Of Mirrors and the International Friendship Song
Disclaimer: Same as before…Lets say the Animaniacs inspired this last chapter.
"So, what did you do about Lance and the Coyote?" Ted asked Paige.
"I made sure they're on opposite sides of the house for now." Paige replied, "Lance is in the attic with Phoebe and the Coyote's in the kitchen."
"Sounds good." Ted replied.
As they continued talking, Toad and Althea stood just out of earshot, and Althea turned to her boyfriend, "I think there's some chemistry there…"
"Of course," Toad blinked as yet another loud bang sounded, Piper was in the kitchen trying to mix a potion. Try being the operative word, as she was currently trying to manage two babies and deal with a large silver furred coyote simultaneously.
"So you agree?" Althea replied.
"Of course, Piper almost blew a hole through the roof." Toad replied.
"You're so dumb!" Althea said.
"But there is chemistry here." Toad protested, "Things keep exploding, duh…"
"You're so dumb, but I love you anyway Toddles." Althea replied.
"What?" Toad replied, "I keep saying there's chemistry here because of the explosions and you keep calling me dumb."
"It's not the explosive type of chemistry." Althea replied, "I'm talking about Ted and Paige."
"What about it?" Toad replied, "They're just talking."
"Just talking?" Althea said, "Look at them. Ooh, it's that shy toss of the stray hair lock…"
"Paige just got some hair in the wrong place." Toad replied.
"Why is she smiling then?" Althea asked.
"Ted probably said something funny." Toad replied.
"She likes him." Althea concluded.
"How do you know?" Toad asked.
Althea rolled her eyes, "See she just inched closer. C'mon Ted, are you that clueless…"
"What are you talking about?" Toad asked.
"She just leaned closer to him." Althea replied.
"She just wanted to peek over his shoulder to see how Shipwreck was coping." Toad replied.
"Guys are so clueless. But I love you anyway." Althea replied, kissing Toad.
"ARGH!" Piper groaned in frustration.
"I told you that you were pouring Oregano instead of barrow's spade into that potion…" the Coyote quipped.
"Shut up." Piper snapped, "Before I blow you up."
"Gee, I should you thank you lady, thanks to you I get to annoy new people. It can get pretty boring bugging Lance after a while." The Coyote replied.
"Thanks to you, witchcraft could easily be exposed. Thanks to Lance chasing you all over San Francisco…" Piper began.
The Coyote broke into song just then, "San Francisco here I come…Right back where I started from…"
The Coyote began dancing across the floor, towards the front door. "Oh no you don't!" Paige said, "Doggie chain!"
Paige orbed a dog chain into the room and orbed the device around the Coyote's neck before tying the end she held to the banister.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Piper asked.
"Good luck getting it on that thing." Paige replied, "If it weren't for orbing I wouldn't be able to catch that lunatic…"
"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen…" The coyote moaned mournfully.
"You're gonna see a lot more trouble if you don't shut up." Piper glared menacingly.
"What are you gonna do about it?" the chained Coyote snapped, sticking it's tongue out "TBBTT!"
"I'll muzzle you right now…" Piper replied, taking a roll of duct tape from the nearby closet.
"I'll be good…" The Coyote replied.
"Honey," Leo asked, "Try and relax…"
"Relax? Relax?" Piper just about shouted, "First off there's a shapeshifting demon out there up to who knows what. Second I'm probably going to have to explain to Darryl why freak earthquakes have been happening all over town. Third I'm being driven to madness by a fast-talking coyote. I am nowhere near the vicinity of relaxed!"
"Not just fast talking…ta da!" the Coyote shouted, "I'm free!"
"Great…" Piper groaned.
Later, Ted stood outside, on the porch of the Halliwell Manor. He was on guard rotation while a group ventured into the city to search for Nazarac in an attempt to lure her back to the Manor.
The smell was the first thing. It was the odor of smoke and overly charred meat that he knew was human. The school bus was a smoldering wreck, several pounds of semtex having a lot to do with its current condition.
"Fucking bastards." Avi said, "I'll crucify them all."
