Operation Castle
Also on Fanfiction.net and A03
The door to the detention block buzzed, as General Shaw swiped his badge and allowed the eye scanner to authenticate his identity. He walked down the dark hallway, his shoes being the only noise in the prison block. He approached his first destination and peered in on a blonde woman inside.
"Good afternoon, General Shaw," she said.
"Ingrid," he greeted in response.
"I trust that my information has garnered my freedom?" she asked.
"If your information on the location where you hid the scroll you used to slip into this world pans out…then yes, a discussion about your freedom may be on the table," he replied. She hissed and came into the light, wrapping her hands around the bars.
"You told me that I was free to go and be with Emma if I gave you the location of that scroll," she growled.
"And we'll discuss that further when I get the scroll and see if it is of any use to us," Shaw said.
"Besides, Ms. Swan has her parents now. I doubt she has any room in her life for you," he added, as he moved onto the next cell.
"Your information was limited to a land that was not part of the Dark Curse. All our real information has come from our wooden friend here," Shaw said, as a figure hobbled up the bars, revealing a completely wooden and adult August W. Booth.
"Without the book, we could have never come to know everything that we do about the other realms. Rumpelstiltskin was never very forthcoming and his tongue was much harder to loosen. But you have been singing like a bird, my puppet friend," Shaw said.
"Because you promised me the cure," August rasped.
"I have given you all the information you've asked for from the book that I can remember. You promised me one of the Dragon's cures," he pleaded.
"Yes…and we still don't know why the trigger reversed the magic that the Blue Fairy used to turn you back into a human child. It's more evidence that the trigger somehow punishes the liars and villains," he mused.
"Yet you jumped at the chance to help a likely enemy of your people for the chance to help yourself again," he added, as he produced a glowing potion from his jacket pocket.
"It would seem you have learned nothing, but the cure is all yours," he said, as he gave it to him. August scrambled for it and popped the cork, before downing the liquid. Shaw watched, as wood turned to flesh and August breathed a sigh of relief. The General opened the cell and let him out. August watched him wearily.
"And just so you know…I have learned. What's the catch for this magic?" he asked. The General smirked.
"You'll need another elixir every two weeks and if you want it, you'll work for me," he said. August sighed. He knew something like that was coming, but he was so desperate to be human again that he was ready to do just about anything.
"I'll be in touch. If you make contact with anyone from your land until I say it is okay, the deal is off and you'll end up in a wood chipper somewhere," Shaw warned, as he handed him a burner phone. August nodded and took the phone, before being led out by security.
"Let me out of here!" Ingrid demanded.
"Sorry…you told me of your powers and I can't risk you figuring out magic and plunging the world into an eternal winter," Shaw said.
~*~
After picking up the baby, they arrived home with everyone following. Emma opted to grab some takeout after getting Henry and soon, they were all gathered in the Charming living room, eating dinner and discussing the harrowing events of the day.
"We have to figure out what they're hiding. They know more than they're telling us," David insisted.
"We agree, mate…but you and I both know we'd never make it past that kind of security," Killian replied.
"He's right…I was their captive for three years. We must consider the possibility that there may be others," Rumple interjected.
"You think so?" Belle asked. He nodded curtly.
"I told them nothing during my time in their captivity, despite promises of freedom. I knew a lie when I heard it. Only when the magical anomalies began occurring did they reveal others had survived. Until I had that piece of information, I never considered cooperating," Rumple said.
"And others might not have that strength of will, especially if they're promised the right thing," David said.
"If we can figure magic out…then nothing they do matters. We can take down any security team and foil any of their attacks," Regina said.
"Magic worked fine in Storybrooke once you learned how to use it," Snow replied.
"What's your point?" she asked.
"She means that it didn't for you at first. What did you do to suddenly get it to work for you?" David asked.
"I…I went to my darkest place with the help of my mother's spell book. That's no longer an option," Regina replied.
"Maybe a magical object is the answer to activating it," Emma suggested.
"Which is great, except that if anything survived, they probably have it under lock and key," Regina replied. Emma deflated a bit at that. She was right…who knew if anything had survived at all and if anything did, they had no way to get to it.
"When you created the trigger, you should have warned me it could do this," Regina hissed.
"Except that I didn't create the trigger, dearie…nor the curse," he revealed.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
"We thought you wrote the curse?" David asked.
"No…it was written by a very dark being, who intended to use it much in the same way that Regina did. I am able to tell you everything about the curse, but the trigger is something of a mystery to me. I didn't pay it much mind, because I never thought you'd be foolish enough to use it," he said sternly to his old apprentice. She huffed at that. She was getting tired of being blamed for their predicament, even though she was the reason for it.
