A/N: Not quite 2 weeks, but longer than one. Sorry it took so long, everyone, but this chapter was just a dog's breakfast to write. I can only hope that the slightly longer than usual chapter will go a little way to compensate for your patience.
Okay, it's the mother of all battles...keep your fingers crossed for our favourite hero, folks! (BTW: I don't know anything about football. Confused? Then read on.)
To my reviewers: This chapter is for you.
Sailorwind: You have a right to be confused...I was trying to take a shortcut and hoped that no one would notice. (hangs head in shame) Originally, I was going to have the reason as Chris trying to keep Piper at arm's distance again (kind of like Hyde School Reunion) since he knew she'd have to go back to the past, but felt that the scene would drag on too long. I'll probably rewrite that scene and re-post, after I'm done the story, so that the chapter makes more sense. Good catch!
Zeria: Happy birthday!
Cat, Laurely-Halliwell, StoryDiva, Buffspike, Alyssa, Ilovedrew88, Ccharmed24/7, Zoned-out, WhiteLise, Dark Miho, Flephanie, Melissa-p, Pukah, Sickle Sword: Glad you all liked the preview...as to whether Chris dies...read on to find out! Hope you think the rest of the chapter lives up to the sneak peak. Once again, thanks for the kind words and encouragement.
Chapter 13
"Rise and shine, guys!" a cheery voice greeted them.
Opening one eye sleepily, Phoebe groaned at the sight of Leslie depositing a tray laden with some bread and what smelled like coffee. Next to her, Paige grumbled, turning over, burrowing deeper into the covers.
Leo sat up, gently shaking Piper awake. "What, huh?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Still sleepy, Piper lay still for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she groaned. She and Chris had come back rather late (or was it early?), which meant she hadn't gotten much more than five hours of sleep. Tilting her head in the direction of the couch, she noted that it was empty. What time did Chris get up? I didn't even hear him leave...
"Hey, is that any way to greet the guy who brought you fresh coffee?" Leslie smiled at Phoebe, as he watched her struggle out from under the blankets. "Need some help there?"
Shaking her head, Phoebe stretched her arms over her head, "Is it really morning already?"
Nodding solemnly, Leslie handed Phoebe a mug of freshly poured coffee. Reaching over her, he snapped on the light switch, immediately flooding the room with a harsh, brilliant white light.
"Ow! My eyes!" Paige moaned, reluctantly sitting up as well. "A little warning please!"
Wordlessly, Leslie handed Paige a mug of coffee, which she greedily gulped down. He turned back to Piper and Leo who had by now seated themselves at the table, and were sipping their coffee. Pulling out a chair, Leslie plopped himself down and poured himself a cup as well. Studying Phoebe over the rim of his mug, he found himself thinking how cute she looked, her clothes wrinkled and rumpled from sleeping in them, her hair sticking out in all directions.
"– came in late last night...where do you think he went?" Piper was asking, waving her hand in front of Leslie's face. "Hell-o! Les?"
"Sorry?" Leslie blushed, embarrassed that he was caught staring. "Come again?"
Rolling her eyes, Piper broke off a piece of bread, stuffing it into her mouth, before repeating, "I was saying to Leo, I noticed that Chris is already gone. I know he came in late last night, so where do you think he went this early?" She didn't want to share with the others that she had talked to Chris last night, preferring to keep their tender moment to herself.
Phoebe sat next down to Piper, reaching across the table for some bread. Shuffling her feet, Paige grumbled a 'good morning' to everyone as she poured herself another cup of coffee.
"He's in the command room," Leslie offered. "Actually, I just came from there. He asked me to check on you guys. Once you're done here, we can go by and see him. He was pleased when I told him we think we have the potion to get you guys back to your time ready to go."
"I bet," Paige grumbled some more. Piper glowered at Paige, who, raising her hands, said defensively, "What? Hey, it's not like he has made a secret that he doesn't want us here."
"That's because he wants us to stop this future from happening! He's right, you know!" Piper snapped at her sister.
