Throwing yet another blank storybook to the floor the former Evil Queen sighed in disappointment as she and other's searched through the hundreds of blank storybook's that lined the walls of the secret library to find the story Issac was currently writing under Gold's instructions.

"Nothing. They're all still blank" Regina ranted to the other's as her partner rejoined her at the table they had commandeered with a pile of books in her hands, while Emma, and her parents took the large wooden table with Henry "Whatever the Author is writing, it's not appearing in the books" the dark brunette concluded as she threw another book onto the floor "This is useless".

While the other's searched the books Tom was on the ladder going shelve to shelve to take more books down, even managing to climb the shelves when his mothers and guardians weren't looking.

"This isn't not your fault" the resident assassin tried to reassure her partner, placing a comforting arm around the woman as the latter seemed to melt into comforting embrace. Since the Queen had declared to her older half-sister that Amelia would be a part of her happiness, the anxieties the assassin held over the last few weeks had lifted from her mind.

The only worry they both held at that moment was what her Uncle and the Author was cooking up with the new story.

"I'm equally to blame here" she continued not allowing her partner to feel off the guilt for letting the Author slip through their fingers.

"Even so, tomorrow, thanks to Gold and the Author, I can wake up a talking frog" Regina added making the assassin take her hands from throwing yet another blank storybook across the room.

"At least you'll wake up" Hook spoke up from his seat in one of the brown leather chairs that littered the room. He hadn't even picked up a book as he moped over his demise at the hands of the red head's dying Uncle "I don't doubt whatever the Dark One has in store for me is a far worse fate".

"Well aren't you cheery Mr. Half Glass Empty" the assassin commented from her place earning a glare from the pirate.

"Well, there's no use speculating what he wants" David added "We just need to stop it. And if there's nothing useful here, we need to move on, find something else that can help".

"I might know just the thing" they all heard a new voice enter the room, making the group of hero's and villains up look up to see a healthy August enter the room.

"August. I thought you didn't know anything more about the Author" David asked the man.

"He doesn't, but he knows someone who does" the savior spoke up from her seat "That's why I called him here".

"Who?" Mary Margaret asked.

"The man who gave him his power... The Apprentice" August began "I met him once when I was living in Phuket" he looked towards Henry "He was the one who told me about the story book and that I should learn everything about it" he said looking at Mary Margaret.

"If he was in Storybrooke, could you find him?" David asked August.

"Well, I haven't seen him" August says taking out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket "But... That's what he looks like" he reveals a drawing of an older man with wispy hair and a full beard.

Hook and Amelia were the ones recognized the man in the hand drawn picture; it was the man that had given the Apple in the first place when she fell through the underground tunnel.

"I know this man" "I know him" Hook and the redhead spoke up in unison.

"You do?" Emma questioned her boyfriend as her partner looked to her in confusion.

"More importantly, I know exactly where to find him".


The pirate took the family to the Apprentices house where they met Blue with the box that once housed the fairies as well as the Chernabog. Placed on the wooden floor the ground of hero's and villains gathered around to see what the fairy could do, to free The Apprentice from the hat.

She was thankful no one questioned her on how she knew the man, it was something she didn't want anyone to tell, especially how the Apple controlled her.

"I trapped him in there" Hook tells the fairy "I didn't know".

"It's okay" Emma tried to reassure the guilt-ridden pirate "It was Gold, not you. Blue was in there. She can get him out".

"Don't you need the Dark One's dagger?" Hook asks the fairy recalling when they had to use it to release the fairies and unknowingly the Chernabog.

"Well, not if I have something that belonged to The Apprentice" Mother Superior tells him.

Looking around briefly he found an old broom, picking it up and handing it to the fairy. The group watched as Blue laid the broom next to the box using her magic to open the box. They watched as golden energy moved from the broom the box as it opened emitted a bright golden light burst out of the box making the group avert their eye until the energy disappeared only to leave the old man in the picture be practically thrown into chair that was waiting for him.

"Are you..." Emma trailed off speaking to the Apprentice.

"Yes" he confirmed as he pushed himself out of his chair brushing himself off to address the group of hero's and villains in front of him "And there is no time to waste. Isaac has abused his power for too long. The time has come to set... Things right".

"How?" Regina asked the man in intrigue as he set his eye's upon the former Queen and the woman that stood next to her.

It had been a while since he had seen the product of Star-Crossed Lover's so close, he watched her throughout the curses that came and went, long gone of the days of the Widow, but he knew the darkness still remained. The darkness that could be fed on by something that not even Amelia could control in the end.

He tried to warn the Dark One before he was taken by the hat. Every Dark One has tried to summon Juno to complete the mission every Dark One wanted to do. Every one failed. He will fail too.

"By putting him back where he can't harm anyone... In the book" he tells them "I will need the page with the painted door and the key. We shall return him to his prison. And this time, I would wager none of you will set him free again" he says looking at each person in the room "The page?".

"It's back in the loft" Henry answered from next to his best friend.

"Mom, Dad, Killian, watch Henry. If Gold's smart, he'll go after the page, too" Emma orders them.

"I'll go with him too" Tom quickly offered the blonde as she nodded in agreement.

"What of the Apple of Eden? Is it safe?" the Apprentice looked to Amelia for the answer knowing it's current owner would have it nearby.

"It's safe as it can be, well away from my Uncle" she informs the Apprentice.

"I'm afraid that may no longer be the case" he told the redhead "Get the Apple in your hands Amelia Montague otherwise all your Father's work will be undone" Amelia gives the man a firm nod in understanding before heading out of the door taking out her phone to call the only person she could give it too.

"Hey Stasia. I need your help".


As the other's headed to the loft with Henry, Amelia headed to Gold pawn shop with The Apprentice, Regina, and Emma until she split from the group without a glance backwards as she met Anastasia in the street hurrying towards her with the burnt-out Apple in her hand.

"What's going on?" her sister asked her.

