Legacy 201: Divine Witchervention

Part 4

Xxx

After obtaining the divine essence of the Gods, Noah orbed down to the Halliwell Manor and found all of the cousins were already together. While that should be a good thing, as it saved him precious time, he sensed tension in the room almost instantly. Emotions were clearly running high among them, which was exactly why turning them into Gods was a risk. If they could not control their emotions properly, the essence would consume their humanity and turn them into an even bigger threat than Rhea.

"Noah, what are you doing here?" Wyatt asked. "We haven't seen you in months."

"I wish I was here for a social call, but there is something we need to discuss." Noah replied as he placed the vase with the essence on the table.

"Let me guess, it's about Titans?" Penny asked.

"You figured it out already?" Noah noted surprised. "How did you know?"

"Earthquakes, heat waves." Chris summed up. "We all remember the stories our moms told us. It also triggered some memories from the other me that went back into the past."

"Wait, you're having memories of the other Chris?" Wyatt asked. "Since when?"

"It happens occasionally." Chris replied with a shrug. "It's not a big deal, let's not focus on it. We need to talk about the Titans."

"Titan." Noah corrected him. "Rhea, the former Queen of the Titans. She was freed from the Antarctic, where she had been trapped by her husband Cronus for millennia."

"Sounds like a bad breakup." Henry remarked.

"According to the stories, Cronus didn't want to share the throne." Noah replied. "Ironically, if they had stayed together, the Titans would have probably never been defeated."

"So what exactly are we up against?" Laura asked.

"Rhea is one of the strongest Titans out there." Noah explained. "She is a literal force of nature, being able to control the elements of earth, wind and fire."

"Plus she has an army." Henry said.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"I was at the beach when Furies arrived to take over a hotel that was recently opened there." Henry replied. "We figured that they were working for the Titans."

"That makes sense." Noah reasoned. "Rhea is a Queen, she would want servants and a palace. The Furies are a logical choice because they remember their heritage, meaning they are likely to bow to someone like her."

"So what are we going to do?" Payton asked. "We're just witches. We can't face a Titan. I don't think I'm ready to face anything that evil."

"None of us are, Payton." Laura said in a supportive manner. "There is nothing wrong with being scared."

"Well, I'm not scared." Penny remarked with a frown. "I've been looking forward to kicking some ass. Just point me in the right direction."

"We're not running into danger headfirst." Wyatt said. "We need a plan."

"I think the plan is sitting on the table." Chris noted as he looked at the vase. "Noah, is that what I think it is?"

"It's the only way according to the council." Noah said.

"The only way to what?" Wyatt asked. "What's in the vase?"

"The divine essence." Noah replied. "The Elders believe that we can only stop Rhea by turning all of you into the Greek Gods."

"Gods?" Payton asked shocked. "Like actual Gods?"

"No way." Chris said. "Noah, you know the risks."

"I do." Noah admitted. "And I didn't support the plan either. But your moms were able to handle it, so I believe you can as well."

"No, they weren't." Chris replied. "Not really. My mom barely made it."

"Could someone fill us in on the details?" Henry asked. "I'm lost here."

"The original Greek Gods were mortals empowered by the Elders to defeat the Titans." Laura explained. "However, they were corrupted by their power and became tyrants themselves. That much power is a huge strain on your emotional state."

"I told the Elders that you're not emotionally stable enough." Noah added hesitantly. "Not after losing…"

"You can say her name." Penny snapped at him.

"Losing Prue." Noah said. "We're all still mourning her loss, which means that you're not ready to handle that much power."

"What other choice do you have?" Penny asked. "The Elders need us to clean up another mess. Just give us the power let us handle it again."

"Penny, it's not that simple." Chris said. "We have no idea what the essence will do with our minds."

"Out of all of us, you're probably the least prepared to handle this." Wyatt added.

"Guys, stop it." Laura said. "We need to do this together."

"No, we don't." Penny said. "I'll handle this."

