Wyatt Halliwell was not used to being made a fool of, but that's exactly what was happening. His family, his own family, was mocking him. Did they not realize how much danger that put him in? And therefore, themselves? The only reason Chris's "resistance" was still standing was because he let it. But Chris was starting to annoy him. He was getting too cocky. How was he supposed to run an empire with Chris biting at his ankles? Wyatt rubbed his temple to try and ease the headache he always got when he thought about his little brother. "If you only you could see, Brother, the genius of my plans. You would be safe. All of you."
He tried not to think about his family, but he never seemed to be able to get them completely off his mind. Everything he did was for them. He only wanted to protect them like he couldn't do with his mom, but they couldn't see that. They only saw the negatives. Yes, sacrifices had to be made, but family came first. Right? That's what their parents taught them, so if they had the power to make sure no one would ever be able to hurt them again, why not use it? Wyatt understood his family's hesitance in the beginning, but now they were starting to actually think they could challenge him. That was unacceptable to Wyatt. If there was any hope that he could be beaten, Wyatt knew his enemies would cling to it.
Hope was a dangerous thing in the hands of rebels, especially in his family. Wyatt wasn't scared of anyone. He alone was the most powerful being alive. He had done the impossible. He had united the mortal and magical worlds and brought to ashes the hierarchy of good and evil. Most of the planet was under his control. Only a few dared to even think of challenging his power. Unfortunately, his enemies were the ones he loved the most. Rumors were beginning to spread throughout his empire that Wyatt was getting weak and that he didn't attack the resistance his brother had created because he couldn't. People were starting to believe that Chris's power could rival his.
His spies were reporting exponential growth in the numbers of the resistance, which had now coined the name the Rebel Alliance. Things were getting out of hand quickly. If Wyatt didn't act fast, the precarious stability of his empire could be shattered by his own brother.
"You have left me with few options, Chris. I cannot be held responsible for what has to be done. You, who pride yourself on upholding the traditions of our family, will be the cause of its destruction." Wyatt stood up from his ornate, Victorian-style desk and transversed his bedroom to the wide windows that overlooked his capital city.
He was three stories up and could see over the outer wall of his mansion. To anyone who didn't know, the city looked like any other. It was dark out, but the lights from the buildings, cars, and billboards created a luminescent film over the skyline. Wyatt knew the truth, however. War was brewing just outside his walls, perhaps it was already beginning, and Wyatt was going to have to protect what was his at any costs.
"You brought this on yourself, Brother, the moment you decided to fight me." Wyatt tried to convince himself that this was the only option, but he hated himself for what he had to do. "I will prove to you, and all those who think they can challenge me, that I will not stand for rebellion."
Someone knocked on his bedroom door. "Come in," he ordered. Wyatt knew there was no going back after this moment. Once his plan started, things were never going to be the same. Until this point, he had let his family thrive under his protection, but Wyatt was through with being made a fool of. Chris was going to learn a lesson even if it cost them a loved one.
A tall, red headed woman entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was young; she had only turned twenty a few weeks ago. But her face and body were that of a seasoned warrior. She had been with Wyatt when he first started his campaign for power. She had never left his side even when the rest of the Halliwell family had abandoned him. "Katherine," Wyatt grinned turning to face his adopted sister, "I'm so glad you could make it. I know these last weeks have been very...exhausting for you."
Katherine smirked. "You could say that." She strolled over to Wyatt's plush, king-sized mattress and plopped down on her back. She had spent the last two weeks prowling through the underbelly of Republic City to find out anything she could about the resistance movement with zero headway. If there was anything happening, the R.A. was doing a damned good job hiding it. She had just gotten back an hour ago when her attendant told her Wyatt needed to see her. "So why am I in your room instead of catching up on some much needed sleep?" She didn't try to hide the animosity in her voice.
"Careful, Katherine. If anyone else had talked to me like that, they would be dead before they could finish their sentence." Wyatt, too, didn't try to mask his anger. He was used to people groveling at his feet, and while he didn't expect Kat to bow down to him, he did expect some respect.
Katherine rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Then blast me, or whatever it is that gets you going these days. I'm exhausted. I haven't slept in three days and I've spent the last week crawling through the sewer with people who were dumber than the rats on our feet." She grimaced at the memory. "Which, by the way, I am never going down there again. I still smell like shit."
This time Wyatt chuckled. "No argument there. I can smell you all the way from over here. I think I'm going to have to have my room fumigated."
Katherine stuck out her tongue without looking at him. "Whatever. All I know is, if the R.A. is planning something they're covering their asses pretty well. No one's talking and I was...very convincing."
Wyatt scowled, but he believed the young woman. No one could make anyone give up information like her. Wyatt's stomach would still get queasy whenever he thought about the last time he walked in on one of Katherine's "interrogations," and he didn't consider himself weak-stomached. So Chris was keeping his plans top secret. That just proved to Wyatt that his plan was all the more necessary, but the problem wasn't convincing himself. The problem was the woman lying on his bed. If Katherine couldn't see his logic, the whole plan would fall through. "We cannot let things keep escalating like they have. If we don't act now, we could lose what little security we have now."