"Next time they authorize me to shoot, the asshole's getting a belly shot. It can take hours to die from one of those." A bald soldier, a sniper everyone nicknamed 'Imhotep,' added.
The wails of anguish from several parents that had been near the blast echoed as another group of YAMAS operatives and riot policemen held them away from the cordon. Ted barely heard his boots making the crunch amongst the broken glass as he surveyed the carnage. All this time the Jerusalem YAMAS unit had been focused on hunting down a possible suicide bomber near the school, but the bomber's true target had been the bus. His informant had been wrong. He felt a soft sensation underneath the sole of one boot and recoiled. He was standing on the severed forearm of the bus driver. God, please let me kill the bastards who planned this…Ted thought.
"I was not angry since I came to France, until this instant!" – William Shakespeare, Henry V.
Two weeks later, YAMAS had found the hideout of the Palestinian mastermind.
The grenade flew inside the room before exploding in a flash. Almost immediately thereafter six YAMAS operatives in olive green fatigues, their faces obscured by ski-masks and brandishing Uzis and CAR-15s, stormed inside the room.
An old man walked into view, blood spurting from his eyes and ears as he leveled the AK-47 at the attacking Israelis. The point man of the YAMAS entry team fired off eight single shots from his CAR-15 in rapid succession, sending the Palestinian backward into the wall.
"Clear!" The team leader, standing behind the point man, shouted.
The four Israeli soldiers stood over the terrorist, the point man kicking his ribs to determine life. The Palestinian let out a wheezing, rattling sound. Ted pulled off his ski-mask after kicking the terrorist.
"He's not making anything go boom now." Avi commented, laconically.
"Imhotep's gonna be pissed that he didn't get a crack at this fuck." A fourth soldier, a hulking Druze named Samad, commented.
The old man twitched about on the floor, in a pool of his own blood. Random words in Arabic came out.
"What the…?" Avi asked.
"He's praying." Samad commented, "Yes dear friend, today you visit Allah."
"May he send your ass to the flames like you sent those children…" Avi quipped.
"What do we do?" Ted asked.
"What do you mean?" Samad asked.
"We can't just leave him up here." Ted replied.
"Hey, in case you've forgotten," Avi sneered, "This asshole was responsible for that school bus in Jerusalem."
"Look," Ted replied, "I have no problem with shooting this bastard. But we shouldn't leave him like this…"
"Do you think if four Palestinians stood over a dying Israeli they would be having this argument?" Levi, their team leader, replied, "Leave him for the fucking rats."
"We can't leave him like this." Ted replied.
"Sh-shoot me…" the old man replied.
"OK Ted, since you're arguing for mercy, you shoot this stupid fuck." Levi replied.
Ted took the IMI Jericho pistol from the thigh holster on his right side, flicking the safety off with his thumb. He aimed the weapon at the man's head.
"Shoot me…" the old man begged.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" Avi asked, "Shoot him and be done with it."
Ted's hand shook as his finger tightened on the trigger. He had killed before, that was for sure. There was that Palestinian he killed with a grenade at the very start of his military career. This was different, though. This was almost like murder.
"Feel the rush…" Levi urged, "Feel the rush. Remember he blew up that school bus. Twenty-three innocent children…"
Hell, I've wanted to kill this bastard for weeks, and now he's at my feet helpless and I'm hesitating? Ted thought angrily.
"Shoot me…" the old man continued.
Stop hesitating and do it! Ted commanded. And as he tightened the trigger he felt like he was watching the event from outside his own body, as if he was watching some other man tightening his finger on a trigger…
BANG! Thunder reverberated in the cinder block room as a spirit left the world to be judged in the great beyond.
"Ted?" Lance said, tapping the Canadian's shoulder.
Ted turned around. "Hard core man." Avi said.
"What's going on?" Ted asked.
"Phoebe just called. Nazarac's been spotted, they're luring her back here." Lance replied.
"Good." Ted replied.
"Are you alright?" Lance asked. "Didn't think you had it in you to do cold blood, Ted." Avi continued.
"I'm fine, kid." Ted replied, brusquely.
