EPILOGUE

Billy and Georgie shimmered into the Underworld. A demon was waiting for them as they appeared in a chamber. The demon stood looking at the two lower level demons. This was no ordinary demon. He stood some seven feet tall and his skin was a dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. His eyes glowed bright red like two piercing spotlights in the dark.

Immediately upon seeing who had summoned them, the two lesser demons immediately changed form from their human forms to their demonic forms. They looked nearly identical. They were about six feet tall and a dark green in color. Their skin was reptile-like and each had what looked like small horns protruding from their foreheads.

"My sources tell me that Scartoni suddenly left San Francisco," said the taller demon. "Before he did he converted all of his assets to cash and boarded the first plane he could find heading back to Italy. Would you care to explain how two of the so-called best Lecher demons could botch an assignment like this so badly? It was my understanding that you two were capable of handling an assignment as rudimentary as this."

"Malevant," gasped Billy. "Malevant, we don't know what went wrong. Everything was going fine. In fact, it was going better than fine. Our current assignment was to help a small time crime boss rise in their hierarchy. It was working beautifully. The bosses higher up were all ready beginning to take notice of him."

"Last night he called us in and told us to lay off a club called P3," interjected Georgie. "He acted like he was frightened. He said if he heard we were harassing the owner of that club or her sisters again he'd see to it that we'd pay for it. The next thing we know he's on a plane for Italy."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Malevant. "Why should he suddenly become so frightened and run away? It's almost as if someone scared him off."

"Well," said Georgie hesitantly, "two of his personal guards said something about three women visiting him the night before. He talked privately for a while and after they left he started acting so strangely. But that doesn't make any sense, either. Three human women would hardly be a threat to someone like Scartoni."

"Three women?" questioned Malevant. "What three women?"

"We don't know," said Billy. "From the way the two body guards talked it sounded like the women who owns P3 and her sisters."

"P3," Malevant hissed. "Do you have any idea who owns that club?"

"Some human female named Halliwell," said Georgie. "An insignificant human who we would have forced to succumb to the human's extortion system."

"You fools," said Malevant. "Don't you know who the Halliwell sisters are?"

"Just some humans," said Billy. "Apparently one of them owns the club and one her sisters helps her there."

"You're as stupid as you are incompetent," said Malevant. "The Halliwells are the Charmed Ones, you imbeciles. You've angered the three most powerful witches in human history. You're just lucky they didn't discover who you were. If they had they would have vanquished you immediately."

"The Charmed Ones?" gasped Georgie. "We . . . we didn't know. We had heard the Charmed Ones had surfaced but no one has ever mentioned who they were."

"Perhaps because they spend so much time on the mortal plane and not enough time in the Underworld."

They all turned to see who had spoken. Standing in the doorway to the chamber was a large demon, as large as Malevant. The demon was completely red with black tribal markings on his skin.

"Belthazor," said Malevant. "You dare interrupt me? At least you were smart enough to assume your demonic form before confronting me."

"I know of you hatred of humanity," said Belthazor. "If you don't want to be confronted by demons in their human form that's your choice. But the interference by these two with the Charmed Ones is my business."

"How do you figure that?" demanded Malevant.

"The Source has assigned the Charmed Ones to me," said Belthazor. "You are aware that every demon who has gone up against them so far has been vanquished."

"Of course," said Malevant. "That's why the Source has chosen you for this assignment. I find it disconcerting that you have yet to begin the mission that the Source feels so passionately about."

"I have started," said Belthazor. "Unlike the demons who have gone up the Charmed Ones previously, I prefer to succeed at my missions. I'm establishing a cover to use on the mortal plane. Working as an assistant district attorney in San Francisco."

"And that helps you how?" demanded Malevant.

"In order to get close enough to kill them," said Belthazor, "it's necessary that they drop their guard. That's not easy, especially with these three. If they decide to check on me I want them to find that I've been working as just any other ADA for several months before I encountered them. That will make them less likely to suspect me."

"Very smart," said Malevant. "They wouldn't expect a demon to take his time going after them."

"Exactly," said Belthazor. "And these two idiots nearly ruined that. If they had been arrested I could have gotten assigned to the case by the DA's office. If that had happened I would encountered the Charmed Ones before I was ready and they would have ruined weeks worth of work."

"We didn't know," pleaded Georgie. "Just as we told Malevant, we knew the Charmed Ones had surfaced. But we've never been told who they were. If we had known we never would have tried to muscle in on them."

"Muscle in on them?" questioned Malevant.

"A human phrase," said Belthazor. "Who's in charge of operation these two were assigned to?"

"Kellock was running the operation," said Billy. "We were working up slowly. Running an extortion operation for a few months and then we'd move up to other operations."

"As of right now you can tell Kellock to reassign you to something else," said Belthazor. "I'll not have any demon interfering with one of my operations."

"That is not your decision," said Malevant. "Kellock does not answer to a mercenary."

"But he does answer to the Source," said Belthazor. "And as you've pointed out, this is very high on the list of the Source's operations. Until the Source specifically tells me otherwise the Charmed Ones are my responsibility. And I won't have anyone – not even the Source's primary advisor – overriding my orders regarding them. If you want we can go get his opinion on it right now."

"That won't be necessary," said Malevant. "The Source has made it quite clear that your assignment with the Charmed Ones holds the highest priority. But you still do not have the authority or the right to order another's underlings. It is Kellock's decision how they are utilized."

"Fair enough," said Belthazor. "Just make sure they stay away from the Charmed Ones. They're my responsibility. And anyone who interferes with that responsibility will answer to me. And to the rest of the Brotherhood of the Thorn."

"Understood," said Malevant. "But I allow your arrogance only because it suits the purposes of the Source. And because you have earned a little more tolerance than most demons. But do not misunderstand my tolerance for weakness. Even my patience with you has its limits."

"Is that supposed to be news?" Belthazor asked. "Just make sure they stay out of my way in the future."

"They will," said Malevant.

Belthazor turned and walked out of the chamber as Malevant considered what to do about the two Lecher demons.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own "Charmed" stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.