Leo stared at Piper in surprise, wondering what had brought about her change in tune. Yesterday, she had been angry with her son for his treatment of her, and now she was defending his actions. Confused, Leo frowned at Piper, "Piper? Did something happen that we should know about?"
Piper shook her head. She didn't want to explain to the others about her chat with Chris last night. She was pretty sure he'd be embarrassed by his breakdown, and didn't want to break his confidence. Last night had been a breakthrough in her relationship with her adult son; feeling slightly selfish, she hugged the knowledge to herself.
"I'm just going to use the bathroom, and then I think we should go see Chris," Piper stood up, abruptly, crossing the room and disappearing into the bathroom at the back.
As the quartet left at the table stared at each other in bewilderment, Paige shrugged. "Just pour me another cup of that coffee."
In the command room, Chris was draining a cup of coffee, his third, as Darryl pointed to the latest intel on Wyatt's demons. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he tried to ignore the pounding in his head. It was still fairly early, and given the late night he had had, Chris hadn't gotten much sleep.
"You look like death," Darryl suddenly commented, eyeing Chris' pale pallor.
"Gee – thanks for the compliment," Chris retorted, rolling his eyes. About to open his mouth to question Darryl further about the latest intel, Chris noticed Zach, who had been sitting at the communications table, suddenly collapse from the corner of his eye.
"Message from the scouts! Demons are coming!" the telepath suddenly gasped. "God – oh God...I think...I think it was Slick!"
"Was?" Ben asked, concerned, reaching Zach first, he helped him back into his chair, as everyone in the room rushed to his side.
"I...I think...there were too many of them to fight off," Zach began to weep hoarsely. "I think I felt Slick die! Oh God – it was horrible...there was this unbearable pain, and then...silence..an-and darkness." Zach wrapped his arms around himself, slowly rocking back and forth.
Riley and Odin visibly paled, as Ben and Darryl tried to comfort Zach.
At that moment, Chris wished he could mourn for another fallen friend, but he knew there was no time. Burying his emotions deep, knowing he'd pay for the self-denial later, he knelt down next to Zach. "Zach, I need to know – what was Slick's message to me?"
"He – he said...to tell you he saw Wyatt gathering his forces. They started marching on us last night. He and his team were caught...they got in too close – they just wanted to know how many..." Zach whispered.
"How many? Zach, I need to know," Chris pushed, ruthlessly.
"Ten thousand," Zach said dully.
"Ten thousand?!? How the hell did he manage to get so many demons?" Odin gasped, aghast.
Riley shook his head wildly, "We're not ready. There's no way we can take on so many."
In a low voice, Chris asked Darryl, "How many?"
"Three thousand, and that's everyone who can hold a sword and throw a potion," Darryl shook his head. "We're outnumbered."
"Hell, we're not just outnumbered. It's a no-win, hopeless situation!" Odin began to babble. "We need to get out of here. Or maybe we could surrender. Plead with Wyatt to –,"
"To what, exactly?" Chris asked, sardonically. "He's gunning for us, and I don't think a white flag is going to stop him." He stared down each of the council members, none of whom could meet his eyes.
"Here's what we're going to do," Chris nodded at Odin. "You – you and the whitelighters get as many women and children you can to the shelters."
"Then what?" Odin asked, nervously.
"Then get them to safe ground," Chris rubbed his neck, trying to ease the tension. "They're your responsibility."
"We'll never make it far, with his demons combing the area for us," Odin protested.
"I'll buy you as much time as I can," Chris nodded at Odin's surprise. "We hold here. It's the only way."
A murmur of protest arose from Odin. "You'll never last. It's suicide. You'll need every last person if you think you can hold him off. You need us here."
