Chapter 2
The day approached to its end, and there was already dark in San Francisco, when Paige, the youngest of Halliwell sisters, came home.
"Hey, I'm back!" Paige exclaimed, coming into Halliwell Manor, her hands full with shopping bags. "Is anybody here? I'd need some help!" hearing no response, she sighed and trailed to the kitchen. "Great, where are your sisters when you need them? No, they leave you alone with two meters long shopping list and have fun somewhere!" she preferentially sighed, putting all heavy bags on the kitchen table. "Phew! Do they treat me as some kind of a weightlifter?" she looked around the kitchen, searching for a note her sisters would probably left for her. She didn't see any note. "Where could they be?" this time her voice sounded a bit worried.
Suddenly she heard her sisters' voice. Paige went to the door, which were just opened by Piper and Phoebe.
"Hi!" they both exclaimed.
"Yeah, hi," Paige coldly replied, feeling a bit affronted. "Where were you two? Couldn't you leave a note for me? I already started to worry."
"I'm sorry, sis," Phoebe friendly hugged Paige. "I know we should left a note for you, but we were in a hurry."
"Leo arrived to say that there are about ten demons in my nightclub," Piper explained. "They were simply killing people, and when we arrived there, people were panic. They had killed about twenty persons."
"They were simply killing people?" Paige asked. "How could that be? Demons don't want mortals to find out that they exist at all, why would they public appear in a nightclub?"
"Maybe because they're not afraid anymore," Phoebe guessed. "However, it wasn't nice. Leo cleaned all people's memories. I don't wanna even imagine what would happen if they remember everything."
"Luckily, they don't," Piper sighed. "Leo went up to clarify all those strange things so soon we'll find out what's happening. Did you buy everything, Paige?"
"Yeah, I did," Paige nodded, interested in her sisters' story. "Wait, but I still don't understand. Do you think they're making a new plan in the underground?"
"Could be," Phoebe replied. "But let's stop speaking about this! I'm still nervous, and I wanna relax. Did you buy an ice cream, Paige? I think I'm able to eat a pack or two right now."
"Yes, Master, did you want to see me?" a vampire called Grim came into the most luxurious room of the Underworld to face his Master. Grim (and this name fitted him very good) got down on his knees under his Master's high throne and mumbled something about how glad he is to serve him.
The Master raised his hand as a sign that Grim is able to stand up. Master's face was occulted by wide hood, which was as black as his cape. Never had ever seen his face, and everyone thought it must be horrible - even for demons, vampires and other beings that lived in the Underworld.
"Yes, I did," Master's voice was so cold and cruel, that Grim casually shivered. "Is that truth that twelve of our demons has been killed?"
"Yes, Master, I'm afraid it's the truth," Grim quietly replied. He knew very well how angry his Master becomes when finds out that any of his demons are killed.
"How could that happen?" Master asked. His voice seemed peacefully, but so icy that Grim shivered again. "Today was their holiday and I let them go to the earth to enjoy a bit. Who killed them?"
"Witches, Master, Charmed Ones," Grim mumbled.
"Charmed Ones?" Master repeated. "Again they?"
Grim nodded scarily. "The demons went to their club… What was the name of it?… P3, I guess… And they started to kill the people there, so witches arrived and vanquished them."
"Stupid jerks!" Master exclaimed. "Brainless idiots! Dumb fools! I'd kill them by my own hands if they weren't already dead! We aren't so powerful yet, didn't they understand? The world is gonna be ours in time but while it's not yet, we must to keep silence. The demons have never publicly killed people and how could they imagine to do it right in Charmed Ones' nightclub?"
Master's anger paralyzed Grim, and he started to shiver in mindless fears.
"I don't know…" Grim mumbled in so quiet voice, that it was almost noiseless.
"You don't know," Master scornfully repeated. "Who knows then? You had to give them an order that they aren't able to cross the witches', especially Charmed Ones' way. It's only your fault, Grim, isn't it? Answer!" the only answer was Grim's quiet cries, and Master continued: "I'll give you a chance to show your faithfulness and will to serve me. I won't kill you… not yet."
