Freaky Cleo

From outside Emma's house sounds can be heard of blasting and vanquishing. A demon is coming towards Emma, but she immediately freezes him. She throws a plant that stands nearby at the demon, shattering him. Behind her, another demon steps out holding a fireball in his hand. Emma turns around and he throws it at her. She ducks just in time and the fireball hits the wall behind her. Emma holds her hands up. "Okay. Wait, listen." The demon stops to listen. "New rule. I will not tolerate demon activity in my house. Got it?" She sticks her hand out and freezes him. Another demon appears behind her as Rikki comes in. Rikki takes a stool and throws it at the demon. It hits him, knocking him over. The demon looks at Emma, then shimmers out. Emma straightens her hand, her freeze just barely catching him as he disappears. Rikki walks over to Emma.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"What the hell do you think they wanted?"

Emma looks around.

"I have no clue."

"At least you're okay."

Suddenly Emma sees something.

"Yeah, but he's not."

Just outside the open back door Byron is lying unconscious on the ground.

The paramedics roll out Byron on a gurney. The officer at the scene talks with Emma and Rikki.

"He has a concussion, needs a few stitches, but otherwise he's fine."

"Oh, thank god."

"Did he say whether, you know, he'd seen anything?"

"He was hit from behind. Last thing he remembers was saying goodbye to you."

"Oh, that is good. I mean, you know, that he remembers something because that probably means he doesn't have any brain damage."

"Well, stick around. The detective's going to need to take a statement."

The officer turns to talk with another person. Emma and Rikki step aside.

"Probably doesn't have any brain damage? Smooth, Emma, real smooth."

"Well, that's the last time I call 000."

"Well, sadly, now that the demons attack us everywhere, I think we're going to be calling that number a lot more."

"I can't believe this. They attack me at home now? What, is no place sacred?"

"Well, I thought we covered pretty well."

"Yeah, this time, but what about next time and the time after that?"

"Well, we'll just deal with it when it happens."

Behind Emma, an inspector approaches.

"Excuse me. Do you mind I ask some questions?"

"No, off course not."

"Alright, could you describe the suspects? Tall? Short? White? Black?"

"Didn't really get a good look at him."

"Yeah. We were in the back, and by the time we came out, they were…"

"Gone. Yeah, gone."

"What I don't understand is why would they rob the place in the middle of the day, when there are people inside."

"We have been asking ourselves the same question."

"Hmm. Well, we'll stay in touch."

The inspector turns and leaves.

"Alright, this place is covered with cops. What if another demon decides to attack?"

"Just another reason we need to find the demon who did this."

Somewhere in a cave, the demon shimmers in. He is holding his arm, that is frozen solid. Hesitantly, he approaches an ugly woman that sits in front of her mirror brushing her hair.

"Come closer, Lantos. You can tell me why you failed from here just as easily as from there."

"Imara, I'm confident the mermaid will be alone again soon."

Irritated, Imara puts her hair brush down and stands up. With her are two handmaids. "I don't have time for soon." She advances Lantos. "I need a lock of hair now. The only way to weaken the source is to take out his most trusted lieutenants. Daleek, Benzor, Linson... all above ground. All of whom I can only get to with the help of the beautiful chosen ones." She smirks at him. "Tell me, Lantos." She runs her fingertips down the side of his face. "Do you think I'm beautiful, too?"

"Of course."

One of the pretty handmaidens laughs under her breath. The womans rounds on her, grabbing her by her hand and turning her around to reveal two ugly scars running down the side of her face across her cheekbones. "Do you want another scar? I can make you look like me in no time, you know. To your chambers." The two handmaidens leave. "We can't wait any longer. I reported to the source for too long already. I won't do the same anymore."

"Then I'll need at least a half a dozen more demons."

"You can't overcome the mermaids with force, especially not Emma. And since she'll be expecting another attack, I need you to go after a different mermaid instead now. Cleo."

"Why not Rikki?"

"Cleo is less intuitive, more predictable."

Lantos nods, turns and leaves.

Cleo is sitting in the juice net café when Zane comes up to her.

"Cleo can I have a word?"

"Alright, we can talk."

"Can I buy you a juice?"

"No thanks."

"So how is work?"

"You are starting to creep me out Zane. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Well the Marine Park has research material on every sea creature there is, right?"

"I guess."

"So could you get me access?"

"Probably. But why would I want to do that?"

"It really burns me that some sea creatures are becoming extinct before they are even discovered. I'm interested in doing some research that could help save them."