Before anyone could stop her, Penny reached for the vase and removed the lid. Thunder sounded and a foggy white light swirled around her. Once the fog cleared, Noah quickly grabbed the lid and put it back on the vase, preventing more of the essence escaping. He looked at Penny and saw she had been transformed. Her brown hair had turned black and had grown to cover her shoulders, while she was wearing a white toga with a plunging neckline and a red sash around her waist. She carried a full-length spear with a burning tip and an aura of anger surrounded her.

"Penny, what have you done?" Payton asked shocked.

"What the rest of you was too scared to do." Penny replied.

"Noah, who or what is she now?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm not sure." Noah replied. "I had selected a specific transformation for all of you based on your personalities and strengths, but this essence seems to have chosen Penny. She was supposed to become the Goddess of War, but this…"

"I'm the Goddess of Strife." Penny announced. "I'm stronger and better than the weak Goddess of War could ever be."

"Not to mention more bloodthirsty." Laura noted. "The original goddess, Eris, enjoyed conflict and violence."

"The essence must have sensed her anger." Chris said. "Penny, you need to take control, remember the real you."

"Silence." Penny replied as she pointed her spear at him. "Our enemy is gathering power. We must strike swiftly and without hesitation. Time for the Titan to bleed."

"I don't think so, you need a time-out." Wyatt said. "Spear!"

Wyatt held out his hand and the spear was orbed out of Penny's hands. He then waved his hand and five crystals appeared around Penny. They formed a protective circle and trapped her in a crystal cage. Penny growled angrily and tried to get out, though the cage zapped her.

"Unleash me at once." Penny demanded as her voice deepened and echoed.

"I don't think it's smart to piss off a goddess." Henry noted.

"She was pissed long before she became one." Wyatt replied as he put down the spear, which caused the flame to go out. "We can't have her charging at Rhea in a blind rage."

"Then what are we doing to do?" Laura asked. "Can we extract the essence from her?"

"No, not as long as she isn't willing to give it up." Noah replied. "We need to get her to reason, but I think she'll only be willing to listen to those equal to her."

"So we have no choice." Chris said. "We all need to accept the essence."

"I know what I'm asking is unfair after everything that you've been through." Noah replied.

"It's alright, Noah." Wyatt said. "We all knew the fight against evil wasn't over."

"Guys, this really makes me nervous." Payton admitted. "I'm not sure I can do this."

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Payton." Noah said. "I can't force you to do this, but it's going to take all of you to end this."

"I know." Payton replied as she looked at Penny. "I'll do it, because I can't lose another sister."

"Thank you." Noah said. "So are you all in agreement?"

"We are." Laura said as she and Henry nodded. "Let's do this."

Noah picked up the vase. He focused on the cousins and the attributes he had selected for them as he removed the lid and cast a spell in ancient Greek. Once again, thunder sounded as the entire room was filled by foggy white light. Once the essence had transformed all of the cousins, Noah recalled it and closed the lid. The fog cleared from the room and Noah found himself standing in front of an entire pantheon.

Wyatt had grown a short beard and was wearing a white toga that left half of his chest exposed, while a navy blue sash was draped over his shoulder. Chris was wearing a golden Greek helmet and a golden chest plate. His toga was short, barely reaching his knees, and he carried a golden bow.

Laura was wearing a long white and silver toga, along with a silver diadem adorned with purple jewels. Her hair become blonder and had woven into a long braid. Payton was wearing a white toga while a soft pink cloak was draped around her shoulders. Her brown hair had grown wild and was adorned with colorful flowers. Lastly, Henry wore a white toga tied around his waist with vines and wore a laurel wreath on his head. He carried a golden chalice in his hand.

"How do you all feel?" Noah asked.

"Powerful." Wyatt said as he held out his hand and let lighting course through him. "This feels amazing and energetic."

"That's because you're the God of the Sky." Noah said. "You control the air, wind and lighting. You're also the king of the Gods."

"Like Zeus." Wyatt noted. "Seems fitting."

