Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

[noazmale]

CHARMED
“Faster Than A Speeding Bullet”
By J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K+ (for mild language)

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes “Exit Strategy” and “Look Who’s Barking”.)

* * *

The Charmed Ones decide to investigate when a real life super hero, complete with cape and mask, appears in San Francisco.

* * *

ONE

Phoebe cautiously stuck her head inside the kitchen door. She saw Piper getting some boxes out of one of the cabinets.

“Hey, sweetie,” Phoebe said. “Just wanted to let you know Cole and I are coming into the kitchen, just like you asked.”

“Thanks,” said Piper, very cautiously putting the boxes on the table. “I know I might seem a bit overcautious but until I get a handle on this exploding power it’s best not to startle me. My freezing ability may not work on you but I don’t know if this exploding thing does. And I don’t want to find out the hard way.”

“We understand,” said Cole. “Getting a new power is traumatic enough. You have to deal with one that can cause some very serious harm to people.”

“Exactly,” said Piper. “Accidentally freezing someone is one thing. Blowing them into a million pieces is something altogether different.”

“You’ll get control of it soon, I’m sure,” said Phoebe. “Where’s Prue?”

“She called a little bit ago,” said Piper. “She said she should be home soon. With any luck I should be able to fix dinner without destroying the kitchen.”

“Just take it easy,” said Cole. “You know your powers are tied to your emotions. Just don’t get upset and you should be fine.”

“Which is why I asked that you not do anything to startle me in the near future,” said Piper.

“Well,” said Phoebe, “is there anything I can do to help with dinner?”

“No, not really,” said Piper. “It will be ready soon. Why don’t the two of you just relax and take it easy. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

“Okay,” said Phoebe.

“This explosive power really has her on edge,” said Cole as he and Phoebe went into the living room.

“I can’t say I blame her,” said Phoebe. “One sudden move and she could end up being an only child. Can’t say that’s something I’d be happy to have. I know I’ve always wanted an active power but I was thinking more along the lines of being able to fly or something.”

“You would really like to be able to fly, wouldn’t you?” Cole asked.

“Sure,” said Phoebe. “It’s been a fantasy of mine since I was a little girl. We used to watch those Saturday morning cartoon shows with the superheroes. And I used to pretend I was Supergirl or someone like that. I could fly all over the world.”

“Well, I can shimmer you wherever you want to go,” said Cole.

“It’s not the same thing,” said Phoebe. “Besides, it’s just a childhood fantasy. It’ll probably never happen. But it’s nice to think about.”

“We all have fantasies,” said Cole smiling.

“Oh?” questioned Phoebe. “And just what does a half demon that’s a hundred years old fantasize about?”

Before Cole could answer Prue came rushing in the front door.

“Hey, sis,” said Phoebe. “You seem to be in a big hurry.”

“Have you been watching the news?” Prue asked.

“No, why?” Phoebe asked as Prue turned the television on. “Is there something in it we should know about?”

“I’m not sure,” said Prue. “I heard a very strange report on the radio on my way home.” She flipped the channel to the one they normally watched. “If it’s not a hoax or something I’m hoping there will be something about it on the TV.”

“What is it?” Cole asked.

Before Prue could answer the newsman came on the screen. Prue watched intently as he reported on local news. Cole and Phoebe became very interested in the report.

“And what can only be described as bizarre,” reported the newsman, “San Francisco seems to have it’s own superhero. This footage was captured earlier today by one of our news crews. Witnesses say the man seemed to appear out of nowhere, stopped a purse snatching that was in progress, and subdued the assailant until the police arrived. Then he simply stood up and flew away from the scene. That’s right. This supposed superhero actually flew away.”

Prue, Phoebe, and Cole all watched as a man dressed in tights, a cape, and a mask rose from the ground and flew off into the distance out of sight of the camera.

“The police aren’t commenting on the incident only to say that it must be a stunt for an upcoming movie,” continued the newsman.

Prue, Phoebe, and Cole simply looked at each other in silence.

[noazmale]

TWO

“What do you mean he flew?” Leo asked. “People can’t fly.”

“I know that,” said Prue. “But Phoebe and Cole saw the footage, too. The man just rose off the ground and flew away. He has to be some kind of magical being only he’s not even trying to hide his magic.”

“You said the police said it was probably just a stunt for a new movie,” said Leo.

“That’s what the newscaster reported,” said Phoebe.

“That was probably it then,” said Leo. “Just a stunt to promote an upcoming movie, that’s all.”

“I don’t know, Leo,” said Cole. “I’ve known some people who could fly. It looked genuine to me. There weren’t any wires or cables that I could see. Besides, no production company has taken credit for it. If it was a stunt why haven’t they come forward to say something?”

“To build up suspense,” said Piper. “You know, they pull a few stunts like this until the public is talking about it everywhere. Then they announce the release of the movie and get all that free publicity.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Prue asked. “Leo, you can find out if this is a stunt or if someone is using magic in public. You can check and see if the Elders know anything.”

“About a stunt?” Leo asked. “I think you’re overreacting.”

“They’re right, Leo, and you know it,” said Cole. “This might just be a stunt like the police say. But what if it isn’t? What if it is someone, or something, using their magic in public? They could expose magic to the mortal world. That would be disastrous for all of us.”

“Well, I don’t suppose it could hurt to ask,” said Leo.

“Good,” said Phoebe. “I’m going to call Darryl and see if he knows anything.”

“I can check a few places, too,” said Cole. “Even if the Elders don’t know anything it might be something demonically related. I’d have a better chance of finding out about it than Leo would.”

“Just be careful,” said Phoebe. “Those bounty hunters are still after you.”

“I will,” said Cole.

“Well, I can’t really go hunting someone down until I learn to control this new power,” said Piper. “I’ll check the Book of Shadows to see if this guy is in there. What did he look like?”

“Can’t say,” said Phoebe. “He was wearing a mask.”

“A mask?” Leo questioned.

“Yes, a mask,” said Prue. “Just like in those silly cartoons Phoebe used to watch when we were kids. He had a blue and white costume complete with a cape. And a mask that covered his face.”

“That’s not much to go on,” said Leo.

“It’s all we have,” said Prue. “If it is someone using their magic in public we have to find them and stop them. There’s no telling what might happen if he exposes magic to the mortal world.”

“I’ll let you know what I find out as soon as I can,” said Leo.

“And I’ll be back as soon as I can,” said Cole.

Leo orbed out of the kitchen as Cole shimmered away. Phoebe headed for the phone in the living room and Piper headed for the Book of Shadows in the attic. Prue sat in the kitchen considering what might happen if magic were suddenly exposed to humans. The ramifications of that were not pleasant.

When Cole shimmered back into the manor Leo had all ready returned. They were sitting in the kitchen talking as Cole entered the kitchen. Cole sat down next to Phoebe.

“Well,” said Cole, “there doesn’t seem to be any demonic activity behind this little stunt. None of the demons I spoke with knew anything about this.”

“Same here,” said Leo. “The Elders haven’t noticed any unusual magical activity lately.”

“As I told them all ready,” said Phoebe, “Darryl had some information on him. The police have been getting reports on him for the past two weeks. At first they thought they were a bunch of crank reports. But after that footage aired today they’re starting to take the reports seriously.”

“So it’s not a stunt for a movie?” Cole asked.

“Not as far as the police can determine,” said Phoebe. “Apparently this guy appears out of nowhere. He’s been thwarting mostly petty crimes so far. Purse snatchings, muggings, that sort of thing. And witnesses say he calls himself the Blue Avenger.”

“The Blue Avenger?” Cole questioned. “This guy actually thinks he’s a superhero?”

“Apparently,” said Piper. “And Phoebe said the guy seems to be escalating. That footage on television was shot just after the guy foiled an attempted kidnapping.”

“He’s getting bolder,” said Cole. “Not unlike a serial killer. The better he gets and the more comfortable he becomes with his craft the bolder he gets.”

“You’re comparing this guy to a serial killer?” Prue asked.

“No,” said Cole. “I’m comparing his method with a serial killer. Apparently this guy is trying to help people so I seriously doubt if he’s a serial killer.”

“Well,” said Piper, “he apparently has some kind of supernatural abilities. We all saw him fly on that videotape on the news. And according to Darryl, he’s exhibited other abilities as well.”

“Like what?” Cole asked.

“Like appearing out of nowhere,” said Phoebe. “Then disappearing just as mysteriously as he appeared. And a couple of the witnesses said he had some kind of telekinetic ability.”

“So,” said Leo, “we have someone with apparent magical abilities who’s going around trying to help people. And no indication who he really is from either the Elders or the underworld. Where does that leave us?”

“Well, I can’t see there’s really a problem,” said Phoebe. “Like you said, he’s helping people. There can’t be any harm in that.”

“Except that he’s exposing magic to the mortal world,” said Leo. “And that could be dangerous for everyone.”

