Her eyes taking in the traffic she was jammed in as cars honked around her.

Of course, it wouldn't be New York without a traffic jam.

Emma dug inside her pants pocket, using her last gold coin she had in her possession as she handed it to the driver, "Change of plans. I'll get off here."

"Yes, ma'am, Ms. Swan." The man nodded, accepting the blonde's payment as Emma stepped out of the cab.

She only had 20 minutes left.

Emma panted as she ran up the stairs of the New York Public Library, rushing past a group of people singing among themselves. All the way through the inside of the building. She stopped as she reached the front desk, her eyes looking at the older woman sitting behind it.

"Can I help you?" She asked the blonde.

"Russian Folktale. Alexander Afanasyev." She spoke her last words in Russian as the woman typed in the information on her computer, "1864." She panted softly, checking her watch again as the woman wrote down the information on a piece of paper that was soon handed to her.

"Level two." Said the woman, holding up two fingers.

"Thank you." Emma nodded, making her way up the stairs to the second level of the library.

The blonde stopped in front of an aisle of books, the space so enclosed, it would give a claustrophobic claustrophobia. Her head quickly turned to one side then the other, reading the labels on the endless shelves of endless books, until she reached the one she was looking for. Her hand reached for a dark green thick book. She opened up the hardcover, ripping the first page from the rest of it as it uncovered a secret compartment the blonde had within the book.

The first item she set her eyes on was a black and white picture of her and Regina. It was a picture that was taken from their first trip together. She placed the picture on one of the shelves, reaching for five gold coins she had hidden inside the book, as well as a rosary with a silver cross attached to them.

Placing all of her items inside her pants pocket, she took her picture within her grasp, studying for one last time as she placed a gentle kiss on Regina's smiling face. Her hand trembled as she placed the picture back inside the book, closing up the first page along with the cover.

"Consider your origins." The blonde froze at the sound of a voice quoting a phrase from another book a tall assassin held in his hands, "You were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge."

Emma's head turned to the assassin walking slowly towards her, reading out loud from the book he held.

He was way taller than her, about six foot would be her guess.

He slammed the book shut, standing at the end of the aisle, "Dante." He showed her the cover, placing the book inside the shelf just as Emma placed hers back in her place. "Looking a little run down there, Emma."

"Ernest." Emma nodded, "I still have time." She faced him.

"It's almost up. Who's going to know the difference?" He asked, eager to get his payment for her head.

Emma's stare turned dark as she glared right at him. Not at all intimidated by his height, "You sure this is what you wanna do?"

"Fourteen million. It's a lot of money." He reminded her.

"Not if you can't spend it."

The swish of a knife was heard as Ernest drew out his from inside his jacket pocket.

Emma quickly withdrew a book from the shelf to her right, even quicker than Ernest who was ready to take a swing at her with the blade of his knife. She impacted the man's hand with the book, blocking away the strike.

Both assassin's grunted as Ernest's hand held onto the blonde's shoulder, while he attempted to strike at her with his knife once more. Emma, of course, quickly dodged his attack, moving up against one of the bookshelves.

As his hand came up again, the knife only becoming closer, Emma quickly raised the book up, she still held in her hands, blocking his strike.

She grunted as she felt her body slam hard against another shelf of books. His strength proved to be a little more stronger than hers at the moment. What followed was a loud enough groan coming out directly from the blonde as she felt the blade of his knife pierce right into her shoulder.

That made her angry, to say the least.

Emma struck the man right in his throat with her bare hand. His head lashing back from her strike, followed by another.

She grunted as she pulled up the man's arms, feeling as the blade came out of her shoulder. The blonde quickly turned her body over, with her back to him, locking the man's armed hand right underneath her right arm.

It wasn't long as the knife went flying out of his grasp.

Emma grunted as she felt him lift her up a bit off of her, tossing her straight forward into the open aisle. She quickly landed on her feet, crouching down with the impact of the throw. As she turned, she charged right at Ernest, striking him right in the groin using nothing but the book she still held in her hands. Hearing as the man grunted in pain.