"Wow, I'm really surprised, Zane. I'll see what I can do."

Cleo storms into Emma's kitchen to join Emma who is cleaning up the mess before her parents come home.

"Pollution! There should be a special place in hell for each and every one of the people who cause it."

"Okay, before you freak out, let me tell you about…"

Emma turns to get something. Cleo paces the floor.

"I mean, talk about an attack!"

"Exactly!"

"There are sea creatures being extinguished before they are even discovered."

"I say let them rest in peace, it only gets worse when people start intervening. Anyway, as I was…"

Emma puts the broom back in the closet.

"No. But I work with animals."

"Okay. Well, technically, you don't really work with the animals, you serve ice cream. So, as I was…"

"Excuse me? I feed the dolphins very often, there is even a dolphin that only wants to be fed by me. And besides, it doesn't matter what you do, my insight on the stuff is really what matters."

"Yes, that is true. Now, why don't you direct that insight towards the fact that I was attacked at home today?"

"Oh, my god. Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm alive, which the demons won't be when I'm done with them providing I can find them."

"Wait. They're not on the net or in the library?"

"Well, too many fit the description."

"God, that's so weird. Demons never attack at home, at least not directly."

"Even weirder, I don't think they wanted to kill me. One of them could've easily nailed me with a fireball, but then didn't."

"You are right, that is weird."

Cleo is back on her way towards the marine park when two demons shimmer in behind her. Lantos takes out a pair of scissors. The other grabs Cleo from behind. She immediately starts struggling and even manages to kick Lantos in the stomach while pushing the second demon back against at tree, where luckily there is a branch sticking out, staking the demon in the back. He explodes into a white cloud of smoke. Lantos comes up from behind Cleo and quickly snips off a lock of her hair. She turns around, knocking the scissors accidently out of his hand. "Sorry, I mean that's what you deserve." Lantos shimmers out. Cleo picks up the scissors.

Imara looks at the lock of Cleo's hair.

"What pretty hair she has. This is going to be fun."

"I was lucky to get out of there alive. She is more powerful than we thought. Or maybe she was just lucky."

"But her luck won't do any good once she's trapped inside my cage."

"Still, if her friends find out, they can…"

"They can't. I wonder how men look at her. With lustful hearts, no doubt."

"Maybe we should hold off on the transfer until we're sure."

"How long have we been watching them? By now, we know the chosen ones better than anyone, including the source."

"But their bond is strong."

Imara gives him an irritated look, tired of his interruptions.

"To fool them even for a day…"

She walks over to him and pushes him back. Lantos goes flying across the room, landing on the floor with a thud.

"Like I've said, we've learned enough."

She turns back and puts the lock of hair on the tray held by a hand maiden.

Cleo is back in her room with Emma and Rikki. She's looking at her mirror trying to get a glimpse of the back of her head.

"I cannot believe they cut a piece from my hair, and I just went to the hairdresser."

"What?"

"Okay. I don't think your haircut should be our main concern right now."

"Okay, you're right."

"Actually, this is good news."

"For whom exactly?"

"All of us. I mean, how many demons specialize in cutting someone's hair? It should make them easier to find. What did he look like? Long coat and greasy hair?"

"Yeah, and wielding some mean scissors, which, by the way, I have."

"Oh, good. Less weapons for them is always a plus."

Cleo is walking towards the juice net café when Zane catches up with her.

"Cleo, thanks for getting me access to the library. A nice one."

"That's okay, saved any creatures yet?"

"What?"

A large cauldron bubbles as Imara holds the lock of hair and chants. "Ekat ym lous. Ekat a demrahc enu. Edart meht won." She drops the lock of hair into the pot. It explodes. Imara falls back to the floor. Black smoke rises out from Imara and disappears through the cavern ceiling.

Zane says his goodbye to Cleo. While he turns away, Cleo glows, a white haze is pulled out of her and disappears down into the floor while the black smoke rises up and infuses itself in her body. Imara's soul, now in Cleo's body. "Nice." Zane looks back around.

"Sorry, did you say anything?"

Imara, in Cleo's body looks at Zane and walks over to him.

"Do you think I'm hot?"

"Uh, excuse me?"

She grabs him by his shirt and kisses him full on the lips. She lets him go. "This is going to be fun." Cleo heads out. Zane turns around with a grin on his face. Lewis, who was sitting nearby, can't believe what he just saw.

