Firestarter
Piper and Prue appeared in a cave, somewhere in the Underworld.
-Damn! Nothing, again! –Piper cursed.
-It's the third time this has happened, maybe they're moving… -Prue said.
-I don't know, but we're gonna find Paige.
Right after she said that, they saw something moving; the sisters got ready to attack when they saw Paige.
-Paige! –Both shouted, running to the sister.
-Are you ok? –Piper asked.
-How did you escape? –Prue asked, also.
-Yes, I'm fine; it's been only a couple of days… Now let's go back home, shall we?
Paige held her sisters' hands and orbed up, but glancing quickly behind: Sigma was spying on them from behind a stone.
As soon as they got in the manor, Billie and Phoebe went to hug Paige.
-I'm so glad you're fine! –Phoebe said to her little sister.
-Yeah, me too. –Billie agreed. –But how did you get here? You orbed!
-Yes, I did. –Paige said as everyone looked curiously at her.
-How? Until a few days ago you barely could orb yourself! –Prue said.
-I'll explain. –Paige said.
…
I hate to do this, but I'll have to put a note here, so the story won't be confusing; for this part, I'll interlayer scenes from the past (Paige and Sigma) and present (the sisters), so the past scenes will be in italic.
...
-I was kidnapped by that demon… -Paige said.
-You'll tell them that I was just an ordinary demon that wanted to use you to get to the Elders. –Sigma said.
-I waited until he left, and then called the Elders; I told them that I needed help to escape, otherwise the demon would get to them… -She continued
-The contract you signed gave you all your powers back, and some extras too; you'll say that the Elders gave them back to you so that you could escape.
-Then, when he came back, I attacked him and vanquished him. He was smart, but not very strong. And that's when you found me.
-Your job is to keep your sisters after the demons we send, if they start questioning too much, you have to distract them!
-Why would I do that? –Paige asked.
-Because I control you now; you're my pawn, and if you don't obey me, I'll get full control of your mind and make you vanquish your family.
-How do I know you won't just kill us all after your plan is done?
-You don't. –He said with an evil smirk. –Also, avoid mentioning The Seer and The Crone, ok? –After saying that, he vanished with Paige's handcuffs.
Paige sighed and then tested her powers; her orbs were slightly darker.
-Oh, I get it… -Prue said. –Let's be glad the Elders listened to you this time.
-Yeah, maybe you will even get Henry back soon. –Phoebe cheered her sister.
-Let's hope. –Paige said with a guilty look.
In a moment of silence, they heard the TV:
"There's been another fire on Maple Street; it was the third in that neighborhood only this week. So far neither the police nor the firefighters know what caused them."
Piper turned the TV off.
-Please tell me that that is completely common. –She said looking exhausted.
-Yes, actually that is; it must be gas leaking or something… -Paige said.
-I hope you're right. –Piper said going to the kitchen.
Then, Paige was struck by a strong headache. She put her hands on her head and gasped in pain.
-Are you ok? –Prue asked.
-Yes, I just need to rest a little, I think I'll orb home. –She said and orbed away. In her apartment, she figured that the headache was Sigma's way to make sure she'd follow his instructions, meaning the fires were related to magic.
…
Later, in Phoebe's loft, she was sitting on her bad, with her hand on her belly and a worried look on her face.
-Are you ok? –Coop asked coming into the room.
-Yes, just thinking about something…
-About what?
-The first time I was pregnant, the baby's powers almost took control over me; when I was carrying PJ, she also projected some of her powers, but this time nothing has happened yet. I'm in the fourth month and she hasn't even beamed me anywhere!
-So it's a she?
-Oh, yes! I went to the doctor today and she told me.
-That's amazing, baby! But don't worry, I'm sure you're just stronger; it's totally normal...
-Thanks. –She said smiling.-Well, now I've gotta go get some rest because tomorrow it's going to be a busy day.
-Really? Why?
