Enemy From Beyond

Emeryld ran as hard as she could through the dense woods. She could hear his heavy breathing no more than ten yards behind her.

If he hadn't sprayed her with that atomizer, she'd teleport away, but when she tried, her powers failed her.

She had to get help. Hard to give Xavier her proof of the dark Beast's existence.

She had no idea of how far she has run, but she could smell beer, gun oil and sweat in front of her. *Got to reach them first, before he catches me or I'm as good as dead*

She grabbed a branch and pulled herself up into a tree, climbing higher easily. She found a hollow spot several branched up, barely big enough for her to climb into. She folded herself up in it, pretty sure she was unseen from the ground. *Thank the gods, my agility is hard-earned and natural rather than a part of my mutant powers,* she thought gratefully. *Now, if I only knew how long that spray's effect lasts! I know I can't stay here forever.*

She waited, hearing him below her. She held her breath, waiting to hear him pass. She tried once again to reach someone telepathically. *Jean, Xavier, anyone! Please! Help me! I'm lose and being pursued! Gods, someone hear me!*

"I hear you. Now be a good little girl and come out." She heard the familiar growl of Beast below. "And I'll make your death quick and easy."

*I can be heard,* she thought. *No!,* she said telepathically. *Your evil must stop! You've killed enough people. Your reign of terror has to stop!"*

*Serina!* She heard in her mind. *Where are you? Show me something.*

*Who are you?* she asked, this pattern unfamiliar to her.

*A friend and nearby,* they replied. *I know those you call out to. Xavier and Jean Grey Summers, they stated. I have an impression of where you are. I'll send help. Head north-east and you'll come to our front door. Help is on the way.*

She felt relief, *But who is it?* she thought, hearing her assailant leave to the south-east of her. She waited, till she could hear him no longer. She then jumped down, videotape in a safe place, tucked away in her belt. She climbed down and began to run north-east as fast as she could.

She's been running now for hours. Ahead of her were lights. *A trailer park,* she thought gratefully. She ran to the nearest door and began knocking.

A woman in her late forties opened the door. "Can I help you, child?" she greeted, then Serina lifted her battered, bruised and scraped face. "My lord!" she exclaimed, taking Serina by the arm. "Come here, child. You let me help you." She pulled her in, turning her head. "Paw!" she yelled. "Paw, come quick! Looks like we got us here another animal attack." She sat Serina down at the kitchen table, getting a first-aid kit.

"What on earth?!?" the older man gasped, coming into the room. "What did this to you, girl?"

Serina opened her mouth to talk, but only a hoarse gasp came out.

"Look here, Paw, her throat's been wounded," the old woman scolded, cleaning her up.

He pulled the old woman aside. "Maw, this looks more human than animal. And she's one of them there mutants. We can't be keepin' her here. The others, they'll string her up and us, too, for keepin' her here."

"We can't just throw her out there," she said softly in a worried tone. "Not for that beast, human or not, to get her again!"

"OK, OK, look Maw, I'll gather a posse and go a huntin', you get her all fixed up an' fed an' then we'll sneak her out before they know," he replied, soothing her fears.

Serina grabbed a paper and pen and began writing, painfully, handing it to Paw when she finished.

"OK, Serina," he began. "You let Maw here clean an' tend ya an' get some hot food in ya an' I'll take care of this," he told her in a gentle, fatherly voice. He left the room for a few moments, then came back with a shotgun in hand. "South-east, you say?"

She nodded as Maw placed a bowl of stew in front of her. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told his wife, kissing her tenderly. "That number she give me, they say to take her North-east to that chalet over the hill, that Worthington will take care of her till they get there."

"OK, I'll get her fed and drive her there after she's eaten and rested," she replied.

"Be careful," he told her.

"You too, my love," she said. "Come back to me safely."

(Hours later.........)

