A/N: How are we all doing here? Good? Good. So things happened on the special 2 hours episode last night, and surprisingly, I was kind of underwhelmed. I mean, it's interesting to see why Emma has done all this stuff, but I can't help but feel like there is a darker side of her that wants to use Excaliber for evil like we have thought all along, and I'm kind of disappointed so far this season. Merida, however is great. I never saw Brave, (Don't kill me! There's plenty of movies we all haven't seen! I have a whole list!) but her plotline was great. I am, however, going to change something with Red so that she can stay longer instead of leave Storybrooke when Ingrid is about to attack.
I now realize how big this is since we're reaching the last 2 chapters of this Sequence, leaving Sequence 3 to start up furiously. The next chapter after this will be more like a series of smaller chapters, explaining some of the little things about Asgeir I never got a chance to dive into. Then afterwards, the season finale chapter will be posted. I'll see you soon!
Chapter 24: Kansas
Zar held on tightly to his seatbelt as I practically yelled into my radio as my truck, David's, and Emma's yellow bug flew down the street.
"All Assassins, this is Reaper! Repeat! This is a Priority Alert to all Assassins! The Fourth is incoming! All Assassins mobilize and take their positions at the hospital, just like we planned. And get the big guns! We have a baby to protect!"
When we turned onto the main road, four of the white vans came up behind us. Two split apart before taking the front of the convoy, and the other two remained in the back. We would not pull any punches this time, and make sure that Zelena would finally go down by the end of today.
"Heard you needed help back here, Reaper." I heard Keif's voice on the radio.
"Did you guys manage to get the heavy guns out, Hammer?" Zar said through his radio.
On que, one of the vans in front opened it's back and an Assassin in heavy ballistic armor with the red Assassin insignia crudely spray painted on the front, and mask hefted up a minigun and waved at us.
Zar and I just sat there, dumbstruck. RPGs, LMGs, and all kinds of other heavy hardware, and this was the first time I had ever seen a minigun in this town.
"Yeah, that'll do." Zar said simply through his radio.
The convoy screeched to a halt outside the hospital. Zar and I jumped out as David called for a doctor to help his wife. The minigunner jumped out along with three other Assassins and six from the other van. Immediately four of them started climbing up the hospital's wall to get into sniping position on the roof as the two rear vans pulled up with more Assassins filing out. The minigunner and the five others filed in behind Snow and David as Zar and I headed in, too, the sound of her screams in pain echoing through the corridor.
"The rest of Cormac's are on their way now as we speak, Asgeir." Keif said. "No one is getting past us or the Merry Men."
"Good. Let's just hope our toys are enough to delay Zelena, if not stop her completely." I said as I loaded the grenade launcher on my rifle.
Frankenstein was waiting for us. He knelt down and offered his hand to Snow as she was getting wheeled towards him. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Nurse!"
Snow groaned loudly in pain.
"Yes Doctor?"
"A little help here."
He led David and Snow down the hallways to the delivery room.
"Any Assassins carrying weapons here are requested to keep their distance and their safeties on when it's convenient." He said to us. "I was informed you're here to protect Ms. Blanchard, so do it with as little casualties as you can."
"Yes, Doctor." Zar said.
When they reached the deliver room, I directed two Assassins to the door for guard duty.
"Keep your rifles loaded and triggerfingers itchy." I said.
"Yes, Asgeir."
"We have six snipers on the roof, two each stationed here, here, and here, every entrance to the building with at least two Assassins or Merry Man covering it."
Jason and I were going over a map we had on the table in the waiting room close by.
"Good. Hey, who's that minigunner, and where is he right now?"
"Oh, that's Torren. You know, the Novice in Project Boden. He's tasked with patrolling the halls along with some of the other big gun Assassins to make sure that Zelena won't reach this floor."
"Wait, really?" I asked. "You're giving our biggest gun to that kid?"
"Kid's better than you might expect with that gun. Just wait."
Torren then walked in with his minigun and sat down near the table. He pried off his visor, gasping a little for air and nodded to us.
"Hey, Jason. Asgeir."
