Bad As It Can Possibly Be [Open]

[Once-ler]

"Please don't leave! I can fix this! I can change what I've done! Please! Lorax! Come back! I'M SORRY!"

Once-ler suddenly sat up in his bed as he woke from his nightmare. Sweat poured down his face as he breathed heavily to try and calm himself. This wasn't the first time he'd been woken from a nightmare--but it was a nice reprieve from the Unless dream that tortured his mind.

He let out a sigh as he wiped the sweat away on his face onto his pajama sleeve. "Why must these nightmares torture me so?"

A chuckle echoed within his head, "You really are dull aren't you? Can't you see, it's because he wants to make us pay for what we've done! For what glory we'd brought upon the family, and then screwed it all up in the end!"

Greed. He hadn't heard from him in a while. The personification in his head of the man he had been...the "Greed-ler" he'd been back when his factory was booming. The man that killed the forest....and chased away his only friends.

"Leave me be. I do not need your venomous words." Once-ler begged as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"You're pathetic. Locked away in your broken castle talking to yourself. Pathetic!"

The voice faded within his head as the tired Once-ler stared at the wall. The Unless's loomed over him. This wasn't the first time he'd argued with himself. Being alone for so long his mind had created "personas" of his once Greedy self, and the Innocent Once-ler that had discovered the forest in the first place.

In the end he enjoyed talking to Innocent more than Greed...

"...Do you need to be alone?" Innocent's tiny voice chimed in.

Once-ler shook his head as he sat back against the back-board of the bed. "I'm always alone, Innocent. I'm always alone...since the Lorax left this place...alone with you two...and you don't even exist."

[evilmistress]

Things were already looking up for Maleficent. She was finally free from that wretched Curse, or at least part of it as she still couldn't return to Fairy Tale Land and her Dark Fortress, and she was free to scheme her revenge against the Evil Queen who had brought them all to this world. It wasn't like she hated Regina, far from it; she could never hate a friend the same why she hated those damnable sisters her called themselves the 'Three Good Fairies.' However, she wasn't going to let Regina slide with what she did to her without repercussions. She had to teach that woman a lesson about messing with the Mistress of All Evil.

As a Fae, Maleficent was quite aware of all sorts of worlds that existed throughout all of Existence. And, of course, being the Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent was prone to all of the evils of quite a few of these worlds. So, it didn't come as a shock when, in a time before the Dark Curse, she had felt the ripples of malevolence arcing through dimensions. For something like that to be felt even from a world outside of her own, it had to have been a very dark act. When she had felt it, it had almost felt like the wave of Darkness that had been sent out after she had claimed the title of Unseelie Queen and ruled the realm of Faerie with dark potency; almost. Even know, she could recall the memory of that wave of evil. She could use the cause of such Darkness for her plans. She had just the Curse that would allow her to acquire the being she desired. It was the very same technique she had used to capture Princess Aurora; why waste a tool that isn't broken?

And so, it was for that reason Maleficent found herself standing in the abandoned clock tower of Storybrooke, eyes closed and head bowed to the staff before her. Reaching deep between the strands of space and time, Maleficent's magic poured between the worlds, searching, discovering, finding the force of the ripple of evil...

Within Once-ler's room, inside his factory, Maleficent's magic touched his world and allowed her will presence within the realm. The world, itself, darkened in response to her presence, almost too subtly to be noticed. In the darkest corner of the room, a small, smoky orb glowed with an unnatural green light. It floated there for a moment, as two green eyes appeared above it before quickly vanishing. In the town of Storybrooke, Maleficent's lips moved as she spoke in Once-ler's world. She did not know the name of the being, but she knew the cause of the evil it created.

"Greed."

Maleficent's voice was soft, caring faintly through the air. She called not to the boy in the bed, but to his inner Darkness. She called to him, lured him, as the green orb hovered through the air.

"Greed," the orb called again. Out of the room, it floated through the factory; until, coming to a full stop, a secret doorframe appeared in the wall and revealed a staircase that lead to a room with a shimmering door. Of course, this room didn't truly exist; it was one of the effects of her Curse. It was a way to lead him out of his own world and into hers. Wafting through the air, right up to the door, the eerie, green orb hovered there for a moment before disappearing altogether.

