A/N: Okay, this chapter is a little violent, and maybe just a touch graphic. If that kind of stuff makes your stomach churn, you might want to pass on this chappie. This is what I'd call my first attempt at an 'action' chapter. At least, I hope it comes across as one.
Cat: Hope this update is soon enough for you.
Teal-lover: Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long...and that this chapter lives up to your expectations.
Ccharmed24/7: I love, love, love hearing that! Thanks!
Alexis Rose: I hope everyone will be all right too. Glad you love the story!
Rhea: Thanks! I put together a one page summary before commencing the fic in hopes that the story would flow. I did notice some mistakes the other day when I was rereading some of the chapters, but I won't tell if you won't.
Ilovedrew88: Yeah, I had been debating where I wanted the story to go, but I pretty much knew from the onset that I wanted the sisters to end up in his future. I will try to update soon!
Drewfuller4eva: But I love getting your reviews! Actually, I didn't realize Chris would be a ghost either, until I was reading sailorwind's review, and thought...oops, that's right, he's dead! So don't worry, you're not the only one who didn't notice!
Melissa-p: thanks! I'm trying to incorporate humour into the story, so that it's at least a little bit in keeping with the genre of the show. Sorry there was no action in chapter 9, but maybe this one will make up for it?
Californiachick: Thanks! Glad you liked the extra long chapter. I was originally going to split it into two parts, but I wanted to move the plot along. Much better that way, I think.
Sailorwind: Thanks! You have yourself to thank actually, as the original concept of chapter 9 came from your feedback on Chris still being a ghost. The original plan for chapter 9 was going to be a quick bridge to this one, and not too much explanatory scenes.
Pukah: Yep, someone is definitely not a happy camper in this chapter. Three guesses on who, and the first two don't count! I'm glad you like the No Fate thing as that is the major theme of this story, and I plan to keep revisiting it throughout the chapters. I'm not sure I'm a great writer? (blushes) but thanks for thinking so!
Stony Angel: Glad you love it! Yeah, I wish Chris could have stayed behind in a happier time, but I guess it's not meant to be. At least, not in my fic!
Manette: Merci! Pas du tout! Glad you like Leslie. I promise to work as fast as possible on getting the next chapter written!
Buffspike: Thank you!
Ashlee: Thanks! I really wanted Leslie to likeable, (because I'm not so fond of him on the show) so I'm hoping that Chapter 8 & 9 helped everyone to start to like him.
Rhia: Really? You think so? Ohhhh, I hope so too! I'll do my best, cross my heart.
Sickle Sword: You like it? Really? Cool!
Zoned-out: thanks!
Zeria: Yes, I've convinced myself I'm not fond of Les on the show, so I figured I'd work double hard to make him likeable here. I feel bad for Chris too.
Okay! On with the show!
Chapter 10
Chris hated the feeling of passing through time portals. The combination of the disorientation as he passed across 'time' and the resulting jolt he felt as he emerged safely on the other side had always made his stomach churn.
Funny, his family had never mentioned feeling the same way.
In a heartbeat, he was through. Except – he wasn't where he was supposed to be.
He looked around wildly, his mouth hanging open, as he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. He had fully expected to emerge in the attic; every other case he had passed through a portal, it had moved him through time, but not place. A portal was always 'anchored' in the same location, no matter which time he was entering. Instead, he was standing in a circle of scorched earth, amidst a pile of rubble. Where the hell was he?
Before he could gather his thoughts on planning his next steps, he heard something from behind him, emerging from the portal.
"What the ???" Chris swore, turning too slowly, as he was hit from behind, and fell forward, knocked face down into the earth. Struggling beneath the dead weight, he tensed, preparing to use his telekinesis to throw the heavy mass off himself, when he paused.
"Ohhhh, my aching head," a familiar voice moaned.
He spat out the mouthful of dirt he had accidentally swallowed on impact with the hard ground. "Phoebe?" Chris gasped in disbelief. Another groan alerted him to the presence of another. "Les?!?" Chris wiggled out from underneath the dead weight carefully. Scrambling to his feet, he glanced up just in time to see his parents and Paige fly through the portal and heading straight at him.
Waving his hands hastily, Chris 'caught' the three flying Halliwells, and tried to cushion their fall. The clumsy attempt managed to soften the resulting fall, but they still ended up falling onto the ground with a thud. Before he could muster his family back on their feet, the portal closed with a snap.