I just stood there, looking at him. Torren never seemed like a weak kid, but he also didn't seem to me to be the type to be able to carry such a bloody big gun. He was a few inches shorter than me, about Anna's age, and had longish brown hair that just barely reached his shoulders. In a way, the only thing that came to mind when I looked at him was "non-threatening".
I glanced at Jason and he only chuckled.
"C'mon." He said, slapping me on the shoulder. "Let's check up on them"
Jason and I headed into the room beside the delivery room where Emma and Regina had put up the protection spell. It was meant to only affect Zelena, so I only felt a chill as I walked in.
"How's she doing?" I asked Emma.
"She's alright. How many Assassins are on guard?"
"We have every hand at Cormac's playing their part in this. Snipers all over the roof, guards at every door, and a minigunner. We'll do everything in our power to stop Zelena from getting here."
"How the hell did you guys get a minigun into town?" Emma asked, sounding more curious than angry.
"We have our ways, Sheriff." Jason said. "Honestly, most of our guns were going to be sold anyways to other criminal gangs that don't share our ethics or code. They're in better hands with us."
"Swan."
I looked back and saw Hook standing over there. I still didn't understand what Zelena had meant by how she said that he had failed her, but I didn't seem to be all that upset by it.
"I heard the little royal was on his way." He said.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here right now." She said, frowning.
Hook approached her slowly. "I wanna help." He said.
"If you really wanted to help, you would have told me when Zelena cursed your lips."
I walked off to the side along with Jason; clearly knowing this wasn't my discussion. "Where are Matthew and the other Masters?"
"I never called Matthew, but the Keif said the rest of them were setting up a big checkpoint down at the parking lot. Anyone going in or out of this hospital is going to have to go past us for now"
"I'm right here."
Jason and I looked up. Matthew was walking right into the waiting room, but when he noticed Emma and Hook, he beckoned for us to come out into the hallway. Torren was just walking past, pulling his visor back on, getting ready to do another sweep of the whole floor.
"I was wondering why you were calling all the hands at Cormac's to start swarming the hospital and turning this into an occupation mission. Now I get it."
"What do you want, Matthew?" Jason snapped.
Matthew glanced at me; a little surprised at the attitude he was receiving from his two best students. I was somewhat pissed that he had the nerve to act surprised considering he had given no real effort to speak to me or even acknowledge me in the last few weeks ever since he voted against me getting my hood back.
"What do I want? A little gratitude would be nice. The whole parking lot and building is barricaded with our troops and we're risking a lot of our time and effort to make sure this baby doesn't end up in that Witch's hands. I could have given you boys half of what you're using for this operation."
I said nothing. Matthew wasn't worth any words anymore, in my eyes. Emma and Hook suddenly walked out of the waiting room.
"Asgeir. We're taking the fight to Zelena. Are you coming?"
I shook my head. "Someone needs to stay here and have this place locked down tight. It's better than going out there."
I'll admit it. It was more that I was afraid now, taking Emma, Zar, and Jason's words to mind. I had become unpredictable, even to me in so many ways, who knows what I would do if I faced Zelena yet another time? No, I would wait for her to come to me and make it easier to drive one of my Bullets through her eyes or a blade through her throat.
Emma shrugged. "Fine. We can take Zelena ourselves." She and Hook started down the hallway.
Jason raised his hand. "Hold on, Sheriff." He slung his rifle over his shoulder. "I've never missed a shot in my life. I'll come with you and a few novices."
Emma nodded. "Alright, Aaron. C'mon."
As Jason walked past, I tapped him on the shoulder. Reaching into my pocket I grabbed three of the Bullets and slipped them into his hand. "Use them well." I whispered to him.
Jason looked down at them strangely, but nodded, seemingly understanding as he walked out with Emma. He didn't know what they were, but he probably had any idea how to use them and what they would do.
Matthew gave me a look. "What'd you give him?" He asked.
I said nothing. I only glared at him as I walked back into the waiting room.
Almost an hour passed. Assassins and Merry Men alike walked around the hospital with their guns and bows. We had turned the place into an occupied area in less than an hour, and it wasn't going as smoothly as we had hoped. Doctors and nurses gave me, Zar, and every other Assassin angry looks as we waited at our command table in the waiting room a few doors down from the delivery room. I checked in with the sniper lookouts over the comms that regularly gave their status: Zelena hadn't come yet, but we knew she would.
