Once Upon A Time - Ocean Of Darkness

VI

"So...are you still going to kill me?" Regina said smugly as Belle glared into her eyes.
"I think when your true story is uncovered the rest will kill you for me." Belle replied.
Chuckling, Regina stepped up from her chair and slowly walked over to look into the brunette's eyes.

"I told you all I know, everything I can. Maybe instead of pressuring me you should be focused on pressuring my mother."
"And how do I know you're not setting me up? What if I walk right into your mother's house and she's there ready to kill me."
"Miss French, as much as I would love that, I think it's best you stay out of this one. What about that entire group that's been practicing at the training centre? Wouldn't they love to actually do something instead of being under your control?"
"Funny how you present me as a villain when I literally only knew I was leading this mission today. Regina, I think it's best you take a good look in the mirror and reflect upon yourself. I don't care what your mother did to you, I don't care about your 'issues'. What I care about is that you do what's best for everyone."
"And I assume that means dying? Belle it's funny how you think you could get away with it if you shot me right here, right now. Besides, we all know you can't do it, that gun is just for show, just a pathetic way of you trying to convince yourself you're a strong person."

With the words echoing in her mind, and her hands still desperately holding the gun, Belle gave up. It wasn't worth it, anyways. Spending time trying to get information out of this woman was a waste, she was going to plan action for the next day, and then she was going home. In fact she was going to allow everyone to go home. To take a break, to prepare, and to reflect. The last thing they needed right now was to be trapped down here, training for a possible suicide, they needed to get out of the adrenaline, and think. She decided to stick her focus onto Cora, if the man she loved was Gold, then it was about time she shared her story. Gold hadn't struck in days, which seemed unlike him, but Belle concluded that he was planning something worse than ever, too much was at hand, too much at risk.

Lowering the gun and placing it back in her purse, Belle faked a smile at the woman's face.
"Goodbye, Regina. I think it's best everyone goes home now, they've earned it. And I hope you sit here in sorrow and regret, and in angst of what's coming for you." Belle told her.
"You don't scare me, Miss French. I hope you know that."
"You shouldn't be afraid of me, you should be afraid of what I can do."

Leaving Regina with that sinister smirk on her face, Belle walked towards the door, not looking back at Regina for even a glimpse. Advancing through the labyrinth of hallways once again, she made her way towards the training centre. Even viewing from far above, she could still see the sweaty, worn out faces of every single one of the agents. There were all sorts of practices, Agent Blanchard was firing arrows, while others were being taught hand to hand combat, and even using ridiculously large rifles. As she pulled the door open carefully and began walking down the steps, the sounds of clashing swords and heavy breaths stopped. The agents all stopped in respect upon seeing her, some even saluting. Awkwardly sweeping her hair out of her face, Belle made her way over to Agent Blanchard.

"Why is everyone saluting like I'm some sort of cadet?"
"You're leading us, Agent French. You're this country's salvation, and thus you deserve our respect."
"But I didn't ask for this, how am I supposed to lead you when I'm afraid."
"Don't think of it as being on your own, we're all here, ready."

"Well I'm glad you are." Belle sad raising her voice.
"In fact, I have a mission for all of you. Tomorrow morning I need you to go investigate Cora Mills. She lives in Brooklyn, and she may have some connection with Gold, therefore making her a threat. That's why I need a squad of you to accompany me there so we can question her. In exchange for that on your Saturday morning, you all have permission to leave now, early. Go home, enjoy your evening, and make sure you're prepared at dawn."

The piles of agents quickly flooded out of the room, dropping their weapons and enjoying the burst of good news. Only a few remained, picking up the piles of arrows and guns that scattered over the surface.
"All of you, go home. I can take care of this." Belle said.
Smiles on their faces aimed at Belle looked relieved and joyous,as they too followed out the rest.
"Tell the other units that they can go too, they all deserve it." Belle called to them, just before they stepped out the door. It slammed loudly, and left behind an echo through the room. She was alone.

Bending over her back several times, clutching the arrows and carefully lifting the guns, Belle retrieved the weapons. They were all locked inside a safe bigger than Belle's apartment, carefully locked away with the quick scan of her card. The only sound left was the humming of the lights which hung loosely from the high ceilings, dimly lighting the room. And she was happy to hear the sound slowly fading as she left the centre, closing the door and abandoning the room. The rapid groups of eager agents stormed through the halls, desperate to enter the outside world once again.

And Belle followed, lightly advancing towards the exit of the base, being careful not to lose her way. Reaching the row of elevators leading back to ground level, she entered and felt it rising back to the surface. Finally arriving back into civilization, she stepped out of the machine, looking like an ordinary woman who just left a busy day at work.

The clomping of her high heels grew louder on the marble floors in the lobby, and the smiling faces of secretaries seemed desperate to brighten her mood, but they couldn't. As she left the building back into the busy streets, she wanted to just take one of the bright yellow taxis back to her apartment, but she urged herself that some fresh air would do her good. The street looked the same as usual, same people on the sidewalk trying to sell magazines and same frustrated faces of tired businessmen. The thousands of tourists flashed their cameras at any given building, shocked at the frightening skyscrapers which towered over them. She tried to increase her pace as much as possible, trying to ensure a fast return to her home, where she could pour herself a large glass of wine and settle down.

And once her feet stepped inside the building, she quickly made her way over to the elevator, this time going up. Leaning her back against the wall of the elevator, she exhaled deeply, as the number of her floor grew increasingly closer. And it halted to a stop suddenly, causing her body to shift as the doors slid open and revealed the hallway. She walked down it, making her way to her apartment. Her body turned left and her eyes switched from looking ahead, to gazing at the key whole. But she didn't need her key, the door was open.