“Especially him,” said Cole.

“What do you mean?” Piper asked.

“You said that Darryl told you the guy was escalating,” said Cole.

“Yeah, so?” questioned Phoebe.

“So,” said Cole, “even if this guy does have some kind of magical abilities, I doubt if he’s invulnerable. One of these times he’s going to come up against someone with a knife or gun. And when that happens the consequences could be tragic.”

“He could get killed,” said Phoebe.

“Or get someone else killed,” said Cole. “Maybe the very person he’s trying to protect. Or even an innocent bystander. Which means we have to find him as soon as possible. Before something terrible happens.”

[noazmale]

THREE

“So, you think this guy might actually have magical powers?” Darryl asked Phoebe who had visited him at the police station.

“It appears so,” said Phoebe. “You saw that video footage didn’t you?”

“Yes,” said Darryl.

“Apparently the guy can fly,” said Phoebe. “And from what you told me he seems to have other powers as well. If that’s true he could be a danger to himself or someone else. We need to find him before he gets someone hurt. Or worse. Is there anything you can tell me about the guy?”

“Not much,” said Darryl. “Like I told you on the phone, we thought the reports were cranks until that footage aired. I pulled the reports but they don’t tell us much.”

“These all seem to be located in the same general area,” said Phoebe, looking through the reports.

“Yeah, I noticed that too,’ said Darryl. “Until yesterday they all seemed to be limited to the same four block area. But yesterday was outside that area. Almost like he’s beginning to branch out.”

“That’s what Cole said,” said Phoebe. “He compared him to a serial killer. As he gets more comfortable and better he gets bolder.”

“Well, the analogy isn’t flattering,” said Darryl, “but the parallel is accurate. You really think he could be dangerous? All he seems to be doing is trying to help people.”

“Yeah, until he runs into someone who’s armed,” said Phoebe. “If that happens he could get himself or someone else hurt or killed. Even if he does have magical powers he’s probably just as vulnerable to a knife or gun as anyone else.”

“Well, we have seven reports altogether,” said Darryl. “My lieutenant hasn’t put a high priority on this but he’s understandably curious about it. We all are. And like I told you yesterday, it doesn’t seem to be publicity stunt or anything.”

“Thanks, Darryl,” said Phoebe. “If this is a guy with magical abilities you should leave this to us. He could be a demon in which case you aren’t equipped to deal with him.”

“A demon that helps people?” Darryl asked.

“It could part of some elaborate plan,” said Phoebe. “To put everyone off their guard.”

“Okay,” said Darryl. “Until he surfaces again there really isn’t much we can do anyway. As long as he’s wearing that mask and those gloves there’s no way to identify who he is. If you can help it would be a big help.”

“We’ll do what we can,” said Phoebe. “Thanks for all the help.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Darryl, looking around the station to see if anyone appeared to be watching them. “To anyone.”

“No problem,” said Phoebe.

Darryl went back to the stack of files on his desk as Phoebe left the police station.
* * *

“Most of the reports are located around Henderson Avenue,” Phoebe told the others after returning to the manor. “Except for the one that was on television. It was about three blocks farther out. Darryl seems to agree with Cole. This guys method of operation is similar to that of a serial killer.”

“Well, there wasn’t anything about a superhero in the Book of Shadows,” said Prue. “But to be honest, I didn’t really think there would be.”

“I scried for him for over an hour,’ said Piper. “Nothing. Unless we have something that belongs to him I don’t think it would do any good to scry for him again.”

“The Elders still don’t have anything on him,” said Leo. “It might be difficult for them to get a fix on him unless he uses his powers again.”

“I checked my sources again,” said Cole. “Still nothing on the demonic front.”

“I think we should go down to Henderson,” said Phoebe. “I might be able to get a premonition or something down there. At the very least we might find something we can go on.”

“Just be careful,” said Piper. “That’s not the safest part of town.”

“She’ll be fine,” said Cole. “She is a Charmed One. Besides, I’ll be with her. There shouldn’t be a whole lot to worry about.”

“I wonder why Blue Avenger?” Prue asked out loud.

“What?” Leo asked.

“He calls himself the Blue Avenger,” said Prue. “I was just wondering why that name. From what I remember about Phoebe’s Saturday morning cartoons, most superheroes’ names had some kind of meaning. I wonder why he chose Blue Avenger?”

“When we find him we’ll ask,” said Cole, looking at his watch. “It’s going to be dark soon. I think we should get down there so we can get back as soon as we can. Even though we don’t have a whole lot to be concerned with there’s no sense pushing our luck.”

“Just be careful like I said,” said Piper.

“We will,” said Phoebe.

Cole took Phoebe’s hand and shimmered them both out of the manor.

[noazmale]

FOUR

“Well, no luck so far,” said Phoebe as she and Cole cut through an alley near Henderson Avenue. “No one around here seems to have any idea who this mysterious Blue Avenger is.”

“At least they aren’t saying anything,” said Cole. “From the way people have been talking most of them seem to admire this guy. Considering all the good he’s been trying to do it’s hard to imagine he’s demonic no matter how elaborate his plan might be.”

“I’m with you there,” said Phoebe. “He seems to go out of his way to help people. But how can he just appear and disappear so quickly? No one’s said anything about him shimmering away. In fact, he seems to run off before anyone can stop him. Then he just vanishes into thin air.”

“Shimmering is only one form of transportation,” said Cole. “There are a lot of ways to move around. And not all of them are demonic. Take Leo, for example. He orbs. Whoever this guy is I’ll bet he runs away so he can disappear without anyone seeing how he does it.”

“But how does he know where the crimes are being committed?” Phoebe asked.

“That’s a good question,” said Cole. “Maybe he has some kind of precognitive ability like you. Or he could be clairvoyant. For all we know he might just walk the streets like any other person and then changes when he sees a crime in progress.”

“He’d have to be a quick change master to do that,” said Phoebe. “Purse snatching doesn’t take more than a few seconds. How could he change into his costume so quickly?”

“Maybe it’s one of his magical abilities,” said Cole. “We really don’t know what else he may be capable of other than what we all ready know. He might have powers we haven’t even guessed at.”

“But why a superhero?” Phoebe asked. “Why not impersonate a cop or someone like that?”

“He’s probably someone who has never been given any recognition throughout most of his life,” said Cole. “The superhero personae could be satisfying some emotional need he has for recognition.”

“Are you suddenly a psychologist now?” Phoebe asked.

“I’ve lived almost a hundred years,” said Cole. “You pick up a few things in that time. Besides, it doesn’t take a psychologist to know that being a superhero draws attention to yourself. Otherwise he’d be trying to be as anonymous as possible. I think we’re dealing with someone who has some self-esteem issues and his identity as a superhero helps to satisfy his need for validation. We all need to be validated. It’s a normal human need.”

“You could be right,” said Phoebe. “I just don’t know why we can’t find out anything about this guy.”

“Hey, buddy, you got a cigarette?”

“Sorry, no, I don’t smoke,” Cole said, looking at the scraggly guy dressed in very dirty clothes leaning against a building they were passing.

“In that case,” said the long haired man pulling a gun out of his pocket, “give me your watch, your wallet, and all your jewelry. Her too. And be quick. I ain’t got all night.”

Instinctively, Cole stepped in front of Phoebe. The gunman was too far away for Cole to reach physically. But a fireball didn’t have that restriction. Except that wasn’t an option. Cole was no longer the demon he had once been. Vanquishing mortals was no longer an acceptable alternative.

Of course, Cole could always grab Phoebe and shimmer away. But he couldn’t be sure he would be fast enough. Chances are they’d be gone before the man even knew what was happening. But there was always the chance he might panic. And with Phoebe next to him he couldn’t take the chance she might get hurt.

“Just take it easy,” Cole said, beginning to remove his watch. “You can have whatever you want. We won’t give you any trouble.”

“Cole,” Phoebe said.

“Shut up,” said the man with the gun, looking around nervously. “Let’s have the jewelry and wallets. Quit stalling.”

Cole reached into his coat pocket and removed his wallet as Phoebe began to remove her jewelry.

“Do not fear, mortals,” said a voice from up the alley. “I shall protect you from this evil varlet who preys on the weak and innocent.”

They all looked up the alley to see the new superhero standing at the end. He had his hands on his hips and a smile on his face. At this distance they got a good look at him. He was wearing a blue suit with white stripes down the arms and legs. He was wearing a mask that covered most of his face, leaving only his mouth exposed. A blue cape fluttered slightly in the breeze.

“What the hell?” the gunman said. “What kind of a nutcase is this?”

“I am the Blue Avenger,” said the man. “I protect the weak and innocent. Put down the weapon, mortal.”

“Mortal?” questioned the gunman. “I’ll show you mortal, you psycho.”

