GTGIRL: I can't make that promise, but I suppose I can try.
Movieholic: Thanks, again. I think I finally got those breaks working.
Introductions
Cole listened intently as the sisters and Leo picked apart the young woman's story, digging for the important details that would mean the difference. He was amazed he could be so attuned at this hour, but he wasn't going to try to over analyze it. The sisters were very rudimentary in their approach; they needed to identify whatever it was so they could look it up in the book, if it was or wasn't there they would branch in whichever direction was required, but first they needed to know what it wanted, and why, how it attacked, possible weaknesses, etc.
"So you came home and everyone was," Piper trailed off; it didn't need to be said. The young woman nodded, sadly, gesturing at their floor as though it was the one of her home.
"There were bodies everywhere, burn marks, broken glass, dust,"
"They defended themselves," Phoebe said quietly, clutching onto Cole's hand. It especially hurt her to know that they had fought back, possibly with everything they had, and it still wasn't enough. It was understandable; it was a recent lullaby for him as well. The young woman nodded.
"They had time to get weapons, potions," she paused, to shudder.
"What kind of potions?" Paige asked, patting the pockets of her house coat for something. Cole frowned. She was looking for a pen and pad in her sleeping robe?
"The usual kind, banishing, disruption, blindness," Piper reached out for her hand.
"I'm sorry, but I need you to think, was there anything missing?" She thought, sniffling every now and again. It was difficult business, getting important detail from someone so recently victimized. Things of this nature used to be his doing, Cole realized, clenching his jaw. No, that wasn't him anymore. Besides, if it had been him, he wouldn't have left a witness. No, Cole thought, not a witness, she simply came home to the carnage. The destruction of the entire coven hadn't been his goal.
"I don't think so, I didn't stay long, but I checked the chests and vault," she sat sadly.
"Are you positive?" Cole heard himself say. The room went silent, and Leo gave him a look that he knew meant he should be quiet and let the sisters work. Phoebe squeezed his hand.
"What is it, baby?" she whispered. He looked from Piper to Paige.
"It's nothing, I was just trying to be helpful," He quickly kissed her hand and pressed his lips together, resolute to be quiet.
"I'm positive," the woman said after a moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, but maybe that was enough to find what did this to my family?" she looked among them, helpful.
"We will," Leo said with finality. He was good at that, Cole thought, sounding absolutely certain of something so vaporous. But, that was sort of his thing.
!#&
Walking up the street, he saw the world with jaded eyes. Before him, running down the sides of the huge building were banners proclaiming the latest exhibit was there. A museum, the concept baffled him. They had store houses where revered history could be ogled at; they put it in boxes and made it a spectacle to crowds around the world. It was like taking a predatory beast and sticking it in a cage. Over the past day he had come up with another half dozen reasons to destroy this world, but he found the most compelling one to be that it needed destroying, remaking. It just wasn't right.
He surmounted the steps, his billowing cloak sweeping behind him, the hood pulled down over his face. According to the pieces he'd gathered, the last was here, in this wretched place. Surprisingly, the Seer had yet to pop up annoyingly and throw mysterious predictions at him and caution him against proceeding. He supposed that meant he was on the right track, but whose track it remained to be seen. Opening the door he stepped into a room where people were being funneled through silver doorways by constables. Sneering, he picked the left and stepped through, a horrible screech following him.
"Excuse me," one of the law-givers gestured with his stick. "Empty your pockets, please," he said. Grinning widely, he raised his head, watching the color drain from the man's face as he stood blinking. He brought the two pieces of the artifact he had gathered, one gold the other silver.
"Here," he made to give them to the man, forcing them forward when the mortal refused, staring forward in horror. He placed them at throat level and closed them, taking the man's throat with the action. The characteristic screaming began anew; many ran before while a timid few rose to stop him. As it always was. Soon, he thought, soon.
!#&
The young woman downstairs enjoying the sleep they all secretly desired, the operation had been moved to the attic of Halliwell Manor. Paige sat on the floor, flipping through the Book of Shadows while Leo watched Piper scry for any other living members of the coven. Phoebe was scribbling through a few different spells as Cole looked over her shoulder. She was splitting her attention more than one way; he had seemed distant earlier when they were downstairs. It was a familiar feeling, being so close to him, and knowing he wanted to say something, but in each instance there was something that prevented him from fully divulging. He had his hands around her, moving every now and then. Even with the demon attacks and massacres, Phoebe thought that maybe she was happy.
