Faith, Xander, Halliwells and Madison
Faith and Xander walked into P3, and were greeted with music and decorations.
"Looks good," Xander commented.
"Mmm," Faith replied. She waved at Piper and Phoebe, who were sitting by the bar. "Hey!"
"Hey!" Phoebe replied, hopping up from her seat as Xander and Faith walked over.
"Hey Mad," Faith greeted.
Madison waved and went back to stacking the glasses under the bar.
"So, I'm totally not working tonight," Faith said, nodding.
Piper rolled her eyes. "When do you work when you actually are working?"
"That was mean." Faith pouted.
Zac and Isaac
"Faithy!" Zac greeted happily.
Isaac chuckled as Zac bounded over to give Faith a hug and a kiss.
"Hi Maddy," he said, sitting on a stood by the bar.
Faith, Madison, Paige and Xander
"Hey you," Faith said to Zac, leaning against him slightly.
"Hi Ike." Madison smiled.
"Hey guys," Paige said as she orbed in.
Xander chuckled and took Phoebe's hand and led her out to the dance floor.
Zac and Isaac
"Working tonight?" Isaac asked Madison.
"Sucked in," Zac said.
"So mature, Zac."
"Don't swear at me."
Faith, Madison and Piper
"Yeah," Madison said. "On and off. I'm just on complex drinks duty. For the most part, people can get it themselves."
She indicated to the table with drinks on it, next to the food table.
Faith grinned.
"Speaking of which..."
"Ok," Madison replied, rolling her eyes good naturedly and mixing Faith a drink.
"Service here rocks," she said, nodding.
Piper shook her head. "That's because Madison is actually a good employee. See, she works."
"Oooohhhhh, that was low. And yet, I'm unmoved."
Zac and Isaac
"Ahh I see," Isaac said.
Zac chuckled and kissed Faith's cheek.
"I will vouch for the fact that Faith works... maybe not here..." he grinned. "And for once nothing dirty was meant by that statement."
"There's a first," Isaac remarked.
FAith and Piper
"Exactly. I have other work to do, like keeping you all safe, so ha! You can't be mean to me, or I'll quit," Faith said, grinning. "And then... demons would come and eat you all."
"That's pleasant," Piper commented dryly. "Anyways, Faith, there's a bunch of boxes of kero that need to be brought out and since you're ever so strong..."
Faith rolled her eyes.
"You insult me then you want me to work."
"I'll pay you."
"Rock. Ok, I'm gone."
Faith flounced off to the backroom, returning moments later holding 4 heavy boxes of kero and alcohol in one hand.
Zac and Isaac
"Yay kero!" Zac said happily.
"Keroholic," Isaac accused jokingly.
"Am not," Zac pouted.
"And now you're picking up Saku's habits."
Zac cackled.
Faith and Madison
Faith set the box down at Piper's feet, then danced over to Phoebe and Xander.
"Drink anyone?" Madison offered, twisting the glasses between her hands effortlessly.
Isaac and Zac
"No thanks," Isaac said.
"I can do that!" Zac grinned. "Am drummer."
"Uh huh."
"Hmm... kero..."
"Just remember what happened last time you got drunk."
"And you can remember what happened last time you got drunk," Zac scrowlled.
Faith and Madison
"Ah, but can you do this?" Madison asked, before hitching her leg up on the bar and flipping the glasses around her leg onto the bar. She then twisted the bottle in her hands and poured out a drink, her eyes never leaving Isaac and Zac.
"Is she showing off again?" Faith asked as she came over. "Because I'm better at that thing than she is."
Zac and Isaac
"I don't know, I never tried and yes she is," Zac answered. "And of course you're better than she is."
"I can't agree with you there," Isaac said.
"How would you know? You've never seen Faith do it. Ha! You're biased towards Madison just because you're dating her!"
"And the problem with that is?"
"You can't be trusted for an objective assessment."
"Neither can you. You're engaged to Faith after all."
Faith and Madison
Faith grinned. She jumped over the bar and looked at Madison, then they both started flipping and twisting with a series of intricate and tricky moves.
Zac and Isaac
"Now who's showing off," Isaac smiled.
"This coming from someone who makes bacon and eggs for breakfast without lifting a finger," Zac replied.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"Umm, I'm sorry oh mighty telekinetic one, I didn't mean to imply you were a show off. You will still cook me bacon and eggs? Pwease?"