Before any of them could move the gunman turned the gun on the Blue Avenger. He fired two shots that struck the superhero in the chest. As the Blue Avenger fell to the street, the gunman looked around, fear in his eyes. Forgetting all about Cole and Phoebe, he turned and began to run as fast as he could down the alley.

Cole and Phoebe forgot all about the gunman. They rushed over to see how badly the Blue Avenger was hurt. They knew it couldn’t be good. But with any luck the bullets might have missed any major organs.

“Cole, we have to do something,” cried Phoebe. “There’s an awful lot of blood. He’s going to bleed to death.”

“Call Leo,” said Cole.

“Leo can’t heal him,” said Phoebe. “He’s only allowed to do that if it’s demonically related.”

“We can sort out the ethics of it later,” said Cole. “We can’t just let him die. Call for Leo. The way he’s bleeding he won’t last until help gets here.”

Phoebe was about to call for Leo when suddenly the Blue Avengers’ chest glowed blue. Within seconds the wounds in his chest were completely healed. Even the holes in his costume and the blood had vanished as if they had never existed. The Blue Avenger stood up and smiled at Cole and Phoebe.

“Do not fear, mortals,” said the Blue Avenger. “Mere mortal weapons cannot harm me. I am the Blue Avenger and the scourge of evil everywhere.”

Suddenly they heard a siren drawing closer to the alley. Suddenly a police car pulled up at the end of the alley. A policeman inside began shining a spotlight down the alley.

“I must be off,” said the Blue Avenger. “Crime does not rest and neither do I.”

“Hang on, blue boy,” said Cole. “You have some questions to answer.”

“There are no time for questions,” said the Blue Avenger. “I must be about protecting the weak and innocent.”

“We need to get out of here,” said Phoebe. “Cole, under the circumstances I don’t think we have much choice.”

Phoebe reached out and took Coles’ hand. But before Cole could shimmer them out of the alley the Blue Avenger suddenly orbed out and was gone. Phoebe and Cole just looked at the empty alley. Suddenly, the police car turned and began a slow drive down the alley, the spotlight shinning all around hit. Cole looked at the police car and then shimmered Phoebe and himself out of the alley.

[noazmale]

FIVE

“A White Lighter?” Leo questioned after Cole and Phoebe had told the others what had happened. “Are you sure?”

“Leo, his wounds healed almost instantly,” said Cole. “Exactly like a White Lighter.”

“And he orbed out of the alley,” said Phoebe. “Unless there’s another creature that can orb, it has to be a White Lighter.”

“No, White Lighters are the only ones who can orb,” said Leo. “But it doesn’t make any sense. No White Lighter would risk exposing magic like that. And they certainly wouldn’t take on the personae of a superhero. It goes against everything the White Lighters and Elders stand for.”

“Is there any other explanation?” Prue asked.

“I wish there were,” said Cole. “It would explain a few things. Like how he can fly and the telekinetic ability other witnesses have described. But with the healing and the orbing there’s no doubt about it. It has to be a White Lighter.”

“Okay, so which one?” Piper asked.

“I’ll have to check with the Elders,” said Leo. “I don’t know all the White Lighters. There are too many of them. But the Elders may know who this might be. But it still doesn’t make any sense. Why would a White Lighter be doing this?”

“Maybe it’s a White Lighter with emotional problems,” suggested Phoebe.

“That’s not possible,” said Leo. “White Lighters don’t suffer the same ailments as humans. They’re immune to all diseases. And they can’t suffer from mental or emotional problems.”

“You think this might be some elaborate plan by the Elders?” Prue asked.

“I don’t think so,” said Cole. “It’s not the way the Elders work. Besides, like Leo said, it risks exposing magic. The Elders wouldn’t take a chance like that.”

“Cole’s right,” said Leo. “The Elders prefer that we work quietly in the background. Remember, you three weren’t even supposed to know about us. It was only my carelessness that Phoebe found out.”

“And a Dark Lighter that forced you to reveal your secret to Prue and me,” said Prue. “Okay, you check with the Elders, Leo. Phoebe can call Darryl again and fill him in on what’s happened. Maybe with this new information he might be able to find out something new.”

Leo orbed out of the kitchen immediately.

“At the very least he’ll know it’s not a demon,” said Piper. “I get the feeling he’s really nervous when demons are involved.”

“Can you blame him?” Cole asked. “He’s a mortal without any powers. I can imagine what he must feel knowing that demons actually exist.”

“You know,” said Phoebe, “the Blue Avenger kept using the word mortal.”

“It would make sense,” said Cole. “White Lighters’ are immortal. And as you all ready know, not even that pistol can harm him permanently. That requires the poison of a Dark Lighter.”

“Well, now we know why he calls himself the Blue Avenger,” said Prue. “The White Lighter orbing has a blue affect. And by his own admission he’s avenging the weak and innocent. The question is why?”

“Well, I still think it might be an unbalanced White Lighter,” said Phoebe, “regardless of what Leo says.”

“No, Leo’s right,” said Cole. “White Lighters’ don’t suffer from ailments like that. When they become White Lighters they become immune to all that.”

“How do you know so much about them?” Piper asked.

“Know your enemy,” said Cole. “As a demonic bounty hunter I would encounter White Lighters on occasion. It’s always a good idea to know as much about your adversaries as you can.”

“That makes sense,” said Phoebe. “So, what is our next move?”

“We wait for Leo to get back,” said Prue. “Maybe the Elders know who this rogue White Lighter is and has all ready put a stop to his antics.”

“Not likely,” said Piper.

Ten minutes later Leo orbed back into the manor.

“Well,” he said, “the Elders don’t know any more than we do. They’re going to check into it, though. If it is a White Lighter masquerading as this Blue Avenger they should be able to discover who it is.”

“Am I interrupting?” asked a young boy from the entryway door.

He appeared to be about eighteen years old. He was dressed casually and the look on his face indicated he was more than a little nervous. As he spoke, the sisters were instantly on their feet.

“Easy,” said Leo. “This is Timothy Spears. He’s a White Lighter. Timothy, what are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry to just pop in like this,” said Timothy. “But I really need to talk to you, Leo. It’s really important.”

“Can it wait a bit?” Leo asked. “We kind of have a situation we’re dealing with right now.”

“It’s important,” said Timothy.

“Timothy has only been a White Lighter for a month,” Leo explained to the others. “He was one of my charges before he became a White Lighter. And I helped train him after he became a White Lighter.”

“Go on, honey,” said Piper. “We still have to decide what to do next anyway. I know what it’s like to be new at a job, especially one like being a White Lighter. At least he has a good mentor.”

“Thank you,” said Timothy. “I really am sorry for the interruption. I wouldn’t have done it but this is very important and I don’t know what to do.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Prue. “When we became witches we didn’t have anyone to help us. At least you have Leo. And I know he’ll do everything he can for you.”

“Thank you,” said Timothy.

Leo and Timothy left the kitchen and headed for the living room.

“He seems kind of timid for a White Lighter,” said Prue.

“Being a White Lighter can be pretty overwhelming when you’re new,” said Cole. “It’s not like he grew up as one. They have a lot to learn once they become a White Lighter.”

“I can imagine,” said Phoebe. “Leo really hasn’t told us that much about it but he has intimated there was a lot to take in. And I guess they have to learn to use their powers just like we had to.”

“That’s true,” said Cole. “And like anyone else some take to it quicker than others. In the end it all works out. They wouldn’t have put him in the field unless they were sure he was ready for it. But like any new job there’s a lot of on-the-job training.”

“Well, back to our problem,” said Prue. “Now that we know what we’re dealing with we have to decide what to do about it.”

“It’s simple,” said Cole. “We just need to identify which White Lighter it is. Then Leo can let the Elders know and they can handle it.”

“That’s sounds like a good idea,” said Piper. “So, how do we identify which White Lighter it is?”

“We might be able to help there,” said Leo as he and Timothy came back into the kitchen.

“You know which White Lighter is doing this?” Prue asked.

“Yes,” said Leo. “Only if what Timothy says it’s true it’s not a White Lighter.”

“But the healing?” Cole questioned. “He orbed. Only White Lighters can orb. It has to be a White Lighter.”

“Not necessarily,” said Leo. “Timothy, you need to tell them what you just told me.”

“Leo,” Timothy began.

“It’s okay,” said Leo. “They won’t judge you. You can tell them.”

Timothy looked at Leo then at the sisters. He sighed slightly then took a seat at the table.

[CharmBffy]

i like it
it is very good

[noazmale]

SIX

“Well,” began Timothy, “as Leo told you I’ve only been a White Lighter for about a month. My charge, Stephen White, collects antique books as a hobby. He has quite a collection, including some first editions that are worth a great deal of money.”

“We all need some kind of diversion,” said Prue.

“Yes, well,” said Timothy. “About two weeks ago we were at a bookstore on Henderson that Steve likes to frequent. They’re able to get him some real good deals on books. On that day he picked up a first edition of Mark Twains’ ‘Huckleberry Finn’. It was even autographed by Twain himself.”