"What are you thinking," she asked directly, looking into his face. As always, there was the moment he returned her gaze and clearly he had an answer, and then wavered. "you can tell me," she said, putting her hand to his face. "please."
"I don't think it was trying to kill all the witches," he said whispering. She knew instantly why he had recoiled before. She smiled, making him look at her.
"We know who you were," she stroked his bottom lip with a finger. "were, Cole,"
"I know, I just hate reminding people," he sighed "I'm just going to have to be better at this, but, she's alive," he said. Phoebe frowned.
"Who? Oh, yeah, she is," Cole shook his head.
"If it had been after them, if ending them had been its intention, it would've had something to let it know if he were done, some way to find all the members. It was after something they had, and just didn't mind killing all of them, slowly, to get it," he glanced around at the other family members to make sure they didn't hear him. Phoebe hurt for him on the inside. It was as if vocalizing it made him the demon. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
"It's ok. You can tell me anything. Anything," she said firmly. He nodded.
"The last person it killed would've been near, or in the possession of, whatever it was, it left when the killing stopped. This kind of demon is like a storm. It'll be wherever there's mass violence," Paige's cell phone rang. She answered it, listening to the other end. Slowly, as she fit questioned in edge-wise, as her tone became more agitated, everyone perked up and paid more attention. Finally, she stood up, hanging up the phone.
"That was Darryl. I think we found our demon."
!#&
It was impossible finding anything in this place. There were enough relics and wards that he couldn't get any more specific than the final piece was on the premises. At one point, someone from the outside had thrown smoking stones into the room. He thought for a moment that it might be the legendary Charmed Ones, but it seemed a bit hokey for that, and sure enough the stones were followed by men with armor. Dispatching them had been easy enough, though boring. They seemed well trained at least by human standards, but there was no warrior among them, likely if there had been he would've been the one to send them inside. It didn't seem like he would be coming himself though, so he had gone back to searching for the final piece of the artifact.
In the reflection of a glass case containing a very elegant blade he saw another intruder. Reaching through the glass he grabbed the blade and swung it behind him in a wide arc. The blade came within inches of the man's throat before shattering into a hundred pieces. He looked at the blade; perhaps not as well made as he thought.
"Hello would've sufficed," the man said. He had beady, sunken eyes and aging facial hair. A self important air and draping robes, "my name is Alpha," he continued, walking about the room. None of the broken glass crunched beneath his footfalls. "You are impressive, creative, and powerful,"
"Have you come to do battle or talk," came the reply. Alpha passed a finger along the glass of an unbroken case.
"In addition to the police sent, they've also installed equipment to see your actions inside this place," Alpha said, inspecting the dust and then looking towards the ceiling "the law enforcement cohorts of the Charmed Ones will be in touch with them soon, it will be a short time before they arrive, and, I'm sure you know, whether in combat or speaking, introductions are customary," Alpha replaced a hand behind his back. Sneering, the demon bellowed.
"I am the demon Edrigan, and I am versed in all the customary allowances enemies make one another in honorable combat," he said challengingly. Alpha smiled, stepping forward.
"But of course you are, a demon of your lineage would have to be. Unfortunately, I am not your enemy," Edrigan scowled.
"There are too many friends in this world, all of this hardly leaves a respectable adversary," he paused, looking around. "but then, as you've said, that problem will be resolved momentarily,"
"The Charmed Ones are not to be taken lightly,"
"Of course they are. Their strength comes from their solidarity, a fragile and fleeting thing. Besides, I wasn't talking about them," reaching into his robe he pulled out the vicious athame, and it's gleaming steel. "I've been told the individual responsible for this is with them. He is the one I seek," looking over at Alpha, he saw the momentary lapse in the avatar's inscrutable guise, staring at the blade longingly. "But perhaps a more interesting topic would be what it is you seek, Alpha," Alpha took a step backwards, smiling knowingly.
"It may," suddenly he looked towards the ceiling. "But I'm afraid that will have to wait. Just know that I represent a collective that can help you in your quest. The avatars can be the answer you seek," he vanished as blue lights coalesced into three women. Edrigan grinned, sensing their magic from where he stood.
"And you must be the Charmed Ones."