Chapter LIII

Checkmate

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the air was cool and crisp. It was another perfect day in Storybrooke. The children were rowdy, distracted, ready to leave.

So was Snow. She felt stifled, cooped up, and put upon. The new curriculum was so strict. She didn't get to spend time outside teaching hands-on lessons about nature. She couldn't take her students to volunteer. She couldn't even assign fun group projects anymore. Leah had taken a very hands-on approach lately and was auditing far more classes than she had before. It was putting all the teachers on edge.

No. Snow shook her head. She had to leave work at work (as much as any teacher could). She was going to spend the afternoon with her daughter. She had dreamed of mommy-daughter days every day of her pregnancy. It wouldn't be tea parties or reading stories together, but it would be quality time!

She missed Emma. She missed her roommate, friend and confidante. She wanted to be a mother to her daughter. At the moment she didn't feel like she had a friend or a daughter. Emma had become a surly stranger.

Snow could admit when she'd made a mistake. She'd come on too strong about the Ball. Emma didn't respond well to ultimatums and demands. She wanted everything to be perfect. She had wanted to help Emma pick out her first dress. She had wanted to present Emma. She had wanted Emma to have a debutante experience that every princess dreamed about. She had wanted Emma to have what she hadn't, her mother at her first ball.

Emma had made it very clear that she didn't want that experience. She had yelled that much at her. In hindsight, Snow regretted a lot of the things she'd said. She was not embarrassed of or by Emma. Emma didn't have to prove anything to anybody. Not her, and not their people. Emma may not act like a typical princess of the Enchanted Forest, but that was okay. She was more than a princess, she was the Savior. She was the Sheriff. She was a good person. Snow didn't agree with everything that she did. She also could not deny that she was handling herself well. People loved her, more than that, they respected her. Snow was proud of her.

She needed Emma to know that she was loved, that she was appreciated, that she was part of their family.

So today was about her and Emma re-connecting. About her showing Emma that she loved and respected her. As a friend and a daughter. She wanted them to be a family. Snow had it all planned. They were going to spend the afternoon at the training field. She was going to introduce Emma to archery, and show her how to throw daggers. There were even throwing axes if Emma wanted to try that. After that they would have dinner, just the two of them, at Granny's. Then they were going to go to the Rabbit Hole. She wanted Emma to remember that they were still friends. They could drink and dance together too. They could have a good time. They would have a good time!

Emma had promised her the whole afternoon and evening. Snow was going to make the most of it. They would really talk again. They would re-solidify their bond. They were a family, a royal family, and they needed to be united and strong.

When the final bell rang, Snow was more than ready to leave. The children left in a hurry and she didn't bother to remind them not to run or push.

She gathered her things (papers to grade, lesson plans to write up, and a grade book to fill) and tucked them into her bag. Her bow and a quiver of arrows that Marco had graciously made for her, were already in her station wagon. A station wagon that needed a new paint job, thanks to Regina. She could still see the faded remains on the spray-painted insult.

Snow tossed her bag over her shoulder, gave the room one last glance then left. She waved at a few students and a couple of friendly teachers as she made a bee-line to the door.

"Oh dang!" One of the fifth graders pushed past her. "Henry's mom is gonna beat up the principal!"

"Awesome!" Another student hurried behind them. "I hope she throws fire at her!"

No! Snow rushed after them. They meant Regina! The Evil Queen was here? She stumbled to a stop, and almost hit the door. Regina was in front of the school arguing with Leah Weathersby. Would she attack her?

No! Snow stopped herself from barging outside. Not today. Snow was not going to throw herself into a fight. That is what The Evil Queen wanted. She didn't know how but Regina knew she had plans with Emma.

Had Emma told her? This couldn't be happening! She wanted to keep Emma away from her, from their family. Snow wouldn't let Regina beat her. Not this time. She wasn't going to destroy her new chance at a Happily Ever After.

She turned on her heel and hurried to the Smoker's Pit. It was what the teachers called the unofficial spot by the side door. If that side entrance worked for Aurora and Belle then it would work for her.

She shoved through the door. The neglected hinges squeaked. Three teachers were hiding out and puffing away. They were probably avoiding their after-school duties.

One of the teachers was The Evil Queen's favorite mercenaries, Jill Hill. She had a fat, smelly cigar in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

Snow stormed past them.

She'd never liked the gym teacher anyway. She was all brawn, no brains, and constantly advocated for more and longer PE periods. The woman shouldn't even be around children!

Now that the curse was over, they needed to clean house! There were several teachers that had to be replaced. Hill's smoking buddie, for examples. Ardelia Petrov (the kindergarder teacher) had been a gold-hungry prostitute. Eddie Toussaint (the music teacher) was a thief that pretended to be a troubadour. Her father had banished him from Court after he'd stolen from them. Snow couldn't believe that Regina had thought that these people should be teachers!

"Wait!"

The woman reached out and tried to grab her, hold her back, and stop her.

"Mary Margaret, I mean, Snow. Please wait!"

She jerked out of Hill's grasp and sprinted to her car.