"Testing a theory" she said flexing her right forearm the hidden blade jumped from its gauntlet she gripped the blade in her left hand and pulled created a deep cut in the palm of her hand unable to stop the hiss of pain from escaping her lips she held out her right palm to her sister.

"You might want to stand back" she warns her sister as the blonde assassin placed the burnt out Apple of Eden into her free hand.

Anastasia did what she was told as the her sister placed the Piece of Eden into the bloodied hand biting through the stinging pain as she turned her hand over allowing her blood to freely bleed into the bronze sphere.

Slowly the blood seeped through the grooves of the Apple, a faint glow emerging from the bronze ball as it came back to life in her palm. Turning her hand back over the assassin's watched as the Apple healed itself as the scorched marks melted away as the redheaded assassin felt the waves of power roll of the ball like it did the first time she held it in her hand.

Once the piece had healed itself, her eye's glanced over to the cut she had made only to see no evidence of the cut she had made. The felt the Apple gentle hum to itself, telling her that it was back to it's full power and in her control once again as she cradled it between her hands, only for the Apple to start glowing all by itself as the light faded in and out of the sphere making the assassin's look to each other in worry.

"What are you doing?" the blonde assassin asks her sister.

"I'm not doing anything" she tells her sister unaware that the Author had come to the end of his story in the pawn shop as the light shone brighter as the Apple's true power reacted to the spell the Author had created with the mixture of the saviors darkness and her own hybrid blood.

The ground underneath their feet started to shake as the Apple continued to only grow in power as she felt its power starting to run through her nerves in her hands and arms, it power consuming every cell in its wake as it traveled through her body. Anastasia could only watch as her sister struggled to cope with the power the Apple was giving off.

She needed to stop it. Whatever it was that was controlling the Apple at that moment needed to stop. She needed to take it back under her control and fast. Flicking her wrist out the right hidden blade slid out of its place. It was drastic, but it could work. She needed to end this for good this time. No second chances. No loopholes. That was the only way she could think of stopping whatever was coming.

"I'm sorry" she barely heard her sister say to her as the redhead poised a hidden blade ready to strike the sphere only for the younger assassin's loud protests to go unheard as she sunk her blade through groves as a bright light engulfed the pair with the only thing heard was the clang of a piece of metal falling onto the asphalt, where the former Black Widow and Duchess once stood.


There was no bang. No bright lights. Just shaking as Henry woke up on the floor of the loft with the key that freed the author from his prison in his hand.

Venturing downstairs he expected to find his grandparents, Hook and Tom waiting for him only to find his storybook on the floor with no sign of his family in sight.

Searching high and low, the pre-teen walked down main street only to find the street's empty of dwarfs that roamed around and more importantly no sign of any of his Mother's off to confront the Author face-to-face and get the Apple of Eden into her hands.

The only remnant of the redhead that he had only recently called 'Mom' was a broken blade he almost missed seeing if he hadn't felt his foot connect with something on the ground. The piece of metal skimmed down the pavement as his eye saw a piece of metal glinting in the sunlight. Chasing after it the young boy carefully picked the object up having recognized it instantly.

Its sharp edge threatened many that the sought to harm him and his family, now it laid alone on the ground. With no sign of life in the town he had known his whole life or the people he cared about the most.

Driving out to the nearest sign of civilization in the land of no magic, he found a diner as a waitress inside watched as the clearly underage boy emerge from the parked car before walking into the diner.

"Nice parking job" the hostess welcomed him into the diner "You old enough to drive?".

"Yeah. Are you?" he retorted walking to the counter "I need some help. Have you seen any of these people?" he asks the woman as he pulls out pictures of him and Regina, his grandparents and one of him and Emma.

He also showed the only picture he had of Amelia; one she begrudgingly took to humor his grandma at Granny's. He and Tom sat one side of a booth at Granny's as his adopted mother sat next to her soulmate a week or so before the Queens of Darkness and Anastasia had rolled into town. They were happy with no villains or monsters to distract them. Everything had seemed to fall into place as they settled in as a family of their own whenever the former Widow and her son stayed over.

"Mm..." the woman pondered looking down at the photo's "No. No, I haven't".

"It's my family" he pressed her "Are you sure?".

"Look, why don't you wait here, and I can, um... I-I'll ask some of the others..." Henry did as he was told as he watched the hostess walk away from him with a cell phone pressed against her ear "Yeah, I've got someone here. Yeah, I-I think he's a runaway" her words were quiet but she still heard her.

Gathering up the pictures he turned to make a quick escape only for a book on a stand to distract him. on the cover read Hero's and Villains by an Isaac Heller. Slowly taking the book out of the stand he turned the paperback to see a picture of Isaac the author of the storybook. This is was his story.


New York

Hero's and Villain's Tour

"Thank you. Thank you very much!" Isaac thanked his audience as he stood at a dais overlooking his applauding readers at a fan event dedicated to his best selling novel Hero's and Villains his adoring fans gave him a standing ovation. Every person in the audience held their own copy of his book in their arms as even some came dressed for the occasion. Some dressed as their favorite characters as they all came to celebrate his life's work, unaware of the people's who's fates had been changed inside the new story.

"Please. Please, please. I-I-I'm not worthy.." he continued with a wide smile as the crowd died down and sat themselves on the seats in front of his podium, waiting to listen to every word he spoke.

"Someone once told me I don't tell stories people want" he started making his audience laugh "But I say, write what you're passionate about. That's what matters most" agreeing with his statement the crowd applauded him again ""Heroes and Villains" is close to my heart. It's been a passion project for longer than you would believe. I wrote it because I think folks are sick of heroes getting everything in these classic fairy tales. Hence, the radically different endings for Snow White, Prince Charming, and all the rest... Something different for a modern audience. What happens when villains win the day?".


After speaking to his fans, it was time for the book signing. People came and went with their copy of 'Hero's and Villains' as he scribbled in each, with its owner thanking him for it before walking away.

