He sat, and she crouched before him on the stairs. She wished she had a bottle of water to give him, or anything really. He looked so tired, so worn down.

"Who, Saphirus?" Blinking, she glanced down at the phone in her hand. Why did he want to know? What did it matter? "He is my fianc-"

... and then a lightbulb flickered on somewhere within the darkness, and she froze. The person he was talking about, who had broken him... that was Saph. But how? Her jaw moved for a moment without any sound coming out, before she finally found her words. "..Saph?.. he would never-"

...Would he? No.. No! He couldn't have!

She shifted between outright disbelief and uncertainty, before settling on a very unpleasant thought. What if he had? "What... what did he do?" Her voice waivered; meek and small. She was terrified of Matt's answer, and even more terrified of how it could possibly change her opinion of the man she loved.

What had he done?

Yep.

There is was.

Mat couldn't hide the groan, nor could he stop himself from rubbing at his face with the heel of his palm. She had stopped herself short, but in the moment Andrea said the half-word, Effigy's guts tightened into a ball, clenched like a fist. Fiance. Part of him wanted to spring back to his feet, to grab Andrea by the hand and drag her away. Keep dragging, until he was sure that she was safe. But the most he could manage was slumping where he sat, too deflated to do anything.

"Andrea..." he started gently. What was he supposed to do now?

Did he take Andrea's feeling into account and try to brush this all off. Some massive misunderstanding? Did he trust that she knew what she was doing? Surely if she was engaged to the man she would realise what he was... That he was an unhitched, unhinged nutbag.

And a drunk, to boot!

>>> "What... what did he do?"

Mat closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Her voice was small, and Mat could hear that she dreaded hearing the answer as much as Mat dreaded telling her. Regardless of the man in question, it was Andrea. Surely Mat should trust her judgement. And yet, it was a risk Mat wasn't going to take.

At worst, it would cost him a friend. His only friend.

"I don't... Andrea, listen to me, you can't... This guy, he's dangerous. If I hadn't told him where I'd seen you he'd have..." He wrung his hands together nervously. " I didn't want to tell him, but he there was nothing I could do... He had me tied, and everything I did he just seemed to shrug off... Please, tell me he hasn't hurt you? If he has I swear, I'll kill the son of a bitch myself!" Mat winced, took a deep breath, and tugged at his hair.

Calm, Effigy.

You're supposed to be the sane one, remember?

"He...interrogated me," Mat murmured softly. "About you.

Her jaw clenched, and tears blurred her vision. She zoned out, focusing only on what her friend was saying. There had been an interrogation... Saphirus, her Saphirus had tied him down and grilled him on her whereabouts. She knew instantly, guiltily, why he had done it, too. It had been because of her over-night vanishing act. Saph had told her that he had looked all over for her, that he has gone out of his mind trying to find her. He'd told her that he had even contacted that horrible excuse of a vigilante in his desperation. She couldn't deny anymore that it was him, nor could she deny her own fault in the matter.

It was because of her selfish actions that he had been sucked into the issue... Another name on the list of people she cared about who she'd inadvertently hurt. Gently, she reached out for Matt's hands, wanting to comfort him, and maybe comfort herself as well. "I... No, he has never hurt me..." What could she say? How was she to fix this? "He would never hurt me..." Unless you counted hurting her through her friends. That was a new one.

She was furious, terrified, and heartbroken.

"Matt... I... I am so sorry. This is all my fault!" The tears welled, then dribbled down her cheeks. She chewed on the inside of her cheek while thinking of something, anything to say and dropped her gaze from him. "If I had just-.... If I had never-"

...If she had never left... Maybe she wouldn't have met him. Maybe she wouldn't have happened onto the same bus, sat beside him, and gone on a silly adventure because of it? Sobbing, she curled over until her forehead hit his knee, and wept.

>>>"I... No, he has never hurt me... He would never hurt me..."

He closed his eyes the moment her hands found his. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't man enough to watch her cry. She had assured him that the man, this Saphirus, had not hurt her. Despite his doubt, he could hear it. He could hear it in her voice. Saphirus had not hurt Andrea.

And yet, a man like that was bound to hurt her sooner or later.

Wasn't he?

>>>"Matt... I... I am so sorry. This is all my fault! If I had just-.... If I had never-"

He could feel his chest tighten, could feel his breath quicken. Something touched his knee and as his eyes snapped open, he saw Andrea, and her hairful of snakes. There were many eyes staring at him, but the only thing that Mat could register was the mess of dark hair. Too distracted to be fearful of the serpents, Mat released Andrea's hands and placed them gently on her shoulders. As he leaned forward, he let his arms wrap around her, drawing her up so that if she wanted she could rest her head on his shoulder. He thought he may have heard hissing, but that could have been his own breath as he nervously tried to comfort her.

