"Ten hours are up," the giant said, stooping down to unshackle Hook. "You're free to go."
Hook jumped to his feet and then he reached for the sword.
The giant took a quick step back, eyeing the weapon with caution. "Woah!" He said, "I let you live."
Hook nodded. "At her bequest, aye?"
"Yeah," the giant said slowly, still eyeing the sword cautiously.
"Fear not," Hook said, "as you've kept your word, this is not meant for you. Others may not be as fortunate."
The anger he'd been stoking for the better part of the day flared to a white hot heat. Anger was a damn sight easier to deal with than the emotion that lay just beneath the surface.
Betrayal.
He'd trusted her, believed her, thought they were united in a common purpose. Truth be told, there had been a connection with Swan, one that went beyond the fact their interests aligned. He'd felt a spark of something undefined and as yet undefinable, but it was as real and as significant as this godforsaken beanstalk she'd chained him to.
They'd spent hours together searching for the compass, and with each moment his hope had grown, hope that maybe there could be another path out there beyond what he'd always imagined awaited him.
To be sure, nothing had changed with regard to his quest. He would kill the Crocodile, avenge his Milah. Nothing could dissuade him from what had been his purpose, his reason for living for the better part of two centuries, but for the first time on this beanstalk working beside Swan he'd begun to think about what came after.
After…perhaps there was a life for him, perhaps even happiness.
That hope had crumbled the moment she snapped the shackle to his wrist.
It was a stark reminder yet again that no one could be trusted, that the only one he could truly swear allegiance to was himself, no matter how much he might wish the opposite to be true.
And so, he'd spent the next ten hours meticulously rebuilding the fortress around his heart, fortifying it brick by brick until it was well nigh impenetrable.
Look out for yourself and you'll never get hurt.
Stepping around the giant, Hook scaled the ledge and began the painstaking process of climbing down the beanstalk. The rain pelted him as he climbed, making the trek infinitely slower and more dangerous than the ascent.
Finally, finally he reached the bottom, jumping the last ten feet and preparing to set out after Swan and take back what was his.
"My dear captain," he heard from behind him, "it seems you've been on quite an adventure. The compass please."
He closed his eyes, his stomach dropping. Cora.
It looked like his terrible day was about to get even worse.