“That must make it very valuable,” said Piper.

“Very,” said Timothy. “Anyway, as we were leaving the store we noticed a crowd had gathered on the street. Apparently there had been an accident while we were in the store. The police were all ready there but the paramedics hadn’t arrived. They were tied up in traffic and weren’t expected to be there for another ten or fifteen minutes.”

“Was the man injured very badly?” Phoebe asked.

“Well, the paramedics hadn’t arrived but there’s a doctors office just down the street,” said Timothy. “The doctor had come out and was trying to help the guy until the paramedics arrived.”

“Conscientious doctor,” said Piper.

“Actually, the law requires him to do whatever he can,” said Cole. “Although I’m sure he’d do it anyway.”

“The injured man had one of those medic alert bracelets,” continued Timothy. “You know, to warn medical personal of any special allergies or conditions the person has when they can’t speak for themselves.”

“Yeah, we know the kind,” said Prue.

“Well, his bracelet said that he was a hemophiliac,” said Timothy. “What someone call a bleeder.”

“That can be a dangerous condition,” said Leo. “Their blood doesn’t clot like a normal person. Even a relatively minor cut can become life threatening if it’s not treated right away.”

“Yeah, and he was bleeding pretty badly from the accident,” said Timothy. “The doctor said he wouldn’t last until the paramedics arrived. What we didn’t know was that another paramedic truck had also answered the call. They showed up a few minutes later to take the guy to the hospital.”

“So what happened?” Cole asked.

“Well, like I said,” Timothy continued, “we didn’t know the other paramedic truck was on its’ way. The doctor said he’d be dead in minutes if he didn’t get help right away.”

“What kind of help?” Prue asked.

“I didn’t think it would hurt,” said Timothy. “We had the same blood type and the doctor said he was going to die. I couldn’t let an innocent die. Leo will tell you that our primary responsibility is protecting the innocent. That’s why we aid witches. Besides, it’s not like there was any magic involved.”

“What did you do?” Piper asked.

“It’s a routine procedure they perform in hospitals every day,” said Timothy. “I mean without transfusions they couldn’t do a lot of operations. A lot of people would die without them. And it’s not magical. Like I said, it’s a routine procedure and there was a doctor performing it. I didn’t see the harm.”

“You gave a mortal some of your blood?” Cole asked.

“He was going to die,” said Timothy. “And like I said, there was no magic involved. I didn’t think there was much of a risk.”

“So the doctor transfused some of your blood to this injured man?” Phoebe asked. “I don’t see what the problem is. It’s just blood.”

“Do you remember when Piper got sick from that the Arroyo Fever?” Leo asked.

“Yes,” said Phoebe.

“Do you remember what happened later?” Leo asked. “When Dr. Williamson was injected with the samples of your blood?”

“He went crazy,” said Prue. “The magic in our blood was too much for him.”

“I still blame myself a little for that,” said Piper.

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Prue.

“He couldn’t take it and your blood is human blood,” said Leo. “Timothy’s’ blood isn’t human. It’s White Lighter blood. White Lighters’ are magical beings, just like demons. Their blood may look the same but trust me it’s not.

“I think what happened was that when the doctor did the transfusion Timothy’s blood also transferred his physical abilities to the recipient. The healing, orbing, telekinesis, flying, and other physical abilities. And when he discovered he has these new abilities he decided to use them to help people.”

“This is bad,” said Cole.

“How do you figure that?” Piper asked.

“Well, forget that it can expose magic to the mortal world,” said Cole. “There’s no guarantee this transfer is permanent. It’s very likely that the transfer is only temporary. He might not know that. If it is only temporary and he suddenly looses it, he won’t have his powers. That could put him or other innocents in danger.”

“Besides that,” said Leo, “what if he’s flying over the city sometime when his newfound powers suddenly disappear. If he falls to the street below he would probably be killed. And he might hurt or even kill someone if he falls on them.”

“Okay, now I see a problem,” said Phoebe. “At least we know who our mysterious Blue Avenger is.”

“Actually, we don’t,” said Timothy. “When Steve and I saw that news report on television we both figured out what must have happened. I did some checking. After the paramedics arrived they put him in the ambulance and transported him to the hospital. But he never got there. The paramedics said that halfway to the hospital he suddenly just disappeared from the ambulance.”

“He probably orbed out,” said Leo. “He probably didn’t even know he could do it and it was an accident. That’s how he found out about his new abilities. After that it would have been simple for him to practice and discover what other abilities he has.”

“So we’re back where we started from,” said Cole. “We have a mortal with White Lighter abilities who’s using those abilities to help people. And risking exposing magic to the mortal world. Only his powers may only be temporary and he could loose them at any minute. And we have no idea who he is or where he is now.”

“Which means the next time the Blue Avenger strikes,” said Prue, “someone could get killed.”

[noazmale]

SEVEN

“Did the doctor get any information on the man?” Prue asked.

“No,” said Timothy. “He was too busy working on keeping him alive. And when the paramedics arrived they didn’t have much time to get any more information than his vital signs and what the doctor had all ready done for him.”

“So there’s no way to find out who he is,” said Piper. “He could have been someone who was just walking down the street. He might not even be a resident of San Francisco.”

“I don’t think so,” said Cole. “He’s been helping people within a few blocks of Henderson Avenue. I think he lives around there or maybe works around there. That’s why he’s helping people in that area.”

“We still have no way to find out who this guy is until he strikes again and then it could be too late,” said Phoebe.

“That may not be true,” said Cole. “The doctor and the paramedics might not have gotten any information on the guy. But the police would have. They would need it for their report. They wouldn’t have been involved in the medical attention. They would have been more concerned with controlling the crowd and getting personal information on the man.”

“Darryl should have access to that information,” said Prue. “He can tell us who the guy is.”

“Exactly,” said Cole. “And he can also find out where the guy lives and even where he works. All we have to do is go see him.”

“And tell him what?” Phoebe asked. “He’s got the powers of a White Lighter and he may loose them at any moment? He’s liable to think we’re out of our minds.”

“Let’s find the guy first,” said Prue. “Then we can decide how best to approach him. If what Leo and Cole say is true he could be inadvertently putting the people he’s trying to protect in danger.”

“I’ll go see Darryl first thing in the morning,” said Phoebe, looking at her watch. “It’s kind of late now. He’s probably in bed. You think the Blue Avenger will hold off for another day?”

“We don’t have much choice,” said Piper. “We’ll just have to hope we can find him and get to him before he puts anyone else in danger.”

“Leo, what do I do now?” Timothy asked.

“You need to tell the Elders what happened,” said Leo. “They need to know what’s going on.”

“I’m afraid to,” said Timothy. “That’s why I came to you. I can’t go to the Elders. Leo, I’ve only been a White Lighter for a month. What if they decide they made a mistake? That I’m not cut out to be a White Lighter?”

“You have to go to them,” said Leo. “They aren’t going to decide they made a mistake. You just made an error in judgment. You’re a White Lighter but you aren’t perfect. They’ll understand that. But you have to tell them what happened so they can deal with it.”

“He’s right,” said Prue. “No matter what happened, you have to take responsibility for what happened.”

“They’re right, kid,” said Cole. “I’m sure you know who I am. Who I was.”

“Of course,” said Timothy. “You’re Belthazor. All White Lighters know about you.”

“Then trust me when I tell you that you can’t run from your mistakes,” said Cole. “If you don’t own up to them sooner or later they come back to bite you in the ass. The best thing to do is just be honest, admit you made a mistake, and take whatever punishment they give with as much dignity as you can muster. In the long run you’ll be better off.”

“Well,” said Timothy thoughtfully, “You’ve all been at this a lot longer than I have. If you think it’s the best thing….”

“It is,” said Phoebe. “Take it from an expert. I made a career of trying to avoid the consequences of my actions. I’ve been learning it’s best to just tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. It’s the best thing you can do.”

“Okay,” said Timothy. “I’ll go tell the Elders.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Leo. “Believe me, there are White Lighters who have done a lot worse and are still on the job. This was an honest mistake. I’m sure the Elders will see it that way, too.”

“Fine,” said Timothy. “Thanks, Leo. I feel better with you there.”

“We shouldn’t be gone long,” said Leo.

“I’ll wait up,” said Piper.

“What do you think?” Phoebe asked. “Do you think the Elders will really understand about what happened?”

“They should,” said Piper. “After all, he was doing what White Lighters are supposed to do. Protecting the innocent. He just made a bad judgment. He wasn’t being malicious or anything. I guess he just wasn’t thinking.”

“Yeah, well the Elders aren’t real big on understanding,” said Prue. “They seem all wrapped up in their own affairs.”

“I think they’ll understand,” said Cole. “Like Leo said, there are White Lighters who have done worse and are still White Lighters. But I’m sure he’ll have to listen to a stern lecture on the dangers of not thinking before he acts.”