During one of his breaks in between patrol, I sat down beside Torren. He had just grabbed a cup of coffee from the vending machines downstairs and was now taking a few minutes to enjoy it.
"Where do you come from, Torren?" I asked him, realizing I had seen quite a bit of him throughout my stay here, and never once really spoke to him.
"Oh, the far south of the Enchanted Forest. I had both parents when I was younger, but when they became too poor for me, they just packed up and left me behind. I don't know where they are now, but I don't really care all that much. I became a professional pickpocket in my town and soon after, Keaton our Mentor, recruited me into the Brotherhood. A chance to finally have a real family that cared for me, he said. That was six months before the Curse was cast. I swore to myself these past years that I make a name for myself as best I could like you have, Asgeir. Before they recruited me, I had heard legends of you, The White Reaper. I just never figured that the one that all people of every walk of life feared was actually someone that fought for the same justice that now I fight for." He took a drink of his coffee. "You were a hero for people of the criminal underworld and even some of the smallfolk throughout the kingdoms. It wasn't the deaths of those by your hands that inspired us, but rather how you showed some of us to be not afraid of the Templars. After all, they are only people, and we can be more."
"ALERT! ALL ASSASSINS!" I heard over my radio. "HARPY REPORTING! PRIMARY TARGET SPOTTED AT THE NORTH SIDE ENTRANCE! REPEAT, ZELENA IS HERE!"
I pulled out my revolver, snapped it open and emptied the chamber, shells spilling out and clattering to the floor below my chair. Then I loaded three Bullets into it before shutting it and getting up. Torren gave me a nod as he lowered his visor and hefted his minigun up.
"This is it." I could barely hear him say as we walked out.
I raised my hood as we walked down to the main hallway. Zelena looked smug as she held up the Dagger, and Rumplestiltskin pushed me back. I noticed that he was limping as I fell to the ground. I realized Jason must have used a shot on him.
"SURRENDER, ZELENA!" Torren yelled, clearly referencing the movie as he pulled the trigger. The barrels whirred and spun, a torrent of bullets spraying down the hallway. But Zelena only smirked and held up her hand.
"What can an Assassin novice do to me?" She mocked as the bullets froze in midair. My mouth hung open as I looked up from the ground and saw her force the bullets right back. Most of them hit Torren and he fell to the ground, groaning. The rest of them hit me on the ground, but no wounds were present once every bullet had passed.
"Glad the armour did it's job." I heard him say before passing out.
I struggled to get up and held up my gun, pulling back the hammer. "I've had enough of you!" I groaned, the pain of being held down magically boiling my blood.
"As have I, Asgeir." Zelena gloated. "You told me you were part of a brotherhood of proud warriors, but you're nothing but a bunch of outlaws with explosive tempers and too much tolerance for collateral damage. Finish him off, Rumplestiltskin."
She waved the Dagger towards me, and Rumplestiltskin jumped on top of me, snarling like a rabid dog. I managed to kick him off and extended the blade on my left hand, and twirled my gun in my right hand.
"Let's finish this, you old fucker!" I growled.
"My pleasure!" He replied as he jumped for me.
Both of us knew that neither of us could really kill the other with the magic that cursed us, but I don't think we cared. We both just wanted to hurt the one who had caused us so much pain. How he broke my sister's innocence and helped Ingrid somehow, and how I nearly killed his son but then "corrupted" him into an Assassin. He swiped his arm towards me but I ducked down and kicked him in the knees. Falling down onto the ground he tried using his magic to force me away, but this time I was ready and rolled right over him, kicking his backside and forcing him face first onto the linoleum floor. When he tried getting up, I shot my Rope Blade right close to his face and placed my foot onto the back of his neck.
"Go on!'" He cried as I stood above him. "Cross another name off your list! It won't matter! I've gotten on everyone's good side in this town! They'll say that I acted under Zelena's influence with the Dagger instead of pure evil! They'll all hate you if you kill me!"
I pulled out and spun the chamber on my revolver, causing the "whiz" sound. "You're right, Dark One." I replied. "But I'm not going to kill you just yet. No, I still need to make you suffer as I have suffered."
