Chapter Thirty-three:
As several weeks went by Danielle found reality slipping further and further away. She continually saw Brian both in and out of her dreams, every time desperately pleading for her help. Although she found herself questioning her sanity, deep down she believed that Brian was communicating with her. After all she knew that spirits and ghosts existed so it wasn't that big of a stretch. Except that all witches had the power to see spirits that had managed to cross over from the ghostly plane after refusing to move on, so if it was real the others should have been seeing him as well. But Danielle was the only one seeing Brian.
She knew all of her friends were very concerned, and so she kept quiet as much as she could about her visions, or were they hallucinations? Even she didn't know anymore. She did know however that if there was even the slightest chance that Brian was really appearing to her she had to give him the help he so desperately needed. She loved him and could never abandon him, even if his phantom was only a creation of her tortured mind.
Besides the worry over Danielle's state of mind there was not all that much going on for the resistance as Wyatt had not made any major moves since he had taken power. What they had managed to accomplish was getting word out that there was a group, namely them, willing to oppose the Halliwell dictator, in order to recruit more witches to their cause. They had some success as their numbers did seem to be building. One particularly powerful witch from Canada had joined the group, and become rather close friends with Bianca.
Her name was Alexis Whitmore, or Alex as she liked to be called. She had the power of deflection and invisibility as well as the ability to throw laser beams. Her and Bianca had become close rather quickly since they were the new ones in the group. It was a fairly new concept to Bianca to have such a close friend since Chris had really been the first person she truly came to care about other than herself, and well she and him were not just friends they were much, much more. Nonetheless, the two bonded pretty much upon meeting and so the new witch quickly became one with the group.
As the resistance became larger, they spread themselves throughout the entire school. Although it was run down, it was a rather large building and it served its purpose as a safe house. With the growing number of members of what was once simply an unofficial alliance, it became apparent that order was needed. Chris, not surprisingly was elected the official leader of the resistance, and a counsel of advisors were created for him. Prue, Bianca, Bridget, Alexis, Devon, and five other witches made up the elite group. Bianca and Devon also served as the resistance's official underworld spies.
With the newfound order to the Resistance, they were much more efficient at protecting innocents from random demon attacks, as Wyatt had given his demons free reign over what they considered their territory, as long as they answered to him. Without having to worry about exposure, demons roamed around freely and killed as they wish, whether they needed to for an energy source, or merely for kicks. Although it was impossible to save everyone the resistance witches did what they could when they could. However their were many instances in which they lost innocents and it was very disheartening.
One particular afternoon, over two months since what happened at the capital, Prue was walking with Chris through the halls of the old school, looking through some of the empty rooms they had not used yet, seeing if there was anything around they could use and what rooms they could set aside for activities as training and potion making. When Prue went to open one particular storage closet, a whole pile of athletic equipment practically fell on her head, crying out in surprise she dropped to the ground. Chris who was checking out the room next door immediately ran out to check on her, worried she was under attack.
When he came out to see that her attackers were merely a couple of old basketballs, volleyballs, and tennis rackets he couldn't help but laugh for the first time in a long time. "I'm glad you think this is funny" She exclaimed, trying to sound angry, but couldn't help cracking a smile. "Well if you could have seen yourself you would have thought it was hilariously too" he answered back in mock defense, as he started to put everything back in the closet. Prue simply shook her head and laughed a little bit too while helping Chris clean up the mess she had made simply by opening the closet door.
Her light mood was rudely interrupted however, when in picking up an old basketball she was thrust into a premonition. She saw a group of about eight boys around the age of twelve playing basketball, outside San Francisco's youth center. They seemed to be having a great time when a group of demons she recognized as Camboid Demons, who fed on the auras of children, appeared and attacked the unsuspecting youths. As she came out of her vision she saw Chris' curious face and answered his question before he even asked it.
"Three Camboid Demons attacking eight young boys outside the youth center" She told him. Chris nodded, and they both hurried in the direction of the gym in order to organize a rescue group, and to prepare vanquishing potions. Although they seemed powerless when it came to going up against Wyatt at least they could stop his demons from taking the lives of innocent children.