“Oh, I know that one by heart,” said Phoebe.

“You should,” said Prue. “Grams gave to it you nearly every day.”

“He should be okay,” said Cole. “It won’t be comfortable but he’ll survive. He seems like a nice kid.”

“Yeah, he does,” said Piper. “Now, we need to discuss what we’re going to do once we find out who our mysterious Blue Avenger is. Anyone got any ideas.”

As they waited for Leo to return, they sat discussing what their options were for San Francisco’s’ newest superhero.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

Darryl handed Phoebe a police report and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Technically, showing police reports to civilians was a big no no. But it was not the first time Darryl had let Phoebe or one of her sisters see police reports or evidence. Since it often helped them deal with matters the police weren’t equipped to deal with Darryl felt that “bending” the rules was actually helping the police.

“So, this guy is human?” Darryl whispered, as Phoebe looked the report over.

“Yeah,” said Phoebe. “Like I told you, a White Lighters’ powers were transferred to him through a blood transfusion.”

“Is that allowed?” Darryl asked. “Are White Lighters’ allowed to use their blood for transfusions?”

“No,” said Phoebe. “But the White Lighter is really young. And he’s new at the job. He couldn’t use his healing power to help the guy because it wasn’t demonically related and there were other humans around. But he didn’t think a blood transfusion would hurt.”

“But White Lighters’ aren’t human, are they?” Darryl asked.

“No, they aren’t,” said Phoebe. “Timothy – that’s the White Lighter – I guess he was just a bit overzealous. And he didn’t realize what using his blood for a transfusion would do to a human.”

“So, what do you guys plan to do about it?” Darryl asked.

“We aren’t sure,” said Phoebe. “We can’t vanquish him. He’s not a demon. In fact, he’s helping people. And frankly, I’m not sure what we can do about him. We’re thinking about letting the Elders deal with it. He may not technically be a White Lighter but he has their powers.”

“Well at least it’s nice to know it’s not a demon this time,” said Darryl. “Just some nutcase with White Lighter powers who thinks he’s a superhero.”

“He’s not a nutcase,” said Phoebe. “He’s probably someone who just suddenly found himself able to do things no one else can do. And he must be a very caring person to take on the personae of a superhero.”

“Well, just find him fast,” said Darryl. “Another incident like that one that showed up on television and someone may decide to look into it further. I’m not sure how much I can help if that happens.”

“Don’t worry,” said Phoebe. “We’ll take care of it. And with this information we should be able to track down Mr. Jessup Worthington without a problem.”

“Maybe not,” said Darryl. “According to the investigating officer, he quite his job just after the accident. And he hasn’t been home since then either. I guess he’s throwing himself into the role of a superhero completely.”

“We’ll find him,” said Phoebe. “Any idea what he was doing on the street the day he was injured?”

“No,” said Darryl, “but there’s a comic book store a couple of blocks down. The owner said he collected them. Apparently he had quite a collection of comic books.”

“Comic books?” Phoebe asked. “He’s, what, forty-three? And he collects comic books?”

“They’re big business,” said Darryl. “Some of them can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. And Mr. Worthington apparently had quite a collection of some very rare, and extremely valuable, comic books.”

“Okay, thanks Darryl,” said Phoebe. “We appreciate the help.”

“Just don’t let anyone know where you got the information,” said Darryl. “I don’t want to have to be explaining to my captain why I’m giving sensitive reports to a civilian.”

“No problem,” said Phoebe. “He won’t hear about it from me. Thanks again.”

Darryl went to put the police report away as Phoebe headed for the exit.

* * *

“So, still a White Lighter?” Prue asked after Leo and Timothy had orbed back into the manor.

“Yes, I am,” said Timothy smiling. He seemed more relaxed than he had on his previous visit. “Leo was right. The Elders were understandably upset but they did understand what had happened. They said the same think Leo said. That it was bad judgment on my part but completely unintentional. I got this long lecture about thinking before I acted but I was worried for nothing.”

“Well, that’s nice of them,” said Piper.

“Anyway,” said Leo, “since this Blue Avenger is not technically a White Lighter there’s not a whole lot the Elders can do about him. He suggests we find him as quickly as possible.”

“Then what?” Piper asked.

“We have to convince him not to be the Blue Avenger anymore,” said Cole. “He might think he’s helping people but he’s putting everyone’s life at stake, including his own. Not to mention he’s risking exposing magic.”

“And what if we can’t convince him?” Prue asked. “What then?”

“Well you do have a couple of options,” said Leo. “You could bind his powers. Or strip them so he can’t use them again.”

“Wouldn’t that be taking away his free will or something?” Timothy asked.

“Not really,” said Leo. “They aren’t forcing him to do anything against his will. They’d just be taking away a dangerous weapon from a child, so to speak. Not much different from taking a loaded pistol away from a young child.”

“I guess I can come up with a power stripping potion,” said Piper. “But in order for us to use it we have to know who this Blue Avenger is.”

“His name is Jessup Worthington,” said Phoebe, coming into the living room. “Until the accident he was an accountant in one of the big businesses downtown. Just after the accident he suddenly quit. And according to Darryl he hasn’t been home since the accident. And get this. He collects comic books.”

“Comic books?” Prue asked. “What kind of adult reads comic books?”

“Lots of them do, actually,” said Timothy. “Before I became a White Lighter I used to collect them. Some of them can be real valuable.”

“That’s what Darryl said,” said Phoebe. “Which probably explains why he became a superhero when he got his White Lighter abilities. He was an accountant spending most of his time crunching numbers. And probably no one ever gave him a second thought. He was unmarried so he didn’t have a family to occupy his time.”

“That makes sense,” said Leo. “Then he gets his powers and he suddenly finds that he can be an important person. Even if it is with a mask. People will look up to him and respect him like they do the superheroes in the comics.”

“Right,” said Cole. “That would also explain the strange language he used in the alley. He was actually talking like one of those superheroes from the comics.”

“How would you know how the superheroes talk?” Phoebe asked coyly.

“I have a very well rounded education,” Cole said.

“Well,” said Phoebe, “at least we know who we’re looking for now. But if he quit his job and isn’t going home we don’t have anyway to track him down.”

“Not necessarily,” said Timothy.

“You have an idea?” Prue asked.

“Well, it’s a long shot,” said Timothy. “But if he was a serious collector I doubt if he’s given up on that just because he’s a superhero now. It might be the one thing that he’s really passionate about. If that’s true he might continue to collect comics he doesn’t have yet.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Cole. “It’s very possible that collecting comics was the one bright spot in an otherwise unremarkable life. He is trying to emulate superheroes. It stands to reason he’d want to keep fueling that passion.”

“Darryl said there was a comic book store a couple of blocks from the accident site,” said Phoebe.

“It’s probably his regular hangout,” said Timothy. “Most serious collectors have a regular supplier. Someone who keeps a lookout for specific books they’re looking for. That store might be Worthington’s connection.”

“If that’s true,” said Prue, “then he might still be going there. All we have to do is keep an eye on the store until he shows up.”

“Darryl gave me a picture of the guy,” said Phoebe. “It’s his drivers’ license pic but it’s all Darryl could find.”

She handed the photograph to Timothy.

“Considering that this is kind of your fault,” said Phoebe, “I figure you can help set it right. You can watch the store until he shows up. Then you can notify Leo and he can orb us there.”

“Well, I guess it would help calm the Elders some if I did,” said Timothy.

“Okay,” said Piper. “I’ll start on the power stripping potion. With a little luck we should be able to put this all behind us very soon.”

As Timothy orbed out of the manor Piper headed for the kitchen to start preparing the power-stripping potion.

[noazmale]

NINE

“Are you sure this is where Timothy said to meet him?” Prue asked as they stood outside a small comic book store on Henderson Avenue. “It doesn’t look like much.”

“This is the place,” said Leo. “He said that Worthington was inside talking to the owner about some comic he was looking for. Timothy seemed kind of excited about it.”

“Well, let’s go in so we can at least find out what this Worthington looks like,” said Piper.

“We’ll have to wait until he leaves,” said Cole. “We can’t risk a confrontation with humans around. There’s no telling what Worthington will do once we confront him.”

They walked into the store. It was lined with row after row of boxes containing a huge assortment of comic books. Timothy was standing near the door thumbing through a comic. He glanced at them as they entered. He looked toward the back of the store and then walked over to them.

“That’s him up by the register,” said Timothy, indicating an older man talking with another man behind the counter. “They’re talking about issue number seventy-nine of The Hero Legion. It’s very rare and worth a fortune. I wish I had one of those.”

“Focus,” said Prue. “We’re here to stop the Blue Avenger, remember? Not add to our collection.”

“I know,” said Timothy. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We wait until he leaves before we confront him,” said Cole. “We have to find some place secluded so nobody sees us.”

