CHAPTER 2: The Road to Hell
"Leo, what do you have to report?" asked Darius.
"Cole did what he had to do," said Leo slowly. "He killed Katrina."
"You're certain of this?" asked Kevin, the youngest Elder.
"Yes," Leo answered, "he killed her right in front of us."
Darius nodded. "Thank you, Leo. You may return to Earth now." Leo bowed and orbed out. After he left, Darius said, "That takes care of one more evil in this universe."
"But Darius, we never knew for sure," said Kevin. "What if..."
"No, Kevin, we weren't mistaken in this matter," Darius interrupted. "There is no doubt in my mind that the child would have become evil. Now, our only concern is making sure Cole doesn't discover the truth."
****
Leo orbed in to a somber scene. "Cole, you don't have to do this," said Michael. "You can stay here with me."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, cousin," said Cole. "But I can't stay on Earth. Whenever I'm in the penthouse or here, I look around and all I can see is her face, and the life that was growing inside her." Cole lowered his head in shame. "I may return, eventually, but for now, I need to be alone." Cole placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "Take care of yourself, cousin."
"You too, Cole," said Michael, embracing him.
Cole embraced the sisters, and then stepped back from them. "Goodbye," he said as he blurred out.
As Michael watched him depart, the small bit of suspicion that had been tickling him grew to a maddening itch. "I'll be back," he said to Phoebe, and flamed out a second later.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Paige asked.
"I don't know," Phoebe answered. "Michael and Cole are as close as brothers, and Michael was in so much pain the last time Cole left." Phoebe sighed sadly. "I just don't know."
****
Katrina woke up just as Cole blurred back into the Guardian realm. "How did it go?" she asked as he sat down next to her.
"About as badly as I expected," he answered. "We're fine, though. They won't follow, and they don't suspect."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not exactly true." Cole whirled around to see Michael standing behind him. "Hello, Katrina, you're looking remarkably well for a dead woman."
"How did you know?" Cole asked, clearly in shock.
"There was no ash on the floor where Katrina was standing," Michael said. "I'm guessing you used that flash to transport her here. So, cousin, what are your intentions?"
"I don't intend to do anything, at least nothing yet," Cole said. "I'm sorry I had to deceive you and the rest of the family, but none of you were thinking too clearly at the time. Right now, I just need to find out the truth."
"Cole, do you have any idea of what you're getting yourself into?" Michael asked.
"Michael, if you had been told your daughter was going to have an evil destiny, what would you have done?" Cole countered.
Michael didn't answer him. He realized that Cole was justified for what he'd done. "I don't know if I'll be able to stop the others, especially Phoebe, from coming after you. She was adamant about keeping our daughter safe."
Cole locked his blue eyes onto Michael's brown ones. "Michael, I'm sorry, but this is my son. Like you, if it came down to my family or yours, you know what I'd choose. If anyone comes after him again, I will kill them, family or not."
Michael nodded slowly. "I understand. I won't tell them what I've seen." Michael turned to go.
"See you soon, cousin," Cole said as Michael flamed out.
****
Michael flamed back into the Manor, only to have his danger sense practically scream at him in his mind, and he ducked just in time to avoid heat beams. "What the..." He turned to see a demon of the variety they had fought the other night in front of him. Michael threw out his right arm, and a white fireball flew through the air and struck the demon in the center of its chest. The demon exploded a moment later.
"Honey, are you alright?" Phoebe asked franticly as she got up from her hiding place behind the couch.
"Oh, yeah," he said as Phoebe hugged him tightly. "I think I could get used to flaming right into the middle of a battle scene." He turned to see Paige, Piper and Leo get to their feet, and he could see they had been shielding Tom and Wyatt. "Everybody ok?" he asked.
"We're fine, Dad," said Tom.
Leo looked skyward. "They're...very upset about something," he said. "I'll be back soon." He orbed out.
"So, are you ok?" Phoebe asked gently.
Michael hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I don't know," he said. "I'm more worried about Cole doing something rash."
****
Leo orbed into Up There and saw that Darius's face was beet red. "That son of a bitch lied to us," Darius growled.
"What do you mean?" Leo asked, confused.
"Leo, the only way one of those demons could have attacked you again is if the barrier was still open to them," Darius said, flustered. "And the only way that can be is if Cole's son is still alive. I don't know how he did it, but Cole faked the whole thing."
