Chapter One: Only Subtle
It was discreet; this was something he had hoped. There was still a lingering worry as he took the envelope from the top of the trashcan. His name was Dargo Turner, and he had come to Los Angeles a year before searching to make a living. When he had lost his apartment, he had met Dario. Dario had been sincere, and had offered him a place to live, in exchange for helping him with his business. His business had been simple: getting a witch's power.
Dario had never hurt Dargo had he messed up his affairs. Dario was a fair teacher and a skilled one at that. He had been steadily gaining power for more than four hundred years, scrounging it in the underworld. Dargo had reserved thoughts on this, but a job was a job, and a paying one at that.
"Speak of the devil." Dargo said quietly as Dario shimmered in.
He was a bit of a suave demon. He wore the same usual black suit, with a silk black tie. His short blonde hair was combed back and greasy-looking, while his cold, ice blue eyes were shocking.
Dario gave a cold, harsh laugh, "If that's what it takes."
"Only you would." Dargo countered, turning to face the demon.
"Guess what, Dargo, old boy." Dario said as he sat down on Dargo's couch.
"Even you detest guessing games." Dargo said dryly.
"Alright then," Dario said, his eyes crinkling with dangerous laughter, "I'm giving you another job."
"Well?" Dargo sighed, leaning against the fireplace.
"It's the Charmed Ones." Dario said.
"What?" Dargo asked, his composure barely holding.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"The Charmed Ones? Dario, are you insane?"
"Quite the contrary. I believe you'll find something very interesting with them. This is something for you to do undercover. Where other plans have failed, mine will succeed." Dario declared, giving another rough laugh.
"Share your plan." Dargo said, curiosity peaked at Dario's boldness.
~At the Halliwell Manor~ "Phoebe, if you don't get ready now you'll be late!" Piper called upstairs. 'This is definitely something Prue had to do. I am not that girl's mother!' She thought indignantly.
"Coming!" Phoebe called downstairs.
Out of the blue as usual in the hectic household, something came crashing down on top of Piper befalling her to the floor.
"Ouch!"
She looked to see her vibrant younger sister start helping her up, "Sorry there. I thought I had a landing point."
"This is not your air strip!" Piper said coldly, grudgingly accepting the help.
"I'm just a little off this morning," Paige brushed Piper's mood away as usual, "A little food, and I'll be good."
Squishing to the side of the wall with Paige, they got out of Phoebe's way as she crashed, tearing into the kitchen.
"This house has got to settle down!!" Piper said.
"I hear ya, sis, but I don't think that's a thing we can do at the moment." Paige said.
Piper followed Phoebe's trail into the kitchen, and Paige went into the living room by herself.
"Phoebe, what is up with you?" Piper asked, sitting down at the table by the window where her sister was eating fast and furious.
"Me?" Was the muffled reply, "Nuffing's wong wif me."
"Eat before you speak." Piper reprimanded.
Phoebe took a moment then said, "Nothing's wrong with me, why?"
"You just take so long getting out of bed in the morning!" Piper said.
"Oh. That's because of. Um." But she was saved answering by Chris, the new whitelighter, orbing in.
"This is it! I've had it!" Piper said crossly, and exploded a muffin on her way upstairs. Chris took her place at the table, "What's wrong with her?"
"Don't know." Phoebe mused.
~With Dargo~
'This is crazy. Why would he send me on such a crackpot adventure?' Dargo thought.
# Flashback #
"What sort of things would interest me?" Dargo asked, sitting forward.
Dario did likewise and said, "The fact that you're living in an apartment that the witch lived in. You remember that Phoebe Halliwell married the Source, right?"
"Yeah," Dargo said, mystified that it had anything to do with the conversation of his curiosity and interest.
"They moved here. The Source was defeated here." Dario said, adding certain emphasis.
"What does this have anything to do with interest I might have in the Halliwells?"
"Little Phoebe Halliwell was pregnant with the heir. No one knows what happened to it, due to what happened at the coronation with the Seer." Dario said.
"Oh. I see." Dargo said, getting the picture.
# End of Flashback #
Dargo threw the letter away, and finding a concealed alleyway, shimmered to the Halliwell's.