There door shimmered and shone, its surface rippling like a small waterfall. It looked to both stand there and not be there at all. It was a door, in essence, much like the one Regina had used to bridge the gap between Earth and Fairy Tale Land; because that is what it does, what it is intended to do. It is a Door of Spaces, meant to bridge worlds together. Of course, Maleficent had to thank the boy; she wouldn't be able to do this if it had not been for the Darkness held within his heart.

[Once-ler]

Once-ler felt a pulsation move through his head, like a sudden headache that pounded twice on his skull and then vanished. The exhausted male looked up to see a rather peculiar object. Was that a floating orb? No, it couldn't be, he had to be imagining things.

The headache came again as the orb seemed to disappear into the factory. Once-ler stared at the doorway for the longest time, deciding whether or not to follow the odd orb.

"Follow it, follow it, FOLLOW IT!" Greed hissed rather excitedly in the back of his mind.

"I don't think that's such a good idea...that orb looked like it had eyes for a second...then again could be wrong but still...I don't think we should be chasing strange, floating, or--" Innocent began, but was quickly cut off by Greed.

"Shut up you little wimp! I say we follow it, so follow it, bean pole! FOLLOW IT."

With the pounding headache moving throughout his head, Once-ler moved out of his bed. With the thought in mind that he may be out in the factory for quite some time, he decided to change into a different attire. Discarding his rabbit-print, homemade, pajamas he dressed himself in his old suit. Now why he found himself compelled to wear the suit of the Greed-ler once more was beyond him.

He felt as if Greed momentarily possessed his movements as he buttoned up his white dress shirt, tied his green and black striped tie, pulled on his black pinstriped pants, and tied his dress shoes.

It horrified him a bit more when he found himself donning Greed-ler's green pinstriped, swallow tailed, jacket...even more...his green gloves and top hat...and his golden pocket watch chain that looped from his belt into the broken watch in his jacket pocket.

"The orb's getting away, follow it! Follow it!" Greed hissed, mentally pushing Once-ler towards the door.

It confused Once-ler how Greed seemed to understand what was going on, especially since the persona continued to hound him about following the orb. Something was going on.

He swung his bedroom door open, hesitating before he started to walk. It'd been quite some time since he'd stepped outside the last function ruin of the place. The smallest noise echoed throughout the abandoned places, dead grass pushed through the cracks in the floor. Still he was led on by the nagging voice of Greed.

Though he didn't comment on it. Something compelled him from arguing with the persona, making him obey the orders it gave him as he was led along the corridors.

Soon enough he found a door that he'd never seen before. It lead into a room with a staircase.

Oddly enough, the room was perfectly intact. The ceiling hadn't caved in, the walls looked completely new, and the staircase that led up to another door looked polished as ever.

"I don't like this." Once-ler managed to say.

"Nobody cares what you think, Oncie! Just get up to that door!"

Once-ler hesitated as the tone of Greed's voice sounded more desperate than anything. Why did he want him to get to that door so badly? Why was this room new looking, and where did these new doors come from?

Again, he felt that strange possessed like feeling as he walked up the staircase towards the door. He found himself walking faster and faster to the top--though it didn't take him long due to his long legs.

Once at the top he stood there for a moment, merely staring at the door.

And once again, Greed hounded him to open it.

"Open the door! Open the door! OPEN THE DOOR, ONCIE!"

And to appease the screaming Greed, Once-ler stepped forward and gripped the doorknob. He slowly turned it and opened the door.

[evilmistress]

As Maleficent had stood within the clock tower of Storybrooke, specifically within the entrance that led to the section of the building that was the local town library, power had surged through the air. The Curse she had enacted had created the staircase and door that would lead Greed-ler to Earth and, within Storybrooke, the Curse as well formed the same door directly in front of Maleficent. The closer Once-ler had gotten to the door in his world, the more real the door in front of Maleficent became. Her eyes still closed, the former-Unseelie Queen smiled gleefully, already feeling the Darkness of Greed-ler surging to follow her requests.