I aimed for the back of his head, but then moved lower and shot him in the back of the knee. Rumplestiltskin cried out in pain as I turned and ran for the delivery room.
Zelena wasn't there. All I found was Snow wailing out as David tried to comfort her. My breath stopped once I realized what she was crying for. Another baby, taken from her immediately after it was born.
"He's gone." She whimpered. "It happened again."
Furiously, David pulled off his scrubs and grabbed his sword from beside the bed. He and I then stormed out of the room past Regina. Over and over again it seemed Zelena was able to anticipate every single one of our moves, and still she won even with her pathetic and foolish pursuits.
"Where are you going?" She asked us, following behind.
"To get my son back!" David growled.
"You gonna get yourself killed!" She replied. "David, think about this!"
"What's there to think about, Your Majesty?" I asked. "This has gone far enough! Who knows what will happen to us all if Zelena succeeds!"
"What's going on here?"
Emma and Hook just arrived, looking grim.
"What happened, did you find Zelena?" David asked, urgently.
"I-I did, but I couldn't stop her." Emma said.
"She took your brother."
"Because I failed?!" She said.
"We're all still here, so you haven't failed us yet." Hook said.
I noticed something, though. "But where's Jason?"
"He got hurt pretty badly when he fought against Zelena, mate." Hook said. "He's been taken over to the other wing. Sprained arm, most likely.
"C'mon." David said, grabbing his daughter's arm.
"No, wait." She protested. "Zelena took my magic."
"How the hell did that happen?!" Regina cried.
"Doesn't matter how, it just happened. So, we need to find another way to stop her."
"There is no other way." Regina said.
Not without killing her. And I still had plenty of Bullets left. But none of these people would approve of taking the necessary actions. It's what separated me from them.
"That's not true." Henry piped up. "You can do it."
Regina looked down at her adopted son, doubtfully. "Sweetheart, I don't think I can survive round three with my sister."
"Glinda was pretty specific: only the purveyor of the strongest light magic can defeat her."
Oh, so they went to that bitch, too? Wonder how that went down. I scoffed, but none of them took notice.
"Zelena only beat you because you were using dark magic against her." Henry said.
"But, it's all I have." Regina said.
Emma's eyes lit up in realization. "No, it's not. When you kissed Henry, that was true love's kiss. That's light magic."
Henry grinned at his adopted mother. "See? You can do it."
Regina still doubted herself. "Henry, I don't even have my heart right now."
"That doesn't matter. You broke the Curse without it, And I know you still love me. I know there's good in you."
Robin suddenly came up behind her. "He's right." He grinned devilishly at Regina. "I know you can beat that Witch."
"But I don't…"
She still would not believe until I hammered in the last nail in the coffin: her old beliefs. "With all due respect, Your Majesty." I said. "You told me you left behind all that bullshit Templar ideology when you gave me your ring. Now you're on the right side of this war. You will have to face her."
"Oh, and you forgot to mention how she's a traitor to her own kind by doin' so!" I heard Shay say, the pot calling the kettle black.
"Once upon a time, you were a villain, mom." Henry said. "But you've changed. You're a hero, now. And defeating bad guys is what heroes do. I believe in you, now you need to believe, too."
I turned behind and held up my radio. "We're not done here, people. Let's finish this!"
Keif and several other Assassins who were still able to fight started grabbing all they could as we got into three of the vans and started up again. Regina figured that the barn close to where Zelena's farmhouse used to be would be the exact spot she would try and cast her time spell.
I stood in the inside of the van as the Assassins inside sat on seats bolted to the walls on the inside of the van. It was dark inside except for the light that came from the front windows where Keif and a now awake Torren were in front.
"We all know the mission." I said out loud.
"Yes, Asgeir." One of the Assassins said. "Stop Zelena's time portal."
"With something else to make sure." I added. "We take her alive so that I can kill her!"
Keif slammed on the brake. "We're here! Go, go!"
The Assassin sitting in the back opened up the door and we filed out, a complete team of a dozen Assassins along with myself, Keif, Torren, David, Emma, Regina, Robin, and Hook.
