Chapter II
"Where are you taking me?" Regina asked her mysterious chauffer with alarm.
"Don't be alarmed, ma'am," Diggle said, "you'll be safe. We're headed to Starling City. I'm associated with an organization known as A.R.G.U.S. They want to meet you."
"So, you're kidnapping me?" Regina asked. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. What do they want with me?"
"Don't shoot the messenger, ma'am," Diggle said, "I was just told to bring you in unharmed. You'll find out more when you get there."
Later on, Regina found herself blindfolded, and when the blindfold was removed, she realized she seemed to be in an abandoned warehouse facility.
"Hello Ms. Mills," an African-American woman in a business suit said, "My name is Amanda Waller. Sorry for the theatrics, but we needed to speak with you."
"And you couldn't have found any other way?" she asked, "A bit unorthodox to resort to kidnapping, don't you think?"
"There was no other way," Waller said, "we were intrigued by you, or rather the circumstances that brought you here, and we wanted to ease you into your situation."
"What are you talking about?" Regina asked. "I was on my way out of my hometown, looking to start a new life and now I'm here."
"Did you feel something…strange during your flight, Ms. Mills?" Waller asked.
"As a matter of fact, it seemed as if a rift was being opened." Regina said, "what's the significance of that?"
"It could mean a great deal," Waller said, "You a scientist, Ms. Mills?"
"No, but I happen to be acutely familiar with portals," Regina said, "you could say I like to experiment with a…variation of science, if you will."
"Be that as it may, our scientists discovered an anomaly about an hour ago of a flight that started in Boston, but there was no indication that any such flight left the airport at the time that it stated. Then, at exactly 3:28 pm a…disturbance was created that sent you here. An inter-dimensional portal was created. We want to know why you were giving off energy signals similar to the one created by the portal." Waller said.
"It'd be better if I just show you," Regina said, "normally, my powers don't work in the land without magic, but given that this appears to be another dimension, perhaps the laws might be different here."
She twirled her hand. Nothing happened.
"I guess not," Regina said.
"Ms. Mills, we'd like to keep you under further observation," Waller said.
"With all due respect, Ms. Waller," Regina said, "I came here, dimension-hopping aside, to start a new life. I have no interest in being a lab rat to entertain your curiosity."
"Alright then," Waller said, her bitter face turning to a friendly smile, "Mr. Diggle, please escort Ms. Mills to a safe-house in Starling. We will be in touch with you in due time."
Diggle and Regina left.
"So, now where are you taking me?" Regina asked.
"I want you to meet a friend of mine," Diggle responded, "he's actually my…other employer."
Later, they drive up to a big mansion and walk inside.
"Regina Mills, I'd like you to meet my friend, Oliver Queen." Diggle said. "He owns much of the city."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Queen," Regina said, extending her hand.
"The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Mills," Ollie said, returning the handshake.
"Please," Regina said, "don't be so formal. Call me Regina. I know from experience that having power is satisfying, but having love is even better."
"I hear that," Oliver said, "unfortunately, most of the people I love the most are either gone or dead."
"It sounds like you and I have a lot in common," Regina said, "aside from the fact we're both Queens. Do you mind if we talk, privately?"
"Not at all," Ollie said, "Diggle, if you'll please excuse us?"
"Of course," Diggle said, as he departed.
"So, Miss Mills," Ollie said, "where do you come from?"
"Well that's the strange part," Regina said, "according to your friend there, I was sucked through an inter-dimensional rift and sent here. I'm actually from a town in Maine known as Storybrooke, where I am the mayor."
"Never heard of it," Ollie said.
"I didn't think you would," Regina said, "actually, if you can believe this, I am also a Queen, or was. Before coming to Storybrooke, I was from another dimension, a land filled with magic, known as the Enchanted Forest. I ruled as Queen and cast a curse that sent the inhabitants of my world to Storybrooke, rather creating Storybrooke. I did some terrible things, but now I'm realizing the error of ways and I'm starting to turn over a new leaf."
"Well, I'd believe anything at this point," Ollie said, "if you makes you feel any better, your majesty, I've done some pretty bad things, too. I've let the people I care about down. I was stranded on an island for months and months and had to learn how to survive. During that time, I did lots of things I don't plan to repeat."
"Survival will do that to person." Regina said, "so will jealousy and vengeance. My mother wanted a queen for a daughter. Only recently I've found out more things about her. My mother died last year."
"My mother was killed, recently," Ollie said, "by an enemy of mine, who thought I deserved it. But she sacrificed herself, for us, because she loved us, even after doing terrible things."
"My mother was murdered too," Regina said, "back when it happened, her murdered was my enemy, but recently she and I have come to an understanding and made amends. My mother wasn't quite as noble as yours. She only cared about power and murdered the first man I loved because she wanted a queen for a daughter, forcing me to marry her former lover, and my former enemy's father, who only murdered her because my mother had killed her mother, if that makes any sense."
"I think I can follow," Ollie said.
"Believe me, you don't want to try an decipher our family tree," Regina said, "Anyway, for years I put the blame of my first love's death on this person, and try to have her killed multiple times. I thought that was the only thing that would bring me satisfaction, but instead it was tearing me up inside."
"Sounds like both our mothers had dark pasts," Ollie said, "mine kept lots of secrets from my sister and I, but in the end, she found out a secret I had to keep from her, and she was proud of me."
"My mother, it turns out, kept significant things from me, such as my wicked half-sister I never knew about until just recently." Regina said.
"You should cherish the time you have with your siblings," Ollie said.
"I would, but she's dead." Regina said.
"I'm sorry," Ollie said.
"it's ok, she let the darkness in her heart get the better of her." Regina said.
"that might be something my sister's heading towards, too," Ollie said, "for years, I felt my sister was the only one in our family who was incorruptible, even after all the pain and heartache we've been through together. Now, a partner of mine tells me she's left the city and joined her father who's a trained assassin. So, what made you decide to leave Storybrooke?"
"A broken heart," Regina said, "I only recently rediscovered someone who I thought was my soul mate, who I felt I could have another chance at love and happiness with, but after a…mishap, someone I thought I could trust brought his wife back…from the dead, in a way. Now, there's no point to continue this relationship. I have a son, Henry, who I love, but he's happy with his new family, and I don't want him or anyone else to take pity on me, so I've decided to run away and start anew."
"Regina," Ollie said, "if there's one thing I've learned recently, it's that you can't spend forever running from your problems, no matter how difficult they might be. Sooner or later, you have to confront them."
"Maybe you're right," Regina said, "It's just that I—"
Suddenly, Ollie's phone rang.
"Excuse me," Oliver said, as he got out his phone, "Yeah?"
"Oliver, it's Diggle," Diggle said, who was in the Loft with Felicity, "Waller just informed us that Deathstroke escaped, and he's headed back to Starling."
"That's not all," Felicity said, "it looks like he's joined forces with William Tockman, aka the Clock King."
"Time to suit up," Diggle said.
"Regina," Ollie said, "I just got a call from a business associate. It looks like I have to take care of a few things. Mr. Diggle will take you to a place where you'll be safe and secure. "
"I don't need protection," Regina said, "even without magic I can take care of myself."
"That may be," Ollie said, "but Starling's a dangerous city and we don't want to see anything happen to you. I've got a few people trying to send you back to your home dimension, too."
Before Diggle left with Regina, Oliver talked to him.
"Diggle, call Sara back from the League of Assassins." Ollie said, "if Slade's back, we need her help to put him down. But I'm going after him, now."
He put on his costume.
"This ends tonight." Arrow said.