“That could be difficult,” said Timothy. “I overheard him tell Mac, he’s the owner, that he’s going down the street to a restaurant for lunch.”

“We have to do something,” said Leo. “The longer we wait the more chances there will be that he’ll come across a crime. If that happens he’ll probably go into superhero mode.”

“I could freeze the place,” said Piper. “Leo, you could orb him to the manor where we could talk to him privately.”

“Yeah, and freak him out completely,” said Cole. “This guy is a nutcase. There’s no telling what he’ll do if we start orbing him all over creation.”

“I don’t think so,” said Timothy. “He seems very intelligent. And I haven’t seen anything to indicate he’s unbalanced or anything.”

“Come on,” said Piper. “The man collects comic books for crying out loud. That’s not exactly normal behavior for a grown adult.”

“Actually,” said Timothy.

“We can discuss the philosophical aspects of adults reading comic books later,” said Prue. “Right now we have to figure out a way to get him alone so we can put an end to the Blue Avenger.”

“I have an idea,” said Timothy. “I could tell him I have a really rare comic book. Maybe one he’s looking for. Then I tell him I live nearby and suggest we go there to get the comic. I’ll lead him into an alley as a shortcut and you guys can deal with him there.”

“I gotta say,” said Phoebe, “it sounds like pretty good plan to me.”

“It beats waiting around until we can find an opportunity,” said Prue. “You think you can convince him?”

“There’s an alley about half a block north of here,” said Timothy, smiling. “You guys wait there and we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Phoebe and I will wait in here,” said Cole. “In case something goes wrong or Timothy needs help or something. You guys can wait in the alley for them to show up.”

“Just be careful,” said Leo. “We don’t want to spook him.”

“He’ll never know we’re here,” said Cole.

Prue, Piper, and Leo left the store as Phoebe and Cole pretended to browse the comics. Timothy casually made his way toward the back of the store until he was standing near the counter.

“I’ll keep my eye out for it, Jessup,” said the man behind the counter. “But I have to tell you finding a Hero Legion seventy-nine is going to be difficult. It’s one of the rarest books out there. I haven’t even seen one in several years.”

“Thanks, Mac,” said Worthington. “I know you’ll do your best. I appreciate all the help.”

“Excuse me,” said Timothy, “I couldn’t help but overhear. Did you say you were looking for a Hero Legion seventy-nine?”

“Yes,” said Worthington. “You wouldn’t know where I could get one, would you?”

“Actually,” said Timothy, “I have one. In fact, I have three. Are you a collector?”

“Yes, I am,” said Worthington. “I have quite a collection. I have an original Black Mercenary in mint condition. And I also have a first issue Hyperman in mint condition. And it’s signed by the author himself.”

“Wow,” said Timothy. “I have a first edition Hyperman but it’s not signed. What about the rest of Hero Legion? You have the rest of them?”

“Most of them,” said Worthington. “In fact I have several multiple issues. Some are easier to get than others.”

“Don’t I know it,” said Timothy. “I grew up with Hero Legion. I have almost every issue. My dad used to give them to me for birthdays, Christmas, whenever he gave me presents. That’s how I got the extra issues of issue seventy-nine.”

“Would you be willing to sell one?” Worthington asked. “I’d be willing to pay fair market value for it.”

“Actually,” said Timothy, “you wouldn’t happen to have issue fourteen of Magnatron? I’ve been looking everywhere for it.”

“As a matter of fact,” said Worthington, “I have one in mint condition. You want to trade Magnatron for Hero Legion?”

“Sure,” said Timothy. “I have the complete set of Hero Legion. But I’m only missing Magnatron fourteen. If I could get an issue of it I’ll have the entire set.”

“But Hero Legion is worth at least three times what Magnatron is worth,” said Worthington. “I’d feel like I was cheating you.”

“But,” said Timothy, “with issue fourteen I’ll have a complete set. That will make the set more valuable. And I’ll still have two issues of Hero Legion.”

“Well, Jessup,” said the man behind the counter, “sounds like you got a good deal there. Hey kid, would you be interested in selling the other Hero Legion?”

“Maybe,” said Timothy. “Or maybe we could work out a trade. There are a number of others I’m always looking for.”

“Great,” said the man. “Bring the Hero Legion in and after I authenticate it we’ll see what we can do.”

“Okay,” said Timothy. He turned back to Worthington. “You know, I only live a couple of blocks from here. If you have time we could go get it and then go get the Magnatron. Assuming you’re willing to trade even up.”

‘Willing?” Worthington questioned. “I’ve been looking for that issue for years. And I’m more than willing to part with a Magnatron fourteen for it. I was going to go get some lunch but I suppose I could postpone it for half an hour or so.”

“Great,” said Timothy. “Come on. I have it tucked neatly away in its wrapper. We should be there in about ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Mac,” said Worthington. “I’ll see you next week.”

“Sure thing, Jessup,” said Mac.

“So, your parents weren’t upset that you obviously spent a great deal of money on comic books?” Worthington asked as they headed for the store exit.

“No,” said Timothy. “My dad was an executive at Heroes Limited. That’s how I got started collecting in the first place. He’d always pick up a copy of the new issues right after they were printed.”

“Lucky you,” said Worthington. “What about the individual Hero Legion superheroes? You have any of their collections, too?”

“Actually,” said Timothy, “I have a complete set of Firebringer, Earthquake, She Phantasm, Hyperboy, and Manspider. I’m still looking for some issues of the others so if you come across them maybe we can do some more trading in the future.”

“The kid’s good,” said Cole as he and Phoebe followed the two out of the store. “It seems he and Worthington have a great deal in common.”

“Lucky for us,” said Phoebe. “I had no idea who or what they were talking about. It’s been a long time since those Saturday morning cartoons.”

“Well,” said Cole, looking around the street, “we’d better hurry. They’ll be getting to the alley in a couple of minutes. The others might need our help.”

Phoebe and Cole followed Timothy and Worthington toward the alley as the others waited for them in the alley.

[noazmale]

TEN

“Mr. Worthington, we need to have a chat,” said Prue as she, Piper, and Leo stepped out from behind a dumpster halfway down the alley.

“What?” questioned Worthington, glancing behind him to see Phoebe and Cole coming up the alley behind him. “What is this?”

“Jessup, please,” pleaded Timothy. “Their here to help.”

“Help?” questioned Worthington. “Help how?”

“Mr. Worthington,” said Piper, “look, we know you’re the Blue Avenger. And you’re in more danger than you know. We just want to talk to you, that’s all.”

“Blue Avenger?” Worthington asked, feigning ignorance. “You must be mistaken.”

“No, Jessup, we aren’t,” said Timothy. “We were able to track you down. Look, you don’t know what’s really going on. And Piper is right. You’re in danger. Serious danger. We just want to help you, that’s all.”

Worthington looked at the five and then he suddenly glamoured. Instead of the forty-something, slightly overweight, partially balding innocuous man he was now the Blue Avenger. He looked just like the drawings in the comic books. He was a lean, very muscular figure, complete with mask and cape.

“So, villains,” said Worthington, “you have discovered my secret. It will do you no good. I have right on my side. I fight for truth and righteousness. I protect the weak and innocent. You cannot hope to stand against me.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” said Cole. “Enough all ready with the cliché rhetoric. You’re not a superhero. And you have no idea the kind of danger you’re putting yourself and others in. Just listen to what we have to say.”

“Nay, villain,” said Worthington. “I will not listen to your lies. I am the Blue Avenger and evil cannot stand against me.”

“Leo,” said Piper, “show our friend here that he’s not the only one who can pull that little trick.”

Leo hesitated for a minute. He wasn’t sure the Elders would approve of this. But they were trying to protect an innocent. He’d just have to hope that if they learned about it they’d understand. Suddenly Leo glamoured and stood facing the Blue Avenger, a virtual exact copy of the superhero.

“How can this be?” Worthington asked. “There can be only one Blue Avenger.”

“You’re not the Blue Avenger,” said Prue, holding up a potion vial. “Now this can take away your powers forever. If you don’t talk with us now I’m going to use this and end your superhero days forever.”

“That will not happen, villain,” said Worthington. “I will not be thwarted by your evil. There are too many innocents to protect. I cannot allow you to leave them unprotected.”

Before anyone could move, Worthington suddenly orbed and was gone.

“Great,” said Piper. “Now we’ve lost him again. How are we going to find him?”

“Timothy, stay with then,” said Leo. “Once he comes to rest I’ll let you know where he is and you can bring them to me.”

“You know where he’s going?” Phoebe asked.

“No,” said Leo, “but I can follow his orb trail. Especially considering he hasn’t had much practice with it I should be able to follow it easily.”

“Just be careful,” said Cole. “He knows about us now. There’s no telling what he’s liable to do.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Leo. “Just wait for my call. And this time let’s try not to be so confrontational. We need to get him to listen to us and that’s not going to happen if he’s defensive.”

