Templar #4: Darkness Within
Written by Jfive
Edited by Kingbob
August 1997
*******************************************************

Kingstown Airport,
Jamaica.

	"You're kidding, right?" Nathan was getting 
visibly upset. "There is no way that I'm setting foot on 
that plane."

	Beatrice ran her hands through her hair. Getting 
Nathan to board the plane was going to be a chore. "Why 
not?" She asked with thinly veiled exasperation. "What's 
so bad about flying?"

	"I am NOT getting on that plane!"

	"Not even if it means finding Daredevil?" A low 
blow, Beatrice thought, but a necessary one.

	"I-I-Let's go. I'll do anything if it means 
finding that son of a bitch." Nathan's voice had become 
very strained.

	Beatrice could 'feel' the power radiating from 
the young man. She should have used that angle earlier. 
Daredevil was a very sore point with Nathan. Less than a 
day earlier, he had witnessed Daredevil kill Ororo 
Munroe, his foster mother. "Ok, we have a few minutes. 
Why don't you go ahead and board the plane, I've got to 
make a phone call, then I'll join you."

	Nathan nodded his head. Now that he had a reason 
to be on the plane, he had seemingly gotten over his 
fear of flying. He walked towards the loading gate.

	Beatrice watched him for a moment, then she went 
to the pay phones.

	"Yes, I'd like to make a collect 
call...Beatrice." She had to wait for a moment before 
her call was connected, then she heard 'him'. "I'm in 
Jamaica...Yes, I know that I'm supposed to be looking 
for the Askani...Something came up...I need you to run a 
check on a woman, can you?...Ororo Munroe...Calm down, 
Essex. I think you ruptured my ear drum...A young man 
named Nathan? Yeah, he said she was his mother...We're 
on our way to the states...Me and Nathan...You want a 
report in person in three weeks? Can do...Yeah, bye."

	She hung up the phone and leaned back against 
the wall in the booth. Talking to Essex took so much out 
of her. He didn't understand that when you were in the 
field, things didn't always turn out the way they were 
supposed to. After a moment, she felt that she was ready 
to board the plane.

********************************************************


BEGIN INTERLUDE.

Egypt.

	Apocalypse stared at the fluid filled container. 
Inside, he could see a woman's body. He looked towards 
the person responsible for her arrival. "I CAN TELL FROM 
THE FACT SHE IS HER THAT IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. DOES ANYONE 
SUSPECT ANYTHING?"

	Revanche shook her head. "No. The fool believes 
that he killed her with those damned gauntlets of his. 
From the way the boy attacked him, I think he believes 
that she is dead also."

	"VERY GOOD, REVANCHE. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER MISSION 
FOR YOU. THIS ONE SHALL BE A LITTLE HARDER THAN THE 
PREVIOUS ONE."

	"Big deal. What is it?"

	Apocalypse smiled. It was so nice to have 
dedicated employees. "I AM HAVING DOUBTS ABOUT TWO OF MY 
LIEUTENANTS IN PARIS. I WANT YOU TO TAKE THEM AND AS 
MANY OF THEIR TEAM MEMBERS AS POSSIBLE OUT . BUT THERE 
IS A PROBLEM."

	"What is it?"

	"THEY'RE EXTERNALS."

	"Can they live without their heads?" She smiled. 
"Don't worry, boss. I'll take them down. Piece of cake."

	"I HOPE SO, REVANCHE. I REALLY DO. BECAUSE IF 
YOU DON'T, MURDOCK WILL RECIEVE SOME VERY INTERESTING 
INFORMATION."

	Her eyes lit up. "Are you threatening me?"

	"MERELY MAKING A PROMISE. REMEMBER IT. REMEMBER 
IT." He turned back to the specimen inside the 
container, effectively dismissing Revanche.

(For more on this, see ASKANI #2)

END OF INTERLUDE.

********************************************************
The Orphanage.

	"I don't care what you think, Kevin." Crystal 
said. "I still think there's something fishy about that 
Beatrice woman. I don't buy her story. It's too 
perfect."

	"I think your just overreacting, Crystal. Nathan 
knows how to make his own decisions."

	"I suppose that's why he's not here now, right 
Sherlock?" Crystal closed her suitcase, having packed 
everything that she thought she might need. "Besides 
it's not as if I'm going by myself."

	"Oh, yeah, what fool did you find to go with 
you?" Kevin asked sarcastically.

