Chapter 6: Found and Lost

Chances were, they were going to bump into demons right away. Upon seeing two of them chatting from around a corner, Leo orbed Cole right in front of one of them as he only had the chance of fighting it if he was too close for fire ball range. Then, the white lighter started with his lightnings towards the other one.

Cole looked straight into the demon's red eyes and launched himself forward with full force. He stretched out a leg, delivering a kick to the demon's midsection that landed it on its back with a thud, further away. Too far away. Now he had to dodge back and forth, away from the fireballs. He hid behind a rock, but as he touched it, it started rolling. It occurred to him that even with his cover gone, he could still try to direct the path of the rock. As the demon jumped out the way, he jumped after it, threw in quite a few punches, each forcing the demon back towards the wall and away from anywhere it could hide from Leo's lightings. Cole ducked when Leo finished off the first demon, giving him way to vanquish the other one, "well, your back and forth energy ball-lighting fight was interesting, but mine was better," he clenched his aching fist with his other hand, wondering how exactly it was that it wasn't broken.

"You okay?" Leo checked.

Cole stretched, his joints popping audibly and he felt his battered muscles starting to twinge, "all I need is a bath, two weeks of kip, and a blood transfusion. Preferably demonic," he admitted, "then I'll be good as gold again," but he was encouraged by their success, "as fun as it has been, you want the real thing, Barbas, don't you? I know what Barbas is really afraid of."

"Is that going to help us?"

"After I got my powers back from him, for a few minutes, there was so much more. His thoughts and his fears. His greatest fear is that somebody will use a spell on him. And I know that spell, his own fears echoed it. It's a spell that will be his end by his own methods."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

"All fears are yours,
you're powers are mine.
Let the quintessence cross the line.
Offer up this key to share,
Switch the extract through the air," Leo and Cole chanted together, louder and louder.

"What now?" Leo stepped out in front of Barbas, not caring he could have been in his line of fire without protection.

Barbas, instantly terrified by all the fears he ever caused to anybody, fell to his knees, screaming.

"We wait," Cole stepped out as well, "there isn't anything that we should do. He will be killed by the same fears he once caused."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"But, hey, why are you so absolutely sure? Why am I so absolutely sure? Shouldn't we have a back up plan or something rather than stand right here in the heart of the underworld unprotected?" Leo said while Barbas continued writhing on the floor.

"I guess we should, but…I feel no fear for anything."

"It's the spell. He has all the fears, while we have none."

They placidly watched as the form of the demon of fear started to fade in front of them, his screams vanishing with him.

"He's gone. For good," Leo concluded.

"Unfortunately," Cole groaned, "so is our fearlessness. We got them back after vanquishing. Right now, I fear what Phoebe will say because of me not being there where she left me…" He thought of her room.

"You just shimmered," Leo stated matter of factly after he followed Cole back to Phoebe's room.

"I guess I did," Cole established calmly, "but how is that possible?"

"Maybe it's something to do with Barbas. You exchanged powers before, so there could be a mix up."

Cole threw an energy ball at the wall, knocking down a shelf full of books and making a large scorch mark on the new wallpaper, "upps. Can't be anything to do with Barbas. He didn't ever possess the use of fire balls, apart from when he stole it from me."

"Upps would be the word. Don't worry about it. I'll heal the wall, before somebody comes in," he started towards the it, laughing and relieved, embracing Cole playfully on his way to the damaged place.

"What was that?" Phoebe rushed in, looking bamboozled at the site before her.

tbc