"I'll think about it," he replied.
Faith
Faith laughed and hopped over the bar again.
"Zac, you're a suck up," she said. "And no, that was not meant to be taken in a dirty way."
Zac and Isaac
"Well, you would be too if you ever tasted Ike's cooking," Zac said. "Must be something about the fact that he doesn't actually touch the food..."
Isaac laughed.
"That's right, for years good food has been contaminated by the fact that people actually have ot touch it... lets just forget that you eat with your fingers every opportunity you get."
Faith
Faith shook her head.
"Zac... still, no words to describe the insanity which is you."
Isaac and Zac
"Good," Zac said. "That's the way I like to be described: indescribable."
"How come I'm not surprised?" Isaac said, shaking his head.
Faith
"You're about to get a kick up the ass, come on."
Faith grabbed Zac's hand and pulled him away from the bar.
Isaac and Zac
Isaac chuckled, leaned back on the bar and gave Madison a smile.
"Is this your way of asking me to dance?" Zac grinned at Faith.
Faith and Madison
"No, it's my way of getting you to stop hassling your brother," Faith replied.
Madison smiled back.
"So, what've you been up to?"
Isaac and Zac
"Aww, but, but," Zac said. "I like harrassing him. He's so harrassable."
"Not much," Isaac shrugged. "Music, music, opening presnets from fans..."
He laughed.
"It's crazy... but it never fails... every Christmas and birthday and whatnot... we get presents from fans. Very odd. ANd plus most of the time the stuff ends up going to charity or whatever. But yeah."
Faith and Madison
"Poor Isaac. Leave him alone, or... I'll do something drastic," Faith threatened.
Madison laughed.
"Ah well... it's how you know you're loved, I guess."
Isaac and Zac
"Something drastic?" Zac asked. "Like what?"
He gave her an interested look.
"True," Isaac smiled. "Actually... okay... I haven't actually told anyone this yet but okay... umm, when I was a kid, I used to write these stories about Daths and stuff. And I would have liked to have done something with them, but security matters being what they are... Anyway so my friend Oli from the space station was telling em the other day that there's plans in the works to create an alien entertainment industry on the station. Which gets me to thinking... maybe I could actually do something with these stories one day after all."
He paused and gave her a slightly embarrassed look.
Faith and Madison
Faith grinned.
"Like not sleep with you again."
Madison nodded.
"Sounds good... it's good to have a creative outlet."
She paused.
"Another one. I mean, it might be good, you know, explore something other than the music thing, and if there's gonna be an alien entertainment thing, than that's gotta be good for us too, in all sorts of ways."
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"Yay Faith!"
Brand leapt on Faith, hugging her.
"I *missed* you! I haven't seen you in like, a whole ten minutes!"
Astrid helped Ashtoreth out of her car, bowing slightly. She offered her hand to Khaos to do the same. Ashtoreth surveyed the club and smiled.
"Let's go find my Key."
Chelsea's eyes darted wildly, fingers rubbing at her collar. It covered the worst of the bites, and she had clean clothes. Ashtoreth ran a hand through the girl's red hair absently soothing.
Faith and Khaos
Faith grinned and hugged Brand back.
"Poor you."
Khaos took Astrid's hand and stepped out of the car.
"Mmm, smells like power."
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"I *know*!"
Brand heaved a sigh, looking at her with huge eyes.
"I was very lonesome."
Ashtoreth smiled.
"It does, doesn't it?"
The two goddesses entered the club, Astrid stalking behind them and Chelsea trailing like a whipped dog.
Isaac and Zac
"Y'know, you tried that already," Zac said. "It didn't work too well, as I recall."
Isaac smiled and reached over to take Madison's hand.
"Yeah..." he said softly. "Of course, I'm looking back on old stories, and they're all kinda crap, but I had some good ideas. Well, in my opinion anyway. But... anyway... You don't have a creative outlet?"
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"I light things on fire," Brand said.
"Does that count?"
Ashtoreth looked over the club lazily.
"Slayers. A few of them."
Astrid's wings fluttered nervously, and her hand caressed the hilt of her sword.
"Should I kill them?"