Chris shook his head firmly. "No. No offense, but a bunch of pacifists aren't going to make a difference. Besides, you were right. It's a no-win situation. We're clearly outnumbered. Our best hope is to get the women and children out of here, safely. And that's you. Once you clear the dead zone, you'll be able to orb everyone to safety. If we're to have any chance of outrunning those demons from the dead zone, then the rest of us need to stay here and buy you as much time as possible." He looked grimly at Ben, Riley, and Darryl. "We're going up world. I want to meet him head on. If it's a fight he wants, then let's give him one. You with me?"
The men nodded, knowing Chris was asking for more than just support. "Alright, muster everyone and meet me at the front gate in an hour."
Signaling Darryl with his eyes to stay behind, Chris nodded to the others as they left.
As the council members filed out, Odin reached out and gripped Chris' lower arm. Unable to speak for a moment, Odin finally choked, before leaving the room, "Good luck, son."
As the door shut behind Odin, Chris turned to Darryl, "Ten to one, it's starting."
Darryl nodded his agreement, "You wanted me to stay behind? I'm hoping that means you have a plan."
Shaking his head, Chris bit his lip. "The plan is exactly what I said. That's not why I asked you to stay behind." Raising his head, "I want you and your sons to go with Odin."
Shocked, Darryl stared at Chris. "No way. No special treatment. That's not how this works, Chris."
Chris smiled, grimly. "It's not special treatment. Someone who can think, strategize – needs to go along. If Odin is left in charge, he'll panic. I need someone with a level head, Darryl. Someone who's going to look out for all our innocents."
"Fine," Darryl nodded. "The kids can go." Holding up his hand, he cut Chris' protests off, "That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."
Seeing the deadly resolution in Darryl's eyes, Chris slowly nodded. "Alright. You're in. Let's finish this. Together."
"What's going on?" Phoebe wondered, as they made their way from Chris' room to the command centre. All around them, people were streaming towards the great hall, so much so that the quintet was practically swept alongside them.
Frowning, Leslie grabbed Phoebe's hand, making sure they weren't separated. Looking back over his shoulder at Leo, Piper and Paige, he pointed to his right, "Follow me!"
Elbowing his way against the flow of the crowds, Leslie dragged Phoebe to the side of the hall, pulling her aside into one of the many shallow alcoves that lined the hallway. Close behind him, Leo, Piper and Paige battled upstream, before flattening themselves against the wall of the alcove.
"What's going on?" Leo repeated Phoebe's question, as the group stared at the hundreds of people hurrying forward through the hall.
Shaking his head, Leslie searched for a familiar face in the sea of strangers in front of him, "I'm not sure – hey! Ben! Over here!"
Reaching out, Leslie grabbed the arm of his friend, just as he was passing by, yanking him into the alcove with the rest of them. "What the hell is going on?"
Annoyed by Leslie's guerilla tactics, Ben had been about to shake him off, when Leslie's question brought him up short. "You mean you haven't heard?"
"Obviously!" Paige rolled her eyes. "Otherwise why would we be asking?"
A dark cloud seemed to pass over Ben's facial features, "Message from Slick's team...Wyatt's mustered enough tracker demons to stake a march on us. With the rest of his demon friends, that brings us to ten thousand strong. ETA 3 hours."
Leslie paled visibly. "Ten thousand?"
"Les – what is Ben talking about?" Phoebe asked, the dread in her stomach felt like a lead weight. Maybe I'm just misinterpreting what they're saying – oh God, I hope so.
Ben shook his head. "Chris has us gathering everyone into the great hall. I've got to go...I have to be with my team..." Without a backwards glance, Ben pushed his way back into the crowd, and was quickly carried away.
Turning back to Leo and the sisters, Leslie pointed to a door on the other side of the hallway. "That's the magic room. We need to get over there, pick up the potion, and get you out of here! Like Ben just said Wyatt's army is on the move, and they'll be here by mid day."
"Is that what he was talking about? The ten thousand? You mean, there's going to be ten thousand demons descending on this base in a couple of hours?" Paige exclaimed, completely freaked.
"Got it in one," Leslie confirmed. "Now we need to concentrate on getting you back to your time before he gets here..."
