Gold paced in his cell. He had been due an update call from Cruella an hour ago but she had sent no word. Finally, he decided to try calling from the prison phone. He rang the number she had provided him. But it wasn't Cruella who answered.
'Hello, Robert' came a woman voice and Gold nearly lost control of his bladder.
'What are you doing here?' he said 'you're behind all of this aren't you?'
'Took you a while to get there didn't it' she said.
'What is all of this? Are you trying to get me out?' He said.
'Oh no, dear god no. You're staying were I can keep an eye on you, I just needed your contacts and your facilitates for my plans' she said.
'What is that plan'?
'Why to be a Queen of course. Well a Queen in a fashion' she said.
'You would be one hell of an Evil Queen then too bad that title already belongs to your daughter' he said.
'I don't want to be called an Evil Queen, such an ugly name. I would prefer to be called the Queen of Hearts' she said.
'The Heartless Queen of Hearts' said Gold.
'The Heartless Queen of Hearts of Storybook' said Cora 'exactly'.
'So that's it you want to be Mayor of Storybrooke. How do you intend to do that?' said Gold.
'Knew you would get there eventually' said Cora 'but what can you do, you're in there and I am out here. All you have is a phone. My daughter will be coming for Henry. When she does she will resign as Mayor of Storybrooke to get him back. Because of the Laws of Storybrooke she must then name a successor since she is leaving before her office term is out. That successor will be me. Goodbye Gold I promise I will come visit at some point' she hang up. Robert Gold cursed.
'She's right there is nothing I can do...unless...' an idea began to form in his head. He picked up the phone again and dialled the number of a very old friend.
The entrance to the tunnel to Gold's warehouse complex took an hour to walk through. It's opening was in a cluster of trees in the city park of Storybrooke. It was hole covered with a metal plate that had fake grass over it. It was agreed that Pan would lead Regina and Zelena through the tunnel. He would take the lead as Regina didn't want him walking behind her back. Outside waiting inside the car would be Felix and Violet (who was shaking her head that she was only finding out about all of this now).
'None of you thought to fill me in'? She said to Felix as Pan walked slipped into the underground followed by Regina. 'Hey there Violet just so you know Felix has become a drug dealer for the cash and is one of Pan's top men because he became so good in the sales department. Wendy Darling is actually Cruella De Vil, she is on the run from the law and the whole reason she is in our school is because Gold put her there in order to spy on Henry. She also joined Pan's business through Felix and thus became a double spy. Oh and Henry is in love with Peter Pan.'
'I didn't want you involved in any of this'? Said Felix 'I know you like Henry. I think if he wasn't wired the way he is you two would be great together'.
'Whatever. Well him I can understand but you and Wendy' Violet shook her head 'we need to get him out of this. Why exactly didn't you want me involved in all of this. Henry is waist deep in it all and you don't seem as protective?'
'The whole reasons I am here is to true and save him from Gold' said Felix.
'It's not the same though' she said 'you were okay with him hooking up with Peter Pan even though you knew how dangerous it could be'. Felix didn't say anything. 'Why do I matter so much to you?' said Violet.
'Because you do' he said.
The tunnel was actually very well built and large enough to walk through. Zelena could tell it was made out of limestone. It had to have been old though surely.
'Who built this?' she said as they walked on through. Regina kept her gun to Peter's back as he lead the way.
'Pirate's did. They used it to smuggle their good in and out of the docks without the law enforcement noticing what they were doing. They made the walls good and strong so that they stand to this day'.
'Been some time since I moved around underground' said Zelena 'of course the last time it was under very different circumstances'.
'Last time you were working for Gold' said Regina 'with that finance of yours'.
'Yes I know' said Zelena 'it was before you and I first mate wasn't it. You had just formed the Mills party then'.
'Yes imagine my shock when my political opponents second in command turned out to be my long lost half sister. For heavens sake Zelena did you really have to announce it when you made your nomination speech' said Regina.
'Well yes actually. I wanted to make a dramatic first impression and we got past it all in the end' said Zelena 'we figured things out in the end and we're here now. Even if it took us several fights and an unplanned pregnancy to get here'.
'Was quite the road' said Regina.
'It sounds it' said Peter.
What Regina and company had not see was another unremarkable plain black car tailing them on their way to the tunnel's entrance. Tiger Lily and James were sitting inside it watching.
'He's in deep' said James 'he's the most wanted man in Storybrooke now Gold is gone. Why is he working with the Mayor'.
'Maybe she caught him but that doesn't seem to make any sense. If they have arrested him then we need to find a way to free him but for now we can just stay quiet, watch, find out what is going on' said Tiger Lily.