"Damn it to hell. I knew I should have made you guys use a spell," Chris said sourly, as he surveyed his family sprawled around him.
"I'd ask where the hell we are, but I'm starting to feel it's a little redundant." Paige looked around at the familiar landscape of ruined buildings, deserted streets and general devastation, brushing the dirt from her hands. Seeing the seething anger building in Chris' eyes, Paige quickly interjected, "Before you start screaming at us, it wasn't our fault. It was an accident!"
Affronted, Chris said, his tone flat, "I don't scream. Women scream. I yell."
"Hey! Help your aunts, bitch later," Piper picked herself off the ground, dusting herself off, "Leo? Phoebe? You guys okay?"
Phoebe sat up, her hand on her forehead, groaning, "Did someone get the license of the truck that hit me?"
Opening his mouth to give his family a piece of his mind about future consequences, Chris' eyes widened, as he noticed what Phoebe was sitting on. Or rather who.
It was Leslie, and he didn't look too good. "Dad," Chris yanked his father up off the ground where he lay, stunned, dragging his father towards his friend. "I think Les needs some healing."
Gathering his wits, Leo quickly stumbled across the ground the couple of feet towards Les, quickly kneeling down next to the fallen man, to place his hands over the gaping chest wound.
"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Phoebe exclaimed, as she clambered off the poor man. "Oh my god!"
"Okay, heard you the first time," Chris eyed his aunt, watching Leo heal Leslie out of the corner of his eye. "What I'd much rather hear is what the hell you're all doing here?!?" Crossing his arms like a petulant child, Chris directed his best glare at his family. "Do you guys even listen to me about future consequences? 'Cause the last time I checked, I'm pretty sure when my mouth is moving, words come out when I speak."
As Leo finished healing Leslie, he glanced up at Chris. "Sorry Chris. It was a demon attack. The bugger just appeared out of nowhere, and starting shooting energy balls at us and knocked us into your time portal before it had a chance to close."
"I don't get it. If this is the future, shouldn't we be in the Manor right now?" Piper asked, puzzled.
"Well, we're definitely in the future. Trust me, I'd recognize the destruction of the city anywhere," Chris surveyed the area, as he answered his mother. He sighed, knowing that lecturing them any further would only result in a dry throat, mainly his. Surrendering to the inevitable, Chris allowed the change of topic. "Still, I'd like to where the hell we are. The portal should have opened in the attic..."
"That's because it did," Leslie murmured. "Or at least, what's left of the attic." As five pairs of eyes swung to focus on him, Leslie continued, self consciously, "I'm sorry, Chris...I should have told you before, but it totally slipped my mind. Wyatt destroyed the manor about three weeks after you left."
Chris felt a sharp pang of regret in his stomach. The manor may have been a museum for the last half of his life, but for the first half it had been a home. A very good home, at that. "Why?" he croaked, "Why would Wyatt do such a thing? He always said it was a reminder to everyone about his heritage..."
Leslie shrugged. "No idea. It was...one day it was there, the next day, it was...destroyed."
Chris shoved his hands in his pockets in frustration, yanking his right hand out when he encountered something slimy in his pocket, "What the – ?!?"
"Chris? What is it?" Piper asked worriedly, noticing her son's expression.
"Damn it!" Chris swore, and wiping his hand clean on his pant leg, he cursed again, this time a word so filthy that the girls blushed.
"Okay, Mr. Potty mouth. You're starting to scare us," Paige looked nervously at Chris, watching him curse quite proficiently, as he started kicking nearby rocks in frustration.
"Chris – talk to us, please." Leo moved to stand in front of his son, placing both his hands on his son's shoulders, effectively forcing Chris to stop and focus on his father.
Taking a deep breath, Chris fought to bring his emotions under control. Reaching into his pocket, Chris opened his palm to reveal bits of broken glass.
"Why do you have glass in your pocket? Where did – oh, oh, oh...the potion," Piper gasped. "The potion to take you, us back..."
Hurling the bits of glass away in frustration, Chris cursed again. "That was you ticket back. It must have broken when you guys landed on me."
"Well, that just means we need to get back to base and make up a new potion," Leslie suggested, picking the highest pile of stones to climb up on. He shaded his eyes from the sun, looking off into the distance.