Katherine nodded. She'd heard the same speech from him before. She believed that's what Wyatt was telling himself, but she also believed Chris was getting under Wyatt's skin. No one had even come close to challenging Wyatt since he gained control of middle earth except for Chris. It was sibling rivalry on a catastrophic level. Of course, she never told Wyatt this because she preferred to stay on his good side. "Unfortunately, we both know that Chris isn't just going to surrender because we want him too."
Wyatt stared at the only family who wasn't hellbent on destroying his empire. She wasn't really his sister. Her grandmother was Penelope Halliwell's sister. Katherine's parents were killed in a mysterious house fire when she was just an infant. Piper was considered her next-of-kin. Of course, his mother had taken the baby in without hesitation and raised her as her own even though Piper was pregnant with her third child, Melinda. When Katherine was old enough to make the decision, Piper and Leo asked her if they wanted to become their legal daughter. The then nine year old Katherine had stated she thought she already was. Katherine had been the only one to see Wyatt's logic when he revealed to his family his plan to challenge the Powers That Be for control of the magical community. She was his most trusted confidante, but she also still believed that their family could be won over to their way of thinking.
"No, but perhaps there is something we can do prevent another all-out war." Wyatt had to proceed carefully, but he believed with a little coaxing he could show her this was completely necessary.
Now Katherine sat up. "What do you have in mind?" Wyatt wasn't looking at her which was never a good sign. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"I have to prove to him that he cannot challenge me and succeed." Wyatt turned back to the window. He heard Katherine get up from the bed and stand behind him.
"What the hell does that mean, Wyatt?" Katherine grabbed his wrist and tried to make him look at her, but he kept his gaze facing the city below them.
"We strike Chris where he will feel it most," Wyatt waited for his sister's response. Wyatt ignored the aching in his chest. He was a leader, and as a leader, he had to do what was best for his kingdom. Chris was a threat that had to be handled.
Katherine didn't understand at first. There was only one thing in the world that mattered to Chris: his family. And that's when it hit her. "No," she gasped, "Wyatt, we can't do that! They're our family, too!" Katherine forced her way in front of him. What the hell was he thinking? They were doing all of this to protect their family not to kill them. That was why she'd stayed with Wyatt. She believed in him and his purpose. The Wyatt she knew would never even think of harming family. "Wyatt, that's taking it too far. No, we can't do that."
"Do NOT tell ME what I can't do!" Wyatt bellowed. He glared down at her. Who did she think she was? He knew they were family, but he also knew they were a threat. They had already sacrificed so much. Did Katherine just want that all to go to waste? She could play the "good guy" if she wanted, but Wyatt knew she would eventually see reason.
Katherine shrunk under his anger. This wasn't Wyatt. Something had changed in her brother. She tried to find the man who had set out to protect his family in his eyes, but all she saw was fear and anger. "Katherine," he said evenly without emotion, "we have to do this. I will not let them continue to mock me."
"So that's what it's about? Pride? You're willing to kill your family for your own ego?" Katherine was aware she was walking on this ice. Wyatt's anger was only matched by his brother's, a trait they both inherited from their late mother. Before tonight she never thought Wyatt could hurt one of them, but now she wasn't so sure. This plan was ridiculous.
"It's not pride," he wasn't looking at her again. His voice was monotone. "I've built an empire for myself...and you, and all of them. They've made it near impossible for the peace I seek to exist. One more life, one more sacrifice is all we need to create peace then we can be a family again."
Katherine shook her head. "And who are you going to kill? Prue? Henry? Blake? Harper?" Their names stung her chest. She missed her family so much. She knew Wyatt missed them too. It was killing them both to be separate from them, and when Chris had started the resistance, Wyatt retreated so far into himself Katherine didn't know if he was ever going to come back out. Only in the last few months had her brother started to act like a leader again, but he had changed. He hardly ever smiled or laughed. There wasn't a twinkle of excitement in his voice when he talked anymore. He spent most of his time locked up in his rooming brooding over Chris.
Wyatt scowled. There was the other kink in his plan. Which one would he sacrifice. He tried to imagine the perfect world he strived to create without any one of his family and couldn't. "I haven't decided."
"Wyatt," she was pleading now, not with the leader of civilization, but with her brother. That was the only way she would be able to stop this. Wyatt, the eldest of the Charmed One's children, would never let anything hurt his family. She just had to find that person again. She met his blue eyes. They were clouded over with fear and doubt. "We will find a way to be a family again, but not like this. If you do this, we will lose them forever." Fear gripped Katherine. She had always kept up hope that one day she could be reunited with the people she loved. They had already lost so many people they loved, she couldn't imagine losing someone else, not at her own hands
Wyatt sighed. Some part of him knew she was right, but Wyatt was tired. He was tired of fighting Chris and the rest of his family and all the other groups that wanted his downfall. When he had set out to accomplish his goals he had always imagined Chris by his side. Together they would have been unstoppable. Wyatt shook away any hope of his brother ever seeing reason. Chris was just too stubborn to see that he was wrong, and he had drug down the rest of the family with him. "If we don't do this, we could lose so much more."
