Enchanted Forest.

Many Year's Ago.

Base of the Demon's Bluff

No stole from the Dark Once and lived to tell the tale.

Someone had taken Belle, his castle's caretaker from its grounds earlier that day and held her hostage until he gave up a gauntlet from Camelot that he held in his possession. He arrived alone at the Demon's Bluff holding said item in his hand as he paced the small cliff face as he hearing the familiar caw of crows from the sky. He knew exactly who had taken his caretaker, and she was going to pay dearly for it.

"I have what you want, dearie" he announced to Belle's abductors "Now show yourself" he demanded when he heard something behind him, whirling around he saw Belle bound by her hands stubling out of the crevise of the cliff.

"Rumple!" Belle pleaded to her employer "Ow! Help!".

"Yes, Rumplestiltskin! Do help her!" a distorted voice echoed around him as the bird turned into hundreds swooped down in a cluster of feathers beaks until it reached the ground to reveal Maleficent, the dark sorceress that ruled the Forbidden Fortress.

"Maleficent" he greeted the witch in glee "Oh, I am impressed. Didn't think you had it in you".

"I'm not here for your praise" she tells him "Give me the gauntlet and you can have your wench back".

Rumplestiltskin laughed at the woman "Seeing as how you asked so nicely…" he said to the sorceress throwing a hand towards the woman magically lifting her up from the ground by her throat, making her choke "You think you can steal from the Dark One and live? Fatal mistake, dearie! Any last words?".

"I'm... Not... Alone" Maleficent choked out just as the Dark One was struck in his arm by a small knife in his arm making him drop the sorceress on the ground as he flinched back. Wrenching the small weapon out of his arm he saw the symbol on the handle that made his anger continue to s

It was the mark of the Brotherhood of the Assassin's. Only the Widow was busy with the Evil Queen and Snow White, it couldn't be her. He looked up just as a feminine figure stalked out of the darkness into full view of the Dark One, pulling down her signature hood that covered her blonde hair.

"Assassin" he hissed at the platinum nearly white-haired woman that stood before him, in full robe's "or should I say…. Duchess Anastasia" he mockingly bowed before the younger woman from the waist giggling to himself.

"I wouldn't laugh just yet Dark One" the female assassin retorts as he watches as a pair of green tentacles wrap themselves around Belle's waist and neck.

"The Sea Witch" he started to panic as the Ursula stepped out into the open and stand next to his caretaker.

"Such a pretty thing. Seems a shame I'll have to crack her pipes" she drawled out in pride.

"Harm one hair on her head, Maleficent burns" the Dark One darkly warned the sea-witch as the final person responsible for kidnapping Belle from his castle stepped out in her fur coat and heel's.

"And Ursula will kill your maid, and where will that leave us?" the heiress tells him.

"Cruella!" he exclaims "Thought I caught a whiff of desperation and gin. I must say, I'm... I'm surprised to see you all here" he said looking at all four woman that held Belle in their clutches "Last time we crossed, it looked like things weren't going your way. And unless you hand back my maid, they won't be this time, either".

"Shall I get you a step stool so you can look in my eyes when you threaten me?" De -vil mocked.

"I don't need to threaten you, dearie. It took four of you to get this far, and I promise it isn't far enough".

"Have it your way" Cruella huffs at the man "Ursula, darling, crush the maid's heart" she instructs the sea-witch before her eye's lid over to the youngest of the group "Anya, make sure he won't be able to recognize her pretty face again".

Flexing her forearms two hidden blades quickly shot out of the bracers that she wore on her forearms "With pleasure" the assassin replied with a smirk.

The Dark One noticed how she didn't bother trying to hide the traditionally hidden weapon as the mechanism that encased the sharp blades were sat on top on her forearms instead of under like a certain redheaded assassin did. He could see how the adopted sister differed from each other already. She was desperate to keep herself out of the eldest's dark shadow in order to cast an eve darker one herself.

The blonde took a step towards his caretaker as Ursula tightened her hold on the maid on her clutches. Anastasia grabbed the back of Belle's hair in grip had made her wince out before the tip of her blade barely touched the soft skin of her cheek before she was stopped.

"Wait!" The Dark One tells the Assassin before letting out a frustrated growl he threw the gauntlet to Cruella who caught it easily. Relaxing her arm the hidden blade retracted back into it's place with a disappointing sigh as she and Ursula let go of the maid, allowing her to a relieved breath as the blonde stepped back to join her 'comrades'.