"Sometimes the humilation of being beaten can be bitterer then dying...not yet. Not yet."
Chelsea looked around wistfully.
Faith, Khaos and Madison
"No fire in here," Faith said. "And Zac... I will stick to it, if you don't leave your brother alone."
She stiffened slightly.
"There's something wrong with this picture," she said softly, her hands curling into fists.
Khaos smiled and took a long breath.
"Mmmmm, powers... it's... oh the smell of goodness is almost overpowering too."
Madison entwined their fingers.
"Yeah, I paint and draw... not very well, but I do," she said, smiling.
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"Which picture?" Brand asked.
"So sweet it's almost sickening."
Ashtoreth tossed her hair back, the beads on the ends of her braids rattling softly against each other.
"And to think you were one of them, Astrid."
"Don't remind me," Astrid said with contempt at what she once had been.
"I prefer not to think of it."
Chelsea turned her head slightly as Astrid played with the loops on her collar.
Zac and Isaac
"I don't believe you can. Which is good, because Ike and Tay and I are always picking on each other," Zac nodded, then put his arm around her. "What's wrong?"
"Aww, I bet you're better than you think you are," Isaac said. "I'd like to see something sometime."
Faith, Madison and Khaos
Faith looked at Brand.
"Promise me you won't draw attention to yourself, ok? Stay out of sight, and when I tell you to run, do it. Run home, ok?"
She bit her lip.
"Something just feels off..."
Madison smiled.
"Maybe."
Khaos looked around again.
"Hmmm, which one's the Key?"
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"Aren't I meant to be the paranoid one?"
Brand frowned slightly.
"Yeah, ok."
"I'm not exactly sure," Ashtoreth said.
"Which is why we brought miss Perception with us."
Chelsea went white. She didn't want to do this. Astrid's hand crushed down on her shoulder and she winced in pain.
"And she'll be only too happy to help, won't you, pet?"
Chelsea nodded dumbly, eyes gleaming with tears.
Zac and Isaac
"Faith just feeling like role playing tonight," Zac joked. "She's going to be you, and you can be her. And I can be Ike. So I should tell Ike that's he's going to be me."
Isaac smiled back.
"You don't have to show me if you don't want to," he said. "I know such things can be deeply personal."
Faith, Khaos and Madison
Faith smiled weakly.
"I just... something feels really off."
Khaos looked at Chelsea.
"Hmmm, well go on."
Madison shrugged.
"It's not really... it's just not very good."
Chelsea
"Spidey senses tingling?" Brand asked.
"Alright..."
Chelsea started to scan the crowd, looking for Brand.
Zac and Isaac
"Spider-man," Zac said. "Good movie. Bring on the sequel! Yay!"
Isaac smiled.
"If you made it, it can't be bad," he said.
Faith, Madison and Khaos
Faith nudged Brand.
"Get out of here... slowly, don't cause a fuss, just slip out the back way. Then run home."
She started to lead him to the back room.
Khaos smiled.
"What a good little pet."
Madison blushed slightly.
"So charming," she teased.
Astrid and Chelsea
"Seriously, freaking me out, Faith," Brand said.
"What's gonna happen?"
Astrid smiled slightly.
"She is. Now."
Chelsea ran her tongue lightly over suddenly dry lips and gazed out into the crowd, the dazzling auras blending together as people mingled. She caught a glimpse and started to make her way over to it. Astrid followed, one hand on the red head's shoulder.
Zac and Isaac
"Faith?" Zac asked in concern.
Isaac smiled.
"It's one of my few endearing qualities," he said.
Faith, Khaos and Madison
Faith half froze.
"Brand, go now. Don't ask questions, just go. Zac, make sure he gets out alright."
She cracked her knuckles and her hands went to the back of her pants, where her trusty Jackal was sitting.
Khaos laughed slightly and hovered in the air, flickering out of mortal visibility.
Madison smiled and served someone a drink.
"You have a lot of those, not a few."
CHelsea and Astrid
Brand went.
Chelsea lost him in the crowd and cowered away from Astrid slightly.
"He disappeared!"
"Bad pet," Astrid hissed.
Chelsea choked slightly, hands going to the collar at her throat, eyes wide and terrified.
"But maybe we can have some fun all the same..."
The young mutant went to her knees, gagging for breath and scrabbling at the tightenning collar.
