Disclaimer: All Charmed characters are property of the WB. Any other non original characters are the property of their respective owners. I am making no profit from this story. 11th of my Charmed stories. Set in season 4.
Cousins and Cultists Part 1:"The youngest of the Charmed Ones!"
Guest cast:
Kari Wurher(Sliders & 8 Legged Freaks) as Kari Wright
Neve Campbell(from lots of things) as Neve Starr
"Phoebe, I know things have been rough lately but you worry me." Piper started and despite an angry scowl from Phoebe continued, "We never know where to find you or what you are doing anymore. And these friends of yours ..."
"Shove it Piper!" Phoebe snarled and as Piper recoiled from her venom continued, "It's my life! Who needs you anyway!" And with that Phoebe stormed out of the house!
Piper was furious but had no time to chase Phoebe. Changing to a navy blue with white pinstripes suit dress and matching blue pumps with 3" heels she put on her professional face and headed for the bank. On the way she got a call on her cellphone. "Kari, cousin Kari?" Piper recognized her cousin's voice and her part of the conversation continued, "Just heading to the bank to refinance the loan on P3. Much better rates now, you know. What are you up to?"
Kari turned away from a computer terminal where she had been doing research in a university library and shoved some old books to the side. Checking to see that no one was near enough to overhear her she said, "Well Piper we are related on your mother's side and I know that you three are the Charmed chicks."
"Charmed Ones!" Piper reflexively corrected before she could stop herself!
"Whatever! I just need your help with a supernatural matter." Kari continued. For the next few minutes Piper tried to deny it, but with all Kari knew soon gave up and Kari explained, "My cousin on the other side of my family is the up and coming but flaky actress Neve Starr. She claims that people are out to get her but the police can find no evidence and think she's nuts. So since I am family and a Private Investigator she called me in."
"And you think they can't find evidence because the supernatural is involved?" Piper asked.
"Yes research I have been doing in some old books, and in the news archives about cult activity has convinced me that paranoid or not, someone is out to get her. Neve is the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter which has great mystical significance. If you were a bunch of evil cultists wanting to do a human sacrifice, Neve is almost the best you can get."
"And the best would be?" Piper asked as she pulled into the bank and parked her jeep.
"The youngest of the Charmed Ones!" Kari concluded and waited for Piper to yelp at that.
"Over my dead body!" Piper grimly replied, "I am losing no more sisters! What do you want me to do?"
"I am going now to pick up Neve, I will meet you back at the manor and we can discuss it there, OK?"
"OK! See you soon!" With that Piper went into the bank and Kari went to her car.
Meanwhile Neve Starr, rising starlet and highly ranked sacrificial victim was waiting impatiently in a safe room of Kari's office. She was wearing a white tank top,blue miniskirt and matching pumps with 4" heels and worriedly pacing! Hearing the previously locked door to the outer office being broken down she looked through a peephole and saw some strange men. Behind Kari's specially reinforced, triple deadlocked and concealed door, Neve paled but thought, 'There is no other way into this safe room of Kari's. As long as I am quiet I am safe' "EEEEEK!!" She screamed as something grabbed her from behind...
Cousin and Cultists part 2:"What do you want?"
Neve found her arms pinned and she was dragged to then floor by a hideous monster! A 5' tall, purple scaled biped with tentacles where a human's arms would be had wrapped up her arms and legs! Then it began to draw her toward it's over sized mouth revealing dozens of razor sharp teeth! "EEEEEEEEK!!" Neve screamed until the incredible strength of the tentacles began to crush the breath from her body!
'This is the end!' She thought when the door burst open in a flash of light! One of the men stepped forward and producing a strange amulet said "Back! Back monster, your task is done!" The creature hissed and gave one last squeeze to poor Neve, but then released her and backing away from the amulet walked into the corner and disappeared!
Trembling Neve stared at the man and asked, "What was that? What do you want?"
Smirked the goateed man raised his cane and said, "That my dear was a planar stalker. It helped us finally get what we wanted namely you!" Gesturing to his two minions he said "Secure the prisoner for transport!" And with that the two men began to bind and gag Neve!
Kari arrived at her office found both the outer and inner doors smashed and Neve gone! Dashing down the hallway she checked the back parking lot and found three men tossing a struggling Neve into the back of a van. "Hold it!" Kari screamed.
Turning to look at her the leader beheld a slender dark haired woman of average height wearing a pink skirt suit with a black blouse and black pumps with 3" heels and smirking he said, "And why should I do that little lady?"
Reaching into her purse Kari responded, "Because the little lady has a big GUN!" and whipped out her .45! Doing this she also dislodged her cellphone and it fell to the ground.
The man grimaced and said a single word. When he did so by the building where two walls made a corner the planar stalker reappeared! RINNGG! Kari's cellphone went off and startled she turned and saw the monster! She paled for a moment but then began firing!
One minute earlier had Piper left the bank and worried, called Kari's cellphone. For some reason Kari was too busy to answer! However Piper's phone rang and it was Paige. Piper hurriedly explained the situation and gave her the address for Kari's office.
Her gun empty and her back against the wall Kari was trapped by the stalker! It had just wrapped her in it's tentacles and started squeezing when Paige stepped out of the building. 'Maybe I shouldn't have wasted time orbing into the building.'Paige thought but began to orb bricks, rocks, and other debris at the creature! "Manhole cover!" That when it impacted the monster sent it flying! Fortunately it had released Kari during Paige's onslaught. Dashing to Kari's side she found her dazed and unable to stand. 'Poor thing! Lucky that monster dropped when it did. I am too tired to orb both of us out of here!' Paige thought as she tried to help her cousin. Then the stalker stood back up! Paige heard it's angry hiss and stood putting herself between the helpless Kari and the creature!