Chris groaned. "That's even assuming that we have all the ingredients at base." Jumping up next to Leslie, Chris began to scan the area as well, automatically falling into old habits.
"Well, we could try writing a spell," Paige suggested.
Chris and Leslie both grunted, their concentration obviously elsewhere. Watching the two guys staring off into the distance, Phoebe asked with exasperation, "Okay, what exactly are you two doing? Is this some kind of new age ritual in the future?"
Chris ignored her as he scanned the horizon, and his eyes focused on something in the distance, his hand acting as a visor to block the sun from his face. "Les – do you see what I see?"
Hearing the note of urgency in Chris' voice, Leslie moved his way over to stand next to Chris. Narrowing his eyes, Leslie followed Chris' line of sight. In the distance, he could make out something dark and large.
And it was moving, fast.
Towards them.
They looked at each other, in dread. "Trackers!"
Leslie jumped off the pile of rocks, and catching Phoebe's hand he began dragging her behind him, yelling at the rest of the stunned Halliwells. "Run!"
Leo, Piper and Paige looked at each other, speechless, as Chris tore down from his perch, yelling at his family, "Demons! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
Hearing the panic in Chris' voice, Leo acted instinctively, latching his hand onto Piper's arm and began running after Leslie and Phoebe. A bewildered Paige was still trying to understand what was going on, as Chris shoved her from behind, pushing her so that she was forced to run as well.
Stumbling, Paige quickly caught her balance and began running for all she was worth. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she gasped as she caught a glimpse of what they were trying to outrun as a dark shadow suddenly appeared on top of the pile of rocks where Chris had just been standing. Not waiting for a closer look, Paige scrambled after Chris, running into the deserted street.
A pack of fluid brown shapes seemed to stream towards them, gaining on them, faster and faster. Piper felt the hair on her neck stand on end, as she heard the howling behind her. She glanced back, but caught no more than a glimpse of a blurred group of bodies moving steadily towards them.
"Move! They're gaining on us!" Chris shouted, as he risked a look back over his shoulder, pausing to wait for Paige to catch up.
They were running as fast as they could, as they ran for their lives, tearing through the deserted city streets. Skeletons of houses and homes stood like tombstones along the sides of the streets. Leslie had a firm grip on Phoebe's hand, dragging her behind him as he ran at breakneck speed, leading the way. Leo was pushing Piper from behind, with Paige running along side them and finally, Chris brought up the rear.
"What are those things?" Phoebe panted, as Leslie continued to drag her behind him.
Tracker demons. All they're good for is running. Well, running and killing, that is. Now shut up and run! Leslie answered her question telepathically, mind speaking to all of the Halliwells.
"Make for that building!!!" Chris yelled. In the distance, Paige could see the structure that Chris was referring to, the only one still standing intact on the devastated street. If they could reach it, they could hopefully be able to hold the demons off. She hadn't been able to get a good look at what they were running from, but the way Chris and Leslie were acting, she sure wasn't going to hang around to find out.
"Why...why can't we just...freeze them?...or orb to the building..." Piper gasped, her lungs burning, her body unused to the frantic running.
They're protected against magical attacks. At least, direct magic, anyways. Your freezing or blowing up powers won't affect them. And we can't orb. We're in the dead zone. Orbing doesn't work here. Leslie mind sent to all of them, answering Piper's questions. Save your breath, you're going to need it.
"There isn't time to explain! Just run, damn it!" Chris cursed, as he could sense Piper's next question. Chris could see that Piper was barely keeping up, and Leslie was literally dragging Phoebe behind him. He knew they would never make it to the shelter before the demons caught up to them, if he didn't buy them some time. We're sitting ducks out here.
He skidded to a stop, tripping over his feet, frantically scanning the ground, looking for a weapon on the deserted city street; his eyes found one in the shape of a sign post laying on the ground, the stop sign hanging from its hinges, barely attached to the steel post.
"What the hell are you doing?" Paige screamed, turning back as she realized that Chris had stopped. She glanced back in the direction of her sisters, who continued running, unaware that the last two of their party had stopped. Turning her attention back to her nephew, Paige opened her mouth to yell at him, when...Oh my god –
They were hideous. Granted, most demons were on the ugly side, but these...these looked like some kind of walking nightmare; except they were running on two feet. Their heads reminded Paige of the vulture demons, but the demon yellow eyes were solely their own. Their bodies were a muddy brown, and as they neared, Paige could see their hides were covered with scales.