"You don't sound fine." Lance observed. I know that look, that look of a memory you don't want to live. I've had it myself a few times…
"Look kid, we've got a demon to help our new allies fight…" Ted replied.
Lance said, "I know how you feel. More than you know…"
"I didn't know you were a telepath." Ted replied.
"No," Lance replied, "I know you're remembering something you don't want to remember. I feel the same way when I remember my foster parents touched me all the time…"
"I'm sorry kid." Ted replied, "That I snapped at you…"
"I've had worse." Lance replied.
"I understand." Ted replied.
"What did you do?" Lance asked.
"I killed a man." Ted replied.
"But you're a soldier, don't you do that anyway?" Lance asked.
"Yes," Ted replied, "But this was different."
The two walked back inside the house, to their assigned positions…
Nazarac orbed onto the front lawn of the Halliwell Manor, smiling. The witch, Paige, had done her a favor because when she was exposed to her powers, she was able to use them for herself. And the poison she had launched at the woman was doing wonders, as the other woman got weaker Nazarac felt younger and more vital.
The house had very few lights on, such an infantile attempt to fight her. It had taken almost every sorcerer in the Aztec empire to imprison her. She sneered as she entered through the front door. She would hasten the regaining of her youth by killing off the red haired woman and then reclaim her wand.
"Now!" came a shout.
At Althea's command, Lance came out from behind the couch and began to shake the house, forcing Nazarac to focus more on steadying herself than moving forward. Just then Toad sent three splashes of slime at Nazarac, splattering her in the face, chest and right hand. Then Wavedancer sent a plume of water from the filled-in sinks right into Nazarac, blasting her out the door.
"Gotcha!" Phoebe shouted, throwing an explosive potion at Nazarac's feet. The blast threw the demon backward, sending her sprawling on her back. She promptly picked herself back up and laughed with contempt.
"Vase!" Paige shouted, and sent a the object in question hurtling towards Nazarac.
"Vase!" Nazarac replied, and orbed the item right back at Paige, striking her in the midsection, knocking the wind out of her sails.
Piper waved her hands and froze Nazarac. "Whoa! How did she just use Paige's powers?"
Nazarac unfroze herself, "When a witch uses her powers against me, I absorb them…"
Nazarac froze the room just then and shouted, "Wand!"
The old crone unfroze Paige's face, "I really want you to see this, my dear."
"What the..." Paige began.
"Sands!" Nazarac shouted, and a frozen Sands stood helpless before her.
"Oh my God…" Paige groaned silently.
"I have the ability to use your powers, but I am far stronger than you'll ever be." Nazarac replied, "I can orb greater distances, orb larger objects and now freeze larger areas…"
"NO!" Paige shouted helplessly as Nazarac orbed away with Sands.
Just then the Manor unfroze. "What the hell?" Althea began.
"Sands." Paige said, "Nazarac just made off with Sands."
"This is not good!" Phoebe replied.
"Wait a second…" Xi began.
"And how did we get frozen?" Piper said.
"Nazarac is kind of like a magical leech. If you use a power against her, she will absorb it and be able to use it." Phoebe replied.
"So you're saying she has the power to…" Lance began.
The house shook violently then and they could hear Wyatt and Chris crying upstairs.
"Lance, knock it off!" Ted shouted from the staircase.
"It isn't me!" Lance protested.
"I would say yes." Phoebe replied.
"Wait a second…" Xi began, tugging on Piper's sleeve.
"So your saying Nazarac has gained power over earth, water, frog-like abilities, and the ability to freeze things?" Piper replied.
"That's a distinct possibility lady!" Shipwreck shouted from the stairwell as another tremor hit.
Althea turned on the TV in the living room saying, "We're not the only place hit…"
"Reports of freak earthquakes throughout San Francisco have left six people dead and scores more wounded…"
"GUYS!" Xi shouted. It wasn't in his nature to be too loud and bossy, but the situation called for it this time.
"What?" Piper asked.
"Look, we have a way to track Nazarac." Xi replied, "Polly still has the power of Phoebe's spell."