Inside the barn, Zelena and Rumplestiltskin stood around the place where the portal would open. She seemed to have dug a miniature crop circle to cast her curse. Different colored smoke tufts rose from the ground, and I saw each of the four ingredients on the four compass points around it: Regina's heart, David's courage in the form of his broken sword, a golden brain to represent Rumpletstiltskin's wisdom, and the baby.
"One this all over, you won't remember a thing." Zelena was cackling.
"It isn't over, yet!" David said, boldly.
Zelena turned and grinned at all that stood before her. "Oh? And who's going to stop me?" She mocked. "Certainly not the Savior."
"A Reaper sure could." I snapped back. "Or perhaps the real Queen of magic?" I nodded to Regina as Keif and I started to strafe towards any of the ingredients we could reach. Even removing one of them would stop the whole thing.
Emma noticed her newborn brother and nodded to David. "Go, get him." She said, holding her gun at Zelena. "We got your back."
Zelena only chuckled as Regina started towards her.
"Zelena, stop now." She growled. "We're not gonna let you succeed."
"Rid me of those pests." Zelena cackled, waving the Dagger to send Rumplestiltskin after Emma and Regina. When she spotted Keif, and me, he lunged for David's courage, but she held her hand, forcing him backwards against the wall.
"Ah!" He groaned as he tried getting up. I noticed he was bleeding. 'That's where I got impaled by George! Old wounds! I am too old for this shit!"
Rumplestiltskin was now facing Emma and Hook.
"Please, no more water." Hook said as Rumplestiltskin started on him.
"Get the Dagger, then the Dark One will be on your side." He replied. He waved his hand forcing Emma's gun out of her hands. Zelena then noticed me starting towards the sword.
"Now then, Reaper."
"I saw potential with you, Zelena." I growled. "Did that not mean anything to you?!"
"Why would it?" She gloated. "I already went through one sisterhood. You all would have just turned your backs on me as well, because you wouldn't fix my problems. You only care about the 'greater good'." She forced her hand forwards, slamming me backwards into the wall.
Too much like her mother, the bitch. Shunning the Assassins because they wouldn't fix her own personal issues.
I felt my arm snap in half from the force when I hit the wall, but it fixed itself in two seconds. Getting up, I saw Hook and Emma go through the same thing. I started wondering if that was the only thing that pricks that used magic did whenever someone quite literally stood in their way.
Regina started towards Zelena again.
"Come for another beating, sis?"
"No!" She snapped back. Then she noticed Zelena's charm. "I came for some jewelry."
She reached for it, but even with a simple nod, Zelena still pushed her sister back. I pulled my air rifle on my back, remembering I still had a grenade left in it.
"Oh, ho!" Shay was beside Zelena, now. "Care to test out the genius of Benjamin Franklin on this bitch?"
"Precisely." I replied, quietly. I shot it towards her, and I seemed to have caught her off guard, because it blew her back a few feet. Unfortunately, the party was about to get a little bigger. A flying monkey was soon swooping in.
She looked up at it and grinned. "Beautiful one! Kill that one first, if you will!" She pointed at me.
The monkey snarled and screeched as it dove for me. But I remembered my instincts. I shot it point blank with my rifle's sleep dart, and it fell at my feet. But it didn't seem to be working, because the monkey only seemed to go disoriented for a moment before taking off again and smacking me in the face with it's claws before going for David and Robin.
"Remember!" Robin yelled out as he took aim with his crossbow. "These creatures are our friends!"
"Don't worry!" David said, as he twirled his sword. "I'll use a gentle touch."
"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me." Rumplestiltskin replied. He waved his hand and forced them back against the wall.
Zelena once again noticed her sister, and this time held her up in a Force Choke. "Only light magic can harm me!" She laughed. "And you're as dark as they come! It was your destiny to be this way! And it will also be your undoing!"
"Don't…tell me what I can- be!" Regina managed to say.
"I tried to be good once! But it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am!" Zelena sneered. "And it's who you are!"
She was distracted. Now was the time. I jumped forwards, everything slowing down to mere milliseconds. Diving into a tuck and roll, I saw Robin had snuck around and grabbed Regina's heart. It would be enough to stop the spell, but I wanted to be doubly sure that it would be prevented for good, and shoulder rolled right to the baby. I grabbed the basket and scooped him up.
