Degrees of Evil Part 6
In a swirl of orbs, the Charmed Ones appeared back in the manor. Paige looked around, and asked. "So, how long were we gone THIS time?"
"About .3 seconds," Leo replied. "The court exists in a parallel world, where time flows differently." As he looks out the window, Leo continues, "It's getting pretty late, so I think we should get some sleep. It has been a long day, and I for one could use some sleep."
As the Charmed Ones began to head upstairs, Cole looked around uncomfortably. "Well, I guess I'll leave."
"Cole, wait." Phoebe said as Cole began to head back to the door. "I think you should stay here tonight."
Cole looked at her, with hope beginning to blossom to show in his eyes. "Why?"
Phoebe looked slightly uncomfortable as she said, "Well, you don't know what powers you have, so you should stay here until you can figure out how to defend yourself. Ezekiel is still out there after all."
"Is that the only reason?"
"Well, what other reason would there be?" Phoebe asked. The hope in Cole's eyes died, and his voice took on a flat tone as he said, "I.I guess I'll sleep on the couch."
"That would be best, Cole." Piper chimed in.
Cole sighed, and said, "Alright." As Cole headed towards the couch, the others headed upstairs for the evening. *** "Bring him in." Ezekiel said.
Gaza nodded, and waved his tail. A chameleon demon appeared in front of Ezekiel. He looked around in confusion and shouted, "Who dares to summon Kiras, the scourge of the Underworld!"
Ezekiel laughed. "You, a scourge? My, my, evil really has gone downhill since my day."
"HOW DARE YOU! Take this!" Kiras shouted as he threw an energy ball at Ezekiel. It hit him, but Ezekiel was unaffected. Ezekiel looked down, and then said, "I'm sorry, was that supposed to hurt?" As a look of fear came over the demon, Ezekiel said, "Relax, I'm not going to kill you. Well, as long as you stop wasting my time. Sit."
The demon fell over in his haste to do what was said. "Well, that was easy." Ezekiel commented. "Alright, here's the deal, I need you to attack someone in my form. If you do this, without EVER leaving my form, I'll give you enough power to back up that threat, oh Scourge."
"And if I fail?" the demon asked?
"If you fail, or if you don't kill him, I will make you wish I had vanquished you. Now, do we have a deal?" Ezekiel asked.
"Yes we do." Kiras responded..
"Excellent. Follow my servant to find out the details, I have other matters to attend to." As the demon turned towards Gaza, Gaza said, "Your target is a man named James Michaels."
Ezekiel smiled, and then he returned to the pool. He looked at it for a moment, and then the water showed Phoebe sleeping. "Well, my vessel, I have made my first move. It shall be an interesting game." ***
Morning came quickly to the Halliwell house. Piper and Leo slept in late, but Paige was up with the sun. She had been really close to finding a way to deal with Ezekiel, and she wanted to keep working on it. She went up to the attic, and brought the Book of Shadows downstairs. When she came down, she saw Cole, dozing on the chair. He really doesn't look that dangerous Paige thought. If I didn't know better, you'd almost swear he was normal.
As she passed by Cole, he sat up straight on the couch and moved his hand up in the motion she recognized would have summoned an energy ball. He looked down, embarrassed, and then said, "Sorry, old habit. What are you up to?"
"I'm trying to figure out a way to get rid of Ezekiel. Even though you said it's hopeless, I think I'm getting close."
"Really," Cole said in surprise. "What are you thinking?"
"Well," Paige said, "I know you said we couldn't vanquish him, but do we really have to?"
"What do you mean?" Cole asked.
"Well, I was looking through the Book of Shadows and I found a spell to banish someone to another dimension, and I was thinking we could banish Ezekiel to a dimension. Only problem is, he can just shimmer out." Paige said.
Cole looked thoughtfully, and then he said, "Maybe not."
Just then, Phoebe came downstairs, "I'm later for work, talk to you later." With that, she was out the door.
"Let's put our heads together Paige. I think you may be on to something." ***
As Phoebe worked her way through the vast pile of letters, she sighed. Sometimes, it seemed like this was an uphill battle. She would write 1 letter, and 2 would come in. Almost if summoned, the delivery man came in with even more letters. "Hello Phoebe, more letters for you."
"Thanks James, do you need my signature."
