Chapter 7: Stare Down

"Phoebe, let me take you somewhere safe," Cole said.

"What?" Phoebe asked. "What are you talking about?"

"The other Avatars have been fearing this demon for a long time," Cole explained. "They could sense his darkness drawing closer. They tried to get your help to rid him from destroying good." Phoebe gave him a dark look. "But the point is, if the Avatars fear something, it's something to be feared." He paused to see any change in Phoebe's stern look. "Let me take you away from here. You and I could live peacefully together without demons."

"Cole…" Phoebe started, but Cole quickly intervened.

"Your sisters can come too. We could all be safe."

"No, we couldn't," Phoebe said. "What about all the innocents that need us? Even if I wanted to leave them behind, Piper and Paige wouldn't."

"Phoebe, please," he said. "

"Cole, we're in this to the end."

----

"I'm almost done," Piper stated as she added another ingredient to their curse. Paige was at another table blessing water. With a rush of blue orbs, Andy appeared next to them.

"Are you two ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Paige said, walking over to them both with her blessed water.

"I'm done," Piper said, picking up a vial with light green liquid inside.

"Girls," Andy said, with a serious tone in his voice. "Be careful." He watched as they orbed away.

Paige and Piper reappeared in the attic to find Phoebe and Cole in a heated argument. "For the last time, Cole, no!" Phoebe was saying.

"What's going on?" Piper asked.

"Nothing," Phoebe said, not giving Cole time to respond.

"Let's go," Paige said hurriedly.

"Where?" Phoebe asked.

"We have a curse to banish Rindo," Piper said. "We need to act quickly before he strikes us first."

"Fine, Phoebe," Cole said. "I give up trying to argue with you." He paused. "But if you go, I'm going with you."

"Follow us," Paige said, grabbing onto Piper and orbing. Cole took Phoebe's hand and faded after them. They all appeared in a large cavern lit by a single torch. In the middle of the cavern stood Rindo. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be meditating.

"Hello," he said without opening his eyes. "So nice of you guys to drop in." He opened his eyes to face his foes. "Come to try and vanquish me once again?" The sisters said nothing, but slowly crept forward. "No," he said, as if reading their minds. "Banish me."

"No," Cole said, as Piper prepared to throw the potion.

"No, no, Piper," Rindo said. "Throw the potion. I'm not as young as I once was. My reflexes aren't as good as they once were."

"It's over," Phoebe said confidently.

"Ah," Rindo said. "Clever, Phoebe, trying to distract me like that. Yet overused in many movies."

The seconds seemed to pass by as minutes. The sisters and Cole were ready for any attack from Rindo. Rindo seemed relax, but they knew he'd stop an incoming potion in a split second.

"This is getting old," Rindo said. "If you're going to try and banish me, do it. If not, please leave so I can plot my uprising."

"You are so full of yourself," Piper said, trying to get him talking. She could see that Paige was devising a plan and she was pretty sure she knew what it was. Paige was sliding herself against the wall to space herself from her sisters and Cole.

"So much talk for someone who's going to die soon," Rindo said. "Once I…"

"Yeah, yeah, the whole world domination thing," Piper said sarcastically. "Gets a little old." Paige was now about a foot away from Piper, who was closest to her. Piper was sure to keep her eyes fixed on Rindo to keep Paige's doings secret.

"What now? You've got us where you want us, don't you?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes and no," Rindo said. "I'd rather have you dead, but that will be fulfilled soon." Paige was steadily gaining distance from Piper. Phoebe had averted Rindo's watchful eye away from her.

"Potion!" Paige suddenly yelled. It orbed from Piper's hand and to Paige. Paige deflected it towards Rindo. It struck the ground next to him and exploded into smoke. The smoke seemed to surround him. It grew thicker as he started disappearing into it.

"Did it work?" Phoebe asked. "Is he actually gone this time?"

"I think so," Cole said.

"Then let's get out of this dump," Piper said.