Two demons drag Cleo, now in Imara's body, back into a golden cage.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"You're with us now, Cleo." They put her in the cage. "Get in the cage." The demon closes the door on her. Lantos steps forward waving a red crystal in his hand. The crystal glows and the cage is magically enforced as it glows. "Hello, mermaid. I hope you enjoy the view. It'll be the last one you ever have." Lantos steps away as Cleo looks around the cage.

Emma is on her couch looking through a thick book. Rikki walks into the room carrying more books in her hands.

"Any luck finding our demons?"

"Nope." Rikki puts her books down on the bed with the other books. "I did found a couple of things that could explain who needed the hair."

"Let's hear it."

"Alright, soul swapper."

Rikki sits down on the bed facing Emma.

"Could be."

"But there is also a voodoo priestess... or witch doctor, or demonic cloner."

She picks up a book.

"A cloner? That wouldn't be such a bad thing. At least then we'd have another friend to fight demons with."

Cleo walks into the room.

"Did someone say fight demons? 'Cause I am so there."

"What are you doing back so soon?"

"Uh... what do you mean?"

"What happened with Ronnie?"

"Oh, I took care of him."

Cleo turns and catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She gasps.

"Oh, my god."

"Oh, for god sakes. Your hair looks fine."

Cleo turns her back to the mirror trying to get a glimpse of what she looks like from behind.

"Alright, let's study this books."

Rikki is pacing the floor thinking while Cleo sits on a stool looking through another book. Emma stops Rikki from pacing.

"Any idea what these demon creeps are looking for?"

"Not yet. But the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards soul swapping."

Cleo looks up, frightened.

"Soul swapping? No, I don't buy it."

"Well, if it was voodoo, they could have just stolen a comb or brush to get the hair. See, soul swapping is more powerful. It requires fresh ingredients, which explains why they needed the freshly cut hair."

"Yeah, but impersonating us would be too hard because we just... know each other too well."

"She's got a point."

"Wait this is the demon. This is the demon we're looking for right here.'

Emma and Rikki approach Cleo to look at the book.

"Daleek? Oh, he doesn't look like any of the demons that attacked us."

"Are you sure? Because he looks like the one who attacked me."

"You know, maybe they are working together."

"Yeah, that's probably it."

"Upper-level demon, works above ground."

"But it doesn't say anything about him cutting hair."

"But he was the one holding the scissors. What more proof do we need?"

"Okay, but…"

"Great!" Cleo heads for the door. "I'll meet you downstairs. I'm going to go slip into something a little bit more sexy."

"Sexy?" Cleo stops. "Cleo, we're killing a demon, not going to the club."

"Did I say sexy? I meant... comfortable."

Cleo turns and heads for the door again. Emma stops her.

"Wait!"

Cleo whispers irrated to herself

"God. Now what."

"Maybe we shouldn't go after this guy until we really know why."

"Well, we'll not always know what we are up against Emma, we need to learn to fight without a plan."

"What she said."

"Yeah, and besides, we have some serious powers. If it does turn out to be an upper-level demon, it's nothing we haven't handled before."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself." Emma turns and looks at Cleo. "I'm going to go change." Cleo turns to leave the room.

Meanwhile, the real Cleo is stuck in the cage. She gingerly tries to touch the lock, but it zaps her. She pulls her hand back. Lantos watches from behind. "You have somewhere to go?" He laughs. "I can't believe I was worried we wouldn't pull this off."

"I'll get out of here eventually."

"Urgh. With a face like that, you're better off in the cage."

Cleo turns and catches her reflection in the mirror. She gasps.

"Aww. Don't feel all that chosen now, do you?"

"My friends will get me out of this cage... and this body."

"You're forgetting. For them to come to your rescue, they first have to realize that Imara's in your body."

"You don't think they can tell when there's a demon in the house?"

"Imara has studied you. She knows everything about you."

"I don't care. My friends will figure it out."

"By then, it'll be too late for both you and the source. We'll have killed all his allies, weakened him to the point where he can no longer rule. And as for you, you're only keeping Imara's body alive so her soul can return to it. Too bad there won't be a body for your soul to return to."

Lantos steps away leaving Cleo thinking.

The girls are walking through the lobby heading towards the front desk. Cleo is dressed in yet another outfit and wearing spiked heels, wobbling as she walks.

"We're vanquishing a city councilman? Are you crazy?"

"I saw him posing as a civilian. You were fine with it before."

"Yeah, that's because I thought we were going to find him in an alley or a warehouse somewhere, not downtown."

"You insisted that I come home from work so we could deal with it."

"Okay, would you stop clickity-clacking in those things for one second? Look, I want to kill demons just as much as you do, probably even more, but we can't afford to be reckless, especially with the inspectors lurking around."