The next fan came in wearing a white hood with a long robe that nearly touched the floor reminding him a certain redheaded assassin.

"Is it true the Russo Brothers are directing a live-action series?" the young fan quickly asked the man knowing their time was limited with the man. Chuckling at the question he scribbled a line on the page as he answered.

"Nothing's solid yet, but I'd clear my schedule for May next year" he tells them making them smile in excitement at the news "But you didn't hear it from me" winking at the fans they took their signed copy and left.

"Long live Regina" the next fan said to him as he scribbling in the book "Please, can I give you a present... A little token of my love for the world that you've created?" the fan gave him a button that said 'Long live Regina' on it "Regina... She's my favorite character" she informs him.

"She's a real doozy, isn't she?" he commented ready for this woman to leave.

"Her life is just so unfair" the fan went on "Is she gonna get a happy ending in the sequel? Please, you have to tell me".

"Sure. I can tell you" leaning forward the woman did the same ready to hear when was going to happen to her favorite character "She... Sorry. No spoilers. You'll have to buy the next book when it's finished".

"All right" the fan accepted before leaving him.

Expecting another book to appear in front of him to sign he was taken aback to see the page of the door he was trapped behind for years for breaking the rules accompanied by a broken off blade. Looking up he saw Henry stood before him withe the key poised on the page with a silent threat.

"What are you doing here?" the author asked the boy lowly.

"What did you do with my family? And where are they?" Henry got straight to the point.

"I, uh... I have no idea what you're talking about" the man tried to feign ignorance at the questions only for Henry to see right through it.

"Uh-uh. You're lying" Henry tells him holding up a small key "Now, you know what this does, so you either give me some answers or I open this door again and you get a whole new ending".


Taking Henry away from his adoring fan's and from curious eye's. The broken blade was a comforting weight in the pocket of his coat as the seconds passed waiting for the Author to find him again as he stood by pallets of boxes full of freshly printed copies of Hero's and Villain's.

"Okay" Issac announced his presence to the pre-teen "Much to the chagrin of my publicist, you have my undivided attention".

"Where's my family?" Henry asked him getting straight to the point of the meeting.

"You really want to know?" he questioned the boy "Look around you" he says gesturing to the boxes around them "They're all right there... In my best-selling book".

"What does that mean? Are they still alive?" he demanded to know out of the man threateningly lifting up the page and the key.

"Tut-tut-tut-tut-tut. Easy with the key, cowboy" Isaac stopped Henry lifting his hand up in surrender "Your family is fine. If you want to get technical..." he says reaching into the messenger bag and took out the black author's book he had written in "They're in here. See? The original copy of my book... The one that I always wanted to write. They all live in here now in kind of an alternate reality".

"You made them miserable" Henry argued.

"I see that you've read some of my book. Good. Good! Then... Then you know that everyone got the ending they deserve, except Emma, of course. You won't find her in the book. There was no room for a savior in my world".

"Bring them back, or I use this" Henry warned the author again with the page and key.

"I can't" Isaac tells him "I don't have the power. The cardinal rule of the Authors is 'don't write your own happy ending' As you can see I broke that rule" Isaac pauses pulling out the authors pen showing it to Henry "So this... It's just a pen now. And me? Ohh. Well, I'm nothing more than a best-selling writer with legions of fans and a penthouse over central park schmoozing The Russo Brothers and Scarlett Johansson over producer contracts".

"If you can't get them out, then give me the book and I will" snatching the storybook up he tries to take it from the man, only for the author to easily snatch it back out of his hands.

"You?" Isaac questions with a chuckle "Do you know why you're still out here, kid? Because you're not from a magical world. So, take it from me... You will never be a knight in shining armor. You're just a poor, innocent child who needs saving. So, why don't you put the key away and, uh, stick to the role you're best at?" turning his back on the pre-teen the Author goes to leave as Henry stood in is place remembering something Amelia and Tom had taught him.

Over those six weeks, the redhead had made him take a break from finding clues about the Author, taking him to the small training ground she and Tom had built in the woods, the pair had taught him a few things, enough for him to be able to keep himself safe if he should ever find himself alone, and to keep both his mother's happy.

"Hey!" he yells at the author making him stop and look back at him Henry threw the broken blade towards the boxes. The blade made a thudding sound as it embedded itself into the contents of the box taking the author by surprise.

"What the h-" the author couldn't finish as Henry ran his shoulder into the mans gut taking him to the ground with a few of his boxes with them. In the melee the story book fell out of the authors hands and onto the ground as he recovered quick enough for him to grab the book. He could practically hear Tom's cheer's at his actions as he scrambled across the floor to get to the book first.

Flipping through the pages and the key ready he looked for the first door he could find as Isaac stood up from being attacked by the pre-teen.

"Now what? You're gonna tear up the book?" Ignoring the man Henry places the key to the page and turned it clock-wide "Wait! Don't be stupid!" his protest were futile as a golden energy dragged Henry into the book and into the story Isaac had written.


After his narrow escape from the Ogre that his Grandpa or Rumpelstiltskin the Ogre Slayer saved him from. Using his copy of Isacc's book Henry ventured into the woods to find one of his family members that would be able to help him break the situation he had gotten himself into. Guiding him through the deadly traps he found his adopted Mother Regina living as a bandit in a hollowed-out tree stump hiding from the Evil Queen Snow White.

After trying to convince the woman that she was his adopted mother and that she was trapped within a story that wasn't her real one. But after she saw what the book read, she proceeded to burn it after it stated she was planning on stealing from a carriage that held enough coin to buy her way out of the kingdom and away from Snow White.

"Don't follow me!" she yelled at the boy as she left her hollowed out tree that she had made her temporary home "Whatever world you think you're from, go back there".

"I can't... Not until you find true love".

The bandit could only chuckle at his words as she continued her way to the road where the tax carriage would be passing through "Then you're stuck. Never gonna happen for me".