"What is there besides family?" Katherine breathed. "Family comes first, remember?"
"Don't recite my mother's words to me. I did everything for them, and they threw it in my face! Now they will face the consequences of their actions." Wyatt waved his hand when she tried to argue. "No, this discussion is over. Either you're with me or against me."
Katherine grit her teeth. She knew the choice she should make. She should walk out on him right now, make her stand. Perhaps the others would welcome her back, but she doubted it. That's when she realized she never had a choice. The others would never accept her. Even on the rare occasions they saw each other, they asked about Wyatt, not her. She knew it was cliche, but being adopted set her apart from them. They shared a bond she couldn't understand. If she walked out on Wyatt, she would lose the only family she had left.
She couldn't make herself say the words or even look at him. She hated herself for being so selfish. She hated Wyatt for putting her in this situation, and she hated Chris and the rest of them for leaving her. Katherine nodded her head. Wyatt embraced her, but she shook away from him and looked at the ground. She tried to hide her tears.
Wyatt looked out over his city again. The world was his. He had fought for it, and he would be damned before he let anyone, even his own family, take it from him. He had conquered good and evil with his own power. Now, he would end the rebellion with one final act. His family would have no choice to join him once they saw his power. Wyatt clung to that hope with all his might.
Prudence Johanna Halliwell ground her teeth and clenched her fists against the sounds of the cheering crowd. She wanted to tear into all their throats and rip their larynxes out. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the aching in her chest. A hand gripped her shoulder, half comforting her and half holding her back. "Prue, if you can't do this, you need to turn back now. You're only putting us in danger otherwise," Chris said. He couldn't blame his younger cousin. He felt the same way towards the mass of people in front of them, but they were on a mission. A weak link could kill them all.
Prue shook her head. "I'm staying. I'm fine." She turned away from the crowd back to her family. They were in an ally just within seeing distance of the throng. Their chants echoed off the walls even this far away. The four Warren witches tried to ignore the sounds, but it was grating on all their nerves. Over the heads of the crowd Prue had seen the top of the wooden platform and the metal stake sticking from it.
Melinda fidgeted nervously against the wall. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and hatred boiled under her skin. She had never been to a witch's burning before and never had this much been at stake. If they failed, they would all be killed most likely and someone else they loved would die as well. But if they succeeded... Melinda's heart fluttered. They would get back someone they thought they had lost forever.
"It was Katherine," Parker, her younger cousin had said firmly after she had a premonition. "She...she was burned at the stake."
Melinda remembered the horror on Parker's face, as well. Her hands had shaken, and she wasn't able to talk for several minutes after the premonition. There was no doubt what she had seen was true, but they almost hadn't acted. Her older cousin, Prue had been the only one to argue they shouldn't try to save Katherine. "It's a trap," she'd said, "there's no way Wyatt would let her die. He wants us to try to save her, so he can get to us."
Melinda realized what Prue had said made sense, but no one had listened. Family came first, always, and Katherine and Wyatt would always be family.
Henry Jr, the only other member of the rescue party stood on the edge of the ally glaring at the mass. He clenched his jaws and flexed his massive arms. "I wish I could strangle them all," he growled. "They're monsters. All of them."
Chris Halliwell glanced at each of his three family members and wondered if they would all come out of this alive. They had never attempted to stop a burning. They were too public, with too many different factions lurking around waiting for someone to do exactly what they were doing. If even one thing went just a little wrong, they could very well be attending their own burning soon. "They're not our focus right now," Chris didn't let his mind wander on the 'what-ifs' or on the gathering of people. "Our mission is to get her and get out."
Chris wished he'd come alone. It would have been a lot harder for him to get Katherine and himself out of here alive, but at least no one else in his family would have been put in danger. Everyone wanted to help in the rescue though, even Prue who was dead set against it. Chris had hesitated most on choosing her, but he knew Prue would come no matter what he told her. Their family's vendetta against the Hunters was personal, but Prue's ran the deepest. She had watched her own mother, Phoebe, be publicly executed by the Hunters five years ago.
"Are we all clear on the plan?" Chris put aside all his other thoughts and instead focused entirely on the mission in front of him.
The three other Halliwells nodded. "Too bad," Henry muttered, "we can't just light their asses up."
Chris hissed at him. Prue's face drained of color, but she kept her expression emotionless. "Don't worry. We will soon."
Chris didn't have time to think about her words because just then the mass erupted into cheers that forced them all to cover their ears. They each walked to the end of the ally this way. The multitude of people had turned to chaos, but the Halliwells weren't paying attention to them anymore. On the platform guarded by two huge demons and a tall slim man dressed in all white, a young woman with bright red hair was being tied to the stake.
She was clothed in a ripped dress. Even from where they stood they could see the dried blood caked on her skin and matted in her hair. Melinda reached for Chris's hand. This was their sister, maybe not entirely by blood, but she had always been there with them until she joined Wyatt. They loved her like a sister. Chris gripped Melinda's hand in his. He motioned with his fingers. Henry nodded and disappeared in bright white lights. Prue hesitated a second. She glared defiantly at the crowd. Chris thought she was going to blow their cover or abandon them, but she too disappeared another second later.
