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Chapter 6: Problematic Delay
A cloud of greenish-grey smoke issued from the heavy pot with the accompanying noise of a small explosion.
"Oops." muttered Prue, waving a hand in front of her to dissipate the smoky cloud.
"Having problems?" enquired Chris, glancing up from the spell books surrounding him.
"Stupid potion." she grumbled, now glaring at the murky liquid. She gave the potion a brisk stir then lifted the stirrer out of the potion, watching in annoyance as the liquid, with an oil-like texture, slowly pooled in a droplet before slipping back into the pot and disappearing under the surface.
Chris came over and stared at the potion for a moment. "It's not supposed to be like that, is it?" he asked.
"No Chris," ground out Prue sounding exasperated, "It's not supposed to be like that. Hence the loud bang and cloud of smoke and me standing here looking annoyed, having to answer stupid questions about whether the potion is supposed to look like it does!"
"Oh." mouthed Chris, quietly edging back towards his books. Being the focus of Prue's anger was never a fun experience.
Prue dropped the stirrer back into the pot with a dulled clang and sighed. "This is not working." she stated.
"Doesn't look like it." agreed Chris, cautiously, "What's the problem?"
"I don't know!" exclaimed Prue, "All of the potions keep blowing up in my face for no apparent reason! Maybe we should go with the binding spell idea. How's that going?"
"Umm, well," Chris hesitated, "Kinda got a little bit of writers block at the moment."
"Right."
"That's what the books are for," explained Chris, "inspiration."
"Is it working?" Prue asked carefully.
Chris sighed and leant back in his chair, "Nope."
"Didn't think so."
There was a pause while Chris stared broodingly into the distance, various ideas coming to him. "Y'know," he began eventually, "Even if we managed to make a potion or spell, it wouldn't necessarily work."
"Why not?" asked Prue, "I thought we decided it was the only thing that would work. You agreed with me."
"Yes, yes, I know I did," cut in Chris hurriedly, "That wasn't what I meant. I mean, Wyatt is powerful, right? Really powerful."
"Yeah, really, really powerful." muttered Prue glumly.
"So what did our mums do when they were faced with a powerful opponent?"
Prue grinned, beginning to see the light, "They used a spell or potion from our Book of Shadows." she answered, "But, slight problem here, Wyatt has it. How are we supposed to use a book we haven't got?"
"Easy." replied Chris, a determined look on his face, "We get it back."
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"Hey, hey! Slow down, officer!" instructed Darryl, above the incoherent rush of word from the desperate officer.
"But, please, you have to listen…"
"Hey!" Darryl shouted again, slamming a fist down in the table.
The officer stuttered into shocked silence, staring at Darryl.
"Sorry, bad day." muttered Darryl. He waved a hand at the officer, "Ok, lets try that again, from the beginning, and much more slowly. First things first, what's your name?"
"Officer Smith." he replied, keeping himself from blurting out what he had to say with difficulty.
"Ok, Smith, what is it?"
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'How could things have gone so wrong?' thought Leo sadly, 'I can still see him, innocent and laughing. Just a baby. But he's not that person anymore.'
Time seemed to slow down for Leo.
Wyatt face was frozen. His mouth twisted and mocking, his eyes full of malevolence. The air around him seemed to be heavier, darker.
He was unnaturally out of place in the gentle surroundings of the Overworld.
His hand was drawn back, the cold blue of the energy ball contrasting violently with the pale yellow lights floating above their heads.
Leo bowed his head and waited.
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Darryl sat back slowly, horrified at what he had just heard. "Have you told anyone else this?"
"No, no." Smith shook his head, "I came straight to you. They wouldn't have believed me anyway. Do you believe me?"
Darryl gazed at the officer thoughtfully. "I've seen enough to know to keep an open mind." he said carefully.
"I hoped you would. I've heard…well…rumours." muttered Smith.
"Rumours?" enquired Darryl.
"About, you know, your reputation for being given, well…freaky investigations."
"Hmph. Well, I need to think about what you've just told me." Darryl told Smith, "Stay in the station and don't tell anyone what happened. You hear me? Don't tell a soul, or you'll be out so fast you won't know what hit you."
"Yes sir."
"Good."
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"We get it back." repeated Prue incredulously, "Just like that."
"Yep. We find it and take back what's ours." answered Chris, steadily.
"Oh, okay, so the hundred or so demons who will be guarding it are what? Just minor problems?" Prue said sarcastically.
"No." replied Chris calmly, "Would you trust demons with the book?"
"Well, no, of course not, but Wyatt…"
"Wyatt knows how powerful the book is." interrupted Chris, "He wouldn't trust any demon to guard it. Demons have always been trying to get the book and they probably always will. Wyatt's not stupid; he knows that any demon who stole the book could use it to overthrow him."
"Ok, so maybe he won't have demons guarding it, but it will still be protected." reasoned Prue.
"Mmm." agreed Chris pensively.
"'Mmm', what?" prompted Prue impatiently.
"I don't really see how he can protect it from us. Not the book itself. I mean, we have as much right to it as him. It belongs to us to. The book won't defend itself against us."
Prue inclined her head slightly, thinking, "This could work!" she announced excitedly, "Brilliant idea Chris!"
"The problem will be getting into wherever it is hidden." warned Chris.
"Well, as you pointed out, the only person he would trust to protect it is himself. So, it'll probably be where he is staying, somewhere around where you saw the meeting chamber." guessed Prue.
"Yep, I would think so. So now all we need to do is work out how to get in there without getting caught. I was lucky last time, everyone was preparing for the attack" stated Chris, carefully keeping his face blank.
"Oh. Ah. That is quite a big problem."
"Exactly."
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Wyatt stared at his hands as if they were a stranger's.
"It had to be done." he whispered, "I had to stop him."
Wyatt visibly steeled himself.
"And I did." he stated harshly.
Wyatt shook his head, turning his mind from what he had just done.
He had called off the attacks now. They had hit the city hard enough for one day. Maybe it hadn't worked out exactly as planned but within a few days if that, everything would be under control again. And half of their targets had already been wiped out.
He just had to wait a little bit longer.
Then San Francisco would be his.