Leo orbed out of the alley. The others looked around to make sure they were alone and then Cole and Timothy took them all back to the manor to wait for Leo’s call.

* * *

“I just thought the direct approach would work best,” said Prue. “How was I to know the guy would go all psycho on us?”

“He didn’t go psycho,” said Timothy. “He’s a superhero. They’re used to being in charge. And any confrontation causes them to switch to protective mode. The idea of a superhero is to protect those who can’t protect themselves. That’s why they have their super powers. Kind of like you guys. You have your powers to protect the innocent. It’s not so different, really.”

“You really are into this stuff, aren’t you?” Phoebe asked. “That thing about your father being an executive for a big comics company was a nice touch.”

“Oh, it’s true,” said Timothy. “Just like I told Jessup. It’s why I got started collecting in the first place.”

“Well, you certainly seem to know a lot about it,” said Cole. “But Jessup is a forty-year-old man. Collecting comic books at his age. It just seems kind of childish to me.”

“Last year,” said Timothy, “a first copy of Hero Legion signed by the author was sold at auction for just over seventeen thousand dollars.”

“For a comic book?” Piper asked.

“And there are some out there that are worth a great deal more,” said Timothy. “Comic books are a billion dollar a year business. There are people who make quite a good living buying and selling valuable comic books. It’s not just for kids. From what he told me Jessup’s collection could easily be worth a quarter of a million dollars or more. And I’m sure he has more than he told me about. We really didn’t have a lot of time to talk a lot until you guys showed up.”

“A quarter of a million dollars?” Phoebe asked. “I never knew comics could be worth so much.”

“Hero Legion is currently the most popular comic,” said Timothy. “It’s about a group of superheroes in the future who have banded together to protect the Earth against powerful aliens and supervillians. I think Jessup patterned the Blue Avenger after one of the members of that group. Her name is Avenging Angel. And she goes around thwarting petty crimes that most other superheroes don’t have time to do because they’re too busy saving the planet.”

“Well, we know where his idea came from,” said Cole. “The question now is how do we convince Worthington he’s putting people in danger?”

“I don’t know,” said Prue. “But we need to think of something. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy. Just misdirected. I’d like to think there was someway to redirect his passion in a way that’s not so dangerous. For him or others.”

“Well,” said Timothy, looking into the air, “we’re about to get our chance. Leo just contacted me. Jessup has stopped orbing. I know where he is. I guess we should be getting there.”

“You’d better orb us there,” said Cole. “I’m not sure how Worthington would react if he sees me shimmering in.”

“Good idea,” said Prue. “Okay, Timothy. You seem to be our taxi for the moment. Orb away.”

They all linked arms and Timothy orbed them out of the manor.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

Timothy orbed them all into a small house. They were standing in a kitchen similar to the one at the manor. Leo was standing by a door looking through it as they orbed in. He glanced into the other room and them moved over to them.

“He’s in the living room,” Leo whispered. “He’s still in his Blue Avenger personae. He seems to be organizing his comic book collection. And let me tell you, it’s huge. There must be thousands of them in there.”

“Let me talk to him first,” suggested Timothy. “He might feel less threatened with me than the rest of you.”

“Just so he’ll listen to us,” said Prue. “Otherwise we’ll have no choice but to strip his powers.”

“I’ll do the best I can,” said Timothy. “Just don’t come in until I have a chance to put him at ease.”

Timothy cautiously walked over to the kitchen door. He hesitated for a moment and then slowly walked into the living room.

“Jessup, we need to talk,” Timothy said.

Worthington spun around to face Timothy. He put his hands on his hips in a traditional superhero stance.

“So, villain, you have followed me to my secret home,” said Worthington. “You leave me no choice. I must stop you to protect innocents everywhere.”

“Jessup, it’s me, Timothy,” said Timothy. “My friends are in the kitchen. They just want to talk to you. They aren’t villains and neither am I. We’re your friends. It’s really important.”

“How do I know this isn’t some sort of trick?” Worthington asked. “To put me off my guard so you can attack me?”

“If we wanted to do that,” said Timothy, “we could have done that in the alley. Please, Jessup, this is more serious than you realize. All I ask is that you listen to my friends and hear what they have to say. Please. Do it for me.”

“Well,” said Worthington. “I suppose it can’t hurt to listen to them. But you’ve seen what I can do. If they try anything at all they won’t be able to stop me.”

“Thanks,” said Timothy.

Cautiously the rest of the group moved from the kitchen to the living room. Worthington looked at them defensively. They all knew that if he got spooked he’s just orb out again. And this time they might not get him to agree to listen to them.

“Mr. Worthington,” said Prue, “I want to apologize for the alley. I didn’t mean to spook you like that. Like Timothy said, we just want to talk to you.”

“I’m listening,” said Worthington.

“Mr. Worthington,” said Leo, “We know what happened to you. We know about the accident and about the blood transfusion you received. Timothy was the one who donated his blood to keep you alive.”

“That was you?” Worthington asked Timothy. “I never did learn who it was that saved my life.”

“Yes, it was me,” said Timothy. “And you got your newfound powers from me. My blood transferred my powers to you.”

“Your powers?” Worthington asked.

“Yes,” said Leo. “My name is Leo. Timothy is what’s called a White Lighter. So am I. We have special powers to help people. Powers that Timothy’s blood apparently transferred to you.”

“Are all of you these White Lighters?” Worthington asked.

“No,” said Piper. “I’m Piper Halliwell. These are my sisters Prue and Phoebe. My sisters and I are witches. Leo and Timothy are our helpers, so to speak. That’s why they have their powers. To help us when we help others.”

“What about him?” Worthington asked, looking at Cole. “Is he a White Lighter?”

“No, I’m something different,” said Cole. “My name is Cole Turner and I’m on their side. I’m not a threat to you. None of us our.”

“Okay,” said Worthington. “I wondered where my powers came from. I guess now I know.”

“Yes,” said Phoebe. “Only we don’t know if your powers are permanent or not. You could loose them at any time. If you do you could be seriously hurt.”

“I remember you,” said Worthington. “You and he were in the alley the other day. When I got shot. Even bullets can’t harm me any longer. I’m invulnerable.”

“Not exactly,” said Leo. “You do have one vulnerability you haven’t learned about yet. They’re called Dark Lighters. They carry crossbows that are poisoned and they can kill you.”

“Well, all superheroes have a weakness,” said Worthington. “Now I know what mine is. I’ll be sure to avoid these Dark Lighters.”

“You aren’t listening to us,” said Prue. “You could loose your powers at any minute. If that happens you’ll be just as vulnerable as any other human. And you could be putting the very people you’re trying to protect in danger.”

“Or I might never loose my powers,” said Worthington. “You said yourself you didn’t know. And I’m helping people. People the police can’t protect. That’s worth the risk. As long as I can help even one person it’s worth the risk. And if you try to pull out that small bottle you had earlier that’s supposed to take away my powers I’ll be gone before you can get it out.”

“Jessup, please,” said Timothy. “It’s dangerous. Not just to you but all those you’re trying to protect.”

“The danger is worth the risk,” said Worthington. “Crime is rampid in the streets. The police can’t be everywhere. Criminals walk free on technicalities. I’m the only one who can protect them.”

“No, that’s what we’re for,” said Prue. “We’re the Charmed Ones. Our job is to protect the innocent. You’re just a human who’s been the victim of some bad judgment, that’s all. Timothy had the best of intentions trying to help you. But humans were never meant to have White Lighter powers.”

“But I do have them,” said Worthington. “And no matter what you say I still have to be the Blue Avenger. Someone once said with great power comes great responsibility. I have these powers. That means I have a responsibility to use them to protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

“So you won’t stop?” Phoebe asked. “No matter what we say?”

“I can’t,” said Worthington. “Fate has deemed me worthy to be given these powers. And like I said. I have a responsibility to protect the innocent. Regardless of what you say.”

They all looked at Worthington. Prue thought about the vial in her pocket. If she were fast enough she could use it before he orbed out. But if she weren’t fast enough Worthington would disappear as he had before. And before they could find him again he might decide to help another innocent victim of a crime. And if he lost his powers before then someone might die.

[noazmale]

TWELVE

“I am protector of the weak and defenseless,” Timothy said suddenly. “I oppose evil wherever I may find it. I will use my powers to provide aid and comfort wherever it is needed. And I will be true to my calling as the defender of the innocent. This I swear by all that is good and holy.”

“You know the code?” Worthington asked.

“Of course,” said Timothy. “Any serious collector does.”

“What code?” Phoebe asked.

“What I just said,” said Timothy. “It’s the creed of the Hero Legion. It’s an oath they take when they join the Legion. A vow to always use their powers for good and the protection of the innocent.”

“Then you understand,” said Worthington. “You know I can’t just turn my back on them. I’ve taken that oath. It’s what I stand for now.”