Closer and closer, Malficent felt the young man ever closer to her. Soon she would have yet one more ally and that would bring her ever nearer to taking revenge on the Evil Queen. Even know, her plan for vengeance unfolded within her mind, but that was for a later day. For now, she had to succeed in gaining this new ally; she suspected it could either be quite easy or incredibly difficult.

Pulling her conscious will from the world that Once-ler inhabited as he gripped the doorknob, Maleficent smiled as she was finally greeted with the site of the boy. Already, she could tell she liked this boy; his attire reminded her of her Green Flame, sweeping forth destruction and power. Giving him a once-over, taking in his appearance, Maleficent could just imagine what he could accomplish for her.

Repositioning her staff to place it beside her, a resounding crackle bounced through the two connected rome as it struck the floor; her purple gown and cloak, with its stylized roses, rustled slightly in a breeze that wasn't there. The dark Mistress reached through the doorway and offered her hand to Once-ler, the final act of relinquishing his own world and joining hers. "Come, child. I am in terrible trouble and need assistance." Maleficent offered him a sweet smile with her request. Of course she'd think of the young man as a child; compared to how long she lived, most anyone would be a child in her eyes.

[Once-ler]

Once-ler froze as the door opened into a completely different looking area. However, his gaze quickly moved to the woman standing before him. Her clothes looked different than anything his Mother or Aunt would have worn, and there was something very peculiar about her...and dangerous.

Greed continued to try and mentally push him towards the woman, trying to force his hand to take hers.

"W-who...are you...?" Once-ler managed to ask as Greed still fought him for control.

"Who cares, Oncie?! Who cares! Just take her hand you stupid bean pole![/i]" Greed snarled, obviously beginning to understand what was going on.

Awkwardly enough, Once-ler had no idea what was going on at all..whereas his own nonexistant persona that stuck around in his head did... Though he didn't hear a peep from Innocent.

Wouldn't Innocent say anything about the woman being in trouble? Once-ler was kind of hoping his good judgements would kick in...but not a word came from the other persona. He was on his own this time...with a ticked off, antsy, Greed on his hands....err, mental hands.

"...Why am I here, what is this place? Hng..."

He faltered a bit as another large headache hit. His body felt weird as his arm was practically forced to move to make an attempt at touching the woman's hand.

His voice tones flipped as the poor Male fought off the imaginary persona.

"Stop what's..going..o--Shut up, Oncie, and let me handle this...N-No s-stop it. You don't exist, you're n-not real, you can't take over like th-this. You're not real!"

[evilmistress]

Maleficent kept her hand held out in an offer, in no rush to seduce the young man into joining her side. She watched as conflicting emotions flickered across his face. He was, quite obviously, warring with himself on the inside; but Maleficent shall have him in the end, she always does. In regards to his inquiry of her identity, Maleficent, using the hand that held her staff, swept her arm down her front, indicating all that she was. "Why, I am Maleficent; Unseelie Queen of the Fae." Maleficent's expression turned sour for a moment, as she added, "Well, former, but those are idle details." She waved said idle detail away with her staff. They didn't need to go into detail that she had been banished from Faerie, itself. Besides, she doubted the boy even knew what the Fae were; most people didn't, they were usually just called fairies.

"As to where you are..." Maleficent took a moment to look around the room. She hadn't had much time to explore the town of Storybrooke since her release as she'd immediately started exploring the world as a whole. "If you crossed the doorway, you would find yourself in Storybrooke. It's a small town on the edge of Maine, a state held within the province of the United States of America. Come with me, and I'll show you." Maleficent flexed her hand, forcing her palm to further face Once-ler, and opened her fingers just slightly further; posing her temptation for a second time. Oh, the vengeance they could wreak together, Maleficent could already see it in the near future. All he had to do was cross the threshold and he'd be hers!