"Did you know this dark being?" Snow asked. He gave her a look and there was a long pause.
"Yes…she was called the Black Fairy," he said, offering nothing else at the moment.
"What happened to her?" Henry asked curiously.
"When she became a dark fairy, in pursuit of creating the dark curse, she was banished to a nether realm by the Blue Fairy. Only she knows of her motivations and how she came to be corrupted. Despite my attempts, the blue gnat has never loosened her foul tongue," he answered. He hated fairies and it was for a far deeper reason than they knew, but he wasn't revealing that to anyone anytime soon. He was being truthful about knowing very little about why she had done what she had.
"This is great…once again, we're nowhere," Regina said in frustration, as she watched Henry play with the baby and actually allowed herself a smile. Her son was helping him build a castle with his blocks.
"Yeah…this is a lot like the castle your Mom and Dad lived in," Henry cooed, as Bobby held up a block for him. Henry took it and put it on top. Unfortunately, the blocks toppled and fell to the floor.
"Uh oh…" Bobby said.
"It's okay…we can rebuild it, buddy," he said, as he started gathering the blocks again. With what happened next, time seemed to stand still for those few moments. Bobby giggled and clapped his hands, as several of the colorful blocks floated into the air around him.
"Oh my God…" Regina uttered.
"He…he can't be doing that," David said, equally stunned.
"He is the product of true love, dearie…if anyone has a natural aptitude for magic, it would be your children," Rumple said.
"Then how come Mom can't do it?" Henry asked.
"Theoretically, she can…we all can. Her natural ability gives her far more potential than us. But it may be that our minds and awareness are blocking our ability to harness it. The baby has no such hindrance. He's pure and innocent," Rumpe answered.
"They…they can't find out," Snow fretted, as she quickly swept him up into her arms and the fear in her eyes was palpable.
"If they find out…they'll take him away," she said, as she was almost panicking at this point. David was quick to pull them both close and kissed her hair.
"No…we won't let that happen," he said, as he looked at the others. The worry was palpable in his eyes too.
"We gotta figure out magic and soon," Emma said.
"You can't risk taking him to daycare anymore," Regina said. Snow nodded.
"Well…I don't have a job, so that won't be a problem until we have another creature or calamity pop up," she said.
"Yeah…we can't take the kid with us, but who can we trust?" Emma wondered.
"I can watch him," Henry said.
"I don't know kid…" Emma replied.
"We don't have much choice…" Rumple said. She sighed.
"You think you can handle it, kid?" she asked. He nodded.
"Bobby and I'll be fine," he assured them. They were satisfied with that for now, but Bobby figuring out magic before anyone else was causing serious anxiety. No one wanted to see some clandestine agency rip the baby away from his parents and turn him into a lab rat. But for that night, they agreed to disperse to their own homes and hope tomorrow would yield a solution to them being trapped in a world that soon might hate them.
~*~
"And you saw this?" the Knight asked the squire.
"Yes…I'm sure of it. I overheard them talking and saying that the lake was not quicksand and rather a portal. A portal that is staying open," the squire said.
"That's nonsense," one of the Knights spat, but the other one, who clearly outranked him, held his hand up.
"We do not know that for certain and no man, sane or otherwise, would jump into quicksand unless that's not what it was at all," the Knight reasoned.
"But if it is a portal…of what use would that be?" the other Knight asked.
"I don't know…but it is something that our Lord should be informed of either way," he said, as they mounted their horses and left to see Lake Nostros for themselves.
~*~
Neal had found a dive motel to stay at the night before and first thing that morning, he set out to find the place that Emma supposedly was working. He went inside the small shop on the block that was lined with many other small shops and looked around.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes…I'm looking for someone that works here," he said.
"Oh…do you need a bond for someone?" she asked.
"No actually…she's just an old friend. Emma Swan," he replied.
"Oh…I'm sorry, Emma no longer works here. She left for a new job a week or so ago," the woman said. He frowned and nodded.
"Thanks anyway," he said, as he turned to leave, when he caught the news on the television. He saw Tamara and Greg on screen, making some report from Time Square and he clenched his fist. He would find Emma…but first, he was going to make those two tell him what they had done, for he was sure they had something to do with all of this.
~*~
David peered into their son's room and sided up next to his wife, as she watched him play. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed her hair.
"Has he been floating any toys around?" he asked. She hummed.
"No…so far, it was just that once that we saw. But we know it's going to happen again," she replied.