"Thank you, Master!" Grim got down on his knees again and mumbled in complimentary voice. "Thank you very much, Master, thank you!"
Master interrupted him coldly. "Bring me witch. If you do that, I'll generously reimburse you. If you don't, you're gonna die."
Grim stood up and bowed in front of his Master. "I will, Master, believe me."
"But I don't want the first witch who you'll meet," Master's smile grew wider and colder. "I want the Charmed One."
"Wh-what?" Grim stammered. "The Ch-charmed One? B-but, M-master…"
"You heard me," Master interrupted him. "Bring me witch or die."
Grim convulsively gulped his saliva. "Yes, Master."
Master gave him a cruelly smile. "You can go now," and he looked after Grim who almost ran outside, happy that is still alive and shocked about the order.
"So," Master said himself. "Everything I need now is the witch; then I'll be able to get the magical coal, and then the darkness will bind the entire world. And this minute is coming closer and closer…"
"Leo!" three voices called in the same time, when Leo Wyatt, the White lighter, suddenly appeared in Halliwell living room.
"Did you find out anything?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, yes," Leo sighed, trying to find the right words.
"So?" Piper stood up. "What's happening?"
"The Elders don't know much," Leo explained. "They know that there's a very dangerous and powerful weapon in hands of the darkness, but they have no idea what could it be. In the Underworld everyone prepares for the oncoming battle, and I must warn you, this could be the final."
"You mean, they have become stronger?" Paige asked. "They are even so sure about their powers, that they publicly showed their real faces to mortal people?"
"It seems so," Leo replied. "We are in great danger, girls, all of us."
"And we don't even know with you we've to fight," Phoebe added.
They all kept a grave silence, thinking about different kind of black, dark thoughts.
Something was wrong. Really, really wrong.
What had their destiny prepared to them? They had no idea.
The day approached to its end, and there was already dark in San Francisco, when Paige, the youngest of Halliwell sisters, came home.
"Hey, I'm back!" Paige exclaimed, coming into Halliwell Manor, her hands full with shopping bags. "Is anybody here? I'd need some help!" hearing no response, she sighed and trailed to the kitchen. "Great, where are your sisters when you need them? No, they leave you alone with two meters long shopping list and have fun somewhere!" she preferentially sighed, putting all heavy bags on the kitchen table. "Phew! Do they treat me as some kind of a weightlifter?" she looked around the kitchen, searching for a note her sisters would probably left for her. She didn't see any note. "Where could they be?" this time her voice sounded a bit worried.
Suddenly she heard her sisters' voice. Paige went to the door, which were just opened by Piper and Phoebe.
"Hi!" they both exclaimed.
"Yeah, hi," Paige coldly replied, feeling a bit affronted. "Where were you two? Couldn't you leave a note for me? I already started to worry."
"I'm sorry, sis," Phoebe friendly hugged Paige. "I know we should left a note for you, but we were in a hurry."
"Leo arrived to say that there are about ten demons in my nightclub," Piper explained. "They were simply killing people, and when we arrived there, people were panic. They had killed about twenty persons."
"They were simply killing people?" Paige asked. "How could that be? Demons don't want mortals to find out that they exist at all, why would they public appear in a nightclub?"
"Maybe because they're not afraid anymore," Phoebe guessed. "However, it wasn't nice. Leo cleaned all people's memories. I don't wanna even imagine what would happen if they remember everything."
"Luckily, they don't," Piper sighed. "Leo went up to clarify all those strange things so soon we'll find out what's happening. Did you buy everything, Paige?"
"Yeah, I did," Paige nodded, interested in her sisters' story. "Wait, but I still don't understand. Do you think they're making a new plan in the underground?"
