La Belle Dame sans Merci
"I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful-a faery's child;
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild."
John C Keats 1819
11.00 pm December 31 1999, Somewhere near London, England
He allowed himself a small chuckle at the foolishness of the humans. Didn't they realize that the new millennium didn't actually start until the year 2001? Still why let the facts get in the way if it was an excuse to party. An even bigger joke was that unsightly object that was spoiling his view of the city. What on earth had possessed them to construct this Millennium Dome?
"What fools these mortals be," he murmured.
Shaking his head and feeling a mixture of contempt and pity he once again reminded himself that these were inferior beings who didn't really know any better. Instead he lovingly caressed the leather binding of his book feeling a certain sybaritic delight in the tactile sensation. His precious book that he had been meant to find and which told him of the future, his glorious future. It was one of the diaries left by the mutant Destiny prophesying the future. He flipped open to the page and read the words once more.
The one who comes from a world ruled by the apocalypse,
And who wears the face of the beast but whose heart is dark,
Shall on the dawn of the new era in the origin of things sinister,
Find the key to his future sealed within the iron tomb.
Through this and other prophecies he had finally worked out what it all meant. He was sure that he was in the right place at the right time and now he would find the power that he so richly deserved. No longer would he have to cower in fear of discovery by Sinister. No more would he be forced to lurk within the shadows with his precious experiments. He would make sure that the whole world would know and fear the name of McCoy.
"Hey McCoy we've managed to get the door open now."
McCoy allowed himself a smile and enjoyed the involuntary look of fear on the man's face. These two were mutants like him but weak and pitiful and useful only as tools. They would be helpful in getting the job done but after that he had no further use for them. They wouldn't even make good test subjects and he would feel no regret in disposing of them. He hadn't even been bothered with learning their names.
"Excellent. Now if you'll kindly step aside so that I may enter."
He smiled again as they scrambled out of his way. Of course he represented a formidable sight with the claws, fangs, yellow eyes and fur. Before he entered the now open door he paused and reflected on what he was about to do. He was going into one of Nathaniel Essex's first laboratories from when the geneticist was just starting on his twisted experiments. He was probably the first person to enter this building in over a hundred years.
Within it was dark but he had good night vision so that didn't represent a major problem. The air was stale and the room was filled with dust and for a minute he could literally do nothing except sneeze. However he was prepared to put up with a great deal of discomfort to get to what he wanted. Swiftly and surely he moved through the rooms of the building disregarding the antique furniture and books in the living quarters and even the old experiments in the laboratories. He was intent upon finding his goal and somehow he knew exactly where he would find it. Finally he came to a locked door and he knew that what he sought was on the other side. For once he was impatient and simply charged the door with his shoulder easily bursting through. As his torch lit up the room beyond he fell to his knees as he gasped with abstract awe.
A genuine smile spread across his furry face and for once McCoy felt truly happy.
There was the iron coffin in the center of the room just as the illustration in the diary had shown. He had no idea of what he would find within but McCoy knew that it would allow him to fulfill his dreams. Impatient to get to his prize he resorted to the bounding, loping gait on all fours which he usually considered beneath his dignity. He was practically salivating with anticipation of the prize that lay within. The coffin was firmly sealed but that presented no obstacle. With a slight grunt and exerting his full strength he burst open the coffin lid. Then for the second time he gasped with awe.
Within the coffin looking as though she was merely sleeping was the most beautiful woman McCoy had ever seen. She was dressed all in emerald greens and peacock blues in the manner of a Georgian noblewoman. McCoy could see that she was clearly a mutant albeit a highly attractive one. Skin so pale it seemed almost silver contrasted with raven hair that flowed to her waist while the ears were very slightly pointed and the eyes almond shaped and of a violet hue. McCoy was reminded of one of the Tolkien elves or of Titania, the Faerie Queen. Then the woman's chest slowly began to rise and fall as she started to breathe for the first time in more than a century.
Maeve was awake now and instinctively she cast out her mind seeking her fellows, those she had known from long ago. She felt infinite sadness at sensing that so many of them were gone. Burke, Saul, Nicodemus, Cruul, Absalom and Gideon gone, could they truly be dead and where was Candra? She sensed Exodus hopelessly trapped maybe for all eternity. Even En Sabah Nur appeared to be no more. How could Apocalypse the greatest of them all be dead? She could sense Selene still alive but she appeared to be the only immortal left apart from one other. Her most hated and bitter foe, Nathaniel Essex who had trapped her for more than a century.
Then she found herself focusing on the room she was in and saw a nightmarish vision gazing down at her. A bestial face of pointed ears, fangs and cold yellow eyes covered in coarse grey hair was twisted into a travesty of a smile. Surely this was one of his monsters come to torment her.
Suddenly the woman's hand reached up and grabbed him by the throat. Startled McCoy should have been easily able to break loose but he was rooted to the spot. With detached interest he theorized that the woman must have used some kind of telepathic attack on him to render him immobile.
"What manner of creature art thou monster? A were-wolf perhaps or art thou a creation of Essex sent to kill me? It shall matter not for I shall slake mine raging hunger for life from thee,"
"Wait, I hate Sinister as much as you do. He's my enemy and that should be sufficient reason for you not to use me as a snack."