The plan was simple. It had to be. If one thing went wrong, they would all die. Chris and Melinda were going to meld themselves into the crowd in the madness. Their faces were almost as famous as Wyatt's, but no one would be looking for them. They would all be too focused on the burning. At the last possible second, Melinda would freeze the city block. Henry, who would be positioned close by would orb in to fight off any demons who appeared to guard Katherine. Chris had to stay with Melinda because she had no power of transportation. Prue would use her invisibility to make her way onto the platform, grab Katherine and beam them both out. Henry, Chris, and Melinda would follow her as soon as she was gone.
Simple, but there was still too much room for error. They had no idea who was in the crowd or who would appear. For all they know, it was a trap. Chris had the sinking feeling Prue had been right. He should call the mission off right now, but he couldn't. He couldn't watch another person he loved be killed by the Hunters.
Prue hid herself in the shadows between two buildings just outside the main body of people. She forced herself to catch her breath because she had started to hyperventilate. She glowered at the man dressed in an all white suit. He had been there at her mother's burning. He had thrown the torch and laughed as she screamed. Prue tried to shake away the echo of her mother's agonized shrieks. She hadn't known her daughter was watching.
Prue lost control of her breathing again. She leaned against the wall for support and slid to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't..." She gasped.
The man began to speak. The crowd instantly grew quiet. "This is a momentous day in our history." He had to pause here at the the multitude erupted in a chants. Prue was behind the platform, so she only saw his back. But she knew the thin-lipped smirk that he would be wearing. It haunted her still in her sleep. "Today, we will not just rid the world of a great evil commonly referred to as a 'witch'," his tone drug on the word as if it caused him pain to even say it, "but, some of you unfortunate souls will recognize that this...creature of darkness is no regular monster. She," he paused and turned around. He ran his fingers through her matted hair. Katherine, who had been standing tall spit blood on his face. Crimson stained his face and the front if his suit. The onlookers exploded in cries of man smiled, wiped the blood away, and turned back to his audience. He waved for them to settle down, but it was minutes before he could begin talking again. The man wasn't in a hurry however. He wanted to bask in the glory of this moment when he would exterminate yet another being of evil.
When the crowd had settled, he took another step closer to Katherine only this time he grabbed the hair closest to her head and forced it back. He ran his long fingers across her throat. "This is a dreaded Halliwell, relative of our tyrant king." At the name Halliwell, another wave of insanity swept over the crowd.
Prue's anger drew her to her feet again. She could end him in one second. There were a few hundred people in between him and her, but she could beam to him, hidden by her own invisibility, and stab him before anyone knew what happened. She wouldn't be able to escape before the demons on the platform killed her, and Katherine might die as well. Chris, Melinda, and Henry would know she had gone behind their back. They would be angry, but they would escape. She could kill him. Everything inside her screamed at her to go. She took a step forward, when another, familiar and deafening scream pierced her ears.
Payton Halliwell scanned the crowd looking for any sign of her family, but there were too many people. Even from her rooftop perspective she couldn't find them. When the two demons appeared carrying a semi-unconscious Katherine, Payton had to cover her ears from the throng's shouts. She kept her gaze locked on the redhead. She was covered in blood. Payton assumed it was hers. She hadn't seen her cousin in almost four years, but she knew it was her. She gripped the edge of the building to steady herself. A man wearing all white ascended to the platform. Payton knew who he was as well. Bile filled her mouth and she thought she was going to vomit, but she choked it down. "Murderer," she hissed. Her oldest sister Prue had described him to her one night when Prue had woken up, shaking and screaming, from a nightmare of their mother's murder.
Prue had tried to keep her from coming, but Payton wanted to see him, the man responsible for her mother's death. She wanted to see the face of the man who had taken the most important person in her world away from her. She needed a face for her monster. Payton had snuck out of the the resistance's stronghold without really knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Seeing him, though, she realized that's all she had wanted. Now, she just wanted him dead.
She didn't even hear the sound of jingling bells behind her. "Payton, it's been such a long time."
Payton whipped around at his voice. "Wyatt," she gasped. If she hadn't seen Katherine in four years, it'd been twice that since she'd seen Wyatt. He seemed to have grown a whole foot taller, and his clothes fit snug against his massive form. He was dressed in all black, and his blond curls fell past his shoulders. As always, his piercing blue eyes caught and held her gaze.
Wyatt grinned at his little cousin. Despite the circumstances, he was happy to see her. It'd been so long since he'd seen any of his family. He was aware of his job, but for right now, he just wanted to talk to her. He almost hadn't recognized her. When they had last saw each other, she was only a little girl, now she was a young woman. "How old are you now? Fourteen?"
Payton licked her lips. Her mouth had gone dry. She couldn't find the words to answer his question until a few seconds after he'd asked it. "Sixteen," she breathed. Wyatt was standing in front of her. She almost couldn't believe it. She hadn't seen her cousin since he went crazy and took over the world. The man standing in front of her didn't make sense with the boy she remembered in her head. Sad, she thought, he looks sad.