"Yeah sure, here." James said as he threw Phoebe a Pen. When Phoebe caught it, a premonition hit her. She saw James walking, and then Ezekiel orbed in. He proceeded to attack and kill him. When she came out of it, James was leaning over. "Are you alright Phoebe?"
"Huh, yeah, I'm fine. Listen, can you wait here for a minute?" Phoebe asked anxiously.
"Yeah, sure, I guess my schedule won't be messed up too much by one more minute." James said with a smile.
Phoebe walked out, and grabbed her cell phone. ***
As Piper came down the stairs, she heard Paige on the phone. "Are you sure it was him? Alright, we'll be right there. PIPER!" Paige said as she put down the phone. Then noticing she was right there, Paige walked up. "We have to go to Phoebe's work, now. She just had a premonition that Ezekiel is going to attack someone there."
"Then let's go." Cole said. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, and then Piper said, "Cole, you need to stay here."
"What, but."
"Cole, you are no longer sure what your powers are, and we can't take the chance that you will be killed in the fight. Let's go Paige."
"Wait" Cole began, but he was too late. Paige and Piper disappeared in a swirl of lights. ***
As Paige and Piper appeared in the bathroom in a swirl of blue lights, they heard Phoebe talking to someone outside. "Alright James, thanks for sticking around. Let me go ahead and sign for these packages." Paige and Piper walked out of the bathroom, and Phoebe's face showed her relief. As James walked out the door, Phoebe gestures towards him and mouthed innocent. They nodded, and then the sisters followed James out the door.
When the Charmed Ones got out, they saw James heading towards his truck. "Get ready guys, Ezekiel going to appear in that alley." Piper and Paige nodded, and then they ran after James just as he was heading down the alley with another package in his hands.
Looking out, they saw Ezekiel standing over James about to put his right hand on his forehead. Phoebe said, "Quick, freeze James so we can help." Piper gesture, and the whole place froze. "Alright Ezekiel, let's get.wait, why is he FROZEN!" Paige asked.
"I.I don't know." Piper said.
"Unfreeze only him," Phoebe said, "Something is very wrong here." Piper gestured, and Ezekiel unfroze.
"Alright, buddy, talk fast or I'll destroy you for sure." Piper warned.
The demon looked nervous, and then he said, "DIE!" and threw and energy ball at them. Paige yelled "ENERGY BALL!" and redirected the energy ball back at Ezekiel. It hit him, and he burst into flames. After the flames died, Paige asked, "Why was that so easy?"
"That wasn't Ezekiel," Piper said suddenly, "It couldn't have been. My powers have never worked on him before."
"No, wait, I saw Ezekiel here attacking James," Phoebe said.
"Are you sure, or did you just see a demon that looked like Ezekiel?"
Phoebe's face went ashen, and then she said, "But why do this? What is the point."
"He wanted to draw us away." Piper offered.
"Yeah, but away from what? The manor? The only thing there is a Book he can't touch and." Paige began. All three sisters looked at each other, and said at the same time.
"COLE!" ***
Cole paced back and forth in the manor, desperately wishing Piper and Paige would get back. He hated not knowing what his powers were, and he hated this feeling of helplessness. While he loved being alive, he wished his son would have provided him with some indication of what his power was.
"Hello again Cole."
Cole spun around to see Ezekiel shimmer in. "Ezekiel."
"Long time no see, Cole. I think you know why I'm here, so why don't we cut to the chase."
Cole was slowing backing towards the table, and he said, "I may not have my demonic powers, but I won't go down without a fight."
Ezekiel smiled. "What exactly were you planning on doing Cole? You might as well be mortal, since you have no clue how to work your power. Give it up, and at least die with dignity."
"Well, I was thinking about doing something like.THIS!" Cole shouted as he threw the contents of the table at Ezekiel. The table slammed into Ezekiel, and shattered on impact. Ezekiel looked down, and said, "Is that the best you've got?"
Cole ran forward and delivered a punch-kick combination against Ezekiel body, but he was unfazed. As Cole looked into Ezekiel's eyes, he knew what was coming next. He didn't even see the hand coming.
***
As the three sisters orbed in, they saw Ezekiel lift his hand off of Cole's forehead, and Cole fall to the ground in a coma. "Cole," Phoebe said. Piper gestured, but nothing happened. "This is definitely the real one."