“You’ve forgotten one thing,” said Timothy. “The second part of the code. It was only given twice. The first time was in the first issue, of course. To let the readers know what the Legion stood for.”

“I remember,” said Worthington. “I guess it was just economically more feasible to include only the first part in later issues. To save on printing costs.”

“Yes,” said Timothy. “But it was given a second time. In issue thirty-six. Remember? When Black Hawks’ powers seemed to be going hair wire and he couldn’t seem to control them.”

“I remember that,” said Worthington. “But his powers were increasing. He just had to learn how to use them again. Which he did by issue thirty-nine.”

“Yes,” said Timothy. “Grey Wolf – the leader of the Legion at that time – quoted the second part of the code to Black Hawk. To remind him why he became a superhero in the first place.”

“I know,” said Worthington.

“And let me never forget,” Timothy quoted, “that my responsibility is to protect and safeguard those that cannot protect and safeguard themselves. That I must never endanger or cause harm to those I am tasked to protect. That I am accountable for the good and ill that I do. And may I never place my own desires over the welfare and safety of those I protect. That first and foremost I am a servant of those I protect. And I will cause no harm.”

“It’s not the same thing,” said Worthington. “Black Hawk couldn’t control his powers. He was putting the innocent in danger with his uncontrollable power. I can control my power. It’s not the same thing at all.”

“Remember what Grey Wolf told Black Hawk?” Timothy said. “He said that not controlling his powers was only part of Black Hawk’s problem. He was also putting his own desire to be the savior of mankind over his duty to protect the innocent.

“It’s exactly the same thing. Don’t you see? Your powers could end at any minute or you could have them forever. But that’s only part of the problem. Just like Black Hawk, you’re putting your desire – your need – to be their savior over the safety of the innocent you’re trying to protect. What happens if your powers suddenly stop and an innocent you’re trying to protect gets hurt because of it? Can you honestly say that’s worth the risk?”

Worthington just looked at Timothy. Suddenly Worthington glamoured and returned to his normal, non-superhero self.

“My God,” said Worthington. “What was I thinking? How could I have been so selfish? I was so absorbed in all the good I was doing I never stopped to consider that someone might actually get hurt. If you’re right, and I do suddenly loose my powers, someone could get hurt. Or killed. How could I have been so blind?”

“Yeah, that would be the euphoria created by suddenly gaining your powers,” said Piper. “We’ve all been there, trust me.”

“The good thing,” said Prue, “is that you’re finally listening to reason. Look, Worthington….”

“Please, call me Jessup,” said Worthington.

“Okay, Jessup,” said Prue. “Look, we aren’t telling you not to help people. It would be a shame to have your powers and not help people. We’re just saying that the superhero biz is not the best choice, that’s all. We just have to figure out a way for you to be able to help people without putting anyone at risk.”

“You think I can?” Jessup asked. “I can still help people?”

“Sure,” said Cole. “Look at Leo and Timothy. They help people all the time. In fact, Timothy helped you when you needed it. And no one was ever put in danger because of it. Well, not directly, anyway.”

“It did cure me of my hemophilia,” said Jessup. “I’m not a bleeder any more. I don’t have to worry about that any more.”

“That and any other medical problems you might have had,” said Leo. “The Elders said the transfusion would have acted like our natural healing ability. If you had any medical conditions the White Lighter blood would have cured them.”

“Elders?” Jessup questioned.

“Yeah, you’ll learn all about them,” said Piper. “Right now I suggest we get back home. We may have persuaded you not to be a superhero anymore but we still have to figure out what you’re going to do next. And before we can do that we have to figure out if your powers are permanent or temporary.”

“The Elders can probably help with that,” said Leo. “Now that he’s not orbing all over the place they should be able to determine what affect the transfusion has had on him. Of course, that will mean taking him up there so they can look him over.”

“Up where?” Jessup asked.

“Don’t worry,” said Timothy. “Leo and I will be with you the whole time. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. The Elders are kind of our bosses. They know just about everything.”

“Well, not everything,” said Leo. “But they will be able to help us figure a few things out. Cole, can you see the girls’ get home okay?”

“Sure, be glad to,” said Cole.

“What about my collection?” Jessup asked.

“It should be okay until we get back,” said Leo. “And once we get back you can move back into your own house.”

“Oh, this is my house,” said Jessup. “I inherited it from my mother when she died. I haven’t been able to rent it out recently so it’s been empty. That’s why I decided to make it my secret hideout.”

“We’ll wait for you at the manor,” said Prue. “Maybe we can figure out what Jessup can do now. I’m sure we can come up with something. We just have to give it some thought.”

The girls linked arms and Cole took Phoebe’s hand. Then he shimmered them out of the house, returning to the manor.

“What was that?” Jessup asked.

“It’s called shimmering,” said Timothy.

“Well, he said he’s not a White Lighter,” said Jessup. “So, what kind of being can do this shimmering?”

“That’s going to take a little explaining,” said Leo.

Together, Leo and Timothy orbed Jessup to the White Lighter realm.

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

“You were certainly gone a long time,” Piper said as Leo orbed back into the manor the next morning.

“There was a lot of discussion about what happened,” Leo said.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Prue asked. “Does Jessup have to worry about loosing his powers any time soon?”

“Apparently not,” said Leo. “The transfusion seems to have permanently given him the physical powers of a White Lighter?”

“Physical powers?” Phoebe asked.

“Yes,” said Leo. “Orbing, self healing, the ability to heal others, telekinesis, flying, all the powers associated with his physical body. But he doesn’t have any of our other abilities. He can’t communicate telepathically with one of us and he doesn’t speak any additional languages.”

“You speak other languages?” Piper asked.

“Just the ones’ for countries where I have charges,” said Leo. “I couldn’t help them very much if we couldn’t communicate.”

“So physically he’s a White Lighter,” said Leo. “What about your immortality?”

“The Elders couldn’t determine that,” said Leo. “They don’t think so but they can’t be sure.”

“Well, we’ve been talking about it,” said Piper. “We can’t seem to decide the best course of action for Jessup. What does he do with his powers now?”

“The Elders have taken care of that,” said Leo. “First, he’s going to go through the same training all White Lighters go through. So that he’ll be up to speed on the do’s and don’ts of what his powers are to be used for. When he’s done with that they’re going to use him as a sort of liaison. Running errands and things they need done. That will free up a real White Lighter to take on more charges.”

“What does he think about that?” Prue asked.

“He thinks it’s great,” said Leo. “One of his responsibilities will be to apply some very judicially approved healing in certain circumstances. You’ve all heard stories about people who seemed to be miraculously cured over night.”

“Yeah, we have,” said Piper. “Those are White Lighters?”

“A lot of them are,” said Leo. “There are times when it’s necessary to provide the medical community with a little extra help. The Elders decide when and where those times are so we don’t have to worry about Jessup healing someone he’s not supposed to. But he likes the idea. He says he can help people and still stay true to the oath he took with that Legion code Timothy told us about.”

“Speaking of Timothy,” said Prue, “I figured he’d be coming back with you.”

“He and Jessup are spending some time together,” said Leo. “The Elders figure it’s a good idea if he and Timothy talk some so that Timothy can prepare him for his new duties.”

“Timothy is kind of new at this himself,” said Cole. “Is that a good idea? Wouldn’t a more seasoned White Lighter be a better choice?”

“Well, they’ve formed kind of a bond,” said Leo. “They do have a lot in common despite the age difference. The Elders seem to think that bond will help Jessup acclimate as a pseudo White Lighter.”

“Wonder what they’re talking about?” Phoebe asked.

“What else?” Leo said. “When I left them they were having a discussion over whether someone named Black Star or Equinox was the most powerful. Those two are really into their comic books.”

“They aren’t the only ones,” said Phoebe. “I did some checking. Everything Timothy told us is true. They even have these huge conventions where comic book aficionados gather to talk, trade books, and all sorts of other things. And some of the prices of the more rare ones are unbelievable. They can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.”

“Supply and demand,” said Cole. “Everything is worth something to someone. The more people who want it and the more rare it is the higher the price.”

“Yeah, but they’re comic books,” said Prue.

“Not really much different between that and, say, a first edition Shakespeare,” said Cole. “It just all depends on what people want.”

“Well, Jessup and Timothy are becoming good friends,” said Leo. “Jessup didn’t have any family after his mother died. So Timothy has really been a big help to him. I think we’ve seen the last of the Blue Avenger.”

“Thank goodness,” said Prue. “At least it was a White Lighter Jessup got his powers from. Who knows what he would have become if say someone like Cole had given him that transfusion. Imagine the power he would have gotten from the blood of an upper level demon. And God only knows what personae he would have chosen then.”

“The Retaliator,” said Cole. “Kind of has a ring to it doesn’t it?”

The End

[charmed1994]

why re there speeding bullet