They followed the sound until they were back in the place they'd found the kids. There, they came face-to-face with Argus.
"Well, if it isn't the Charmed Ones," he said mockingly. "So you've found me. I'm impressed. That's more than I can say for the loved ones of those other people down there."
"Shut up." Piper said. "Just shut up. Do you have any idea what it's like, to know that people you love more than anything else are being held captive by something as horrible and soulless as you? I only had to deal with it for a few hours. What about the families of those other people, who've been living with it for weeks, maybe longer? You know, just forget it. Why am I bothering? You're evil. You don't care who you hurt or why. Let's just get this over with."
Argus smiled an evil, menacing grin. Suddenly, the room was filled with hundreds of copies of him, each completely identical to the original.
"Just say the spell," Piper ordered her sisters.
"Your Xerox games are getting old,
And so your magic will unfold,
Carbon copies disappear
And leave one Argus standing here."
The copies all disappeared with a pop, and one remained. "Go ahead," he dared. "Finish me."
"He's taunting us," Paige observed. "Pretty cocky for someone who's about to get dead."
"He's just trying to throw us off," Phoebe replied. "Don't let him."
Her sisters nodded and started the chant that would vanquish him.
"Argus with your evil ways,
We set you and your powers ablaze,
We'll free your captives from your den,
And you'll never hurt anyone again."
In an instant, Argus was consumed by a self-contained fire. Without standing around to watch, the Charmed Ones ran downstairs to where the kids were hiding with the others.
"Mommy!" Camille called, running into Piper's arms.
"Hi, sweetheart," Piper said, picking her up. "Where are your brothers?"
"Peter, Ty, where are you?" Camille called.
Peter came into view from among a group of other innocents, and a second later, Tyler was behind him.
"We're right here, Cammie," Peter said, rushing over to his sister. Then he saw his mother. "Mommy, are we going home now?"
Piper nodded. "I hope so, baby."
"Come on, let's get everyone out of here," Phoebe said. She, Piper, and Paige began leading the innocents up the stairs that led to the main floor of the tavern. They were stopped halfway up, however, by Argus blinking in front of them.
"Okay, everybody go back down!" Paige yelled. Piper put Camille down and sent her back down the stairs, along with everyone else. Then they turned to Argus.
"How the hell are you still alive?" Piper demanded.
Argus smiled. "Silly witches. You killed my decoy."
"What do we do?" Phoebe whispered.
"Try making the spell more specific," Piper replied, as again the place was filled with mini-Arguses. "Just follow my lead," she told her sisters. She began chanting.
"Your Xerox games are getting old,
And so your magic will unfold,
Carbon copies disappear
And leave the one real Argus standing here."
Again, the clones vanished, but this time they were sure that they had their warlock.
"Hurry up, say the other spell," Paige urged.
"Argus with your evil ways,
We set you and your powers ablaze,
We'll free your captives from your den,
And you'll never hurt anyone again."
The effect this had on the real Argus was even more spectacular than the effect it had had on the clone. The Charmed Ones watched with satisfaction as he disappeared in a burst of flames. They stood for a while, savoring their victory, then finally set the innocents free.
****************
A/N: Sorry the update took so long, but my disk kindof ate most of this chapter, so I had to retype it from memory. It's not as good as the original, but hopefully it doesn't completely suck. Right???
"Well, if it isn't the Charmed Ones," he said mockingly. "So you've found me. I'm impressed. That's more than I can say for the loved ones of those other people down there."
"Shut up." Piper said. "Just shut up. Do you have any idea what it's like, to know that people you love more than anything else are being held captive by something as horrible and soulless as you? I only had to deal with it for a few hours. What about the families of those other people, who've been living with it for weeks, maybe longer? You know, just forget it. Why am I bothering? You're evil. You don't care who you hurt or why. Let's just get this over with."
Argus smiled an evil, menacing grin. Suddenly, the room was filled with hundreds of copies of him, each completely identical to the original.
"Just say the spell," Piper ordered her sisters.
"Your Xerox games are getting old,
And so your magic will unfold,
Carbon copies disappear
And leave one Argus standing here."
The copies all disappeared with a pop, and one remained. "Go ahead," he dared. "Finish me."
"He's taunting us," Paige observed. "Pretty cocky for someone who's about to get dead."
"He's just trying to throw us off," Phoebe replied. "Don't let him."
Her sisters nodded and started the chant that would vanquish him.
"Argus with your evil ways,
We set you and your powers ablaze,
We'll free your captives from your den,
And you'll never hurt anyone again."
In an instant, Argus was consumed by a self-contained fire. Without standing around to watch, the Charmed Ones ran downstairs to where the kids were hiding with the others.
"Mommy!" Camille called, running into Piper's arms.
"Hi, sweetheart," Piper said, picking her up. "Where are your brothers?"
"Peter, Ty, where are you?" Camille called.
Peter came into view from among a group of other innocents, and a second later, Tyler was behind him.
"We're right here, Cammie," Peter said, rushing over to his sister. Then he saw his mother. "Mommy, are we going home now?"
Piper nodded. "I hope so, baby."
"Come on, let's get everyone out of here," Phoebe said. She, Piper, and Paige began leading the innocents up the stairs that led to the main floor of the tavern. They were stopped halfway up, however, by Argus blinking in front of them.
"Okay, everybody go back down!" Paige yelled. Piper put Camille down and sent her back down the stairs, along with everyone else. Then they turned to Argus.
"How the hell are you still alive?" Piper demanded.
Argus smiled. "Silly witches. You killed my decoy."
"What do we do?" Phoebe whispered.
"Try making the spell more specific," Piper replied, as again the place was filled with mini-Arguses. "Just follow my lead," she told her sisters. She began chanting.
"Your Xerox games are getting old,
And so your magic will unfold,
Carbon copies disappear
And leave the one real Argus standing here."
Again, the clones vanished, but this time they were sure that they had their warlock.
"Hurry up, say the other spell," Paige urged.
"Argus with your evil ways,
We set you and your powers ablaze,
We'll free your captives from your den,
And you'll never hurt anyone again."
The effect this had on the real Argus was even more spectacular than the effect it had had on the clone. The Charmed Ones watched with satisfaction as he disappeared in a burst of flames. They stood for a while, savoring their victory, then finally set the innocents free.
****************
A/N: Sorry the update took so long, but my disk kindof ate most of this chapter, so I had to retype it from memory. It's not as good as the original, but hopefully it doesn't completely suck. Right???