Regina was out of her mind if she thought she could get away with this again. This was just like last time. Just like when she had killed Daddy. Not today! Snow would not be separated from her family ever again.

She threw her bag in the passenger seat, got in and jammed the keys into the starter. The reliable little 'wagon started right up

She peeled out of the faculty and staff parking lot and then made a hard right turn.

Regina had blocked the front, but Snow knew the school like the back of her hand. Snow doubted that she remembered the utility road that ran out by the sports fields.

She hurried, completely disregarding the fifteen miles per hour speed limit. The sky above her shined iridescent purple with strips of black. She wasn't sure which was worse, the signature color purple or the terrifying black.

Snow took another turn sharp and fast. Her tires spat gravel and dirt everywhere. Dante, the groundskeeper, made a rude gesture at her. She hoped he didn't do that around the children.

Snow cleared the final fence's gate just as Regina's capturing curse closed down around the school. Snow felt a jolt, like someone crashed into her bumper. The air had a static charge and she got goosebumps. Snow braced herself for more pain or an attack. There was nothing. She was free. Free and nothing would keep her away from Emma.

She put her flashers on and stepped on the gas pedal hard. She zipped down Storybrooke's back roads and side streets. She kept flicking her eyes from the road to her mirrors. Fear and adrenaline cut into her heart as the school disappeared behind a purple and black dome.

Drury Lane, Seaside Avenue, Evergreen Street. When she churned onto Main Street (sort of ignoring the stop sign) and had to slam both of her feet on the brake. She screeched to a halt a foot away from bright blue sawhorses.

David had the street blocked off with police sawhorses. He was wearing a bright yellow vest over his uniform. What? Why? He shouldn't be here, he should be rushing to town to save their daughter!

David rushed to her driver's side door. "Honey? "He opened the door. His face was lined with worry and his eyes were wide. "Are you okay?''

No. She was not okay. Nothing was okay!

"What- "Her mind was racing. "What are you doing?" She looked around, trying to figure out how this played into Regina's plan.

"Cora is attacking the town. She's at Granny's. Emma wants to keep everything locked down."

Locked down? No. Regina and Cora wanted to keep her locked out and away from her family, friends, and allies.

Wait. Emma was there? With Cora?

Another cliche of fear rocketed through her. Bile rose up her throat. Her hands shook and her heart rate tripled. Rage quickly followed. It burned through the fear and galvanized her.

"What are you doing out here, Charming! Why aren't you with her!" Cora and Regina had Emma at their mercy. Who knew what would happen? They had to protect their little girl!

"We have to go-"

David sighed and rubbed his thumb over the scar on his chin. "Emma wants me here. We have to think about Storybrooke. She doesn't want anyone to walk into that fight."

"Schools are covered." David's radio sounded off. "Mayor Mills cast some kind of protection spell. No one in and no one out."

David took the radio off of his belt " North Main Street locked down and barricaded."

He lowered the radio and sighed again. "I have to stay here, Snow. I cannot undermine Emma again. She's my supervisor."

Snow could not believe what she was hearing! She unbuckled and grabbed her bow from the backseat. She cut the engine and got out of the car. "You are her father!" She marched past David's barriers. "She's not my supervisor! I am her mother and I'm not letting Emma fight those witches by herself."

Emma was cursed and even if she wasn't, she had no idea what she was up against.

Fury bubbled in her blood. She hadn't been this upset since the war. was frustrated. Charming shouldn't be standing around guarding the road. He was a hero, a leader, a king. He should be Sheriff. The people needed stability and strong, united leadership.

"Honey." David put his hand on her arm. "I think we should- "

Snow scowled. "No, Charming. I'm going."

This was ridiculous. It was like her husband was a totally different perso-the spell. He had to be under the spell too. Regina was insidious!

"Snow!"

David had his arm up, pointing at something behind her. Annoyed, she turned on her heel with a stomp. She had her mouth open to question him again, but everything stopped. Snow went numb. She dropped her bow.

Ogres. Just like the one she had killed back home. Ogres in Storybrooke.

Five pale monsters were lumbering down the street, dazed and confused.

She bent to pick up her bow and almost fell. A loud and ear-splitting scream cut through the air. She clapped her hands over her ears but she could still hear it. It cut through her head like a jagged knife.

The ogres instantly reacted. The recognized screams in any realm. It enraged them, excited them, and made them hungry. They enjoyed the screams.

Emma!

That scream had come from Granny's, she knew it. Ogres were fast, but if she cut through alleys and side streets, she might be able to beat them.

"Snow." David hissed, "Don't."

She grabbed him by the front of his reflective vest and kissed him. If he wasn't going with her, then she would save their daughter herself.

Snow started to sprint again.

"Snow!" David whispered. He didn't want to alert the ogres.

She knew he would use the radio to raise the alarm. People had to find out about the ogres, they had to take cover. He would take care of Storybrooke, she would take care of their daughter.

Snow ran. She ignored the stitch in her side and the pain in her feet. She had to stop Regina.

On Lilac Avenue she saw that she was not the only person trying to beat the ogres. A group of people, armed and ready to fight, had gathered in an alley.