"Wait, where's Chris? Where is my son?" Piper demanded. "I'm not going anywhere until I've spoken to him."
"We don't have time for that, Piper!" Leslie cringed under Piper's glare.
"Either you take me to him, or I'll find him myself."
"Okay, fine. Ben says he'll address everyone in the great hall. We could probably catch up with him there. Come on, I'll take you there. Just stay close, okay?" Plunging forward, Leslie and the others pushed their way back into the mob, allowing themselves to be swept away.
He stood on a platform in the hall, where everyone was gathered.
Looking out at sea of faces in front of him, Chris swallowed nervously. No matter what Darryl or Leslie or anyone said, for that matter, he didn't feel like a leader.
Praying that the right words would come to him, Chris drew a deep breath as he waited for the chatter of the crowd to die down. His gaze skimmed over the faces of friends and strangers alike. Never had he felt more like running away and burying his head in the proverbial sand. Behind him, he could feel the quiet strength that Darryl radiated, and drawing from it, Chris shoved his queasiness aside and stepped forward.
Carefully, he pronounced and projected each word, so that it reverberated throughout the hall, and reached the back of the jam-packed room.
This is the moment we've known would come. Wyatt and his army of demons are coming for us, and they won't stop till every human is exterminated. Our scouts tell us that they'll be here in less than two hours.
Odin and his group of whitelighters are escorting the women and children, even as I speak, away from the base. As soon as they get them out of the dead zone, they'll orb them to safety.
But they have to get out of the dead zone first – which they won't be able to, if someone doesn't stop Wyatt and his army from following them.
And so – we hold here.
I won't lie to you – I owe you that, at least. This city is burning. The odds are against us. They outnumber us ten to three.
But I have hope.
We stand here, at a crossroads, with a chance to bend fate to our will – if only we have the courage.
I look at you, and I see loyal, brave people, who have done and are prepared to continue to do, their duty no matter what the cost. As will I.
Wyatt thinks that this will be the end of us. I don't presume that this is the end. Rather, this is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives.
It's time for us to rise and take our stand for freedom, like those that have done so bravely in the past.
Today we show these demons the battle to end all battles.
Today we show Wyatt what it means to fight the good fight.
Today we show Wyatt what it means to meet our destiny!
Drawing courage from his speech, the crowd erupted with cheers and stomped their feet, fevered.
Their cheers could probably have been heard in the heavens.
And no one would ever guess that they're cheering their own deaths. This is it. The end of the road, Chris thought, with a mixture of dread and pride.
Because he knew in his gut that all the luck in the world wouldn't save them.
May God help us all.
As the cheering died down and the teams began to move out, Chris made his way off the platform, only to be confronted by a very familiar sight.
"Ten thousand? To three thousand?" Piper asked in disbelief, as her eyes flashed with anger and fear. "Are you nuts?!? You'll be slaughtered!"
"Piper," Leslie tried to shush her.
"Chris –," Piper pushed Leslie out of the way. "You can't hold here. You can't!"
"Mom – I don't have a choice," Chris said tiredly, nodding at Darryl as the other man slipped by. "If we're going to save the women and children – the innocents – then we need to buy them time to get out of the dead zone so that Odin and his group can orb them to safety."
"But why you? Why do you have to lead?" Piper pleaded. "Why can't you go with Odin or...or with us? Back to the past? Let someone else take charge!"
Chris smiled sadly at his mother's pleas. There was nothing more that he wanted right now then to run to the safety of his mother's bosom. To be held close, and the nightmares kept at bay. But as much as he could hear his mother's pleas, he knew he couldn't.
She hadn't raised him that way.
"Because you taught me to. You always told me that I should try to help those less fortunate then me. That our magical gifts were given to us to save innocents. You taught me to be responsible to those who count on me," Chris explained, gently. "If I ran away from this, would you still respect me?"
Piper nodded vigorously, ignoring the voice in her head that wanted her to acknowledge the truth behind Chris' words.
