Disclaimer: All characters in this story are not mine, except for Arhama, an upper level demon. Just wanted to make that all clear



Paige orbed back into the parlor of Halliwell Manor, carrying a bag filled with Chinese food in small cardboard boxes. "Dinner is served," she announced, placing the bag on the table. She looked at Piper and Leo, who sat pouring over the Book of Shadows. "Anything?"

Leo shook his head. "It's still the same," he said. "Phoebe has to choose to return."

"But we've got some defense, at least," Piper said, gesturing to the potion bottles next to the book. Her voice was even more monotonous as before, and no expression registered on her face. "Potions to set thing on fire, potions to freeze things, potions to create a magical shield. Phoebe won't get to us until we can find away to cast the vanquishing spell with only two out of three Charmed Ones."

Paige looked shocked. "Vanquish? Piper, she's our SISTER."

"She's the Queen of Evil," Piper said heartlessly. "We can't get emotional over blood ties if she comes here. For all we know, Phoebe, Cole, or Arhama could shimmer in here at any moment."

And, of course, that was when Arhama chose to shimmer in by the staircase. "Good evening, witches," he snarled, throwing a plasma ball. Paige put out her hand, and the ball strangely diverted its course and struck the wall.

"Was that… telekinesis?" Paige said, shocked.

Arhama pulled another plasma ball from midair and threw it. Paige quickly orbed out of the way, and the ball hit the bag of Chinese food, blowing it up.

Paige orbed back in behind him. Using the fighting skills she had inherited when she became a vampire, she sent a flying roundhouse into Arhama's side, sending him falling to the floor. "I paid twenty bucks for that!"

Leo picked up a bottle of potion and flung it at the bodyguard. A shell of impenetrable ice appeared around him. "What do we do now?" he said.

As if in answer, five warlocks, dressed in red robes and all looking exactly alike, blinked into the room. "This gets better and better," Piper said. She flung out her hands and the warlocks froze.

"That should buy us some…" Paige stopped as the warlocks wavered peculiarly and then, with a detonation of light, broke the freeze. "Never mind."

One warlock raised his hand and shot lightning at Leo, who orbed out of the room. Piper raised her arms and flung them out again, and the warlock exploded.

Another warlock waved his hand, and floating blades appeared in front of him. They shot toward Paige. The youngest Charmed One put her hands out again. "Knives!" she called. The blades orbed out in midair and orbed back in facing the other way. The blades bit into their startled caster, who screamed as he burned alive.

Leo orbed back in, his fist catching another warlock as he began to cast his own spell. The warlock stumbled to the floor, and Piper exploded him also.

Another warlock turned to Leo, pulling an energy ball from midair and throwing it at Leo. The white lighter went flying into the wall, unconscious.

Piper raised her hands, trying to help her husband, but the last warlock grabbed her arms from behind. Paige started toward Piper, but the other warlock blinked in front of her, knocking her to the floor, straddling her with his hands around her throat.

In the midst of the fight, they heard the front door open, and heard the click of high heels tapping on the floor.

Piper snapped her head back, catching the warlock holding her in the face. "Ow!" she yelled, rubbing the back of her head. "How can Jackie Chan do that?" She flung her hand out and the warlock exploded.

Then Phoebe came around the corner, stepping around the bubble of ice that held her bodyguard. "Enough!" she said to the warlock that still strangled Paige. The startled warlock blinked out.

The Queen of Evil looked at the unconscious Leo. "Can Paige and Piper come out to play?" she asked the inert white lighter. "I promise I won't be too rough on them." She paused. "Silence gives consent."

Piper picked up one of the potion bottles and threw it at Phoebe. The bottle shattered on her and she screamed as she burst into flames. Paige screamed along with her, a cry of indescribable loss.

Then the flames disappeared and Phoebe was there, smirking. Unharmed. "You call that fire?" she laughed. She put her hand out, and threw a handful of fire at Piper. She ducked, and the fire shattered the windows behind her.

"Potion!" Paige called, and the last bottle of potion appeared in her hand. She shattered it at Phoebe's feet, creating a wall of force between her and the other two Charmed Ones.

Phoebe glared at Paige, then raised her hand and shattered the ice with the demonic fire. Arhama stood up, his eyes blazing.

"Go home, Arhama," Phoebe said. The demon looked at her, amazed.

"Go home," she repeated. "I can deal with my sisters." She said the word 'sisters' with a note of pure contempt. Arhama bowed and shimmered out.

Phoebe turned to her sisters, pulling a vial of thick red liquid from the pocket of her pants. "Now," she said, "where were we?"