Out Of The Ashes
Chapter 1: Lost in a Lost World
By: Alchemystik
San Francisco, a Territory of The Overlord's Commonwealth in the year 2027.
Chris shifted the bag of groceries in his hand and looked up and down the street; so far, so good. Feigning nonchalantness, he leaned against the wall of a condemned warehouse, his eyes still searching the ragtag crowd for the slightest hint that the Overlord's Death Squad had spotted him.
He felt the wall give slightly, and slipped through the crack that appeared. As his headed down the narrow stairs, he heard the mechanism that controlled the entry portal clang shut.
He loped down the spiral staircase, a tall, lithe young man with chiseled good looks and a wary expression in clear green eyes.
He reached the bottom of the metal stairs, and stopped at the metal fire door in front of him. A wave of his hand made the door flare up in a blue color, then subside as he heard the lock click. He pushed the door open, yelling " I'm home " as he re-activated the force field; just one of the many devices that ensured the safety of himself and the few loved ones he had left.
He passed through a large and sleek living room, done primarily in shades of silver and black. As he neared the swinging doors that lead to the small but fully equipped kitchen, the sound of wheels made him stop and look down the hallway.
A genuine smile showed on the usually serious face when he saw the black man in the motorized wheelchair.
" You're late, boy. " Darryl Morris scowled. " I was worried. "
" Sorry. " Chris apologized, " But the lines were extra long today. Still managed to get you something, though. "
He tossed a small bag onto Darryl's lap. With his one good hand, he opened the bag and peered in, moving the bag slightly so that he could see with the one eye he had left.
Darryl Morris; friend, confidant and protector of the Charmed Ones, had lost his famly and nearly his own life in one of the Overlord's " Cleansings. " He now devoted himself to his beloved friend Piper's son, guarding and loving the young man before him with a fierce, unyielding devotion.
He blessed Cole Turner, the former rogue demon Belthazor, who had found him living on the streets and took him in. When Victor, Chris's grandfather died, Cole took on the added burden of guiding and guarding his ex-wife's nephew. It had taken time and a genuine devotion to win over the angry young man, who had been fed on the unpleasant stories of the old Cole since his childhood. Slowly, trust was built, and from there a firm friendship and alliance had blossomed. It was Cole who taught Chris how to harness his powers, to hone them, to develop a precise control. Cole had gone from being the boogeyman of his youth, to the mentor Chris knew he could not exist without.
Now, the three of them dwelled together in a clean, well-furnished and safe home, deep under the ground. The combination of Cole and Chris's magic made the place virtually undetectable to the demons who hunted the few remaining magical creatures that remained in the city.
The bounty on a magical creature like Cole was high, but Chris's position as the younger brother of " The Chosen One " made him a most desired item on the demonic hit list.
Darryl stared into space, remembering the days when Shelia and the boys had joined him at the magenta colored manor on the hill. The entire Halliwell family welcomed the Morrises at all holidays, and they grew as close as was possible without the tie of blood.
Then, when Wyatt was sixteen and Chris was fourteen, the sisters had disappeared. The manor was in disarray, blood was splattered on the floor, but the only thing missing was the Book of Shadows; the sisters most prized possession, the seat of their power.
The boys moved in with their grandfather, Victor, but a year later an angry Wyatt had fled the house in the middle of the night, vowing to find his missing family. He had not been seen since, although he and Chris kept in touch with the mental bond they had formed during childhood. Wyatt was evasive, would not tell his little brother where he was or what he was doing. When Cole resurfaced, to Chris's surprise, Wyatt urged his little brother to allow the demon to teach him and protect him.
" You can't ask for a better guide, Chris " Wyatt had told him.
" But...he's the enemy! Aunt Phoebe...Mother...! "
Wyatt's thoughts had become impatient, " They think like women. This is a different time and place, Chris, and if a demon as powerful as Cole Turner, with ties to our family and knowledge of the demonic ways wants to help you and keep you safe, you say yes. And thank you. You have enough truth-sense to know if he is sincere or not. "
Cole WAS sincere. Completely and utterly sincere. How he had returned was never discussed, but there was certainly nothing wrong with either his mental state nor his survival skills. Both had been put to the test when Victor had died in the same " Cleansing " that had taken Darryl's family.
Chris came close to " losing it " when his grandfather died. His father, Leo Wyatt was a distant figure, and with his brother Wyatt gone, he felt completely alone, abandoned in this new and dangerous world.
When the Halliwell sisters disappeared, Leo had been reinstated as an Elder, and since then had developed the serene indifference so many of the upper echelon displayed.
Piper had been the sun and moon to Leo and her loss devastated him. He struggled on for a short while, determined to raise their sons as she would have wished, but the chance to get his wings back, to return to the life of service he had loved proved too strong a lure. He had sent the boys to live with his father-in-law and returned to the upper world. He hoped that by regaining his powers, he would be able to solve the mystery surrounding his wife and sisters-in-law's disappearance.
Chris couldn't help but feel betrayed by his father's and then his brother's desertion. Coupled with the pain of his mother's and aunts' probable death, Chris Perry Halliwell was a walking time bomb. Anger, grief and growing powers made for a deadly combination.
Cole saved us both, Darryl mused. He could hear Chris whistling as he put the few groceries he was able to pick up.
" Where's Cole? " Chris asked as he came back out into the hallway.
Darryl drew the small plastic sack out of the paper bag, a smile breaking out on his disfigured face. Chris had remembered the older man's love of licorice and had somehow gotten a hold of a small bag.
" Aw, Chris, you shouldn't have! You had to pay at least ten credits for this! "
Chris grinned back, happy to see the pleasure on the Darryl's face. Cole was his mentor and friend, but Darryl was loved and respected as the father figure in Chris's life, now.
" Where's Cole? " Chris asked, again, and the smile left Darryl's face.
" He found out there's another Cleansing tonight. Seems a safe house was found by the Death Squad this morning. "
" Witches? " Chris asked, tense and alert.
Darryl shrugged with difficulty, " He hasn't been back..."
Darryl didn't get to finish his sentence as a smoke stained and grim Cole Turner shimmered into the room.
" You didn't go to the Cleansing alone, did you?! " Chris asked, his voice rising. " You told me it was too dangerous to go anywhere near a Cleansing, and here you go, getting right in the middle of one! "
Cole cocked a sardonic eyebrow at the younger man.
" Finished? " He asked with a wry humor, and then continued before the irate Chris could answer.
" Yes, it's dangerous, but I got word that it wasn't just witches in this safe house. There was some other type of magical creature there, and I'm perfectly capable of taking out a few Death Squad members, thank you very much. I'm not exactly in my dotage yet. "
Chris glared at his mentor. Smartass, he fumed.
" Ok, fine. " Chris snapped. " What kind of magical creature went up into flames with the witches? "
Cole smiled; a not altogether pleasant smile.
" The Overlord made a slight mistake this time. "
Chris waited and finally exploded...
" Will you tell me what the fuck is going on?! "
The smile grew as Cole headed towards the washroom.
" Saddle up, buckeroo. We have a survivor to rescue. "