"Her name is Amelia Montague" he tells her in desperation "I-I think the only way for us to escape this book is for you to find her in a tavern and kiss her. True love's kiss... It can fix anything".

Regina laughed again stopping to face him "Wow. You are crazy. The only person I'm interested in meeting in person is the mysterious 'Eagle Bearer' and the only thing they'll get from me is a broken nose" she tells Henry gently pushing her closed fist in his face in emphasis before turning to carry on.

"Wait... What are you talking about?" he asked her in confusion.

"They're my competition" she tells him "Every robbery I plan, they beat me to it. They're the reason I'm stuck in this kingdom" she explains to the boy "Why am I still talking to you?" she questions outload.

"Cause I'm your son" he argued.

The bandit stopped again before letting out a sad sigh "Look, kid. If you read about me in that book, you know I got to go. The queen wants me dead. She thinks I ruined her life".

"Did you?" he asks her.

After a beat of thought the bandit answered him "Yes" she admitted "So, if it's happy endings you're after, look someplace else" at that Henry lets his Mom carry on wondering where he could go to next to get them out of the book.


Staying within the treetops the figure followed the Royal Tax carriage down the Queen's Road keeping an eye out for the bandit that would be looking to rob the same carriage. She was there, but the figure could help the bad feeling in their gut as they continued to jump from tree to tree above it. Something was off. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She had to push that bad feeling to one side as the contents of the carriage was just a stepping stone to derailing the Evil Queen's influence within the Enchanted Forest.

All the money collected went towards the torment of innocents through her Dark Knights and weapons. Instead it would go towards a venture the her own mother died for at the hands of the Evil Queen Snow White.

That money would be put towards the Brotherhood that her mother had lived and ultimately died for at the hands of Snow White herself.

It needed to expand as dark ruler's used their hatred against innocents like the Ice Queen Elsa in Arendelle that ruled with an icy fist with her sister Anna by her side, and Queen Cinderella who's signature glass slippers that would slit all her enemies throat at the mere mention of her step-mother and sisters names.

Nearing the carriage she came to a stop when she saw the carriage come to sudden stop as the driver feel out of his seat and a figure run out of the forest armed with only a small knife in their hand, quickly unlocking the door ready to take what was inside only for the figure to sense the dark magical presence of Snow White to emerge from the carriage.

"Shit" the figure cursed before she descended the tree's as quickly as they could.

"Snow White" Regina gasped in fear stepping back from the Queen only to be met with Prince Charming's sword in her back.

"Surprised to see me?" The Queen asked her as she stepped down "Charming, disarm her" she ordered her loyal dog. With a swing of his sword he easily hit the knife out of her hand as the blade caught the top of her hand cutting through her gloves leaving a cut in the skin. She didn't get long to check her injury as the Queen grabbed her face in her gloved hands forcing her head up to look up to her.

"I've waited so long for this moment" Snow told her keeping a firm hold on her head "Your head is going to look lovely in my trophy room".

"Please, Snow" the bandit begged "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?".

"Once more... From your grave" she answered the woman's question.

"I didn't know what would happen to James. I was a child. I was only trying to help you".

"You broke a promise. Because of your poor, poor judgment, my true love is dead along with my godfather" the bandit swore she saw tears shimmer in the Queen's eye's at the mention of her godfather.

Romeo. Regina remembered the man well, he was the one to smuggle her out of the palace after he was sent to kill her, he was the reason she escaped the woman before she could kill her, and he was punished as soon as Snow found out what he had done. She could still hear his voice today telling her to run as fast as she could while he stayed to keep the guards busy.

It was known what had happened to him, that same to any traitor in her court.

Snow White thrust her hand into the bandit's chest about to rip Regina's heart, when her dog speaks up.

"Your majesty, before you rip her heart out, perhaps you should ask her about the boy" Charming chimes in.

"So, you do have a brain somewhere in that pretty head" Snow tells him before taking her hand out of Regina's chest "Where's the boy? Where... Is... He?".

"When does this end, Snow?" the bandit asks her after a beat "This blood feud... When does it stop?".

"When I've killed you and every one of your followers" Snow seethed at her.

"You lost one happy ending. And I'm sorry for that, but... All this killing will only bring more hatred into your life, and all you'll be left with is a hole in your heart... And no hope of ever finding true happiness".

"You..." Snow starts conjuring a fireball in her hand, stepping away from the bandit "Know nothing of my happiness" The Queen aims the ball of fire at the woman that stopped her happy ending only for a silver handled dagger to suddenly embed itself into the door of the carriage making it hit Snow White in the face, stopping her from incinerating the bandit.

On full alert Charming seeks the attacker looking up the rode to see a figure in a bright white hood and robe riding a white horse headed towards them.

"Assassin" he hissed at the figure as he turns to face the hooded figure allowing the bandit to lunge for a bag of coin in the open carriage before swinging around with the bag in her hand catching the man out as he jumps away from her creating enough space for the figure in white to ride up beside the carriage for long enough for the bandit to climb onto the saddle behind her savior as the dagger was pulled out of the wooden door.

"Yah!" the figure yelled as they kicked the white horse into a hard sprint to escape the Queen and her dog on horseback as the bandit.

"I had the situation under control" Regina told her savior as she held onto them.

"Your Welcome!" a feminine voice retorted as the rode away from the Queen as she held on tighter onto the persons slim feminine figure.

Puzzled by the voice the bandit pulled down her saviors hood revealing a feminine face and the fiery red hair that came do the woman neck.

"You're a girl?!" Regina exclaimed in disbelief.

"Woman!" her savior retorted with a wide smile, before spurring her horse on "Yah!".


"I told you I didn't need rescuing" Regina repeated to the woman as she entered the tavern taking her glove off her injured hand with her hand with her teeth, ordering two drinks for the pair of them.

"Believe me" the redheaded woman that had helped her started grabbing jug from the bar taking it to an empty table "I'm already questioning helping the competition".

Regina laughed at the red head's remark "Competition?" she questioned before she got a good look at what she was wearing.