Ezekiel looked at them, and said, "Keep your children in check, I don't want a fight. Come near me and Cole is a goner."
"Cole's already dead."
"Not yet," Ezekiel said, "I haven't used his essence yet, and I would be willing to do so under one condition."
"And what condition is that?" Paige asked.
"Phoebe meets me at a location in 2 hours. Bring Cole's body, and don't be late. Any longer, and you will be too late."
"Where are we meeting?" Phoebe asked.
Ezekiel stared at her for a moment, and Phoebe felt an image of a place appear in her mind. "There." Then he was gone.
Piper looked at Paige and Phoebe and asked, "What are we going to do?"
Phoebe bent over Cole and lovingly touched his cheek. "We're going to have to meet him."
"But you know it's a trap." Paige said.
"Yes, I do. But we don't have a choice. Look, you said you had a vanquish for him, right?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, in theory.but I'm not sure it'll work." Paige said uncomfortably.
"We don't have a choice. We'll go meet him with that up our sleeve, and then we'll use it when he's given us back Cole."
"You do realize how dangerous that is Phoebe?" Piper asked.
"We don't have a choice Piper. Let's get ready." ***
"Are you sure about this master?" Gaza said. "This is very dangerous to let them in here. No one else knows where this chamber is."
"Trust me my servant. I know what I'm doing." Ezekiel said. "Everything is going according to plan."
Just then, the three sisters orbed in with Leo and Cole's body. Ezekiel frowned, and he said, "Leo leaves now, or the deal is off." Piper looked at Leo, and nodded. Leo frowned, but then he orbed out.
"Excellent. Now then, Phoebe, I have no desire to talk to you. Please, let your son take control."
Phoebe's eyes began to glow, and then Phoebe's son asked, "This was bold Ezekiel, you will regret this."
"I highly doubt that. Now then." Ezekiel said, and then he began to speak rapidly in another language. Phoebe's son hesitated, and then he responded. Piper looked at Paige, and then asked, "Demonese?"
Ezekiel and Pheobe's son talked rapidly for a couple of minutes, and then they stopped. Phoebe's face took on a look of sadness, but she finally nodded.
Ezekiel smiled, and said, "See, that wasn't too hard? You were sloppy, and now I've won. Shall we commence?"
The glow around Phoebe intensified, and then suddenly Phoebe's son was before Phoebe. The glow left Phoebe's eyes, and she said, "What are you doing?"
Phoebe's son looked back at Phoebe, and there was a sad look in her eyes. "What I have to do to save my father." Without another word, Phoebe's son walked over to the door. Ezekiel waved, and the door opened. Without a backward glance, Phoebe's son entered the room, and the door slammed shut behind him.
"SON!" Phoebe shouted, and started to move towards the room. Ezekiel gestured, and she went flying and hit the wall. Ropes came out of the wall and wrapped themselves around her arms, legs, and mouth. She was effectively bound and gagged.
"No interference from the peanut gallery." Ezekiel said. "I know you wouldn't have come here without some pathetic spell in mind, but it won't work if all three of you don't chant, will it?" A dark smile crossed his lips as the sisters stared in shock. "Which reminds me." He gestured, and hands erupted from the ground. They grabbed on Piper and Paige's legs, effectively stopping them.
Ezekiel then looked down at Cole's body, and said, "A deal's a deal." He held out his right hand, and a beam left his hand and hit Cole's body. Cole jerked, and then he was conscious. "Wha.where am I?" Cole asked in confusion. Ezekiel waved, and more hands came out of the ground and grabbed Cole. "Now then, you are here to provide witness to the most spectacular event in the history of the world. GAZA!"
Gaza materialized, and then said, "Yes, master?"
"You've been a good servant, and I will miss you. But, my purpose is complete, it is time to fulfill my function." Ezekiel turned towards the Chamber, and began to chant. With each word, he began to emit a black light.
"We've got to stop him." Paige said.
"I'm trying to move, but I can't. And we all saw how effective my powers are against him. So, try orbing." Piper said.
"I've been trying. I'm trapped. We've got to.oh no. We're too late." Paige said. At that moment, the chanting stopped. With a burst of light, Ezekiel was gone. As the light hit the Chamber's door, runes and sigils began to glow on the door. As more sigils increased, the ground began to shake. The hands and tendrils holding the sisters and Cole faded, and they were able to get up.