Clean, bandaged, fed and warm, Serina MacPhearson, also known as Emeryld, had fallen into a disturbed sleep. She heard the door to the trailer open and Maw scream. She ran out to see Paw's severed head on the living room floor. She grabbed Maw and keys and ran out the back door, jumping into a truck. Maw jumbled with the keys, finally getting them into the ignition. The engine fired up. As Maw put it into gear, the Beast ripped her through the driver-side window, starting to tear her apart.

Seizing the distraction, crying at the loss, Serina slid to the driver's seat. There was nothing she could do. She sped down the drive and nearly out of the trailer park. She looked into the rearview mirror to see the assailant in the back of her truck. A few yards away, he shattered the back window, dragging her out by the hair. He dragged her to a nearby tree, slamming her into its trunk. "Now," he growled, "see what your stubbornness has caused?" He gestured to all the dead bodies that littered the once habitable trailer park. The Beast was covered from head to toe in blood. Some of it his own, but most was their and hers. "Had to hit every trailer to find you." His breath was sour to her delicate sense of smell.

"All of this over you priahhhh!" He screamed in pain as her claws tore down the side of his face, leaving four deep gashed. He slammed her once again into the tree, only angering her more. She began to claw and bite, tasting all their blood from his fur as well as his own as her teeth tore his flesh. He began beating her against the tree to break the hold her teeth had on his arm.Warren Worthington saw this as he flew over, seeing her slide down the tree into unconsciousness. He began his descent when he saw him go to attack her again.

As if a reflex, he sent his bladed feathers to stop him. "Leave her be, Hank!" he shouted. "Xavier wants her alive!"

At this, the Black Beast ran for cover, and made to return to the mansion before the Archangel could get word back to Xavier.

Warren Worthington landed near the girl, lifting her unconscious form from the ground, checking to see if she was still alive. She was. As he lifted her, a tape fell from her belt. He picked it up, pocketing it, then flew home with her.

(An hour later....)

Serina awoke to find herself in a very elaborate, very comfortable bed. "Ahh, you're awake," Warren piped, moving closer to her.

She freaked. She began to thrash, her claws ripping at his arm. Once free of him, she teleported away.

(On the Black Bird.....)

"She's panicked!" Jean exclaimed, feeling the blast of power and cry for help by Emeryld. "She's gone," she announced.

"Contact Xavier," Scott told her.

(The Xavier Institute.....)

"I know, I know," Xavier replied. "I felt her as well. She is safe now. She's come home."

"Over and out," Jean replied, in a relieved tone.

Xavier turned to Bishop. "I need your help. Emeryld is on the grounds and in danger until we bring her within the walls," he stated.

"She's on monitor two, professor," Bishop replied. "The woods."

They left, finding her just inside the woods. She was dragging herself, her legs behind her. They could see where she'd been by the deep holes dug into the ground by her claws. Her face showed strain and pain, but most of all, that she was feral.

Emeryld, Xavier said telepathically, *You are safe. I am here now, beside you. Bishop will aid you into the mansion where the real Hank McCoy, the one you had me call is waiting for your return.* He watched as she lifted her battered head. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to comprehend his words.

"It's all right, you're safe now," he told her as Bishop cautiously bent to pick her up. She allowed this, closing her eyes in relief at being somewhere she knew.

(Back at Worthington's...)

Scott and Jean Summers walked in to see the no-longer-comatose Psylocke viewing a video tape. On it they heard, in the Black Beast's own words, how he had walled up the real Hank McCoy in the Beyond Building, while Warren bandaged his arm.

"This Emeryld of yours is a real wild one," Warren smiled. "But I'm afraid she fled."

"They know, Warren, every telepath within a 100-mile radius heard her." Betsy replied sweetly. "I assume she went home? She was frightened beyond belief."

"Yes," Scott replied. "Xavier has her. This Beast will have a hard time getting to her now."

"You may want to give this to him," Betsy replied.

"May we should join them," Warren stated. "If this Beast is nearby, I want you safe."

"The visit would be nice," Betsy acknowledged. "Let's get our things."

Continued in ......

Intruder Within