Post by StoryGirl83 on Sept 20, 2008 19:20:14 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen – Not Quite What It Seems
and a demon
with
Piper didn’t take the time to consider Prue’s sudden knowledge that she had her powers back. She just flicked her wrists and the demon exploded. That should have been it, except two more identical demons appeared behind where it had stood. “Not today!” she exclaimed, annoyed.
Deciding that with this many witches in the room, they could spare her for a moment, Paige stood and orbed out in search of some potions to try on the demon.
Janice twisted around in her seat, deciding it was a good time to try out her newly discovered powers on an actual demon. She held out both hands, sending a blast of freezing air at the two demons, freezing them in a thin layer of ice as the cold air combined with the water molecules in the air.
Alanna grinned at her twin, more than eager to show off her powers. She held out her own hands and sent a steady stream of fire at the demons. The extreme temperature change caused the two demons to explode. “Awesome!”
Janice laughed. Her voice caught as four new demons, identical to the last three, right down to the twin scars on their cheeks, appeared behind where the last two demons had been. Janice shoved back her chair and climbed out, no longer amused by the situation. “I think it replicates.”
One of the demons shimmered out and appeared behind Prue. Since blowing up the demon didn’t seem to work, Piper waved her hands. The demons froze as did Leo, Henry, Andy, Melinda, Pat, and Vicki.
Paige orbed back in, potions in hands.
Prue moved away from the demon behind her.
Alanna pushed back her chair and got to her feet as Janice moved against the wall, so as to not get caught with an attack from behind. Alanna joined her twin, a frown on her face.
“What’d I miss?” Paige asked as she looked around. Noticing that half the room was frozen she turned a frown at Piper. “Piper, unfreeze my husband, and your husband for that matter, and everyone else.”
Chris chuckled as he stood.
Piper waved her hand individually at the different family members so as not to unfreeze the demons.
As they were unfrozen Andy stood and gathered his daughter to him. He looked at the demons. “If I thought a gun would do any good against them, I’d try to get my hands on one.”
“This is a really bad time not to have my powers,” Pat commented, looking worried at the demons. “I’d charbroil those demons.”
“More likely the counter top or the table,” Vicki teased. “I’ve seen you trying to use your powers.”
Paige chuckled.
Piper looked at her, remembering Paige’s question when she orbed back in. “What you missed was the demon multiplied both times we vanquished it, so now instead of one demon, we have four.”
Paige sobered up fast. “I’ll get the book, see if there is anything in there.”
“Don’t bother,” Andy told her.
All eyes turned to Andy. Anyone still sitting got out of their chairs figuring it would be easier to avoid an attack while standing.
Prue looked at her husband, surprised. “You know how to defeat it?”
Andy grinned. “I did have charges other than you, you know.”
“So what do we do?” Piper asked, deciding that listening to Andy was probably her best bet.
“Only one of them is real,” Andy informed everyone. “The other’s are illusions, illusions that can hurt you, but illusions all the same. They turn back into one when they have finished their mission. Cut off the head of the real one and vanquish the rest. So long as the head isn’t attached when you vanquish it, it will dissolve once the rest are vanquished. Get the wrong head and it will keep duplicating.”
“Cut off,” Piper started before trailing off as her freeze unfroze. This time she concentrated on the demons and waved her hands. Only the demons froze. “We really, really don’t have time for this,” Piper commented, again, wanting to get back to the task of trying to keep four people from ceasing to exist.
“On the bright side,” Melinda told her looking wearily at the demons, “they are attacking people capable of defending themselves rather than defenseless innocents.”
Chris laughed. “That would be the side to look at. I guess we’d better figure out which one is the real one and lop off its head. Ideas, Uncle Andy?”
Andy shook his head. “Unfortunately, that part of it seemed to be a matter of trial and error.”
“How did your charge figure it out?” Chris asked, curious.
Andy laughed. “He got frustrated with vanquishes not working and started throwing kitchen utensils at it since that was what was handy. After he accidentally knocked off the head of one of the illusions and noticed that it didn’t automatically duplicate . . .” Andy trailed off as the demons started moving, again.
Piper waved her hands and the demons froze, again. “Continue.”
Andy smiled. Such a matter of fact manor she had. Freeze demon, get back to conversation on how to defeat it. “Right. After he noticed that they didn’t automatically duplicate, he decided to vanquish the body, but that didn’t work, so he tried to cut off the head of another of the images, since it couldn’t do anything without its head. That time he got the right one, so when he tried vanquishing it, it didn’t replicate.”
Piper turned to Paige. “Can you find a large knife in the kitchen for me?”
“What drawer would that be in right now?” Paige asked.
Chris shook his head. “Forget it. I’ll find one.” Chris ran into the kitchen after a knife.
Wyatt frowned. “I think I’m going to go look for an axe.” With that, he orbed out.
“Boys!” Alanna exclaimed with a snort. “They sure are eager to chop it up.”
Janice muffled a laugh.