Lionhearted [ON HOLD FOR NOW]

48. Devil's Due

PRESENT - UNDERWORLD

Hook was still sitting on the ground in Hades's throne room, and Hades was standing in front him, waiting for Hook to choose who stayed in the Underworld.

Hades sighed. "Oh, come on. All you need to do is choose three of your friends to stay here. Carve their name. W-what's the problem? Is it the chisel? So unwieldy for the one-handed. Or writer's block?"

Hook threw he chisel on the ground. "I'm not doing it."

"I must say... I'm not angry. I'm disappointed." He walked to Hook and leaned down. "And on second thought... I'm angry. I guess it's off to solitary." He grabbed Hook by the hair, who screamed in pain, before dragging him to his feet, leading Hook to the River of Lost Souls, where a boat awaited. "Now, listen carefully. This is the River of Lost Souls. Touch it and it will make you lost. Reducing you to a mindless, tormented husk. So please, keep all arms and hand inside the boat."

---

Mr. Gold entered the pawn shop and said, "Father?" He closed the door. He walked further into the shop, only to discover a piece of parchment with a note written on, which he picked up and began to read. It was from Pan.

Peter Pan voiced, "My son... this shop is yours to do with as you wish. And my offer still stands. Use what's in the case when you want to accept it, and we can be a family again. Your father."

Mr. Gold picked up his father's old Pan flute and examined it. He locked the door before walking over to a brewing substance in a black pot. He opened a jar which contains fluid and an eyeball, and poured the fluid away, before walking over to the bubbling potion and dropping part of the pan in, followed by the eye-ball He turned and picked up a glass ball and held it over the potion. "Show me... show me who I seek." The glass ball revealed Belle having lunch with Leroy, and after a few more moments, he dropped the ball and it smashed, and he scrambled to the ground, trying to gather the smashed glass. "Oh, no! Oh, Belle. Oh, Belle."

---

Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Henry, Eliza, Regina and Robin Hood were back in the Blanchard apartment, examining the damage left behind by Cerberus.

Regina was holding an arrow. "Found more arrows."

Robin Hood sighed and walked down the stairs. "You do not want to see what that hell dog did upstairs."

"So, we think we're ready?" Emma asked.

Mr. Gold enteredthe apartment and looked at the group. "What are you doing?"

"We're gonna get Hook," David replied. "What's it look like?"

"We know Hades will have him in some sort of isolation," Emma added. "Meg told us there's an entrance nearby."

"So all 45 of you are gonna slip down into the deepest level of detention in the Underworld," Mr. Gold said. "Hades knows you're here. He'll have put up barriers to keep the living out of all the places he doesn't want us going. You walk into his domain, you'll all be puffs of dust."

"So we get a new plan."

"Correct. Five of you occupy yourselves as you will. Perhaps cleaning?" He turned to Emma. "You and I will go in with the assistance of a helpful dead person. I can extend their aura, if you will, so that two living souls can get through Hades' barrier."

"Wait a minute. Yesterday, you hid in your shop. Today, you're gonna lead the charge to find a man that you hate?"

"Yeah, because I-I realized that if don't step in, we are never gonna get home, and I want very much to get home to my wife."