"Because Zeus also slept around a lot?" Henry remarked.

"Very funny, what are you supposed to be?" Wyatt asked.

"Henry is the God of Celebration." Noah explained. "He is skilled at manipulating emotions through theatrics and intoxication."

"That doesn't seem correct." Laura noted with a frown. "Historically speaking, Dionysus was more-so worshipped as a God of harvest and wine-making."

"I like the sound of that." Henry said as he waved his hand over his chalice, causing it to become filled with wine. "So let me guess, goddess of nerds?"

"Goddess of Wisdom, actually." Noah corrected him. "Much like Hera before her, Laura possesses high intelligence and psychic powers, including the ability to see the future. She will be invaluable in planning our attack."

"So what am I?" Chris asked.

"You're the God of Light." Noah replied. "The bow of Apollo is capable of shooting arrows of pure light, though you can also channel the warmth of the sun to heal others."

"Great, though I'm not sure about this toga." Chris noted awkwardly as he tugged it down. "It's a bit too breezy down there."

"Sorry, I didn't choose the outfits." Noah replied with a faint smile. "And that just leaves Payton, our new Goddess of Spring."

"Spring?" Payton asked disappointed. "I was hoping for an active power for once."

"You'll have an important part to play." Noah promised. "You're connected to nature and life. You can offer safety and shelter to those in need, just like Persephone."

"I'll do my best." Payton replied.

"Are we done with the introductions?" Penny said angrily as she slammed her fist against the crystal cage. "Let's go fight this damned Titan already."

"Hold on." Wyatt replied. "I'm getting tired of this heat, I want to see it storm."

"No, wait." Noah quickly said. "I know these powers are tempting you. They will play on your emotions and desires. Try not to give into them."

"We've been given these powers for a reason, Noah." Chris said. "You said I could heal people, right? Do you know many people I could help at the hospital? I could cure all diseases."

"That's boring." Henry remarked as he finished his wine. "I just want to party, life is meant to be fun."

"And I should study everything there is to know about Rhea." Laura noted. "Only by learning everything we can, can we determine the best way to defeat her."

"Guys, wait..." Noah pleaded.

Driven by their newfound powers, the four cousins ignored his warnings and teleported away. Wyatt disappeared through lighting, Chris in a flash of golden light, Laura through silver sparkles and Henry through green fading energy. Noah sighed and rubbed his forehead, wondering what the just released onto the world. This was going to be a disaster.

Xxx

At the ocean side of San Francisco, agent Reed arrived at the newly opened Golden Elysium Hotel in a black SUV. He had heard about the commotion at the hotel the moment his plane landed. The report stated that savage women with face paint and claws had taken over the hotel, preventing anyone from entering. Reed wasn't sure it was connected to the Titan, but it would make sense for her to establish a base. The hotel was the pinnacle of luxury and comfort, something a divine being would certainly appreciate.

Reed got out of the car put on sunglasses. Despite the heat, he was wearing a black suit to maintain his cover. As most law enforcement had no knowledge of the MIND program, he carried a Homeland Security badge. The cops had surrounded the hotel for public safety reasons, which made his job a little easier. All he needed to do was improvise his way in.

"Good afternoon." Reed said to one of the officers. "Who is in charge here?"

"I am." A middle-aged inspector said. "Who are you?"

"Homeland Security, agent Reed." Reed said. "I need your men to keep their distance from the hotel."

"Why is Homeland getting involved?" the inspector asked. "My men can handle a couple of hippie women causing trouble."

"These aren't hippies, inspector." Reed said. "We believe they're part of a domestic terrorist group. They target wealthy businesses and plunder them, believing themselves to be Robin Hood."

"That explains the weird costumes." The inspector noted. "What do you want?"

"This group is volatile." Reed replied. "Engaging them directly will result in innocent people getting hurt. It's best to keep a perimeter around the hotel and let us do our job."

"Us?" The inspector asked with a frown.