Chris laughed softly. "No you wouldn't, Mom. Because you were the one who taught me that you don't lead by being an armchair quarterback, flinging the plays from a safe distance on the sidelines; you go in and you lead by example."
"No –," Piper choked, knowing that if she didn't convince Chris to leave with them right now...
"Mom," Chris smiled wistfully at his family. "Guys – you need to go...now. So that there will be a future, okay? Les – get them back to their time, that's an order."
Nodding solemnly, his hand on Piper's arm restraining her from grabbing onto Chris, Leslie promised his friend, "I will."
"Chris – wait," Leo stopped his son, putting his hand on Chris' arm. Looking into Chris' brown eyes, Leo groped for the words to tell Chris how much he loved him, how proud he was of him. Les had been right. His youngest son wasn't a good man...he was a great one. How did you tell your adult son from the future how proud you were of him? That you felt privileged that you had a chance to see what a wonderful young man he had grown up to be?
"Just –," As Chris' eyebrow arched in silent inquiry, Leo knew that words could never properly express his emotions and the thoughts currently racing through him. Instead, Leo finished lamely, "Be careful, okay?"
"Thanks," Chris nodded, seeing everything his father wanted to voice, but couldn't, in his eyes. Some things never change, Chris thought ruefully. "Look – I've got to go. Be safe, okay?" Chris started to leave, pausing to turn back for a last look at his family, before disappearing into the crowd, "Take care."
"Oh no, this conversation isn't over yet, young man," Piper shouted at Chris' back, as she threw Leslie's hand off of her, still angry, and ran after him, her sisters in hot pursuit. Looking at each other, Leo and Leslie shrugged, following the group as they disappeared into the tunnels that would take them up world.
And all at once, the sky fell...
The sky was an orange fireball now, fiery sparks streaking across the air, erupting in a shower of fire. The impact from the deadly magic attacks thundered in the distance, and the ground trembled and buckled beneath the onslaught.
The Halliwells and their men were thrown to the ground by the series of explosions that rocked the area. Paige opened her eyes to find herself on the ground, dazed and raised her head, searching for her sisters. Around her, people were streaming forward, charging forward to meet Wyatt's army of demons.
Leslie frantically looked for Phoebe; coughing from the dust generated from the debris from the blasts, he made his way over to her, lying prone on the ground a few feet away. Checking her pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief, as he felt it strong and steady beneath his hand. Glancing around, he noted that Paige seemed to be okay, and Chris was helping Leo pick Piper off the ground.
"Get them out of here!" Chris yelled at Leslie, "Get them back to their time, now!" He turned, when he felt his arm caught held by something.
"You can't go!" Piper said in a frightened rush, her fingers digging deep into her son's arm. "Chris – I can't lose you, not again!" She pulled desperately at his arm, trying to tug him to safety, her instinct to protect her son, her family, overwhelming her.
"We have to get to safety! We've got to get you back to the past, Piper!" Leslie grabbed Piper's arm, trying to pry her grip from Chris' arm. "If you really love him, let go of him! He's the leader – they need him! That's his life!"
"No!" Piper half screamed, half sobbed. "This isn't his life! This isn't the future! This...this can't be happening!"
Chris shook his head, taking hold of his mother's shoulders, trying to calm her. "Mom! Mom! Listen to me! We're trying to put an end to this! That's why you need to go! You can stop this! I know you can!"
An energy ball exploded nearby, causing Chris to throw himself forward, using his body to shelter his mother from the cinders and burning embers. Leo and Leslie struggled to their feet, watching as Chris pulled his mother up from the ground, reassuring her, "Mom, it's okay. Trust me. This isn't the future. This won't be the future. Because I know you'll change it. Saving Wyatt saves the future. You know that."
"I love you so much, mom."
Piper raised her tear stained face to stare into her son's calm eyes. Sobbing, she frantically clawed at his arm, trying to keep him with her, as he gently shook himself free. She would have dragged him back, if Leo hadn't been holding onto her.