	"That 'fool' standing behind you." She answered 
with a grin.

	Kevin turned around and saw Thomas Moore. "Uhm, 
hi, sir. I didn't mean that part about you being a fool, 
honestly."

	"We've room for one more on this trip, son. 
Interested?" Thomas said with a smile.

	Interested? Hell, he'd almost kill to be going 
with them, and here he was being offered a chance. 
"Sure. Let me get some stuff packed real quick, then 
I'll be ready.

********************************************************
Miami International Airport.

Miami, Florida.

	"I'm never, let me repeat, NEVER flying on the 
same plane with you again." Beatrice said to Nathan as 
they waited for their baggage. "That has to be the worst 
trip I've ever taken."

	"Hey. I didn't know that I was going to get air 
sickness. I'm sorry." Nathan mumbled.

	"You should have. God, you threw up all over me 
and the two men in front of us. I was SO embarrassed." 
She shot back, loud enough for others to hear.

	*SHUT UP*

	She jumped, shocked that Nathan had shouted that 
loud. She turned to apologize to the people around her, 
then she realized that they hadn't heard Nathan. Only 
she had. Telepathy. *Don't yell at me. I don't care if 
it is telepathy.*

	*Sure, whatever.*

	She smiled and turned back to wait for the 
luggage. She yelped as someone pinched her on her butt. 
Turning quickly she saw that no one was close enough to 
have done it. Then she remembered that Nathan was not 
only a telepath. He also had telekinesis. She gave him a 
look that would have frozen hell and then turned around.

********************************************************
Senatobia, Mississippi.

	Beatrice pulled off of the Interstate onto the 
exit that led to a little rest area. She leaned back in 
the seat, trying to stretch her knotted muscles out, but 
it was to no avail.

	Nathan woke up when his body noticed the change 
in speed. He saw a sign that said: 'Welcome to Tupalo'. 
He wondered how long he had been asleep. He remembered 
going to sleep just west of Tallahassee, but he didn't 
know where exactly Tupalo was.

	Noticing her companion's movement, Beatrice 
spoke. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to 
sleep the whole trip."

	"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

	"About thirteen hours. Give or take a little."

	"Why didn't you wake me up? I could have taken 
over the driving, and you could have gotten some sleep."

	"It doesn't matter. We're just a little ways 
from our destination anyway. Then we can begin 
investigating Daredevil's supposed sighting last week."

	Their destination was a small town in 
Northeastern Mississippi. A town called Strayhorn. In 
Miami, they had learned of a supposed sighting of 
Daredevil not long ago. With no other leads, they had 
rented a car and hit the road.

	Nathan climbed out of the car and stretched his 
weary bones. It had been a long trip. He looked across 
the roof and watched Beatrice stretching also. "I'll 
drive the rest of way."

	"Ok. I need a little while to recover anyway."

	Heeding the call of nature, Nathan walked to the 
restrooms. When he was washing his hands, he overheard a 
conversation taking place between two other men in the 
room.

	"I don't know. I'll come out there, but I'm not 
sure it's for me." He said as he used the electric hand 
dryer.

	"Yeah, that's what I thought at first. But they 
taught me about all of these damned immigrants, niggers, 
and fuckin' muties that are comin' in and takin' our 
jobs. We've got to do something about it." The other man 
said while waiting to use the dryer. "The Klan is the 
place to be. We need all of the able bodied whites we 
can get. So come on out tonight."

	From his lessons in school, Nathan could 
remember who and what the Klan was. What he didn't know 
was how Beatrice would react when he told her he was 
going to a Klan meeting tonight.

********************************************************


	"I don't believe this! You drag me all the way 
across half of America on a wild goose chase, and face 
it Nathan, that's all your hunt for Daredevil is, and 
now you want me to help you break up a KKK rally. Do I 
have a sign on my forehead that says STUPID?" Beatrice 
was pissed.

	"I didn't ask you to go. I said I'm going. If 
you want to go, fine. If not, stay here and I'll meet up 
with you later." Nathan said.

	Beatrice turned on him then. "Look, pipsqueak, 
if it wasn't for me, you never would have gotten off 
that god-forsaken island that you called home. So drop 
this holier than thou bullshit. If you don't watch 
yourself, buddy, you'll find out soon enough how hard it 
is to be alone."