Snow easily spotted Merida Hill (one of the Evil Queen's mercenaries). Her bold red curls made her stand out in any crowd. Snow recognized several other faces. Some were trustworthy, others were not. The two people separated into two groups. Half with Merida and the other half with a tall blonde man. Snow recognized him too. It was Merida's brother-in-law, Jack. Of course! Regina's morally bankrupt loyalists were armed, dangerous, and ready to attack.

"Snow." Merida moved quickly and quietly. She didn't seem surprised to see her. "Jill said ye tore out of the school like yer hair was on fire." Merida looked her over from head to toe and didn't seem particularly impressed.

"You brought a weapon. Good on ye. I'll not say no to another set of hands. Come on then.

Wait. Merida thought she was there to help them?

She pointed to a ladder that someone had leaned against the Butcher's Shop. They were going to use the rooftops. They were taking the high ground.

Snow wanted to argue, but it was a sound plan. If she had a birds eye view, it would be easier to find Emma.

Snow nodded and stepped over to stand next to the other people with ranged weapons. There were bows, crossbows, and even a few sticks of dynamite.

Merida motioned for them to start climbing the ladder. Everyone was silent. Any sound could bring the ogres crashing down on them.

Snow climbed the ladder, and swore that she was going to get a gym membership ASAP. She and the mercenary group moved along rooftops, going from building to building. It wasn't easy and they were not keeping pace with the ogres. They communicated with hand signals.

It felt like being a bandit again. No, it felt like the first few weeks after she'd fled the castle. She felt out of shape, clumsy, and weak. Like the cursed years had wiped away all the training, fighting, and surviving. Like it had all meant nothing.

No. Snow was not just a school teacher. She was a warrior. She was a leader. She was queen. She had to watch, to think, to plan.

Obviously, Regina had plans. She enjoyed her plots and schemes. This was all her doing and it was up to Snow to stop her, again. She tightened the grip on her bow and mentally prepared herself to fight.

Merida held up a fist to stop them. She chopped a hand left, then right. They all, about nine including herself, fanned out along the edge of the building. Snow could see Granny's and the surrounding street.

When Snow saw the destruction, she forgot how to breathe. Broken glass, chunks of metal, and crumbling buildings. Magic crackled and the air smelled like ozone. It was a warzone!

Ruby, Granny, Emma and Regina were in the middle of the street. So was Esmeralda. There was no sign of Cora. Just like last time. Snow doubted Cora was in Storybrooke at all.

That didn't matter at the moment. The ogres were coming and they were not ready. Worse, Emma was right in their path. Luckily, they seemed to know about the ogres too.

Snow was so far away, she couldn't help. She could only watch and wait.

Snow nocked an arrow and drew her bow. Her shoulder muscles burned, no longer familiar with the weight of the bow. The arrow fletching tickled her cheek. She lined up her shot and used the street lights to estimate the distance. The further out she could start the attack, the less danger Emma was in.

A gloved hand grabbed and jerked her bow down. Merida glared at her, fire in her eyes. "Wait for the signal. We have people on the ground." Her whisper was fast, angry and her accent heavy. "One off-shot and people down there will die. Every shot counts."

Snow tugged at her bow, but Merida held on. "If one of my people die because you played at bein' a hero, I'll push you off this building meself." Merida had never been a hero, she was a murderer for hire and Snow knew that she was not kidding.

"My daughter is down there." Merida was a killer, but she was also a mother. Surely she understood.

Merida scowled at her and blew out a breath. "Then use yer head and wait for my signal." Her red brows bunched and her thin lips twisted into a scowl. "Follow my hand signals and keep yer trap shut" She let go of Snow's bow, and returned to her position.

The ogres were running now, they smelled the blood on the street.

Merida drew back her bow and everyone else followed her lead. Snow took her stance again and readied herself.

She could see the entire street, a horrific battlefield. Five ogres and so few people. They were horribly outnumbered. Every shot was going to count.

Below them, the ground team carefully moved along the side of the street.

They were the ones in the most danger. The ogres would destroy them if they sensed them. All it would take was a sneeze or glass crunching under a shoe. If the wind turned, their scent would give them away.

Snow couldn't think about that. She focused and lined up her shot. The biggest ogre, her father had always told her, was the leader. If he went down, the other ogres would scatter and scramble. Their confusion would make their attacks less effective. Every shot counted.

Snow slowed her breathing and blocked out her fear. This shot had to be perfect. To keep her baby safe. To save her people. To protect her kingdom.

Storybrooke's one and only Chinese restaurant had changed its name. It wasn't exactly the assignment of her dreams. It was a post-curse feel-good fluff piece. Not exactly hard-hitting journalism, but a story was a story. Besides, Namazzi had an online shopping addiction to feed.

Plus Li Wei gave them both free food. He called it a working lunch and laughed uproariously at his own joke. Zuberi was shooting some B-Roll of Li Wei plating a couple of meals while she was finishing up her own food. Everything was quiet and calm. That should have tipped her off that something was about to happen. Since the curse broke, Storybrooke was never quiet for long.

Her cell phone pinged, Their producer had sent her a video. If it was another cat video, she would scream.

