A/N: Hey guys! So.. I'd apologize for the delay, but I'm sure you guys are sick of hearing it :\ I'll say it anyway – I'm sorry! I've been busy and I'm trying to figure out where this fic is going at this point without ending it all cliché and cheesy. I'm also busy during the day and tired at night, so finding writing time has been harder, unfortunately.
I'm sorry :( I'll try to be better!
Stepheyy: Yes, Andy is alive! But I haven't decided where he is... – Evil smirk. – I'm working on some possible theories, and trying to decide when/how to bring or not bring him in.
CharmedOpal: I'm glad! She amuses me, too! Haha.
Lizardmomma: It definitely irritates the hell out of them! Yes, poor Becca.. – evil smirk. –
GirlOnFire33: Maybe... Sort of... Kind of.. Possibly? Hehehe.
Okay, enjoy guys! Kindly read and review, please!
...
"I don't like this..." Katelyn crossed her arms, gripping a handful of potions.
The Underworld was deserted.
Or, at least, the part they had orbed into was deserted. A small fire pit in the center of the room was smoldering, as if a fire had only recently been snuffed out.
"Yeah, I'm tending to agree with Kat," Corrine said. "I mean, if this Carkus-."
"Carsaeus," Cole corrected.
"Whatever." Corrine waved him off. "If Carsaeus really had Rebecca, wouldn't he be here, dangling her in that magical cage thingy?"
"Not necessarily," Cole said with a shrug. "He's kind of, you know, smarter than that."
Corrine glared at him. "Not smart enough to survive this. You don't mess with Halliwell Witches and get away with it."
"Agreed," Melinda said with a nod. "He'd want us to know Rebecca is alive, but unreachable, and then he'd try to work some kind of voodoo to knock us on our asses and try to kill us. So... where is he?"
Cole chuckled. "You three really are just as arrogant as your mothers."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Melinda bit out.
"Just like Piper," Cole said with a shake of his head. "You three think you know the motive and plan of every demon who attacks you. It's all so predictable, right?"
"Generally speaking," Corrine said with a shrug.
"Well," Cole replied, yawning as if bored, "You're wrong this time. Carsaeus doesn't just want to attack the infamous Halliwell Line. He stripped Rebecca of her powers, and he broke the Power of Four. Doesn't that tell you something?"
Corrine, Melinda, and Katelyn looked at each other, puzzled.
Cole rolled his eyes. "You three certainly aren't as quick to catch up as your mothers, that's for sure."
"Hey," Katelyn growled, putting her hands up defensively, as if to attack.
Cole smirked at his daughter, the look in his eyes daring her to try. With a frustrated groan, Katelyn put her hands on her hips and glared at her father.
"If you can't figure it out..."
"You can't be here!"
Cole paused, cut off by a frantic voice. He, Corrine, Melinda, and Katelyn turned as one, in shock, to look at the speaker.
Rebecca stood several feet away, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, keeping her gaze mostly downcast.
"Rebecca! You're okay!" Corrine cried, moving to run forward.
Rebecca jumped backwards, eyes going wide. "Stay back."
"Bex?" Katelyn asked, frowning in confusion.
"You can't be here," Rebecca said firmly. "You have to leave."
"I don't understand..." Corrine said cautiously, worry biting at her. "We came to rescue you, Rebecca... Don't you want to come home?"
Rebecca chewed at her lip, looking as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't – or wouldn't.
"Becca..." Melinda said softly, moving forward slowly. Rebecca jumped back, and she held her hands up in a placating gesture. "Sweetie, it's okay. I promise, it's okay. We'll get you home, and we'll keep you safe. We'll vanquish Carsaeus and he won't ever bother you again."
Rebecca winced at her father's name. She shook her head. "You have to go, before he gets here. Please!"
"We aren't leaving without you," Corrine said firmly.
"You don't have a choice."
Everyone jumped and turned. Carsaeus stood a few feet behind Rebecca, a relaxed smirk on his face.
"Stay away from her," Corrine growled. Melinda and Katelyn stepped closer, ready to fight.
Carsaeus chuckled. "You really think you can tell me what to do, witch?"
"No," Melinda replied, "But we can sure as hell stop you from doing whatever you plan on doing."
"You can, can you?" Carsaeus asked, grinning. He glanced at Cole and frowned, as if just now realizing he was there. "Balthazar. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Cole shrugged. "Just backing up my daughter, like an good dad should." He spoke normally, but something in his tone made Katelyn narrow her eyes in his direction. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire. She had the immediate feeling that something wasn't right.
Carsaeus smirked at him. "Naturally," he agreed. He lifted his hand in Rebecca's direction, and suddenly she stood by his side.
"We aren't leaving without her," Katelyn said firmly.
"Yes, you are," Carsaeus countered. "Rebecca will not be leaving with you. And she certainly will not be rejoining your... Power of Four." He said the last part with such contempt in his voice, like he held them in little regard. He followed it up with a condescending chuckle.
"Okay, let me at it," Melinda growled, jumping forward in anger. Katelyn grabbed her and held her back.
Carsaeus chuckled. "I knew you were the perfect candidate for that malice spell. So much hate and anger." He rubbed his hands together, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Melinda's mouth dropped open. "That was you?"
Carsaeus shrugged then bowed, proud of his work. He smirked at her. "Of course. Who else could pull off such devastatingly... perfect... magic."
Cole raised his hand. When everyone stared at him in confusion, he said, "Well, he asked... I mean... Nevermind." He lowered his hand.
"Okay, enough games," Corrine said, annoyed. She gripped her potions bottles tightly. "Rebecca is coming home with us, and you're getting your ass vanquished," she snarled, quickly bringing her hand up and throwing the potion directly at Carsaeus.
"No!" Rebecca cried, throwing her hands up; the potions bottles bounced off an invisible barrier and flew back towards Corrine, who barely ducked out of the way in time.
Corrine's eyes went wide as she stared at Rebecca in shock.
"Did she just..." Melinda began, her voice echoing Corrine's shock.
"Attack us?" Corrine cried. "Yes, I think she did!"
Rebecca frowned, her expression blank.
Carsaeus grinned at Rebecca, then the shocked cousins. Cole, for his part, looked unimpressed and the very opposite of shocked, like he had expected this.
"Rebecca..." Katelyn said slowly, searching for the right words.
Rebecca frowned at her, stepping closer to Carsaeus.
"We need to go back to the Manor," Corrine said, her voice catching on the last few words.
"Corrine," Melinda cried. "We can't leave her here!"
"She's right," Katelyn said softly. Melinda turned to stare at her as if she were crazy. Katelyn shook her head, a pained expression on her face. She looked to Rebecca, who stood unwaveringly by her father's side. "We have to go home and regroup."
Melinda shook her head, feeling defeated.
Carsaeus smirked. He nodded to Rebecca and she formed a fireball in her hand, aiming it at her cousins.
"Uhm..." Cole frowned. "Yeah, we should get out of here."
"Rebecca, please!" Melinda begged, stepping forward.
Rebecca focused on Melinda, eyes cold and emotionless. She cocked her arm, and let the fireball fly. Melinda spun out of the way, but a second too late, and the fireball grazed her shoulder, knocking her onto her butt.
Corrine and Katelyn ran to their fallen cousin and knelt beside her. Cole watched from the sidelines, glancing curiously at Carsaeus and Rebecca.
Corrine and Katelyn gave Rebecca one more hard glare. For a second, something softened in Rebecca's expression, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
Katelyn put one hand on Melinda's shoulder, and gripped Corrine's hand with the other, then quickly shimmered them home to the Manor, Cole hot on their heels.