"Inspectors?"

"Yeah. This morning in my house?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. I got demon councilman on the brain."

"We really don't want people to find out."

Cleo stops and checks her reflection in the fire extinguisher glass.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you checking yourself out?"

"Yeah. It's not a crime."

"No, but now is not the time."

"Don't be so vain."

"I just want to look presentable, okay? 'Cause we are meeting a councilman, for god sakes."

Cleo heads for the front desk. Emma and Rikki follow.

"Well, then maybe you should put on a jacket."

"A councilman you think might be evil."

"I know is evil, and you will, too, once you freeze him."

Councilman Wexler is sitting behind his desk going through some papers. The door opens and he looks up to find the girls walking into his office.

"Excuse me. Councilman Wexler?"

"I'm sorry. Do we have an appointment?"

"No, Daleek, actually, we don't."

Councilman Wexler powers up a fireball. Emma tries to freeze him, but only manages to stop his fireball. Cleo throws a vial and it hits councilman Wexler. He explodes.

"Wow! That was awesome. What was that?"

"Oh a potion that I made. What do you mean, don't we make potions?"

"No we don't, Cleo are you alright, you are acting a bit strange."

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Cleo turns and rushes out of the office.

"What the hell's gotten into you?"

Cleo stops and turns around.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You're walking around like a crazy person. That is when you're not stopping to check yourself out in every shiny surface you walk past."

"Well, I think I'm just a little scattered and overwhelmed, you know, with Ronnie and all these demons."

"But it doesn't require us going a mile a minute."

"Well, you said you wanted to make a statement to the demon world. And what better statement than to kill a lot of demons, right?"

"Right. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to change my outfit." She points to her outfit. "I've been in this for like the last hour."

Cleo is pacing in her cage.

"Come on, Cleo, there's got to be a way out of here."

Lantos returns.

"Hey! Give it a rest, will ya? You're tiring out her body. Imara's going to need her strength when she returns to kill your friends."

"Yeah? What makes you think I'd let any demon…" Cleo gasps and collapses in her cage. Lantos and the other demons look surprised.

"What's the matter with you? Get up."

Cleo looks around and gets to her feet. "What happened? What am I doing here?" She turns and looks at Lantos. "They figured it out. They reversed the spell. Well, don't just stand there, you fools. Let me out of here."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see? The mermaids switched our souls back. It's me."

"Imara."

"Hurry, we don't have much time. Open up and let me out."

A demon takes a step forward. Lantos stops him.

"Wait. How do we know it's really you?"

"You dare challenge me? Open the cage or I'll kill you both."

"Same temper."

"Still, we've been planning this for months, and they figure it out in a couple of hours? I don't think so."

"They wouldn't have suspected anything if you hadn't left the scissors behind. That's right, you screwed up. Now let me out of here before they get here and kill us all."

"Stay here. I'm going to go above ground. See for myself."

"Idiot! The mermaids will kill you the moment she sees you."

"Unless you're Cleo, and this is just a trick. Don't let her out until I return."

Lantos shimmers out of the cave.

"The mermaids will vanquish him, then they'll come back and vanquish all of us unless you let me out of here now."

Cleo rushes into Emma's room in yet another outfit.

"Aren't you cold?"

Emma is editing to the book of water shadows.

"No, but, then again, I actually have clothes on."

"Yeah, I know, it's kind of skimpy, but it's just so cute, I couldn't help myself. What are you doing?"

"Writing in the book. Unless you want to, I mean the book is kind off your baby."

"No that's fine."

Cleo starts flipping through another book. She finds the page she wants.

"Benzor."

"Benzor?"

"Upper-level demon. He was also there when they cut a piece of my hair."

Cleo's cell phone rings. She doesn't move. "Are you going to get that?" Cleo looks blankly at Emma. "Your phone."

"Oh, right." Cleo goes to her bag, opens it, takes out her phone and answers it. "Hello?... Mitch? Oh, yes… You know what, I don't want to help with Ronnie…" Emma's head whips up from the book. "…because I don't really care."

Cleo hangs up. The doorbell rings. "I'll be right back." Emma leaves her room. As soon as she's gone, Lantos shimmers into the attic holding a fireball in the palm of his hand. Cleo turns around.

"What are you doing here?"

"Imara?"

"Well, who else would it be? Why aren't you watching the mermaid?"

Lantos powers down the fireball.

"She said they sent you back to your body. I came to check."

"What?"

