Legacy 201: Divine Witchervention

Part 6

Xxx

Noah, Penny and Laura appeared in P3 through their respective methods of teleportation. Once they saw the club, they discovered it had been completely transformed. The usual dark and modern interior had been replaced with Greek columns and drapes, while the entire bar was filled all kinds of food imaginable. Fountains of wine flowed freely while upbeat, enthralling music sounded through the speakers. The club was filled with young men and women dressed in revealing Greek costumes. They were eating, drinking and dancing in a state of total ecstasy. There were pillows on the floor in the corners where several partygoers were intimately enjoying each other with without any sense of shame.

"What the hell is this?" Penny asked angrily. "What happened to my club?"

"It's Henry." Noah replied. "This is the result of his magic as the God of Celebration."

"It's certainly very Greek." Laura noted casually as she observed a half-naked couple walking past her. "They were a lot freer with their sexuality back then."

"Well, it's pissing me off." Penny remarked. "Henry better turn my club back or I'll fry his ass."

"We have to find him quickly." Noah said. "Before his magic goes completely out of control."

Noah and the others made their way through the club. While Penny was growing more frustrated by the intoxicated partygoers getting in her way, Laura was studying her surroundings with an observant frown, as if she was researching them. Once they reached the VIP area, Noah saw Henry lying on a pile of pillows surrounded by a mixed group of people in an intimate setting. Everyone was touching each other freely and making out passionately. Henry was kissing a blond young woman until he noticed them coming closer.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Henry called out excited as he got up. "Welcome, get a drink and enjoy yourselves."

"You ruined my club!" Penny snapped at him. "Reverse it."

"I can't do that." Henry replied. "People are having fun, I'm having fun. Besides, I don't even know how I did all of this in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Laura asked.

"I just thought about it and it happened." Henry admitted with a shrug. "Just like my chalice refills itself whenever I wish it."

"That's part of your magic." Noah explained. "As the God of Celebration, your main power is to grant pleasure and fulfill desires. You can manipulate emotions and the world around you."

"So this is not some kind of illusion or trick." Laura reasoned. "It's Projection, the ability to alter reality around you based on desires and imagination."

"Look, I don't really care how it works." Henry said. "All that matters is that people are enjoying themselves. It allows them to forget about their problems and just live in the moment."

"Like you've been doing all summer?" Laura noted. "That's not solving problems, it's avoiding them."

"God, you're so boring." Henry remarked as he rolled his eyes. "Just leave me alone. I was enjoying some good company until you guys showed up."

"We can't." Noah said. "We need your help to fight Rhea and fix this mess."

"What use could he possibly have?" Penny asked. "To throw Rhea a party?"

"All of you granted these powers for a reason." Noah said. "You each have a role to play in this battle."

"Guys, something is wrong." Laura suddenly said as her eyes turned bright white. "I'm seeing something, a vision. I think Chris and Wyatt are about to fight the Titan."

"Remember, you can see the future." Noah replied. "Focus on them and try to locate them."

"They're at the hospital, I think." Laura said. "But they're not going to win. We need to help them before they get killed."

"Killed?" Henry asked shocked. "But… we're Gods, right? We can't die."

"We're not invincible." Laura replied as her eyes stopped glowing. "At least not until we declare ourselves true Gods, which we can't do without losing our humanity."

"This is taking too long!" Penny said angrily. "I'm going after Rhea."

Noah attempted to stop her, though Penny tapped her spear on the floor and disappeared in a flash of fire before he could. Henry looked at the chalice in his hand and threw it away. He shook his head and rubbed his temples in an attempt to regain control over himself.

"It's hard to focus." Henry admitted. "What's happening?"

"You let the divine essence take over." Noah explained. "It twisted your carefree nature into something darker. It made you stopped caring completely."

"But I do care." Henry replied. "Look, maybe I was trying to avoid certain things. I just couldn't deal with everyone hurting so much. I didn't know what to do or say, so it was easier to leave."

"I understand that." Laura said. "But it's not about saying or doing the right thing. It's about being there for the people you love."

"Your family needs you, Henry." Noah added. "So does the rest of the city."

"But what can I do?" Henry asked.

"Your power allows you to alter reality." Noah replied. "You created all of this, which means you can reverse it and make people forget it as well."

"Alright, I'll try." Henry said.

Henry walked over to the chalice and picked it up. He closed his eyes and focused on reversing what he had done, causing a white glow to engulf the entire club. Once the light faded, P3 had returned to normal and the partygoers were wearing their own, regular clothes again. They appeared somewhat dazed and confused, though they all simply got up and left the club without saying a word.

"I made them think it was all a dream." Henry said.

"Quite the sensual dream, it seems." Laura noted with disapproval. "I really don't want to know what happened before we walked in."

"Yeah, let's never talk about this again." Henry replied with an awkward smile.

