A Scripta

Damn thing took me all day. It was like pulling hen's teeth.

5.
Masonry entered the combination into the lock on the door of the warehouse apartment. The body was tired, and he was pushing it too hard.

The steel door entered into a foyer that split off to three other doors. One door led into the workshop, the other two split off to their respective apartments. He tried the door to Darcy's apartment - it was open.

Nathan had often come in after his patrols to talk with Darcy about what happened during the patrol. Masonry felt that if Nathan hadn't done that, his intelligence would have gone downhill a lot faster. "Darce," he called.

"Upstairs, Nate."

Masonry went to the second floor which consisted of a comfortable loft area with a television and seating for four, as that was the most Darcy had ever had in his apartment at one time. Masonry crested the stairs and saw the Darcy was playing Halo 2.

"Winning?"

"Never," he replied, blowing apart an alien. "First person shooters aren't my forte'."

"You seem to be doing pretty good at the moment."

He shrugged and saved the game. "So how did it go today?"

"Not very well. The armor doesn't work anymore. And I don't know how to use a mace any more. But look - " and he held his hand out. White fire danced on the palm of his hand. When Darcy looked up at Masonry's eyes, they were glowing.

"You have different powers, that's all."

"You make it sound so simple." The dancing fire stopped. "I can't go wading into a gang of bad guys and swing my mace and rip their faces off or their guts out. It's what they expect me to do."

"So what are you going to do?"

Masonry shrugged. He went to the refrigerator. Nathan liked root beer, so Masonry decided to try it.

"Nate, that squid that's in you. . ?"

Masonry twisted off the cap. "Yes?"

"What's he like?"

Masonry sniffed the root beer and his stomach growled. He looked down at its betrayal. "He was a teacher of beauty. You'd call him an art professor. Got anything to eat in this place?"

Darcy smiled, and then suddenly looked down. Masonry turned to him and said, "Sorry, Nathan said that whenever he'd come in."

"No, it's something I have to get used to, I guess. I'll make you something. What do you like?"

"Whatever you have at hand."

"Another phrase he used to use. You sure there's not more of him in you than there is of that squid?"

"When I start rhapsodzing about lush oils, you'll know who that is."

"They have the same kind of art?"

"No, it's more ephemeral. They manipulate light and energy to create feelings. Benakeras' work was admired because it was constantly original. No two pieces were ever the same, and each more beautiful than the last. Then he decided to teach."

"How did - but why did he want a human host?" Darcy absently pulled out a White Castle microwavable hamburger from the freezer.

"Kheldians were displaced from their home, scattered across the universe. Many came here. Benakaras was never a fighter. He was sheltered like that. He happened to see a hero in trouble, and another Kheldian was trying to help, but he was getting hurt too. Benakaras came down and distracted the Void Hunter long enough for the hero to step in and destroy him. Benekaras got shot, the other Kheldian was killed, and the hero brought Benekaras to the hospital for observation. Burgers are done."

Darcy took out the steaming hot hamburgers and handed one to Masonry. Masonry studied it for a minute and then took a bite, closed his eyes. "Amazing how human food can overwhelm the senses to create a moment of bliss."

"That's Benakaras talking."

"Yeah." He smiled. "Told you you'd be able to know the difference. So Benkashar was brought to the hospital and he started disappearing, phasing in and out. They realized the Void Hunter has some new weapon because other Kheldians had been hit full-bore with it and disappeared. They were amazed at Benakaras' resilience. He never knew he could have been an great fighter in the Kheldian army." Another bite, another blissful moment.

"Sunstorm didn't want to lose the artist, never mind the tough fighter that Benakaras could have been. Statesman approached Sunstorm and told him all about Nathan."

"Statesman? Statesman?"

"Nathan didn't tell you about saving him from Tyrant?"

"He said something about fighting Tyrant, but nothing about rescuing Statesman."

"Statesman wants to reward worthy heroes, and this was one of them, putting Nathan to the top of the line."

"But how did they--" He wove his fingers together.

"They wanted to help each other - can I have the other one?"

Darcy handed the hamburger to him and watched the big man savor it. He pulled another pair out of the freezer.

"I think you would have liked Benakaras," Masonry stated. "You both see beauty - you see it in your work with technology."

"Would Nate have liked him?"

"I'm not sure. The artsy stuff would get under his skin."

"What about you?"

He smiled at Darcy. "I can appreciate good art. I can see bad art from fifty paces. Nathan's knowledge of art extends to pretty things; Benkashar can go beyond that." He held up the burger. "Such as this, the square patty in a round bun, how the edges seem to peep out to show a tempation that such a thing should not match or be paired in such a way." He inhaled deeply the scent of it. "You smell the warmth - you humans have this sense of smell that Kheldians do not, and it can very well overwhelm you. If Kheldians had such an ability it would create yet another art media that I'm sure Benakaras would also successfully surpass."

"Full of yourself, ain't ya."

"No, not at all. Is that what it sounds like?"

"Isn't there humility in there somewhere?"

"There's nothing wrong with pride if what you're saying you can back up. Tell me this, Darcy, if they asked you to explain how the synthetic stone works, would you be able to?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Wouldn't you be proud of it?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"It's something you know about, and know very well. Just as beauty is something Benakaras knew very well." He took a bite of the hamburger. "Though beauty takes many forms with humans: sight, scent, taste, touch. It is all feelings and light with Kheldians." He smiled. "I could sit and watch the lights in Pocket D for hours."

Darcy smiled at him. "Maybe you're not so bad to have around."

"I promise I'll be respectful of your memory of Nathan. I'll try not to hurt you but I'll probably have mannerisms that he had, patterns of speech that he used. Forgive me in advance?"

Darcy looked down to see Masonry holding out his hand for him to shake. He placed firmly in Masonry's meaty paw. "It's okay. Mase."

6.
"You're not Mase."

Masonry turned around to face Thad, glaring at him. Kit looked from one to the other, while Scott looked obviously uncomfortable.

"No. I'm not."

Kit stared at him, then her mouth dropped open in shock. "That's why you said the armor worked on Nathan."