Torture
(This is a continuation of the universe I created in Lineage and that is continued in The Dark Half, Family Ties, Darkness Rising, Destiny's Call, The Last Guard at the Gate, Hidden Potential, and Sacrifices.)
CHAPTER 1: Night Visions
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Michael screamed in pain. The Devourer ripped into his flesh with the sharp blade of his knife.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" sneered the Devourer. "Of course the pain could stop, if you grant me one small favor."
"Never," said Michael firmly through the pain. "You can torture me all me all you want, but I'll never give in!"
"We'll soon find out, won't we?" said the Devourer with a dark smile. The knife once again edged closer and closer to Michael's skin...
****
Michael screamed and sat up in shock. He checked his abdomen for cuts, but there were none there. He took deep breaths to try to calm down. He rubbed his forehead and found it was covered with cold sweat, as was most of his body.
Michael jumped slightly as the light came on, but relaxed slightly as he saw Phoebe. "Baby, are you ok?" she asked.
Michael looked at her and answered with his eyes.
"Was it the nightmare again?"
Michael nodded. "They're getting more intense every night. I'm scared, Phoebe."
"Come here," she said, opening her arms to him. Michael crushed her against him and buried his face in her hair. Phoebe gently rubbed his back and whispered sweet words of love in his ear to calm him down. Eventually, Michael's breathing slowed and his heart stopped its maddening pounding.
"Thank you," Michael whispered. "Would you hold me for a while?"
"Of course, honey," said Phoebe. Michael kept his arms wrapped around her so that she was lying on top of him when he rolled onto his back. Phoebe slipped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his chest. Michael's eyelids began to droop almost immediately, and within a few minutes he was sleeping peacefully.
****
"Paige, where are you going?" asked Piper. It was about 10:00 a.m.
"Just over to Glen's...what?" she asked at Piper's look.
"It's just that you two have been going out for so long. Don't you think it's about time you two moved on to the next step?"
"Piper, it's not like I haven't thought about it before," said Paige. "It's just that I'm afraid if we get...well, engaged, something bad will happen...magically bad."
Piper smiled understandingly. "You know, Prue once went through the same thing with her boyfriend Andy. Once he found out about us, she was afraid for him. But you know what? It didn't matter to them. Go talk to Glen. I think he'll be receptive."
Paige came over and gave Piper a big hug. "Thanks for the sisterly advice," she said. Just then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," said Phoebe, who had just come down the stairs holding Tom in her arms. When she opened the door, her mouth dropped open in shock.
"Can I come in?" asked Katrina.
"Oh, my God, what happened?" Phoebe asked anxiously as she pulled her inside. Katrina was pale, and had a haunted look in her eyes that told of great pain. "Piper, Paige, get in here!" she yelled. She put Tom down on the floor as Piper and Paige walked into the room.
"Katrina, what are you doing here?" Piper asked.
"And where's Cole?" Paige added, noticing his absence.
"It's a long story," she said sadly.
"Well, we're not going anywhere," said Phoebe. "Michael, come down here!" she yelled. Moments later, Michael appeared in a burst of white flames.
"What's going...Katrina what happened?" he asked franticly, noticing her pallor.
"Wait, since when do you have powers?" Katrina asked curiously.
"I'll explain later," he said. "Tell us what happened."
Katrina sighed. "A few days ago, Cole and I were discussing what measures we should take against the Devourers," she began. "We both knew that no matter how much time passed, the Devourers would keep trying to come after us, and you. So he decided to do something rather extreme. He ripped my powers from me, making me mortal, and then he sent me to Earth. He told me to give you a message. 'Protect her. I did what I must, and I will never yield.'"
"Why would he rip your powers from you?" Michael asked, curious.
"Cole was planning on making the barrier completely impregnable, so that even if they managed to kill us, the barrier would still be intact. The plan was that he would make it so that travelers from other realms could enter this universe if he let them in." Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Cole gave up every bit of true happiness he'd ever known to protect this world, and me. And now I'm afraid I'll never see him again."
As Michael listened to Katrina's sad tale, suddenly the most curious sensation passed through him. He suddenly could sense another presence in the room, although very faint at this point. He focused on it, and almost unconsciously his eyes fell on Katrina, and he realized what he'd felt.