'My team will get here shortly." Reed lied. "Please keep your people and civilians away from the hotel as long as you can."

"I'll have to check with my superiors." The inspector said.

"Be my guest." Reed replied.

Reed walked away from the inspector and grabbed his phone, calling Evelyn for some backup. He needed to plant some seeds for his terrorist story.

"Agent Reed." Evelyn said. "What's the situation there?"

"Looks like Rhea has picked up some groupies and has taken over a hotel." Reed replied. "Ever heard of savage women with face paint and claws?"

"Checking the database now." Evelyn noted. "Sounds like Furies. You need to be careful. I spoke to the director and she reminded you to stand down."

"She knows I can't do that." Reed replied.

"Listen up." Evelyn said. "According to the director, the Elders fear the Titans, meaning they will resort to drastic measures. It is highly possible that they will create new Gods to fight Rhea. San Francisco could turn into a divine battleground."

"That sounds difficult to cover up." Reed remarked. "I already set up a cover story, we're dealing with domestic terrorists playing Robin Hood. Can you take care of the rest?"

"Smart thinking, we can work with that." Evelyn replied. "I'll put together a fake dossier to convince the local authorities you're telling the truth."

"Thanks." Reed said. "I'm going in for a closer look."

"Lincoln." Evelyn said concerned. "Be careful."

Reed ended the call and opened the back of the SUV, where he grabbed a metallic briefcase. Inside there was a gun and a clip of special bullets created by the MIND program. They were enchanted to be effective against demons. After arming himself, Reed made his way past the police barricade and entered the hotel through the service entrance.

Xxx

In one of the luxury suits of the hotel, Rhea stepped out of a hot bubble bath and was handed a bathrobe by one of her new Fury servants. Although she considered mortals to be little more than ants, she had to admire their inventive nature. Her new palace was beautiful and offered all the comforts a Queen deserved. She left the bathroom and entered a small room filled with clothing and jewelry. Her servant had called it a walk-in closet. There were gorgeous garments hanging ready for her and her eye was instantly drawn to a silver dress. She slipped into the dress and admired herself in the mirror. Waking up in the twenty-first century had its benefits.

"Do you know who made this dress?" Rhea asked.

"Some fancy mortal designer." Megaera noted with a frown as she entered. "Mortals and their fashion disgust me. You cannot fight in these."

"But they do look stunning." Rhea replied. "Have one of your warriors track down the designer. I shall need a wardrobe befitting royalty."

"My Queen." Megaera said. "We cannot waste time. We must claim this world and bring vengeance upon the mortals."

"Patience, Megaera." Rhea noted. "You will get what you desire."

"What is your plan?" Megaera asked.

"We must create a seat of power." Rhea said. "This hotel will serve well as a temporary palace as we claim this city. I must learn more of this new world before I can conquer it."

"What of the mortals swarming your palace?" Megaera replied.

"If they move against us, the Furies are free to judge them for their actions." Rhea said.

"It would be my pleasure." Megaera remarked.

Rhea picked up a diamond necklace and put it around her neck. Before she could admire it, however, she sensed a surge of power somewhere in the city and the skies rumbled. Whatever it was, she sensed an intense anger and thirst for blood. She looked over at Megaera and realized she had felt the same thing. There was a strange admiration in her eyes.

"What was that?" Rhea asked.

"She has been reborn." Megaera replied. "The Goddess of Strife, the one that gave Furies life."

"A goddess, interesting." Rhea noted. "Tell me, does this affect your loyalty?"

"We have sworn an oath, my Queen." Megaera said with a bow. "But the Goddess of Strife thirsts for violence as much as we do. She could be a valuable ally."

Before Rhea had a chance to consider it, she was overwhelmed with another surge of power, this one much stronger than the last. She felt threatened for the first time since her release, knowing she could not defeat an entire pantheon of Gods alone. She had clearly underestimated the Elders, meaning she needed to make her next move carefully. Perhaps allying herself with the Goddess of Strife was not a bad idea after all.

Xxx