Ignoring her, Chris watched the pack race towards him, eyeing them carefully. He could feel the ground beneath them tremble from the impact of the demons as they pounded towards them. The pack moved in a close knit formation, much like a pack of hunting hounds. And we're the fox, Chris though wryly.
He waited, focused, and then using his telekinesis, hurled the steel post as far as he could – just as the leader of the pack seemed to leap up, right into post's path, and watched as the post buried itself in the demon's throat.
Soundlessly, the leader fell beneath the feet of the rest of the demons. Not waiting to see the results, Chris whipped around, catching Paige's hand and ran for the abandoned building for all he was worth. With their leader gone, the pack stopped their breakneck chase, to mill aimlessly around their leader.
Good thing those things are as dumb as a doorknob. I'd hate to think what would happen if they were fast AND smart. Chris shuddered, as they scrambled into the decrepit store. It'll take them a bit to get it sorted out. Leslie slammed the door shut behind them, as soon as Chris entered.
All right, now what?
The abandoned store was dark, with little light due to the mere two windows next to the main door. It looked like it had been some sort of grocery store at one point in its past. Empty shelves lined the walls, covered in dust. Chris looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could hear his mother berating him for lagging behind, but he ignored her, his entire being focused on trying to figure out how to get out of this situation with everyone intact. The light revealed a thick blanket of dust, now disturbed by their footprints. Broken pipes and glass littered the floor. His eyes moving, he noted the thickness of the concrete walls with satisfaction, for it would force the demons to enter through the main entrance, leaving them with only one entry point to worry about.
"If they're protected from magical attacks, how are we going to stop them?" Phoebe asked, worriedly, as she puffed in exhaustion.
"We don't. We kill them," Chris spotted a door at the back of the room, which he quickly moved towards. Wrenching the door open with his telekinesis, his eyes searched the room, which was empty, save for a couple of metal shelves. "We'll hide in here." Gesturing with his hand, he indicated to his family to duck inside what appeared to be a storage room.
"Chris," Leslie called, from his spot by the window, where he was cautiously peeking out. "They're approaching," Leslie turned, to make eye contact with Chris. "We need to make a stand."
Nodding his agreement, Chris turned to his parents, "Stay in here. Les and I are going to take out as many as we can. If you can, make a break for the front door. Look for a manhole and get into the sewers. Once you're there, just head west, towards the city centre. That's where you'll find the base."
"What about you?" Piper asked, desperately grabbing on to her son's arm. "What do you mean, if we can make a break for it? What's going on?"
"Chris – let me help," Leo pleaded.
Chris gently shook his mother's hand off his arm and placed her hand in Leo's. "Like I said, they're protected against magical attacks. We need to do this the old fashioned way. Dad – I need you to protect mom and her sisters if...Look if something happens, just remember - go for the throat! The underbody is covered with soft skin, unlike the bony hide plates that covered the rest of the demons' bodies. That's their area of weakness."
Before Leo could respond, Leslie urgently called, "Chris! I think they're going to make their move!"
Picking up a broken pipe from the floor, Chris gently tossed it to Leslie and reached down to grab another for himself. "Les -"
Catching the metal pipe, Leslie nodded. "I got your back."
"Stay here," Chris growled to his family, and moved forward to meet their attackers. He could hear his mother and aunts protest vehemently, but he ignored them, knowing that Leo's sense of duty would ensure that the sisters stay put. In the background, he could hear Leo explain to them that they needed to remain calm.
Moving past Phoebe, Chris suppressed his emotions; fear for his family, for himself, temporarily evaporated, as he forced it to the back of his mind and replaced it by a cool detachment.
He couldn't afford to be distracted.
His world narrowed to his enemies and himself, as his mind blanked out all distractions and shut out all emotions. He hadn't always been this way, but like so many, the war with Wyatt had changed him.
Here it comes – and his heart skipped a beat...
The door burst open, and the first of the wiry demons entered into the building. The small entrance forced the demons to enter one by one, working to the humans' advantage. Snarling, it drifted to a halt just inside the door, its gleaming eyes scanning the room, sighting him. A second demon appeared behind the first, trying to push its way inside, and a third not far behind.
The two demons rushed him.
Crap!