	Too long cooped up in a single automobile had 
allowed their tempers to rise until there was nothing 
they could do but ride out the coming storm. Nathan 
turned away from her for a second, then turned back 
around.

	"Leave then! If it's so damned important to you 
to not have anything to do with bettering mutant kind's 
lot in life then just leave. I had hoped that I could 
count on you to help me, but I should have given up 
fairy tales long ago."

	"I will then." She turned and got into the car, 
threw his bags out on the parking lot, then left tire 
marks for half a mile.

	"That's alright, I didn't need her help anyway. 
I can do just fine on my own." Nathan sighed. It would 
be a long walk to the next town though. Maybe he would 
be able to hitch-hike into Strayhorn.

********************************************************
Strayhorn.

	"Hello little lady. What's your name?"

	Beatrice looked up from her beer. "Fuck off 
creep. Not interested."

	"Woowee, boys. Looks like little miss uppity is 
too good for us good ole boys. Whatcha y'all say we take 
her with us tonight. You know, introduce her to the rest 
of the boys right good." His hand slid around Beatrice's 
arm.

	*SNAP* Beatrice hit the ground running.

	"Oh, GOD, the bitch broke my arm." He looked at 
his friends. "Well, don't just stand there! Get her and 
bring her back."

	The three friends immediately set out after her. 
When finally managed to corner her, she fought like a 
wild cat until one of them managed to land a lucky blow 
to her head.

	"Damned bitch. I think she broke two of my 
ribs." One of the men said as he kicked her in her side. 
"Let's get her into the back of my truck. It's about 
time for the rally anyway."

	They had to take their time loading Beatrice's 
unconscious body because of all of the aches and bruises 
that she had given them. When they had her loaded, one 
of the men went back to the bar to tell their friend 
that they had caught her.

********************************************************

	"Thanks for the ride." Nathan said. He waved 
back as the trucker continued on his way to Helena. 
Thanking God that he had been able to catch a ride, he 
walked over to the nearest building. In this case a bar. 
As he neared the door he noticed that the car he and 
Beatrice had travelled from Miami in was in the parking 
lot.

	He was glad because he wanted to apologize for 
his behavior earlier that day. Looking around after he 
entered the bar, he was unable to find her. 

	Walking up to the bar, he ordered a soda and 
leaned back against the metal railing.

	"Seen a woman with a maroonish colored birthmark 
around her left eye?" Nathan asked the bartender.

	The bartender hesitated for a tell-tale second 
before he responded. "Nope. Can't says I have." He 
leaned closer to Nathan. "Let me give ya a piece of 
advice, stranger."

	"Sure." Nathan answered.

	"It don't pay to ask questions 'round these 
parts. It just ain't healthy." The bartender said, then 
he moved down the bar to take another customer's order.

	Nathan stood there a moment longer, then he went 
across the road to the small motel. There was no way he 
would be able to find Beatrice if he didn't get some 
rest.

********************************************************


Miami.

	Thomas Moore herded the two kids into the back 
of a taxi, then asked the driver to take them to the 
Avis car rental. As the car drove away from the airport, 
Thomas hoped that they would be able to find Nathan 
before he did something he would regret.

********************************************************
Strayhorn.

	Refreshed, Nathan walked out of motel. Now he 
felt ready to go find Beatrice. His mind thought back to 
when he had heard about the rally. He had a choice. 
Either search for Beatrice or investigate the Ku Klux 
Klan rally. Beatrice HAD said that she didn't need his 
help.

	His mind made up, Nathan headed across the road 
to the bar. Inside he saw a couple of the locals loading 
down with beer. That's probably a good place to start, 
he thought. After a little while, they got up and left. 
Nathan waited a few moments, then followed them out the 
door. He had to hurry, but he was able to catch up with 
them before they got to far out of sight.

********************************************************


	A couple of hours later, Nathan began to hear 
the sound of revalry coming from the woods surrounding 
the dirt road that he had followed the drunks down. As 
he neared the clear area, he moved into the woods so 
that he could stay unseen.

	From the woods, Nathan counted over a hundred 
people dressed in elaborate white robes. In the center, 
he could see a cage where someone was huddled in a 
corner as the robed figures pelted him with rocks. He 
slowly plotted a path that would take him closer to the 
cage where he would be able to see who was inside it.

	"Argggg..." 