Katrina noticed his gaze. "Michael, what is it?" she asked anxiously.
"I know this is going to sound weird," he said, "but...are you pregnant?"
Katrina's eyes widened. "How did you know?" she asked, clearly shocked.
"I don't know," he confessed. "I just suddenly sensed another presence in my mind, and I focused on it, and it was coming from within you. I can't explain it."
"Maybe it's one of your new powers," suggested Phoebe.
"Does Cole know?" Piper asked.
Katrina nodded. "That's why he was so insistent about doing this, so that our son would be safe." Suddenly, Leo orbed in.
"We have a huge problem," he said. "Cole is missing."
"Oh, no," said Katrina, a horrified look coming over her face. "They captured him. That's the only reason why he would be gone."
"I thought you said it wouldn't make any difference, as long as he didn't allow them to enter," said Paige.
"It may not matter now, but if they know the barrier can't be penetrated, they'll use any means necessary to get the answer out of Cole," Katrina said.
"How long has he been missing Leo?" Michael said suddenly.
"About three days," he said.
Michael put a hand to his head. "Everything makes sense now," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"Those weren't just nightmares, Phoebe," said Michael. "Cole was sending me images of him being tortured through the link. He wants me to go after him."
"It's impossible," said Katrina. "Even if you got in, you couldn't get back without Cole because he's the only one who can open a return portal. And don't forget, there are millions of Ravagers in their realm. And, on the chance you managed to make it past them, you still have six Devourers to deal with."
"I don't care!" Michael snapped. "I have to save him. I'm the only one who can."
"Michael, what you're talking about is suicide," said Phoebe. "I don't want you to go. I couldn't go on if I lost you again." She lowered her head as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Michael gently tilted Phoebe's chin up and forced her to look at him. "Phoebe, listen to me. I love you, with all my heart, and it kills me to see you in pain because of me. But I have to do this. Cole has done so much for me. He's my blood, and I refuse to abandon him." He kissed her passionately. "I promise you I'll make it to the other side of this. I will come back to you. I always have." Suddenly, he felt a tugging on his arm.
"Be careful, Father," said Tom, tears glistening in his eyes.
Michael lifted up his son and looked at him. "You are very mature for your age, you know," he said with a smile. "So I want you to take care of your mother for me while I'm gone, ok?"
"I promise," said Tom as Michael put him down.
Michael and Phoebe looked at each other again. Phoebe's lip quivered and she threw herself into his arms again. "Please come back to me, ok?" she pleaded. "I love you."
"I love you, too, and I promise you, I'll come back," he said as he reluctantly disengaged himself from her embrace. "Goodbye, Phoebe." Michael allowed a single tear to trickle down his cheek, and then he flamed out.
****
Michael felt as though he was getting closer to where Cole was, when all of a sudden he felt like he crashed into a brick wall, and his flaming stopped. "Damn, that hurt!" he said as he got to his feet and looked at his surroundings.
Michael was standing in a barren wasteland, which, from Cole's accounts, seemed even worse than the Wasteland. The sky was almost completely black, and lightning flashed often. Fires burned everywhere, providing some illumination but little else. He looked into the distance and spotted a huge stone castle, which no doubt was the Devourers' stronghold. He could see Ravagers standing guard on the towers.
"Well, nobody said this would be easy," he remarked to himself. Squaring his shoulders, Michael set off toward the castle.
****
The moment that Michael flamed out, Phoebe lost all control and started crying hysterically. Piper and Paige took her upstairs to her bedroom, and stayed with her, trying to comfort her.
"Phoebe, sweetie, you need to calm down," said Piper.
"Piper, do you have any idea what I'm going through right now?" Phoebe yelled. "My husband has just left on a rescue mission, and there's a good chance that he'll never come back. Give me one good reason to be calm!"
"Pheebs, I think what Piper was trying to say was that you need to have faith," said Paige. "You need to believe that Michael is going to find Cole and bring him back. You need to believe that you'll hold him in your arms again. Otherwise, your fear will drive you insane."
Phoebe sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm so scared. I can't even think of what I'd do if he died there, or if he couldn't come back."