"I got you, kid!" I whispered as Regina grinned.
"You're wrong, sis!" She said, mockingly. White light suddenly burst from her hands.
Zelena was in disbelief. "What are you doing?!" She cried.
Regina only grinned. "Changing."
The light from her hands shot forwards, slamming Zelena onto the ground. In an instant, the Dagger slipped out of her hands and onto the ground. She looked up at her sister in a mix of anger and denial.
"How?!" She cried as Robin aimed his crossbow down at her. David sprinted over to me and I handed him the basket that carried his new son.
"Here he is." I said. Then I pulled my revolver out, walked over and aimed it right at Zelena's head.
"I make my own destiny." Regina replied. She leaned downwards and ripped Zelena's pendant off her cloak. Green light rushed away from Zelena and she fell backwards even further, powerless. The smoke coming from the portal started to fade away before snuffing itself out. Even the monkey landed onto the ground and turned back into the bearded man I had last seen almost a month ago. But David almost took his head off as he swiped; only stopping himself once he realized the monkey was a man again.
"Little John, you're back!" Robin cried.
David dropped his sword and John ran for his best friend.
"David! The baby!" Emma called out. "Is he alright?"
David smiled as he looked down on his son. "Yeah. He can handle anything. Just like his big sister!" He stood up, glancing over at her.
Regina looked down at Zelena's pendant, which now was ceasing to glow, courtesy of being separated from it's mistress. "You failed." She gloated. She looked down at her. "You're not going anywhere."
"I beg to differ."
Suddenly, Zelena was getting dragged across the ground towards Rumplestiltskin, who was holding out his hand, ready for payback on her.
"I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me!" He growled.
Not a chance. I wouldn't let that prick be the one to take away someone from my list. Zelena was mine!
She was at his feet in moments, looking up at him very fearfully. "What're you waiting for? Just do it!"
"With pleasure!"
"No!"
Rumplestilskin suddenly stopped, and his hand pulled away like it was attached to a string. Like a puppet, I should say. I turned and noticed Regina had the Dagger in her hands, and she now held it up, controlling him. Thank heaven.
Rumplestiltskin couldn't believe it. "After everything this witch has done, you're gonna protect her?" He snapped, angrily.
"Good magic stopped her. And good magic doesn't exact vengeance."
"Oh, I get it!" Shay said with his stupid grin. "She's gonna spare her, givin' you the chance to kill her yourself! What luck for you! Of course, I make my own luck."
"SHE KILLED MY SON!" Rumplestiltskin yelled.
"How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?" She replied.
"You can't be serious."
"I am. Heroes don't kill."
"Oh, but sadly, Assassins do." Shay gloated. "I'd watch out for this one, Regina." He said to her, pointing at me. "He's gonna want to kill Zelena the first chance he gets." Then he stopped, and laughed. "Oh, dammit! I forgot! She can't hear me!"
"So, now you're a hero?" Zelena growled.
"Today I am."
Keif and a team of Assassins handcuffed Zelena and shoved her into the van. I got in and sat right across from her with my revolver at her, keeping quiet except for a slight grin. One down, and another to go.
Zelena only stared hard at me as the convoy headed back into town. As the old saying goes, a long walk and a short drop is the short version of how most people have their lives. Only in this case, that short drop was a drop off into a prison cell instead of into a grave. But it would be coming for Zelena shortly.
Regina had a talk with her as I waited in the interrogation room, and then when she left, I walked in. No one was around, which was what I was hoping for.
"Here we go! Time to make her pay for what she did to Rory and Neil." Shay snickered as I walked across the office towards the cell and took the seat across from it. Zelena was curled up into a ball in the corner of her cell on the cot. I smirked, remembering how familiar this looked, only it was Regina and not her sister.
"Here we are, Zed." I said. "Checkmate for you."
"Oh, here to gloat?"
"Why not? You loved to do it when you were winning against everyone else. Then you start losing and all you do is whine and fixate on all this bullshit of how the world is always wronging you and how things always turn out bad for you and how no one knows true suffering but you!" I stopped talking when I realized I was practically shouting. Then started again.
