Harry felt a migraine coming on.
It took every iota of willpower not to regard those sitting around the table with the most deadpanned stare he could muster. Given the situation, and the utter desperate nature, blaming them for entirety. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Nonetheless, that did not mean he had to play nicely or be happy.
“To ensure that I completely understand the situation,” Harry begins, calmly and slowly. “You two are my biological parents?” His hand gestures towards the happy redheaded woman dressed in green and the formally dressed man with receded hair gazing warmly wearing a faint smile. “And, these two morons –“
The two men bristled. “Um, excuse me morons?!”
“Who are you calling a moron –“
“These two morons,” Harry continues. “Are my older brothers, twins that were separated because of a king that made a deal. James went to royalty and David ended up living on a farm. Then James died leaving David to take his place without having the entire country falling in disarray, essentially keeping David in the dark about everything else. Am I correct so far?”
The woman, Zelena smiled. “That’s right, you are so smart. You must have gotten that for me.”
“Now, now Zelena. He got his wit from both of us,” the man says proudly. “And yes, David and James are both your older brothers. Although you wouldn’t realize they are twins given how often the two clash against each other.”
David fold arms in defiance. “He kissed my wife!”
“It’s not my fault she has better taste,” James retorts.
Harry rubs his temple.
“Moving on.” Taking a deep breath. “Since we are heading down this lane. You married, Mary Margaret; also known as Snow White?” The woman nod smiling. “And had your daughter, who is my niece. Who was brought into this world as a baby with Pinocchio –“
“I go by August Both,” The man interrupts.
The urge to roll his eyes surfaces before stomping down. “August,” Harry corrects with a slight nod. “Emma grows up and meets the son of you two,” eyes stray towards the raggedy hair man and the woman with the crosswalk vest. “Who, you abandoned your child and husband for him.” Glancing at the man wearing leather.
“Killian Jones, mate. Not ‘him’.”
The woman, Milan wrinkles her nose with a grunt.
“And you –“
“Mr. Gold, preferably for professional reasons.” The man leers with a curious almost cautious gleam in his eyes.
He silently filed that away for later.
“Then your son meets up with Emma. Who then gave birth to my… nephew?” This was getting weirder. The boy, seemingly reading his mind, smiled empathetically. At least Harry had one ally. “And you adopted my nephew, but you are also Mary’s older stepsister and my biological mother’s sister. Which would make you, my… aunt?”
“Oddly enough, yes.” The woman clicked her tongue flatly.
Harry ignores that tone. “And you are Killian’s brother; Liam?”
“That’s right.”
Another pause as the migraine grew.
“And you are….?” His brow cocked slightly at the other sitting there rather silently.
“Philip.”
Oh.
Oh.
Harry swallowed thickly. The true-love part of the equation. They told him about that. That this man was his…
Nope.
Not even going to remotely touch that subject with a thirty-six-foot pole.
“And the reason I was summoned here is because Cora; my grandmother, and both of your mothers. Managed to snatch power from my biologically father thus becoming the brand-new ruler of the underworld?”
His father, Hades sighs. “That had been my blunder. I underestimated her desire for power. I should have realized the sheer treachery she possessed.”
“And that’s why I was brought? To help take her down?” Harry furrowed his brows.
“We originally going to use you as a bargaining chip against Zelena and Hades,” Regina answers truthfully, the rest of the table threw glares. “What? I was being honest.”
“Explains a lot of things,” Harry shrugs unphased.
Emma blinks. “You… aren’t mad?”
“Oh, no. I’m livid. But that can we wait. We have an evil grandmother to deal with before whatever plan she has instore comes to fruition,” Harry remarks.
It had not been a lie. His blood boiled furious he had been ripped from his home forced into a battle against his will. What done had been done. For now, they had a common enemy which needed to be dealt with and fast.
The powers of the underworld meant trouble.
“Dad.”
Hades instantly beamed. “Yes, son?”
“The powers of the Underworld. I take it that there are rules, laws and such that come with wielding such power?”
“That’s right.” Hades says confused. “As long as we’re in the underworld. She’ll have absolute power –“
“But she isn’t a natural god. Wouldn’t her body be unable to handle the power?”
“That’s a good question.” Emma muses thoughtfully.
Hades shakes his head. “Remember her physically body might not be able to. She no longer has one. She’s a spirit. With the Olympia crystal inside of her now. She’s essentially that of a god. The crystal allows her to tap into that nexus of power.”
“We can chalk up her being semi-invincible then,” Harry murmurs. “But we can’t ultimately leave?”
“Originally, my duty to the Underworld left me unable to leave. Overlooking and judging the souls that came through,” Hades states. “Since she’s managed to take the power from another source. I’m uncertain whether she’ll be chained to the same laws as I.”
Regina snorts. “She’s smart. Hate to admit, she knows what she was doing. We played us all like violins.”
“And, if Cora manages to reach the surface world, she’ll be able to do what she wants,” James grunts annoyed.
David glances. “You just realizing that?”
“Shut it little brother.”
“I’m the older one,” David says.
“Oh, like hell you are. I’m the older one!”
Harry promptly ignores them.
“Do we have any allies we can contact? What about tools or magic we can find?” Harry questions.
Hades and Zelena glance. “There might be something back in my throne room. But… given Cora and her thirst for power, she might have thought ahead.”
“It’s something we can still use.” A dangerous gambit. If Harry read Cora as well as the others explained to him about the woman using her ego against her could give them an edge. “We’ll have to come up with a plan. She might have power over the underworld, but she’s accumulating to the power. It means we can use it to our advantage.”
“You plan to overwhelm her?” Killian asked incredulously.
“Appealing to her ego. She’s prideful. I say we use that.” Harry leans into the chair. “I don’t want all of us going in half cocked.”
“I’ll see if there’s anything in the journal that we can use,” Henry pipes up.
“Guess that leaves us doing research,” Emma adds exhausted.
Mary Margaret stood. “That leaves the twins and I doing recon.”
“Fine. I’ll go with my sister, Hades and their kid to break into the throne room.” Regina volunteers casting a dark look at Zelena.
Zelena sneers. “Goody. Bonding time with my little sister. How fun.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will be.”
Harry stared watching the two leave the diner. The jingles rang cheerfully with the door slamming shut behind them.
Joy. This was going to be fun.
At least he won’t be bored.
“Wait, Harry.” Philip calls out.
Nope.
Nope. Not dealing with this.
“Later.”
Was he running away? Probably. Did he care? Yeah, more than Harry was willing to admit. Right now? This was too much.
They’ll talk.
Later?
Yeah….
Later.
A lot later.