"SON!" Cole shouted, and ran towards the door. Before he got within 5 feet of it, he was repelled by some invisible force, and was flung back towards the sisters. He landed heavily, and said, "Well, that didn't work."
"PIPER!" Phoebe said, and Piper gestured. The shield flexed, but didn't budge. "AGAIN!"."AGAIN!"."AGAIN!" Phoebe kept shouting. Finally, Piper stopped and said, "I'm sorry Phoebe, It's not working."
"Well, we have to do SOMETHING!"
"All we can do is wait, and hope." ***
All across the globe and the underworld, tremors erupted and subsided within a matter of minutes. No geologist could explain it, and it went down as a freak of nature. Only those with magical talent could feel the great magic that was happening below their feet. *** Minutes, hours, or days later, the shaking finally stopped, and the runes stopped glowing. Time seemed to standstill for those at the Chamber, for they all waited to see what emerged from the door.
Phoebe clutched her stomach, and then she said, "I can't feel him. My son is no longer in my stomach. Even when he was before me, I could still feel him. He's gone."
The Chamber door suddenly opened, and Phoebe's son was standing in the center. His eyes were closed, and he still wore the body of a 3 year old. As they approached him, Phoebe asked, "Son? Son, are you okay?"
Meanwhile, Gaza had approached as well, and he said, "Master?"
Slowly, Phoebe's son's eyes opened, and they found themselves staring into pure darkness. It went beyond the black eyes of the Source, so far beyond that the Charmed Ones could almost feel their souls being pulled out as they looked. They quickly averted their eyes. Meanwhile, Phoebe's son looked down at Gaza, who was shuffling his feet nervously. A smirk touched his lips, and then Gaza erupted into flames. He then shifted his focus on the Charmed Ones. He then spoke a few words, and then he gestured. Without warning and without and feeling, the Charmed Ones found themselves back at the manor. Leo turned at their approach and asked anxiously, "How did it go, what happened?"
No on spoke for a few seconds, and then Piper said, "Things just got worse. Much worse."
Phoebe just collapsed on her knees, as she heard over and over the words her son said to her.
"I am the Source. Good has 24 hours to surrender, or I will kill you all."
TO BE CONTINUED.
In a swirl of orbs, the Charmed Ones appeared back in the manor. Paige looked around, and asked. "So, how long were we gone THIS time?"
"About .3 seconds," Leo replied. "The court exists in a parallel world, where time flows differently." As he looks out the window, Leo continues, "It's getting pretty late, so I think we should get some sleep. It has been a long day, and I for one could use some sleep."
As the Charmed Ones began to head upstairs, Cole looked around uncomfortably. "Well, I guess I'll leave."
"Cole, wait." Phoebe said as Cole began to head back to the door. "I think you should stay here tonight."
Cole looked at her, with hope beginning to blossom to show in his eyes. "Why?"
Phoebe looked slightly uncomfortable as she said, "Well, you don't know what powers you have, so you should stay here until you can figure out how to defend yourself. Ezekiel is still out there after all."
"Is that the only reason?"
"Well, what other reason would there be?" Phoebe asked. The hope in Cole's eyes died, and his voice took on a flat tone as he said, "I.I guess I'll sleep on the couch."
"That would be best, Cole." Piper chimed in.
Cole sighed, and said, "Alright." As Cole headed towards the couch, the others headed upstairs for the evening. *** "Bring him in." Ezekiel said.
Gaza nodded, and waved his tail. A chameleon demon appeared in front of Ezekiel. He looked around in confusion and shouted, "Who dares to summon Kiras, the scourge of the Underworld!"
Ezekiel laughed. "You, a scourge? My, my, evil really has gone downhill since my day."
"HOW DARE YOU! Take this!" Kiras shouted as he threw an energy ball at Ezekiel. It hit him, but Ezekiel was unaffected. Ezekiel looked down, and then said, "I'm sorry, was that supposed to hurt?" As a look of fear came over the demon, Ezekiel said, "Relax, I'm not going to kill you. Well, as long as you stop wasting my time. Sit."
The demon fell over in his haste to do what was said. "Well, that was easy." Ezekiel commented. "Alright, here's the deal, I need you to attack someone in my form. If you do this, without EVER leaving my form, I'll give you enough power to back up that threat, oh Scourge."
"And if I fail?" the demon asked?