"Hey, hey. Shhh. Don't... Don't you apologise. You haven't done anything wrong. I should be the one saying sorry. I thought he-- When we met, you looked like somebody who was running away from something, or someone. And then when he saw the statue I made, and he knew that I knew you... And he kept asking where you were... I thought you were running away from him."

Everything was a blur, a haze. His mind was fog, his memories vapour.

"We could leave. You and me, we could hop a train and go somewhere. Anywhere. Andrea, if this guy is a threat to you, then come with me. We'll..." He racked his brain, this half-thought out idea pushing it's way through his confusion. "Go to New Orleans! Get a po'boy... His brain winced. "We can drink. And dance."

At this point Mat figured it impossible to stop his own mouth from working.

"It'll be an adventure!"

It was amazing how fast you moved when you were scared for someone you loved.

Saphirus had climbed and jumped off of a tall building so fast he didn't even have time to consider the many confused looks he'd gotten in the process. He was too busy flying.

A Cell phone in his hand gave him map journey directions as he hopped from building to building; He'd been at work, so he was most definitely in tights. He came to a sudden stop atop a warehouse, and stared at his phone with intense concentration, still running through nightmare scenarios in his head.

She lost her phone? No way. She'd been mugged? Maybe. Someone had kidnapped her to get to him! Oh no! If they were crazy enough to get on his bad side they had to be dangerous... Maybe.. Maybe he was too late... NO! He couldn't believe that. He would be there to defend her, damnit, it was his only real goal in life.

Oh, why did she to attract so much trouble?!

There was a roof window next to him... She was here; at the very least her phone was here. He didn't have time to worry about property damage! The woman he loved was in danger. He kicked the window out, and jumped in, ignoring the glass shards as he fell amongst them, picking up a few lacerations in the process.

He didn't care. He looked about frantically, almost immediately catching sight of a scraggly man squeezing the life out of the love of his life in what appeared to be a grisly bear hug of attempted homicide.

"YOU LET HER GO RIGHT F#@%ING NOW." He roared as he hobbled forward, his left arm tingling with energy waiting to be dispersed. One doesn't think a hobbling person could ever be menacing, but damn did he pull it off.

She shook her head against his shoulder, her chin resting on the fabric of his shirt. She didn't blame him at all; how could she? She'd been running from herself. Too afraid of what could have happened to stop and really think. Arms looped around his middle, clinging as she attempted not to cry all over his clothes, and she sniffled.

He managed to derail her mope train, however, with talk of running off together to New Orleans. The very thought of it brought a smile to her face, albeit a small, sad one. Dancing and drinking the nights away on a grand adventure with a friend? It was honestly tempting... but she knew deep down that it would't solve the problem that had her weeping.

"I would love--"

The sudden sound of glass shattering, and then the rain of reflective shards that followed broke her train of thought and killed the very words on her tongue. The Greek squeaked and jumped, clinging tighter to Matt in surprise as a body joined the pieces of broken window at the foot of the stairs.

"YOU LET HER GO RIGHT F#@%ING NOW."

The voice didn't register right away; it wouldn't until her heart climbed back into it's proper place within her rib-cage. All she knew was that someone has joined them via skylight, and he was making demands she didn't rightly understand. Not until the shout ceased, and she cracked open and eye did she realize who exactly it was standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at them.

...Saph?

The sky collapsed, in a shower of glass and debris.

Too stunned, too drained, too tired to respond with anything else, Mat could only blink as the skylight fell. Could only stare as a man fell through the ceiling, landing at the base of the steps as easily as a person who had just jumped from a couple of steps. Something was screamed, and the sound of it set the hairs on Mat's neck bristling. He felt Andrea cling tighter, and felt himself return the gesture. It wasn't until the sound of broken glass stopped, and the dust began to settle that Mat recognised him.

Any doubt that this man was a threat to Andrea vanished instantly.

Was he wearing tights?

Finally, the screaming, and the words they were meant to represent registered. Let her go. Mat's brow furrowed, and he found himself holding Andrea tighter than ever. He glared at the man, the so called Saphirus, his tired eyes narrowed. Mat held no illusions that this guy couldn't beat the crap out of him. He had proved that the last time they had met. Nor did he have illusions that Saphirus wouldn't kill him. He had shown more than a willingness last time. The safest option, as Mat could figure it, would be to let Andrea go. To move away from her, so as to diffuse the situation. Maybe then, the three of them would be able to talk rationally.

Like adults.

"No."

Way to be a grownup, Effigy.