It did not take them much time to inform the others of what Prue had seen in her vision. Although Prue and Chris wanted to go themselves it was too dangerous as Wyatt would immediately be able to sense them out in the open. Bridget, Alex, and Danielle, who wanted to get her mind off of Brian volunteered for the rescue mission. Once they were armed with Camboid vanquishing potion the trio of witches teleported off to the youth center.
When they arrived however the group of boys were already under attack and several of them had already been killed. The three witches however swallowed their shock at the horrific scene, knowing they needed to save the three boys that had not yet fallen prey to the viscous creatures. Each of the three female witches set there sites on one of the three demons.
Danielle ran over to the demon of the far end of the court, who had one of the surviving boys by the throat. She immediately jabbed the demon right in his left eyeball, causing the Camboid to shriek in pain and release his grip on the young boy. She followed up with a roundhouse kick to the demons face, before reaching in her pocket for the vile that would end the creatures life. "You know you should really pick on people your on size" she spat, before throwing the potion and watching the demon burst into flames.
Meanwhile as Danielle took care of her foe, Alex released a laser beam from her right hand with careful accuracy at the second Camboid demon who was unsuccessfully trying to get to one of the other young boys whom had smartly taken cover under one of the few automobiles parked outside of the abandoned youth center. The impact of the laser sent the demon sprawling away from the car, as Alex hastily hurried toward the demon in order to finish him off with the vanquishing point. Recovering from her initial blow the demon got to his feet and directed a fireball her way. Alex however easily managed to offset the attack with her power of deflection before she hurled the potion at her mark successfully eliminating her foe.
Bridget meanwhile, realizing that the third demon had released a fireball on the third surviving boy, quickly knocked the child out of its path, getting grazed by the fireball in the process. Although pain shot up her left arm she did not let it stop her from pursuing the demon. Bouncing back up as quickly as she could she used her telepathy to tap into the mind of the demon to use his own powers against him. As she released a fireball of her own, it was time for the Camboid to dive out of its path. She then used that chance to finish him off with the handy vanquishing potion.
Once the fighting died down and the demons were vanquished the three witches finally took in the scene before them. Five innocent boys had been viciously slaughtered, because they had been too late to help. The three surviving boys appeared completely shell shocked with tears slowly filling their eyes at the realization of what happened to their friend, and what very easily could have happened to them as well. Bridget and Alex made a move to try and comfort the terrified young boys, while Danielle continued to stare at the scene before her.
She looked from each of the boys bodies overwhelmed with both anger and sadness, when a bright light rippled before her, as a figure appeared. Before he fully materialized she knew it was Brian. As usually he seemed very distressed. "He needs to be stopped. It's the only way to stop these horrific tragedies, and it is the only way I can be saved. Please help me Dani." Brian's apparition pleaded. "But who is he? Is it Wyatt? And how is stopping him going to save you? Please I have to know." Her questions seemed to fall on deaf ears as the phantom merely repeated what he had said before, "Please help me Dani" as he slowly faded away.
As Alex and Bridget attempted to calm down the three boys, they were alerted when they word Danielle's desperate voice. "No Brian please stay. You have to help me understand. Don't go." The two concerned witches looked in the direction that Danielle seemed to be addressing but their was no one there. Not a soul. Bridget slowly approached her friend, leaving the innocents in Alex's care. "Are you okay sweetie?" She asked, trying not to sound too worried. "Did you see him again?"
The other witch slowly nodded, "didn't you?" she asked desperately hoping that this time would be different from all the others, proving that she was not losing her mind. Bridget shook her head no. "I know he was there Bridge. You have to believe me I saw him, and he needs help." Bridget had know idea what to say.
After some uncomfortable silence Bridget finally spoke up. "Look, why don't we get the innocents home and then get back to the school, so you can get some rest." This really seemed to anger the other witch. " Dammit Bridget I am not crazy!" Danielle exclaimed. "I know sweetie." she answered. "you're just… grieving." Danielle thought that over. Was she merely having hallucinations because she needed to believe that she could still do something to help the man she loved since she had not been able to when he really needed it? She simply wasn't sure anymore. She hated feeling this way, insecure, questioning her very sanity. "Whatever Bridge, lets just get back." Bridget nodded and the two witches went over to Alex and the three boys and teleported out.