Witch Hunt - Chapter 1

—

It had been a quiet day in the Bane siblings' apartment when suddenly the doorbell rang out.

"You expecting someone?" Joy asked their brother.

"No that I know of," he replied, going to answer the door.

She couldn't see who it was but she could hear her brother start to flirt with them. Ready to vacate the area, she grabbed her book and was about to open a portal when she heard a familiar voice ask, "Majo?"

The warlock turned to see one of her oldest friends.

"Hello, Captain."

Killian grinned at her.

"Captain?" Magnus asked in interest.

Majo turned to their brother, "This is Killian Jones, I've told you about him."

Magnus studied the man in black, "He really is more attractive than Disney made it seem."

She was about to answer when Killian butted in, "As entertaining as this is, I am here for a reason. Storybrooke is back and in danger."

Two pairs of slitted cat eyes landed on him.

"What do you mean back?" Majo asked.

Killian sighed, "Maybe I could come in for this?"

—

"So no one remembers anything?" Majo asked.

"Well, they don't remember the last year."

Magnus set three cups of tea down on the table, "Then how do you remember if everyone else's memories were taken?"

"I wasn't hit by the curse that brought us back, so I didn't forget."

Majo nodded, "So what do you need help with?"

"Well, I already found Emma and Henry, got Emma her memories back," when he saw Majo's hopeful look her added, "With a potion. But Storybrooke is being threatened by an unknown foe and well, you did say I should come to find you for more adventures, so here I am. You ready for the next one?"

The warlock grinned, "Aye, I am." They turned to their brother and lifted a brow, "You interested?"

Magnus hummed and then shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I have a cat to look out for, you know."

"Of course. Chairman Meow needs his father after all," they chuckled.

—

"Before you go," Magnus stopped them, "you should take this with you."

He waved his hand and let a necklace appear around her neck. She lifted it up and saw that it was a silver locket with an intricate design of flowers and vines on it.

"Just in case you get lost again," he told them and drew them into a hug. "Now go live more adventures."

Majo smiled at him, "I will."

—

The two pirates made their way down the street until they saw a yellow beetle with the Saviour in front of it.

"Emma," the warlock greeted.

The blonde gave her a nod, "Majo," before looking at Killian, "anyone else you want to collect or are we ready to go help my family?"

"Aye, love, we're ready."

—

They hadn't been in Storybrooke for more than a day when they were called to the town line for an emergency.

"This," Majo heard a familiar voice say, "this is where it took him."

"I wouldn't step over that line if I were you," Emma told him.

Majo got out of the car but stayed in the back of the conversation for now. They watched Emma and David talk with the newcomer, a man in his late thirties with light brown hair and a short beard.

"You think Little John was carried away 'cause he attempted to cross the line?" he motioned at the red line that marked the end of Storybrooke.

"Yeah, makes sense. The dwarfs were out checking the line to see if anyone was coming or going when they disappeared. What exactly took Little John?" asked David.

"We didn't get a good look, some manner of beast with wings."

"Like the monster that attacked me in New York," Emma concluded.

"The one that you wanted to marry?" Killian asked her.

David gave his daughter a sharp look, "You wanted to marry someone?"

"Did you just miss the part where I said "monster"?"

"Not everyone would be turned off by that," Majo remarked, getting the attention of the others.

"Majo?" the man looking for his friend asked.

"Hey, Robt, long time no see," she gave him a quick wave.

Robin sighed at his old friend, "Nice to see you're doing good. Can you help us find Little John?"

"I'll do my best," they promised.

Emma nodded, "Majo, David, take him and the rest of his…"

"Merry Men."

"Right. Them. And run a search grid, see if you can find any sign of the missing guy."

"You're not joining us, Swan?" Killian asked.

"Not yet. Regina was right. I'm not gonna figure out who's behind this curse by talking to people one by one."

"What are you gonna do?" David inquired.

"I'm gonna talk to everybody," the Saviour told him, walking to her car.

—

"Guys!" David called out to the rest of the troupe combing the woods. He had found a leaf covered in blood.

"He was dragged," Robin said, looking at the tracks on the forest floor, "He's here!"

They ran along the tracks and found the man lying on the frozen ground.

"Is he alive?" Killian asked.

"Barely," the archer held his friend's shoulder, "John, I'm here. We've got you."

Majo moved towards John as she heard Killian say, "I've never seen a bite like that before."

The warlock studied the wound, "It's… if the indentures weren't made by something so pointy, I'd almost say it was a monkey."

She hovered her hand over the wound and sealed it shut with her magic, "We should still get him to a doctor, who knows if the bite was poisonous."

Robbin nodded and motioned to his men, "Help me get him up."

—

"What happened?" Dr Whale asked as John was rolled in on a gurney.

"We're not entirely sure," Robin admitted.

Suddenly, the man started seizing.

"He's going into shock," a nurse said.

"We need to sedate him," Whale ordered, "Fifteen milligrams of propofol."

Before they could inject him something, he suddenly started lashing out at them.

"John!" Robbin called out.

"Bloody hell!" Killian cursed when they were all thrown to the ground.

"Majo! Do something!" someone yelled.

The warlock waved their hand to freeze the man but nothing happened, "My magic is not working on him!"

"What?" Robin exclaimed, "It worked in the woods!"

"Aye, I don't know what's different-"

She was interrupted by a squawking. As they turned to look back at Little John, they saw that in his place was a winged monkey.

"Okay, didn't see that coming," David remarked.

The monkey screamed at them before turning and taking flight, crashing through the window and disappearing into the night.

"What the hell was that?"

"Don't look at me," Whale told the prince, "I'm a doctor, not a vet."

"It looked like a monkey with wings," Majo told them, "I only know of one story that has those."