Leo's jaw was tight with anger. "Thank you for telling me so quickly," he said. "I'll inform the Charmed Ones." He orbed out.
Darius smiled tightly. All was going according to plan.
****
"We have a huge problem," Leo said as he orbed back in. "The Elders told me that the only way one of those demons could have attacked us is if the barrier is still open, and the only way that could have happened is if Cole's son is still alive."
"I don't believe it," said Phoebe, shaking her head. "He betrayed us, again." It was then that she caught sight of Michael's face. The guilt in his eyes was enough to give him away. "You..." she said, clenching her teeth. "You knew, didn't you?"
Michael lowered his eyes and nodded.
"You lying bastard," she screamed as she threw a fireball at him in rage. Michael flamed out and back in. "How could you?"
"Damn it, Phoebe, you are my wife, but like it or not, Cole is family, too," he said, matching her tone. "I needed his trust, Phoebe. I needed to make him understand that he is not alone in this. I was very conflicted about my decision, and it has hurt me unlike anything else."
"As my husband, you should have known you could trust me," Phoebe said evenly.
"I realize that now, and I'd understand if you couldn't forgive me." Michael lowered his eyes in shame. He was startled to feel a soft hand caress his cheek, and he opened his eyes to see Phoebe standing in front of him with a small smile on her face.
"You may be a lying bastard, but you are my husband, and I love you," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "I understand why you didn't tell me. I may not like it, but I understand."
Michael pressed his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"I hate to interrupt the moment," said Piper, "but we need to decide what our next move is."
"We need to talk to Cole, find out what he's planning," said Leo.
"Cole said he's not going to do anything overt until he finds out what's going on," said Michael. "He thinks the Elders were lying."
"Whether that's true or not, we still need to talk to him," said Paige. "Michael, can you transport us to the Guardian realm?"
"Don't bother." The group spun around to see Cole blur in.
"You've got guts coming here like this, after what you pulled," Piper said coldly.
"I don't blame you for being upset," said Cole, "but I did what I had to do to protect my family." Cole gestured, and the Manor's walls briefly glowed.
"What was that?" Phoebe asked.
"I put a shield on the Manor so the Elders won't be able to listen to our conversation," Cole explained.
"A clever idea," said a new voice. They turned to see Kevin orb in.
"You!" said Piper. "You're that kid that became an Elder, the one that we helped out about three years ago."
"I'm glad you remember," said Kevin, smiling slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Cole asked with clenched fists.
"They think I'm here to convince the others to go after you for 'betraying' them," said Kevin. "I'm really here to give you the answers you've been searching for." Kevin sighed. "The truth is that the prophecy the Elders gave you was a bit more specific than what you know."
"What do you mean?" Michael demanded.
Kevin shifted uncomfortably, "Well, it doesn't actually say specifically that Cole's son will kill your daughter."
A collective sigh was heard from Cole, Phoebe, and Michael, and then Phoebe's face went red. "You lying bastards! How dare you deceive us like that?"
Kevin swallowed, and said, "There is not excuse for what we did. If it's any consolation, I voted against telling you that. But we knew Michael would never believe us and agree to kill Cole's son unless he had something more important in the balance."
"I can't believe the Elders did this. What possible reason would you have to deceive us like that?" Leo shouted.
"Fear," Kevin responded gravely. "There is a real prophecy and it says Cole's son will become the defender of balance, the being who keeps the sides evenly matched here."
"That's why he allowed the demons to enter our realm," Cole blurted suddenly.
"Yes," Kevin continued. "Your son was beginning his role even before birth. And that is what worries us. As fighters for good, the Elders cannot accept any one being having that much control over the sides. Your son renders the fight practically useless, for no matter how many evil beings are slain, he'll bring more in. Many of the Elders, including our leader Darius, are assuming that the prophecy and your son's abilities are evil, and decided that a preemptive strike was necessary. So, he ordered the fake prophecy to be drawn up, and called Leo to deliver it."
"There never going to let it go, are they," Cole stated suddenly.
Kevin sighed, and said, "I'm afraid not. As long as they perceive your son as a threat, they're going to try and kill him before he assumes his mantle. If the Charmed Ones refuse to do it, the other Elders will call for their last action."
Cole's face paled, and he said, "Then I know what I have to do." He turned and shared a look with Michael. Something seemed to pass between them, and Michael's face went pale. He shook his head violently, and Cole's expression darkened. Finally, Michael's shoulders slumped, and he nodded once.