Wyatt whistled taking a step closer. Payton retreated until she was pressed completely against the ledge of the roof. The danger of her situation was beginning to set in. This wasn't her cousin Wyatt. This as the dictator of the world. She should run now while she could, but she didn't want to. She missed him, or rather who he used to be. "You're getting too old, but, I don't think, old enough to be watching that," he motioned with his head down to the mass of people who kept cheering. "Does Prue know?" He meant it as a joke, but by her expression he could tell the question made her mad.
"Don't talk about her," Payton was surprised at her own anger, but it wasn't right, him saying her name. She didn't know why.
"I'll take that as a no," Wyatt chuckled, but it was empty. He grimaced. "Is she down there? Is Chris?" Wyatt peaked over the edge of the roof, but he wasn't close enough to see anything except the very corner of the multitude of people.
Payton remembered what Prue had said about a trap. You were right, she thought. Payton knew she had to keep Wyatt here until her family could get Katherine out, but if Katherine was in on it, shouldn't she warn them before they could save her?
Payton scowled at him. She knew what she had to do. If they tried to get to Katherine, they would all fall right into Wyatt's trap. "How could you work with them, Wyatt," his name felt weird on her lips, "after what they did?" She didn't wait for an answer. She doubted there was one. She turned around and inhaled to scream her warning, but before she could let it out, something hard wrapped around her and pulled her back.
Wyatt knew what she was planning before she even turned around. He cupped his hand at his side. Her small body flew through the air. She landed in his arms. She tried to struggle, but he was much stronger. Wyatt groaned as her foot connected with his shin. "Dammit!" He huffed. "Quit!" He yanked her arm back behind her back, and she squealed in pain.
Payton tried to beam away, but something blocked her magic and held her in place. It was then she noticed the blue, wavy tint her surroundings had. He had her under his force field. Fear gripped her. She started to flail to try and get out of his arms, but he wouldn't let go. "Prue!" She yelled even though she knew it was useless. Her sister didn't even know she was here. No one did. I'm going to die, she thought.
Wyatt drug his cousin to the edge of the building. "Scream!" He ordered.
At first, Payton didn't understand, but then Wyatt forced her arm further up her back. She gasped as pain shot through her shoulder. She felt the tendons stretching to their maximum. "Scream," he demanded again.
"Go. To. Hell." she gritted through the pain.
Wyatt yanked again. This time something snapped in her shoulder. The crowd below was quiet with expectancy and completely focused on the Man in White. Their silence was shattered by Payton's shriek.
Katherine knew what that scream meant. She tried to block the sound of it, but she couldn't. It struck her like a physical force and knocked the breath out of her. She hated herself. She wanted to die; she deserved it. From the moment Wyatt told her his plan she had prayed her family wouldn't come, but they had. After everything she'd done to them, they'd still come for her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Chris spun around, searching the rooftops for the source of the scream. He felt like he should know who it belonged to, and that caused him stomach to sink. Melinda grasped his hand tighter. "Chris," she whispered so no one could here her, "what was that?"
Chris shook his head. The crowd around them was just as confused as well. Murmured conversations swept over the audience. Everyone turned to the Man in White expectantly. He grinned down at his followers, and nodded to the two demons present. They erupted in flames and disappeared. The crowd muttered, but remained quiet. "My friends," the man bellowed happily, "do not fear! In preparation for an attempted rescue of this...beast...I put up extra guards. It seems they have caught one."
Melinda hissed causing the people next to her to grimace. She ducked her head and avoided they're eyes. If someone recognized them, the whole mission would be blown, and Katherine would die. But if what that man said was true, one of their family could already be in danger. "Jo," Melinda whispered the nickname of their cousin Prue. It came from the beginning of her middle name Johanna.
Chris nodded. He had enough experience to know that the mission was already over. If one of their covers was blown, they had no chance of rescuing Katherine, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. They still had time. Chris scanned the rooftops again, and that's when he saw her. He grabbed his little sister's arm and pointed. Melinda followed his gesture and gasped. "Payton." Within seconds, the entire crowd had spotted the black outline atop one of the eastern buildings.
"Let's go," Chris gripped her wrist and started to meld away in thousands of white orbs. The sinking feeling in his stomach grew stronger. This is all wrong, he thought.
Melinda heard the people around her gasp in shock and anger when the orbs appeared. "No," she said, and at the last second pulled away. Chris disappeared leaving her stranded in the middle of the crowd. The man's eyes beside her widened in recognition.
"Witch!" He screamed. "It's another Halliwell!"
Hands gripped her before she could move, but Melinda didn't need to fight them. She flicked her wrists, and everything paused. "Dammit!" She cursed as she pried their hands off her. She stared straight ahead at the platform where the Man in White stood motionless, and Katherine was watching the rooftops. She was going to save her sister. Whatever trouble Payton was in, Chris could handle it. Katherine needed Melinda. She pushed her way through the crowd until she was only a few feet from they base of the platform. Katherine still wasn't looking at her. Melinda found the stairs that led to the top and started to climb them. She prayed that whatever was happening on the roof would keep the demons busy. She knew she could kill them if it came down to a fight. She may not have the power of her brothers, but she was still a Halliwell witch. Melinda wanted to put as much distance between herself, Katherine and the mob as possible before they unfroze. She only had maybe a couple minutes left before her magic wore off then they would come looking.