"Take care of her," Chris said to his father, as turned to leave. His father's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as he solemnly nodded.
"Come with us, Chris. Come with us back to the past...we can save it...together..." Piper begged, watching her son back away from her.
"Someday you'll understand!" he shouted over his shoulder.
She watched her son disappear into the surrounding chaos, to lead his friends into what would surely be the final battle.
To face his future.
To meet his fate.
And her heart broke into a million pieces.
As the pale light of dawn crept through the clouds, the Resistance's numbers of three thousand looked pitiful against the ten thousand strong demons. Trackers, brutes, every demon in the book is out there...Chris observed, frightened. How the hell does Wyatt manage to control all of them?
"We could still win this, Chris," Darryl said, his flat tone betraying his true thoughts.
And Wyatt could suddenly find religion. Chris thought in response. Instead, he replied, wryly, "I know it's your job to be confident, but we've been friends for a long time. Could you at least try to lie convincingly?"
"Sorry," Darryl shrugged. "Just trying to instill a little confidence."
"I don't need confidence. I need a bloody miracle," Chris muttered, under his breath. "Just get ready, okay?"
Half of the scouts and fighters laid in wait to the left of the chosen battlefield, hiding in the ruins. Because of their limited numbers, Ben and his team of witches were near the back, fighting from afar, casting spells and illusions, all in support of the ground forces. Riley and his team of enchanted beings were with them, using their magic to counteract as many spells and demon powers as they could, so that Ben could focus on offensive magics. Each team had numerous telepaths, all coordinated through Zach, who had filled in for Les' usual position, as Chris' telepath.
Zach closed his eyes, frowning, like he was concentrating. "Ben says they're ready. He says he thinks he can cast a spell to make the ground sticky."
"I'd rather he come up with a lot of vanquishing spells," Chris grumbled.
"He says he'll do his best," Zach said, after a moment.
"Fine." Chris said curtly, ignoring Darryl's questioning eyebrow. Great, we can't vanquish anything, how the hell are we going to hold them off? Reigning in his emotions, he frowned, as a thought occurred to him. "Zach – can you ask Ben if he can make the ground quicksand, and cast an illusion over it so that it looks normal?"
Nodding, Zach closed his eyes again as he mind sent. Suddenly Zach grinned, "Ben says no problem. He said he can make it a big pit of tar, if you like."
Chris rolled his eyes, "Just tell him to stick with the plan, okay?"
Standoff, Chris thought, as he surveyed Wyatt's army from his vantage point. Come on, you bastard. You want me? Then come and get me.
"You can forget it. I'm not going anywhere without my son!" Piper angrily pushed Leo's hands away from her.
"Piper, Chris is right. We can stop this. By going back, to our time," Leo reasoned. "By making sure this never happens."
"But it is happening, Leo," Piper held up her hand to forestall the protest coming from her husband's lips. "I don't pretend to understand time travel. I never will. But I know that that is our son out there, and I will NOT leave him here. Not like this."
"This isn't about you, Piper!" Leslie shouted, exasperated.
"No, it's about Chris!" Piper yelled back. "That is MY son out there!"
"Those are both your sons, Piper," Leslie's voice dripped with deadly accuracy.
Piper went white, then red, then white again, like she had been physically slapped. She opened her mouth to retort, when Phoebe cut her off.
"Enough! This isn't your decision, either of you," Phoebe decided it was time to be the middle sister. "This is a family decision. All those in favour of staying and helping our nephew? Raise your hands!"
Without hesitation, the sisters all raised their hands. Sighing in defeat, Leo raised his hand as well. Turning her glare on Leslie, who was sputtering in protest, Phoebe merely raised an eyebrow, "All right – you can either help us not get killed or you can stay here. Either way, we're helping our nephew. Now let's go kick some demon butt!"