"Well, personally, I'd like to see some Elder heads roll for this," said Cole as a dark expression came over him. "Excuse me for a moment." He blurred out.
"Where did he go?" Paige asked.
Michael shook his head and looked up.
"Oh," Paige said quietly.
****
"I hope Kevin can convince them of what we have to do," said Darius.
"Hello, boys," said Cole as he materialized. "I heard you were looking for me."
"Cole, what are you..." an Elder warned, but Cole smiled a dark smile.
"Save your breath, you old fossils. We have business to discuss," Cole stated in a soft voice that seemed to inspire fear in the Elders.
"You betrayed us, Cole," said Darius angrily. "You'll die for your treason."
"On the contrary," said Cole menacingly. "YOU betrayed ME when you decided my son had to die. You came after my son, and you tried to trick my family into doing your dirty work so you wouldn't have to feel guilty. I should kill you, but I won't...this time. Come after my son again, and you will spend centuries begging for forgiveness and for me to end your torment. Understand?"
Darius glared at Cole, and said, "Yes, I do."
Cole grinned evilly and turned to leave. He stopped just short of the door and said, "By the way, nice work on the prophecy. It had all the false mumbling and misdirection of a real one, but I can tell it's a fake. After all, it listed the wrong person as killing Michael's daughter."
"What?" an Elder asked in shock.
Cole turned back around and his face became expressionless. "You know and I know that you'll still get the others to come around and go after my son. I also know that you have an Elder lapdog trying to convince them to kill me. I'm telling you this now. Only Michael could handle me in that group, and as soon as I feel him coming after my son, I'll go after his daughter."
The Elders gasped. "You wouldn't," Darius blurted.
"Just test me," Cole countered. "So, remember what bringing the Charmed Ones into the fight will cost, that great healer's destiny that is written in the prophecies, and is so important...poof, gone just like that. Remember that, and cross me at your peril."
As Cole vanished, Darius said, "We cannot risk involving the Charmed Ones in this conflict any longer, no matter the strength they have. That child's destiny is too important."
"Then what are we to do?" one of the Elders demanded.
"Contact every other agent of Good, and tell them..." Darius began. He got up and turned so every Elder was looking directly that at them.
"Tell them we're going to war."
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Leo, what do you have to report?" asked Darius.
"Cole did what he had to do," said Leo slowly. "He killed Katrina."
"You're certain of this?" asked Kevin, the youngest Elder.
"Yes," Leo answered, "he killed her right in front of us."
Darius nodded. "Thank you, Leo. You may return to Earth now." Leo bowed and orbed out. After he left, Darius said, "That takes care of one more evil in this universe."
"But Darius, we never knew for sure," said Kevin. "What if..."
"No, Kevin, we weren't mistaken in this matter," Darius interrupted. "There is no doubt in my mind that the child would have become evil. Now, our only concern is making sure Cole doesn't discover the truth."
****
Leo orbed in to a somber scene. "Cole, you don't have to do this," said Michael. "You can stay here with me."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, cousin," said Cole. "But I can't stay on Earth. Whenever I'm in the penthouse or here, I look around and all I can see is her face, and the life that was growing inside her." Cole lowered his head in shame. "I may return, eventually, but for now, I need to be alone." Cole placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "Take care of yourself, cousin."
"You too, Cole," said Michael, embracing him.
Cole embraced the sisters, and then stepped back from them. "Goodbye," he said as he blurred out.
As Michael watched him depart, the small bit of suspicion that had been tickling him grew to a maddening itch. "I'll be back," he said to Phoebe, and flamed out a second later.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Paige asked.
"I don't know," Phoebe answered. "Michael and Cole are as close as brothers, and Michael was in so much pain the last time Cole left." Phoebe sighed sadly. "I just don't know."
****
Katrina woke up just as Cole blurred back into the Guardian realm. "How did it go?" she asked as he sat down next to her.
"About as badly as I expected," he answered. "We're fine, though. They won't follow, and they don't suspect."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not exactly true." Cole whirled around to see Michael standing behind him. "Hello, Katrina, you're looking remarkably well for a dead woman."
"How did you know?" Cole asked, clearly in shock.
"There was no ash on the floor where Katrina was standing," Michael said. "I'm guessing you used that flash to transport her here. So, cousin, what are your intentions?"
"I don't intend to do anything, at least nothing yet," Cole said. "I'm sorry I had to deceive you and the rest of the family, but none of you were thinking too clearly at the time. Right now, I just need to find out the truth."
