AN: The next chapter contains heavy, heavy spoilers for the Charmed episode "Chris-Crossed". If you haven't seen it, and you don't want to be spoiled, skip down to the last scene of the chapter.
Chapter 21
Before Clark could ask what Chris meant, the design on the wall began to glow with smoky, white light. The air before the design twisted and warped, opening like a doorway. And two figures stepped out of it.
The first was a beautiful woman with long, dark hair, dressed in form-fitting black leather.
"Bianca," Chris whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
But Clark barely heard. He was too busy staring at the second figure to step out of the light.
It was Chris. Or someone who looked a heck of a lot like him.
As the portal closed, the figures dressed in gray and black all took a menacing step forward. But Chris…2 didn't seem intimidated. In fact, he glared at them defiantly.
"Welcome home, Chris," said the man in black, his voice carrying from the shadows.
As if responding to a silent, mental command, the figures in gray moved back, clearing a path between the man in black and Chris 2. As the man stepped forward into the light, Chris 2's expression became even more grim. "Hello, Wyatt."
Eyes wide, Clark turned to the Chris standing next to him. "Wyatt? But that's…"
"My brother?" asked Chris, a bitter smile twisting his lips. "Yeah. That's him."
Clark stared at Wyatt. He'd imagined Chris's brother to be an older version of Chris. Tall but slender. Secretive and reserved, but good-natured and laid-back.
But Wyatt was nothing like Chris. And it wasn't just his larger build, or the fact that his hair was blond instead of brown. It was the sense of ruthless strength radiating from him. Of power that was cold and dark.
Hands behind his back, Wyatt slowly walked across the attic, an old floorboard squeaking beneath his feet. Chris 2's back stiffened, his green eyes flashed with fear. But, he didn't take a step back, as Clark would have expected. Instead, he held his ground and waited.
Stopping a few feet away, Wyatt stared down into his younger brother's face. Voice filled with mild contempt, he said, "They're no threat to me."
The figures in gray nodded, as if acknowledging an order. Then, one-by-one, they disappeared, bodies distorting before blurring away into nothing.
After a long moment of silence, Wyatt sighed. "Et tu, Chris?" Shaking his head, he turned and walked back the way he came. "Of all the people to betray me."
"I didn't go back to betray you, Wyatt," Chris 2 denied. "I went back to save you."
"Save me?" Wyatt scoffed. Stopping near some kind of podium, he looked down at the large book that rested on top of it. "From what?"
"From whatever evil it was that turned you."
Wyatt gave Chris 2 a slightly pitying look. "That's always been your problem, Chris. Stuck in the old good-versus-evil morass." Shaking his head, he rested one gentle hand atop the book. "I'm so past that. It's all about power. It's as simple as that."
Chris 2 seemed disgusted by his brother's words. "And whoever has the most power wins. Is that it?"
"That's it," Wyatt agreed. He looked around the attic with something almost like fondness. "That's why I keep this museum intact. To remind everyone the power from which I was born and that which I possess."
Chris 2 took several angry steps forward. "Too bad the rest of the city isn't faring as well as your little shrine here."
Wyatt didn't smile, exactly. But he seemed to come as close to smiling as he probably ever did. "You know, if anyone else tried what you tried, I'd kill them on the spot. But you ...?" He looked over Chris 2's shoulder at the woman who'd remained silent until now. "I've forgiven Bianca. I can forgive you, too. If you promise never to cross me again."
"I think you know me better than that," Chris 2 said, voice defiant, rebellious.
The first flash of real anger crossing his face, Wyatt glared at Bianca. "I thought you said you could talk some sense into him."
Bianca started forward, opening her mouth to say something. But Chris 2 stepped into her path. "Leave her out of this."
Suddenly, Wyatt raised his left hand, balling it into a fist. And Chris 2 made a strangled, choking sound. Eyes widening, he clutched at his throat, struggling to breathe.
"Pardon me?" Wyatt said, a merciless glint in his eye.
"What…?" Clark exclaimed. Alarmed, he took a step forward.
"No!" Chris said, grabbing his arm.
"But…"
"No, Clark. This is a memory. You can't change it." Then, he added darkly, "You can't change any of it."
Feeling powerless, Clark watched as Wyatt slowly brought his fist down, an action that forced Chris 2 to his knees. Then, opening his fist, Wyatt made a sharp, slicing motion. And Chris 2 went flying across the room, crashing into a wall.
"Chris!" Bianca cried, starting in his direction. But, before she could reach him, he was airborne again. This time, he crashed into a table, breaking two of its legs. The heavy piece of furniture flipped over, coming to rest on its top.
Bianca stalked angrily towards Wyatt. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him!"
"And you promised you'd turn him," Wyatt said, glowering down at his brother. "Just like I turned you. Or, at least, I thought I had."
Bianca shook her head in denial and ran to Chris 2's side. Tears streaking down her face, she fell to her knees beside him. "Chris, please. I didn't bring you here to die."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Chris 2 gasped. Struggling into a sitting position, he glanced from Wyatt to some point on the floor. And a look of doubt crossed his face. "I think."
Chris 2 lunged to his feet. Letting out a ear-ringing war cry, he charged at his brother.
Wyatt caught him, tossing him aside like he was nothing. Chris 2 crashed into another table, his body turning the once-sturdy wood into debris.
"Have you lost your mind?" Wyatt asked, sounding sincerely shocked that his brother was stupid enough to try to attack him.
