DISCLAIMER: I don't own the X-Men or any of their multiple incarnations. Please don't sue me or steal my story!

NOTE: In Italian, Beatrice is pronounced Bee-a-TREECH-eh. Since the great Dante wrote his Inferno in Italian, I would guess Belasco would say the name with the Italian pronounciation.

NOTE II: The opening speech (from "There..." to "What about Kurt Wagner?" ) is quoted directly from Universe X Volume 2. The descriptions in between those quotes and everything that follows is mine (except the characters themselves, of course. Those are Marvel's).
Belasco's Beatrice
By Rowena


Chapter Six

A powerful thrill of fear shocked Charles Xavier out of a restless sleep, overpowering his senses and flooding his mind with thoughts, memories, and emotions that were not his. A tall oak tree overlooking Ororo's garden; a shadowy form falling, its deep red cloak billowing out behind it; a glowing energy net; a rush of panic at the realization that the man who had fallen—a stranger with red skin and horns—was not moving.

Xavier's eyes shot open, his breath coming in short gasps as he slowly came to himself. That face he had just seen—the man with the horns... It was not the face of a stranger.

The old man swallowed, forcing his breathing to slow to normal as he reached for the intercom switch by his bed. He could have contacted Scott through a direct telepathic link, but this late at night he was most likely asleep. The Professor figured it would be best not to wake him in such an intrusive way. Besides, his wife, Jean, was away at a conference so he wouldn't have to worry about waking her as well.

Flicking the switch, Xavier dragged himself up into a sitting position and leaned his back against the headboard.

"Scott," he said. "Scott, I'm sorry to disturb your sleep but please respond."

There was a brief pause, then Scott's slightly sleep-thickened voice filled the Professor's room.

"Professor?" he yawned. "What's the problem?"

"I fear we may have an emergency on our hands," Xavier explained. "Will you please wake Hank and Ororo? And locate Anna Dvorkin and Paul Carter. I would like to have a talk with them."

"Of course, Charles," Scott assured him, although his tone was wary. "Just what is the nature of this emergency?"

Xavier sighed. "I believe Belasco has been stalking the mansion," he said softly. "Anna and Paul had the misfortune of running into him tonight on the grounds."

A muffled hiss that sounded remarkably like a swear came over the intercom. Xavier frowned.

"Scott," he said sharply, "would you happen to know anything about this?"

Scott sighed deeply. "I— You remember Ororo's accident some three nights ago?"

"Yes, of course. She had to wear a neck brace for two days."

"Well, it wasn't an accident." Scott admitted. "It was Belasco. Ororo went to see him that night. I'm not sure, but it's possible that's the reason he's come here now."

Xavier straightened, his lips tightening in anger. "Why wasn't I told," he demanded.

"Well, we—"

"Belasco is a cruel, calculating demon, one of the few enemies we X-Men have left!" Xavier interrupted angrily. "If you knew about this, you should have stopped her, Scott! You should have known Belasco would see her overtures as a weakness on our part, a weakness he could manipulate! And now he's come here to this school, threatening our students! I can't believe you would be so short-sighted, so—"

"I know!" Scott snapped, cutting him off. "You're right. I should have stopped her. But I didn't. I couldn't! And you know why as well as I do."

Xavier closed his eyes against a sudden, painful lump in his throat. "Kurt is dead, Scott," he said at last, his voice hoarse and quiet. "He's not coming back. I know it's hard to accept, but—"

"I know," Scott sighed. "Belasco can use our hope against us. It's just...it's so unfair, Professor! Why Kurt? He doesn't deserve this."

"No," Xavier agreed softly. "He doesn't. But there's nothing we can do about it. If we accept that, Belasco will no longer hold any power over us.

"Now, go wake the others—and be sure to keep this quiet. I don't want to start a panic among the students. I'll meet you at the oak tree by Ororo's garden in five minutes. Be prepared. We might have to go into...aggressive negotiations."#

"Yes, sir," Scott acknowledged. "I understand."

Xavier cut the transmission, then leaned back against the headboard, his shoulders sagging and his head lowered. He had known this would happen sooner or later, that Belasco would return. His hatred for the X-Men, and for Xavier in particular, was too deep-seated to lay dormant for long. Xavier just hadn't expected that the prospect of seeing him again would hurt so much.

Shaking those dark sentiments from his mind, Xavier hoisted himself into his electric wheelchair and headed for the door. From what he had gathered from the minds of the two students who had encountered him, Belasco was unconscious. If they worked fast, they could have him securely contained in the sub-basement before dawn. Then...then they would see what happened next.

#This is a Star Wars reference, I believe.

#######

The instant she got Scott's call, Ororo pulled on her bathrobe and called up a wind to lift her from her balcony window. She arrived at the oak tree just as Dr. Hank McCoy opened the side door of the mansion for Scott and the Professor. Ororo frowned, determined to do what she could to help Kurt before they arrived.

Falling to her knees, Ororo quickly brushed Belasco's blood-red cloak aside and reached for his wrist, feeling for a pulse. After a breathless moment, she found one. It was weak, but steady.

Ororo breathed a sigh of relief, then closed her eyes, running a hand through her silvery hair as a confusing swell of mixed emotions washed over her. Was it her fault that he was lying there? What had happened to him? Why had he come?