"If you fail, or if you don't kill him, I will make you wish I had vanquished you. Now, do we have a deal?" Ezekiel asked.
"Yes we do." Kiras responded..
"Excellent. Follow my servant to find out the details, I have other matters to attend to." As the demon turned towards Gaza, Gaza said, "Your target is a man named James Michaels."
Ezekiel smiled, and then he returned to the pool. He looked at it for a moment, and then the water showed Phoebe sleeping. "Well, my vessel, I have made my first move. It shall be an interesting game." ***
Morning came quickly to the Halliwell house. Piper and Leo slept in late, but Paige was up with the sun. She had been really close to finding a way to deal with Ezekiel, and she wanted to keep working on it. She went up to the attic, and brought the Book of Shadows downstairs. When she came down, she saw Cole, dozing on the chair. He really doesn't look that dangerous Paige thought. If I didn't know better, you'd almost swear he was normal.
As she passed by Cole, he sat up straight on the couch and moved his hand up in the motion she recognized would have summoned an energy ball. He looked down, embarrassed, and then said, "Sorry, old habit. What are you up to?"
"I'm trying to figure out a way to get rid of Ezekiel. Even though you said it's hopeless, I think I'm getting close."
"Really," Cole said in surprise. "What are you thinking?"
"Well," Paige said, "I know you said we couldn't vanquish him, but do we really have to?"
"What do you mean?" Cole asked.
"Well, I was looking through the Book of Shadows and I found a spell to banish someone to another dimension, and I was thinking we could banish Ezekiel to a dimension. Only problem is, he can just shimmer out." Paige said.
Cole looked thoughtfully, and then he said, "Maybe not."
Just then, Phoebe came downstairs, "I'm later for work, talk to you later." With that, she was out the door.
"Let's put our heads together Paige. I think you may be on to something." ***
As Phoebe worked her way through the vast pile of letters, she sighed. Sometimes, it seemed like this was an uphill battle. She would write 1 letter, and 2 would come in. Almost if summoned, the delivery man came in with even more letters. "Hello Phoebe, more letters for you."
"Thanks James, do you need my signature."
"Yeah sure, here." James said as he threw Phoebe a Pen. When Phoebe caught it, a premonition hit her. She saw James walking, and then Ezekiel orbed in. He proceeded to attack and kill him. When she came out of it, James was leaning over. "Are you alright Phoebe?"
"Huh, yeah, I'm fine. Listen, can you wait here for a minute?" Phoebe asked anxiously.
"Yeah, sure, I guess my schedule won't be messed up too much by one more minute." James said with a smile.
Phoebe walked out, and grabbed her cell phone. ***
As Piper came down the stairs, she heard Paige on the phone. "Are you sure it was him? Alright, we'll be right there. PIPER!" Paige said as she put down the phone. Then noticing she was right there, Paige walked up. "We have to go to Phoebe's work, now. She just had a premonition that Ezekiel is going to attack someone there."
"Then let's go." Cole said. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, and then Piper said, "Cole, you need to stay here."
"What, but."
"Cole, you are no longer sure what your powers are, and we can't take the chance that you will be killed in the fight. Let's go Paige."
"Wait" Cole began, but he was too late. Paige and Piper disappeared in a swirl of lights. ***
As Paige and Piper appeared in the bathroom in a swirl of blue lights, they heard Phoebe talking to someone outside. "Alright James, thanks for sticking around. Let me go ahead and sign for these packages." Paige and Piper walked out of the bathroom, and Phoebe's face showed her relief. As James walked out the door, Phoebe gestures towards him and mouthed innocent. They nodded, and then the sisters followed James out the door.
When the Charmed Ones got out, they saw James heading towards his truck. "Get ready guys, Ezekiel going to appear in that alley." Piper and Paige nodded, and then they ran after James just as he was heading down the alley with another package in his hands.
Looking out, they saw Ezekiel standing over James about to put his right hand on his forehead. Phoebe said, "Quick, freeze James so we can help." Piper gesture, and the whole place froze. "Alright Ezekiel, let's get.wait, why is he FROZEN!" Paige asked.
"I.I don't know." Piper said.
"Unfreeze only him," Phoebe said, "Something is very wrong here." Piper gestured, and Ezekiel unfroze.
"Alright, buddy, talk fast or I'll destroy you for sure." Piper warned.