Peter Pan had not been the first to call Regina Mills a Queen. Nor the first to call her an Evil Queen. There was more to the Queen's past then he could think of. But of an even more intriguing nature to Peter Pan was Zelena. While Regina was called Evil, Zelena was called Wicked. Peter knew some of her background and why her sister had chosen her for the job she did. He now walked in front of the two sister both with their guns trained on him. If they discovered he had misled him either intentionally or otherwise...well he didn't care really as long as they rescued Henry from whatever schemers they were facing.
'This is not Gold' said Peter to Regina before they left her office after she had released him from her choke hold. 'This isn't his style. He might be an accomplice to this but he is not the mastermind'.
'Then who is?' said Regina.
'I don't know it is not someone I've been up against before. It's not someone whose from the Storybrooke underworld or the Government. This is the work of an outsider to all those factions' said Peter. Now as he walked in the tunnel he wondered if it had been such a good idea to try and team up with the Queen and the Swan. After all he had his own forces he could have rescued Henry by himself but he couldn't have Regina getting in his way. He was rambling inside his head again and he blamed Henry. As they headed up a set of stair into the main part of the warehouse. He creaked open the trapdoor at the top. But it only lead into a small and seemingly deserted room. He then opened it fully and climbed out. He was followed by the the two sisters. It was a tiny room with only small trolleys used to transport goods tucked away it. They looked a little like shopping trolley's only they were brass and large enough to fit a grown man in.
Wendy was pacing the floor of another small office within the warehouse complex. Henry how could she do this to him, he was her best friend. But then again her brother. Henry had only ever been a tool for her to get from A to B. Well that was what he was to Cruella but maybe not so much to Wendy. What about Bell? What should Cruella do? What would Wendy do? Who was she? What should she do? Gold had her brothers after all and Cora had promised her revenge.
'I will get my revenge against you mother' she said to herself ringing her hands 'I will have it. I will have your head on a plate for standing by those men. You knew, you knew what they did to me'. That was her deepest desire and Henry knew it. Of course he knew it. What about Bell? She closed her eyes. There was no way out. She had to save her brother and so be it. She paused and looked around as Cora walked into the room.
'Don't worry my dear' Cora said with a smile 'you will soon have your brothers back'.
'Did Gold tell you where they were'? Wendy said.
'Not yet but he wants his freedom and he will hand them over to me as soon as I am mayor of Storybrooke' Cora said.
'Yes I understand' said Wendy. Did she trust this woman? Something felt off. She had to find out if she could trust Cora but how? She couldn't contact Gold Cora had control over that phone...why did Cora ask for that? Surely Wendy could handle communications like before? Wendy's eyes narrowed before she moved passed Cora and out the door lips pursed. She walked towards Henry's room...no she might as well be honest it was his cell. A cell she had put him in. Henry had read her file. Not too long ago she assumed. Nothing happened in Storybrooke that missed Zelena's watchful eye, it's like even the birds reported to her. Of course everything Zelena knew went straight to Regina. She opened Henry's door. She dropped down in front of him and stared into his eyes.
'Did you read all of my file?' she said 'or just the backstory'.
'I read the whole bloody thing' he said.
'Did it say anything about my brother?' she said. Henry hesitated.
'There was a note attached the bottom of it. It said that Zelena had been able to locate two boys about a week before all of this had happened and she was planning on sending in Emma but before she could make a move the two boys were taken again by men in different cloths to the ones who were initially guarding them. It was like someone kidnapped them from their kidnapper. Zelena said they had been moved to a new location. The note said they were believed to John and Michael De Vil'. Wendy was frozen in place.
'Did it say were they were taken?' she said.
'Get me the key and I'll tell you?' he said.
'Okay' she said 'I meant what I said earlier I am sorry Henry'. She left to find Bell. Bell who had the keys. Henry just watched her go. He didn't believe her. Then he froze in the distance he could hear the sound of guns firing and judging by how Wendy's back straightened so had she.
Wendy found Bell with her gun in the main room of the warehouse. It was a huge room that would have been used back in the day for storing cargo. Bell was preparing her gun.
'What's going on?' said Wendy.
'The Swan has shown up with the Dragon. My guess is they're trying to blow their way in here to get the boy. If we want our hard work to pay off then we need to stop them' said Bell. Wendy grabbed Bell's hand.
'Things have changed' said Wendy.
'What?' said Bell.