So a bizarre scene was set, even for San Francisco! A slender raven haired beauty in a short black skirt, white blouse and black pumps with 3" heels versus a hideous monstrosity! If anyone had been around to watch they would have observed Paige desperately hurl anything she could find just to hold the monster back! Such an observer would have seen the beauty tire and the monster come ever closer! "EEEEEEEEK!" Paige screamed as the stalker's left tentacle lashed out and pinned her arms to her body! "MMMMMPH!!" The other tentacle wrapped around her mouth strangling her cries for help! Exhausted and held with inhuman strength Paige was drawn forward until her face was only inches from the hungry monsters teeth filled maw...
Cousins and Cultists part 3:"First kidnapping my dear?"
Rounding a corner at high speed Piper nearly sideswiped a van. "JERK!" She yelled at the van driver, who like Piper was driving like a maniac. Nearing Kari's office Piper thought, 'I hope I am not too late!'
Inside in the van a now familiar goateed man regained his balance and inspected his prisoner. Poor Neve had been bound at the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles with white nylon ropes. Then she had been hogtied with a rope running from the ankle ropes to the wrist bonds. A large sponge had been shoved into her mouth and sealed there with multiple strips of white tape. Terrified and helpless Neve was starting to cry. The man said, "First kidnapping my dear?" As Neve whimpered affirmatively he patted her head and said, "Don't worry it will also be your last!"
Paige felt the monsters rancid breath on her face when a crowbar struck it from behind! It released her and weak and gasping for air, she collapsed to the ground. As the monster turned, Leo swung the crowbar like a baseball bat and knocked it back away from his sister in law. However as he continued he thought, 'Multiple .45 bullet wounds only hurt this monster. I can't possibly do enough damage to stop it with just a crowbar!'
In the van the goateed man looked into a crystal glowing with a purple light. The light dimmed slightly and frowning he said, "Your cousin or someone is putting a better fight against my enslaved stalker than I expected. However as the light showing it's life force is still strong there is no chance that she or they will survive!"
"Mmmmmph!!" Neve whimpered in utter despair!
CRASH! The stalker swung one of it's tentacles like a bullwhip and struck Leo with hellish strength! The Whitelighter flew 8' and crashed into a chain link fence! As he slumped to the ground stunned, the monster turned back towards the helpless Paige and Kari. As it approached it's shadow fell over the two of them and then both were wrapped in it's tentacles! 'This is the end!' Paige thought and then..
BOOOM! The monster exploded! With the monster's body gone Paige and Kari saw a worried Piper hurrying towards them.
"Unless of course the mightiest of the Charmed Ones arrives!" The man said after the light in his crystal went out. "Only strong magic could have destroyed the stalker so quickly!" Neve's eyes shined with new hope but that dimmed when her captor said, "Don't worry my dear. The cult has ways of dealing with witches! Your destiny as a sacrifice to the great eldritch things will be fulfilled!"
Cousins and Cultists part 4:"a life depends on us!"
"Oooh! That's better!" Kari sighed as Leo healed the bruises the stalker's grip had caused.
"I also fixed some older injuries as well. She had three cracked ribs and a number of past concussions!" Leo said and then turned to go heal Paige, who had selflessly urged Leo to help Kari first.
Seeing Piper's eyebrow rise in inquiry Kari explained, "It's not always an easy line of work being a PI. My last concussion is why I missed Prue's funeral. An escaped con was sore about a job I did exposing his insurance fraud and tried to get even. When the funeral started I was bound and gagged inside a car in a junkyard in a car crusher that was just getting warmed up! But that's another story!"
Piper closed her now gaping jaw and said, "OK that's a pretty good excuse! But what about your cousin Neve? Do you know of any cult properties where they might be taking her?"
"Yes, they own the only house on a street they had renamed on the outskirts of the city. The address is 101 Doomsday drive. I know the way so I'll drive." Kari replied.
"Oh great, one of those type of cults!" Leo groaned and rubbed his still aching head.
With that the four piled into Kari's jeep and took off. "Too bad we can't call in the police." Paige said thoughtfully and continued, "But if there are anymore monsters we would be risking exposure as witches!
Nodding in agreement, Piper dialed Phoebe on her cellphone and not getting an answer left a message on the Manor's answering machine. It said, "Phoebe we are going to rescue an innocent from an evil cult. They had one monster under their control already and could have more. Please meet us at 101 Doomsday drive and bring a couple of the potions I fixed last weekend. Don't let us down Phoebe, a life depends on us!"
Cousins and Cultists part 5:"Release the hounds!"
Kari came around a corner and barreled to screeching stop! Paige looked even paler than normal caught her breath, and muttered, "She's even worse than Piper!"
"What was that?" Piper growled from the back seat.
"Kari's taking a verse from you Piper." Paige quickly improvised, "What did you think I said?"
Piper frowned and said "Nevermind!" And they all climbed out of the jeep. It was now just past dark and they were at the end of the driveway leading up a slight incline to the cult's mansion at the top of a small hill. Said mansion was a quite old two story house made entirely of wood and appeared in poor repair. Of course since there were only a few lights on in the house it was hard to tell much from a distance. The four studied the house and grounds as best they could while waiting for Phoebe to show up.
About 20 minutes later Phoebe arrived with the potions and when asked if she was all right replied, "Of course, I will always be there for those I care about most!" She then hugged Paige, gave Piper a cold shoulder and led the way towards the house.
Piper was slightly hurt by this, but since Phoebe was semi dressed for action in blue jeans and the usual tight top, she bit her lip and followed.
Inside the house a crystal started blinking and the goateed man turned to one of his minions and said, "The witches are here. Release the hounds!"