A Scripta

“Wake up sleepy head!”

Diane slowly opened her eyes. “What time is it?” she moaned, shielding her eyes from the brighter light than her closed eyes.

“Ten o’clock!” Diane’s best friend from high school, Rachel Cassidy, was smiling down at her. “We’re supposed to go to that bookstore at Faneuil Hall.”

“Uh huh.”

“What, you were up all night?” Rachel sat at the edge of the couch Diane had collapsed on last night. “What were you doing?”

“Reading the book you got me. I went to Starbucks.” She sat up. “I met somebody there.” A mutant, like me.

Rachel didn’t know Diane’s ability to play with fire. Rachel smiled. “Did you? A guy?”

“Yeah, a guy.” She felt herself blushing.

“Oh, was he cute?”

“Yeah, he was cute.” He had such nice sapphire eyes, and the beard made him look so distinguished…she tried not to think about the rest of him but couldn’t help it. She blushed even more.

“Oh, you like him, huh? What’s his name?”

“Duncan Idaho.”

She looked up, thinking. “Why does that name sound familiar…?”

Diane shrugged, got up off the couch. “I’m supposed to meet him tonight.”

“Oh really?!” Rachel grinned at her. “That’s fast for you.”

“Well, it felt right.”

“Whoa, are you actually paying attention to those feelings now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“So are you going to call Kevin to tell him you’re not going to be home?” She winked.

“I’ll go home. It’s only a two hour drive back. I won’t be that late. We’re meeting at six.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“I really have no idea.” I just wanted to see him again. “Let me take a quick shower and we’ll head over to Faneuil Hall.”


Idaho turned over in bed, his arms on fire. This usually happened while he slept, whenever he was totally relaxed, the fire would come. His bed and sheets were fire proof, he had disconnected the fire alarms in his little apartment.

He lay with his arms behind his head, thinking about Diane. Another hero, just like Aestas. Controller of fire, just like Aestas. Dark hair, just like Aestas.

It had been almost a year since he left her. She had changed, become too mystical for him, and the Peacebringer she had with her disturbed him. He couldn’t take it anymore and finally had to leave. She let him go without tears; he wondered if she was encouraging him to leave. He knew he held her back from doing what her destiny dictated.


I hope she’s with Silos, he thought. He’d make her happy, teach her the Mending that she was born to do. And being the Guardian…

He sighed, got up. She was so much, and only a tiny part of her concerned herself with him. He wasn’t that important in her life, and he knew it. But, then, when they first met, she wasn’t important in his life, either. So it was only fair.

After going to the bathroom, he padded to the kitchen and opened the fridge. When he opened it, he realized that he really didn’t have much to entertain somebody with. There were two six-packs of Heineken, some lunch meat and bread, and a piece of leftover steak that was there since the last time he cooked something, which he couldn’t remember when it was.

Dinner and a movie, he thought, nodding, and closing the door. Though he really should invite her in. He needed to stop at Stanley’s and pick up some wine. And wine glasses. He shook his head. No need to go overboard. He was a single guy. He wouldn’t have wine glasses at hand.

He glanced around the apartment. First, we clean.

He picked up and straightened out, wishing he had a vacuum. He made his bed, went out to the convenience store and got some crackers and cheese. He walked the four blocks to the liquor store and picked up the wine, though he had no idea what he was getting.

Idaho sat down and watched TV and the clock. At 5:00, he took a shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He had a place in mind for dinner, and it wasn’t fancy. He didn’t think she’d like anything fancy. At 5:30, he started to pace. At 5:50, the doorbell rang.

He took a deep breath, went downstairs, locking the door behind him. As he came down the stairs, he saw her through the glass door. In the twilight, she was pretty, with her shoulder length black hair but her severe face, as if she was holding something in. He opened the door and smiled at her. She smiled back, looking a lot prettier.

“Hi,” he said. Should I kiss her?

“Hi,” she replied. Should I kiss him?

They stood there awkwardly for a minute.

“At least I have all my clothes on,” he said.

“Uh huh,” she said, and blushed.

He put a hand through his hair. “Well, right. Okay. I know this nice little Thai restaurant a couple of doors down. Do you like Thai food?”

“I haven’t tried it.”

“It’s like Chinese.” He offered his arm. She slipped her arm in his, and they started walking. They were in silence for a little while.

“You don’t have a car?” she asked.

“I live in the city. I use a bus. Or I get rides from the guys at work.”

“And you do construction?”

“I’m a welder.” He smiled. “I have my own torch.”

“Ah,” she said. “How come you’re in Boston and not in Paragon City?”

“Long story.”

“Tell me over dinner.”

“Deal.”

They arrived at the restaurant. After they settled in, and Idaho ordered appetizers, she gazed at him for a minute. “I’m not going to let it go,” she said. “How come you’re not a hero?”

“I was a hero,” he said quietly. “Then I fell in love with a hero who was more…heroic than me.”

“Oh,” she looked at her plate.

“I couldn’t keep up with her. And then she got a Kheldian in her, and she went to Grandville to take on Lord Recluse, and everything changed.” He fiddled with his fork. “I tried to keep up with her, but I couldn’t. She let it take over her life. I was just added baggage.” He made an encompassing move with his arm. “So it was easier for me to just come up here and be a regular person.”