She downloaded it anyway and when she hit play, she knew her boring story was over. The video was a low-res cell phone video of a woman at Granny's.

"Zu!"

Namazzi finished his shot and cut the feed, ready to go.

She didn't explain, she held up her phone. "We've gotta go!"

She twisted around and showed her phone to the resturaunteers. "Lock up! Cora Mills is a couple of blocks away."

Chun Hwa, Li Wei's wife, went very still. Their three children were still at school.

"I'm sure the schools already know. " Namazzi tried to soothe their worries but wasn't sure if that was true at all.

"Highness" Zuberi came to her side. "You aren't safe."

"You used to complain that our job was boring." Namazzi pasted on her professional smile.

She shrugged off his use of her honorific and concern, but that didn't mean it wasn't warranted. If The Queen of Hearts had a hit list, she was probably on it.

Her father had been a king and her mother a queen to her people. It had been a very long time since she was a princess. Long before the curse. Before the Evil Queen. Still, Royalty was royalty and Cora Mills loved nothing more than bathing in blue blood.

"Get ready to go live.'' She refused to have this argument again.

Zu, whose family had been loyal to hers for generations, glared at her, but said nothing. Besides, they were both workaholics and this was the biggest story they'd ever covered!

They moved fast, left the newly renamed Three Tigers restaurant, and started to run. Namazzi cursed the fact that she'd worn three-inch heels, but kept hustling. The first thing she saw, and Zu caught on camera was a flash of bright white light. It reminded her of footage of nuclear weapons tests.

Zuberi signaled they were live as soon as the light faded.

Namazzi had just enough time to take a breath and run a hand over her hair. She squared her shoulders and focused. She was broadcasting live to everyone in Storybrooke.

"We are live on Main Street. As you can see, we have a situation unfolding. A battle broke out at Granny's just moments ago. We have identified the woman in black as Cora Mills. She is also known as The Queen of Hearts. She committed atrocities in the Enchanted Forest, Wonderland and the Southern Kingdom."

She stepped backward and to the side as Zu did a pan-shot. He had a steady, skilled, and smooth hand with the camera. He knew exactly how to frame up a shot. He was an amazing cinematographer. He would make a killing in Hollywood.

"The other combatant is Esmeralda, a Romani Sorceress."

She had even less confirmed information on Esmeralda than she did Cora, so she continued.

"We also see Sheriff Emma Swan-"

Namazzi had her microphone in a grip so tight that her hand hurt. It was her tether to the moment. This was her job, her purpose, her duty to everyone in town. She wasn't the Savior, but someone had to tell the Savior's story, didn't they?

"-is on the scene. Deputy Ruby Lucas is present but possibly injured and-" She tilted her head. "It looks like Mulan, another newcomer has been-" She wasn't sure how to describe it. "-captured by pipes ripped out of the street."

Cora spoke and both she and Zuberi pivoted around. She knew, without asking, that Zu was framing up and focusing on Cora Mills.

"Cora Mills is now having a heated conversation with her daughter, Regina Mills."

She knew that their audio would pick up a little, but doubted it would be understandable to the viewers at home. Her narrative reporting would have to carry the story.

It ended quickly and Regina darted to Ruby's side.

"Regina Mills has gone to Deputy Lucas's side."

Namazzi squinted and tried to make out what was going on. She could definitely see blood. She had never heard of The Evil Queen healing anyone. Then again, she knew that Granny would never stand by and let Regina hurt her granddaughter.

"We are too far away to see exactly what she is doing." Namazzi wouldn't accuse or defend without proof.

Zuberi turned the camera away from them. Esmeralda and Cora started fighting again. They could only film one or the other and Zu knew the fight was the best choice.

The women were powerful and not holding back. Namazzi had seen battle magic before, but never like this. This was an entirely different level of magic and destruction. Hollywood special effects had nothing on this. Cora threw fireballs, they were as big as volleyballs and burnt so hot that the flames were blue.

Esmeralda twirled around and used her purple cloak like a matador's cape. It seemed to reflect, or perhaps absorb the attack. The twirl was not just defensive though. Esmeralda used magic to pick up various debris. Bricks, chunks ofasphalt, shards of glass, even pieces of cars swirled around her. Esmeralda rounded to face her opponent, she threw the improvised ammo. It flew hard, fast and deadly, directly at Cora.

Cora jerked her hands up and the ground shook. She tore a meter of asphalt from the ground and raised it like a wall in front of her. Esmeralda's attack crashed against it, useless. Cora sent the wall forward, rumbling and grinding its way down the street. It was big and fast, something a cloak couldn't stop.

Esmeralda tried to jump out of the way but was too slow. The wall clipped her leg and sent her sprawling onto the broken ground.

Cora grinned and Namazzi shuddered. The Queen of Hearts was a monster.

Though Namazzi was supposed to remain unbiased. She had to keep a straight face for the camera but she was silently cheering for Esmeralda.

The woman got to one knee but seemed to struggle to get up. Cora came closer, Her face was a mask of fury. Her eyes were narrow and full of darkness. Her forehead was furrowed and her lips were pulled back to reveal grit teeth. She was terrifying.