'Cora has had my brothers moved' said Wendy 'she has been playing us the whole time. She wants to use just like everyone else. We never should have trusted her. We need to get out and find my brother now while everyone else is distracted and Cora can't have them as well guarded as Gold' said Wendy. As she spoke Bell's whole face darkened.
'Well now if that's the case...I don't like being had' said Bell.
Outside of the Tunnel Violet and Felix waited in their car. This particular car had the windows darkened so they could see out but no one could see in. Another car pulled up across the street from them and two people got out. Violet nudged Felix and gestured to these people. Felix's eyes narrowed.
'That's Jonathan Hades and Nimue Camelot, they're assassins loyal to Gold' he said. They watched as the two moved across the street and into the park. They were heading directly for the tunnel.
'We've got to stop them' said Violet.
'How? We don't even have guns? Down there in that dark tunnel we will be sitting ducks next to a pair of fully experienced and armed assassins if it was in the daylight I might risk it but not down that tunnel' said Felix 'the best thing we can do is sit here and wait. Those are our orders. We have to trust the others. Peter Pan never fails'.
'Is there any way to at least warn them' said Violet.
'No down that tunnel mobile phones and the like wouldn't work. If we were to use any remote controlled devices we could compromise their position. We're their get away vehicle. Remember Violet Peter Pan never fails.'
Bell unshackled Henry from his chains.
'They are being held at an address called 137 Avarmary Road in Southern Storybrooke' he said to Wendy.
'They had better be there' said Bell 'we need to get out of here all three of us without Cora realizing that we have gone especially you Henry'. They been speaking in whispers aware of the armed guards just outside of the sliding glass. But then there came two simultaneous thumps and both men hit the ground. The sliding door was pushed open about a few seconds later while they all sat their in fear. But then Henry's face broke into a huge smile.
'May aren't you popular with the girls Henry' said another young man's voice. They were all face to face with Peter Pan. Henry shoved past both girls and into Peter's arms. He wrapped them around Peter's necks kissing the other boy as strongly as he could. Peter wrapped his hands around Henry's waist and held the other boy close.
'Boys there will be time for that later' came Henry's mothers voice. Henry sprang away from Peter to see Regina and Zelena standing out in the corridor Zelena with her back turned to them and her gun out. 'Henry you and I need to have a long talk about the type of men you're dating. We also need to have a chat with you about me and Emma but all of that aside. We need to get out of here'. She raised her gun at Bell.
'Wait' said Henry 'I know this is hard to believe but they are actually helping us. They unchained me. We all need to escape'.
'We do' said Wendy before 'she shows up'.
'Who's she?' said Regina.
'Cora' said Henry 'she's behind this whole thing.' It was only then that they heard the sound of footsteps.
'Whoever that is' said Regina 'Zelena shoot them and make sure they're dead'.
'Hello Zelena and hello Regina' came Cora's voice 'after all these years my two daughter'. The gun faltered in Zelena's hands.
'Mother' she said.
'Didn't you hear me' said Regina 'I said shoot her'.
'Come now, we all know neither of you will do that' said Cora.
'Why wouldn't we?' said Regina turning and pointing her own gun at her mother.
'You already know why' said Cora. 'I miss you, the both of you' she walked turned them slowly. Regina and Zelena did not lower their guns but at the same time did not shot either.
'How did you know we were here?' said Zelena.
'A mother always knows. When I saw that Regina wasn't leading the charge on the outside that meant only one thing that she had to be in here' Cora said 'that she had found a back door and had come for her son. By the way Henry I disagree with your mother you have a perfect taste in men, young, handsome and powerful'.
'I see you've changed your stance on homosexuality since we last saw each other' said Regina.
'Well I always liked gay men, they're usually very handsome and two men is like having your cake and eating it too. They're also usually great shopper with superb taste. You lesbians are just miserable all the time, can't even take a joke and eating pussy is just the most ugly thing I ever heard of'.
'You don't know what you're missing. Maybe that's why you're a power hungry murdering sociopath, all women need their pussy loved from time to time' said Regina.
'Oh please don't talk about my genitalia like that I am your mother' said Cora.
'It was you who brought cunts into this' said Regina.
'Great so your grandmother is a lesbophobic woman, who fetishes and stereotypes gay men' said Peter to Henry 'your family couldn't get any stranger and then there's the whole method of your conception. I can't believe they are talking about female anatomy in these crude terms right now'.
'We're are getting off the point here' said Zelena blushing. It was then they heard laughter coming from around the corner. What sounded like a man and a woman roaring with laughter. Regina stepped out and pointed her gun at the corner.