-I'm going to work on a case with Billie and Cole, you know?
-Oh, ok. –Coop said a little jealous. –Good night then.
-Night.
…
The next day, Phoebe met with Cole and Billie.
-I'm here. –She said.
-Fine, now let's go because we're already late; Billie can explain you the case in the car.
-Ok, Mr. Grumpy. –Phoebe deadpanned as she followed them.
In the car, Billie explained the case to Phoebe:
-Three families have been murdered in the past month; the parents were all killed in different ways, but the children were kidnapped and have been missing ever since.
-That's horrible! How do we know the cases are connected? And how do we know they're related to magic? –Phoebe asked.
-That's the interesting part; the cops found ashes on the floor, forming a pentagram, candles and a silver knife covered in blood in all the places where the murders happened. The third happened two days ago and that's where we're going.
-Great. –Phoebe said sarcastically.
When they got there, everything was already cleaned up and there were two people waiting for them.
-Hello, my name in Agent Pierce and this is Melany Coulson, sister of one of the victims. Agent Murphy told us you were coming.
-Yes. –Phoebe said. –I'm terribly sorry for your loss. –She added looking at Melany.
-Thank you.
-Agent Murphy also asked me to give you this. –Agent Pierce said giving them some pictures.
-Do you mind if we take a look at the place? –Cole asked.
-Go on. –He answered and the entered into the house.
As Billie distracted the two, Phoebe and Cole went to check the living room.
-This is where the ritual happened. –Cole said looking at the picture.
-I can feel. –Phoebe said with a shiver. –Let me see if I can get a pre… -She was interrupted by a vision:
"There was a tall man wearing black, right in front of him, there were a man and a woman tied up together; inside the pentagram made with ashes, there was a little kid, also tied up.
The man lit the candles, grabbed the knife, said some words in Latin and then did a cut on the kid's hand. As soon as he did that, white orbs came out of him and into the man.
He smiled and created a light ball with his hand, and then he threw it at the man and woman, killing them."
-Oh my god. –Phoebe said. –It was horrible!
-What did you see? –Cole asked.
-A man, probably a warlock, used the kid's powers to kill his parents. But I don't know why…
-That's fine; we'll go back home and look at the Book of Shadows.
-Fine. –She said and they went after Billie.
…
Paige was at her place; she had just got back after leaving the twins and Henry Jr. at Magic School.
-You have to be more careful… -She heard a voice in her head. –The almost saw you orbing today at Magic School. You can't forget that you weren't supposed to have those powers…
-I know, I know. –Paige said. –I won't do it again. –She said angrily. –But get out of my head!
She took a deep breath and sat on the couch; she grabbed a photo of herself with Henry and tears filled her eyes.
-I'm doing that for you… I'm sorry… -She whispered.
Suddenly, she tensed as she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She got up and got ready to attack, but the surprise stopped her from doing anything.
-You! –Paige said. –Of all monsters you had to come back!
-I thought you had missed me. –Christy said with a fake smile. –We had some great moments together, especially when I fooled you and your stupid sisters.
-I'm so gonna vanquish you right now! –She said and orbs appeared around her hands.
-Not if I kill you first. And it's even gonna look like a normal kitchen fire; so tragic. –She said sarcastically and then laughed sickly. She raised her hand and a flame appeared over it.
Christy threw a fireball at Paige, but she dodged; Paige, then, created orbs around Christy and tried to crush her, but she used her telepathy and attacked Paige, making her faint. She walked to the door and left, leaving a small flame on the floor, which easily spread.
When Paige woke up, the house was almost entirely on fire. With a lot of effort, she got up in the middle of the smoke and the fire and limped to the door; when she couldn't open it, she saw herself forced to orb away.
After a few minutes, she got out of the building and saw the firemen getting inside it.
-Are you ok ma'am? –One of them asked her.
-Yes, I am. –Only then she noticed that all the other residents of the building were outside.
-Can you tell me what happened?