The blonde screamed in anger, placing the hardcover book right up to the man's face, causing him to move backward on his feet. She struck the other end of the book hard with the palm of her hand three times.

That only made him angry, as he then reached for the blonde's face, cupping it entirely with his hand, which felt huge wrapped around her face.

Emma grunted as she could feel his grip tightened.

Ernest shushed her, his grip still tightened around the blonde's head as he slammed her head against a shelf to left, then another one to his right, then finally to his left again, until he threw her right in between another enclosed aisle.

Just as fast as the blonde's body landed on the ground, she stood to her feet. Stepping backward as Ernest took big steps towards her.

Emma grunted, feeling a kick from the man right to her chest. Her body flying off in between a set of tables and chairs, landing right back on the floor.

The assassin watched her quickly crawl her way out, standing back to her feet. He grunted as the blonde struck him again right in his groin using the book. Followed by another strike to the face as she placed the book right back against it.

Emma swung the book across his face, slapping it hard, followed by another. She grunted as she felt his hand cover her face up again. Only this time, she quickly grabbed a hold of the man's fingers, bending them back until she heard them pop.

As he yelled out in pain, she took the opportunity to strike him in the face again using the book, followed by another slap across the face, then another. She twisted his arm, breaking his fingers even more, which caused him to yell out once again.

Another hard strike was delivered right to his stomach this time, followed by another, then another to the chest.

Emma quickly pressed the book against his face, muffling his grunts as the man was finally on his knees. Her arm wrapping around the man's neck. With each grunt she released, she threw in a punch right to his face. The impact hurting so much more as she kept the book pressed up against him.

He let out a choking sound as Emma struck his throat with a knife hand strike. His head slamming back against one of the shelves with the impact.

His grunts were muffled once again, as this time Emma pressed the spine of the book right into his mouth, striking it hard with the palm of her hand three times fast. Loud thuds being heard against the book shelf with each of her strikes.

Emma didn't waste anymore time. She quickly dragged the man near one of the tables, holding the book in an upward position, followed by holding his neck against the book. His arm wrapped around her form, wanting to fight back. But he wasn't quick enough, as then Emma slammed down on the man's head with her bare fist, hearing a loud pop from his neck snapping.

She panted as the man's body finally fell dead on the floor. She took the book she had used as a weapon, placing it back in its rightful place on the shelf. Her hand came up against her shoulder, where she had been freshly stabbed, reaching inside her suit jacket. Her eyes looking down at her bloody hand, all while she groaned in pain.

Emma quickly took off running, back under the falling rain again. Her hand on her fresh wound.

She had ten minutes left.

A man walking by turned to look at the blonde, removing the hat from his head as he held up his umbrella. He began to walk behind her, in attempts to try and kill her next.

Money was being counted by machines down in Sidney's lair. He picked up a stack of bills, handing them over to Leroy as he walked his way through. "Let it be known the Genie will honor the Excommunicado. No help, no services of any kind."

Emma ran her way through another street, her hand continuously applying pressure to her bleeding wound. She slammed her body hard against a door, entering a lit hallway. Her fist pounded hard on a metallic door that was quickly to her right. "Doc!" She pounded again, "Doc, it's Swan!"

The small covering of the window was slid open by the older man, "Ms. Swan." He shook his head, "No, no. You shouldn't be here. Hour's almost up."

"I know, Doc, please. There's still time." She pleaded.

"No! I can't." The man hissed.

He would help her, he wanted to, but once her hour was up, anyone who dared to help her, would suffer the consequences.

"I still have five minutes!" She hissed, holding up a gold coin as an offer, "Please."

The man's fingers reached for the gold coin, shutting the lid to the window. Every lock on the door turning from the inside as the door soon was pulled open.

He motioned for her to enter, "Come on. Come on."

Emma removed her jacket, a giant spot of blood already traveling its way down her shoulder as it coated the whiteness of her shirt as she moved further into the room.