The orb of her staff pulsed lightly with eerie green light; swirling smoke appearing within its crystalline depths. Maleficent did not move her lips, but her voice echoed forth once more. "Greed," she said in a sing-song voice. Her magic surged forth, filling the library entrance room with her presence and power. She played out Once-ler stepping across the doorway into her realm over and over again, mentally willing it to happen. A wicked smile crept upon her face as Once-ler stumbled and began fighting himself. Progress, at last; very soon he will be hers.

[Once-ler]

Maine? Main what? The United States of who? He didn't understand.

Though the Faerie thing confused him too, however he was far from not believing what she said about that was true.

He'd already has his run-in with the Lorax to believe in magical creatures and guardians.

The headache grew within his skull as he staggered again.

Greed pushed forward while Once-ler pulled away. He didn't like this, not all at. There was something about this woman that made him feel like he was in danger. Especially with Greed reacting the way he was towards her.

His eyes caught the light pulsating within Maleficent's staff. He stared at it for a moment or two before Greed began to grow desperate. He was screaming, the words were inaudible, but the noise was loud. It scared Once-ler. Greed have never acted, or sounded, like this before. It was horrifying.

He found his body curling in on itself as his hands gripped his head--knocking off his top hat. Noises came from Once-ler, not words, more like grunts as he fought the insane Greed...he was putting up one heck of a fight.

As the sing-song voice faintly echoed within his head, Once-ler felt a sharp pain in the side of his head. He didn't remember falling to his knees, or everything going dark, or waking up inside of a dark labyrinth.

---

Where was he? He blinked as he saw two roads before him.

One led to what looked like the cottage he'd first set up when he moved into the forest. The other path led to what looked like his factory when it was at its finest. However, unlike the cottage, there were no lights on around or in the factory. Like nobody was home...

There was a sign with two nameplates upon them in the middle of the fork in the path.

One pointed towards the factory, the other towards the bright cottage.

Once-ler's face paled upon reading the plates. "Greed" Was written on the one pointing towards the direction of the factory. The other read "Innocent" and pointed towards the direction of the cottage.

"This is...this can't....this is...I'm inside my head?" Once-ler's voice echoed throughout the realm of his tortured mind.

He paused when he heard light footsteps behind him. Upon turning, he found himself face to face with a slightly younger version of himself that seemed to have gotten more sleep than Once-ler ever had in the past few years.

"...Me?"

"He did it. He finally got out." The younger Once-ler spoke.

Once-ler blinked, "...Innocent?"

Innocent gave his older self a smile, "I wish I could say no...it'd be a lot better answer than the one I'm going to give to your next question.[/i]"

"Do I even have to ask it since you already know?"

"Simple. Whatever that woman did to us--to you--woke Greed up."

"Woke him up?"

"He replaced you."

---

A small smile crossed Greed-ler's face as he lifted himself off the floor. He stretched his legs and arms as he found himself back in control of the body he'd been robbed of. Once-ler was too weak after losing the Lorax. Once-ler let his business die. He let his Mother think so little of him...but that was then and this was now.

This woman woke him up, gave him back control while Oncie played tea party with Innocent inside.

He raised an eyebrow at the woman as he eyed her hand. He looked her over a couple of times before grinning more.

"Who do I have to thank for putting Oncie back to sleep for a while?" His voice sounded slightly different from Once-ler's. It was more confident in himself, stronger, and slightly arrogant.

[evilmistress]

Maleficent's smile turned into a cruel sneer as she watched Once-ler double over. This was it! Bending low, she picked up his top hat and idly dusted it off while the Darkness inside him began to bubble over. As he rose to his feet, she stroked the green strip of fabric running around its base fondly as images of her Green Flame came to the forefront of her mind.

Power over the elements was not an easy thing to learn; Maleficent certainly admired how a human like Regina had managed to claim dominion over the natural elements. However, there were powers that would always be out of reach to mortal Man; only the Fae knowing the secret to harnessing them. The Eternal Flame was one of these secret elements. In fact, more often than not, only Fae of the royal castes were able to harness the power of the Eternal Flame. Of course, Maleficent had been able to accomplish such a feat; and so her Green Fire had been born. It was her best tool and she used it often.

