SEVEN
"I've done it," gloated the warlock as he watched the book burn.
"I've done what even the most powerful demons in the underworld
couldn't do. I've destroyed the Charmed Ones. Now, no demon can look
on me as a second class citizen."
"My power," said his apprentice. "You promised that once the
book was destroyed I would get my power."
"Patience, my dear," said the warlock. "All in good time."
"We've destroyed the book," said Phoebe. "Now, give us our
sister."
"Oh, I'm sorry," gloated the warlock. "I'm afraid you didn't
read the fine print in our contestant requirements. Destroying your
power was only part of what I wanted. Once you're dead, every demon
you've ever defeated will owe me a debt of gratitude. And it will
insure that you are never able to regain your powers again."
"I knew we couldn't trust him," Phoebe said to Piper.
"You were right," said Piper back to her. "And to be honest,
I'm getting just a little sick and tired of his constant game show
reference."
Piper raised her hands and the warlock and his apprentice froze.
Phoebe pulled a vial out of her pocket and removed the cap from the
vial.
"What about her?" she asked Piper. "We only have one potion."
"I'm guessing she's not a true warlock," said Piper. "She told
him she wanted the power he had promised her. She's probably just a
normal who wants to be a warlock."
"Okay," said Phoebe.
Phoebe turned to the warlock. She reached out and threw the
contents of the vial on him. Flames erupted around the warlock and he
dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. Within seconds the flames
died out leaving the warlock apparently uninjured.
"What have you done?" screamed the warlock.
Phoebe made the sound of a buzzer.
"I'm sorry," she said, "you've missed the bonus question. I'm
afraid you loose all your points and are out of our game. Leo, tell
our warlock friend of the consolation prize."
Leo orbed in with Prue. She was very weak. There was little
time left. Only a few more minutes before she died.
"Return Prues' body and they won't vanquish you," said Leo.
"Oh, and that was a power stripping point we used on you," said
Phoebe. "Now, you're as powerless as any mortal."
"You bitch," said the warlock. "You think you've won? I'll
never tell you where her body is. In a few minutes she'll be dead.
And your powers will be gone forever. You may have stripped my powers
but it's going to cost you your sister."
Phoebe swung out with her foot and struck the warlock along the
side of his head. The warlock went flying back, crashing to the
floor. As he started to rise, she kicked him again. Each time he
started to get up, she'd kick him again. He was clearly no match for
her martial arts skill. One eye was already starting to swell shut
and he had a cut over one eye and was bleeding from his lower lip.
"You can't let her do can't let her do this," the warlock
screamed at Leo. "You're a White Lighter. You're supposed to help
people."
"Sorry," said Leo, "I can't interfere. I'm forbidden from
helping evil. Sorry, but those are the rules."
"Besides," said Piper, "when Phoebe gets like this, she just
won't listen to anyone. Well, she might listen to you."
Phoebe kicked the warlock twice more. She moved in for another
attack as he raised himself up on his hands and knees. One hand was
raised in a gesture to ward off the attack.
"Okay, okay," he pleaded, "I'll tell you where she is. She's in
an office in the back, lying on an old sofa."
"Is that your final answer?" asked Phoebe. "You're all out of
lifelines and I just might get angry if you lied to me."
"I swear it's true," said the warlock. "Go check. She's there,
I promise you."
Leo handed Prues' weakened astral form to Piper, and then orbed
out. Seconds later, he orbed back in with Prues' body.
"I can't get in," gasped Prue.
Phoebe turned on the warlock.
"The collar," shouted the warlock, afraid Phoebe was going to
attack again, "remove the collar around her neck."
Leo reached up and grasped the metal collar around the neck of
Prues' body. He flipped the latch and pulled the collar off. Almost
instantly Prues' astral form vanished. She opened her eyes and looked
at Piper and Phoebe.
"That was too close," said Prue.
Piper hugged Prue close. Phoebe turned back to the warlock as
they heard sirens in the distance.
"I guess my anonymous call to the police was taken seriously,"
said Leo.
"Thank you for playing," Phoebe said to the warlock. "We
have a wonderful parting gift for you. As a professional arsonist you
get an all expenses paid trip to prison for the next twenty years."
Come on, Vanna," said Piper mockingly, "we have to get out of
here."
Leo orbed the four back to the manor just as the police burst
into the warehouse to find the warlock, his assistant, and a newly
started fire that would have burned down the warehouse if they hadn't
arrived.