"But what can we do? You've seen that her power is absorbing our powers. She's like a mirror." Piper replied.
"I'm such an idiot!" Paige replied, "Of course, the way to vanquish Nazarac was in front of us the whole time."
"A mirror?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes. Her greatest strength is her greatest weakness." Paige replied, "Look, when she absorbs our powers and uses them against us she's like a mirror. We need some way to reflect her attacks back at her."
"Phoebe…" Piper began.
"I'm on it!" Phoebe replied.
"But when you reflect something against a mirror, won't it reflect back?" Althea asked.
"Yes." Paige replied, "That's why we have to negate Nazarac's ability to do that."
"How?" Althea blinked.
"Reinforcements." Shipwreck interjected.
"Absolutely not, Pop." Althea quipped.
"We'll have to distract Nazarac somehow." Paige began.
"Not that I'm complaining, but where's that stupid silver coyote of Lance's when…you…need…him…" Piper said, dragging out the last few words as the answer hit her with the force of an oncoming train.
"What are you saying, Lance's imaginary enemy is our only way to distract Nazarac long enough to come up with some kind of plan."
"What do you mean, more of you?" Phoebe shouted at open air.
"Are you OK, Pheebs?" Paige said.
"No, I'm just telling this brown furred idiot I'm not releasing more of his kind into our realm." Phoebe replied.
"What brown furred idiot?" Piper asked.
"You don't see him?" Phoebe asked.
"I do." Lance said, "No, I don't need more of you around!"
The others stood back as Lance and Phoebe argued with empty air. What Lance and Phoebe saw was a large brown furred coyote with the mannerisms of a scientist.
"Why let our brother have all the fun?" the brown furred Coyote demanded.
"Yeah, after a few hundred years of having no one to talk to, we get bored." A gray furred Coyote piped in.
"Great," Althea said, "Lance, snap out of it!"
The phone rang and Piper answered it, "Hello. No Darryl, I don't know anything about a silver furred coyote dancing around Golden Gate Park in lederhosen singing Oktoberfest songs."
"Guys, I think we might have found Nazarac…" Piper said, cupping the receiver of the phone.
"Give me back my wand you silver furred annoyance!" Nazarac shouted.
"Ist das nicht ein magic wand?" The Coyote sang out, wearing a white shirt and green lederhosen and a green hat with a feather in it.
"Yes that is my magic wand!" Nazarac shouted.
"Will it float in that little pond?" The Coyote sang as it danced around.
"Yes it will float in that little pond…" Nazarac growled, annoyed.
"Magic wand. Fit in pond. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Schnitzelbank!" The Coyote sang as he threw wand. Nazarac dived after it and the Coyote, using Pietro's power of speed ran like a maniac across the water, catching the wand. The millennia old Aztec demon wound up getting very wet for her troubles.
"Hey!" Sands shouted, from the stone altar he was tied too, "Will you quit singing songs from the Animaniacs and save me!"
"Ist das nicht ein grumpy man?" The Coyote sang.
"Fuck yeah I'm a grumpy man!" Sands shouted.
"Ist das nicht ein wet old witch?" The Coyote sang.
"Grumpy man, wet old witch. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Schnitzelbank." The Coyote sang out.
"Ist das nicht ein wet old witch?" The Coyote sang, "Ja das nicht ein wet old witch!"
"Ist das nicht ein frozen fish?" The Coyote continued, "Ja das nicht ein frozen fish!"
"Frozen fish! Wet old Witch! Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Schnitzelbank!" The Coyote sang and bashed Nazarac over the head with a frozen fish.
"Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Oh du schone. Schnitzelbank!" The Coyote sang as Nazarac chased him all over Golden Gate Park.
TBC (Up next, Nazarac picks up an uninvited guest…or two)
Druze, Druses, Drooze - are a small, distinct religious community based mostly in the Middle East, whose religion resembles Islam, but is influenced by Greek philosophy and other religions. They are an ethnic minority found in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. They loyally serve the military and government of whatever nation they find themselves living in. Many Druze serve in the Israeli Defense Force and Border Guard.