Chapter 7

Paige and Phoebe had left the room to give Piper and Leo space. They came back in a while later to find them talking at the table.

Piper turned to look at them, hearing the door open. "Come on in," she said. They came and sat down. "I'll fill you in." Leo told them. "You know Sykes? He's back. And from what we know he's helping loads with trying to get the Source back. But he's got a human accomplice named Robbie Tozer."

"I think I've heard that name before," Phoebe said.

"You may have, he's a scientist."

"Oh."

"Shall we go get a summoning spell from the Book?" Paige asked.

"I think that's a good start." Leo said. Phoebe rose from her chair to go but Paige said, "No I'll go." And she Orbed upstairs. When she came back down she had the spell written on paper and some crystals for a crystal cage. She put them all down on the table. "Okay, we should -" Piper began, but then Sykes shimmered in as red and black as ever.

"Long time no see," Piper said. Sykes grinned.

"Paige, crystals." Said Phoebe.

Just as Paige was about to say "crystals!" Sykes shimmered behind Phoebe, grabbed her arm, and shimmered out.

"For crying out loud!" Piper exclaimed.

Paige put her head in her hands.

Phoebe was thrown to the ground and stood up quickly. Sykes advanced slowly towards her. "What do you want?" she asked, stepping back as he stepped forwards. He held his hands out as if it were obvious.

"You wanted to talk to me, so here I am." He told her.

"Uh-huh," she said, continuing to go back. "Leo!" she cried. She waited but he didn't come. Great she thought. Wait a minute. This place doesn't feel like the Underworld which is the only place a Whitelighter can't hear his charge, so I must be above surface, so where am I?

He laughed but then his laugh turned back into a growl. "No, you're not in the Underworld. I had a witch put a spell on this place specifically so Whitelighters can't Sense here."

Phoebe glanced around her surroundings and saw a metal door to her left. "So, Sykes. Does any of what you're planning to do involve a certain someone named Tozer?"

He gave her a curious look. "How -? Ah, the Elders." Suddenly the metal door opened and out stepped the guy who must be Robbie Tozer in a lab coat. He was smaller than Phoebe had imagined him, thin, clean shaven, with messy dyed white/blond hair. He looked around his late twenties and gave off the vibe he was a man who knew what he wanted and was prepared to do whatever it took to get it.

"Sykes, there's a problem," he began and then stopped, seeing Phoebe.

"I'll talk to you later," Sykes growled. "I'm busy."

"But sir -"

"Go."

Tozer bowed out, closing the metal door behind him.

"What do you want?" Phoebe repeated.

"What do you want Phoebe Halliwell?"

"For you to tell me why you want to resurrect the Source and then for you to send me home where I can plan to vanquish you."

Sykes laughed again. "You know I haven't laughed this much in centuries." He turned serious again. "What I want is to kill you in revenge for vanquishing me and, yes, to resurrect the Source."

"Why?" Phoebe asked slowly. She had stopped moving as he too had stopped.

"I have had word of a demon planning to take over the Underworld. To be a new Source." He told her. Clearly he was against this demon.

"Sure that isn't you?"

He growled. "I want the Source back because with his power only he alone can vanquish this demon!"

Phoebe was silent and then said, "My sisters and I could help you know, with the Power of Three if this demon really is as powerful as you say he is. I mean, like you said, he's not only a threat to other demons but later he'll most likely come after us, so…"

"I guess it's a fair point."

Phoebe waited with baited breath.

"But I'm evil. I can't work with witches. It's not how demons work." He turned away from her.

"Sykes - " Phoebe tried to argue.

"No! like I said we don't work with witches. That's not how things work in the Underworld. And besides, if the demon found out I was plotting against him anyway he'd kill me."

A thought just occurred to Phoebe that she should have thought to ask him before. "Wait – Robbie Tozer. Who is he really? Is he working for you?"

Sykes sighed. "How you know these things I don't know. Yes, he works for me. Big deal. I need him."

"He's making poisons which are hurting witches and Whitelighters and handing them out to demons and Darklighters on your command."

"WHAT?" he roared. "TOZER GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! NOW!"

The door opened once again and Sykes threw an energy ball at Tozer who ducked just in time.

"YOU'VE BEEN GIVING OUR POISONS TO OTHER DEMONS HAVE'NT YOU! THEY WERE MEANT FOR THE BATTLE AGAINST THE - "

"Yes?" Phoebe asked.

Sykes grabbed Tozer by the scruff of the neck. "Who are you working for?" he snarled.

"Only you sir. The witch who's teamed with us – she told me to, but I've heard now she's dying, a poisoned weapon somehow made contact with her."

"Who's this witch?" Phoebe asked.

"Stop asking questions." Sykes said without looking at her. He shimmered out.

"What?" Phoebe exclaimed. The metal door was still part open so she went through. It was a lab with smoking vials and Bunsen burners and other scientific stuff she didn't know the names of. To her joy there was a fire door. "Yes!" she said. She pushed the bar and stepped out onto the streets of London.

"Leo!" she called. In an alley behind her Orbs showered down and Leo appeared. "Phoebe are you okay?"

"Yeah, Leo I'm fine."

"I'll take you home." He told her.