Cole To The Infinite Power
The Turning Point
By: Alchemystik
To say I brooded about the Source's decision to " allow " other demons to assist me with the Charmed Ones demise, was an understatement.
I was pissed off to the extreme; this was MY Life Assignment! Ok, the sisters were a menace and a bother and a danger to our kind, but to hint that I was incapable of dealing with them irritated me to no end.
And, Troxa? Please.
He was a lesser demon, not even worthy of my attention. So I couldn't become invisible; so the hell what!? HE didn't have a demonic half that put the fear of the Wastelands in many a demon greater than himself.
He was one-dimensional, arrogant, and dared to warn me...ME, the Mighty Belthazor, that he would " handle " this situation with aplomb. I so wanted to " free the beast " so to say, and make him re-think his agenda.
But there was a slight twist to all of this. Just who was terrorizing Prue Halliwell? It wasn't me, and it certainly wasn't Troxa. Raynor had drawn a blank in his research, as had Klea and Vornac, who offered their assistance.
Could it be that a mere human was doing this dastardly little deeds?
It was beginning to look that way after all.
Phoebe seemed anxious to make things up to me, especially since the sisters had practically vanquished me with Prue's little trap. There was a slight down side to that incident, though. Their whitelighter was able to pull himself away from Piper's bedroom long enough to inform them that the great demon Belthazor was on their shapely little asses. Those prissy little Elders were obviously good for something; what, I had no clue.
Prue, well...being Prue, learned all she could about me. It appeared that I rated an entire page in the Book Of Shadows; Including the potion and spell necessary to vanquish me.
I'm pretty sure that even at that early stage, Prue equated Cole Turner, Assistant D.A. with Belthazor, Big Bad Demon. Phoebe wasn't as cynical, at least not at that time, and Piper...well, Piper had issues of her own to deal with.
Prue's paranoia ultimately led her right to me, but that's another story, so to speak.
Right now, I had Troxa to deal with, and I racked my brain to come up with an idea that would not only expose my superiority, but also rid me of the arrogant vermin.
I finally settled on a simple human apparatus; a fire extinguisher. When Troxa had the gall to show up at my office, I fired off the extinguisher and then fired off a fireball.
No more Troxa.
The other story evolved just as I had suspected. Prue's " secret admirer " turned out to be a part-time bartender in Piper's club; an unbalanced female who wished to replace Prue in real life.
Don't these people think these things through? Did she honestly think that her deception would go unnoticed? I guess I didn't understand human nature as well as I thought I did. She was caught, and Prue was safe to pursue...me.
I would say that all's well that ends well, but then came a blow to my monstrous ego.
I never expected Castle Phoebe's ramparts would be so difficult to breach. Perhaps somewhere deep inside of her, some womanly instinct warned her that all was not as it seemed when it came to me.
I temporarily gave up my attempts to steal the Book of Shadows, as a succession of minor and not so minor demons began to challenge me for the right to kill the Charmed Ones. By the end of the day I was often exhausted, both mentally and physically, but I made an effort to see Phoebe, no matter how I felt.
Yet still...the consumation I sought alluded me. I, who had never had a problem wooing a woman, was left wondering if I had lost my touch.
I even went so far as to ask Vornac when we lunched together...
" Have you ever bedded a witch? " I asked him as we picked our way through a delectable antipasto platter at a comfortable Italian bistro.
Vornac wrinkled his nose in distaste, as he swallowed a black olive stuffed with provilone cheese. " A witch? Please, brother, not while I'm eating. "
I chuckled at his wit, then adopted a more serious tone. I confided in him because we were indeed as close as brothers; in fact, we were members of the elite group known as The Brotherhood of the Thorn, and ranked only slightly below the Triad in power and prestige.
He listened, a half smile on his lips, as I outlined my plan to possess Phoebe Halliwell. I spoke of the Charlatan back in 17th century Salem, who had, with a simple apple peel, proclaimed me as Phoebe's true love. I told him of the moonlight walks, the kisses and caresses that increased in frequency and fervor. I explained the visits to my condo, and the fact that she allowed me a steadily increasing amount of liberties with her body...
Yet always stopped me short of fulfillment. I wished to know why, and I trusted my good " brother ", no slouch with the female species himself, to enlighten me.
Vornac finished his scotch on the rocks and signaled the waiter for another round. That slight smile, now maddening in it's ambiguity still played around his lips. Finally, he spoke.
" An apple peel proclaimed you her true love? Well, have you told her such? "
I looked at him with exasperation, " Of course I've let her know how much she means to me! "
" That wasn't my question. " Vornac answered, smoothly, moving his plate to make room for the entree that was now being served.