"Could be," Phoebe replied. "But let's stop speaking about this! I'm still nervous, and I wanna relax. Did you buy an ice cream, Paige? I think I'm able to eat a pack or two right now."
"Yes, Master, did you want to see me?" a vampire called Grim came into the most luxurious room of the Underworld to face his Master. Grim (and this name fitted him very good) got down on his knees under his Master's high throne and mumbled something about how glad he is to serve him.
The Master raised his hand as a sign that Grim is able to stand up. Master's face was occulted by wide hood, which was as black as his cape. Never had ever seen his face, and everyone thought it must be horrible - even for demons, vampires and other beings that lived in the Underworld.
"Yes, I did," Master's voice was so cold and cruel, that Grim casually shivered. "Is that truth that twelve of our demons has been killed?"
"Yes, Master, I'm afraid it's the truth," Grim quietly replied. He knew very well how angry his Master becomes when finds out that any of his demons are killed.
"How could that happen?" Master asked. His voice seemed peacefully, but so icy that Grim shivered again. "Today was their holiday and I let them go to the earth to enjoy a bit. Who killed them?"
"Witches, Master, Charmed Ones," Grim mumbled.
"Charmed Ones?" Master repeated. "Again they?"
Grim nodded scarily. "The demons went to their club… What was the name of it?… P3, I guess… And they started to kill the people there, so witches arrived and vanquished them."
"Stupid jerks!" Master exclaimed. "Brainless idiots! Dumb fools! I'd kill them by my own hands if they weren't already dead! We aren't so powerful yet, didn't they understand? The world is gonna be ours in time but while it's not yet, we must to keep silence. The demons have never publicly killed people and how could they imagine to do it right in Charmed Ones' nightclub?"
Master's anger paralyzed Grim, and he started to shiver in mindless fears.
"I don't know…" Grim mumbled in so quiet voice, that it was almost noiseless.
"You don't know," Master scornfully repeated. "Who knows then? You had to give them an order that they aren't able to cross the witches', especially Charmed Ones' way. It's only your fault, Grim, isn't it? Answer!" the only answer was Grim's quiet cries, and Master continued: "I'll give you a chance to show your faithfulness and will to serve me. I won't kill you… not yet."
"Thank you, Master!" Grim got down on his knees again and mumbled in complimentary voice. "Thank you very much, Master, thank you!"
Master interrupted him coldly. "Bring me witch. If you do that, I'll generously reimburse you. If you don't, you're gonna die."
Grim stood up and bowed in front of his Master. "I will, Master, believe me."
"But I don't want the first witch who you'll meet," Master's smile grew wider and colder. "I want the Charmed One."
"Wh-what?" Grim stammered. "The Ch-charmed One? B-but, M-master…"
"You heard me," Master interrupted him. "Bring me witch or die."
Grim convulsively gulped his saliva. "Yes, Master."
Master gave him a cruelly smile. "You can go now," and he looked after Grim who almost ran outside, happy that is still alive and shocked about the order.
"So," Master said himself. "Everything I need now is the witch; then I'll be able to get the magical coal, and then the darkness will bind the entire world. And this minute is coming closer and closer…"
"Leo!" three voices called in the same time, when Leo Wyatt, the White lighter, suddenly appeared in Halliwell living room.
"Did you find out anything?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, yes," Leo sighed, trying to find the right words.
"So?" Piper stood up. "What's happening?"
"The Elders don't know much," Leo explained. "They know that there's a very dangerous and powerful weapon in hands of the darkness, but they have no idea what could it be. In the Underworld everyone prepares for the oncoming battle, and I must warn you, this could be the final."
"You mean, they have become stronger?" Paige asked. "They are even so sure about their powers, that they publicly showed their real faces to mortal people?"
"It seems so," Leo replied. "We are in great danger, girls, all of us."
"And we don't even know with you we've to fight," Phoebe added.
They all kept a grave silence, thinking about different kind of black, dark thoughts.
Something was wrong. Really, really wrong.
What had their destiny prepared to them? They had no idea.