	Another scream came from the cage as the figure 
was hit with more rocks. By this time, Nathan was close 
enough that he could tell it was a woman. In fact it 
even reminded him of Beatrice to a certain point.

	He moved even closer to the cage, finally he was 
able to see the occupent inside. His mouth dropped open 
and he mouthed a single word. "Beatrice."

	She had been stripped naked and tied up. Blood 
ran from the many wounds to her body. She screamed for 
the fifth or six, Nathan had lost count, time.

	*Beatrice? Can you hear me?*

	No answer. He could tell that his telepathy was 
working, it was one of those few times when both his 
telepathy and telekinesis worked at the same time, but 
she wasn't answering.

	With no other choice, he decided that he would 
have to risk himself and hope she could get away. 
Unlocking her cage with his telekinesis, he prepared 
himself for what he was about to do. Sending a final 
message to Beatrice, he left his hiding spot.

	"If they want a mutie. Then I'll give them all 
they want and more." Nathan whispered to himself. He 
used his telekinesis to do something he had never 
attempted before. Fly.

	"OH SHIT!!! We've got a live one, Grand Dragon. 
My scanner is reading at least an beta class mutant, but 
it keeps jumping to alpha and omega class." One of the 
robed covered people yelled. A man by the tone of his 
voice. He was the first one that Nathan took down.

	Nathan sent another message to Beatrice, telling 
her to get moving. Then it was all her could do to use 
his telekinesis to deflect the bullets that flew from 
rifles of all sizes.

	"If I had a chance to learn about this stuff I'm 
doing, instead of just jumping into the fire..." Nathan 
said through gritted teeth. He had somehow erected a TK 
shield that seemed to be stopping any of the bullets 
from reaching him. At the same time, his mind was all 
over the place as he use his telepathy to offer 
'suggestions' of a dubious nature to his enemies.

	Finally he felt his emotional high begin to 
drain. From experience he had learned that he was about 
to lose his powers again. If only he could get them to 
operate on a want to use basis instead of the 'gotta 
have 'em or your dead' that they currently worked on.

	Sending one last inquiry to Beatrice, he learned 
that she had indeed used the opportunity to escape. With 
that in mind, Nathan decided that if he was going to go 
out, he wasn't going alone. His powers jumped up one 
last time in preparation of a last attempt.

	As the Klan members fell, Nathan's TK shield 
slowly began to dissipiate. Finally one of the bullets 
managed to pass through his shield, shattering it. The 
next one grazed Nathan's skull, and knocked him out. He 
crashed into the ground hard.

	The Klan started cheering loudly at their 
victory over the evil mutant. Then they realized that 
not only had that 'evil mutant' given their original 
prisoner a chance to escape, but he had also taken down 
nearly two thirds of their gathering.

	"Is he going to be getting up soon?" One of the 
more cautious members asked.

	"I don't know, but let's put him inside the 
cage. It's mutant dampers installed, so when or if he 
does come around, we won't have anything to worry about. 
Move him over there." The Grand Dragon said to two of 
the Klan members.

********************************************************

	Hours later, Nathan finally managed to regain 
consciousness. "What happened?" He asked himself 
groggily. Then he remembered Beatrice. "Did she get 
away?" Seeing that he was in the same cage he had first 
seen her in, he decided that she had.

	He tries to unlock the door with his TK, but it 
isn't responding. While he was trying to unlock the 
door, Nathan noticed movement in the woods just south of 
the clearing.

	When he scanned the area, he saw a naked 
Beatrice slipping through the woods.

	"Help me!" He whispered to her. He saw her turn 
around and thought he could see tears falling.

	"I'm sorry, Nathan. But it has to be this way." 
Her voice broke. "If I helped you escape, then he would 
eventually get his hands on you. I don't think the world 
would be able to survive something like that." She 
turned and started to walk away from the rally.

	"'He' who? Please don't leave me, Beatrice." 
Nathan pleaded. "Please help me get out." He whispered 
as he saw her disappear into the woods. She was gone. 
Just like that. He had traded his freedom for hers, only 
to have her refuse to help him in the end. He tries one 
last time to use his telekinesis to destroy the door of 
his cage, but it doesn't respond. Then he slumps 
forward, devastated at her 'betrayal'.

********************************************************
Next Ish:

How much will Beatrice's betrayal effect Nathan? Will 
Thomas and the others arrive in time to rescue Nathan? 
Only one way to find out. See you for #5.