Disclaimer: Real eyes realize real lies.
Rating: T, for language and slight violence.
Author's Notes: At the end, unna.
The City Is Haunted
Chapter One: The One Where Chris Can't Get Into His Own Brother's Party
"I look stupid."
"Oh, I know."
Christopher Halliwell glances over at Bianca Perry sharply for a moment before he shoots back, "Yes, thank you."
"Well you do," the pretty brunette says, straightening his tie. "Just go in, find out what we need to know, don't get caught and then come back to me. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Because it'll be that easy, he thinks to himself.
It's December the twenty fourth, day Something of his brother's rule over the world. (Chris kind of gave up on counting after day three hundred and sixty eight, sadly enough.) For some odd reason, Wyatt Matthew Halliwell is hosting a party of sorts and, somehow, Chris scored an invitation.
It isn't that Wyatt knows that Chris' heart isn't in Wyatt's empire; it's that Wyatt doesn't really trust Chris. Chris was always smaller than Wyatt, weaker than Wyatt and not as capable of doing things as Wyatt was.
Of course, Wyatt doesn't know that Chris runs a resistance movement against Wyatt, runs it practically single-handedly every fucking day. But it's okay, because Chris has got everything under control.
If everything goes as planned tonight, Wyatt will never ever have to know about Chris' part in the resistance.
If everything goes as planned tonight, no one will ever suffer from Wyatt's rule.
But it's not like there's any pressure, he can't help but think.
---
"Ugh, I look so—"
"You look nice." Wyatt Halliwell remarks from the doorway. He watches appreciatively as the woman in front of him, Victoria, finishes dressing slowly, knowingly putting on a show.
"Is the idea really for me to look nice?" she asks him, locking startling green eyes with his navy ones in the mirror.
He lets an amused look cross over his face. "Not really, no. Maybe you should wear something else. Show some more skin."
She laughs quietly, turns to look at her entire body in the mirror. "If I were showing any more skin, I'd be naked."
He teasingly licks his lips and winks, replies, "Maybe you should just ditch the dress, then," before he leaves.
---
Wyatt makes one last stop before making his way down to his party. He knocks on a door on the fifth floor of his (impossibly huge) home, waits for it to open. When he comes to the realization that the door isn't going to open, he pushes it open, goes inside.
"Get up, Ryley," he commands, walking to the side of the large bed that takes up most of the space in the room. When the sleeping figure on the mattress makes no movement, he lifts a hand up, telekinetically lifting the body to the ceiling. He keeps the person in the air until they finally wake up, until tired chocolate brown eyes open to meet his. The girl looks around, mumbles, "Well this is new," before Wyatt drops her back on to the bed.
"Get. Up."
She raises a questioning eyebrow and he says, "There's a party tonight. You're meant to attend. Get the fuck ready."
Biting her lip, Ryley drawls, "I don't like parties."
"Yes, well. I don't care," Wyatt smiles before heading towards the door.
---
A rather bored-looking attendant (Demon, Chris thinks. A quick wave of his hand and she'd be gone, vanquished. Unfortunately for Chris, tonight, that isn't an option.) "Name?"
"Chris Halliwell."
"I'm sorry?"
Chris shifts his jade green eyes from right to left, sees all the people that ignored him just a few moments ago now staring at him incredulously. "Uh, Christopher Halliwell? That's C-H-"
"I know how it's spelled. Could you please stand off to the side, for a moment? We have instructions to search you upon entry."
Yeah, because, that doesn't sound frightening in the least.
He walks slowly to where the attendant gestured and then asks "Can I smoke here?"
"No," comes the quick reply.
"Oh, okay," Chris says, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, anyway.
"Sir, I said you can't smoke that here," the demon says, louder now.
"Right, sorry. I'll just go get rid of it," he nods at her, walks around, seemingly to find an ashtray. The second he gets around the corner, he runs.
---
"Victoria."
Victoria turns around and puts on a smile for Wyatt who kisses her lips chastely before introducing her to a group of his "associates". Victoria knows that the demons, warlocks and Darklighters she's meeting are all bad, bad beings, but hey, Wyatt's kind of the baddest of the bad and he's kind of in control of all of them, so it's not a problem for her.