-Kitchen fire. I was cooking and ended up sleeping. When I woke up, I ran away.
-I see... –The man said. –Well, let the paramedics take a look at you anyway. –He added and took her to an ambulance.
After the fire was put out, Paige got back to her apartment and started cleaning everything up. She was scared when Sigma appeared behind her.
-What the hell was that? Why did you send her to attack me? –Paige attacked him
-Wait! I didn't send her, she escaped; you know very well that I need you for my plan, so, for now, you're safe.
-She escaped? Are you telling me that all the demons that have been attacking us are trapped somewhere?
-Not exactly…
-Then tell me! I won't do anything for you unless I get more details.
-You… –He said grabbing her by her neck. –… have no choice.
She orbed out of his grip.
-I need you to go after that witch and send her to me. Don't kill her! Do you hear me?
-Fine… -Paige said upset.
Suddenly, Sigma disappeared and Prue and Piper came running through the door.
-Are you ok? –The asked.
-Wow, it's been a bad week for you! –Piper said jokingly, trying to cheer her sister up.
-Tell me about it… -Paige agreed.
-How did that happened? We saw on the news that there was another fire… -Prue asked.
For a second, Paige hesitated, but then she came up with a plan.
-It was Christy; back from the dead.
-Are you serious? –Piper asked. –Oh, I'm not gonna let she come back, even if I have to vanquish her a thousand times.
-I know you have some problems with her Piper, but I think we should just trap her.
-What? No way…
-Listen to me, maybe she knows why the Triad is bringing demons back to life.
-She's got a point. –Prue said.
-Fine, but how are we gonna do this?
-I'm gonna be the bait. She thought she had killed me, so, when she sees that I'm alive, she'll come back.
-I don't like that idea; we always use bait and most of the times it ends with someone getting hurt. –Piper said.
-Not this time; I've got my powers back and we'll take her to an empty place, where she won't be able to escape. And besides, I know you've got my back.
-Ok, let's do it. –Both sisters agreed.
…
Phoebe and Billie were waiting in the car while Cole was buying them snacks. The older one had the Book of Shadows over her lap and the other one had a laptop over hers.
-I found the man here; he's a warlock from a group called The Travelers. –Phoebe said. –They devote their lives to killing innocents and gathering souls to open a portal to a place called The Unknown Land. They are always traveling in search of the right location to open the portal, but so far none have succeeded.
-What does that have to do with the cases? If he just wants to gather souls why would he do that ritual, and why would he keep the children? –Billie asked.
-That's what we've gotta find out. I remember part of the spell he used, it was something like "cum haec funera santificas te".
-It means: With these deaths, cleanse yourself. –She said looking at the screen of her computer. –Oh my god, I think he's using those kids' powers to murder their parents and purify their souls. You said they looked for innocent souls, right?
-Yeah! That's sick! We've gotta get him.
-But how? We don't know where he's going next!
-Give me the pictures. –Phoebe asked and Billie obeyed. She grabbed them and focused; she centered all her empathy on the picture and tried to combine it with a premonition. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she saw herself next to the warlock.
Phoebe shouted and tried to attack him, but she just walked through him.
-Whoa! –She said realizing she wasn't really with him.
She watched closely his moves and saw a list over a desk; it contained about a dozen of names, and the first three were crossed, the next one was Jake Valleyfield and there was an address next to the name.
She blinked again and found herself back in the car; Billie and Cole were looking scared at her.
-What happened? –Cole asked. –You started shaking and I thought you were having a seizure.
-Was it that bad? How long was I out?
-Something about an hour. –Billie said.
-Wow, it really didn't seem that long… All I did was try to mix my empathy with my premonitions, and "boom", I projected my mind to the place where the warlock is.
-How did you do that? I thought only Prue had astral projection. –Billie asked.
-It was different, I don't know what was it exactly, but we don't have time for it now, I know where the next attack is going to be.