With a smirk, Maleficent raised her gaze to the being before her, already aware of the fact that she was in the presence of the boy's Darkness, itself, and addressed him. "Welcome to the town of Storybrooke." She tossed him his hat and turned swiftly, confident in that Greed's surfacing was an acceptance of her offer. She strode to the exit of the library/clock tower, looking over her shoulder at him as she did. "As for who released you, that would be I. What do you call yourself, boy?" She pushed the doors open and stepped out into the cold night. Greed-ler could follow her if he wanted, but Maleficent's plans would move forward whether he joined her or not.

Her eyes scanned the sight of Storybrooke, Maine with an expression of light disdain. "Isn't it peaceful, quaint, boring?" Maleficent's grip on her staff tightened subtly. "The reason I called you here is because I was wronged, severely, by a... close friend of mine." She had been hesitant on how to precisely describe her relationship with the Evil Queen. What do you call a friendship between two powerful entities that wouldn't hesitant to cross each other? However, Regina was indeed a friend; one of her only ones. But, Maleficent will not abide with what Regina had done to her. "Now, she has to pay; she has to learn that there are some creatures in this world that you just do not cross." Maleficent narrowed her eyes in memory of being trapped under Storybrooke for the past twenty-eight years.

"And I would like your assistance in the matter. You will be rewarded, of course... greatly."

[Once-ler]

His blue eyes caught her gaze as he easily caught his hat. He promptly placed it back upon his head as she began to move towards the exit. His curiosity caused him to follow her as she spoke about the town they were currently in. His hands adjusted his tie as she moved outside.

"You can call me, Greed-ler, ma'am." He replied as he took a step outside.

He may have been considered an insane, slightly power hungry, persona, but he still knew the time and place to use formalities. He was, of course, a proper businessman--despite whatever Once-ler would ever say about him.

In fact, the only bad thing about him was his greed and need to "bigger" everything he owned. His factory was biggered, his office was biggered,
his ego, his fame, his wallet. Biggering and biggering and biggering everything.

"So is this why you brought me here, ma'am? The reason you brought me out? " He questioned, moving to stand near Maleficent, "To help you settle a feud?"

---

"He got out..." A grim expression moved over Once-ler's face as he paced back and forth. "He got out."

"Yes, you've said that three times already.[/color]" Innocent said as his fingers moved over the rim of his fedora.

"That woman....she did this...the woman beyond the door. She let him out."

"It would seem so."

Once-ler let out an angered grunt as he kicked the sign. It wobbled a bit, but didn't fall over under the impact.

"Now I just need to figure out...how to bring him back here, and get out...." Once-ler mumbled to himself.

He then looked to Innocent, grabbing the younger version of himself by the hand and dragged him towards the cottage.

"C'mon, we have planning to do." Once-ler said as he dragged Innocent along.

"Planning? How do we plan something when we don't even know how to do it? Once-ler? Once-ler? Oh dear me....you're not thinking again are you? ...Apparently not...."

[evilmistress]

A faint breeze swept the streets of Storybrooke, ruffling the rose-shaped frills that dappled Maleficent's gown. It was a sign of change; soon, nothing will ever be the same for the residents of Storybrooke after Maleficent's revenge. Of course, along with the rest of the town's habitants, she also wondered why none of them had been returned to their home once the Dark Curse had been broken. However, she had already suspected something was off about it after first laying eyes upon it in her Dark Fortress. She wouldn't bother with idle details like that, for now, though. First, she had business with the Evil Queen to attend to.

Maleficent couldn't help it after hearing Greed-ler's inquiry. She laughed. However, this wasn't your everyday laughter. It was a dark chuckle that just held a twinge of madness to it. She doubled over as if in pain, still laughing and trying to stop. Suddenly, her whole demeanor changed. From maniacal laughter to ferocious scorn, Maleficent scowled deeply at Greed-ler. Punctuating her anger, Maleficent stamped her staff against the ground; a sharp snapping noise reverberating forth from the impact.