Shaking his head, he raised his right hand, telekinetically lifting Chris 2 into the air, pinning him to the wall like a butterfly to a piece of peg-board. As Chris 2 started to choke again, he clawed at his throat.
"I don't need you," Wyatt growled through clenched teeth. As he held up his free hand, a ball of electric energy formed inside it. Pulling back his arm, he prepared to throw it at Chris 2.
He was unaware of Bianca jumping to her feet. She charged at him from behind, and thrust her right hand into his back.
"Geez!" Clark exclaimed, as Wyatt roared with pain. Bianca's hand had phased into Wyatt's body, which seemed to have paralyzed him. His power interrupted, the energy ball faded from his hand, and Chris 2 crashed to the floor.
"Whatever you're going to do, do it," Bianca said to Chris 2, her voice shaking with strain. "I can't hold him for long."
Chris 2 scrambled across the floor. Tossing back an old throw rug, he removed a loose floorboard. Then, reaching inside the secret compartment, he took out a piece of folded paper. As he opened it, a cloud of dust rose from the page.
Quickly, he began to read,
"Power of the witches rise,
come to me from across the skies.
Return my magic, give me back
all that was taken in the attack!"
And a flash of blue-white light suffused his body.
Suddenly, Wyatt broke free of Bianca's hold. Bending forward, he lifted his leg in a powerful reverse kick, the bottom of his shoe slamming into Bianca's face.
With a startled scream, Bianca flew into the air, sailing across the room…straight towards the over-turned table with the broken legs. She landed with a crash, the splintered wood slicing through her body like it was butter.
"No!" Chris 2 cried out, a roar of anger and pain that surpassed his brother's. He surged to his feet, almost snarling in his rage. He waved his arm in a powerful swing, his entire body twisting with the force of it. And Wyatt flew up and away, slamming into the ceiling, the entire house shaking from the impact. As he crashed to the floor, unconscious, a rain of plaster showered down on him.
At that moment, Bianca gasped in pain. She was looking down at the bloodied stake protruding from her chest, her eyes filled with surprised, and resignation.
"Bianca!" Chris 2 cried, running to her side. Horrified by what he saw, he fell to his knees, and reached out for her. But he stopped, seeming almost afraid to touch her. "No. No. No. No."
"Bianca," whispered the Chris who was standing at Clark's side, his voice filled with sorrow.
Clark stared at him, not knowing what to do. It was obvious he'd had strong feelings for Bianca. Maybe he'd even loved her. And to watch her die so horribly, not just once but twice… Clark couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through.
Across the room, Chris 2 dissolved into tears. Lowering his head, he pressed his face into Bianca's shoulder.
Bianca took a long, shaky breath. "If you can finish…what we started…"
Suddenly, Wyatt stirred, causing Bianca and Chris 2 to look towards him fearfully. And Clark was amazed. Most humans would be out for hours after crashing into that wall. But it was obvious Wyatt wasn't like most humans.
"Hurry," Bianca breathed. "Take the spell…so he can't send anyone else."
Chris 2 looked down at her, his eyes uncertain. It was obvious he didn't want to leave her. Defiance flashed, briefly, across his face. Like he was about to refuse to leave her.
"Go!" she ordered, her voice forceful, but ragged with pain.
Finally, Chris 2 nodded and reluctantly pulled away from her. Running to the podium, he began frantically flipping through the book.
Now conscious, Wyatt raised his head, He glared at Chris, a blanket of cold rage falling across his face. As he rose to his knees, an energy ball formed in his hand.
Finally finding the page he was looking for, Chris 2 began to read.
"Hear these words. Hear the rhyme.
Heed the hope within my mind."
Luckily, he glanced up briefly. As Wyatt threw the energy ball, Chris 2 ducked. The energy ball flew past his head, exploding as it hit the wall behind him.
Calmly, Chris 2 straightened up and continued to read.
"Send me back to where I'll find
what I wish in place and time."
As the design on the wall began to glow, Chris 2 sent his brother a look of angry triumph. Ripping the page from the book, he ran towards the wall and dived towards the portal.
"No!" Wyatt cried, throwing another energy ball.
Chris 2 vanished through the portal. As it closed behind him, the energy ball harmlessly hit the wall…
And Clark's world exploded into golden light.
Clark and Chris flew away from the truck, landing in the grass at the side of the driveway.
For a long moment, Clark was too stunned to move. All he had seen was racing through his mind at a million miles a minute.
No wonder Chris said it was one of the worst days of his life. His own brother tried to kill him. Or, at the very least, hurt him really badly. And Wyatt had killed Bianca, a woman Chris obviously loved.
Slowly, Clark sat up. "That's what you came back to stop," he said, as all the pieces connected.
Chris looked at him with sad, tired eyes. "I came back to find out why my brother grew up to be the man you saw. And to do everything to keep it from happening again. Because that little glimpse of my past you just got?" Chris's voice was bitter now, his eyes angry. "Well, Wyatt's done much worse. And you didn't see what he's done to the world outside that attic."
Clark didn't know what to say. It was obvious, from their talk last night, that Chris's future wasn't a happy place. Now, it seemed, Chris's brother was the one who made it that way.
"Chris." Clark stood up, searching for the right words. "I…"
But he was interrupted by a strange sound. It was this odd, whirring noise, coming from somewhere behind him. A sort of modulating hum that made his teeth itch.
"No," Chris whispered, eyes wide as he stared at something over Clark's shoulder. "It's a probe!"
And, the way he said it, a probe wasn't a good thing.
Clark swung around. And came face to face with something straight out of a futuristic nightmare.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