She was only a few feet from Katherine before her sister saw her. "Melinda," she looked dazed.
Melinda tried not to look at Katherine's wounds. She was very aware of the Witch Hunters' forms of torture. She had treated some of the lucky victims who had somehow managed to escape and make it to the stronghold. Katherine's fingers would all be twisted and broken, her back covered in lash marks, her knees and elbows would be bloated and red from electrocution wires. Melinda forced herself to keep eyes on Katherine's face, even as she unhooked her hands from the chains behind her.
Katherine tried to speak, to tell Melinda to run away, that she wasn't worth it, but she kept quiet. If Melinda left, she would be alone again. She glanced at the frozen Man in White and shuddered. In the back of her mind, she still heard his pleased laughter as she screamed from his torture. If Melinda left her, she would never escape him. Fear kept her silent.
Melinda loosed Katherine's hands successfully. "Can you walk?" She asked.
Katherine nodded. "But I'll need help." She didn't ask where Chris was. She knew the answer. Katherine looked at the roof where she knew Wyatt would be and wondered if he had already succeeded. Melinda followed her gaze.
She frowned. It still didn't make sense. Why was Payton even here? She was supposed to stay at the stronghold while they rescued Katherine. The young girl had almost cost them the mission. Maybe she had. They weren't out of this yet. Melinda had confidence in her brother. He would never let anything happen to any of them. Payton would be safe. Melinda's job was to make sure Katherine would be too. "Let's go." She said grimly. She wrapped Katherine's arm over her shoulder. The other witch groaned in pain, but didn't complain.
Melinda looked for somewhere they could go. She cursed her inability to transport herself with magic. They had planned a rendezvous point, but it was miles away. Chris was supposed to take her there. She spotted an ally that would lead out of the square into the outer part of town. "There is where we're going. Can you make it?"
Katherine nodded. Her body was shaking from exertion and shots of pain, but she would do anything if meant being away from this place.
She kept glancing back at the roof wondering what was happening. She yelled at herself in her mind to tell Melinda to leave her, to go help Chris, but she didn't. Seeing Melinda again made her remember all the things she had lost when she joined Wyatt. This was her chance to get it all back.
Wyatt waited for the first of his family to arrive like he knew they would. Their bonds as a family were still intact, and that made them weak. He planned to exploit that weakness to the maximum. "You son of a bitch," Payton growled in his arms. She didn't fight him anymore because every time she moved white hot lances of pain shot through her arm and blurred her vision. "I hope you rot in hell and I'm the one that puts you there!"
Wyatt chuckled at her empty threat. "You have your mother's spirit, and Prue's as well if I remember correctly."
Payton hissed at him. "Don't you ever talk about my mother. You lost that right the day you abandoned us." It was harsh, and she felt him flinch behind her. She didn't care though. All the pain and rage she'd felt towards him and never been able to express was pouring out of her.
"You abandoned me," he said sternly, but even then Payton could hear some other emotion. Regret? "I gave you the option. I offered you everything."
"Please, Wyatt, you chose evil and power because you couldn't handle losing Piper." Payton regretted her words because she knew they would sting him deeper than anything else ever could.
"How dare you!" He threw her to the ground. She tried to avoid making contact on her shoulder, but she yelled again as it hit the concrete. Her vision blurred, and she felt nauseous. Her arm felt like it was on fire, but she forced herself to look at him. He was angry. His startling blue eyes, inherited from his father, glared down at her with unchecked hatred. She cringed under his anger, but kept his gaze. If she was going to die, she was doing to die with dignity.
"Piper would have never wanted this," she said trying to ignore how hard it was to stay conscious through the pain.
Wyatt growled. "Don't you dare tell me-"
A gasp of shock and anger interrupted him. Prue glared at Wyatt from across the roof. She had beamed here expecting a demon. What she saw froze her in her tracks. "You," she hissed. Looking at her eldest cousin, Prue felt no sense of kinship. The love they had shared had withered and died with her mother. She had seen and experienced too much pain because of him to feel anything but hatred towards the man who had stolen everything from her and her family. She knew Chris and Melinda still clung to the hope that he could be saved, but everyone else knew the truth. He was a monster who needed to be killed.
Wyatt turned his focus to Prue. Anger steeped dangerously under his skin. "We've been waiting for you."
Prue glanced down at her sister then back at Wyatt. "Are you all right, Payton?"
"Prue," Payton winced as she attempted to shift her weight to be able to see her sister better. "Prue, you have to leave."
Prue noticed her sister's grimace and looked for any sign that she was hurt. She saw her right shoulder was sitting at an odd angle and her arm hung uselessly at her side. Anger, like she hadn't felt since her mother's murder, erupted and overflowed into her veins. Adrenaline empowered her. She knew then that if it came to a fight, Wyatt would lose, and that encouraged her even more. Wyatt had nothing to fight for except power. She fought for family, and that made her stronger. She just had to get passed his force field. "I'm not going anywhere," she spat.