The enemy surrounded them; Chris swore, as he looked out over the tidal wave of demons overrunning the Resistance from his position on the hill. Chris waited, ignoring the sight and sound of his people being killed, for he, and not Daryl, on the battlefield, was the field commander. He didn't have the gift of premonitions like Phoebe, but he had, what Darryl liked to call, a good gut instinct. Whatever it was, they had learned that it was invaluable, as it operated best on the battlefield. It would never tell Chris what was to happen, but given that there were plans in place, it would tell him when the exact instant occurred that the plans should be set into motion.
Chaos erupted all around, as the demons shrieked with renewed rigor. Gritting his teeth, Chris counted under his breath. As usual, fear and hysteria swamped him for a second, before he forced it back. Explosions of fireworks hit the lines, as energy balls were hurled back and forth between the two sides.
"Now!" Swallowing his fear, Chris plunged forward, leading the way, as hundreds of scouts followed his charge.
He lost Darryl immediately, as he vanished into the fray. Slashing, Chris cut down the demon in front of him. Five converged on him, and he dived to his right. Claws extended, the demons advanced on him.
"Behind you!" someone shouted.
The warning came just in time, and he managed to duck just as a demon tried to slash at him from behind. Swearing, he pushed himself back onto his feet, his sword burying itself in the soft underbelly of one of the demons. Reaching into his pocket, he threw the vial at the second one, watching as it exploded into a fiery ball, thoroughly vanquished.
The demons pressed on, and Chris could hear the clash of metal on metal, as his people charged ahead. To his left and right, he heard the sounds of rage and pain, as his friends were cut down. Dodging another claw as it swiped at him, Chris attacked savagely. Snarling, the demon kicked him in the stomach, causing Chris to falter a couple of steps back. Sensing its victory, the demon launched itself at him, and he countered blindly. Sheer good luck was on his side, as the sword cut through the creature's vulnerable spot, spilling its insides onto the ground, before the demon collapsed where it stood.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw the energy ball headed straight for him. Diving to his right, he threw his hands up to protect his face as the shell collided into the spot where he had just been standing. Coughing from the resulting dirt and debris, Chris lurched to his feet, as the last bits of wreckage from the explosion rained down from the sky.
Darryl suddenly appeared next to him, his sword dripping. In his left hand he held something – some piece of a demon – that he mercifully flung behind him before Chris could identify it.
Rallying the scouts behind him with a flourish of his sword, Darryl shot Chris a glance, as the team charged forward. Chris shook his head, silently answering Darryl's question of concern, before hurling himself forward into the depth of the fray. Blinking the dust from his eyes, Chris swiveled, bayoneting a couple of demons attempting to flee, coldly dispatching as many of the enemy in the most efficient way possible.
Only another nine thousand nine hundred some-odd to go...
The battlefield was chaos personified.
Everywhere she turned, Piper could only see dense pillars of swirling black smoke, dirt and debris mushrooming upwards in towering clouds. Demons and humans alike were involved in the fight for life and death, and, luckily, for the most part, ignoring her and her family. Desperately, Piper searched the chaos in front of her for her son. Hysteria began to mount inside her. How am I ever going to find Chris in this mess?
"Piper! I think I can sense him," Leo shouted over the noise of the battle, into Piper's ear. "Over there!"
Spotting her son, Piper pushed her way eagerly forward, arbitrarily blowing up demons left and right, as she fought her way to her son's side. She could hear her sisters' yelling at her to be careful, behind her. She ignored them, her entire focus on the slight figure only a few yards away.
Nearby, a fireball rose and mushroomed, causing dust to rise in a low haze from the ground, deafening and blinding all those around them. Energy bolts crackled and hissed in the thin air, buildings burned, and blast after blast continued to rain down from the skies.
The heavy fighting had been waging for what seemed like hours, and Chris had thought himself numb to sights of violent death all around him. An explosion rocketed the ground nearby, and a geyser shot up from the field to his left, lifting dirt and bloody heads and limbs with it. Chris wasn't sure if they were demons or humans, and felt his stomach lurch at the thought of the latter.