She wore a long long sleeved white jacket that reached her knee's with a hood resting on her shoulder's over a black patterned vest that held in her feminine features with an open collared blouse underneath, with a brown leather cape draped over her right shoulder that went down the back of the jacket. But what stood out for the bandit was the medallion that attached the cape to her back.

Embossed on the bronze metal was an eagle the same eagle that had been haunting her every time she had come close to stealing enough coin to leave only for a figure in white with the medallion that would dash all her hope of heaving this place once and for all.

"You're him" the bandit trailed off in disbelief making the redhead tsk in annoyance rolling her eye's at being mistaken for a man once again as the bandit went on "You're the Eagle Bearer?" Regina clarifies as she steps towards the bench the redhead had taken.

"I usually just go by Amelia Montague, but Eagle Bearer is fine I guess" the red head or Amelia tells the her

"Montague?" the bandit is struck by the name as she takes a double look at the woman in front of her.

"I take you've met my father then?" the redhead asked her seeing her surprised reaction.

Romeo Montague was a household name in the court of the Evil Queen Snow White. Named as Godfather to the young Princess, he stayed by her side as she fell from grace after losing her true love and then her mother's family, the Capulet's destroyed what was left of the old Brotherhood,that worked in the shadow's. After they discovered the secret marriage between Lord Capulet's only daughter and the assassin.

After the discovery her mother quickly changed factions to join her husband against those who would see them and their daughter put to death, only for Snow White to get in the way. The Queen took her father's heart from his chest and used him for her gains against those who would seek to over throw her, which in the end, included her own mother's life.

Witnessing her father being forced to kill his own wife, their daughter ran from the war they had been caught up in the crossfire. Returning years later with a three-year old son on her hip, the redhead rose the Brotherhood from it's ashes to continue their fight against monarchs that would rather gain more power than help people in need, ignoring her heart's desire for vengeance for her parents death, she had to focus on building a new world in which her son can live in, even if it meant she was second on the list of the people Snow White wanted dead.

Looking at the redhead's features she saw hint of her father's features in her face. He was always kind to her, and those kind eye's now looked back at her despite the difference in eye color.

"He saved my life" the bandit tells Romeo's daughter. Hearing this the redhead's lips quirked up at the corner, she didn't know her father well enough to appreciate the statement, but she knew enough from people that had come into contact with him over the years, she had been raised by a woman named Paola while her parents secretly rebelled against the crown.

"I guess saving you from the Queen runs in the family then" the redhead muses to the bandit taking her injured hand into hers over the table that separated them "Now hold still" the redhead instructs the brunette picking up the jug of mead she took from the bar.

"Why?".

"Because this may sting a little" the redhead warned pouring the alcohol on the cut, the woman held onto the injured hand as the bandit jump as the cut stung from the alcohol "Now, sit down before you pass out".

"I'm fine" the bandit scoffed at her "It's just a scratch" her brown eye met a pair of disapproving green one's as a challenging brow rose on the redheads face at the woman's stubbornness. Rolling her eyes she does what she's told as the redhead proceeds to wrap her injury with a cloth.

Making herself comfortable on the bench as the redhead dressed her cut, the bandit places a single gold coin in the table.

"What's that?" the red head questioned the bandit, eyeing the gold coin on the table.

"Your cut" Regina tells the red head, earning a chuckle opposite her she saw Amelia amused grin from across the table.

"You still can't say 'thank you', can you?" Amelia teases as she pulls Regina's bandage tight around her hand making her wince in pain.

"Thank you" Regina tells the woman taking her freshly bandaged hand away as a bar maid delivers their drinks which Amelia takes a drink from straight away holding it up the bandit.

"A toast, to old rivalries and new friendships" the pair clicked the tankards before taking a hearty mouthful of the mead. Regina watched the woman over her tankard closely from across the table as her emerald, green eyes caught her stare "What?" she questioned the woman opposite her.

"Just thought you'd be..." Regina trailed off.

"A man?" Amelia finished with a tight- lipped smile "Well, thank you. I'll choose not to take any offence by that" the red head teased sending the bandit a playful wink.

"Dirtier" the bandit corrected the woman in front of her earning another chuckle from her before going back to her drink watching the bandit closely as she took another sip of the liquid, completely unaware of what was around her.

She'd seen many a stranger walk into this tavern only to be deterred by the regulars that walked the building, but this one had no idea at all. She looked like she'd been in here thousands of times before, but Amelia had never seen her in this tavern. If she did she would've known straight away.

"Do you actually know where you are exactly?" Regina's savior asked placing her tankard back on the table.

"A tavern?" Regina answered a little puzzled by the red head's question.

Leaning forward on her elbow the redhead closed the space that separated them by the table as their gazes locked as she tried to gauge how this woman wasn't running out of the tavern and never look back.

"Look a little closer" Amelia whispered. Pulled her eyes off the green eyes she looked behind the woman to see other patrons enjoying themselves with drinks in their hands.

"What am I looking for?" Regina whispered right back leaning forward humoring the woman sudden interest.

"Look at what their wearing" the redhead told her. Doing as she was instructed. her eyes ran over the attire the other patrons were wearing and quickly saw a pattern emerge.

They wore long robes that almost touched the ground with hoods the rest around their necks, each a different color, from red, purple, blue, brown. But they all had a hood, one that resembled the one Amelia wore when she rescued her earlier.

The assassin watched the bandit scrutinizing every flick of her eye made to the way her lips pouted as the gears turned in her head.

"Now look at their forearms" Amelia's voice told her.

She did as she was told again as she saw they all wore bracers on their forearms some metal some leather. But they all wore them. Then she saw the weapons that hung from their belts. Swords of all types, from thin to thick. To axes with blades as large as her head were strapped to their backs. Then she saw a sharp blade jump from one of the patrols gauntlets.

"Now tell me bandit" the redhead slowly asked her making Regina turn head back her way "Where. Are. you?".

