Chapter Text
Captain Killian Jones - The Enchanted Forest (@4x22)
He snuck into the Good Queen Regina's castle the back way, through the passages, at night. If he entered properly in the daylight, the crowds would gather, making him uncomfortable with their cheers, there eagerness to see the hero.
It never felt right, so he took to avoiding it. Sticking to the darkness of the shadows that seemed, against reason, more familiar territory.
He was loved by all as a hero, but still felt empty somehow, as something, someone was missing. That all the adoration in the world could not fill or comfort the gap that one person could fill.
But there was no one person. His memories told him that his wife, Milah's had died in the hands of the villian, what villian he could never seem to recall... And he had lost his hand saving the kingdom from that villians doom. He had a fake hand now, all knightly and gold plated and beautiful, but it always felt wrong to him. Out of place. He would stare at it sometimes, not really wanting back his hand, but sure it should look different.
He had been summoned by his queen for another mission, another adventure. Another foe to face. As he made his way down the corridors of her castle, he ran into three women, all beautiful, cooing at him and stroking his arm in appreciation. They threw themselves at him, the brave knight, and his gentleman manners forced himself into a brief conversation with only subtle rejection.
He always rejected them. He told himself it was because of Milah, but that felt so long ago...., he told himself because of good form. They were both lies, and he knew it, knew deep it was because of the flash of something he caught when he was dreaming, a cascade of gold and the green of the most beautiful of seas.
Someone was missing. But he did not dare speak this out loud. He had no one close to himself to share it with anyways. Surrounded by love and complaining he was somehow lacking it.
Regina sat on her throne and smiled in friendliness when she saw him, but not fast enough to hide the look he had seen in her eyes first, sadness. He looked at her speculatively, this good Queen that had it all, was loved unconditionally by her people, and wondered suddenly if she felt it to....
What was missing. That this was somehow wrong.
"The villians are growing, spreading terror in our people Captain. We need to capture and defeat them. There are the more minor ones, like that thief Robin Hood, who steals from our poor to make himself richer, or Black Snow and her husband, ruling the neighbourhood kingdom with torture and fear."
"I think we should target the most powerful, the most hated, my Queen, to send a message to the others, that evil comes with a price."
Regina smiled a little sadly at that, saying "I agree, but it is dangerous. I don't want to risk our people, their lives. That is why I want you to go, undercover of sorts, and go after her one on one, and to kill her if necessary for the sake of our people...because you are my greatest hero, but also my survivor..."
He knew what was coming, but he asked anyways, refusing to feel fear at her response.
"Her?"
"Yes Captain.... I need you to go after and kill the Black Swan"