"You think we're dealing with the Wicked Witch?" David asked her, "She exists?"

Majo shrugged, looking out of the shattered window, "Who knows?"

—

As it turns out, the Wicked Witch was very real and so the pirates, the Charming family, and Regina were gathered together in David and Snow's apartment.

"So how do we find this Wicked Witch?" David asked.

"We could ask around if anyone has seen a woman with green skin? Just a suggestion," Killian said.

Regina told him, "We're cursed, in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us."

"Then we start somewhere we know she's been. Regina's office," Emma suggested.

"I went over it with a fine-tooth comb," the former Queen shook her head, "She left no trace."

"But you were combing for magic. Maybe there's physical evidence that you missed."

"Good idea," David agreed, "Let's try it our way."

"If you want to waste your time playing Nany Drew, be my guest," Regina told him, "but we can't let Henry wander around here alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there."

"No," Killian agreed, "especially if one of them could be his father."

"Still no sign of Neal?" asked Snow.

"No," Emma sighed.

"Point being, someone needs to protect Henry," Regina decided. "He doesn't even know what's going on."

"How about Majo does it? If it's all the same to you?" Killian grinned.

Majo gave him a look, "I have no problem taking care of the kid for a bit but," she turned to Regina, "I'm sure you'd rather...?"

The woman gave her a tight-lipped smile, "Yes."

"Just, make sure you don't let anything slip," Emma reminded her, "for all he knows we're just here on a case. You're just the mayor to him"

"I know how he sees me," Regina reassured darkly, passing the blonde woman.

—

They had combed the office and indeed found a lead. One that led to the northwest part of the town's woods.

David had to leave to go meet the midwife that Snow had found and so Killian joined Emma in combing the woods while Majo decided to find Robin again and update him and his Merry Men on how things were going.

—

Early the next morning, Majo found herself sitting at Granny's with the rest of the usual suspects.

"Is there any sign of our quarry?" Killian asked the Saviour.

"I went all over that farmhouse and the land around it. Nothing."

"Well, now that the sun's up," David reasoned, "We should hit every place Gold might go. His house, shop, his cabin."

"'Cause dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible? We all saw Gold. He..."

"Disappeared into nothingness," Snow told her daughter, "I know."

Majo spoke up, "I know I wasn't there when he died but is there any chance that instead of disappearing into nothingness, he simply disappeared?"

"Why? To where?"

"I might have another idea," Killian admitted, "When we returned to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back. He didn't know how. He just… He missed his family. And he desperately wanted to find a way to return to this world. He believed that bringing his father back was the key."

"Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong," Emma told him, "Because, while Gold might be alive and kicking, Neal is… He's… We don't know what he is. We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke. No one's seen him since this new curse!"

"With all due respect," Regina told them, "we have bigger issues right now than who brought Gold back. The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement, for one. I wanna know what the hell she was cooking up with him."

"Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?" Snow asked.

David nodded in agreement, "He could tell us who the Witch is, maybe how to track her down."

Regina stood up, "I'm gonna head back to that farmhouse. It's possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or special ingredient."

"I'll join you," the warlock stated.

Regina seemed to want to disagree but Emma butted in, "That's good. Stay safe."

"She should stay safe from me," Regina told her," She broke into my place. I'm not gonna be pulling any punches."

"Then let's go," Majo hopped off of the stool they had been sitting on and left the diner. She held the door open with a dramatic bow when Regina walked past her, "Your Majesty."

—

The two spellcasters arrived at a quaint little farmhouse when they heard a branch snap behind them.

"Show yourself you winged freak," Regina ordered.

An arrow shot towards them and was quickly caught by the former Queen.

"Apologies, m'lady. I thought you were the Wicked Witch."

Majo grinned, "Wrong witch, Rocco."

"And I thought you were a flying monkey… Rocco?" Regina sneered.

The man walked towards them, "Robin of Locksley, at your service."

"The thief?"

"Well, as we're tossing labels around, aren't you technically known as the Evil Queen?"

"I prefer Regina."

"She's decent," Majo told her friend, "I mean, we weren't friends in the Enchanted Forest but I've spent some time with her a year ago. She's not necessarily friendly but a good enough acquaintance."

Regina hummed, not entirely impressed at her little speech, "You think you can bring down the Wicked Witch with sticks?" she motioned to Robin's crossbow.

"Well, I'm certainly going to try."

"I'm afraid we're too late. She's long gone."

"Well, perhaps she left a trail."

"That's why we're here," Majo told him.

"Good, then I guess you've got another partner."

"I already got one I didn't ask for," Regina argued, "I don't need another."

Majo hummed, "Well Rodas is a great tracker, having lived in the forest so long. He can help us with the non-magical things."

Regina looked from the warlock to the archer, "He better not get in the way."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Robin grinned.

Regina hesitated, "Have we met?"

"I doubt I would ever forget meeting you. Unless, of course, it was in that pesky year no one can recall. All the more reason to find this witch. Perhaps she can offer some insight into our lost memories."

—

Majo had been in a back room when they heard the door open quickly and slam close again.

Hastily, they made it into the room the others had been in only to see that it was only Robin left with two glasses in front of him.

The warlock raised a dark brow, "Were you trying to seduce the lady, Rodel?"

Robin pulled a face–whether at the terrible name or what just happened, they didn't know–and then shrugged, "It seemed to be going fine but then she suddenly stormed out on me."

Majo sighed, "Well, her son is in town but doesn't remember her. She's probably emotionally all over the place."

"Right," the man agreed, putting away the whiskey he had found with Regina. "I should head back to camp. Tell the men that I found nothing. You interested in joining me?"

The warlock agreed and the two of them made their way into the woods.

If Majo later saw Regina watch Robin smile and play with his son, well then that was none of her business.