"Why not just bury them?" asked Paige. "Evacuate this place then just blow it up. Bury them under thousands of tons of concrete."
"It's not that simple," said Marcus. "These aren't like ordinary demons. Normal means don't cause them any permanent damage. They're able to regenerate themselves."
"I guess that's because they have the DNA of so many demons," said Piper.
"That's part of the reason," said Amy. She looked nervously at Marcus. "But we believe there's another reason. There's been other DNA identified in the mixture. DNA that's not demonic in nature. White Lighter DNA."
"White Lighter?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean they spliced White Lighter DNA in with the demonic DNA?"
"That's what it looks like," said Marcus. "Which would explain their regenerative powers. Only Amy's most powerful spells have had any affect on them."
"And those are becoming less and less effective," interjected Amy.
"Normal damage just seems to heal within time," continued Marcus. "No matter how seriously injured, they always seem to regenerate."
"I see now why you asked for our help," said Piper. "If those demons are that powerful, I can imagine how powerful the main one is. This is no ordinary demon and it will require special handling to vanquish it."
"Then you'll help us?" asked Marcus.
"We'll probably need a Power of Three spell," she said to Phoebe. "And I'll need access to my potion ingredients. I don't think a potion will work on the main demon, but it should handle those converted ones all right."
"Amy said something about a Power of Three spell," said Marcus.
"The potion ingredients have already been taken care of," said Amy. "I've had the kitchen stocked with everything you might need."
"Good thinking," said Piper. "You sound like you were pretty sure we'd agree."
"You're the Charmed Ones," said Amy. "I didn't believe you'd just walk away from this. Especially after knowing what's at stake."
"No, we can't," said Phoebe. "I'll get started on a spell right away."
"Too bad we don't have a Dark Lighter handy," said Paige. "If these things have White Lighter DNA in them, a Dark Lighter's bolt might do some damage."
"Maybe we do," said Phoebe, thoughtfully. "Piper, remember that Dark Lighter who tried to kill all the White Lighters? To leave them defenseless against the demons?"
"How could I forget?" asked Piper. "It was because of that the Elders agreed to Leo and I getting married."
"What did they do with the crossbow the warlock stole from that Dark Lighter?" asked Phoebe.
"I don't know," said Piper. "I assume they locked it away somewhere so it couldn't be used against any other White Lighters. I'm sure Leo would know what they did with it. If we could just ask him."
"Marcus," said Amy, "would it be possible to disconnect the sensors to just one room? Say, this conference room? If they could do that, Leo could orb in without setting off the alarm."
"I'll see," said Marcus. "A Dark Lighters' crossbow could be an edge for us. And we need all the help we can get."
As he went to check on the arrangements for disconnecting the sensors, the women continued to talk.
"How long as this organization been around?" asked Paige. "I've never heard of it before."
"You aren't supposed to," said Amy. "It operates covertly most of the time. It was first established during World War II. When demonic activity was very pronounced. Most people have no idea just how widespread the Third Reich utilized demons. It's part of the reason they were able to conquer so many countries so quickly."
"I've always wondered about that," said Paige. "We learned about that in high school, but no one seemed to be able to explain how the Nazis were able to get so much power. Or how Germany could rise so fast from near bankruptcy."
"Demonic influence can be very powerful," said Amy. "And very tempting. Most people aren't even aware of it until it's too late."
"What if we can't stop this thing?" asked Piper. "Are there any contingency plans?"
"Only one," said Amy, "but it's an absolutely last ditch effort. It's guaranteed to stop the demons cold."
"It sounds ominous," said Paige.
"It kind of is," said Amy. "At the bottom of the elevator shaft is a thermonuclear device. If any of those demons get above the second level of the complex, the bomb automatically arms itself. If that happens, they have five minutes to shut it off or it will vaporize this entire complex."