A Scripta

However, Womby put her mind at ease, so to speak. "He's aliver 'n you an' me," he told her over lunch after her meeting with Idaho. "Got a magical mace an' 's stoned all th' time. Got somethin' ta do with'is girl."

"Stoned?"

He nodded, biting off some of his hamburger. "Jasmine. Th' man reeks of jasmine."

She wondered what that could mean, but it made it seem even more important to find him. Womby mentioned Mase (Title him Masonry, never Nate, she thought) and went to the D to find him. It took a couple of days, but once when she came in, she was immediately assaulted by patchouli - deep, dark, musky earth - and jasmine. She saw him, leaning against the bar, standing next to what she knew immediately as a red-haired succubus dressed head to toe in red.

Making the sign of the cross, she approached him. He was staring out into space, not even paying attention to the conversation around him. She could see he wore sunglasses, and guessed probably why. She stepped into his line of sight.

He looked up at the interruption, then smiled. "Prov? Prov! Providencea," he almost sang, and took her in his arms for a bear hug. "Where've you been?"

She needed to get away from the sickening scent that was making her both horny and sick to her stomach. "Home, Nate," she said, after he let her down, and she tried to ignore his own bulge in his pants. "I hath go home, to attend matters private. I have speech with thee anon." She motioned to the other bar.

"Sure, sure, can I get you any-"

But she was already moving, getting out of the radius of the succubus and taking large gulps of clearer air. He followed demurely.

She was standing, finally breathing clean air, and looked up at Nate who looked at her concernedly. "You okay?"

"Thou art not dead," she said accusingly.

He smiled, folded his arms across his chest, and laughed. "No! No, I'm not - the most wonderful person came into my life! She brought me back, Prov - she gives me everything I ever wanted and more, much more - "

Providence stood and listed to him espouse on the beauty of his new lover. He used words like "goddess" and "gentle", "powerful" and "adoring."

"And ye kill for her?"

He stopped in mid-word. "Hm?"

"For her. Thou shalt kill."

"If she asked me, I would."

"Wouldst thou?" Tears began to form in her eyes. "Truly?"

"Yes, she doesn't mind that-"

"Didst to the Isles go, children dead by thine hand?"

"Yes, but-"

"Whyfor?" She stared at him, almost seeing the same monster that others saw. She couldn't believe...

"Because I liked it," he said, leaning close to her now. "I still do, Prov. Don't start the guilt shit on me."

"Thou...thou...thy-" Her hands flew to her mouth, holding back both being sick, and her own gasping words.

Now Nate disappeared, to be replaced by Masonry, a cold, stony, dispassionate murderer. "I do like it, it gives me power. I have their life in my hands. They belong to me."

"NO!!!" She screamed and jerked as far away from him as she could. "No, no, no, liketh not monster, no! Thou lovest me, and Kit, and ... Frosty! Whyfor killing, why?!"

"Prov, c'mon, I wouldn't hurt you."

"Whatof thine precious lady? Sayth my death she demands-"

"Yes, I would."

There was silence in her ears, not even the music from the club penetrated it. She stared at him, saw only him, a man who had been so kind and protective and now...now...

"...e'en Frosty?" she whispered.

His voice held no emotion as he stated, "Even him."

Suddenly, she screamed, "WHY?!!" so loudly that it attracted all the patrons at the other bar.

Masonry walked closer to her as he spoke, "Because I love her. And she lets me do what I want. If I want to kill, I will. She doesn't judge me," his voice dropped to a low growl, "like some people seem to do."

That tone of voice made her start - and like a rabbit, she darted around him, to run into the other bar, down the stairs, her tears falling freely now, so that she slammed into the wall at the bottom of the stairs and fell into a crumpled heap. She ignored the other heroes who stopped to help, jumped into the open elevator, and ran, blindly she didn't know - just to get away from the monster that had been her friend Nathan Greene.