Zac and Isaac
Zac nodded and followed Brand out.
"Aww, thanks," Isaac smiled.
Faith and Piper
Faith's eyes followed Zac and Brand, then she scanned the room and saw Chelsea.
"What the hell?"
She walked over to Piper.
"Start getting people out."
Piper nodded and started to do just that.
Faith pulled out her knife and headed over to Chelsea, just as Khaos flicked back into visibility.
"Ah, Slayer."
"Slayee," Faith replied, raising an eyebrow.
Chelsea, Astrid and Ashtoreth
Chelsea's eyes darted to Faith, despair blooming.
"Run."
Astrid hissed and kicked her in the ribs. Chelsea sprawled across the ground, closer to Faith's feet, still gasping for breath desperately.
"Pet, do be quiet. There's a good pet. You don't want to be a *bad* pet. We've had this discussion before."
Ashtoreth chuckled slightly, before flickering into sight beside Khaos.
"Hello, Slayer. I've come for my Key. Pretty little Firefly, isn't he? But oh so troublesome."
Faith and Khaos
"You won't get him," Faith answered, her voice even.
"Won't we?" Khaos trilled merrily. "I don't think you quite grasp who you're dealing with."
"No, I don't think you have. I'm not some whingey little cry-Buffy."
"Ooh, well, we've been told, haven't we Ashtoreth? We'll just turn around and go now, won't we?" Khaos said sarcastically, the feathers on her wings ruffling slightly.
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"Like bad little schoolgirls and our hands smacked. Bad godesses," Ashtoreth said sarcastically.
"Astrid, stop playing with your pet and come play with the Slayer."
"As milday wishes."
Astrid inclined her head and drew her sword with a shimmering ring of metal. Chelsea coughed great hacking coughs, curling up around her stomach, almost whooping as air rushed back into her lungs.
Faith and Khaos
"I won't let you get the Key," Faith said, raising her knife and squaring her shoulders slightly.
"It's not a matter of you letting us having it... it's more a matter of taking it, now isn't it?" Khaos asked, smiling happily as she let herself glide down to the floor.
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"I have to find it first," Ashtoreth said, throwing an annoyed look at Chelsea who was now weeping quietly.
"Astrid, occupy the Slayer while I take your pet and go find it myself."
Astrid held her sword in a ready position, watching Faith.
"As milady wishes."
"Come, pet."
Chelsea slowly made her way to her feet, numbness settling over her face.
Faith and Paige
"Paige, take it elsewhere!" Faith yelled out.
Paige orbed out quickly and grabbed Brand's hand.
"Come on, we've gotta get out of here."
She orbed them to The Manor.
"It'll take her longer to find us here," she explained. "We're protected by a lot of enchantments, and this should buy us some time."
Faith roundhouse kicked Astrid's head.
Astrid and Ashtoreth
Brand sucked in a breath and nodded, thinking on what he'd seen before he'd been told to leave. His eyes widened almost comically.
"Oh my god!"
Astrid rolled with it, sword coming around in a deadly arc of gleaming metal. It slid across Faith's stomach, slicing a shallow line across her skin and parting the metal of her top.
"First blood to me."
Ashtoreth watched with amusement, hand tangled in Chelsea's hair.
Paige and Faith
Paige took a deep breath.
"We've just gotta keep you safe. Faith will call any second."
Faith gasped in a breath, but ignored it and brought acorss her knife in a sweep, slicing across Astrid's face.
Astrid and Ashtoreth
"Nonono! You havta go back now!"
Brand scrabbled through his hair.
"I saw a girl from my school there!"
"Point, Slayer," Astrid said.
Her tongue darted out and licked at the drops of blood.
"But can you save all of them?"
She whirled and drove her sword through a girl's stomach as she ran past. She uttered a pitiful whimper of agony, then collapsed as Astrid withdrew her now dripping sword and turned back to face Faith, a delighted smile dancing across her face.
Ashtoreth looked at Khaos.
"Do you wish to attend to this while I fetch my Key?"
Faith, Piper and Khaos
Faith punched Astrid hard in the nose.
"Looks like that's a yes."
Piper was still ushering people out, and made a move to freeze them, but it didn't work.
"Faith!"
"Just go!" Faith yelled back, eyes never leaving Astrid's.