"You would dare to insult me?! This is not some mere, petty feud! You think me to lower myself to such meager forms of irritating squabbles?" Maleficent turned to face Greed-ler, her gown billowing in the night air as she narrowed her eyes at the young man. "Regina is my friend and my rival. She is an admirable foe and a powerful enemy. What I plan is no simple qualm against her. I want revenge!" Maleficent seemed to calm relatively swiftly after her angry outburst, and continued on in a sickly-sweet voice. "And that is were you come in." She gave Greed-ler a disarming smile.

Stamping her cane against the ground once more, green sparks shot forth from the impact. Quicker than the blink of an eye, those sparks turned to a roaring Green Flame that consumed Maleficent. Reaching out with her will and magic, the Dark Fae surrounded Greed-ler with the Green Fire as well. In the next moment, the fire dissipated and the streets were empty once more.

Deep below the town of Storybrooke, within the cave Maleficent had called home for twenty-eight years, a green light exploded into existence as, in a burst of Green Fire, Maleficent appeared, magically transporting her new companion along beside her. "Can you guess where we are?" Not waiting for an answer, Maleficent strode away from Greed-ler, further into the recesses of her cave. "We are in a cave, connected to a network of mining tunnels, deep beneath Storybrooke. For so long I've been trapped here. Trapped in a most unfitting form. And then Regina sends someone down here to kill me; all over the simple matter of her adoptive son."

Maleficent spun swiftly to Greed-ler, her anger becoming ever more palpable. "Twenty-eight years I've been trapped, listing through the days without any contact to the outside world! She dared to contain me; me, the Mistress of All Evil~!!" Raising her hands and staff in anger, she shook her fists in frustration before bringing her staff down, hard. Another resounding crack echoed throughout the cave, sending out a force that blew her gown about her, as Maleicent silently fumed. "If you have ever been so wronged, then will you not assist me in taking revenge against her?"

[Once-ler]

Greed-ler did not expect such a reaction from the woman before him. Such anger. Such rage. Strangely, it brought a smile to his face. His coat tails billowed out behind him in the breeze. He waggled his finger in front of him, in a slightly teasing manner. His front bent forward slightly, "I do not taunt you, my lady. A gentleman knows when not to anger a woman of power, like yourself. My words hold no threats of belittlement or insult."

He then straightened up as she explained herself, her issue with this "friend" Regina. A look of confusion crossed his face as she spoke of him "coming in." He raised an eyebrow, "What….?"

Then he found himself surrounded by the woman's green flame. Within a few blinks he was staring at an entirely different location. His gaze turned as Maleficent began to speak to him. Again he found her swiftly changing into an angered mood.

He strutted about the area, making sure not to move too far from the 'Mistress of all Evil.' He wouldn't want to get stranded in a place he didn't know very well, now would he? "So your rival, 'friend', trapped you here for twenty eight years because of an adoptive son, and you want me to help you get revenge on her?"

He made a shrugging gesture as he outstretched his arms.

"I may be a mad persona created in the weak mind of a child, but I am no magician. I cannot create green flames or cast spells like you. In the end, I am but an insane mind that knows too well what it is like to be caged up in a prison for more years than I can remember."

[evilmistress]

Maleficent grinned and stepped closer to Greed-ler. Cliche' as it seemed, that was just the response she was hoping for. Maleficent placed a hand on Greed-ler's face, stroking his cheek in the manner of a loving mother reassuring her child. It wouldn't be the first time Maleficent felt some small attachment to whatever entity the Dark forces deemed to create and it wouldn't be the last. "That is the very reason I require your assistance, my dear~. What use do I have for someone who can cast magic if I can do that, myself?" A wicked grin alighted her face as she spun away from the young man. Striding towards one of the hollow enclaves, Maleficent waved her hand in front of the wall.

The ground shook slightly as the rocky surface eroded away to reveal a secret chamber. It was the last magic she had been able to cast before the Dark Curse had come upon her. She had been worried that Regina would use her pet to get at her like she had done during her visit, as she had taken the Dark Curse from her. Asleep in the far recesses of the hidden alcove was a midnight black unicorn, its horn gleaming dangerously in the weak light. Soon, very soon, it would grow into a magnificent steed. The Unseelie Fae had found the poor thing shortly after losing her precious Diablo. She had taken him in and nurtured him. And, in return, he will prove a most noble pet.