"This has been a long time coming, Gypsy."

Esmeralda was suddenly in the air, held up by magic.

She, Zu and all their viewers, watched Cora get ready to murder Esmeralda.

"She is called the Queen of Hearts." Namazzi spoke, shocked that her voice was steady. "And we all know what the Evil Queen did with hearts. It looks like the poisoned apple didn't fall far from the tree."

Esmeralda didn't speak or struggle. She hung in the air with a defiant look on her face. She knew, without a word, that Zu had zoomed in to capture the moment.

Cora held up another one of the massive fireballs. The light reflected on Esmeralda's face, and it singed her hair. She didn't look afraid. In fact, she smiled. Then she clapped her hands. The sound wasn't a simple clap, it was a boom.

The boom was so loud that it was physical. It threw Cora backward. She hit the ground and rolled, but was on her feet almost immediately. Esmeralda fell to the ground. Her injured leg buckled and she stumbled to one knee. If her leg, or anything else bothered her, she didn't let it slow her down. She held her arms out wide and brought them together again with al her strength.

This boom was deafening. It thumped painfully in Namazzi's ears. Zuberi winced and jerked to the side. She hoped what felt like a sonic boom hadn't deafened him.

The air felt oppressive and sharp, like a dagger to the throat. It was heavy with magic, rage, and danger. Every survival instinct screamed at her to run. Namazzi held her ground.

The blow hit its target. Cora flew into the air and came down hard several feet away. She smacked the concrete sidewalk hard enough to shatter it. Cora rose, but she was slower, less steady. That blow had to have hurt her.

"The magic is intense, so powerful that it feels like an earthquake and a squall." She wasn't sure if she was doing the situation justice. There weren't any words. "Please stay inside. We will keep broadcasting as long as we can."

Esmeralda took the little time she'd earned and stood up again. She held her head high, a haughty smirk on her scared lips. Namazzi had seen that expression countless times on Regina Mill's face. If she didn't know any better, she would wonder exactly which witch had birthed the Evil Queen.

Cora's face quickly changed from furious to amused. Like she had one more nasty trick up her sleeve. She didn't raise her hands or even twitch her fingers. She laughed. She laughed like a maniac then took a deep breath. It clicked in Namazzi's head only a few seconds before it happened. Just long enough for her to scream a warning. She'd seen this before and knew how horrible it could be.

Cora was playing a nasty game of one-upmanship and didn't care who she hurt if it meant she "won."

"Cover your ears!" Namazzi screamed and hoped people heard her. Hoped they listened to her. Hoped no one died. She clapped her hands flat over her ears and twisted away from the fight. Zu refused to drop his camera, he stood unmoved, defiant. The only thing he did to protect himself was to hit the power button on his headphones. It killed the sound-feed, effectively turning them into earmuffs.

All around them, everyone covered their ears. Even Regina Mills fell on top of Ruby to help cover the injured woman's wolf-sensitive ears.

Even with her ears covered, Namazzi could still hear the banshee scream. Cora kept screaming, her mouth wide open, letting the horrible sound loose. It seemed to last forever, but she knew it was a minute, maybe two at the most.

The scream broke into a million smaller sharper screeches. They sounded like battlefield screams. Cora Mills disappeared in a black cloud of wings. Thousands of crows swarmed, circled and blotted out the sky. The birds surrounded them. Feathers, as sharp as arrowheads sliced across her skin. Tiny curved talons carved through flesh, stone, glass and anything else they touched. Then the murder of crows were gone, and had taken Cora with them. The silence that was left behind was overwhelming and just as painful somehow.

Namazzi was shaking. Her heart raced in her chest and she swallowed back bile. She had to consciously fight back flashbacks, anxiety, and panic. Her muscles were painfully bunched and it was hard to breathe. She could hear her father's booming voice begging their men to retreat in her head. She could smell blood and burnt corpses and-

"Your-" Zu's voice cracked. "-Highness." He took hold of one of her hands. "This is Storybrooke. You're on Main Street. We're still rolling."

His no-nonsense tone, his familiar tone, his understanding, helped her gather her wits. PTSD be damned, she would not break down on television.

Namazzi took a deep breath and looked around to pick out a few landmarks to help her ground herself. There weren't many. The street was destroyed, unstable, falling in on itself. That was when she realized that she wasn't shaking. The ground was.

Zu turned the camera and she turned to look. Her blood ran cold and only years worth of habit kept her from dropping her microphone.

Ogres.

Ogres in Storybrooke.

For a moment Namazzi forgot herself. A curse word, the first she'd ever heard her mother utter, slipped out. Luckily it wasn't in English. She took a deep breath. Past trauma, present fear and rapidly dwindling chance of a future had to be shoved away and ignored. She still had a job to do.

"Ogres. Four, no five. Five ogres have are on Main Street." She looked right at the camera. She did not smile, she did not soften the blow. "This is not a joke or a drill. There are ogres in Storybrooke. Stay at home. If you are outdoors, go inside immediately. I repeat seek shelter immediately."

"Mazzi!"