'Come out whoever the hell you are and what is so damn funny?' she said.'I agree my dear Zelena you all are. Wow I never before came across a hit who were chatting about lesbian sex so causally. Particularly between a mother and her daughters' came a much deeper voice and all eyes went to the other side of the corridor. Regina focused her gun at the corner while Zelena pointed her gun back at Cora. Jonathan Hades turned around the corner gun at the ready. Then came Nimue also with her gun pointing at them but from vertical position almost lopsided.. He was aiming his gun at Regina and Nimue was aiming her gun at Zelena. Regina had her gun aimed at Hades. 'Hello Zelena been a long time hasn't it' said Hades. 'I still have the ring you gave back to me'. Zelena's stance faltered but none the less her gun remained in her hand and pointing at her mother. Cora's own hand flown to inside her coat. She was always armed.
'Something is not strange about Nimue's gun' thought Zelena why is she holding it at that angle?'
'Peter take Henry and those two girls and get out of here' said Regina 'we'll cover you. They won't shot while we're in this bizarre Mexican stand off. It's Henry they want not the rest of us get going'. Peter pulled Henry and the girls soon followed as they disappeared around the corner Cora had come from away from Hades and Nimue.
'Do you really think we're going to let them escape back through that tunnel. Your mother might have orchestrated this whole little affair but the two of us are the most handsomely paid assassins in Storybrooke do you think a little something like this could stop us Madam Mayor' Nimue said with a smirk.
'So you were behind all of this' said Regina glancing at her mother 'you couldn't just leave me and my son alone. You always had to meddle in my life. What on earth we're you trying to gain from kidnapping my son?'
'You mean you haven't figured it out yet Regina?' said Hades 'she wants what you have. To be Mayor of Storybrooke by using your early leave of office to step in as successor'. Regina's grasp on her gun tightened.
'May the Mayor of Storybrooke really is clueless' said Nimue. Zelena's eyes narrowed further at the gun in Nimue's hand and then she realized too late what was wrong with it. But before she could act Nimue fired. The gun was lopsided because the barrow was crooked, it hadn't been pointing at Zelena at all it had been pointing at Regina's right leg. Regina's whose focus had been entirely on Hades. Regina gasped a fell and her gun dropped out. The metal instrument hit the floor as cold as a penny with such force it then like a penny bounced away. Out of Regina's grasp. Zelena acted too late and fired at Hades but he had dived out of the way by then and taken Nimue with him.
'It had been their plan all along' Zelena realized 'to disarm and injure one of us, to weaken one of us. What fool I have been. I should have seen it as soon as I saw her gun'. She heard running footsteps and knew that one of their opponents was chasing after Henry. But she couldn't help that now. The one good things was that Peter Pan, Bell Green and Cruella De Vil were with Henry. Villains in their own right. They would be more then a match for Nimue. She hoped. In the mean time she had to make sure Regina was okay and that their remaining opponent was subdued. Opponents.
Cora had taken her chance and had flattened herself against the wall. Her knife was now in her hand. Zelena raised her gun again at her mother.
'Why did you bring a knife to a gun fight' said Zelena.
'Don't be a fool Zelena' said Cora ignoring the question 'if us three don't work together against these two we're all dead'. Zelena didn't say anything instead turned her attention to Regina. It wasn't good. Regina had been hit near her hip bone. She wouldn't be able to walk and was losing a lot of blood. So long as the bullet hadn't hit a main vein, any bones or something like that she might be able to survive. Regina was hadn't passed out but it was a struggle to stay awake for her. The colour was draining from her face rather fast. Too fast but how could Zelena carry her and fire her gun? Zelena's eyes darted around looking for anything that could help her. It was then it came to her. The trolley's that had been in the room they had come up from. The room wasn't very far way. But first she had to deal with Hade's and Cora. Her eyes slide back to Cora whose eyes kept changing from left to right. They didn't know where Hades would pop up from.
'If they shoot each other it will make things all the more easy for me' thought Zelena rather bitterly.
'Get me my gun' said Regina suddenly.
'You're too weak' said Zelena.
'No I am not get me my gun and I will guard the right and you take the left. When Hades shows his face then we are going to blow his head off. Those are my orders' said Regina.
Zelena nodded. Regina's gun had skidded down to the left side of the short corridor. Zelena moved slowly to grab. Her own gun ready. Meanwhile Cora had finally made up her mind and had taken to watching the right. Zelena gulped as her hands picked up Regina's gun. Hades still hadn't shown himself meaning he was most likely going to shoot in from the ….right unless he was playing them. It was then she heard a gun shoot go off from behind her.