"I'll make sure the Slayer can't bother us," Khaos said, nodding at Ashtoreth. "Go get your Key."
Paige shook her head.
"Brand, Faith will save her, but we can't let Ashtoreth get you."
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"No, she's important!" Brand insisted.
"Don't ask me how I know, just go GET her! PLEASE!"
Ashtoreth nodded and faded out. She reappeared in front of the Halliwell's house and surveyed it thoughtfully. Hmm. Enchantment spiderwebs of protection all over it...and like spiderwebs, easily broken. She watched as the wards began to crumble.
Chelsea whimpered softly, seeing it alongside her.
Astrid grimaced.
"Game over. Let's fight."
She slid into action, using her wings to shield herself and to strike blows as her sword flickered like lightning. Shreds of Faith's clothing started to fall to the floor, blood beading along her skin.
Paige, Faith and Khaos
Paige nodded.
"Alright, but the moment you need help, yell for me, ok?"
She orbed back to the club.
Faith ducked a few blows, and managed to hit Astrid a few times before she started to sway slightly on her feet, coughing up blood.
Khaos put up a hand.
"Well, well, well. I think I can take it from here, thank you, Astrid."
Astrid and Ashtoreth
"As the goddess wishes," Astrid said.
She stepped back, hands and sword dripping with blood. She lifted a hand to her lips and sucked on her fingers, eyes halfclosed in enjoyment.
"Oh, ICE!"
Brand paced up and down the room.
Ashtoreth watched as the successive layers of spells peeled away.
Faith and Khaos
Faith wobbled uneasily as Khaos grabbed her arm.
"Who are you?" she managed to say.
"Why, I'm insulted!" Khaos said. "I am the First of them all! The one who even precedes Zeus."
"Uh..." Faith swayed slightly.
"Now, I'll take you where you cannot interfere."
Khaos lifted a badly wounded Faith into her arms and disappeared with a call of "Tell Ashtoreth I will be back." to Astrid.
Isaac
"Piper?" Isaac asked. "Do you mind telling me what exactly is going on? And where's Zac disappeared to, anyone know?"
Astrid, Ashtoreth and Chelsea
Astrid grinned at Isaac.
"What is going on, utlander, is that the gods are walking the earth again. Be afraid. Be very afraid."
She whipped her arm around, sword gleaming in the halflight and started to slaughter her way through the remaining people on her way to the door.
Chelsea watched the last spells dissolve and Ashtoreth walked forward.
"Knock, knock."
Faith and Khaos
Khaos entered into a Hell dimension and smiled as Hades cowered slightly.
"Milady."
"Hades, rise, fool. I need you to make sure the young Slayer finds herself at home in Hell."
"Yes, milady."
Khaos waved at Faith then disappeared.
Hades looked at Faith once over, and clicked, sending Faith to another Hell dimension, where a funny looking short man dressed in red, walked over to her.
"Hello there," he said, in an obviously British accent.
"Uh..."
"Welcome to Hell. I'll be your guide."
Isaac
"Hey!" Isaac objected.
He telekinetically pulled people out of Astrid's path.
"There's no need for violence. Gee. Unless of course, you think you're the god - or goddess of war or something."
Astrid
Astrid hissed in displeasure as a woman she had been about to kill was snatched away.
"There may be no need, but I just enjoy it. Makes me feel all...tingly."
She laughed watching people cower, scream and run.
"To think, what I'd been missing out on being a warrior for the light. Darkness is so much more fun."
MAdison and Paige
Madison was helping get people out by telekinetically nudging them out the door.
Paige raced around looking for the young girl.
Isaac
"Yeah, well, I have a thing against people who kill for sport," Isaac glared. "And in any case... sowing and reaping. Karma. Whatever else you might like to call it - maybe one day someone will kill you. For sport."
Astrid and Ashtoreth
"Blood is life, little boy," Astrid said.
She disappeared out the door and took to the skies.
"When you know what I mean, you will see what is truth."
Ashtoreth knocked on the door to the Halliwell's house. Brand whirled around, eyes wide with fear.
Madision, Paige and Khaos
Paige ran over to Madison.
"Where's Faith? Where's the girl on the leash?"
Madison bit her lip.