"And we will protect our son. I know I promised you that after we got married that we'd never have to run again, but if it comes down to it…we will to save him," he said. She squeezed his hand.
"I know…" she replied.
"I don't want to leave you here alone…maybe you and the baby should come to Castle," he said. But she shook her head.
"No…as much as I want to stay close to you, it's too risky. It will look suspicious if we bring him to Castle and not to daycare and if he has another display of magic, then there will be no hiding it from them," she reasoned. He nodded and kissed her tenderly.
"Call me if you feel that something's wrong or even a little uneasy," he pleaded. She nodded and kissed him again.
"I will," she said, as she saw him off and then went back to Bobby's room.
~*~
"Where is that Principal?" Tamara asked impatiently, as they waited on their guest. They planned on interviewing the Principal from the school Mary Margaret Nolan had worked at and expose her identity first, which would easily lead to exposing her husband's identity as well. By the end of it, she'd have the public eating out her hand and turn them against those she would portray as dangerous.
"Are you sure the NSA released him this morning?" Greg asked.
"Yes…he called and said he was being released, because they have nothing to hold him on, unless they want it to go public that the NSA is involved in a cover up operation," Tamara answered.
"Yeah…he's fifteen late. Maybe he made a run for it," Greg suggested. She huffed and dialed his number and immediately got a message that the number was no longer in service.
"Dammit…he's ghosting us," Tamara cursed.
"Are you surprised? The NSA may have let him go, but probably also suggested that he steer clear of any high profile promotions or interviews. They can find someone just by pinging a cell phone. I'm sure he's more scared of them than us. He's probably in another state by now," Greg reasoned.
"What do we do now? We're on the air in five minutes!" she said hotly.
"I don't know…neither of us are real reporters. I liked it better when we were just stalking and eliminating those freaks from that damn town. And he still won't let me at that bitch that killed my father!" he exclaimed back.
"You know why…we're back in prison or worse if we step out of line. Now…we need a story or we're going back there!" she argued.
"You're the one that suggested we do some big story in Time Square! That's kind of the thing you should have a backup for!" he shouted.
"Don't blame this all on me. I'm the one that pulled you off the street and helped you find that damn town. You'd be nowhere closer to getting answers about your father if not for me," she growled.
"And yet…we're both still pawns. First for the Home Office and now for this…psychopath!" Greg said.
"Working for a psychopath…guess that shouldn't surprise me now," a voice said. Tamara froze and her eyes widened, as they turned to find Neal Cassidy standing before the.
"N…Neal?" she stammered. He smirked.
"Yeah…bet you think you're seeing a ghost, you know since you shot me and I fell through a portal," he said, as he came closer.
"How…how did you survive?" Greg questioned. Neal glared at him.
"Some friends found me and I spent the last three years trying to find my way back to my family, no thanks to you two crazy morons," he said.
"Neal…you and I both know how dangerous magic was and if you're back, you now know what it is doing to this world," she pleaded.
"Just shut up…you tried to kill my whole family and steal my son! And you're going to tell me where they are," he growled. She swallowed thickly and knew she had just moments before she was supposed to go on the air with some huge story that she didn't have.
"Wait…if you're here, then you had to come back through a portal. Where was that portal?" she asked. He scoffed.
"Like I'd tell you two anything," he replied. Before she could say more, there was a sudden tremor beneath their feet.
"What was that?" Greg asked, as they felt it again and it was stronger this time. Their eyes widened, as the concrete a few feet away cracked and a horrible shrieking was heard. They watched in disbelief, as a creature emerged from beneath the Earth.
"What is that thing?" Greg shouted, as they dodged the winged thing swooped down on them. It had snakes for hair, bat-like wings, and bleeding red eyes, with sharp fangs and claws as well.
"I think it's a Erinyes!" Neal cried, as he ducked the creature again. It screamed again and they held their ears in pain.
"What the hell is an Erinyes?!" Tamara shouted.
"More commonly known as a furie! They usually come to punish people for crimes and sometimes, even drag them to the Underworld!" he called back.
"What crime is it here to punish!?" Greg cried.
"You really want me to answer that with you two?" Neal cried back, as they ducked it again. Neal rolled away and looked around for something to use as a weapon. He found a discarded two x four near a dumpster and stood up, before swiping at it when it went by. It screeched, as he made contact and sent it flying into a building. It angrily bounced back and pursued them again. "Start filming!" Tamara said, as Greg got the camera and took cover behind a parked car, just as two black SUV's pulled up and screeched to a halt. Several people poured out of it and time seemed to stop for a moment, as shock came to them all.
"Neal?" Emma squeaked.
"Emma…"