"It's useless, Zelena. All this pretending that you're the victim here. Truth be told, you disgust me. In every realm there are people that have no homes, no families, and countless things that threaten their lives. But you decided to fixate on someone who had no idea you existed. Then you, *ahem* colored yourself the one who was wronged, then decided that you'd get even with her and steal it all back."
"Why take her side, Asgeir? She was a Templar and you an Assassin. You saw potential in me. You said it yourself: we're not that different." She started to look sad in my eyes. Almost pleading. But I wasn't falling for it.
I narrowed my eyes and laughed a little. Even I had to agree when I saw Shay was practically bawling with laughter in my head, falling backwards onto the floor. "Aha! See?! Now you look to me for support when it's too late for that; when all your magic is gone and no more of your flying, shit flinging lapdogs are around to help you. No, we weren't all that different. Once. Then you had one of my brothers turned into a monkey, killed another and turned your back on a second chance. That's where you're much like your mother in the sense that you can't see a real second chance when it's right in front of your stupid fucking face."
"What the hell do you know about my mother?"
"I know enough." I replied. "I know that she too, wanted another person's life. And that she was willing to do anything to do it. Including ripping out her own heart."
"She must have had a good reason to do so." She replied. "Why else would she do it?"
I smirked. "You know, the funny bit is that you're still every bit as stupid as I remember you from when we first met. Here you are saying things you really shouldn't…and I have the gun." I pulled it out of my hoodie. I had already loaded in the right shots for this, and now was my chance.
Zelena's smile burst and she got up, starting to back away from the cell. "You're-"
"Still going to fulfill my promise to Rory, and exact vengeance for Neil. I know that you don't have your pendant anymore, but I still put a full load of Bullets into this thing. And I am not bluffing when I say I'm going to kill you!"
"B-but! I'm powerless now! There's no point anymore! You'll just put me out of my misery!"
I started to laugh. My laugh grew louder and louder until I was laughing so hard I thought my head might explode. I pulled the hammer back on the gun and aimed right at Zelena towards her face.
"You know, I thought you would've learned your lesson by now, Zelena. Heroes don't kill, but I sure do." I said, still laughing. Then I started screaming. "STOP BEGGIN' FOR MERCY AND TAKE THIS LIKE YAH SHOULD HAVE LONG AGO! GO TO SLEEP! GO TO SLEEEEEEEP!"
I pulled the trigger back and shot five times in a row.
Zelena still stood where she was. When she opened her eyes, she looked at me in shock as I laughed more.
"Aha! I got you! Haha!" I hollered. "Whoo!" I sat back down.
"You…you-"
I did my best to hide it from Zelena, but I was terrified at what just happened right now. It wasn't me who pulled the trigger, but I also knew it wasn't Shay, because he couldn't control my mind. Only add memories to it.
"Blank shots, Zelena." I said. "Oh, I won't kill you just yet. I just thought I'd make it clear that you crossed the Dark One and are still alive. But no one gets past me, and even hope for mercy. You won't live past tomorrow, but I'll at least give you a lesson before you die. You squandered your second chances. I, on the other hand, took every chance I got towards helping those I could until fate sent me an Ice Devil to punish me for it. I don't sit down, pretending like I'm a victim like you did, and like she did. Instead, I'm going to stand up and shove a blade down her throat for what she did to my sisters, my brothers, and me. Then all will be right with my world again."
Zelena looked at me in a mix of horror and anger at me as I continued.
"Cora showed Snow her memories and why she abandoned you, and then she showed me memories that belonged to my grandfather. He knew her as a friend long ago when he sought vengeance for one of his murdered brothers. He offered her a chance to become an Assassin after she abandoned you, but she turned her back on him because all she really wanted was desires that made her another bloody Templar chasing butterflies. I offered you the chance to be a part of a family that would never abandon you like how Glinda did, and you chose to spit in my eye. You think that you haven't gotten a second chance? You had one. And another. And another. And every time, you shoved them away, fixating on changing the past. You are way too much like your mother. Glad to see that now the apple falls very far from the tree on Regina's side."
I got up. "Look where it all got you, Zed. It really sickens me." I said, walking away.
