Legacy 116: Birds of a Phoenix Feather

Part 4

Xxx

A swirling blue portal opened in the grand hall of Magic School and Chris stepped through. Since it was early in the morning, students were running to their classes and barely paid attention to him. He was there to see his father, as his research into the Phoenix had not resulted in much. The Book of Shadows had little information on them, as they were an elite and very secretive family of witches. However, Chris was convinced that his father knew more. He kept going over everything he knew about Bianca, including the time-displaced memories Barbas had shown him. A different version of him had known Bianca intimately and it was time to learn the truth.

When Chris reached his father's office, he knocked and waited to be invited inside. He opened the door and found his father sitting as his desk, dressed in his headmaster's robe.

"Chris." Leo said pleasantly surprised. "I thought you were a student. It's good to see you."

"Hi, dad. It's good to see you too." Chris replied. "But I'm not here for a social call."

"Is something wrong?" Leo asked.

"I don't know yet." Chris admitted. "I'm helping Penny deal with a demon attack at P3, but there was a mysterious woman who interfered."

"Is Penny alright?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, she's fine." Chris said. "She is looking after an innocent back at the manor."

"So you're looking for information about this mysterious woman?" Leo asked when he rose from his chair and walked over to a cabinet of books. "Anything specific that could help identify her?"

"Her name is Bianca." Chris said.

Chris noticed that his father's froze in place when he heard that name, which confirmed his suspicion that he knew more. Leo turned to his son with a troubled look in his eyes.

"I guess you know more than that." Leo reasoned. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"I remember her." Chris said. "Well, not really, but I have seen things, memories that aren't really mine. They belonged to a different version of me, right?"

"Yes." Leo replied. "I knew it was only a matter of time before we would have this talk. I don't even know where to begin."

"It's connected to Wyatt, isn't it?" Chris asked. "To how he almost turned evil?"

"It is." Leo confirmed. "Back when Wyatt was a baby, a version of you came to the past from a dark future, one where Wyatt had turned evil. You came back to save your brother from that fate."

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"You infiltrated the lives of your mother and aunts by posing as their Whitelighter, back when I was an Elder." Leo explained. "You kept your identity a secret and tried to find out what turned Wyatt evil."

"Which turned out to be Gideon." Chris noted.

"Indeed." Leo continued. "However, you weren't the only one to come back from the future. Wyatt sent someone was sent back to retrieve you. Her name was Bianca."

"But I saw her fight him in that memory." Chris replied with a frown. "She wasn't with him, she was with me. I think we had feelings for each other."

"You did." Leo said. "She supported you when you tried to save Wyatt, but when you went to the past, he forced her to go get you back."

"But she stood up to him." Chris said as he relived the memory in his mind, seeing her dying in his arms once more. "She died trying to save me, so I could save him."

"And you did." Leo said. "With your help, we figured out it was Gideon and we saved Wyatt, thus altering the timeline. The future version of you died just as you were born."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chris asked.

"We talked about it, your mother and I, but we didn't want to burden you." Leo admitted. "We wanted you to live your own life and not be affected by things from the past."

"You were afraid that I would hate Wyatt." Chris noted.

"No, never." Leo said determined as he sat back down at his desk. "Because that is not the kind of person you are, Chris."

"I don't know." Chris replied confused. "I always knew there was something I was missing. A feeling that something wasn't right. And then Barbas showed me that memory and I even saw her past life in Camelot. I knew I was connected to her somehow."

"A different version of her." Leo said. "Neither of you is the same person you were in that other timeline. You have lived completely different lives here."

"I deserved to know." Chris replied angrily. "You kept this a secret from me."

"You're right." Leo said after taking a deep breath. "We just wanted to protect you and your brother, but you have every right to be angry."

"I just need some time to process." Chris replied. "I understand why you did it, you wanted us to have a clean slate. But now that I know she is out there, I can't ignore her."

"Your souls are intertwined." Leo said. "That's why your past lives have crossed paths. You were destined to run into each other again."

"I have to find her." Chris replied.

"Of course, but you have to be careful, son." Leo warned him. "You have these memories, but she doesn't. You're a stranger to her and the Phoenix are dangerous."

"That's why I need more information." Chris said. "Can you help me?"

"I have some scrolls about the Phoenix." Leo replied as he got up and walked toward the cabinet. "They're powerful witches with powers often associated with demons, which is due to their vengeful nature. They're assassins who will not hesitate to use deadly force. Don't underestimate them."

"I won't." Chris said.

"I mean it, Chris." Leo said as he handed over the scrolls and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you care about Bianca, but she has no reason to trust you. Don't confront her alone."

"I won't." Chris quickly said, knowing that it was a lie. He had every intention of seeking her out on his own. "Thanks for the scrolls."

"Are we good?" Leo asked.

"Of course." Chris replied as he hugged his father. "I know you did what you thought was best."

Chris said goodbye to his father and left the office with the scrolls. He hated that he had just lied to his father, but his parents had done the same to him his entire life. They kept a huge secret from him, and while he understood their reasons, it still hurt. He needed to meet Bianca to be certain how he felt about her, or he would never be able to let this go.

Xxx

At the Halliwell Manor, Penny and Theo were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. Chris was nowhere to be found, so Penny had decided to make herself home. Theo was wearing some of Wyatt's clothes, which fitted him nicely. Penny was relieved that he was dressed after catching him in the bathroom earlier. She needed to focus on the demonic attack and nothing else. She suspected his father was connected to the attack and Chris had warned her that Theo might not be as innocent as he appeared. However, she refused to believe he was involved. She was just trying to figure out how to bring up his father.

"You're quiet." Theo noted.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." Penny replied. "How's breakfast?"