He ducked away from a ferocious looking claw as the first demon tried to swipe at him; diving to his right, Chris quickly rolled to his feet and decapitated one of the demons, using his telekinesis to shove the pipe through the demon's soft spot like a crude saw. Two more came for him, their vicious claws slashing at him, but Leslie got in a kick that distracted the first and Chris fatally disemboweled the second with the pipe when it couldn't move out of the way fast enough, lodging the pipe deep in its stomach.
Piper screamed a warning, and he ducked the one that Leslie had kicked; motioning again with his telekinesis, two pieces of metallic shelving rose off the floor, slamming into the demon, effectively crushing the demon's skull between the two metal plates.
Trembling with exhaustion, Chris shook the sweat out of his eyes, focusing on his enemy. Back-pedaling, he twisted to one side, as a fourth demon entered the building and came at him, barely missing it's claws slicing at him. Springing back up onto his feet, he felt the broken glass beneath his palms, his hand closing around one of the nearby bits as he blindly searched for a piece that he could use as a weapon. Chris turned to meet the demon as he found and shoved a piece of broken glass the size of a book at the demon, it's jagged edge slicing into the creature's throat area. The demon clawed at the piece of glass, until, with a final choking sound, it keeled over and died.
The slight wind he felt on his neck made Chris duck instinctively, as a fifth demon slashed at him from behind; Chris hissed in pain as, he ducked too slow, the demon's deadly claws catching one of his shoulders. Ignoring the growing fire in his shoulder, he used his telekinesis to fling the first thing that came to hand at the demon.
Dust.
Obviously, it didn't do any damage, but it did blind the demon long enough. Long enough for Chris to take the initiative and launch himself at the demon. Catching it off guard, he grappled with the demon, sacrificing his mobility for the one chance to get it close and –
As its claws extended in frustration, Chris pulled one of its arm towards him, twisted and spun around; at the last moment, Chris shoved the demon's claws deep into its own throat, effectively cutting off the demon's air passage. Pushing the body away, Chris staggered back a few steps, and watched as it looked up at him, clearly stunned by its defeat by its own hand.
Across the room, Leslie was holding his own against another demon, and even seemed to be regaining a little ground.
I have to help him, Chris thought. Chris concentrated and, using his telekinesis, threw another jagged piece of glass at the demon's throat.
It missed, bouncing off its arm plating. The demon didn't even noticed, as Leslie, his eyes focused on the demon, tripped over a rock and fell to the floor.
Swearing, Chris frowned in concentration again, using his telekinesis to pick up his chosen weapon again.
With one fell swoop, the demon lunged, swiping at Leslie and catching hold of his leg in its claws. Leslie screamed in pain, kicking out at the demon's claw with his other leg and beating its head with the metal pipe as he desperately tried to free himself.
Chris ignored the cries coming from Phoebe, as she rushed forward to try to help Leslie, even though she would never reach him in time. He waited, dispassionately, for his target to hold still – and then, threw.
The pane of glass shot through the air, practically whistling. The sharp noise from the glass shooting through the air ended abruptly, as it embedded itself in the soft skin of the demon's throat. The creature fell over sideways, barely missing crushing Leslie beneath its body weight. With a last gurgle, it choked on its own blood as the demon died. Leslie's eyes were streaming with tears of pain, as he sent a grateful glance at Chris, "Thanks."
Nodding, Chris looked around for more demons.
There weren't any more.
Phoebe rushed over to Leslie, tenderly holding his head in her lap, as Leo quickly rushed over to heal him. Piper stared at her son, having never witnessed him fight so brutally, certainly not in the past. As she meet his eyes, her heart ached at the coldness in his stare. She watched as the coldness faded, as he regained awareness of his surroundings, wincing and he broke off eye contact with her.
Paige gasped, as she pointed at Chris' hand, "Leo, he's bleeding!" Blood was gushing from both his shoulder and from his palm, onto the floor, where the glass had sliced deep when he had shoved it into one of the demons' throat. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he hadn't even noticed the gash during the fight. But with his heart returning to normal, and the rush from the adrenaline fading, he felt the full force of the open wound in his hand, as well as the slash in his shoulder. Lightheaded, he sagged just a bit, closing his eyes as a wave of pain and exhaustion hit him.
