AN: Wow, every person who reviewed actually got the joke. Maybe my wit is actuallly better than people tell me. Well, as promised, here is the new chapter, which I worked really hard on! Enjoy!

Legacy: Dark Forces Rising

by Lady Dawson

Chapter Three: Soul Collectors

Brooke groaned slightly as she looked down at the list. "I don't understand her sometimes," she muttered. "It's bad enough that she's avoiding the guy, but then she spends all of her time getting stuff that we don't need. What on earth do we need spices for? Most of them we don't use for potions, so what's the point?"

An old woman stopped to stare at Brooke for a moment and she smiled pleasantly before pushing the cart forward. After a long moment, the old woman left, still eyeing Brooke suspiciously.

"I've got to stop thinking out loud," Brooke muttered as she picked up the spices Susan had on the list. Probably one of the reasons she did it so much was because she had no room to think with everybody's thoughts in her head all the time.

Of course, she didn't need to be a telepath in order to know that Susan was completely and totally heads over heels with Chris. And if she had to guess, she'd say that the younger Halliwell was about the same. She just wished that she knew what the elder Halliwell's feelings were towards her. It wasn't so easy to read Wyatt was it was Chris. Not to mention that, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that.

"I really hope that this at least makes them work things out, because I cannot stand Susan's constant worrying," Brooke muttered, pushing the cart towards the front of the store. It was just her luck that they were miles long, heading back towards the freezers. Of course, it was probably due to the fact that they only had one register open. Why did stores insist on doing that, especially on a Saturday? she wondered, joining the line.

By the time that she reached the front of the register, there were still a couple people in line and they'd finally gotten a few more registers open. Brooke sighed with relief as she loaded up the groceries onto the register and the cashier bagged them.

"It'll be $20.14," he said. Just as Brooke handed him twenty-five, she realised that she recognised his voice and her head shot up quickly, almost cricking her neck.

Sure enough, it was the kid that had helped them the week previously. "What are you doing here?" she whispered as his eyes widened, recognising her. But he said nothing, shaking his head wildly, casting a quick look around them, obviously worried about being seen with her. "Hey, I asked you a question!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly, handing her the correct change. "$4.86 is your change, ma'am." Before she could continue to harass him for answers, he turned to the next person in line. "Can I help you, sir?"

Brooke was practically seething as the man began asking him where they kept something. Storming out with the cart, she began loading up the groceries into the car, not caring whether or not something broke or not. No one had ever brushed her off like that before when she asked them something. And to be perfectly honest, she didn't like it one bit. Was it really so hard to answer a simple question?

And more importantly, who was that kid? What was his name? Why did he save their lives last week and why was he working for the demons if he was an ally of good? What was he? Was he a witch or demon? Friend or foe? Good or evil? And if the latter, then why did he save them?

"Susan, you had better not be here, because if you are then I am going to drag you over there kicking and screaming, demanding you—" Brooke stopped when she saw both Halliwells in the kitchen with Susan. Wyatt had his hand over Susan's, a healing glow emerging from it. "What happened?"

"The demon hit Susan with some kind of needle," Chris said, gingerly picking something up off of the table. "I wasn't going to take any chances. Your hand feeling okay?" he asked Susan.

"Yeah, it doesn't feel weird any more," she answered before looking at Wyatt. "Thanks."

The elder Halliwell nodded once before standing up to greet Brooke with a quick kiss on the cheek. Brooke cast a glance towards Susan, who was trying to ignore this exchange.

"So did you find out what they want?" Wyatt asked, glancing at the two investigators.

"Apparently, just people to work for them, but that doesn't explain why they're killing them," Susan said, placing her head into her hand as she rested it on the table.

"Unless they're stealing their souls," Chris responded. "You know, making some kind of Faustian deal kind of thing. Didn't Mom and the aunts do something like that about twenty years ago?" He directed this question at Wyatt, who nodded.

"Yeah, I think that was when the other you was there," Wyatt said, referring to the Chris from the other future, who had died saving Wyatt from turning evil. Chris got shivers every time that he thought about it, about what almost could have been had he not succeeded.

He didn't remember anything from the other future, but the picture that his mother had painted for him when he was fourteen was enough. That was the day that the demons had attacked and almost killed them both. Luckily, Wyatt had orbed in just in time to heal them. Chris had held on to his mother, scared that he'd almost lost her. She'd held him comfortingly and told him that she was here, she hadn't died this time.