The demon looked nervous, and then he said, "DIE!" and threw and energy ball at them. Paige yelled "ENERGY BALL!" and redirected the energy ball back at Ezekiel. It hit him, and he burst into flames. After the flames died, Paige asked, "Why was that so easy?"
"That wasn't Ezekiel," Piper said suddenly, "It couldn't have been. My powers have never worked on him before."
"No, wait, I saw Ezekiel here attacking James," Phoebe said.
"Are you sure, or did you just see a demon that looked like Ezekiel?"
Phoebe's face went ashen, and then she said, "But why do this? What is the point."
"He wanted to draw us away." Piper offered.
"Yeah, but away from what? The manor? The only thing there is a Book he can't touch and." Paige began. All three sisters looked at each other, and said at the same time.
"COLE!" ***
Cole paced back and forth in the manor, desperately wishing Piper and Paige would get back. He hated not knowing what his powers were, and he hated this feeling of helplessness. While he loved being alive, he wished his son would have provided him with some indication of what his power was.
"Hello again Cole."
Cole spun around to see Ezekiel shimmer in. "Ezekiel."
"Long time no see, Cole. I think you know why I'm here, so why don't we cut to the chase."
Cole was slowing backing towards the table, and he said, "I may not have my demonic powers, but I won't go down without a fight."
Ezekiel smiled. "What exactly were you planning on doing Cole? You might as well be mortal, since you have no clue how to work your power. Give it up, and at least die with dignity."
"Well, I was thinking about doing something like.THIS!" Cole shouted as he threw the contents of the table at Ezekiel. The table slammed into Ezekiel, and shattered on impact. Ezekiel looked down, and said, "Is that the best you've got?"
Cole ran forward and delivered a punch-kick combination against Ezekiel body, but he was unfazed. As Cole looked into Ezekiel's eyes, he knew what was coming next. He didn't even see the hand coming.
***
As the three sisters orbed in, they saw Ezekiel lift his hand off of Cole's forehead, and Cole fall to the ground in a coma. "Cole," Phoebe said. Piper gestured, but nothing happened. "This is definitely the real one."
Ezekiel looked at them, and said, "Keep your children in check, I don't want a fight. Come near me and Cole is a goner."
"Cole's already dead."
"Not yet," Ezekiel said, "I haven't used his essence yet, and I would be willing to do so under one condition."
"And what condition is that?" Paige asked.
"Phoebe meets me at a location in 2 hours. Bring Cole's body, and don't be late. Any longer, and you will be too late."
"Where are we meeting?" Phoebe asked.
Ezekiel stared at her for a moment, and Phoebe felt an image of a place appear in her mind. "There." Then he was gone.
Piper looked at Paige and Phoebe and asked, "What are we going to do?"
Phoebe bent over Cole and lovingly touched his cheek. "We're going to have to meet him."
"But you know it's a trap." Paige said.
"Yes, I do. But we don't have a choice. Look, you said you had a vanquish for him, right?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, in theory.but I'm not sure it'll work." Paige said uncomfortably.
"We don't have a choice. We'll go meet him with that up our sleeve, and then we'll use it when he's given us back Cole."
"You do realize how dangerous that is Phoebe?" Piper asked.
"We don't have a choice Piper. Let's get ready." ***
"Are you sure about this master?" Gaza said. "This is very dangerous to let them in here. No one else knows where this chamber is."
"Trust me my servant. I know what I'm doing." Ezekiel said. "Everything is going according to plan."
Just then, the three sisters orbed in with Leo and Cole's body. Ezekiel frowned, and he said, "Leo leaves now, or the deal is off." Piper looked at Leo, and nodded. Leo frowned, but then he orbed out.
"Excellent. Now then, Phoebe, I have no desire to talk to you. Please, let your son take control."
Phoebe's eyes began to glow, and then Phoebe's son asked, "This was bold Ezekiel, you will regret this."
"I highly doubt that. Now then." Ezekiel said, and then he began to speak rapidly in another language. Phoebe's son hesitated, and then he responded. Piper looked at Paige, and then asked, "Demonese?"
Ezekiel and Pheobe's son talked rapidly for a couple of minutes, and then they stopped. Phoebe's face took on a look of sadness, but she finally nodded.
Ezekiel smiled, and said, "See, that wasn't too hard? You were sloppy, and now I've won. Shall we commence?"