Zu's rare use of her nickname was all the warning she got. One of the ogres, its pale white skin covered in rotting patchwork black leather, had heard her. It turned. Its eyes were gray and dead, but its nostrils flared. It smelled them.

She cursed again and didn't care that it was in English. She and Zu ran. She looked up and down the street, searching for shelter or protection.

The ogre followed and ripped up a power pole to use as a weapon. Chunks of concrete and splinters of wood scattered everywhere. Sparks showered down on the street. Broken black power lines and cables swung wildly.

They ran together, and Zuberi kept the camera rolling as best he could. It shook and bobbled on his shoulder.

The ogre swung the pole and it arced just over their heads. The cables swung and cracked like a whip. Namazzi felt the wind off of them. The next hit would not miss.

She was so focused on the ogre, that she wasn't paying attention to the damaged sidewalk and street. She tripped over something, a chunk of metal or stone and fell hard. She tried to twist, to protect the microphone and her face. She hit the asphalt hard with her shoulder, elbow and left hand. The ogre stomped closer and it roared.

Namazzi tried to scramble away, but knew there was no hope of escape. She held up her arms to shield her face and closed her eyes, waiting for the hit that would end her.

The hit never came. When Namazzi peeked out from behind her arms, she saw why.

The ogre was stuck. The water at his feet tied tuned onto thick blue ice up to his knees. Esmeralda stood beside Zuberi, her hand raised in the air. She was sweating and bleeding profusely but didn't let that slow her down. She used her other hand to raise tendrils of water into the air. They tied down the ogre's arms then froze in place. Then she clenched her hands into a fist. The ice shifted into sharp barbs. The ogre roared and bled, but it could not escape.

"Flee, Namazzi, daughter of Beza! Now!"

How Esmeralda, whom she had never met, knew both her and her mother's names was a mystery.

"Go!" Esmeralda whipped her hand out. An old steel fire-escape attached to the nearest building clanked. The ladder slid down to the sidewalk.

The ice holding the ogre cracked and shattered as the ogre fought against it.

Several arrows hit the ogre from above. Its face, neck, shoulders, and arms were suddenly bloody. Namazzi looked around wildly as she and Zu scrambled to the fire-escape. The ogre was stomping now, roaring in pain, and trying to find its attackers.

"Go!" Esmeralda screamed at them again. "They'll cover you!"

They? The archers? Where were the archers? Namazzi had no idea that any other fighters had arrived or where they were.

"Go!" Esmeralda held what looked like two marbles in her hand. "Get to the high ground!" Then she turned away and focused on the ogre. She threw her marbles to the ground and smoke spewed out.

Namazzi thought that the smoke was their coverage, but she was wrong.

Two tigers, sleek, strong and glowing unearthly shades of orange and white walked out of the smoke. They were gorgeous and deadly.

"Come on!." Zu urged her to climb up the ladder while simultaneously trying to film. There was so much going on. There were ogres, Esmeralda, and her tigers.

One of the tigers padded over to them and stood between them and the battle, like a guard. The roof would be a safe high-ground and a birds-eye view of the battle. What more could a reporter ask for? The tiger turned back to look at them and huffed. Like it was annoyed with their slowness. There was an almost human intelligence in its yellow eyes.

Beyond the tiger, Esmeralda was still fighting the ogre. She abandoned the water magic and conjured two glowing white swords. She was a force of nature, wild and unstoppable.

So they climbed. The building was only two levels. Storybrooke Shoe Stop took up the first floor with a couple of apartments on the second. Now, above the street, Namazzi could see the archers on the building across from them.

Zuberi took a knee and used the raised edge of the building to steady the camera. They both had a job to do. She raised her microphone.

"As you can see." She started her commentary again. She looked across at the archers. "Merida Hill, Snow White, and several others" have set up a sniper's nest."

She stepped closer to the building's edge.

"And down on the street the ogres are wreaking havoc. Esmeralda and her tigers are fighting one of the ogres with support and cover from the archers."

Esmeralda swung the magic swords with undeniable skill. She kept the ogre in the middle of the street so the archers could fire again. Another volley of arrows hit its eyes and neck. Blood spurted from its neck and face. It started to fall and as it did, Esmeralda struck. She sunk a blade into each side of its heaving chest. She skewered its twin hearts simultaneously.

The tigers leaped at one of the remaining four ogres. It hadn't sensed them coming. They tore it apart with teeth and claws. They worked in tandem, far more strategic and coordinated than any animal should be. The ogre didn't roar, it screamed. It screamed while the tigers shredded skin, tore muscle, and crunched bone.

Namazzi almost felt sorry for it.

"There are three ogres left and-" She motioned over and Zu followed her.

They saw a team of armed men and women. They were staying close to the buildings on the other side of the street. They were going to try to sneak behind one of the other ogres.

Then they panned over to the wreckage of Granny's. Regina Mills and Emma Swan stood outside of the diner's destroyed door. They were shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight.

"Three ogres left and the cavalry has arrived."

Ogres. Freakin' ogres in modern-day, indoor plumbing having, WiFi and HBO blessed Storybrooke.