"I sense thou speaks true hirsute one. Still if I spared every man who hates Essex as I do I would surely starve? Unless thou can give me a better reason to spare thee thou shall be a snack."
"I will but first I must just say that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Your raven tresses are like the veil of night and your eyes glorious stars that light up the darkness and fill the hearts of men with joy and courage. You are a woman who seems born of the moonlight, a fay enchantress who has enthralled me with your beauty. If I die I will die content knowing that my last sight will be of one moment of perfect beauty."
Maeve sighed gently at the praise and McCoy could sense a shift in her mood. She was a vain one who loved to hear words of flattery and those flowery phrases seemed to have worked like a charm. Pressing his advantage he then decided to show empathy for her. He talked about waking in a strange world twenty years back with no memories of his former life save a cruel servitude under Sinister. He played on her pity and told her again and again of her beauty and how he longed to serve her.
"You have now awakened to an age far different from the one you have known. So much has changed in the last hundred years and things will be very strange to you. Let me guide you and teach you in the ways of this world as was done for me so long ago. Then together we can extract righteous vengeance on Essex and fulfill our dreams together."
Maeve smiled to him and released him from the paralysis. Then one delicate tapering finger beckoned him to her and she bid him to kneel before her. McCoy did so although he felt great trepidation. Still he seemed to have won her over at least for the time being.
"If thou are to serve me McCoy thou must be strong. Now my paladin, trust in me and I will give you all the strength thou shall need. Trust me not and I will allow you to leave with your life."
McCoy allowed himself a smile. If the woman Maeve tried anything it would be oh so simple to snap that delicate neck. However he was surprised when she delicately kissed him on the lips. The fur was coarse but she paid this no mind and then a miracle occurred. McCoy all but collapsed as the new strength welled up in him like a geyser and he thought he would literally burst with the power. He felt stronger, more agile and faster than he could ever have thought possible.
"Now thou have received my gift McCoy. Now……," she whispered but then collapsed and lay terribly still.
McCoy realized that she must have transferred all her remaining strength to him at the cost of her own. He knew somehow that having been trapped so long she little cared whether she lived or died. Part of him was tempted to allow her to do just that. However emotions he had never felt before told him to save her. He knew what he had t do.
"I'll be right back so don't go away," whispered McCoy as he stooped to kiss her on the cheek.
Minutes later he was back outside the house where his two hired helpers were startled to see him. He smirked to see those idiots hastily extinguishing cigarettes and put away magazines. Affecting an air of joy and excitement he bounded over to the mutants and patted them on the back.
"Come inside boys, I've really got something to show you. You just won't believe what I've got for you," he bellowed jovially.
"Okay boss."
"Is it like a lot of money or jewels?"
"Oh far better than that my friend, far better,"
The innocent mutants followed him like lambs to the slaughter. There trust was at the same time endearing and appalling. For a second he considered letting the poor fools go but reasoned that people so stupid should be removed from the gene pool as a service to evolution. After all he firmly believed in survival of the fittest.
The men were amazed to see Maeve and suitably enthralled by her beauty. Like McCoy before him one man bent down to see if she was alive. Seemingly sensing this Maeve sprang into life with astonishing speed. She reached up and kissed the man on the lips. At first he was enthralled but his expression quickly became one of horror as the life was literally sucked out of him. He aged visibly before McCoy's eyes and was soon reduced to a withered husk.
Horror stricken the second mutant pulled out a gun and wavered for a second as to whether to shoot Maeve or McCoy first. A second was all McCoy needed as he grabbed the man's gun arm by the elbow and squeezed. With a sickening crunch the elbow joint was totally destroyed, bone literally reduced to powder leaving the arm a dangling mash of pulpy bloody flesh with shards of bone protruding. The wails of agony were music to McCoy's ears.
"Poor baby, I bet that really hurt. You really shouldn't worry though because you won't suffer for long."
He shoved the man towards Maeve and in turn he received the kiss of death. It was probably a blessed relief from the agony he must have felt. Maeve was standing now looking a lot stronger and less pale than even before when she was in the coffin. She strode over to McCoy and placed her delicate hand is his large one.
"Thou have restored me to mine proper strength. For that I thank thee for they were a most delicious meal. But come mine paladin and tell me this. What shall we do next?"
"I will have to consult the diary to see if it has more prophecies. For now why don't we go outside as it is a beautiful night and the dawn of a new millennium? In fact it's nearly midnight now and you don't want to miss the fireworks."
They walked outside and Maeve's face was filled with awe and wonder as she watched the fireworks bursting overhead. McCoy smiled at her simple pleasure and let his thoughts drift ahead to the future as he speculated on all the things that he and Maeve could accomplish. After some minutes he paused in his reverie to see Maeve watching him silently.
"So McCoy shall we go and seek the future together?"
"I think that would be a splendid idea. Soon we shall have what we most desire."
"What would that be?"
"Anything you want my dear."
With that they smiled to each other and then hand in hand they walked off into the night.