The hair on his neck standing on end was the only warning he got before the shell burst. He groaned, blinked, conscious of a heavy pain in his chest. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground, not remembering how he had gotten there. The explosion must have done it. Hearing the whine of another fireball, Chris struggled to his feet, and managed to throw himself to the side, cringing as he waited for second explosion.
The concussion nearly knocked him over. Instead, the swirling black smoke made him hack and cough, his eyes burning and stinging from all the dense smoke.
Looking for the flash of dark brown hair, he saw Zach up ahead, barely holding his own, favouring his injured shoulder. Fighting his way to Zach's side, Chris lunged forward, running on pure adrenalin and fear. Ruthlessly cutting down his opponent, Chris yelled at Zach, "Tell the left to pull in! Now!" Barely avoiding a fireball, Chris redirected it back with his telekinesis.
Zach nodded, wincing in pain, and mind sent to the hidden forces. The fresh troops hidden in the ruins began to move forward, toward the centre, driving the demons back to the right, where Ben and his team had laid their illusions.
Snarling, the demons moved to Chris' right, obviously hoping to circle around. As the Resistance pushed them back, the demons quickly discovered themselves sinking into three feet of quicksand, making them easy pickings for the Resistance fighters. Caught between the two waves, and half of them already sinking into the quicksand, the demons began to panic.
Hell, this may actually work!
Chris turned in time to see the set of claws coming at him too quickly to block –
"Chris!" Piper screamed, throwing her hands up to blow up the demon. Her heart in her throat, she watched as the demon rip open Chris' side, when she realized that the damn thing was protected against magic attacks. Gathering her powers again, this time Piper aimed for the ground beneath the creature's feet, throwing both Chris and the demon to the ground, a few feet away from each other.
Clasping his hand to his side, Chris pushed past the pain and stretched out his other hand towards his sword where it lay on the ground, and concentrated – using his telekinesis, it flew across the air, to land neatly in his outstretched hand.
Whirling, with his sword in hand, he drove it deep into the demon as it leapt up to attack him once more. Jerking his sword free, he watched as the creature clutched its chest in pain, before collapsing onto the earth, dead.
"Oh my God. Leo! Leo!" Piper screamed, as she ran to her son's side, catching him as he staggered. Leo stumbled his way across to them, sliding to his knees, in his haste to reach Chris' side. All around them, deadly bolts of power hurled one after the other whipped around them. Paige, Phoebe and Leslie quickly formed a protective shield around them, with Paige and Leslie redirecting any fireballs heading their way. Phoebe gripped the sword she had grabbed from the ground, and prayed she wouldn't have to use it.
Pale, his body on fire, Chris clutched his side in agony, as he lay securely in his mother's lap. He could see the golden glow from Leo's hands, as his father healed the laceration in his side. The pain dulled, Chris glared at his mother, "I thought I told you to get out of here!"
Piper glared back at her son, just as stubborn, "The last time I checked, I was the parent here."
"Guys, this is ridiculous. Why don't we concentrate on getting out of here, and then you can argue over who's in charge?" Paige yelled, over her shoulder, as she called another fireball out of the way.
Opening his mouth, Chris prepared to launch another tirade on his family and chastise them for putting themselves in danger, when he paused.
That's when he felt it.
An unnatural fog rolled in, writhing and seething as it moved towards the Halliwells.
An eerie glow of sickly yellow illuminated the fog from within, and Chris cringed, knowing what was about to happen...
"Wyatt..." Chris whispered, struggling to his feet.
His brother stepped forth from the fog, his eyes gleaming.
"Chris – it's time to end this."
To be continued...
A/N: Well, it's the confrontation we've all been waiting for...Wyatt vs Chris, and only one is going to come out on top. Will Chris survive? Will Leo and the sisters make it back to their time? Is there really 'no fate'?
All these questions to be answered...
...same Charmed time, same Charmed channel...
I'll try to post Chapter 14 before the end of the weekend, as it's already written...I'm just fixing it up. But no promises!