"I've done it," gloated the warlock as he watched the book burn.
"I've done what even the most powerful demons in the underworld
couldn't do. I've destroyed the Charmed Ones. Now, no demon can look
on me as a second class citizen."
"My power," said his apprentice. "You promised that once the
book was destroyed I would get my power."
"Patience, my dear," said the warlock. "All in good time."
"We've destroyed the book," said Phoebe. "Now, give us our
sister."
"Oh, I'm sorry," gloated the warlock. "I'm afraid you didn't
read the fine print in our contestant requirements. Destroying your
power was only part of what I wanted. Once you're dead, every demon
you've ever defeated will owe me a debt of gratitude. And it will
insure that you are never able to regain your powers again."
"I knew we couldn't trust him," Phoebe said to Piper.
"You were right," said Piper back to her. "And to be honest,
I'm getting just a little sick and tired of his constant game show
reference."
Piper raised her hands and the warlock and his apprentice froze.
Phoebe pulled a vial out of her pocket and removed the cap from the
vial.
"What about her?" she asked Piper. "We only have one potion."
"I'm guessing she's not a true warlock," said Piper. "She told
him she wanted the power he had promised her. She's probably just a
normal who wants to be a warlock."
"Okay," said Phoebe.
Phoebe turned to the warlock. She reached out and threw the
contents of the vial on him. Flames erupted around the warlock and he
dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. Within seconds the flames
died out leaving the warlock apparently uninjured.
"What have you done?" screamed the warlock.
Phoebe made the sound of a buzzer.
"I'm sorry," she said, "you've missed the bonus question. I'm
afraid you loose all your points and are out of our game. Leo, tell
our warlock friend of the consolation prize."
Leo orbed in with Prue. She was very weak. There was little
time left. Only a few more minutes before she died.
"Return Prues' body and they won't vanquish you," said Leo.
"Oh, and that was a power stripping point we used on you," said
Phoebe. "Now, you're as powerless as any mortal."
"You bitch," said the warlock. "You think you've won? I'll
never tell you where her body is. In a few minutes she'll be dead.
And your powers will be gone forever. You may have stripped my powers
but it's going to cost you your sister."
Phoebe swung out with her foot and struck the warlock along the
side of his head. The warlock went flying back, crashing to the
floor. As he started to rise, she kicked him again. Each time he
started to get up, she'd kick him again. He was clearly no match for
her martial arts skill. One eye was already starting to swell shut
and he had a cut over one eye and was bleeding from his lower lip.
"You can't let her do can't let her do this," the warlock
screamed at Leo. "You're a White Lighter. You're supposed to help
people."
"Sorry," said Leo, "I can't interfere. I'm forbidden from
helping evil. Sorry, but those are the rules."
"Besides," said Piper, "when Phoebe gets like this, she just
won't listen to anyone. Well, she might listen to you."
Phoebe kicked the warlock twice more. She moved in for another
attack as he raised himself up on his hands and knees. One hand was
raised in a gesture to ward off the attack.
"Okay, okay," he pleaded, "I'll tell you where she is. She's in
an office in the back, lying on an old sofa."
"Is that your final answer?" asked Phoebe. "You're all out of
lifelines and I just might get angry if you lied to me."
"I swear it's true," said the warlock. "Go check. She's there,
I promise you."
Leo handed Prues' weakened astral form to Piper, and then orbed
out. Seconds later, he orbed back in with Prues' body.
"I can't get in," gasped Prue.
Phoebe turned on the warlock.
"The collar," shouted the warlock, afraid Phoebe was going to
attack again, "remove the collar around her neck."
Leo reached up and grasped the metal collar around the neck of
Prues' body. He flipped the latch and pulled the collar off. Almost
instantly Prues' astral form vanished. She opened her eyes and looked
at Piper and Phoebe.
"That was too close," said Prue.
Piper hugged Prue close. Phoebe turned back to the warlock as
they heard sirens in the distance.
"I guess my anonymous call to the police was taken seriously,"
said Leo.
"Thank you for playing," Phoebe said to the warlock. "We
have a wonderful parting gift for you. As a professional arsonist you
get an all expenses paid trip to prison for the next twenty years."
Come on, Vanna," said Piper mockingly, "we have to get out of
here."
Leo orbed the four back to the manor just as the police burst
into the warehouse to find the warlock, his assistant, and a newly
started fire that would have burned down the warehouse if they hadn't
arrived.