AN: Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. I know it's short but it had to end here, I hope you understand. Thank you for reading and please drop a review if you liked it!

Chapter 6.

They were back in the Underworld. Gardior let go off Cole's throat and pushed him to the ground. For a few seconds he could only gasp for air and his mind was even more fuzzy than normally. It didn't matter though how confused he was, he still knew what would happen. He heard the girls talking about Gardior and heard Leo telling them that nobody knew how the demon made people crazy. He could have told them… if he were able to. He had enough experience.

Now he desperately concentrated on shimmering… He could conjure an energy-ball in the kitchen so maybe… he felt the cave fading around him but then he knocked into something… the cave-walls! Oh no… not when he was so close!

He was still in the cave and Gardior was still there smiling at him with a nasty smile. And there was something in his hand.

"Do you remember these?" he raised the two leather-like straps. Cole tensed just by seeing them. "I see you do! I have no idea how you could get rid of them but it won't happen again I assure you."

Cole wanted to tell something to this bastard who he hated with a passion but the words – just like in the last five months, or so – didn't come. As if there was a barrier in his mind, a thick wall that didn't let the words through.

So he just clenched his fists defiantly.

"Come here!" the demon ordered and he shook his head vehemently. "If you don't come here on your own the punishment will be even worse."

Cole bit down on his lower lip and slowly stepped closer to his so-called master.

"Good boy! Now give me your wrists!"

He did as he was told and stretched out both of his arms. The demon just touched the straps to his wrists and those straps winded around them. It was like having something alive around his wrists, some tainted and cold animal with pointed spikes that tore into his skin. He bit down on his tongue so hard that he felt blood in his mouth.

"Tonight you will be mine! Just that you know I didn't eat since you escaped… I prepared myself for this occasion" he licked at his lips and Cole shivered against his will. "Now though I have some things to arrange…."

With that he left Cole alone with his thoughts. He looked around in the small cave. Before he escaped this had been his home for about six months. In the corner there was a heap of rugs that was considered as his bed. And that was the whole equipment. He looked at the straps. Unfortunately he didn't know either how he managed to get rid of them… It just happened somehow and he used the opportunity. The straps were magical bonds – one of the many things Gardior invented, and Cole had the doubtful glory to be the rabbit used for experiments. Every time he tried to leave the place he was ordered to be, the spikes on the inside were digging deeper and deeper in his flesh and caused extreme pain and they also made possible for the guards to track down the bearer.

He slowly sat down in the corner. He knew what would happen when Gardior came back. Gardior was the scientist of the Underworld but in the first place he was a kind of nightmare-demon. The tentacle in his palm induced the most horrible images in the victim's mind and Gardior fed on the pain and terror that those pictures caused. He usually used humans for this purpose but they got mad too quickly, didn't last more than three or four uses. Cole on the other hand had been a demon and still was a magical being. And Gardior wanted to find out exactly how far he could go with him.

He probably doesn't have to wait long to find out… Cole thought quite put up, somehow he couldn't find the strength to be scared anymore.

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Phoebe was frantic. She was pacing back and forth in the attic and her thoughts always went back to the same person: Cole. She abandoned him once but she won't do it again.

But at the moment they had to wait. Chris was here and promised that he would ask around in the Underworld as the Elders knew nothing more about Gardior than they already said. Sometimes it was useful that they had such a renegade whitelighter. However he went about an hour ago and the waiting was slowly killing Phoebe.

She flinched when somebody put a hand on her shoulder. Then relaxed when she saw that it was Piper.

"We will get him back" her elder sister said.

"Yes, I won't give up."

It was bad enough that Cole didn't let her close in the last weeks. She couldn't even touch him but to lose him again seemed unbearable. I will never complain about anything just let us get him back… She didn't know to what kind of deity she prayed to but she welcomed every help. Even if he never wants to have anything with me… And she meant it. She only realized how deep her love towards Cole was when she lost him. She wanted nothing more than see him full again. And if it was without her then be it…

Suddenly blue lights appeared and a haggard looking Chris stood in the middle of the attic.

"What happened to you?" asked Paige indicating his torn clothes and the bad bruise under his left eye.

"Nothing. Only some stubborn demons who didn't want to talk with me."

"Did you find out something?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes. I know where Gardior lives and can take you there, but…"

"Then let's go!" Phoebe cut in.

"… but" Chris continued without stopping "Gardior is a huge challenge. I don't think you can beat him."

"I don't care!" Phoebe snapped at him and her looks could have killed.

"I see. But if you die it won't be any better for Cole. We have to plan this thoroughly."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Piper asked putting a calming hand on Phoebe's arm.

"Yes, I think so. We could use the amulet that we got from Shar. One of you has to challenge Gardior and fight him until the others get to Cole. One of the demons knew where he keeps his slaves."

"Slaves?"

"Don't ask. Piper should fight Gardior, she has the most appropriate power, I'll diverse the guards, Paige and Phoebe orb to the cells."

"But how do you want to occupy the guards?"

"I have my methods and I'll borrow some of your potions if you agree."

"Of course."

"The only problem is how we'll get out of there. The wards don't let you orb out."

"Then?"

"I have an idea. Something I already tried in the future however it's a human method."

"What is it?"

"An explosion. Those wards are protected only against magic and not human destruction. But I need some time to gather the needed explosives."

"But we don't have time!" Phoebe said.

"Listen! I don't let you run in danger. You have to wait until I get ready. Cole managed there for almost a year I guess he can hold on another day."

"Twelve hours" Piper said brooking no opposition.

"All right I come back as soon as possible."

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Meanwhile in the Underworld Cole was screaming and he couldn't stop. The images changed so quickly that he couldn't even catch them but they were all horrible. Death and pain and horror in every possible amount – this was far the worst experience he's ever had with Gardior, however he had plenty. This was like the end of the world… or at least the end of his sanity…

It was harder and harder not to lose himself totally and it didn't seem as if Gardior wanted to stop in the near future.

He didn't feel the cave around himself or the stone under his knees. But he must have been kneeling as it always happened the same way: he was kneeling on the ground, the demon stood behind him and pushed the tentacle deep in the back of his neck and into his brain. The back of his neck hurt with every motion but he still couldn't stop writhing as he struggled to get somehow away… but there was no way out.

His mother killing his father… Phoebe in a particularly obscene position, obviously dead… people he knew and people he didn't, dead, torn, bleeding and tortured…

Some of those pictures were memories, others were created by Gardior's power and he never knew which were worse.

He tried to grab some conscious thoughts, something that wasn't horrific but there was nothing. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he touched there was blood and pain and slowly his mind crumbled under the attack…

It seemed that hours went by and when the demon pulled away he simply collapsed to the ground. Gardior said something but Cole couldn't make out the words anymore. His mind still replayed the horrific scenes and he just wanted to switch it out somehow.

He crawled into the corner and pulled the torn rug over his head but the pictures stayed with him even after he drifted into unconsciousness.

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