"That was, uh, a rather risky endeavor for an old glove, dearie" he observed to the group of empowered women.

"Oh, the risk was worth it" Ursula spoke up for the four of them "For too long we've lived in a world where the heroes always win".

"And the gauntlet will reveal our enemies' weaknesses, and we will be the victors" Cruella added as she eyed the gauntlet.

"Let her go" Maleficent ordered before Ursula pushed Belle into the Dark One's arms. With a wave of her hand black four swirls of black smoke engulf each of the women, leaving the maid with her owner.

"Why... Why would you do that?" Belle stammered out in confusion "I... I... I mean, with that object...".

"They still won't be able to harm you" he interrupts her stammering.

"Why do you care about me?" Belle suddenly asks him, taking him aback as he tried to think of the answer before pushing her away.

"I don't. But if anyone's gonna crush your heart, it's gonna be me".


Returning to the base of the Demon's Bluff after assured Belle's return to the Dark Castle he met the woman stood before him that had managed to win against him. The powerful woman stood united tall with pride with Ursula, Cruella, Anastasia and Maleficent on the edge of the small cliff face.

"There may come a day when the students surpass the master. But today is not that day" he tells the woman "I want my gauntlet".

"We made a deal, I thought the Dark One never went back on a deal" the Assassin chimed at the man with a smug smile.

"No. I paid a ransom" he corrected the Duchess "Quite different. Demanding a ransom from the Dark One is not a deal. It's a death wish..." the smug smile's fell from the women's faces as the gauntlet they had fought with him for appeared in his hand "And a fool's errand. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do".

"Whatever you're up to, it'll never work. The game is rigged" Cruella informs him "The villains never win. Why don't you join us? Perhaps we can change the game together" the heiress suggests to the dark one.

"You severely underestimate me, dearie. I always win. And I win alone. I certainly don't need to join you, uh, Queens and Princess of Darkness".

Hearing the rejection the blonde assassin angrily stepped forward enraged with the man's actions "What about me, old man?! You promised me the Black Widow's head! and yet it still sits on her neck to this day".

Rumpelstiltskin turned back with gritted teeth and venom in his voice as a giggle escaped his lips at the young woman's actions "I never promised you her head and as long as we're in this land, you won't be able to touch her".

"Why not? You have a soft spot for her don't' you?".

"Let's just say. I'm invested with her future" he giggled to himself before disappearing in a red cloud of smoke, leaving the Duchess to contemplate his words.


New York City

Present

Rock music played softly in the background of the poorly lit bar located deep within New York City as the Dark One, stripped of his powers limped into the health code violation that was the bar. He sought out the woman hidden in plain sight behind the bar with her back to him as he approached the wooden bar taking a seat on one of the stool's at the long bar.

"One second" the woman said in a strong American accent, behind her as she was stuck cleaning the back of the bar at the start of her shift. Wearing a tank top and jean's as he saw a tattoo on her right shoulder of a lion that was exactly the same as the one her older adopted sister had on her right forearm, as her hair was tied up in a high ponytail to keep it out of the way.

"I'm looking for a Miss Anastasia Romanoff" the man with Scottish accent asked behind her. Glancing in the mirror that covered the wall being the shelves of liquor, she saw a older man with shoulder length grey hair looking back at her.

"You a cop of something?" she spat out as she carried on her tedious work, cleaning all the glasses before the afternoon crowd showed up.

"No. I'm not" he sharply answered the young woman.

"She's not here, moved out east about a year ago" she answered smoothly cleaning the glass that she had in hand.

"Shame, I've got a Black Widow problem I'd like her to put right" Anastasia nearly dropped the glass as she finally remembered where she knew him from.

The lost Princess come assassin slowly turned to see the man asking for her "Rumpelstiltskin?" her speech suddenly slipped back into an accent this worlds people would recognize coming from eastern Europe.

"In the flesh dearie" he said through gritted teeth.

Smiling to herself she took in the man's rugged appearance she couldn't help but laugh as she placed the glass down in front of the man before grabbing another. "Looks like you've been sleeping on the wrong side of the interstate Dark One" she observed reaching for a bottle of bourbon, pouring a generous amount into each.

"I assure you, Duchess Anastasia. My situation is only temporary".

"And how exactly will relieving the Widow's head from her neck help you with that, if you hadn't noticed, I can't find her"she grumbled out.

"It won't, but it will get us one step closer to what we really want" and answered taking a sip on the amber liquid she had given him "I'd like to tell you a story. It's about heroes and villains, where the villains always lose".