Wyatt smirked at his cousin, but she could see the disappointed look on his face. He kept looking at the sky and glancing back towards the crowd that was suddenly very quiet. It's Chris, she realized, that's what this is all about. He wants Chris.
Wyatt scowled as another second went by and his brother still hadn't shown up. He knew he was here. Chris would never let this many members of their family go on a mission without him, especially one like this. But where was he?
Must you always keep me waiting, Brother.
Two streams of blue and white orbs glided down from the sky. The sound of jingling bells rang in their ears. "Finally," Wyatt grinned. He told himself he was only excited to see his brother because he would once and for all prove who was the more powerful witch, but underlining all that, he felt the love for his brother he'd never been able to get rid of. No matter how many times Chris betrayed him, Wyatt knew he would take him back in an instant.
Chris and Henry Jr. landed next to each other. "Dammit, Mel-" Chris stopped when he saw who was standing in front of him. "Wyatt," he breathed.
"Chris, Henry, so nice of you to join us. Prue and I were just catching up." Wyatt was undaunted by his family's glares. He was used to it by now. If they wanted to be enemies, then he would be their enemy.
"Cut the shit, Wyatt." Henry growled. He saw Payton lying on the ground by his feet. His force field extended in several feet from him in every direction. Henry knew there was no getting by it. To save Payton, they would have to get him to lower it.
Chris put a withholding hand on his hot-headed cousin. Henry was Paige's son through and through, right down to the never-say-die attitude. Prue was standing between them and Wyatt and Payton. He stepped forward, placing himself in front of her. He heard her huff and sidestep to be beside him. Henry moved to his other side.
"Wyatt, let her go. She hasn't done anything." Chris ordered even though he knew it was futile. His brother had never listened to him, but this wasn't a game anymore. Chris tried to find any trace of his brother in the man's eyes, but there was nothing. Chris attempted to convince himself that Wyatt would never be capable of hurting one of them, but he wasn't so sure anymore.
Wyatt mocked surprise. "Hasn't done anything? She's is a member of the Resistance Alliance, a terrorist organization bent on eradicating peace. She has, on more than one occasion, conspired against his majesty. She has disobeyed the high king by knowingly partaking in activities that could directly or indirectly harm the empire. May I remind you, all of you, that even one of these crimes is punishable by death?"
Prue hissed, and again, Chris had to restrain his family. "If you even touch her," she spat, "I will jump through that God-damned force field and end you myself."
Wyatt's eyes twinkled with amusement. Chris grimaced. Good things never happened to them when Wyatt got that look. It was the same one Wyatt had when Chris had first told him he would never join him. Wyatt believed he was in complete control right now, and the terrifying thing was, he is. "Now, now, Prue. There's no need to resort to violence. Since she is family," he bent down to stroke her hair. Payton knocked his hand away. The motioned jarred her dislocated shoulder and she groaned. Prue growled a warning. Wyatt chuckled and grabbed her by both arms and pulled her into his embrace. Payton thought she was going to pass out from the sudden motion. She bit back the scream. "I will make an exception. If, all of you," he said the words pointedly, "will join me in my mansion, and give up this futile 'resistance' I will drop all previous charges against her and the rest of you."
"Go to hell," Henry grunted. "You're even crazier than I thought if you think we'd do that."
Chris shot his cousin a please-shut-up look. Henry ignored it. He was tired of Wyatt strutting around like he was something special. Wyatt shook his head. "Chris, I would have thought you'd have more discipline among your ranks."
"Just let her go, Wyatt. This has gone far enough." Chris met Payton's eyes. She was trying to be strong, but he could see the fear there as well. He was going to save her. No matter what it cost.
"Exactly. This has gone far enough. You're little resistance is starting annoy me."
"You mean threaten you," Henry interrupted. Chris glared at him again.
"This isn't helping Payton," he whispered.
Wyatt smirked. "Don't flatter yourself, Henry. The only reason the Rebel Alliance is still standing is because I let it. This," he looked down at Payton, "is me ending it. You have to choose, Brother, which one is more important, your resistance or your family."
Prue side-glanced at him. "Chris," she breathed where only he could hear. He heard the desperation in her voice though. This was her sister, her little sister. Since her mother's death five years ago, Prue had devoted herself to keeping her sister's safe. They were her world, and they were a huge part of his. He had sworn to protect them.
But he had also sworn himself to the resistance. He had given people hope. If he stopped now, if he quit and gave into Wyatt, that would all be shattered.
"Wyatt, let her go, I'll come with you."
Henry pulled Chris backwards. "Are you crazy?"
Chris didn't break his focus on Wyatt. "It's the only way to save her and the resistance." He added the last two words under his breath. Henry stared at him, but he didn't make another move.
Wyatt knew what his brother was doing. He was trying to save Payton and preserve the resistance. "That's not going to work, Chris."
"Wyatt, this is ridiculous. Let her go, and you can have me! That's what you want isn't it?"
"No, Chris," Payton said, but no one heard her except Wyatt.
Prue took a step towards them, but Chris held her arm. She glared back at him, but she didn't fight his hold. He saw the panic in her eyes. He understood. If Wyatt had Mel...he'd do anything to save her.