"You know that they won't kill me, Asgeir. Either you do it before they catch you, or I will kill you when I get out of here."
"Oh, I know. And I will kill you, Zelena. I promise you that." I replied. "I just don't feel like doing it today. It's been a long day, and I could use a pick me up."
The town seemed to be a little brighter as I walked from the Sheriff's station to Cormac's. But it didn't entirely feel like it. Walking past Mr. Gold's, I couldn't help but look across the street, to the store there, Any Given Sundae. Ingrid was in there. Soon enough she would know real pain and suffering when I would be done with her.
When I reached Cormac's, most of the other Assassins were in there, celebrating. I walked up to the bar and waved for Kevan.
"Pint of Guinness." I said to him.
Jason and Zar walked over and sat down on either sides of me. I noticed Jason's arm was wrapped in bandages from his sprain. If only I could share some of my curse with him. It would be that much harder for him to make his shots count with his right hand out of commission. "We did it, Asgeir! Zelena's done for!"
"Yeah…" I sighed, smiling solemnly.
It was haunting me how both spirits that were haunting me had taken over all at once when I had Zelena in my grasp. I had loaded those blanks myself to scare her, but it was not me truly in control of my actions back there.
"Hey, Asgeir." Zar said, shaking my shoulder. "Now's not the time to be solemn! Now's the time to celebrate! You just missed him, but Keaton just returned! He's catching up with his recruits and Matthew right now in the other room. Let's party now, man!"
I heard the door slam.
"Party for what?"
I looked up from the bar. The source of the voice had just walked into the door. He looked quite disheveled from how I remembered him long ago but he still had the buzz cut blonde hair, a white and green hood, and a spear holstered to his back.
"I believe I heard yah sayin' somethin' about partyin'? This 'bout me getting' free of that witch after so long?"
"Rory…"
He grinned as he caught my eye. "I wasn't in control of my actions as a monkey, but I remembered yah the second I saw yah a few weeks ago, Asgeir!"
He and I jumped for each other in an brotherly hug. I should have remembered that all of Zelena's monkey would have returned to their human forms after her pendant was ripped off. Or rather, I remembered Little John, but was convinced all along that Rory ended up dead when he was a monkey.
He and I sat down at a table as Jason and Zar approached.
"Asgeir, who is this?" Zar asked.
"Rory Woods." He introduced himself, shaking both their hands. "Master Assassin from Dublin. Although, to be fair, I'm assumin' they think I'm dead?"
I nodded. "Officially declared deceased by your Mentor, who also died about ten years afterwards."
Rory shook his head as he slammed his fist down. "Ah, dammit." He tried fighting a few tears. "Terry was a good Mentor, one of the best. Almost as good as yer father, Asgeir."
Kevan walked up and nodded to Rory. "What're we having today, sir?"
"Listen, my friend. I've been flinging my own shite and picking fleas out of my fur for the last forty years. But I would love nothing more than at least 'free pints of Guiness," He raised three fingers "and- wait how Irish is this pub?"
"You'd think we were right in Dublin, Woods." Jason said.
"Aha! Excellent! And your pub stew! Thank yah, lad!"
I sat back in my seat, grinning. Another brave Assassin barck in the fight. Things might actually bode well for once. I had never seen someone so merry and glad to be alive in a long time. You'd think turning back from a monkey into a human would mean that Rory would be exhausted, but I soon learned that I knew very little from him in the time that I knew him. He had more energy than Anna would have after drinking a whole pot of coffee. When he finished with his beers and stew, he ate three whole slices of chocolate Irish cream pie and was still hungry, happy that he could finally eat what he had been missing for forty years. Although I loved it when Kevan brought him the third pie with a banana slice as the garnish, and he looked up at him, unimpressed.
It also turned out that he was an excellent player of his tin whistle. He brought it out after he had quite a few drinks and he still played a couple melodies as merry and true as the Emerald Isle. He even sang a little towards the end of the night.
"In Dublin's fair city/ where the girls are so pretty/ I first set my eyes on Sweet Molly Malone/ As she wheeled her wheelbarrow/ through the streets broad and narrow/ crying 'Cockles and mussels/ alive, alive o'"