"One of them took Faith and just... disappeared. I don't know where she is. And the other girl, she was taken somewhere else, with the woman who was looking for - "
"Brand," Paige finished. "Piper! Phoebe! Let's go!"
Khaos dusted her hands off and appeared next to Ashtoreth.
Isaac
"Blood's not much good to you if it's spilled all over the floor and not inside your body," Isaac said dryly.
He looked around, wondering again where Zac had gone to.
Astrid, Ashtoreth and Chelsea
Astrid wheeled out of the sky, landing lightly on her feet. Ashtoreth stepped back and let Astrid kick the door open.
"Heeeeeeere, Key, Key, Key..." Astrid singsonged as she entered.
She was dripping with blood, bright crimson dots sprayed across her face and sword dull with it.
Chelsea stumbled slightly when Ashtoreth pushed between her shoulderblades, forcing her into the house.
Brand whirled and ran up the stairs, keeping as quiet as possible.
Phoebe and Khaos
Phoebe went running and found Zac.
"Zac, just get out of here," she whispered, looking around.
Khaos fluttered in after Ashtoreth and sniffed the air.
"Mmmm, smells like power in here too."
She looked up and smiled.
"Here, little Key..."
Isaac and Zac
"Well," Isaac observed to Madison. "That kinda put a damper on the evening."
He checked his watch.
"I hope it's all over in 4 hours and 32 minutes - 31 minutes. It would really suck to start the new year in blood."
"No," Zac whispered back. "Faith wanted me to make she Brand got out alright, and I'm gonna do that."
Chelsea, Ashtoreth and Astrid
"Phoebe, Piper, Paige, whichever one does the orb thing, I need help now," Brand murmured and slid under one of the beds to hide.
Chelsea led Ashtoreth and Astrid through the house.
Paige, Phoebe and Madison
Paige's head snapped up and she orbed back to the mansion, under the bed with Brand.
"Take my hand."
She grabbed his hand and orbed out again.
Phoebe grabbed Zac's arm.
"Faith's gone, she's disappeared, come on, we have to get out of here!"
Madison nodded.
"Hopefully."
Zac
"Gone? Gone where?" Zac asked, his eyes wide.
Chelsea and Astrid
"Chels! You have to go get Chels! She was there!" Brand said.
Chelsea straightened.
"He;s gone."
She flew into a wall and a picture crashed down as Astrid demonstrated her displeasure.
Halliwells
"I don't know, they took her somewhere," Phoebe said.
Paige nodded and left Brand in the back room of P3. She ran out, grabbed Piper and Phoebe and orbed back out to the Manor.
Zac and Isaac
"Zac, there you are," Isaac said.
"Hey, Ike," Zac replied.
"Where have you been? Are you okay?"
"Ike... Faith's gone... They took Faith."
Chelsea and Astrid
Chelsea was cowering against a wall as Atrid's belt whipped across her face.
"Very bad pet!"
"S-s-s-sorry!"
Khaos and Piper
Khaos smiled slightly and appeared back to the club.
"Mmmm, I think enough damage has been done here."
A flick of her wrists and P3 was no longer damaged.
"Let her go!" Piper yelled.
Isaac and Zac
"My gosh, Zac I'm so sorry," Isaac was saying when P3 was abuptly restored to it former self. "Oooookay."
"Why is it you can never clean like that?" Zac somehow managed to joke.
"Why is it you never clean?"
Astrid and Chelsea
Astrid turned, snarling.
"And what business of yours what I do with my things?"
Chelsea sobbed, arms held protectively over her head.
Phoebe
"Well, you're in our house," Phoebe started.
Isaac and Zac
"This party's kinda dead now..." Isaac commented.
"Yeah..."
"Maybe we should go back home?"
"Maybe..."
"I'm sure she'll come back soon."
"Maybe I should stay here, just in case..."
Astrid and Chelsea
"Then, we'll just leave," Astrid snarled.
She jerked Chelsea to her feet, nearly disloacting the girl's arm. Chelsea stared at Phoebe with wide frightened eyes.
Phoebe
"Let her go," Piper said.
"What are you doing here?"
Ashtoreth, Astrid and Chelsea
"Looking for my Key," Ashtoreth said.
"Why else would I be here in this godforsaken town?"
"And she means that literally," Astrid said.
