A Scripta

Masonry stared up at the bottom of the top bunk, listening to Nick snore.

"I'll pay your bail on three conditions."

Masonry closed his eyes and whispered, "No skipping. No telling. See a shrink." Easy. At least now.

If anyone gave him these conditions before E beat the snot out of him, he would have folded his arms and proudly told him to take a hike. Nate realized a few things while Lodestar presented his face to the world: he was still loved, he was still needed, he could take care of himself with Lodestar's help - and with the help of others. And, most of all, he didn't know everything. Iggabuzz was a perfect example.

Iggabuzz was more than a mere Freak coming down off Excelsior - he was also a mind controller. E had force-fed Nathan - so he thought - images of horror beyond his own imaginings, causing him to freeze in terror while the "ghosts" beat the crap out of him. While Nathan sulked, he could still see everything going on around him. He watched Lodestar work, listened to him talk, heard his personal private thoughts which were mostly what he spoke.

In the afternoon after the beating, Masonry went out into the population. There sat Igga in his usual spot. Masonry sat across from him.

"Back for more?"

He said nothing, but stared at Igga's milk shake collection. There was silence for a moment, and then Igga looked up at him. "You're not Masonry."

"An' yer not Styrm's mule." Lodestar folded his hands and gazed at Igga. "Were ya gonna wrap me up and gimme to 'im, like a present? Soften me up? You know how easy it is to slip into Nathan's mind undetected. People do it to him all the time." Lodestar's eyes glowed angrily. "And I, for one, won't stand for it anymore."

Lodestar reached over and grabbed Igga's wrist, then pulsed energy out of him and into Igga. Stronger than any Excelsior rush, it fried some synapses in Igga's brain, making him slump forward. Lodestar stood and offered a nod to one of the guards, who turned away.

Lodestar knew from day one that Iggabuzz could do these things, and let Nathan fall right into the trap. Igga had skimmed Nathan's mind - very easy to do - and caught Styrm and all the references to him. He had used Nathan, fooled him. Nathan also added his own hallucinations - also not very difficult to do - and that was when Lodestar realized he needed to do more than guide.

Nathan heard Nick stir in his sleep. He was too excited to fall asleep on his own - this time tomorrow, he would have Serena in his arms and be falling asleep in her bed. He hoped.

Time went by too slowly until he heard cell doors open all up and down the block. He was already sitting up, reading a book that Nick had gotten from the library. "Morning, squidwards," said the guard unlocking their cells. "Still irradiated?"

"Yeah," Nathan replied.

"And still human."

"For the most part."

"Oatmeal or grits?"

"Grits? In Rhode Island?"

"We have a diverse prison population."

Nick muttered, "I'll take the grits."

The guard stepped aside for them to come out of the cell. "I'd trust that over the oatmeal."

Two hours later, Colonel Carpenter, the man in charge of the Kheld block, led some guards to his cell. People who saw this knew someone was getting out.

"Prisoner 7281835."

Masonry stood. He had been reading My Antonia for the third time (Lodestar's second). "You have ten minutes to get your things."

He put the book down. "I'm ready."

Nick looked from Masonry to the guards. "Mase?"

"See you later, Nick. Keep my stuff."

"What? Where -"

Masonry only grinned.

The gate opened. He carried his Zig-issue armor and wore a simple shirt and pants. He came out expecting Serena.

"Greetings unto thee, Nathan."

"Hi, Prov."

"Thy girlfriend...is gone."

He stared at her. "Gone?"

She nodded. "She doth left for China, a fortnight past."

"Who...who's paying for my lawyer?"

"She hath left a fund." She looked up at Masonry's blue eyes. "As hath I."

"Prov!"

She kicked at the dirt. "Come, shalt we celebrate thy freedom away from hence?"

He put the armor down and took her arm. "Prov, no. I don't want you throwing away your money on me."

"Only when Serena's money ceaseth, Nathan." She gently removed her arm and smiled at him. "Thou confesseth thy soul unto me often. 'Tis easy to do such as this." She rubbed her arm where he held her.

"Radiation?" he asked, concerned.

"Nay." She looked away. "Come to Founder's with me."

They took the new line to Founder's Falls, admiring the view. Masonry dropped the armor off with Carson, who nodded and said, "There's a new type of material called Ceradyne, it's light weight ceramic but stops a full-metal jacket at 30 paces."

"I'll leave it to you," he replied, and pulled on a motorcycle jacket, jeans, t-shirt and boots. "Have it done before patrol tonight?"

"You can count on it, Mase. Good hunting."

Providence had gotten them a seat outside of a small Italian restraunt. He knew she was trying to give him the sense of freedom, but he really would have liked to be inside in an intimate corner booth. "Can we go inside? I feel conspicuous out here."

She gave him as much of a look of relief as her features allowed. "Truly so."

They went inside. Providence told him how she tried to come up with the money, but when she tried to get Serena, she was no where to be found. Then she called her own friends. She mentioned Razorfist Jones - who spent most of his time with her staring at her breasts, she told him with a chuckle. He also gave her $200K. Masonry stiffened.

She noticed it - though many times when other people reacted to her words, she chose to ignore them. I readeth too much into a glance, I shant any longer. "Nathan?"

He looked at her. "Hm?"

She touched his hand. "If all I shew breasts and I doth receive $200,000, then -"

"No," he growled.

She tilted her head.

"I won't have you prostituting yourself." This time he removed his hand. "Give him back the money. He'll ask for something in trade."

"So?"

"SO??!!"

Providence sat back and folded her arms across her chest. "Nathan, thou knowest not of mine desires."

"You want him to?"

She shrugged. "None else do."

"How do you know that? Have you ever asked?"

"Wouldst thou?"

He stared at her and felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he realized the first thought that crossed his mind. Not him. The next thought scared him. Not anyone else, either. They both looked away from each other, and he caught the smell of patchouli - which she emitted when she was upset or scared. Both of them moved away from each other, but Providence got out of the booth first. "I shall return." She almost bolted to the ladies' room.

Nate pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. That was stupid of me.

Can I make a suggestion? Lodestar offered quietly.

"Fire away," he muttered.

Providence returned, pulling down her skirt. She smiled at Nathan and slid into the booth.

"Prov?" He looked into her eyes. "I need someplace to stay, and... I don't want to stay in the base."

She looked down for a minute.

"And Prov?"

She looked up.

"I want to sleep with you."

She made a sound as if she had been punched, all the wind rushed out of her lungs. Her eyes were wide and staring at him.

"If... if it's all right with you."

Providence, like a trapped animal, looked all around the room and caught the eye of the waiter, who came over dutifully. "The check, please!" The moment the waiter stepped away, Masonry felt something rub against the inside of his leg. He looked down to see a red booted foot, the spike of the heel pressing playfully against the fleshy part of his calf.

"Aye," was all she said.