Looking back at Greed-ler, Maleficent sent him an arrogant smirk, her planning slowly coming together before her. "I know what you are, Greed-ler; even your name reveals your darkest impulse. And it is because of your very nature that I require you. All magic comes with a price that we must pay. I'd rather save my power for a true confrontation. No, I do not need you to perform fantastic and magical feats; what I need from you is... something else. Merely from your appearance I can already tell you are a man of... unique tastes." Maleficent paused, looking over Greed-ler. The Unseelie Queen indeed felt he would come in handy in a very unexpected way and that would, hopefully, be enough to throw off Regina. "The first thing I require of you is to lie in wait, here in Storybrooke. You may leave to explore this world, as I expect you will want to after a while; however, you must live in this town, watch and wait.
When I am ready to enact my revenge, I will signal for you. When that time comes... simply be yourself, I think that should work perfectly. Until then, you must not draw attention to yourself. If you should ever find yourself in the pretense of the Queen, Regina Mills, do not ever speak of me. Do you understand?"

Maleficent resealed the chamber containing her unicorn and turned to, once again, face Greed-ler. She waited for his answer, wondering if he was indeed a good choice.

[Once-ler]

Greed-ler did not move away or twitch or wince as the woman touched his face. He was still fairly confused as to how he could help Maleficent, since this 'Regina' person was obviously a magical being too. He couldn't say that if the other 'Queen' tried to turn him into a teapot he would be able to resist it. He couldn't help but laugh to himself, who in the world would want to boil tea inside a mad man teapot?

"You lost me," He replied, "I'm still confused on what my part in your plan is. What do you want me to do exactly?"

He paused as the ground rumbled beneath his feet. He watched as the secret chamber was revealed, along with the pitch black unicorn that slept within it. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at the creature. Magic never did fail to surprise him. For a moment, he assumed that Maleficent was going to put him on unicorn babysitting duty, but that thought was quickly pushed away as she spoke to him again.

He couldn't help but look over his attire when Maleficent spoke of his "unique tastes." He raised an eyebrow as she mentioned moving in to this town and living here until he was needed. He rolled his fingers, drumming them against his leg as he began to move again. His gloved fingertips moved over the stone of the wall.

"Being quiet and unnoticed isn't my style," He replied, looking back at her. He made a gesture to his clothing, "It's kind of my thing to stand out in a crowd, y'know? Being a billionaire for a few years does that to you...and then you lose everything because a stupid Oncie messes it all up. And then you're stuck in his head for a couple of years wanting to get out and party again."

A small frown moved across his face as he began to pace about the room again. His gloved fingers moved over the grooves of the stone walls. After a while he'd pull his fingers back, examining the dust left on his fingertips, before wiping them off on his pants.

"I'm not one to sit still, Maleficent." He said, glancing at her as he began to pace again, "I need to be doing something. I need to be working, it's what I do, I'm a businessman and a musician. And if by living here, stuck in your dreadfully boring town, means that I have to hide in some kind of house like Oncie was for those several, dark, years, I'm not buyin' into your plan. I'm an impatient being, I need to be kept busy.

Do you think these beings that live here would be dull enough not to find it odd that a new store was opened up in their town, featuring a scarf that can become anything they could ever imagine?"

He returned to stand before her, there was a small fire burning in his eyes. His greed feeding off of the thoughts that flooded through his mind. The thoughts of being on top again, selling millions of Thneeds... Though now he'd have to find a new material to make them out of, he didn't expect to find any Truffula tree tufts here. This was an entirely different world after all.

"I can stay quiet for as long as you need me to, just let me do what I do best. Create a product they think they don't need, tempt them with it until they find it's something they all need, sell as many as possible, conquer their wallets...and I'm sure while your...friend Regina is wondering about where I've come from, that will keep her mind off of you, letting you do what you need to do in the meantime."