"It's fine, but I doubt that's what you want to ask." Theo said. "We're both thinking about the same thing, right?"

"Are we?" Penny asked hesitantly.

"The demons." Theo said. "We have to figure out why they're after me."

"Right." Penny replied. "Do you have any idea?"

"No, not really." Theo said as he thought about it. "Before yesterday, I had no idea magic and demons were real."

"Are you sure you can't think of anything?" Penny asked carefully.

"No, but you obviously do." Theo replied with a frown. "Please, tell me."

"Okay." Penny said after taking a deep breath. "Chris and I were talking, and since the demons attacked you at the office party, we thought it could be connected to your father."

"My father?" Theo asked confused. "Why?"

"Well, he is one of the richest and most powerful men in the city." Penny reasoned. "He likely has many enemies out there. Demons have meddled in mortal businesses before."

"He's just a regular businessman." Theo said.

"Do you know how he got so successful?" Penny asked.

"No, I always assumed he was just good at his job." Theo replied. "He was always away, so I hardly ever saw him during my childhood."

"That must have been tough." Penny said.

"I guess." Theo said with a shrug. "I didn't really miss him at first. It always used to be me and my mom. At least until…"

Theo stopped talking and Penny noticed him becoming a little emotional. She placed a hand on his arm to comfort him and accidentally picked up some of his thoughts. He was thinking about his mother, Luciana, who died when he was ten years old. Theo missed her a lot and he struggled with her death. She had been found dead in a hotel room during a business trip. His father had always told him it had been a robbery.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Penny said before she realized.

Theo looked at her and withdrew his arm. "Did you just read my mind?" He asked concerned.

"By accident." Penny quickly said. "It wasn't my intention, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Theo said after a moment. "It's been so long since I talked to anyone about her. My father refuses to even mention her. He just shipped me off to a boarding school after she died."

"That's horrible." Penny remarked. "No wonder you're not close."

"I did everything I could to get his attention." Theo said. "I got into fights, got bad grades, when I got older I started drinking and partying. So he just sent me to rehab instead. When I started working at the company, it was the first time I felt worthy of his time."

"You deserved better." Penny said. "No kid should go through that alone. They think it was a robbery?"

"Yeah." Theo replied. "They met when my mom was working at a hotel in Mexico and got married quickly after. The night she was killed, my mom had flown out to surprise my dad during a business trip. Wrong place, wrong time, I guess."

"Oh my god." Penny said horrified.

"She was the only real family I had." Theo said. "My father is basically a stranger."

"So you've never seen or heard anything weird around the office?" Penny asked. "Anything that could indicate demonic involvement?"

"No." Theo replied with a shrug.

"That settles it." Penny said determined. "I'm going to your office to investigate."

"What?" Theo asked surprised.

"Don't worry, using my hypnosis, I can easily charm my way in." Penny replied. "I'll snoop around for a bit and see what I can find."

"I'm going with you." Theo said.

"Theo, no, it's too dangerous for you." Penny said. "You should stay here."

"It's my company, I know the place. I'm not going to let you go alone." Theo said determined. "Besides, I want answers just as badly."

"Alright." Penny agreed reluctantly. "I guess that would make getting in a little easier."

Penny and Theo finished up their breakfast and headed out. Penny wasn't sure she was doing the right thing by bringing Theo along. It was dangerous, but then again, it would be helpful to have the son of the CEO with her while she investigated the company. She quickly grabbed her phone and texted Chris about their plans, so he could orb in when they needed him.

As the two left the manor and got in the car, they were unaware of Nanta observing them from across the street. The demon smiled as she pulled a tracking device from her pocket and teleported it inside the trunk of the car before shimmering away.

Xxx

In an Underworld cavern lit by several candles, Nanta appeared through a shimmer. The cavern was filled with black furniture, giving it a blend of darkness and modern style. She walked over to a cabinet and poured herself a glass of red wine. Victoria was a handful, though she was also one of her biggest achievements. Wahlstrom International would get Nanta one step closer to her ultimate goal, to control the economy. While most demons could only kill and maim, Nanta had learned that she could cause more pain by taking the thing mortals cared about most, their money.

A suited demon entered the cavern and kneeled. "Any news, ma'am?" He asked.

"I'm tracking the witches as we speak." Nanta replied. "Get your men ready. I want them and the boy dead before they discover the connection to Victoria."

"Understood." The demon replied.

The demon disappeared through a shimmer and Nanta walked over to a stone wall. She waved her hand and the wall moved, revealing a mechanical door behind it. She entered another cavern with stone basin in the center and several demonic eggs lying inside.

"Hello my babies." Nanta said. "Soon you all will find a place. Just a little while longer."

Nanta focused her attention on a large screen on the wall. It was tracking the vitals of the eggs, which were all strong and healthy. She waved her hand and the screen changed, revealing several of her demonic imposters out in the world, including Victoria. She waved her hand again and the screen changed to a security camera of Victoria's office. She was working as Nanta had ordered. A bleeping red light alerted Nanta to a security breach at the company. She waved her hand and the screen showed another office, where a young woman in leather was searching a desk.

"And who might you be?" Nanta asked curiously. "One of the witches?"

Nanta noticed something and froze the image with a snap of her finger. She zoomed in to the woman's arm and saw a familiar marking. The woman was one of the Phoenix, meaning she was probably hired by Henson out of retaliation for attacking his son. That make her a problem that needed to be dealt with right away. She grabbed her phone and called Victoria.

"You have an intruder in the building." Nanta said. "Check your security cams and send some demons to take her out. Don't get close, she is dangerous."

"Got it." Victoria replied before ending the call.

Nanta sighed and finished her wine. She was getting tired of playing the demonic nanny. Her plans were foiled by witches once before and she was determined to not let it happen again.

xxx