"Well, Wyatt, your wife is completely stunning," an elderly warlock introduced as Damien states. Well, Victoria knows that she looks stunning in her elegant red dress and matching high heels, but she takes the compliment anyway.
Wyatt presses a kiss to her neck and says, "I know, right?" Victoria can't help but grin a little at that, grin at the slight appearance of the arrogant kid she first fell in love with.
Then, "Fuck. I'll be right back. Be good," Wyatt murmurs the last bit into her ear, before striding away quickly. Everyone in the vicinity follows him with their eyes; everyone wants to see what is of such importance that he would leave so abruptly.
A chorus of "Oh"s, erupts from the men she's still standing with and Victoria adjusts a strand of her blond hair behind her ear before asking, "What is it?"
The men all glance at each other before one of them, an attractive Darklighter called Syke says, "It's really nothing to worry about."
---
With a bleeding nose, and an already bruising jaw, Ryley hisses as she hits the floor, "It was an accident."
"You don't accidentally call someone a 'pompous dickweed'."
Despite her pain, she managed to snicker a little at that. Hearing her amusement, Wyatt kicks her in her side, snaps, "This isn't funny, you little brat."
She groans and forces out an "Okay, I'm sorry."
He crouches down next to her and growls, "You're always fucking sorry. I don't have to keep you around, you know? I don't need you."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Good," he says shortly, before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. Something makes her want to vomit at the gesture but instead she sighs and turns to look at him looking at her. "You used to be such a good little girl. What happened?" Wyatt teases, running a finger down her jaw line.
"Not having the ability to think for myself made me 'good'?" Ryley questions critically.
"No, no, no. I have always let you think for yourself."
She closes her eyes and inhales deeply. No, no, you didn't. No, you fucking didn't. I hate you. I hate you so fucking much, Ryley thinks frantically until the sound of receding footsteps helps her breathing to slow down.
"Oh, and by the way," Wyatt says from the doorway, "I want to see you in my study, once you can move. Don't rush."
Yeah, he's a pompous dickweed, too, Ryley notes.
---
Chris crosses and uncrosses his legs at least ten times before he gets up to pace around the room he's been shoved inside. It's large enough that he'd get to walk around it several times before he got bored, he thinks, seeing as it's covered in interesting things. The walls are made up almost entirely of bookshelves, and the idea of spell books filled with new magical knowledge is rather enticing.
Just as he stands, however, the door opens and a petite dark haired girl walks in, cursing under her breath. It makes sense that she would be cursing, really, seeing as she looks as if she just lost a rather bad fight. But, Chris was raised to be polite, so he figures he'll just ignore all the blood.
She tilts her head as she sees him standing there, raises an eyebrow and asks frankly, "Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm Chris."
"Oh. Because that clears everything up," she rolls her eyes and sits down on the desk that he assumes belongs to his brother.
"Right, sorry. I'm Chris Halliwell."
A brief look of fear flits into her eyes before she says, "Oh. I'm Ryley. What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to—" Chris stops himself. Does he really want to tell some girl he doesn't even know all about his mission? No, not really. "I'm just here to see Wyatt. He's kind of my brother."
The girl, Ryley, smirks and says "You shouldn't lie to a liar, it never works out well. Why are you really here?"
"Well, uh. I'm here to gain some knowledge from Wyatt who really is my brother so that I can find a way into a different time period to stop him from turning into the person he is now."
"Oh," Ryley drawls, unimpressed. "Sounds like fun."
---
Author's Notes: So, uh. Should I continue? Yes or no? I'm kinda eh about this, so. In case you couldn't tell, this is a story in which Wyatt is evil, blah, blah, blah. It will be Wyatt/OC (Victoria) and Chris/Bianca, I think, but I'm not too sure.
I haven't written anything, let alone Charmed fics for a long, long time. I actually deleted all my stories, so if you remember me, good on you, say hi. If not, then, oh well. I'm giving another shot at writing, so. Since I haven't been at this for awhile, reviews would be much appreciated. :)