"Yeow! Dad!" Chris yelled, as Leo grabbed Chris' shoulder and hand none too gently in his haste to heal his son's wounds. Piper's face had taken on a greenish hue, taking in her son's injuries. She watched the blood gushing from her son's wounds slow to a drip before stopping completely, as Leo completed his healing.
"You okay?" Leo glanced at his son. At Chris' nod, he moved back to Leslie's side, kneeling beside him again, "How about you? The leg okay?"
Leslie nodded weakly. He was perfectly fine, but he made no move to lift his head from its coveted place in Phoebe's lap. He closed his eyes for just a minute, to savour the moment.
It didn't take long for the moment to pass.
"Phoebe," Chris knelt down so that he was on eye level with his aunt. "You know he's going to be okay, right?"
As she sniffed, Phoebe nodded. "I know. I just..."
Chris cut her off, "Don't ever disobey me again."
In bewilderment, Phoebe stared at her nephew. His soft tone told her he was deadly serious.
"Don't talk to your aunt that way!" Piper glared at her son, recovered from her passing sickness from all the violence.
Chris sighed, and standing up, he turned to his mother, "I won't apologize. When Phoebe dashed out of her hiding place, she put herself in danger. I had to worry about Les and her. You don't know how things work here and you not only put yourself in danger when you don't listen to me, you put all of us in danger. We've tumbled into an unsafe part of the city, and frankly, I don't have time to explain my actions to you." Sighing again, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Look, I'm sorry if you don't like it, but you can't hesitate to follow my orders or Les'. It may very well mean our lives, but yours as well." Chris raised his eyes to look directly into his mothers, pleading, "You have to understand. Things are different here."
Leo and the sisters exchanged glances, feeling confused, and a little bit afraid, as the gravity of the situation began to sink it. Intercepting their looks, Leslie reassured them, "We don't mean to scare you, but Chris is right. Things are different here. We're at war. And a split second makes all the difference, as you can see." He nodded at the pile of demon carcasses.
Paige nodded, on behalf of her sisters and Leo, grudgingly, "Alright. We get it. We obviously don't know what's going on here." As Chris heaved a sigh in relief, he rolled his eyes when Paige suddenly grinned, "But that doesn't mean we won't bitch about it later."
"And what the hell were those things? Why won't magic work on them?" Piper demanded.
"They're demons. Or sort of," Leslie sighed, looking at Chris, who's face was completely shuttered. Knowing that the explanations fell to him, he tried to explain, "Wyatt – he's somehow used his magic to 'twist' these things."
"What?" Paige was puzzled. "I don't get it."
"They're demons that Wyatt has 'worked' on, so he can give them new attributes, generally dangerous ones. In this case, enhanced speed and agility. And best of all, resistant to direct attacks of magic. The Resistance hasn't been able to find anything to counteract their magical protection yet, but we're working on it." Leslie nodded to towards what was left of the demons. "He generally gets his –volunteers – from lower level demons who don't have much in the way of power, so they're useless to him anyways. Lucky for us that he had to give up one area of protection to get another. Let's just hope the day never comes when he perfects his magical constructs. "
"That's...that's perverse! Twisted!" Phoebe's face whitened, aghast. "I mean, demons are bad enough already. But to...to change them? That goes against every law of nature! Why would Wyatt do such a thing?"
"Because he can," Leslie said, sardonically. "Welcome to the future."
As Leo and the sisters gaped at him, Chris shot Leslie a dirty glance from beneath his lashes, "You've said enough. Let's stick to the agenda. How are you feeling? We need to move, now."
"Good as new. Thanks," Nodding his thanks to Leo, Leslie gingerly rolled to his side, and stood up, offering a hand to Phoebe so she could do the same.
"Whoa! You need to take a moment, doesn't he Leo? Just because you're healed, doesn't mean you can just take off again!" Phoebe protested, concerned, placing her hand in Leslie's and allowing him to pull her up.
Chris and Leslie exchanged a side look, before Chris revealed, "We need to move, now. These demons, they're just the first wave. They scout ahead, and when they don't return..."
"Another group will be hot on their heels," Leslie finished. Grabbing Phoebe's hand, he exited the building and began jogging towards what was left of the downtown core.
"You mean there's going to be more of those things?" Phoebe squeaked, allowing herself to be pulled along.
At Chris' nod, they all put a little bit more pep into their pace.
Paige's voice wailed in the wind, "So tell me why we can't orb, again?"
To be continued....