It was discreet; this was something he had hoped. There was still a lingering worry as he took the envelope from the top of the trashcan. His name was Dargo Turner, and he had come to Los Angeles a year before searching to make a living. When he had lost his apartment, he had met Dario. Dario had been sincere, and had offered him a place to live, in exchange for helping him with his business. His business had been simple: getting a witch's power.
Dario had never hurt Dargo had he messed up his affairs. Dario was a fair teacher and a skilled one at that. He had been steadily gaining power for more than four hundred years, scrounging it in the underworld. Dargo had reserved thoughts on this, but a job was a job, and a paying one at that.
"Speak of the devil." Dargo said quietly as Dario shimmered in.
He was a bit of a suave demon. He wore the same usual black suit, with a silk black tie. His short blonde hair was combed back and greasy-looking, while his cold, ice blue eyes were shocking.
Dario gave a cold, harsh laugh, "If that's what it takes."
"Only you would." Dargo countered, turning to face the demon.
"Guess what, Dargo, old boy." Dario said as he sat down on Dargo's couch.
"Even you detest guessing games." Dargo said dryly.
"Alright then," Dario said, his eyes crinkling with dangerous laughter, "I'm giving you another job."
"Well?" Dargo sighed, leaning against the fireplace.
"It's the Charmed Ones." Dario said.
"What?" Dargo asked, his composure barely holding.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"The Charmed Ones? Dario, are you insane?"
"Quite the contrary. I believe you'll find something very interesting with them. This is something for you to do undercover. Where other plans have failed, mine will succeed." Dario declared, giving another rough laugh.
"Share your plan." Dargo said, curiosity peaked at Dario's boldness.
~At the Halliwell Manor~ "Phoebe, if you don't get ready now you'll be late!" Piper called upstairs. 'This is definitely something Prue had to do. I am not that girl's mother!' She thought indignantly.
"Coming!" Phoebe called downstairs.
Out of the blue as usual in the hectic household, something came crashing down on top of Piper befalling her to the floor.
"Ouch!"
She looked to see her vibrant younger sister start helping her up, "Sorry there. I thought I had a landing point."
"This is not your air strip!" Piper said coldly, grudgingly accepting the help.
"I'm just a little off this morning," Paige brushed Piper's mood away as usual, "A little food, and I'll be good."
Squishing to the side of the wall with Paige, they got out of Phoebe's way as she crashed, tearing into the kitchen.
"This house has got to settle down!!" Piper said.
"I hear ya, sis, but I don't think that's a thing we can do at the moment." Paige said.
Piper followed Phoebe's trail into the kitchen, and Paige went into the living room by herself.
"Phoebe, what is up with you?" Piper asked, sitting down at the table by the window where her sister was eating fast and furious.
"Me?" Was the muffled reply, "Nuffing's wong wif me."
"Eat before you speak." Piper reprimanded.
Phoebe took a moment then said, "Nothing's wrong with me, why?"
"You just take so long getting out of bed in the morning!" Piper said.
"Oh. That's because of. Um." But she was saved answering by Chris, the new whitelighter, orbing in.
"This is it! I've had it!" Piper said crossly, and exploded a muffin on her way upstairs. Chris took her place at the table, "What's wrong with her?"
"Don't know." Phoebe mused.
~With Dargo~
'This is crazy. Why would he send me on such a crackpot adventure?' Dargo thought.
# Flashback #
"What sort of things would interest me?" Dargo asked, sitting forward.
Dario did likewise and said, "The fact that you're living in an apartment that the witch lived in. You remember that Phoebe Halliwell married the Source, right?"
"Yeah," Dargo said, mystified that it had anything to do with the conversation of his curiosity and interest.
"They moved here. The Source was defeated here." Dario said, adding certain emphasis.
"What does this have anything to do with interest I might have in the Halliwells?"
"Little Phoebe Halliwell was pregnant with the heir. No one knows what happened to it, due to what happened at the coronation with the Seer." Dario said.
"Oh. I see." Dargo said, getting the picture.
# End of Flashback #
Dargo threw the letter away, and finding a concealed alleyway, shimmered to the Halliwell's.