"Alright, sit there." Doc instructed, sitting down beside the examining chair, right by the blonde as Emma exposed her wounded shoulder, groaning in pain. "Let me see." His eyes studied the blonde's wound as he dabbed a soaked alcohol cotton ball right on puncture. "Puncture wound. Went deep. Nicked the artery."

Emma nodded, knowing well the damage it had done.

"Here." Doc pinched a powdery substance that looked like salt, coating the blonde's wound with it.

Clattering of his instruments sounded as Emma slammed her fist down on them, grunting in pain.

"Alright."

Emma's eyes focused on the ticking of the clock in the man's room.

She had one minute left.

The man was quick, as he began to sew her wound back up. But the ticking of the clock, made it all too slow for Emma as her time was only seconds away from ending.

"Doc?" She called for his attention, hearing him only mumble in response as he was focused on finishing her up. "Doc?"

"We're halfway there." Doc mumbled, his hands continuing their steady work.

Beads of sweat coated her forehead as she could feel the sting of the needle. Her eyes focused on the clock, "Five seconds."

"Yeah."

The alert of the amount of time the blonde had left had been reported by one of the operators throughout the establishment as well.

"Emma Swan, Excommunicado. In five, four…"

"Three, two…" Emma counted, her breathing stopping in place as the chime of the clock was heard, indicating a new hour. Which meant her time was entirely up. Her eyes looked over at Doc who's hands soon stopped working.

"One."

"Sorry, Ms. Swan." The man stepped away from the blonde, feeling bad that he could no longer help her.

Emma nodded in understanding, "I know. Rules."

"Ah, rules." The older man nodded.

"Emma Swan. Fourteen million, open contract is now in effect. All services are suspended." The operator spoke through her microphone as everyone else quickly got back to work.

Phones rang off the hook as text messages of the open contract were sent out to every assassin there was. Eugenia's eyes looked up from behind her glasses at the sound of every ringing cell.

Gold's cell went off as he read the text message on his screen. "And away we go."

Emma took the small surgical instrument from Doc's hands, reaching over for his mirror as she placed it right in front of her. She finished stitching herself up, biting down on the thread, spitting out the rest, quickly standing from the chair, searching for the same medication the man had once given her.

"Top shelf. On the right." Doc instructed her. Nodding as the blonde reached for the correct bottle, "Yeah. Take four. It will give you energy. Help with the pain."

Emma nodded, quickly popping four pills into her mouth, chewing them down for faster effect.

Doc walked over to his desk, opening up a top drawer while he reached for his Derringer handgun. His eyes on Emma. "Ms. Swan?" He continued as the blonde turned to look his way, after tucking in her shirt. "They'll never believe I stopped on the hour."

"But you did." Replied Emma.

"They'll know."

"Know what?" She asked.

"I told you where the medicine was." He replied, handing the weapon over to the blonde, which she soon took. Because Emma knew, he had a point.

Doc moved over to his tray, dabbing a pair of gauzes with alcohol as Emma checked the ammo of his weapon.

She closed it back up, standing in place as she turned to face the man again, "Where?" She asked.

Doc lifted up his shirt, pointing to his upper stomach, "Here. Just below my floating rib. Be sure not to hit my large intestine."

The shot echoed loudly throughout the man's home as Emma took the shot.

Doc grunted in pain, his hand on his wound, "Wait!" He groaned seeing as the blonde was about to leave, "One may not be enough."

The blonde cocked his weapon once again as the man undid his bow tie and opened up his shirt enough to expose part of his shoulder.

"Alright." He pointed with his finger, "Be sure not to graze my collar-" He groaned in pain again as Emma quickly took the second shot.

Emma placed the man's weapon down by his desk, walking over to him as she reached for her suit jacket, quickly placing it around her form as she began to walk out of the room.

"Good luck, Ms. Swan." Doc groaned, causing her to stop in her tracks, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Doc."