"You're…" Regina whispered in shock.

The corner of Amelia's lips quirked up at the corner seeing the brunette finally connect the dot in her head to where she was and who she was speaking to. She had heard whisper's of course. Whisper's of an Order that had been formed in the shadow of Snow White's reign, one that actively fought against her rule and those of other's that sought to harm innocents.

She had only heard of their name once out load before by the one person that helped her escape Snow in the first place. If anyone uttered the name in the Evil Queen's presence they would be signing their own death sentence.

They had kept the Queen busy as they took over territories all over the kingdom, even she had been impressed with how quickly they would be able to turn the tables on Snow White.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood of Assassins, bandit".


"So, I take you've heard of us" Amelia asked the bandit once the initial shock had passed. She was impressed on how composed the bandit was in the same room with so many of the Queen's enemies.

"Everyone has" Regina calmly points out giving the assassin in front of her no indication of what she was thinking "Anyone in open rebellion with the Queen is well known".

"And yet you still haven't run away since finding out your surrounded by traitors". the redhead replies.

"Haven't you forgotten, I'm one as well" Regina retorted dryly taking another sip her her drink.

"I haven't" the redhead muses to herself "The Brotherhood was built on people like you. Non-conformists, looking for a brighter future. We work in the shadows to serve the light. It's what my parent's died for in the end, it's what I'll probably die for all in the hope I leave behind a world for my son".

The bandit was taken aback by this. She didn't have look the type to have a child,

"You have a son?" the bandit blinked at the redhead in surprise.

"You're not the only person in this world running from the Queen, or the last. I had a whole life before choosing this one. With a husband of whom I loved with all my heart, before Snow White's men found us and killed him".

"And you came back?".

"The only way one can stop running is to find something worth fighting for. The Brotherhood of Assassin allowed me the means to mourn my family without falling into darkness, it gave me purpose".

"I just want to leave" Regina tells the red head shyly shaking her head at the assassin not wanting to hear the woman preach about something she had no knowledge about.

Picking up the coin from the table the redhead holds the piece of gold in-between her thumb and forefinger "Those coins you stole from the carriage today. Where do they go once, they reach their destination?" it was a simple question Amelia asked her, but she quickly became confused.

"The Queen?" she guesses.

"You're close, but no" Amelia tells her placing the coin back onto the table before sliding it across to the bandit across form her "They go to the knights that hunt you down, they go to the blacksmiths that forge the weapons in their hands that go into bellies of innocent villagers. And it goes into the pockets of lords that will squeeze every coin their peasants have until they have none left so that they have to make a decision over who in their family eats tonight".

"By taking that tax coin, you unknowingly contribute to a cause that is greater than anything thing or one in this tavern. While knights patrol roads unarmed, the lords start to grow restless as their subjects start to rise up against them in their acres of lands. slowly but surely the Queen Snow's power over them shrinks as we feed their families and protect their crops. Until one day even the Queen won't be powerful enough to stop them".

"So what? the Brotherhood can rule over them instead?" the bandit retorted.

"Never to rule, to give them to tools to find their freedom and choose who they want to lead them, not by blood, but by merit and trust, not birth right and privilege. While you hide in your tree stump, Queen Snow and the other monarchs are planning, scheming and killing, using fear as a tool to keep their subjects under a thumb".

She loved how the redhead spoke so passionately about the Brotherhood. Like she could make a true difference in the world they lived in, this wasn't just a rebellion. It was a family. Every single person in this building ha done thing in mind and they all looked to the woman in front of her to deliver it. She believed in her too.

But then she remembered what the woman had just said.

"How do you know where I live?" Regina asked the Assassin in a low dangerous tone.

"We- I've had an eye on you for a while Regina. But today's events made me intervene for the first time. There was no way the Queen should've have been there; she had no reason to be in that carriage unless she was told you were going to rob it ahead of time".

Having heard enough the bandit stood up to leave only for the assassin to quickly take the hand Snow's dog, Charming had hurt earlier making the brunette to turn back to see the redhead on her feet as her eye's met a pair of emerald one's that silent begged her not to leave.

She didn't want her to leave, not just yet anyway. She was a breath of fresh air she desperately needed. Everything had...stalled as of late. They weren't getting anywhere with Snow White, all the while her assassin's where dying no ground was being gained nor were they losing any.

"I'm not telling these things to scare you, I'm telling you that while we may never have met until now, I have always admired your skills and the Brotherhood could certainly use them now more than ever. If you wish to leave now, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want, just hear what I have to say before you make a decision".

Nodding in agreement the bandit sits back down as she she allowed the assassin to keep her hand in her's as she listened to what the redhead had to say as they settled back down to speak.

"I'm expanding the Brotherhood beyond this kingdoms boarder. There are people like you that need our help, but I can't leave until I know that this kingdom will be safe. I've been in search of someone to take my place as leader of this faction until I return-".

"Oh. I'm flattered" Regina interrupted the red head "but... I can't accept. This forest isn't the place for me anymore" she tell her.

"You, misunderstand. I'm asking you to come with me, my friend Robin will be taking over as caretaker in my absence" Amelia clarified with a hint of amusement in her voice "Although I admire you skills, they still need some…refinement" Amelia carefully chose the last word as to not insult the bandit any more than she already has.

"Refinement?" the bandit questions her "Is that an insult?".

"Never" the redhead quickly answered the bandit with an amused smirk "You were lucky today that I was there after the money as well, but with some training and patience, you'll be able to fight the Queen on equal terms one day if that's something you want to do".

Regina paused contemplating Amelia's offer. She wanted what she was offering her. A way to stop running once and for all and be able to stand up to her. But she didn't even know what she wanted. She just wanted out the Enchanted Forest, even if it meant leaving Amelia behind with it to continue fighting.

Slipping her hand out of the red heads hand the assassin sighed in disappointment knowing the brunette's decision. "I'm sorry… I can't" she finally answered her.