"We need to get moving." Noah said. "Wyatt and Chris are going to need you. Laura, we'll need you to come up with a battle strategy, while Henry focuses on damage control."

"I'm already running several battle scenarios in my mind." Laura said.

"If we can't defeat her, we need to retreat to the manor." Noah replied. "Payton's magic will keep us safe there."

The two Mitchells nodded as they understood the plan. Noah wondered if they were truly ready to face the Titan, but they had no other options left. The confrontation had already started so all he could do now was trust in his charges.

Xxx

As a slight drizzle continued falling from the skies in front of the hospital, Wyatt and Chris stood across from Rhea and her three remaining Furies. The people around them were fleeing in fear, as they had no idea what kind of forces were at play. Wyatt looked at the Titan and noticed she looked calm and confident. Although he could feel the power of his lightning, he needed to be careful, even though the essence was fueling his ego and whispering to him that he was more powerful.

"You're not welcome in this city, Rhea." Wyatt said.

"Foolish mortal." Rhea replied. "You only had a taste of divine power. Do you truly believe you can stop Mother Nature herself?"

"Let's try." Wyatt said.

Wyatt raised his hand and attempted to summon lightning, though Chris grabbed his arm and forced him to stop.

"What are you doing?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm not letting you steal my spotlight again." Chris said. "These people were about to worship me, I can handle this on my own."

"Chris, that's the essence talking." Wyatt replied. "We need to work together to fight Rhea."

"You're not better than me." Chris argued. "You can't even control your powers. Your storm nearly killed these people, but I saved them."

"What?" Wyatt asked shocked.

"Just step aside and let me handle this for once." Chris said. "You're not the star of the family anymore."

"The hubris of men never ceases to amaze me." Rhea noted. "My husband feared me because I was more powerful than him. He was a fool as well."

"As my brother said, you're not welcome here." Chris replied. "This city is under my protection."

Chris raised his bow and fired several arrows and pure light at Rhea and her Furies. Unimpressed, Rhea waved her hand and a wall of rock erupted from the ground to shield them.

"We need to be a team." Wyatt said.

"Fine." Chris replied. "Take down the wall and I'll finish this."

Despite the urge to prove he was stronger than Chris, he decided to go along with his plan. He raised his hands and fired a powerful bolt of lightning that shattered the wall. Chris then shot several more light arrows and managed to vanquish the Furies by piercing their skin. Rhea did not move, but simple caught the last arrow with her bare hand and snapped it in half.

"My turn." Rhea said.

Rhea clapped her hands, which generated a powerful gust of wind that knocked the brothers off their feet. She fired a stream of fire at them, though Wyatt managed to counter by creating a shield of lightning, resulting in a standoff. When Chris fired more arrows at the Titan, she surrounded herself with an intense heat that caused the arrows to be evaporated instantly. Even the street beneath her began melting.

"She's too strong." Wyatt called out as he became overwhelmed. "We need to get back to the manor and regroup."

"No!" Chris replied. "I can do this!"

"Chris, listen to me, this isn't about who is stronger or better." Wyatt said. "This is about protecting our family."

"I… you're right." Chris admitted as he finally seemed to regain his senses. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Wyatt, I'm so…"

"We're running out of time here." Wyatt snapped at him impatiently.

"Right." Chris replied. "I'll teleport us out of here."

Chris ran toward Wyatt and attempted to teleport them away, though Rhea suddenly stopped her stream of fire and instead unleashed another gust of wind, forcibly separating the brothers.

"You're not going anywhere." Rhea said. "I'll destroy all of you."

At that moment, an intense stream of fire rose from the ground and formed into Penny. She swung her spear and used her strength to knock Rhea into the hospital wall.

"Why don't you start with me?" Penny asked confidently. "I've been waiting all day."

"The Goddess of Strife." Rhea noted as she rose to her feet and wiped the dust off her dress. "I've been waiting for you."

"Really?" Penny asked. "Why is that?"

"My Furies told me about you." Rhea replied. "The strongest among the Goddesses. Your desire for violence knows no bounds. It is fueled by your anger."

"I'll show you just how angry I am." Penny said as she summoned fire.

"And then what?" Rhea asked. "After you defeat me, what will happen? Do you think the Elders will allow you to keep this power? Will your family? You're driven by anger, that won't fade once I'm gone."

"What are you saying?" Penny asked.

"I don't know where your anger comes from, but defeat me and you'll end up right back where you started." Rhea said. "You'll still feel the same pain and nothing has changed."

"Then what do you suggest?" Penny asked.

"Lead my army and you will have all the violence and strife you desire." Rhea replied. "Together we can bring this world to its knees. It is time for strong women to take charge."

"Tempting, but I don't know." Penny said hesitantly.

"Penny, don't listen to her." Wyatt said. "She is trying to manipulate you."

"We can destroy her together." Chris added.

"I am only speaking the truth." Rhea countered. "They are trying to control you. It is what men do. Join me and you'll never have to listen to them again. You'll never feel pain again."