"Then don't," said Piper, putting her hands on Phoebe's shoulders. "Think of how happy you'll be when he comes back. Think of everything you love about him. Hold on to that, and you'll be fine."
Phoebe leaned against her sisters and sighed. "Thanks," she said. "Would you guys stay with me for a while? I need to have people around me."
"Of course, honey," said Paige. Each sister lay down next to Phoebe on either side of her and took her hand in theirs. Phoebe smiled slightly. Her family loved her so much, and knowing that helped to ease the pain.
****
Michael felt that he'd be trudging through the barren landscape for hours. The castle had gotten closer, but it must have been much bigger than he'd thought because he had yet to reach the outer wall, though he could clearly see a drawbridge now.
As he pushed himself onward, his mind was dominated by Phoebe. How could he have caused her that much pain? He cursed himself for hurting her. He promised himself that when he and Cole got out here, he would do anything she wanted to make it up to her. Her love was the very air he breathed, and he couldn't survive without it.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Michael reached the portcullis of the castle. Fortunately, it seemed that security was a little lax, but stealth would be preferable at this point rather than brute force. Michael summoned a sword, which was practically an exact copy of Excalibur, and in one leap jumped to the top of one of the towers. The Ravager there turned on him, but Michael had decapitated him before he had a chance to do anything.
Michael silently moved down the tower stairs, making no noise at all. As he made his way down into the bowels of the castle, he began to hear screams of pain. At the same time, Cole's presence flared in his mind, and he knew that Cole was being tortured right then. Soon enough, Michael found himself outside one of the dungeons, and through the darkness he could just make out Cole from his vantage point, along with three of the Devourers. At the moment, Cole's screams had ceased, and the Devourers were talking.
"Did you get anything out of him yet?" asked Xorl.
"No," answered Iokon. "His will is much stronger than we anticipated."
"Well, let's give him a break for today," said Xorl. "After all, he's only useful alive until he tells us how he managed to completely seal off the Earth realm from our portals." The three Devourers flashed out. When Michael was certain that they weren't coming back, he crept into the torture chamber...and nearly fainted at the sight in front of him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(This is a continuation of the universe I created in Lineage and that is continued in The Dark Half, Family Ties, Darkness Rising, Destiny's Call, The Last Guard at the Gate, Hidden Potential, and Sacrifices.)
CHAPTER 1: Night Visions
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Michael screamed in pain. The Devourer ripped into his flesh with the sharp blade of his knife.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" sneered the Devourer. "Of course the pain could stop, if you grant me one small favor."
"Never," said Michael firmly through the pain. "You can torture me all me all you want, but I'll never give in!"
"We'll soon find out, won't we?" said the Devourer with a dark smile. The knife once again edged closer and closer to Michael's skin...
****
Michael screamed and sat up in shock. He checked his abdomen for cuts, but there were none there. He took deep breaths to try to calm down. He rubbed his forehead and found it was covered with cold sweat, as was most of his body.
Michael jumped slightly as the light came on, but relaxed slightly as he saw Phoebe. "Baby, are you ok?" she asked.
Michael looked at her and answered with his eyes.
"Was it the nightmare again?"
Michael nodded. "They're getting more intense every night. I'm scared, Phoebe."
"Come here," she said, opening her arms to him. Michael crushed her against him and buried his face in her hair. Phoebe gently rubbed his back and whispered sweet words of love in his ear to calm him down. Eventually, Michael's breathing slowed and his heart stopped its maddening pounding.
"Thank you," Michael whispered. "Would you hold me for a while?"
"Of course, honey," said Phoebe. Michael kept his arms wrapped around her so that she was lying on top of him when he rolled onto his back. Phoebe slipped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his chest. Michael's eyelids began to droop almost immediately, and within a few minutes he was sleeping peacefully.
****
"Paige, where are you going?" asked Piper. It was about 10:00 a.m.
"Just over to Glen's...what?" she asked at Piper's look.
"It's just that you two have been going out for so long. Don't you think it's about time you two moved on to the next step?"
"Piper, it's not like I haven't thought about it before," said Paige. "It's just that I'm afraid if we get...well, engaged, something bad will happen...magically bad."