"Tell them, Kitten."
Chelsea shuddered.
"Hell on earth, a gaping mouth..."
Paige
"We don't have your Key," Paige started.
"And we don't know who it is. Or what it is."
Ashtoreth and Chelsea
"Of course you don't," Ashtoreth said scornfully.
"But that's alright. We do."
She patted Chelsea's hair.
"And Kitten will gladly point him out to us, won't you, Kitten?"
Chelsea nodded miserably.
Halliwells
The three witches started reciting a spell to banish them from the house.
"Is it working?" Paige asked.
"I don't know..."
Astrid, Ashtoreth and Chelsea
Ashtoreth decided to let them think it worked, and lifted out the three of them.
Astrid ran her hand through Chelsea's hair.
"Well, that was fun."
Halliwells
"Where's Brand?" Phoebe asked.
"Back room of P3," Paige whispered.
"Is he going to be ok?" Piper chimed in.
"He'll call if he needs us."
Brand
Brand came out of the back room cautiously and spotted Zac and Ike. He went over to them.
"Where's Faith?"
Zac and Isaac
"That's what I'd like to know," Zac replied. "She's just... gone."
He brought his fist down on the bar.
"Careful Zac, don't wanna break the bar. It only just got fixed," Isaac said.
Astrid
"What happened?" Brand asked.
Astrid reappeared suddenly, and spotted Brand.
"Oh, crap!" Brand exclaimed, then stood his ground.
"Where's Chelsea?"
"Kitten? Being punished, what did you think?"
Astrid eyed the young boy carefully.
"So much trouble gone to, just to retrieve you."
Zac
"Well," Zac said stubbornly. "I'm not going to let you 'retrive' him."
He stood infront of Brand and glared at the winged woman, arms firmly folded across his chest.
Astrid.
"I have had enough of mortals this day," Astrid hissed.
"Stand aside, or meet the same fate as the Slayer. A ticket to Hell. This time, by the edge of my sword."
Zac
"What sword?" Zac asked calmly.
Zac increased the temperature of the blade so that it melted into a pool on the floor.
"Now, what's this about the slayer having a ticket to hell?"
Astrid & Brand.
Astrid yelped and dropped the burning hilt. Her wings flared outwards, feathers ruffling in agitation.
"She's in hell. I can send you to meet her if you like," Astrid snarled.
She whistled sharply and smiled as a roar answered her from outside.
"I have no time for this. My mistress has need of her Key."
"I don't belong to her!" Brand yelled at Astrid.
"What have you done with Faith?!"
"Oh, nothing to do with me, little Key. It was Khaos."
The colour drained from Brand's face as he stepped back again.
"No."
"Oh yes. Anyway. Heel, Key, heel."
"Go away!"
"And that just works so well..."
Zac and Isaac
"And so did asking him to heel," Isaac said dryly.
The colour drained from Zac's face. Faith was in hell? Then she was d- no, he couldn't even think it. She couldn't possibly be...
Astrid & Brand.
Astrid flexed her hand cautiously, then looked at Brand.
"Come with me, or I will kill them. And then I'll move onto the city. This land will drown with blood...you know who and what I am, and I will do it."
Brand swallowed.
"Ever think about getting an exorcism?"
Astrid chuckled dryly.
"Wit, such wit. Rest assured, the origanial personality of this body is screaming. Good strong body though, last me a while. Do you come, or do I start slaughtering?"
"Fine."
Brand covered his eyes with his hands for a moment, then ran towards Astrid. She caught him by the arm, then disappeared. A single black feather floated to the ground where she had stood.
Zac and Isaac
"No!" Zac yelled.
He tried to run after Brand, but Isaac caught him.
"Zac you can't -"
Zac got out of Isaac's grip, so Isaac grabbed him telekinetically.
"He did it to save us. Save all of us."
"Faith... Faith asked me to -"
"And you tried! You did! You did your best."
"Wasn't good enough."
"I'm sure that Faith would -"
"Shut up!" Zac shouted, tears pricking at his eyes. "Who are you to say what Faith would and wouldn't do?"
Isaac sighed and tentatively released Zac, who promptly dropped to the floor, crying.
"Zac..."
"Shut up!"
Isaac said nothing as Zac picked up the black feather and vowed to make Astrid pay.