“Do you miss it?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“Do you miss her?”

He looked at the plate. “Sometimes. But she’s happier doing what she’s doing, and she really doesn’t need me.”

“Did you really love her?” She blushed. What kind of question is that, Diane?

“She was my first love. Well, my second, if you want to count Pill.”

“Pill?”

“Pilanequay. She found me when I was first in Paragon. She sort of raised me.”

“You said you were a clone, though. Were you…born?”

“I was made,” he said. “In an Arachnos tank that was used for creating Fire Tarantulas.”

“That explains the fire.”

“Yes. My original doesn’t have fire.”

“What does he have? Is he a hero, too?”

“He was. He could encase himself in stone and take a few good hits. I don’t know what he’s doing now.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Masonry.”

“Never heard of him.”

“That’s okay, he…sort of died.”

“Sort of died?”

“And was brought back to life. I told you it’s a long story.”

She looked confused. Well, she thought, this is Paragon City, after all. Stranger things have happened.

He sat back. “Okay, enough about that. Now you.”

“Me?”

“Uh huh. I don’t know much about you. I know you’re a hero in Paragon, and that you manipulate fire, and that you’re a mutant. What else is there about you? Do you have a job? Do you have a family?”

“I don’t really work, I mostly study. For the hero exams, and magic stuff.”

“Why magic?”

“It’s something I don’t understand.”

“You probably never will. I don’t understand a lot of it myself.”

“But you have it all over you.” She motioned to his arms.

“It’s protection. And help. And strength. And power. And other things.” He folded his arms across his chest. “So what about your family?”

“I have a mom and dad, and a brother. We do heroing together.”

He smiled. “That’s nice. And you live in Paragon?”

“In Steel Canyon.”

“Nice area. Not so rough.”

“Why don’t you come back?”

Their food arrived, and Idaho let out a breath. Perfect timing. They started eating, and he hoped she would have forgotten about the question. But she didn’t. She asked him again.

He sighed. “Too many bad memories there. My original is still there. My enemies are still there. I don’t know where my ex-girlfriend is, but she might still be there. I really don’t want to go back and be a hero.”

“You could help. They’re always looking for help.”

“You be the hero,” he snapped.

She looked down, chastened. He softened his gaze, reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed you,” she said. “I probably sound like your ex.”

“Hm, maybe a little.” He let go of her hand, and she watched him pull back. He smiled at her. “So I was thinking maybe a movie?”

“I didn’t see a movie theater around here.”

“That’s the thing, you’re going to have to drive.”

“Oh, is that it.” She smiled at him. “I can do that.”

Idaho paid, even after she protested, and they walked out of the restaurant arm in arm again. “Where are you parked?” he asked.

“Two streets over. Finding parking here is a bitch.”

“Welcome to Boston,” he replied, as they started walking. They ended up walking along the Charles River. It was dark, and the street lights were relatively dim. He stopped, pulled her to him.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he said, and kissed her.

They broke from the kiss, and she put her head against his chest. “Me too.”

“The hell with the movie,” he said. “Want to come back to my place?”

She looked up at him. “Sure.”

This time, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. They walked back to his apartment. She entered the kitchen/entrance/foyer and turned around. “Kind of small.”

“It’s only me,” he said, taking her coat. “I don’t even have a kitchen table.”

“I can see that.”

“I don’t do much cooking, anyway.” He had to get next to her to get by her to go into the living room/bedroom area. He looked at her, then started to scoot by her. She put her hands out automatically and touched his hips. He stopped in the doorway, and she put her arms around him. He bent and kissed her again, long, deep. He backed her up against the door frame, pressing his body against hers. She pulled her arms up and embraced his back, pulling him closer to her.

They broke the kiss, and he bent to kiss her neck. He licked around her earlobe, and she gasped. He lifted his head, and looked into her eyes. Both of them were breathing heavily.

“I…I can’t.” He stepped back. “I’ll hurt you.”

“Huh?” she blinked. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“If ….when…I get excited, I…go up.”

“Most men do,” she said with a smile.

“No, I mean, up…in flames. I burn.”

Diane moved closer to him. “I’m a mutant and I use fire. Do you think fire hurts me?”

“Huh, um, well…”

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Let’s try it.”

He indeed went up in flames. So did she, enjoying every minute.


They lay in bed, entwined in each other’s arms. “Fireproof sheets?” she asked.

“Uh huh.”

“Where did you get those?”

“Paragon. Only place they had them.” He traced the outline of her breasts.

“Hey, that tickles.”

“Sorry.” He nuzzled closer against her. “Will you be going back to your friend’s?”

“I have to go home.”

“Why don’t you stay the night? Say you were with your friend for another night.”

“I don’t like to lie.”

“Okay, tell the truth, then.”

She turned to him. “Was I okay?”

He blinked. “Of course you were!”

“It was…my first time…”

He raised himself on his elbow and gazed into her eyes. “It was?”

She nodded, blushing. He scooped her up in his arms. “I hope I was good enough for you.”

“Oh, you were. You really were.” They kissed again, and hands roamed.