Emma didn't even have time to be pissed. They had to get everyone inside. Ruby could barely sit up, let alone fight. First Cora, now ogres? Fuck!

Regina stumbled to her feet. She was slow and shaky. Emma figured that she was low on magic. Not to mention the silver. Emma wasn't a doctor, but she knew that couldn't be fucking good.

Emma saw Regina's lips move to say something but Emma couldn't hear her. Her ear hurt. She rubbed and tapped it. She didn't hear anything, but it hurt worse. Awesome.

"Come on, Rubes." She pulled Ruby up. Granny helped support her other side. They had to start moving fast. The three of them moved as a slow, clumsy unit. Regina followed slowly.

Emma glanced over her shoulder at Mulan and Aurora. Mulan was still wrapped in pipes. Rory was pulling at them, but they hadn't budged an inch. They were sitting ducks.

Emma shouldered her way through the diner's busted-up front door. The restaurant was trashed. Grumpy was sprawled across two tables. His face was bright red and his arms and legs were at odd, painful eagles. His teeth were grit and he was obviously trying to hold back groans.

They helped Rudy sit down at a booth, and she immediately slumped over against the wall. It was like the trip had taken all the energy she had left.

Regina was looking back and forth between Grumpy and Ruby. Her hands flexed, like she wanted to try to help them more.

Granny put a hand on Regina's shoulder to stop her. "You girls get back out there. I'll take care of things here."

Granny, Grumpy, Regina, everyone, sounded distant and muffled. Emma had to tilt her head to the side to hear anything.

Regina nodded, but looked grim and exhausted. Emma wanted to tell her no. She wanted to make Regina stay inside. There were ogres out there! Emma knew better, though. Regina wouldn't stay inside and hide from a fight. More than that, they would lose and die without her help. Hell, they might lose and die even with her help.

Emma held out her hand and Regina grabbed it and squeezed it tight. They walked back out to the street-turned-battlefield together. Emma glanced at Regina. Her face was cold, hard and set in a scowl. Emma tried to set her face in a similar look to hide the sheer panic that was ripping through her.

Emma walked out with her. The street, already a mess from Cora and Esmeralda. Now it was a freaking warzone. An ogre warzone.

Emma surveyed the street. Two ogres down. One was full of arrows and stab wounds. The other was being eaten by two tigers.

Tigers? Emma wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Three males." Beside her, Regina mumbled as she took in the scene. "Archers on the roof and pikes on the ground."

Emma saw them too. Jack Hill was leading several men and women on the street. She tilted her head up and spotted several archers on top of the shoe store. She squinted. Was that Snow? It didn't matter. Emma didn't care if it was Woody and Buzz Lightyear as long as they were shooting ogres.

Regina raised her arms. She was concentrating hard. Her lips were stretched into a thin line and the vein on her forehead was pounding. Emma didn't see anything, but everything smelled different, better, like apples.

"They use sound and scent to track and attack."

She spoke louder now, almost shouting. Emma wasn't sure if Regina was trying to explain things to her or talking to herself.

Then, to prove Regina's point, the ogres all turned at the sound of her voice. She threw her hands out in front of her. A purple shockwave flew at the monsters. It hit all three of them in their ugly faces. Trails of blood spouted from their pointed ears. They clapped their hands over their ears and roared in pain.

Emma winced and touched her own currently deaf ear. She almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

Regina had clogged their noses and made them deaf too.

Emma watched Regina in awe and worry. All magic had a cost and Regina had already used a ton. She was about to save the day, but what would happen to her?

If Regina was worried, she didn't show it. She was all business, like she'd done this a million times before. She raised her hands up and down like she was lifting a box onto a shelf. Emma didn't understand what she was doing at first. Then another purple gleam caught her eye. More silver tears slid down her cheek and another trickle started from her nose. The intersections and alleys started to glow. Regina had raised magical walls, blocking them all in. The ogres couldn't run or retreat, they were all locked into a killing field.

The ogres were big, blind, deaf and ugly fish in a barrel.

Emma picked the ogre on the left. It was the smallest of the three. It was currently swiping at thin air and smocking itself on the side of the head. Easy pickings. She raised her shotgun and pointed it. It was like she was claiming her target.

Regina dropped one of her hands then leveled the other one at the ogre closest to Emma's. Claiming her own target.

That left the last, and ugliest, to everyone else.

It all felt a little lop-sided to Emma. Apparently, being the Savior and Queen meant taking bigger pieces of the beat-them-up pie.

"Attack!"

Regina's voice was strong, clear and powerful. Fucking regal. Everyone obeyed without hesitation. Arrows flew. People charged. Esmeralda and Aurora leapt into action to free Mulan.

Emma had about half-a-plan. It was stupid, dangerous and would hurt, a classic Emma Swan plan. The road was wet, slick with water, blood, gasoline, and she didn't want to know what else.

Emma sprinted at the ogre. About three feet away, she hit her knees and fell into a graceless slide. Even though the street was slick, every inch ripped skin and flesh from her legs. When she slid between the Big and Ugly's legs she pulled the shotgun's trigger.

A bright white light blinded her. The gun kicked hard into her shoulder. Fear, anger, love, all her emotions blasted out of her.