"I'm tired of feeling pain." Penny admitted. "I've been feeling nothing but pain for months and I can't handle it anymore."

"I see it now, the pain of loss." Rhea noted as she stepped closer. "The pain of humanity. You never have to feel it again if you join me. The only thing you will feel is power."

"Alright." Penny said after a moment of silence. "I'll join you."

"Penny, no!" Wyatt called out. "What are you doing?"

"We have to stop her." Chris said.

Chris raised his bow and fired an arrow of light at Rhea, though Penny threw her spear at the arrow and knocked it out the air. She held out her hand and the spear returned to her instantly. Wyatt fired a bolt of lightning, though Penny countered it with a stream of fire, resulting in an explosion.

"They will never let you achieve your full potential." Rhea said. "Just like Cronus did with me, they will try to keep you down."

"I can't fight them." Penny admitted with conflict in her eyes. "Not yet."

"You don't have to." Rhea replied. "You're the Goddess of Strife. Turn them against each other."

Penny nodded and turned to her cousins. Her eyes started to glow in a red light and Wyatt could feel her power entering his mind, which made it difficult to focus. Negative thoughts popped into his head that he couldn't control. They could have easily stopped Rhea if Chris hadn't acted so selfish and petty. He needed to get over this stupid inferiority complex. If he wanted to step out of his shadow, he needed to grow up and just do it already. He turned to his brother and saw Chris was equally furious with him.

"What's the matter, crybaby?" Wyatt asked mockingly. "Need big brother to fix it?"

"Shut up." Chris snapped at him. "I'm done letting you walk all over me. You're not better than me."

"I am." Wyatt replied. "I'm the most powerful, I've always been."

"Prove it!" Chris said.

"Let these fools fight it out, my dear." Rhea noted. "We have bigger things to concern ourselves with. Let's return to my palace."

"Lead the way." Penny replied.

Rhea smiled as she disappeared in a whirlwind, while Penny followed her through flames. Neither Wyatt nor Chris cared about them leaving, as they were too focused on each other. Wyatt felt lightning surge through his body while Chris readied his bow. It was time to determine once and for all who the stronger brother was.

Xxx

Inside the Golden Elysium Hotel, agent Reed snuck into the security office while a storm raged outside. He had evaded the Furies roaming the hallways, as he wanted to avoid a fight until absolutely necessary. He sat down at the computer and opened several security cameras to observe the hotel. The demons were everywhere, though there was no sign of the Titan. He wanted to spy on her in order to find any weakness that could be exploited.

"Come on, where are you?" Reed asked.

Reed felt his phone buzzing and he answered it through an earpiece, since he needed to keep his hands free in case he ran into trouble.

"Agent Reed, you answered." Evelyn sounded in his ear.

"Of course." Reed relied. "Give me a little credit."

"I have an update." Evelyn said. "The Titan has been spotted near the hospital and she is engaging the Halliwells. We have never seen this kind of power, it could destroy the city."

"So they created their new Gods after all." Reed noted. "How are they doing?"

"Things aren't looking good." Evelyn said. "That's why you need to get out of there. I know you can handle a few demons, but not a Titan."

"If I leave now all of this has been pointless." Reed said. "I need to do something."

"I understand you feel responsible for what happened at the Antarctic, but you can't fix this." Evelyn replied. "This is a fight you can't win."

"MIND released that Titan, Evelyn." Reed reminded her. "We're all responsible for this."

"I know." Evelyn admitted. "But there's no point in getting yourself killed. Let the Halliwells handle this. The director says they're good people."

"I studied their files." Reed noted as his attention was drawn to one of the screens. "I know they're good people, but they make mistakes. Hold on, I'm seeing something."

Reed zoomed in on one of the security screens and saw movement in a hallway. It was two children, a teenaged girl and a boy of about ten years old. They were probably hiding in their room when the Furies invaded the hotel and became trapped. They were attempting to sneak out, which would likely get them killed.

"There are still civilians here." Reed said. "Two kids."

"Oh God." Evelyn called out. "Lincoln, you have to help them."

Agent Reed checked on which floor the kids were and got up, though before he could leave, he saw something else on the screen. Rhea teleported into the hotel lobby, followed by another woman wearing a toga and wielding a spear. The Furies in the lobby all kneeled down before them. Had one of the Halliwells switched sides under influence of the essence? Or was this some kind of ploy to defeat Rhea from within? Either way, he couldn't let them find those kids.

"We've got another complication." Reed said. "Rhea is back and she's not alone."

"I know I can't stop you, so be careful." Evelyn replied.

"Thanks, I'll keep in touch." Reed said as he ended the call.

Reed knew he needed to fast and quiet, which was why he attached a silencer to his gun. He was taking a huge risk, but there was no way he could ever leave a child in danger. He would never allow that to happen again.

xxx