Piper smiled understandingly. "You know, Prue once went through the same thing with her boyfriend Andy. Once he found out about us, she was afraid for him. But you know what? It didn't matter to them. Go talk to Glen. I think he'll be receptive."
Paige came over and gave Piper a big hug. "Thanks for the sisterly advice," she said. Just then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," said Phoebe, who had just come down the stairs holding Tom in her arms. When she opened the door, her mouth dropped open in shock.
"Can I come in?" asked Katrina.
"Oh, my God, what happened?" Phoebe asked anxiously as she pulled her inside. Katrina was pale, and had a haunted look in her eyes that told of great pain. "Piper, Paige, get in here!" she yelled. She put Tom down on the floor as Piper and Paige walked into the room.
"Katrina, what are you doing here?" Piper asked.
"And where's Cole?" Paige added, noticing his absence.
"It's a long story," she said sadly.
"Well, we're not going anywhere," said Phoebe. "Michael, come down here!" she yelled. Moments later, Michael appeared in a burst of white flames.
"What's going...Katrina what happened?" he asked franticly, noticing her pallor.
"Wait, since when do you have powers?" Katrina asked curiously.
"I'll explain later," he said. "Tell us what happened."
Katrina sighed. "A few days ago, Cole and I were discussing what measures we should take against the Devourers," she began. "We both knew that no matter how much time passed, the Devourers would keep trying to come after us, and you. So he decided to do something rather extreme. He ripped my powers from me, making me mortal, and then he sent me to Earth. He told me to give you a message. 'Protect her. I did what I must, and I will never yield.'"
"Why would he rip your powers from you?" Michael asked, curious.
"Cole was planning on making the barrier completely impregnable, so that even if they managed to kill us, the barrier would still be intact. The plan was that he would make it so that travelers from other realms could enter this universe if he let them in." Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Cole gave up every bit of true happiness he'd ever known to protect this world, and me. And now I'm afraid I'll never see him again."
As Michael listened to Katrina's sad tale, suddenly the most curious sensation passed through him. He suddenly could sense another presence in the room, although very faint at this point. He focused on it, and almost unconsciously his eyes fell on Katrina, and he realized what he'd felt.
Katrina noticed his gaze. "Michael, what is it?" she asked anxiously.
"I know this is going to sound weird," he said, "but...are you pregnant?"
Katrina's eyes widened. "How did you know?" she asked, clearly shocked.
"I don't know," he confessed. "I just suddenly sensed another presence in my mind, and I focused on it, and it was coming from within you. I can't explain it."
"Maybe it's one of your new powers," suggested Phoebe.
"Does Cole know?" Piper asked.
Katrina nodded. "That's why he was so insistent about doing this, so that our son would be safe." Suddenly, Leo orbed in.
"We have a huge problem," he said. "Cole is missing."
"Oh, no," said Katrina, a horrified look coming over her face. "They captured him. That's the only reason why he would be gone."
"I thought you said it wouldn't make any difference, as long as he didn't allow them to enter," said Paige.
"It may not matter now, but if they know the barrier can't be penetrated, they'll use any means necessary to get the answer out of Cole," Katrina said.
"How long has he been missing Leo?" Michael said suddenly.
"About three days," he said.
Michael put a hand to his head. "Everything makes sense now," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"Those weren't just nightmares, Phoebe," said Michael. "Cole was sending me images of him being tortured through the link. He wants me to go after him."
"It's impossible," said Katrina. "Even if you got in, you couldn't get back without Cole because he's the only one who can open a return portal. And don't forget, there are millions of Ravagers in their realm. And, on the chance you managed to make it past them, you still have six Devourers to deal with."
"I don't care!" Michael snapped. "I have to save him. I'm the only one who can."
"Michael, what you're talking about is suicide," said Phoebe. "I don't want you to go. I couldn't go on if I lost you again." She lowered her head as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Michael gently tilted Phoebe's chin up and forced her to look at him. "Phoebe, listen to me. I love you, with all my heart, and it kills me to see you in pain because of me. But I have to do this. Cole has done so much for me. He's my blood, and I refuse to abandon him." He kissed her passionately. "I promise you I'll make it to the other side of this. I will come back to you. I always have." Suddenly, he felt a tugging on his arm.