The glow around Phoebe intensified, and then suddenly Phoebe's son was before Phoebe. The glow left Phoebe's eyes, and she said, "What are you doing?"
Phoebe's son looked back at Phoebe, and there was a sad look in her eyes. "What I have to do to save my father." Without another word, Phoebe's son walked over to the door. Ezekiel waved, and the door opened. Without a backward glance, Phoebe's son entered the room, and the door slammed shut behind him.
"SON!" Phoebe shouted, and started to move towards the room. Ezekiel gestured, and she went flying and hit the wall. Ropes came out of the wall and wrapped themselves around her arms, legs, and mouth. She was effectively bound and gagged.
"No interference from the peanut gallery." Ezekiel said. "I know you wouldn't have come here without some pathetic spell in mind, but it won't work if all three of you don't chant, will it?" A dark smile crossed his lips as the sisters stared in shock. "Which reminds me." He gestured, and hands erupted from the ground. They grabbed on Piper and Paige's legs, effectively stopping them.
Ezekiel then looked down at Cole's body, and said, "A deal's a deal." He held out his right hand, and a beam left his hand and hit Cole's body. Cole jerked, and then he was conscious. "Wha.where am I?" Cole asked in confusion. Ezekiel waved, and more hands came out of the ground and grabbed Cole. "Now then, you are here to provide witness to the most spectacular event in the history of the world. GAZA!"
Gaza materialized, and then said, "Yes, master?"
"You've been a good servant, and I will miss you. But, my purpose is complete, it is time to fulfill my function." Ezekiel turned towards the Chamber, and began to chant. With each word, he began to emit a black light.
"We've got to stop him." Paige said.
"I'm trying to move, but I can't. And we all saw how effective my powers are against him. So, try orbing." Piper said.
"I've been trying. I'm trapped. We've got to.oh no. We're too late." Paige said. At that moment, the chanting stopped. With a burst of light, Ezekiel was gone. As the light hit the Chamber's door, runes and sigils began to glow on the door. As more sigils increased, the ground began to shake. The hands and tendrils holding the sisters and Cole faded, and they were able to get up.
"SON!" Cole shouted, and ran towards the door. Before he got within 5 feet of it, he was repelled by some invisible force, and was flung back towards the sisters. He landed heavily, and said, "Well, that didn't work."
"PIPER!" Phoebe said, and Piper gestured. The shield flexed, but didn't budge. "AGAIN!"."AGAIN!"."AGAIN!" Phoebe kept shouting. Finally, Piper stopped and said, "I'm sorry Phoebe, It's not working."
"Well, we have to do SOMETHING!"
"All we can do is wait, and hope." ***
All across the globe and the underworld, tremors erupted and subsided within a matter of minutes. No geologist could explain it, and it went down as a freak of nature. Only those with magical talent could feel the great magic that was happening below their feet. *** Minutes, hours, or days later, the shaking finally stopped, and the runes stopped glowing. Time seemed to standstill for those at the Chamber, for they all waited to see what emerged from the door.
Phoebe clutched her stomach, and then she said, "I can't feel him. My son is no longer in my stomach. Even when he was before me, I could still feel him. He's gone."
The Chamber door suddenly opened, and Phoebe's son was standing in the center. His eyes were closed, and he still wore the body of a 3 year old. As they approached him, Phoebe asked, "Son? Son, are you okay?"
Meanwhile, Gaza had approached as well, and he said, "Master?"
Slowly, Phoebe's son's eyes opened, and they found themselves staring into pure darkness. It went beyond the black eyes of the Source, so far beyond that the Charmed Ones could almost feel their souls being pulled out as they looked. They quickly averted their eyes. Meanwhile, Phoebe's son looked down at Gaza, who was shuffling his feet nervously. A smirk touched his lips, and then Gaza erupted into flames. He then shifted his focus on the Charmed Ones. He then spoke a few words, and then he gestured. Without warning and without and feeling, the Charmed Ones found themselves back at the manor. Leo turned at their approach and asked anxiously, "How did it go, what happened?"
No on spoke for a few seconds, and then Piper said, "Things just got worse. Much worse."
Phoebe just collapsed on her knees, as she heard over and over the words her son said to her.
"I am the Source. Good has 24 hours to surrender, or I will kill you all."
TO BE CONTINUED.