Checkmate

44. The Game Of Chess

Annie POV

Felix and Gold stood in the street, the former leaning on his cane with a look of disdain on his face as I exited the diner. Felix once again had his sword resting on his shoulder as Gold stood as tall as his cane would let him, his face void of emotions. I took a deep breath and moved to face them, using my magic to change into my Neverland gear as the family filtered out to stand behind me. I drew my sword and stood in a stance that matched Felix's, my face sporting the look I had adopted from Pan.

"Finally," Gold snapped, his unblemished skin and normal teeth a stark contrast to the face he wore the morning I lost my memories. "Where is your king?"

"This is between me and Felix," I called out. "We haven't yet finished our game."

The blond boy's jaw tensed. "I'm resetting the board, Annie."

"Without fixing your obvious mistake?"

"I never make mistakes," he hissed, his eyebrows pressed together.

"It's a glaringly obvious one."

"Everything worked perfectly." Gold smirked proudly, ignorantly, obliviously.

I snorted a single laugh before composing myself. "If that is true then Felix, I propose one-on-one combat. No magic, or enchanted weapons, just you and me."

"When I win, I get to kill Pan," he snapped, readying himself in a defensive position.

"And if I win?"

"You won't," he growled as he swung into his first attack. I easily counteracted the force of his blow, noticing it to be stronger than any he had ever thrown at me before. His intent a little more deadly than the last time we had fought.

As he swung once, then twice more, his attacks were easy to block or defend against. As we fought, a glowing orb of magic surrounded us, severing us from any outside help, leaving me vulnerable to only hand to hand combat. The two of us fought alone in the middle of the street with nothing for me to use as an advantage or a distraction. Thunder boomed as lightning flashed across the sky, despite the sunny weather a few minutes before.

"I told you I didn't need to train. The only one that can defeat me is Pan, and he isn't here."

"Wrong again, Felix," Thomas spat, arriving outside the bubble at the same time it shrunk to contain only me. My hand reached out to push the wall of magic back, but still it descended. It was at that moment I looked to the family for help, only to find them frozen. Their expressions on their faces unreadable as they had been frozen at the very moment they stepped forward to help.

Regina's hand stretched out towards Gold, cradling the beginning flicker of a fireball. Charming had his hand on his sword, ready to draw as Snow's arrow sat knocked and ready to fire from her bow. Neal had his fists up, ready to defend with whatever he could as Regina's other hand cut across him to hold him back.

Felix advanced closer to Thomas, his rage clear. "DON'T!" I cried, causing both boys to look at me before an invisible force sent Thomas shooting sideways into the shop wall. I heard him groan as he clutched at his head, the boy on his knees as blood began to drip from an unknown source.

An anger burned in my chest. It grew hotter with every breath. Felix turned to see my right eye twitch, the action triggering him to inch back a step before I exploded. The invisible barrier surrounding me burst in a flash of bright white light as the family to the side audibly gasped, my magic having freed all of us.

I flew at Felix, my sword raised and a war scream on my lips. I slashed and swiped. Kicked and punched. I beat the boy until he crumpled to the foetal position on the tarmac. I threw my sword to the side, and using my fists, I pummelled him until Gold's magic pushed me off the boy to land near the family.