"Be careful, Father," said Tom, tears glistening in his eyes.
Michael lifted up his son and looked at him. "You are very mature for your age, you know," he said with a smile. "So I want you to take care of your mother for me while I'm gone, ok?"
"I promise," said Tom as Michael put him down.
Michael and Phoebe looked at each other again. Phoebe's lip quivered and she threw herself into his arms again. "Please come back to me, ok?" she pleaded. "I love you."
"I love you, too, and I promise you, I'll come back," he said as he reluctantly disengaged himself from her embrace. "Goodbye, Phoebe." Michael allowed a single tear to trickle down his cheek, and then he flamed out.
****
Michael felt as though he was getting closer to where Cole was, when all of a sudden he felt like he crashed into a brick wall, and his flaming stopped. "Damn, that hurt!" he said as he got to his feet and looked at his surroundings.
Michael was standing in a barren wasteland, which, from Cole's accounts, seemed even worse than the Wasteland. The sky was almost completely black, and lightning flashed often. Fires burned everywhere, providing some illumination but little else. He looked into the distance and spotted a huge stone castle, which no doubt was the Devourers' stronghold. He could see Ravagers standing guard on the towers.
"Well, nobody said this would be easy," he remarked to himself. Squaring his shoulders, Michael set off toward the castle.
****
The moment that Michael flamed out, Phoebe lost all control and started crying hysterically. Piper and Paige took her upstairs to her bedroom, and stayed with her, trying to comfort her.
"Phoebe, sweetie, you need to calm down," said Piper.
"Piper, do you have any idea what I'm going through right now?" Phoebe yelled. "My husband has just left on a rescue mission, and there's a good chance that he'll never come back. Give me one good reason to be calm!"
"Pheebs, I think what Piper was trying to say was that you need to have faith," said Paige. "You need to believe that Michael is going to find Cole and bring him back. You need to believe that you'll hold him in your arms again. Otherwise, your fear will drive you insane."
Phoebe sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm so scared. I can't even think of what I'd do if he died there, or if he couldn't come back."
"Then don't," said Piper, putting her hands on Phoebe's shoulders. "Think of how happy you'll be when he comes back. Think of everything you love about him. Hold on to that, and you'll be fine."
Phoebe leaned against her sisters and sighed. "Thanks," she said. "Would you guys stay with me for a while? I need to have people around me."
"Of course, honey," said Paige. Each sister lay down next to Phoebe on either side of her and took her hand in theirs. Phoebe smiled slightly. Her family loved her so much, and knowing that helped to ease the pain.
****
Michael felt that he'd be trudging through the barren landscape for hours. The castle had gotten closer, but it must have been much bigger than he'd thought because he had yet to reach the outer wall, though he could clearly see a drawbridge now.
As he pushed himself onward, his mind was dominated by Phoebe. How could he have caused her that much pain? He cursed himself for hurting her. He promised himself that when he and Cole got out here, he would do anything she wanted to make it up to her. Her love was the very air he breathed, and he couldn't survive without it.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Michael reached the portcullis of the castle. Fortunately, it seemed that security was a little lax, but stealth would be preferable at this point rather than brute force. Michael summoned a sword, which was practically an exact copy of Excalibur, and in one leap jumped to the top of one of the towers. The Ravager there turned on him, but Michael had decapitated him before he had a chance to do anything.
Michael silently moved down the tower stairs, making no noise at all. As he made his way down into the bowels of the castle, he began to hear screams of pain. At the same time, Cole's presence flared in his mind, and he knew that Cole was being tortured right then. Soon enough, Michael found himself outside one of the dungeons, and through the darkness he could just make out Cole from his vantage point, along with three of the Devourers. At the moment, Cole's screams had ceased, and the Devourers were talking.
"Did you get anything out of him yet?" asked Xorl.
"No," answered Iokon. "His will is much stronger than we anticipated."
"Well, let's give him a break for today," said Xorl. "After all, he's only useful alive until he tells us how he managed to completely seal off the Earth realm from our portals." The three Devourers flashed out. When Michael was certain that they weren't coming back, he crept into the torture chamber...and nearly fainted at the sight in front of him.
TO BE CONTINUED...