We were silent while our waiter went through the ritual of grating cheese and pepper to our specifications. Once he had departed, Vornac pointed out the truth.
So simple, so elemental. I, with humanity coursing through my veins had to be taught by a full fledged demon! The shame of it!
" Listen, Cole. " Vornac said, quietly. " You ask for my secret, yet I am astounded that you of all people do not know what that magic word is. "
I cut my veal, all the while perplexed until Vornac rolled his eyes and put me out of my misery.
" Women want to hear one word and one word only from a man. Love. L-O-V-E. Tell her you love her, and you will breach her defenses in an instant. "
I groaned and closed my eyes. Of course! How stupid I had been. I recalled the ending of our many phone conversations when I had gently wished her a good night, and had heard the faint disappointment in her voice as she echoed the sentiment.
She was waiting to hear that simple, that inane four letter word!
I looked at the gloating Vornac and drew my brows together. " It wasn't necessary for you to SPELL the word for me. I placed higher than you in our human academic programs, if you'd recall. "
Vornac smirked and popped half a meatball in his mouth. Chewing quickly, he swallowed and then he hit back with, " Yes, very true. But it would appear that you are in danger of flunking Female 101. "
I glared at him and then we both grinned. How I missed him! We had indeed been brothers, and while I could talk to Raynor on many subjects, debauchery of human females was naturally NOT one of them.
I insisted on paying for lunch, and hurried back to my office, a plan formulating in my mind.
Unfortunately, when I arrived at the building that housed the Bay Area District Attornies, my secretary informed me that a visitor was awaiting me in my chambers.
" Can I help you? " I asked the suited gentleman studying the framed prints on my wall.
But when he turned around, my stomach lurched. The face was youthful and smooth, but the black eyes were as familiar to me as my own sea blue.
" Master? " I murmured, bowing my head in deference.
What had happened, I thought frantically. What catastrophy would have brought Raynor to this world in a disguise?
He didn't appear angry or unduly excited. Instead, he appeared as normal as was possible for a gouty, short-tempered, impatient and crabbed demon of some three hundred year of age.
" I was looking over some information about The Charmed Ones when I had an epiphany. "
" An epiphany. " I echoed, looking lost and confused.
Raynor tugged at the suit coat and snarled something pithy and thankfully inaudible to me. In an instant, he was back to his old self, garbed in his dusty black robes, his long gray hair and beard giving him a wise and sage-like countenance. His heavy knobbed staff appeared in his hand and he sighed with something akin to contentment. I, on the other hand, hoped that my secretary would not find a reason to open my door any time soon.
He limped over to the small loveseat against the wall that held the prints he had been so engrossed in and grunted as he lowered himself onto it.
" What was the most important lesson I taught you about the use of magical powers? " He barked at me.
I shook my head slightly; this day had taken on a surrealness that was robbing me of my ability to form a coherent thought, let alone a cohesive sentence.
" Well? " He grumbled, and I sat down on my desk chair, before I fell over.
" Um...well..." I faltered, hemmed and hawed. " Are we speaking about ALL powers? "
Raynor raised his eyes heavenward, as if to ask the other side to give him the strength not to crack my skull like an egg.
" Powers...powers are given. " I stuttered, and Raynor shook his head regretfully.
" What happens when you become angry? No, more than angry, enraged? Belthazor appears, does he not? "
I nodded, still unsure where my mentor was going with this.
He waited for a moment, and when I didn't pick up the ball and run with it, he decided I was either brain dead, or totally humanized, and explained himself more fully.
" ALL powers are emotionally based. Why would the witches be any different? In fact, I'm sure their bond, their proverbial " Power of Three " stems from their emotional connection as sisters. "
Of course! I said to myself, finally seeing the light. Emotionally based powers; and it was so easy to manipulate human emotions! "
Raynor watched me carefully, a slight smile on his face. He knew I was putting two and two together, and was hoping I'd come up with four.
" If I turn the sisters against each other, the bond would be broken and they would be powerless. At my mercy. " I responded, excitedly.
Raynor nodded, well pleased. He heaved himself from the loveseat to his feet with the help of his staff.
" Sow discord, make them angry. Turn sister against sister, and then..."
His voice trailed off, and I finished his sentence; " And then, we will have them! "
He bade me a fond farewell and left me to my musings. A call to Phoebe set up a redezvous for later this evening, and my secretary kindly ordered roses and Champagne.
RED roses. The eternal symbol of love.
Tonight...tonight I would allow my human side full sway. And then, we would see.