Henry felt a certain sense of dread seem to wash over him the moment he left the pawnshop. The case that contained the famed Vorpal Sword seemed especially heavy in his right hand as he carried it, the weight almost wanting to pull him down into Oblivion. He swallowed forcefully, trying to let as much courage as he could well up, this was his trial, it was what Alice would want him to do; or Faye, or Snow. But most especially, he'd have to do it for [i]himself[/i]. He racked his brains, thinking for someone, [i]anyone[/i] who would serve as his companion to help power the elevator. "Mark..." Henry said under his breath. Truthfully, the fireman was the only person he could trust to help him do the job - but how would he convince him? Deciding to figure out the necessities as he made his way to Mark's residence, Henry kept a tight hold on the case, eyes alert for anyone giving him a curious look. Eventually the fireman's house came into view; a rather small, but comfortable looking home. [i]'Much like it's owner - simple and efficient.'[/i] Henry thought to himself with a small smile. A 2001 Ford Ranger was parked in the driveway just outside the garage door, and Henry could spot Mark's lower half sticking out from under the truck; obviously working on something. "Good day, Mark!" Henry greeted cheerily, approaching the truck with a warm smile on his face. The man in question rolled out from under the truck, lying atop a dolly. Black, drying oil was stuck to his hands all the way up to his elbows, and he looked slightly impatient. "Mr. Carlyle...can I help you with something?" Mark asked as he stood up to his feet, walking back into the garage and grabbing a few paper towels to try and clean his hands up. "Oh! Yes...I could use your help on something important I've just recently discovered. I think you'll be [i]especially[/i] interested." Henry said with a somewhat darker smile. "Something important, you say? Come on, then, out with it." Mark ordered, putting the dirtied paper towel in his back pocket. "The clock tower. I managed to pick up a few rumours around town that make mention of a secret elevator that Regina has in there, leads down to the mines." Henry said, completely serious. Mark remained silent for a few moments, a frown forming on his lips. "Henry, when you said something [i]important[/i], I assumed it was something beyond a few [i]rumors[/i] you heard." He answered bluntly, turning to go back on the dolly and under his truck. "No, Mark, you don't understand...haven't things been feeling strange to you these last couple weeks? People acting different, unusual occurrences happening?" Henry asked, masking the anxiousness to his tone. At this, Mark stopped completely. Come to think of it...the last two weeks [i]have[/i] been strange. All starting the day Henry showed up, then going down from there. "Yes...things are...odd." Mark confirmed in a somewhat distant tone, trying desperately to forget his dream from last night...or was it a nightmare? All Mark knew was that this...this [url=http://merlin-series.ru/uploads/posts/2010-04/thumbs/1272036717_s02e03_morgana_02.jpg]woman[/url] kept appearing in front of him; and the name [i]Nick Chopper[/i]. But what did it all mean?? Mark must have visibly reacted, because the next thing he knew, Henry interrupted his reverie with a concerned, "Mark, are you well?" "Yes, I'm fine...now, then; clock tower. You mentioned Mayor Mills...hiding something?" Mark asked, switching the subject quickly. "Erm...right, yes. Remember that day at the mines? When you helped rescue Mason? Regina was *quite* eager to seal the mines up...almost...frantically so." "Yes…I remember.” Mark replied seriously, recalling the time at Miner’s Day when he had tried to ask Mason if he saw anything down in the mines. “What do you think she could be hiding down there, then?” Mark asked, skepticism still in his tone. "That's the million dollar question. I want to find out." Henry put in simply, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing the Mayor squirm; especially given how she has her fangs bared towards [i]you[/i]. Over her...[i]son[/i]." Henry added in a suddenly serious tone, tilting his head to the side to see if Mark would offer any sort of reaction. At this, Mark's hard expression faltered, fading away to one of almost...vulnerability. "He's...he's not her son. Wait, yes he is...excuse me, Henry, I'm...not thinking straight." He stammered, stumbling over his own words, looking confused at himself. [i]'Oh, I understand, Nick Chopper...I see you peeking out there.'[/i] Henry thought to himself slyly. "Oh, no trouble, Mark. Happens to everyone." He said aloud, understandably. "Now, then...clock tower...let's see if your rumor was correct. I'll be ready in one moment." Mark said seriously before heading inside to wash himself up and get changed. --- As he stood in front of the sink, Mark took a bit of extra time to rub his face with a cold rag; feeling last night's fatigue weigh heavily on him. His thoughts drifted back once again to the woman from his dreams, his...his wife? "Who the hell am I?" Mark asked himself demandingly, looking at the man in the mirror as though he were an imposter. “Mason, Nicholas, Catherine…these names mean [i]nothing[/i] to me. So [i]why[/i] do you keep repeating them?” He seethed, unsure as to whether he was speaking to the woman, or to himself. “I am [i]Mark Dufresne[/i] – I never married, I never had children, and I sure as hell wasn’t a woodcutter. Stop telling me who I am, and leave me be.” Mark hissed venomously, seeing his reflection sneer back at him with hatred. Letting