Amelia was struck by the warmth that had left her hand once Regina had taken her hand away. She felt like she wanted to grab her hand again and never let go as she straightened up in her seat.

"Well… that's a shame" she gulped "The call isn't for everyone I guess, but tell me Regina" as she said leaning forward once again catching Regina's gaze.

"Have you ever been a part of a something that is higher than yourself and the people around you? Something you would put your life on the line for even if you never get to see it come to fruition".

"Uh..." the bandit stammered getting lost in her emerald eyes as the door of the tavern is opened. The assassin didn't care who had just come in as she continued to stare back into the deep brown pair that she wished she could continue to stare at only for a shrill voice interrupt the moment.

"Hello, darling" Zelena greeted her love with a wide smile, making the assassin jump in her seat and look away from Regina's eye's to see the woman stood there.

"Zelena" Amelia stated in surprise seeing the woman, she forgot she even existed every minute while she sat with the bandit.

Standing from the bench to greet the woman, Regina watched as the woman planted a sweet kiss on Amelia's lips making her look away as a blush crept on her cheeks from the exchange as Amelia had to practicably push the woman off her. The simple gesture make the bandit's stomach drop seeing that the assassin already with someone. The boy, Henry was wrong after all. She wasn't her truelove.

Turning away from the assassin subtly wiped the kiss off her lips before looking back. However, Zelena decided to wrap her arm around the Assassins waist as Zelena saw that Amelia wasn't alone.

"So, who's this?" Zelena asked the Assassin looking at the brunette sat at the table.

"Regina" Amelia started "This is Zelena" she introduced the pair as Regina tried her best to hide the hurt on her face as. She should have never believed that boy in the first place.


Pushing the embarrassment and hurt down the bandit kept the welcoming smile on her face as Amelia's love. All the while the assassin tried her best to keep the grimace off her face at Zelena's interruption as the bandit looked for a way out of the situation she had found herself in.

"I just can't believe I'm finally meeting the bandit Regina" Zelena beamed at the bandit as Amelia offered another drink to the bandit trying to ignore the look the bandit poorly hid from her face. The look of wanting to be anywhere but there with her.

"Thank you, but I should go" Regina swallowed the word down as she stood from her seat already heading to the door.

"Oh, w-well, why don't you stay for the ceremony?" Zelena invited the bandit standing up to stand next the Assassin.

"Ceremony?" Regina questioned looking back at the pair. They were getting married?.

"The initiation for the recruits" Amelia quickly answered, knowing what Zelena was trying to do. She knew how jealous Zelena could become whenever she caught talking to anyone else. She even became jealous when she spoke to Robin alone about Brotherhood business despite the deep rooted friendship they shared.

"It later today" Amelia carried on "A little pomp and circumstance for the younger ones to pledge their loyalty to the Brotherhood. Its tradition".

"Like a wedding" Zelena supplied with a smile as she wrapped her around Amelia's waist.

"Not a wedding" Amelia shook her head at the woman who had become obsessed with her.

"But it is"

"No, it's not" Amelia gritted through her teeth to the woman next to her.

"I mean, it'll be a simple affair" Zelena spoke up again looking back at Regina "but... We'd love to have you there, wouldn't we, darling?" Zelena send the question to the Assassin. She hated being called darling.

"O-Of course. It would be our honor" the assassin tells her "Some of the recruits look up to you even so they'd love to see you there".

"O-oh, I... I should try to get a head start on Snow White. I'm sure she has the entire black guard looking for me" Regina chuckled out.

Holding out her hand out the assassin the woman almost didn't want to take it, if it meant she stayed, but she couldn't. Reaching out Amelia grasped her hand in her own as their eye's locked for possibly the last time.

"Thank you" Regina genuinely tells her "For saving my life" with a sharp nod of her head the assassin accepted her thanks before the bandit's eye's left hers to look towards Zelena "Congratulations" Regina adds before leaving the tavern without looking back.

Feeling a hard tug in her stomach that told her to do after the bandit, she let it take the lead as she peeled herself off Zelena to run after Regina into the stone paved street.

"Wait!" Amelia called out to the bandit in the street making her stop and turn around to see a flustered assassin behind her.

Amelia's voice was also heard by Henry who was down the street watching his adopted Mother with her soulmate together. Hiding around the corner as he saw his third mother for the first time in her signature white and red Assassin robe and hood. At least Issac kept a few things the same.

"Look..Zelena..I'm not.. We're not" the usual cool Assassin stammered over her words. It was odd to see the woman stammer as much as she was after the impassioned speech she had given the bandit about the Brotherhood.

"Together?" Regina finished.

"No!" Amelia exclaimed suddenly making Regina jump "It's complicated" she huffed taking a step closer to the bandit "Look I really think you would enjoy the initiation. Give you sense of what the Brotherhood is really like. I think it was just another excuse to drink until sunrise, not that I remember much after my own…" the redhead trailed off.

Another chuckle escaped the bandit's lips at her words as a toothy smile grew on her face. She was stunning, even the scar on the top of her lips fitting into her face somehow. She wanted to look upon her face for as long as she could. Gods she'd give anything to kiss those lips before they walked away with their owner.

"I uh want you to have something…" Amelia said as she patted her torso until she came across the long dagger attached to her belt, unsheathing it from its leather holder. Expertly turning the dagger around in her hand the assassin held out the silver handle as the bandit's brows furrowed recognizing the weapon in the redheads hand.

The pommel of the dagger was shaped like a birds beak on closer inspection it looked like and Eagle while the Rain-guard looked like outstretched wasn't well versed in the world of weaponry, but this dagger was truly beautiful. Such love and care had gone into the design it would be a shame to get even a spec on blood on it.

"A dagger?" she questioned the redhead taking her eye off the weapon.

"You did say that the entire black guard would be looking for you. I'd hate to see you take on the entire army after I went to the trouble of saving you from the Queen herself, with only that sorry excuse of a knife to defend yourself with".

