Running down the deserted streets of the warehouse district, heart pounding, lungs burning, they could hear their pursuit gaining on them. Weaving and dodging the trash scattered around, they ran, blood an sweat mixing together.

Turning into an opening in the wall, they stopped short, dead end. They knew now that their deaths were only a few minutes away. Their magic was spent, they had been battling for two days straight, never getting a chance to rest. Maybe, if they were lucky, they could take one or two with them, but they all knew that was a long shot.

It had seemed so easy when the first encountered their foe, after all, they were the stronger one's, the smarter one's, how did it all go so wrong?

They all showed the sign's of a hard fight, bloody lips, black eye's, and each was suffering from broken or sprained bone's. Looking at the other two, the oldest saw the defeat in their eye's.

"How bad are you two hurt."
"I broke my arm."
"My nose, I think, hard to see clearly, and maybe some ribs."
"Mine too." the first said.

Looking back to the entrance waiting for them to come into view, that was the hardest part. Knowing you are going to die, and having to wait for it, made it worse.

Suddenly, there they were, standing at the end of the alley, walking slowly towards them. Confident and unscathed, they spread out to keep an eye on all of them.

Stepping in front of the other two, the oldest tried to show no fear. This was it, no escape, no sudden idea's on how to get out of it. The pain of broken ribs made it hard to stand with an kind defiance. It had been just there luck to pick this particular alley, as it was total empty, not even a trash can to use against them.

Slowly advancing, one held back, giving the others room to move, knowing they would not have much of a fight from them.

'Where did we go wrong' the oldest thought. 'How did they manage to beat us?'

Suddenly, they attacked. Punishing blows rained down, from the smaller one, causing the pain of old injury's to flare up with new life, as the taller one took on the other two. Trying desperately to survive for a little longer, they back towards the wall, hoping for some small respite.

"Just end it, we can not defeat you." the oldest said, "You win, do
what you must." as they huddled in the corner, to exhausted to move, even breathing was hard now.

Leaving them were they lay, there foe's joined hands, and looking at them, started to recite a spell. As the power of the spell grew, they could feel the magic taking effect.

Screaming in agony, one by one, they fell into the endless pit of blackness that was death. The oldest one cast one last look at the enemy before succumbing, anger flashing in there eye's.

"Why do they always run?" the smaller one said to the others.
"Because that is how it goes," the middle one replied.
"They never learn, do they." said the tallest.

Leaving the alley, The Charmed Ones headed home, tired from another battle, knowing there would be more.