"Cole, do you have any idea of what you're getting yourself into?" Michael asked.
"Michael, if you had been told your daughter was going to have an evil destiny, what would you have done?" Cole countered.
Michael didn't answer him. He realized that Cole was justified for what he'd done. "I don't know if I'll be able to stop the others, especially Phoebe, from coming after you. She was adamant about keeping our daughter safe."
Cole locked his blue eyes onto Michael's brown ones. "Michael, I'm sorry, but this is my son. Like you, if it came down to my family or yours, you know what I'd choose. If anyone comes after him again, I will kill them, family or not."
Michael nodded slowly. "I understand. I won't tell them what I've seen." Michael turned to go.
"See you soon, cousin," Cole said as Michael flamed out.
****
Michael flamed back into the Manor, only to have his danger sense practically scream at him in his mind, and he ducked just in time to avoid heat beams. "What the..." He turned to see a demon of the variety they had fought the other night in front of him. Michael threw out his right arm, and a white fireball flew through the air and struck the demon in the center of its chest. The demon exploded a moment later.
"Honey, are you alright?" Phoebe asked franticly as she got up from her hiding place behind the couch.
"Oh, yeah," he said as Phoebe hugged him tightly. "I think I could get used to flaming right into the middle of a battle scene." He turned to see Paige, Piper and Leo get to their feet, and he could see they had been shielding Tom and Wyatt. "Everybody ok?" he asked.
"We're fine, Dad," said Tom.
Leo looked skyward. "They're...very upset about something," he said. "I'll be back soon." He orbed out.
"So, are you ok?" Phoebe asked gently.
Michael hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I don't know," he said. "I'm more worried about Cole doing something rash."
****
Leo orbed into Up There and saw that Darius's face was beet red. "That son of a bitch lied to us," Darius growled.
"What do you mean?" Leo asked, confused.
"Leo, the only way one of those demons could have attacked you again is if the barrier was still open to them," Darius said, flustered. "And the only way that can be is if Cole's son is still alive. I don't know how he did it, but Cole faked the whole thing."
Leo's jaw was tight with anger. "Thank you for telling me so quickly," he said. "I'll inform the Charmed Ones." He orbed out.
Darius smiled tightly. All was going according to plan.
****
"We have a huge problem," Leo said as he orbed back in. "The Elders told me that the only way one of those demons could have attacked us is if the barrier is still open, and the only way that could have happened is if Cole's son is still alive."
"I don't believe it," said Phoebe, shaking her head. "He betrayed us, again." It was then that she caught sight of Michael's face. The guilt in his eyes was enough to give him away. "You..." she said, clenching her teeth. "You knew, didn't you?"
Michael lowered his eyes and nodded.
"You lying bastard," she screamed as she threw a fireball at him in rage. Michael flamed out and back in. "How could you?"
"Damn it, Phoebe, you are my wife, but like it or not, Cole is family, too," he said, matching her tone. "I needed his trust, Phoebe. I needed to make him understand that he is not alone in this. I was very conflicted about my decision, and it has hurt me unlike anything else."
"As my husband, you should have known you could trust me," Phoebe said evenly.
"I realize that now, and I'd understand if you couldn't forgive me." Michael lowered his eyes in shame. He was startled to feel a soft hand caress his cheek, and he opened his eyes to see Phoebe standing in front of him with a small smile on her face.
"You may be a lying bastard, but you are my husband, and I love you," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "I understand why you didn't tell me. I may not like it, but I understand."
Michael pressed his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"I hate to interrupt the moment," said Piper, "but we need to decide what our next move is."
"We need to talk to Cole, find out what he's planning," said Leo.
"Cole said he's not going to do anything overt until he finds out what's going on," said Michael. "He thinks the Elders were lying."
"Whether that's true or not, we still need to talk to him," said Paige. "Michael, can you transport us to the Guardian realm?"
"Don't bother." The group spun around to see Cole blur in.
"You've got guts coming here like this, after what you pulled," Piper said coldly.
"I don't blame you for being upset," said Cole, "but I did what I had to do to protect my family." Cole gestured, and the Manor's walls briefly glowed.
"What was that?" Phoebe asked.
"I put a shield on the Manor so the Elders won't be able to listen to our conversation," Cole explained.
"A clever idea," said a new voice. They turned to see Kevin orb in.