But he couldn't risk the rest of his family. Wyatt had Payton, but if he gave in, he could have them all. "Wyatt..." Chris saw no way out of this. "Dammit, stop this!"
"Now, Chris, or I can't be held responsible for what has to be done." Wyatt pulled Payton closer. Payton knew the decision Chris was going to make. He wasn't going to save her. He wasn't going to put the rest of the family in danger. She stared at Prue who stared back. She tried to tell her sister it was okay, that this was the right thing, but she knew Prue would never except that.
I love you, she mouthed.
"No!" Prue screamed. She lunged for the force field. It flung her backwards when she came into contact with its surface.
"Prue!" Henry, Chris, and Payton yelled. Henry ran to her side.
Chris glared at Wyatt. "Wyatt, stop!"
"You did this, Chris! The moment you decided to fight me. You did this! Not me!"
The impact of the force field rendered Prue useless. Her arms and legs didn't work, and she couldn't think clearly. But she knew someone she loved was in danger. She tried to stand, but she fell back down. Disoriented, she attempted to focus in the direction she heard Wyatt yell.
Her vision was blurry, but she could still see what happened next. Wyatt dropped Payton to the ground. One of his hands clenched into a fist in front of him. Her body stiffened. She clutched her neck as she was denied air. Her feet came off the ground as his telekinetic hold pulled her into the air.
"No!" Prue lunged again, but she barely moved.
"Payton!" Henry shouted. He held out his hand, but nothing happened. His cousin didn't disappear in orbs and reappear next to him.
Chris didn't react at first. This wasn't happening to him. There was no way Wyatt would do this, but this wasn't Wyatt. Chris knew that. Wyatt, his brother, had been gone for a long time. His brother had left them after Piper's death. He had run away because he couldn't handle the hurt. He had left them to deal with the monster who took his place, and now that monster was killing Payton.
"Wyatt!" Chris screamed. Anger, betrayal, and guilt built up over the last eight years rose to the surface. "Stop!" But his brother wasn't listening. He wasn't even looking at him. He was focused on the suffocating Payton. Chris yelled again. Lightening sparked from his fingertips. He knew he alone had the power to break through Wyatt's force field. One shot from his lightening, and Wyatt would be done. Ended.
Dead.
And everything in him deflated.
The lightening went out, and he fell to his knees. "I can't." This was Wyatt. No matter what else happened. Wyatt was still his brother. He would not be responsible for the death of another family member, not Wyatt. Prue kept yelling. Henry was holding her back, looking away from Wyatt. But Chris forced himself to watch as Wyatt killed Payton.
"I'm sorry." he mouthed even though he knew it was pointless.
Payton's chest begged for air. Her lungs jumped and writhed inside her trying to suck in any minuscule about of air. Her throat burned. Rasping sounds kept coming out of her mouth. Her glared at Wyatt. She knew she was going to die, but she would die with as much dignity as possible. She just wished she could see her sisters one more time, to tell them she wasn't scared. That she was going to get to see Mom, and Aunt Piper and Paige again. Dad would be there, and Henry Senior. Even Grandpa. So many people she loved and missed so much it hurt.
Wyatt watched the lights slowly dim in Payton's eyes. His own chest was aching with hurt, but he pushed that to the side. He saw out of the corner of his eyes lightening crack from Chris's hands. For a moment, Wyatt thought his brother would attack, but the next second Chris was on his knees. Wyatt smiled at his brother's weakness. He had broken Chris.
Payton's body lurched one final time, then she went limp.
Prue screamed. "No! Payton! No!" She collapsed to the ground completely. Her body was wracked with sobs she couldn't control. "No!" This wasn't real. Payton wasn't dead. Her body felt numb. None of this was real. It was just a nightmare. She would wake up any second to see both of her sisters resting peacefully beside her.
Payton wasn't dead.
She couldn't be.
But she was.
Prue stared at her sister's body. "No," she gasped.
Henry Jr. held his older cousin in his arms. She sobbed freely and uncontrollably. He had never even seen her teary eyed. Prue was the picture perfect image of strength. She never showed any form of weakness because she knew her enemies would pounce the moment she did. Now, though, her strength was gone. She had been cracked to a point Henry thought she would never recover from. He hated Wyatt. He had done this. He had torn them apart and sent the world to hell.
It was Wyatt's fault.
It's all my fault, Chris thought. I'm sorry. He saw her body go limp. He flinched as Wyatt dropped her to the ground like she had never been a person, like she wasn't family. Wyatt stared at her body without any emotion. He looked back at Chris. He saw the accusation in his eyes. The guilt ripped Chris to shreds. "You did this, Brother," and he was gone. Black and blue orbs swallowed him. Guilt swallowed Chris.
It was a physical weight on his shoulders he'd always been able to carry before, but not this. He had chosen to let her die instead of killing Wyatt. His heart moaned in agony. How could he be so cruel? How could he choose the monster Wyatt had become over Payton, the energetic, always smiling, beautiful woman she was becoming?
He watched as Prue crawled over to her sister and tried to revive her. It was useless. Chris had let her die. She was dead. It was his fault.
The worst part was he knew he would do it again.