A Scripta

Nathan shrugged himself into the body and followed Frosty. "It was what we wanted," he called after him. Frosty's banging his arm against the wall, trying to get the jewel gone. He wanted to take Frosty's hands, hold them close, hold him close -

He leaned in and whispered to Frosty, "You scared him."

Frosty's eyes widened in recognition. Nathan smiled, but the smile faded at Frosty's words, "Go back."

"What's the problem?" You don't want me? Why don't you want me? I can help you.

"Back off him, Nathan. Or I'll blow your head clean off."

Nathan turned around slowly, to see E ready with his plasma cannon. His eyes narrowed smugly. "Really."

They both yelled at him. Nathan didn't care. Go ahead, do your worst.

And E did.

The world around Nathan faded, and he was back in the altar room, Infernal standing there with his arms crossed and watching; and Strym standing at the head of the altar. Nathan was smiling, holding a frail Jennifer, glancing around to see bodies of his friends, Futura Force, others, all littered around him. He stepped over a prone figure of Thad, kicked aside the body that was Bits. He approached the altar, placed the now almost-crushed body of E's daughter on the altar. He picked up the saw that lay there and began sawing at the child.

The smell of blood assaulted him, but it wasn't the iron/acidic smell, it was old, almost rancid, deeply musky. It got worse as he sawed. The blood that flowed was dark and thick, coagulating at the wounds. Against his will, he touched it - it was almost like jelly. He pinched it and some came up between his fingers, staining them dark crimson.

He poked the jelly, but saw that he had cleanly sawed the ribcage open. Her heart, black and oozing, lay exposed and beating. Strym reached his hand inside the cavity and began stirring the organs around, all the while grinning at Nathan. The demons approached, all wearing faces of what he thought were his friends - Frosty at the head.

Nathan cowered and pulled back. Jack moved in. Jack turned from the sound and smell, but he knew these were illusions. He closed his eyes and let the horror wash over him, even though he could still see these things in his mind's eye, they faded.

Frosty was not finished. Jack smelled something wrong - he tried to focus, looked at Frost holding onto the jewel, and it was on fire. He looked at Frost--

Who had changed.