Shaya

Chapter 8 - The beans

The group spent the night under an arranged refuge, made by Hook and Rapunzel with stranded creepers and cans. It was quite comfortable for being in the middle of Neverland's jungle. Regina kept them warm lighting a little black fire, as to make them less visible in the night. It worked, because they were all alive when the sun rose. The tension was tangible in the air. Killian could feel it. The group kept walking all morning long in silence. When they passed a little wood of tall trees with candid bark, he clearly saw Swan's shoulders tense. He tried to approach her, but Charming's hand on his shoulder stopped him. They locked gaze, blue eyes on blue eyes.

" Where were you running, Hook?"
The pirate smirked. " To your frightened daughter, Charming."
His eyes became colder than ice. " Stay away from her." he articulated with a low, threatening voice. Killian smirked again.
" Oh, how sweet! The caring daddy protects his daughter from the bad pirate!"
" Exactly! Now step back and just walk!"
" David!" Snow intruded, a little shocked. " He helped us! He gave us his ship!"
" Exactly! Thank you, Ma'am."
" Hey, what's up?" Emma appeared, worried and impatient at the same time. Hook's eyes lingered on her figure.
" Nothing to worry about." he answered with a smile. Swan's eyes crossed his for a second, then she turned and walked away, joining Rapunzel and Regina again.
" Don't waste time." she said nervously while walking.
Hook innerly smiled.

There was a huge block of light grey rock at least one mile long in the middle the green ground, creating a clearing in the dense jungle. It was enormous and inclined, so that only one side of it was vertical respect to the ground. That side was so full of caverns that it looked black.
They were pretty near to the Sponge, so they could see a wide part of its surface. The group had hidden behind a big bush full of violet berries. They were waiting from half an hour to see some hint of life in the Sponge. Their patience was repaid: from the second big cavern on the "second floor" a leg showed up. A long, female leg wrapped in tight, filthy jeans. Tamara jumped down on the ground, gave a look around and then ran towards the opposite side relatively to their position.
Rapunzel heard Emma's breath accelerate. Hate. She recognized it when she saw it on her face, not so different from Regina's now. They wanted the same thing, and she was willing to gave them what they wanted. Rapunzel turned to watch them all. " Alright, listen up: Greg, if he's still alive, must be inside the cave. Tamara could have run away with the beans because he was dying, or too weak for walking, or just because she's an ass, so don't have too much hope to find the beans. We probably won't, but we have to try. Right?"
Everyone nodded. She did once, too.
" Good. But if she just went in search of food, or water, probably Greg is alive and armed. So we have to pay attention. We can't risk to be injured. We have to move fast, we can't be weak. Understand?"
Again, everyone nodded.
" Good. So I'll go and pick those beans and you'll watch if Tamara comes back."
" Rapunzel! " mother and daughter exclaimed together. Hook hid a smile, David didn't, Regina spoke.
" I'm coming with you. I have a loose end with Greg."
The two older women looked at each other. Rapunzel suddenly blushed with uncontrollable anger.
" What has he done to you?"
Regina stayed silent, but swallowed hard. Rapunzel looked in her eyes, saw something, and leaped up, sword in the hand.
" Let's go. You, shatter around the Sponge and whistle twice if you see the woman."
She then turned and walked away with heavy, angry, threatening steps. She looked like a mountain crumbling towards an overturned bug.

A dense purple fog appeared in the cave. Greg took a second over to realize what was happening. He tried to scream, but a strong, gloved hand reached his mouth before he could make a sound. A sharp, cold blade touched his throat less than a second after. He trembled. Tamara had the gun. They thought she could need it more than him. They though it was a safe place. They were clearly wrong.
The sight of Regina made his heart beat faster. The sight of the warrior woman totally terrorized him.
" Hi, dear." the brunette began with a devilish smile, scarier than her contrasting dark look. " Did you miss me?"
He tried to look brave and calm, but he could see in her eyes that he looked like an afraid child. His broken leg was torturing him. He couldn't move. The sword pressed a little harder on his throat.
" Now I move my hand and you won't scream." the blonde warrior said. Her eyes were of the color of pure ice, but burning with rage. His heart was almost exploding. She smiled coldly and took her hand off. The sword stayed where it was.
" The beans." she ordered.
He slowly lifted his right hand, showed her it was empty, and prayed for her to not cut his throat while he was taking the beans from his pocket. She grabbed them and smiled again. A shiver ran through his back.
" Thank you."
" Please don't kill me!" he begged, looking only at the warrior. He knew that she was his only hope. Regina would have killed him without regrets. But maybe that woman... she challenged them and helped Henry without even knowing who he was. Maybe she was more human than Regina...
But the woman looked at the brunette. Regina was looking at him with a strange expression. She seemed conflicted.
" Where's Tamara?" she asked him.
He swallowed hard before answering. He couldn't say the truth, whatever that would have meant.
" She ran away. I told her to go. I can't go further in this conditions..."
" And she left you the beans?" It was the warrior asking, an eyebrow lifted. Greg nodded.
" Yes. She didn't need them anymore, but I could have used them to come back to New York and go to the hospital. One to go, one to come back."
The blonde looked again at Regina. She shrugged.
" Sounds sensed. "
The warrior nodded once.
" So, we don't need him anymore."
Regina stayed silent. Greg held his breath. That woman was deciding about his life. She could kill him just with a hint of her head. But she seemed conflicted, again. Maybe there was a hope.
" I promised Henry I'd be better than this."
The other woman nodded.
" What has he done to you?"
Regina looked at her. Her face looked all but angry. She looked...sad.
" I have to forgive him, Shaya." she murmured. Her eyes were filled with burning tears. Greg couldn't believe what he was witnessing. But he had a chance. His left hand moved a little and found the big stone he took in case of need. He grabbed it without a sound.
" Alright then, forgive him. But I won't. What has he done to you?" the warrior was asking, pronouncing clearly the final question. Her face was a mix of anger and worrying. She had to be a friend of Regina. Another monster, so.
" He tortured me." the brunette finally whispered, suddenly glancing down, trying to hide her rage.
There was no more time. Greg rose his armed hand towards the warrior's head, but a strong hand blocked him.
He didn't immediately felt the steel in his body. He was dead before he could notice that Rapunzel's sword had hit his heart.