Shocked, Chris had asked her what she meant by that. After calling his dad, they all sat down and his mother told him about the other future and about the time travelling back to save his brother. It scared him to death, but his mother assured him that the future had changed; it wouldn't happen this time around.

Noticing the girls giving them curious looks, Chris explained, "It's a long story. I'll tell you later. Back to the demons, though, I don't think that they're going to be stopping. I think we'd better check up on them in the Book then go after them again. We don't want them hurting anyone else."

--

It was half an hour later that they finally managed to find the demons located in the Book. Susan was making some potions, though Wyatt noticed that she kept rubbing her hand a lot, which was weird because he had already healed it. Apparently, Chris noticed the way that she was acting too, because he asked her about it.

But of course, she claimed that she was fine and continued working on the potions until Chris let out a triumphant shout. "YES! Found them!" he announced. Susan abandoned the potions to walk over to them, peering over Chris's shoulder.

Wyatt noticed that she sat down next to her and he reached over, squeezing her hand tightly. He rolled his eyes. When were they going to get over this avoiding each other and start dating? he wondered.

I was wondering the same thing, Brooke's voice broke into his head and his head shot towards her. She winked at him and shrugged. Telepath, she explained silently as she looked towards the two on the couch. If these two aren't together by the time we vanquish these demons, then what do you say that we lock them in a room together and not let them out until they've settled this?

Won't work. Both of them can orb, Wyatt pointed out.

Yeah, but not if we cast a spell in order to prevent that, Brooke said with an evil smile at him. Wyatt smirked; it sounded like a pretty good idea. And don't bother with personal gain. If these two don't get their act together, I'm going to go crazy and not be able to help any innocents. So it's all for the greater good.

You've really thought this whole thing out, haven't you? Wyatt asked, impressed.

Yep.

"Okay, so this demon is known as Anima Colligere, which means 'Soul Collector', roughly translated," Chris explained. "They collect souls in order to have them work as slaves for them. Apparently, it's so they can eventually turn them into demons after awhile, after they've forgotten their old life and what they use to be. Once the Collectors find a spot where there's a lot of good people that can be collected without suspicion, they shoot them with these darts or needles." He nodded towards where the one he'd gotten was lying on the table. "It inserts a poison into the system that starts working almost instantly. The poison starts moving through their system and starts providing them with demonic powers, which is why they were going crazy. Mortals' bodies are not equipped for powers, so they try and reject it, but the poison prevents that and starts breaking down their bodies. Eventually, their body dies and their soul is transported to the demons, who contain it until they can turn the mortals successfully into demons."

"That's sick," Susan grumbled. "They can't do that to people! It's not right and not to mention, is there a vanquishing potion or something?"

"Yeah, there's a spell," Chris said, scanning the page. "Problem is that you have to plunge one of his needles into his heart while you're saying it and I don't see him letting us get that close."

"Well, then, I guess I'll just have to freeze him while you do that," Wyatt said cheerfully. Chris glanced at him, eyebrows raised. Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Look, just because this freezing power is new doesn't mean that I don't know how to control it."

"Famous last words from Wyatt Halliwell," Chris mumbled none too quietly. Susan smothered a giggle as the elder brother turned to glare at the two of them.

"Oh, the two of you are so adorable," he said sarcastically. "You should get married."

Both of them stopped almost instantly and Susan's giggles ceased. "Wyatt!" both of them yelled.

"That got their attention," Brooke observed. "Okay, so let's go track down this demon and then vanquish him so we can be home in time for dinner." Susan shook her head as she stood up, swaying slightly as she stood. Suddenly, she didn't exactly feel so good.

That was probably an under-exaggeration, though, she thought as grabbed hold of the arm of the couch. Her stomach was churning and she felt her limbs go numb and shake visibly underneath her.

"Chris," she whispered, though to hear it sounded like she was shouting. Everything sounded like she was underwater as she tried to get his attention again. "Chris."

He looked around at her and was instantly at her side, grabbing her just as she was about to lose her balance. "Susan!" he yelled, getting Brooke and Wyatt's attention from the kitchen. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

His face was very white as she looked up at him, trying to explain what was going on, but nothing came out. She seemed unable to articulate words, as though her mouth had suddenly forgotten how to talk. Susan wished that it hadn't, because she knew at that moment, there were so many things that she wanted to say to him.

But even before she could do anything, she felt her body start to collapse underneath her and then everything went black.