The magic, shotgun pellets, whatever it was, worked. The ogre's roar-scream told her she'd scored a bullseye. When she cleared his stomping feet, Emma got to one bloodied knee. She steadied herself, and fired twice. The blasts of white light went off almost simultaneously and made a mini strobe effect. She mutilated both its knees (revenge for her own injury) and it fell on its butt-ugly face.

Emma stood up and gritted her teeth when her knees popped like a couple of M80s. Her pants were ripped open and her knees were coated in blood. Her lower back twinged and she was half-deaf.

She also had one shot left. Emma walked up and put her boot on the ogres neck. She pressed the barrel to the Ogre's head. "No magic required, bitch." She pulled the trigger and turned away when its head exploded. No light, no magic, just a good old fashioned kill shot.

A loud crash made her snap her head to the right. Emma winced when her neck popped. The ogre that the town's fighters were fighting roared. It raged and tried to destroy everything it could reach. It already had some arrows sticking out of its face and chest, but not enough to put it down. It swung its fists around like hammers and hit a building, hard. Bricks went everywhere.

Emma watched Aurora and Esmeralda pried the pipes off of Mulan. She fell and it took both Aurora and Esmeralda to keep her from hitting the pavement. They helped her limp back to Granny's. The (magical?) tigers escorted them like guards. It was either them or dumb luck that kept the ogres from blindly stomping on them.

There were two ogres left. Emma was out of shots and wasn't exactly sure how to use her magic. A fireball (or whatever flashy superpower she'd used) would be freaking helpful. She raised the shotgun again, pulled the trigger, and hoped for more magic. There was a hollow click. No light, no magic, no boom.

Damn.

The raging ogre scream-roared again. It had more arrows in its arms and face. Jack's team rushed forward. They tangled heavy ropes around its legs and pulled them tight. It fell to the pavement with a pathetic yelp. Two men, burly fisherman, ran up to it. They had spear-guns and handled them well. They fired into the ogre's meaty shoulders and pinned it down like a bug on a card. Jack climbed up the ogre's back and neck. He was sure-footed despite the ogre flopping around like a fish. He had a chainsaw. It started on the first pull and cut through the ogre's neck with a shower of blood and bone bits.

Ew.

One ogre left and Regina stared it down. She didn't look scared. No, of course not. Regina was confident and Emma could tell by the look in her eyes that she had a plan. It didn't matter how tired she was, how much she hurt or how many challenges stood in her way. When Regina Mills set her mind to something, it got done.

Regina strutted up to the ogre, cocky and fearless. Like King Kong on cocaine. She pushed her dark hair out of her face. She was covered in blood, so much that her white shirt was almost completely red. Her blue jeans were stained black. There were silver streaks on her arms and neck. The residue of silver tears and scalded red skin marred her face. All that, and she was still beautiful. Still, always, a queen.

Emma watched her work. It was like she hadn't been hurt or magically drained. Regina was tough, talented and liked to show off.

She raised her hands, slick with blood. They glowed violet with streaks of silver. Beautiful black sparks popped off of her. Thin silver strands shot out of her fingertips. Regina had taken the poison from Ruby and weaponized it. She wrapped the ogre's arms and legs and anchored it to broken ground.

Regina smiled and twisted her head to the side. A manic smile spread across her face. Emma shivered because this little peek at the Evil Queen was both terrifying and sexy.

"Everybody-" She stomped her designer-shoe clad foot on the slick asphalt. "Out of the pool."

Suddenly Emma found herself floating a foot off of the ground. Regina had lifted everyone, including herself, off the street. Everyone except the ogre.

It was still standing on the wet street.

Regina raised her hands up. She wasn't able to get them above her head. She stopped at shoulder-height. Her face twisted in a grimace. She clenched her fist and pulled her arms down in a fast, sloppy motion. She magically tore the power lines off the building and poles. They fell to the street in a puddle, the same puddle that the ogre was standing in.

The ogre was tied down, unable to move or escape. The effect was instant. The ogre started to shake and seize. Its skin bubbled and burnt. Its hair scorched. The air stank of roasting flesh. Sparks fell like fountain streams from the transformers until they blew. Bright blue and sickly green light arced. Transformers exploded one after the other in orange blasts of flame. Sparks lit puddles of gas and oil on fire. Acrid smoke mixed with the smell of burning ogre. It was disgusting.

A final explosion, marked with a loud bang, signaled that the grid had blown. The electricity finally stopped. The ogre fell down, charred black and very dead.

The fires that the sparks had started, started to smolder and die. When the last pop of electricity ended, and the last ember faded away, the street fell quiet.

Emma and the others slowly floated back down to the ground. Regina did not float, she fell. Emma lunged and dove towards her. She hit the pavement and shredded her arms as she slid again. She wasn't able to catch Regina, but she cushioned her head so it didn't smash onto the road. Emma ignored her pain and cradled Regina against her chest. Her eyes were closed, she wasn't moving, she was barely breathing. Emma held her close and tried to find her magic. She had to heal Regina, but there was nothing. Emma felt hollow, empty, powerless, completely useless.