"Kurt?" she whispered into his pointed ear, glancing up warily to keep track of the others' progress across the lawn. "Kurt, can you hear me?"

There was no response. Biting her lip, Ororo reached out to take his clawed, red hand in hers, noting that once again he had tied his fingers together in twos. She squeezed his palm gently. She wanted Kurt to wake up, yet at the same time she was terrified of what might happen if he opened his eyes and it was Belasco looking up at her.

With a small sigh, she turned her attention to his bandages. It looked like he had been wearing them for days. They were filthy, blackened and frayed at the edges and covered with stains, and they probably weren't very good for his circulation either. Shaking her head slightly she started to undo the knots that kept the soiled cloths so tightly secured.

Barely had she touched his fingers when his eyes shot open, glowing dark gold in the nighttime dimness. He cried out in pain, yanking his hand away from her gentle grasp and pressing it to his chest, curling himself up into a protective ball on the grass.

"Ach, Gott," he gasped, his faintly accented voice hoarse and strained. "It hurts. Ach, Gott, Ororo, it hurts!"

Ororo jumped to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. "Kurt?" she exclaimed. "Kurt, is that you?"

"Storm!" Scott yelled, running up beside her with Hank and the Professor close behind. "What's wrong with you? Get away from him!"

"Oh, my stars and garters," Hank gasped, staring wide-eyed at the sight before him. The demon Belasco was curled up on the grass, his long tail writhing wildly behind him as he gasped with pain. At that sight, all the Professor's warnings about approaching the demon faded from his mind and his instincts as a doctor took over. Here, before him, was a man in obvious pain. It was his duty to help him, no matter the potential risk he might pose in the long term.

"We must get him to the medbay," Hank said, shooting Xavier a look that dared the old man to object. "You can question him when he's in good enough shape to answer. Scott," he ordered, crouching down beside the demon, "help me carry him inside."

Before Scott could protest, however, the demon had shot to his feet, cradling his one arm carefully against his chest as he backed menacingly into the shadows under the tree.

"Kurt," Ororo said, trying to keep her voice as gentle as possible, "they're only trying to—"

"No," the demon growled, baring his sharp fangs. His glowing eyes burned with a dark flame as he lashed his spaded tail back and forth like a whip.

"Don't you touch me," he hissed to Scott, his russet features tight with pain. "Don't any of you dare touch me!"

"Fine then," Scott snapped back, his own visor glowing dangerously. "If you don't want our help, then go away. Go back to that slum you came from and leave us alone."

The demon glared at him for a moment, his pointed teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Then, to the surprise of all four X-Men, he began to laugh. It was a low, angry sound, completely devoid of humor. Scott found he was backing away despite himself.

The demon's laughter grew louder, swelling until it began to sound slightly deranged. Then, as suddenly and as unexpectedly as it had begun, it stopped. Storm, Cyclops, Beast, and Xavier shared uncomfortable looks among themselves as the demon stepped forward, a terrifying figure despite the awkward way he held his hand against his chest.

"Fool," he spat, his narrow lip curling. "I was such a fool. To think it would be so simple, to...to think..."

He tilted his head back, the bone-chilling laughter starting up again. But this time, it was different. This time, the maniacal cackle sounded almost choked, more like an anguished sob than a laugh. The demon swayed on his feet, the laughter fading as he started to fall. Without thinking, Hank reached out a powerful, blue-furred arm to catch the slender man before he hit the grass.

"Oh my," the large mutant said, looking down at the demon's narrow face. "I do believe he's fainted."

Xavier closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind to make sure that Hank's diagnosis was correct and that the demon wasn't merely feigning unconsciousness.

"Hank is right," Xavier said, opening his eyes once more. "Get him down to the medbay and give him whatever treatment he requires. Remove whatever weapons he may be carrying and put up a forcefield around his bed. I want to be notified the moment he regains consciousness."

Hank nodded, scooping the unconscious Belasco into his thick, furry arms and loping his way back to the mansion. Scott stared after them for a moment, then turned to the Professor.

"What about the kids?" he asked. "Anna and Paul. I told them to wait for you in the foyer."

Xavier sighed. "I'll talk to them. Scott, you go down to the medbay. Make certain Belasco is safely contained. It's not that I don't trust Hank, but sometimes he gets so wrapped up in treating the patient..."

"That he forgets the danger he can pose, I know," Scott nodded, already turning to follow Hank. "I'll see to it."

"Good," Xavier nodded. Then he turned to Ororo. "Storm, I'd like you to—"

"Charles," Ororo interrupted, her expression firm. "I'm going down to the medbay as well. I, too, want to be there when Kurt wakes up."

"Ororo," Xavier said patiently, his cultured voice just a shade short of condescending. "The man we just saw was not the Kurt Wagner we knew—"

"I know that," Ororo snapped, her crystal eyes clouding angrily as her silvery hair began to rise from her shoulders. "And he never will be again, not after all he's been through. But he's still Kurt Wagner, nonetheless. And despite everything he's done, I'm not going to give up on him. He's been abandoned too many times by the people he's cared about most. I'm not about to add my name to the list."

"Storm," Xavier called out, clenching his fist in frustration as she summoned a wind to lift her into the air. "Storm!"

But his cries were futile. Ororo was already gone, leaving him alone to wheel his way back to the mansion.