An insane smile had moved over his face as he thought about the idea, however it quickly disappeared from his lips as he turned back towards the woman. Seriousness washed over the male's face as he stared at her.

"Of course, that is, if you keep up your end of the deal with this 'reward' of yours... But if I find out that your 'reward' is using me like some kind of toy and then throwing me away after you've gotten what you wanted like a greedy, self centered, child, I will find a way to make you pay. I may not have magic, but I've got a pretty sharp mind. I don't think you'd appreciate an axe finding its way into your pretty little pet's neck now would you?"

He then stopped himself, realizing how much of a threatening voice he'd held. Laughter "However, I don't think you're one for double crossing since you've been the victim of that yourself. You seem like a trustworthy person, a woman who knows what she wants, and what she has to do to get it. Just remember, Maleficent, I am not a man that takes betrayal kindly."

[evilmistress]

Maleficent sauntered her way back to stand before the young man with a smirk. "My young friend, we both know the only way to get anything in any world is to use people for everything they're worth and nothing more. However, one thing I will not do is betray you." She stepped away from Greed-ler and spun to study the hiding place of her unicorn, making sure there wasn't a flaw to speak of.

Without turning to him, she spoke to her new pet with a stern voice. "Do not underestimate Regina, however. She has more power than you could possibly imagine." Maleficent scowled, recalling Regina showing her the magic she had learned to rip a person's heart clean out of them while also keeping them alive. She didn't want the Evil Queen to take Greed-ler right out from under her like that. No, she'll have to ensure that Greed-ler is properly protected; but how to do it without Regina suspecting her?

Twisting around to face the green-suited boy, Maleficent clacked her staff against the ground thrice. The orb of her staff glowed an eerie green as a haze of the same color enveloped Greed-ler. In moments, the haze was gone and everything looked normal once more. Maleficent gazed steadily at the young man, peering at him with a piercing stare. She inspected the cloak she had put about him, making sure that Regina would not be able to notice it at a quick glance. She didn't have too much to worry about, seeing as how Storybrooke's residents are all but ready to chase her out of town with pitchforks, but she wanted to be cautious.

With a smirk, Maleficent gestured to the inoperable elevator behind him. He wouldn't be able to use it, but she figured he'd figure a way to get up the elevator shaft somehow. "Oh, and don't worry about your reward. I'll make sure it's suited perfectly to your performance. Make me proud, Greed-ler." Maleficent did like a good show of evil intent...

With her parting words, Maleficent was, once again, cloaked in her green fire. She vanished, the only trace of her presence an echoing laughter, as maniacal as ever.

[Once-ler]

Greed-ler honestly expected the woman to fly into rage again after he spoke against her. However, she didn't lash out into a rage like last time. He listened to her as she warned him of Regina. His only question to that was how would he recognize the woman Maleficent demanded revenge against? Her friend and foe...this Evil Queen.

He was caught off guard again as the haze covered him from head to toe. He blinked as it quickly disappeared as soon as it covered him. He didn't understand what it was, but it had to do something with Maleficent's magic. "How will I know who she is?" He questioned, "You haven't exactly given me a physical description of this Evil Queen Regina person. All I know is that I would expect to see a royal looking woman in a big fancy dress. But I'm guessing that's not the case in this weird town is it?"

Of course, before he could receive an answer, she vanished within green flames. He blinked, frowning, "I don't see how leaving me to climb up an elevator shaft with unanswered questions is funny, lady!"

He grumbled to himself as he moved towards the elevator shaft. He'd have to climb up. Though, usually most shafts did have ladders, which luckily for him he'd found. It looked a bit questionable, but it was his only way out. Though he found that as he began to climb dust, dirt, and rust managed to get onto his gloves and suit, much to his displeasure.

"Oh that woman, she'll be seeing a bill from the dry cleaners after this. Ruining my nice suit when it was perfectly clean, bah!" He continued to climb to the top of the shaft, mumbling about his clothes and how he was supposed to figure out Regina's identity in the town. It was going to be a long day...