"You!" said Piper. "You're that kid that became an Elder, the one that we helped out about three years ago."
"I'm glad you remember," said Kevin, smiling slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Cole asked with clenched fists.
"They think I'm here to convince the others to go after you for 'betraying' them," said Kevin. "I'm really here to give you the answers you've been searching for." Kevin sighed. "The truth is that the prophecy the Elders gave you was a bit more specific than what you know."
"What do you mean?" Michael demanded.
Kevin shifted uncomfortably, "Well, it doesn't actually say specifically that Cole's son will kill your daughter."
A collective sigh was heard from Cole, Phoebe, and Michael, and then Phoebe's face went red. "You lying bastards! How dare you deceive us like that?"
Kevin swallowed, and said, "There is not excuse for what we did. If it's any consolation, I voted against telling you that. But we knew Michael would never believe us and agree to kill Cole's son unless he had something more important in the balance."
"I can't believe the Elders did this. What possible reason would you have to deceive us like that?" Leo shouted.
"Fear," Kevin responded gravely. "There is a real prophecy and it says Cole's son will become the defender of balance, the being who keeps the sides evenly matched here."
"That's why he allowed the demons to enter our realm," Cole blurted suddenly.
"Yes," Kevin continued. "Your son was beginning his role even before birth. And that is what worries us. As fighters for good, the Elders cannot accept any one being having that much control over the sides. Your son renders the fight practically useless, for no matter how many evil beings are slain, he'll bring more in. Many of the Elders, including our leader Darius, are assuming that the prophecy and your son's abilities are evil, and decided that a preemptive strike was necessary. So, he ordered the fake prophecy to be drawn up, and called Leo to deliver it."
"There never going to let it go, are they," Cole stated suddenly.
Kevin sighed, and said, "I'm afraid not. As long as they perceive your son as a threat, they're going to try and kill him before he assumes his mantle. If the Charmed Ones refuse to do it, the other Elders will call for their last action."
Cole's face paled, and he said, "Then I know what I have to do." He turned and shared a look with Michael. Something seemed to pass between them, and Michael's face went pale. He shook his head violently, and Cole's expression darkened. Finally, Michael's shoulders slumped, and he nodded once.
"Well, personally, I'd like to see some Elder heads roll for this," said Cole as a dark expression came over him. "Excuse me for a moment." He blurred out.
"Where did he go?" Paige asked.
Michael shook his head and looked up.
"Oh," Paige said quietly.
****
"I hope Kevin can convince them of what we have to do," said Darius.
"Hello, boys," said Cole as he materialized. "I heard you were looking for me."
"Cole, what are you..." an Elder warned, but Cole smiled a dark smile.
"Save your breath, you old fossils. We have business to discuss," Cole stated in a soft voice that seemed to inspire fear in the Elders.
"You betrayed us, Cole," said Darius angrily. "You'll die for your treason."
"On the contrary," said Cole menacingly. "YOU betrayed ME when you decided my son had to die. You came after my son, and you tried to trick my family into doing your dirty work so you wouldn't have to feel guilty. I should kill you, but I won't...this time. Come after my son again, and you will spend centuries begging for forgiveness and for me to end your torment. Understand?"
Darius glared at Cole, and said, "Yes, I do."
Cole grinned evilly and turned to leave. He stopped just short of the door and said, "By the way, nice work on the prophecy. It had all the false mumbling and misdirection of a real one, but I can tell it's a fake. After all, it listed the wrong person as killing Michael's daughter."
"What?" an Elder asked in shock.
Cole turned back around and his face became expressionless. "You know and I know that you'll still get the others to come around and go after my son. I also know that you have an Elder lapdog trying to convince them to kill me. I'm telling you this now. Only Michael could handle me in that group, and as soon as I feel him coming after my son, I'll go after his daughter."
The Elders gasped. "You wouldn't," Darius blurted.
"Just test me," Cole countered. "So, remember what bringing the Charmed Ones into the fight will cost, that great healer's destiny that is written in the prophecies, and is so important...poof, gone just like that. Remember that, and cross me at your peril."
As Cole vanished, Darius said, "We cannot risk involving the Charmed Ones in this conflict any longer, no matter the strength they have. That child's destiny is too important."
"Then what are we to do?" one of the Elders demanded.
"Contact every other agent of Good, and tell them..." Darius began. He got up and turned so every Elder was looking directly that at them.
"Tell them we're going to war."
TO BE CONTINUED...