out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging; Mark finished cleaning up and put on a fresh change of clothes before going outside to join Henry once again. "Lead the way, Mr. Carlyle." He stated simply, though his eyes looked more tired than before. Henry noticed this but said nothing, choosing to walk in the direction of the now-abandoned library that connected to the clock tower. --- Henry stepped up to the front doors, jiggling the handle to confirm they were securely locked. "It's locked..." Henry stated, turning to face Mark. "You're a fireman, can't you kick the door down?" He asked, sticking both hands in his coat pockets. Mark was wordless at first, feeling about the door's surface with a careful hand. His mouth curved into a deeper frown as he turned to look at Henry once more. "The door's a pull one, I'd end up breaking my foot if I tried to kick this one down." He told the younger man seriously, letting out a huff. Henry thought deeply about a workaround, another grin forming on his face as an idea hit him. "The window! Can't you break that?" Mark took the idea and thought on it for a few moments before nodding curtly. "Yeah...I could break a window. Good luck keeping [i]that[/i] quiet, though." He added gravely. "Lunchtime's nearly over, people are going back to work...they won't notice." Henry replied confidently before adding, "I can keep lookout, though. Make sure no one comes by." Mark nodded briskly, finding this sufficient before approaching one of the windows. It was moderately sized, coated in a fine layer of dust and grime that had been sitting for years. A few boards were haphazardly nailed across the window, most likely to prevent any break-ins from occurring. Mark couldn't help but frown deeper: he was a fireman, a civil servant, committing a break-in. Looking about in case anyone was watching, Mark waited until he was sure no one was about to turn the corner when he began pulling at the boards that were lain over the window. The years of just sitting there weakened the wood and nails, making it easier to pull them off the frame. Mark tossed the torn-off boards indiscriminately to the ground, finally leaving nothing but the glass window to take care of. Mark looked down at his arms for a moment, noting that his thick leather coat should be suffice to break through the glass without injuring himself. Facing the window from an angle, Mark let his left elbow jut out sharply, successfully breaching it through the glass; leaving a gaping hole before him. Using his sleeve to remove any excess glass that didn't come off in the initial strike, Mark had little time to do more before a rather-pleased Henry returned to Mark's location, grinning almost madly. "Fantastic, this'll do [i]quite[/i] nicely!" The young man commented cheerily, adjusting the case he still held securely in his hand. Mark merely nodded before climbing through the hole in the wall, Henry following close behind. The ground floor of the library was [i]indeed[/i] abandoned, with a thick layer of dust and grime covering every surface imaginable. Mark placed his (now slightly-torn) sleeve over his mouth, covering a few coughs that threatened to erupt with the dust particles in the air. Henry, on the meanwhile, wrinkled his nose in an almost cat-like fashion before suddenly sneezing; shaking his head quickly afterwards. "Good work on the stealth." Mark commented dryly, adjusting himself to the stifling air. "Nevermind that." Henry replied curtly, eyes peeled for anything out-of-the-ordinary that Regina could have used to access the mines. The library itself looked quite plain, with light blue walls and orange-and-white tile flooring. The room they entered was apparently some kind of reception area, as a large wooden desk was set up against one of the walls. Through an open doorway is what led to the main area of the library, where rows upon rows of metal bookshelves stood; crammed full of books and novella. "I must say, this is an impressive collection." Mark commented, looking at the various bookshelves. Henry, on the meanwhile, didn't answer; his eyes landing on a retro-futuristic looking elevator. The frame around it was rosewood and ornate, with the actual elevator itself being made of brass or copper; rife with various gears and pulley mechanisms. On the sides were innumerable amounts of dials, buttons, and flashing lights. "Well....I found what we're looking for." Henry stated simply, piquing Mark's attention as he walked over to the schoolteacher's location. "What the hell?" Mark asked, stupefied. The elevator was definitely outlandish, even by Henry's standards. "I think it leads down to the mines..." Henry stated, cupping his chin with the hand not holding onto the sword case. "Well, then, let's get going." Mark stated, moving to look for a way to open the door. "Only one of us can." Henry told the fireman bluntly. "What? Why for?" Mark asked impatiently, narrowing his eyes habitually. "This elevator needs one person to power it." Henry explained, motioning with one hand to the set of dials, buttons, and lights. "I'll need to go down there alone...but I promise you, what I bring back will be worth your while- I just [i]know[/i] it." Henry assured with a wide grin, earning a curt nod from Mark in understanding. Turning one of the dials, the elevator doors suddenly slid open, revealing a cage-like interior within. [i]'How fitting...'[/i] Henry thought to himself before stepping in. "Good luck." Mark issued seriously before Henry closed the doors from inside. With a loud creak and groan, the elevator began to slowly make its way down the shaft into darkness....