Cole started the car and they left to the address Phoebe saw. When they got there, they found the door unlocked and entered.
Billie went to check upstairs, Cole went to the left and Phoebe to the right; he got to the living room and found the warlock tying up the parents and the kids, he was about to draw the pentagram with the ashes when Cole called him.
-Hey you! –He shouted and threw a fireball.
Everyone watched scared as the warlock evaded. Soon, Billie and Phoebe were fighting next to Cole. The warlock was strong and managed to knock Billie and Phoebe down, and when Cole went to help them, he threw his out of the window.
The man continued the ritual and was about to cut Jake's hand when Cole got back and attacked him. In the confusion, the demon, accidently, cut the boy's hand and absorbed his powers, which he used to attack the warlock; this time, he didn't evade and was vanquished.
Phoebe and Billie, now awaken, went to help Jake's parents while Cole went to check on him:
-Are you ok? –He asked the boy.
-Yes.
-What is your name?
-Jake. Jake Valleyfield. –Answered the boy with dark hair and blue eyes.
-Are you sure you're fine?
-Just my hand, it hurts. –The boy couldn't be more than 8 years old, and Cole felt the need to help him.
-Here, let me help you. –He grabbed Jake's hand and healed it.
-Thank you! –He said and hugged Cole, surprising him.
As Phoebe saw the scene, she remembered something:
"She was at a café, talking to a man who said he could save Cole; his name was Jake and he was just like this little kid; also, he said Cole helped him and saved his family."
-Oh my god; it's him… -She whispered to herself. –But how?
…
In a dark factory, Piper and Prue were hiding behind some boxes, from where they were, they could see Paige.
-Hey, Christy, I know you can hear me! I'm alive! I escaped your little stupid trap, and now I want a rematch; you and me, fire against orbs; let's see who will win!
-It's a trap. –Christy said in Paige's mind.
-No it isn't! It's just me and you.
When Paige said that, Christy came from behind a machine and attacked her from the back, knocking her down.
Paige attacked back, sending waves of orbs against her, but Christy destroyed them with her fireballs.
Paige ran and lured her to a smaller room; she orbed some metal kegs, that were on the corner, to Christy, but she evaded again. When they hit the floor, they broke and a liquid leaked.
-You missed, again. –Christy mocked Paige.
-Oh really? Did I? I don't think so…
Christy, in anger, crated a huge fireball and threw at Paige, but she orbed it back. The fireball hit the wall and the liquid on the floor, which caught on fire. Soon, the whole room was on fire, and Paige ran out of the door. Christy followed her, but Piper and Prue closed the door, trapping her inside with the fire.
-No! –Christy shouted as the flames swallowed her and she disappeared.
-I can't believe we did it; that was really cruel. –Prue said.
-She was a corrupted witch, there was no other option. –Paige said.
-I wish there had been. –Piper said regretting what they had done.
-We can't tell Billie anything about that, ok? –Paige said and her sisters agreed.
…
Later, at her place, Paige was tidying some things.
-You disobeyed me! –Sigma said grabbing her by her neck and choking her.
-No, I didn't. –Paige gasped and he let her go.
-You killed her!
-I pretended to kill her. –Paige said and opened her closet; Christy was trapped inside, surrounded by orbs. –Before the fire caught her, I orbed her away, this way, my sisters will think she's gone, no one will know about it and you can have her back.
-Very smart. –Sigma said surprised. –Now, if you let me. –He tried to grab Christy, but was electrocuted. –What did you do?
-You won't get her until I get my answers; tell me why do you have all those demons, how do you trap the, do they know anything about your plan, and why do you want us to vanquish them, why can't you do it yourself?
-Fine, we keep them as status in the underworld, but they don't know anything, not even who brought them back to life. All we do is release them and they go naturally after you, because they hate you and your sisters. And that's all you're gonna know! –He waved his hand and sent Paige against a wall, then he grabbed Christy and teleported away.