"Is that an insult to me or the knife?" the brunette queried with the woman with a raised brow.

"The knife always" the assassin quickly answers "It was Romeo's" she blurted out "He's not exactly around to demand it back anytime soon".

That's where she knew it from. It was always on his person, whenever she saw him. The last time she had seen it was when she parted ways with him years ago.

"H-How did you get it back?".

"I might have sneaked into the palace, even encountered a few angry dwarfs on my way out".

Hearing this the bandit shook her head at the redhead's words "I..can't if it means so much to you".

"Then give it back to me when you come to the initiation tonight. If I guarantees that I see you there then I'll gladly let you borrow it" Amelia says taking Regina hand felling the warmth she found before "I'm not taking 'no' as an answer bandit" the red head says placing the handle in her hand, curling her fingers around the hilt. "It was his job to protect you from the Queen, let him do it now. I can't let you leave without knowing you'll be safe".

Giving the assassin a tight-lipped smirk as she took the dagger slipping it on her belt "Thank you…again, Assassin" the word Assassin seemed to roll off the bandits tongue like she'd it over a thousand times already.

"Stick 'em with the pointy end bandit" the assassin says to the brunette sending a wink to Regina she forced herself back into the tavern whatever was waiting for her inside.

The Assassin couldn't help but linger at the tavern door as she looked upon Zelena who sat with her young son Tom and Friar Tuck

"It is the east, and Regina is the sun" she whispered to herself "Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon" she continued looked at the woman who was a thorn in her side "Who is already sick and pale with grief" she sighed closing her eye's pleading to whoever was out there to bring Regina back to her.


As soon as the woman disappeared into the tavern, the bandit let out the breath she had been holding as she allowed herself to feel the ache in her heart ever since she had learnt the assassin wasn't really her true love like Henry had told her so. Turning around the bandit was about to leave the dagger the assassin had given her on a barrel for the redhead to find later only for a familiar voice to call out for her.

"Mom!" Henry called out to his mother once she was alone. Regina's shoulders sagged in defeat and annoyance of the pre-teen's persistence.

"You have to stop calling me that" she tells the boy slipping the dagger back in her belt as she turned to confront the boy "How do you keep finding me, anyway?".

"I figured if my plan worked, you'd be in Sherwood Forest with Amelia" he tells the bandit.

"I hate to break it to you, but Amelia's already found her true love" Regina informed the boy to turn around to the tavern door "And they're getting initiated or married... Today" she tells his shoving him towards the glass window that was sat in the door walking away from the tavern.

Henry looks in the window to see Zelena pressing her lips to Amelia's as they sat around a table with Robin and Tom. He saw the tavern was full of Assassins like Amelia.

Before burnt his book, he saw that Amelia, or The Eagle Bearer as she was known as, created the Brotherhood of Assassins to fight back against Snow White and the other villains, in this Enchanted Forest.

"No, no, no" he starts "T-this is all wrong. That's Zelena, your siste..." he cuts himself off as he turns around to see that his mother had already left "Wait!" he called out running after the bandit "You have to listen to me" he begged her.

"I heard enough" she scoffed at him "I don't have a sister. My mother abandoned me when I was a baby" she informs him.

"No, your mother abandoned Zelena" he argued "Everything's flipped. This must be Zelena's happy ending".

"Look, I have to go" she tell him "And you should, too. Snow White's looking for you" she goes to leave with the warning, but Henry stops her again.

"You can't tell me that you didn't feel anything when you met Amelia" Regina stayed silent confirming his suspicions as Henry looked to her belt to see the dagger Amelia had given to Regina in the original storybook "See!" he exclaimed pointing at the dagger "She gave you her dagger, she gave that to you, you still have it. That's proof. She's your true love".

"No. It's proof that I'm not the kind of person that gets a happy ending" she tells the boy "I'll never have true love. But you... You gave me the worst thing you can give anyone. Hope" she tells Henry, hurt at the boys persistence. Taking the dagger from her belt she gives it to him "Now, I'd like to get far enough away that I don't have to hear Amelia and Zelena's initiation bells proclaim their love" she goes to walk away from his again but stop her…again.

"Wait... Did you say "bells?" the boys ask's her.

"Yes. Now please let me be".

"The bells. From the end of the book. That's what he was talking about. Those bells This wedding. It's our last chance to stop this from becoming real forever!".

"It already is real" she tells him.

"Not yet! We have to stop this-, wait did you say initiation?".

"That's what she called it, it's like a wedding" she tells him repeating Zelena's words before placing her hand on his shoulder "Look... You seem like a nice boy. And clearly, you believe all this... Nonsense. But didn't you say I was your adopted mother? That you have another mother out there, named, uh... Emma?" he nods "So, if you want help, maybe you should start by finding her" she tries to leave again only for Henry to get in her way again.

"I tried" he tells her "She wasn't in the book. And if she were, believe me, you'd know. She's the most powerful sorceress there is".

"The only sorceress in this land is Snow White" the bandit corrects him.

"She's more powerful than her. She has, uh, special magic".

"Special magic?" she questions him.

"In our world, she was called "the savior.".

Henry's words made her pause as she thought to what to say next "Never heard of her" she tells him turning her back on his to walk away before she said anything else only for a gently hand to stop her once again.

"Mom. No, I know that face. What aren't you telling me?".

Sighing she turned back around to face the boy that claimed to be her son "There were rumors once of a woman who called herself that. The savior".

"Isaac lied" he realized "He couldn't write her out of the story. Where can I find her?".

"You can't. Snow White locked her up years ago. No one has set eyes on her since. The prison she's in is impenetrable".

"Impenetrable?" he questioned her as she nod's along. He knew one person that could help him break into somewhere that was impossible to break into. And she was in the tavern only a stone's throw away.


AN: Hello there!

Happy Valentines!

Hope you enjoyed Part one of Operation Mongoose. I really enjoyed writing these chapters, and that means we're only a chapter away from Season 5!

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