"Cleo, who are you talking to?"

Cleo turns to the doorway.

"Emma, help!"

"What are you doing?"

"Covering."

Emma steps into her room.

"Freeze him."

Cleo steps straightens her hand and freezes Lantos up, she takes a cup from swimming and smashes him to pieces.

"Phew. That was close, huh?"

"That was the demon that attacked me this morning."

"And me with the scissors."

Rikki gets in the room

"Hey. What's up?"

"Oh, Rikki. Good. You're just in time."

"For what?"

"To help us vanquish the demon that's trying to kill us."

"How do you know who it is?"

"Well, the demon we just vanquished said her name. It's, Imara. We have to vanquish her right away."

Cleo is still in the cage working on the demon .

"I can't let you out. She'll kill me."

"She is me."

"But Lantos said…"

"Lantos is dead, otherwise he would've returned by now."

"I don't know."

"If you do nothing, you'll be vanquished by the mermaids. But if you free me, you'll take Lantos' place and rule by my side." The demon turns around and waves the crystal releasing the force field around the cage. The cage glows briefly. The demon unlocks and opens the cage door for Cleo. "You made a wise decision." She steps out of the cage, using her powers to form a huge waterbal, from the water that is sipping trough the cave, and throws it at the demon with such a force, he is knocked out. Cleo puts her hands on her hips and looks down at the demon. Cleo, Rikki and Emma run into the cave. Cleo turns and looks at them. "Well, it took you long enough."

"Actually, I think we're right on time."

Cleo sees Cleo reach for something "No, don't…" Cleo throws the potion, but Cleo uses her powers to stop the potion, as it is liquid. "Guys, I'm the real Cleo."

"What?"

"Oh damn, well the girl has a point."

Cleo heads over to the demon. She reaches down and holds onto the demon's shoulders. They shimmer out of the cave leaving the others.

Emma, Rikki and Cleo are in Emma's room. Cleo, still in Imara's body, paces back and forth.

"I told you it was a soul swap, didn't I?"

"I don't think right now is the time for I told you so's."

"No, I think now is the perfect time, actually. There was obviously something wrong with her. Why didn't we do something?"

"I don't think beating yourself up is going to do any good. We should just concentrate on getting my body back, okay?"

"Okay, fine. Great. But I don't see Imara in a big hurry to give it up."

"But we could always do another soul swap. Put Cleo's soul back in her body, and send Imara's essence to, uh..."

"What, oblivion?"

"Yeah, I'll write a spell."

Behind them, Cleo shimmers into the room together with a couple of demons. The girls turn around.

"Now."

Rikki starts chanting.

"Help us reclaim our friend's soul, banish this evil, spare no pain. Bring Cleo's body back to her own control and let Cleo be Cleo again."

There's a small poof as Imara's soul is released from Cleo's body. The black smoke rises up towards the ceiling. Cleo's white soul quickly heads up from Imara's body and back downwards into her own body. Imara's soul goes into her own body and Imara explodes. The demons shimmer back out, frightened. Cleo looks up.

"Are you okay?"

"I am now. But I don't think we will be for long."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was down there, these demons kept on talking about the source. That he is so powerful and that he is after us."

"The source of what?"

"Exactly, we don't know what we are up against."

Cleo is walking home when Zane comes towards her.

"Hey Cleo, about that kiss…"

"What kiss?"

"You know, this afternoon."

"Look Zane, I wasn't really myself this afternoon, I was sick and hallucinating, couldn't think straight."

"Good because, you are not really my type. I have a thing for cute blondes with an attitude."

"Glad we sorted that out."

Lewis storms up to Zane and pushes him back.

"So at last we meet."

"Euhm, Lewis."

"No Cleo, no this is about honour and integrity. You and me, Zane, outside right now."

"We are already outside."

"Well you know what I mean."

"Lewis we need to talk."

Cleo takes him by the hand. Zane walks away, but Cleo doesn't get far with Lewis, because he pulls free.

"No Cleo, I saw you kissing him."

"That was not me."

"Well you could have fooled me because she looked a lot like you."

"I mean that was my body, but that wasn't my soul. A demon had soulswapped with me."

"Oh."

"You can be a real dummy sometimes, you know that? I'm in love with you, why would I risk what we have for a Zane?"

"You are serious?"

"Yes, let me prove it."

She takes his shirt in her hands and pulls him closer and kisses him fully on the lips. After a minute they break apart.

"Do you believe me now?"

"I think I need a little more prove then that."

Cleo smiles and comes closer towards him to kiss him again.