His crowbar was out. When did that happen?

He clenched it tightly in his has as he stared at the man, shaking like an unhinged gate in the wind. The man hadn't let go. He squeezed tighter... He found he wasn't shaking out of rage, he was shaking because he was afraid.

Rage at the implication of that fear took over as he spoke.

"I don't know who you are... I don't know what you want... If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have... are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you... If you let her go right now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you. But if you don't..." Well, it was pretty obvious what would happen if he didn't let her go, so there was no real need to finish Liam Neeson's speech from Taken.

He took a half step forward, careful not to move suddenly. He didn't want him to loose his cool and hurt her; Just a few more steps and he could kill the man before he had a chance to react.

"I'll say it one more time... Let. Her. Go."

"Saph...?" Her voice barely made it past Matt's shoulder, as she tried to crane her neck further than it rightly should turn. She didn't struggle when the grip around her tightened, instead squeezing back momentarily. She didn't fully understand the reason behind it. Her friend's pointed response to Saph's loud demand was summed up on one short word; and Saph's response was long winded in comparison. While he spoke, however... cogs started to turn again in her head. Things clinked into place like there were rocks in the gears, but by the time he'd finished speaking she understood at least that this was not a happy meeting between friends.

"Saph, no." She wiggled in Matt's grasp, not wanting to jerk away from him suddenly, but wanting to turn to face her significant other. She needed to explain the situation to him, cut the tension off before it reached explosive levels. She... just wasn't sure how to do that, exactly.

"Matt... I need to talk to him, let me explain." The sheer volume of mixed emotions flooding through her was almost dizzying; Guilt, sadness, fear, and anger flowing gently underneath. What was she going to say? How could she make things right again, after everything she'd just heard? After everthing Saph had...

... everything Saph had done...

"Saphirus..."

The anger quickly boiled over, swallowing the other emotions whole, and Andrea found herself trembling. Her serpents coiled, muscles constricting all the way down to her scalp as her feelings washed through her into them. Sloth hissed; Ira wriggled uncertainly. Lust, Vana, and Gula vanished into the shelter of her hair.

..Boy... she was angry. Was this what fury felt like?

Mat wasn't sure where the crowbar had come from, but between that and Saphirus' little speech - which was more than a little creepy - he was pretty sure he wouldn't be walking away from this one unharmed. Pretty sure he wouldn't be walking away, period. There was a note of desperation in the man's voice, and Mat couldn't help but think that even if nothing happened now, it would be waiting for him later.

When Andrea was not around.

>>>"Saph, no... Matt... I need to talk to him, let me explain."

She began to turn in his grip, and despite the hesitation in his arms, in his head, he let her go without protest. He would let her go because she had asked. Not because of Tighty McTosspot's little temper tantrum. He let her go, and slumped back on the stairs, keeping his eye on the man. His hand worked it's way behind him, towards his back pocket, where he kept his straight razor.

Not before sparing a glance up, past the gaping hole in the ceiling, to the cloud that sat there. Taunting him. Laughing at him.

That bastard cloud...

"Saph, no... Matt... I need to talk to him, let me explain."

Wait a second... Wait a goddamn second!

It... It all made sense, now.

He stood, frozen in place for a second as the man let Andrea go... She'd been holding him back, hadn't she? This scruffy looking man; somewhat similar to himself just a few years ago...

How could he be so blind?! Another man answers her phone? He finds them in a secluded area, with their arms wrapped about each other...

She was having an affair!

His fists clenched tightly, making the crowbar in his hand shake violently... And then...


And then.

Saphirus started bawling like a wee little schoolgirl. He fell to his knees and blubbered like a mess. "Y-Y-Y You're leeeaaaaveing m-m-mEEEEE Aren't yoouuuuu! Wh-wh- I CAN CHAAAAAANGE!"

The grown ass man in tights scuffled on his knees toward her, big crocodile tears leaping from his mask left and right.

"WHAAAIIII!!!?! DOES HE LOVE YOU AS MUCH AS I DO?!" He stood suddenly, pointing at Matt. "YOU! You... You... look familiar... Oh... Sh- Wait you're leaving me for him?!" The rose... The statue. Of course. This had been going on for a while, hadn't it? And he'd felt GUILTY for hurting this man... It was a drunken, desperate mistake, and he'd viewed it as his most terrible failure on his quest to be the best person possible.

If he'd known then what he knew now...

He started bawling again. "WHY HIIIIM?! THINGS WERE GOING SO Whuh-whuh-WELL! Don't You love me?!"

She was angrier than she'd ever been before. It felt like every muscle in her body was straining to contain all of the venom she could feel building up on her tongue. How could he have done this? How could her Saphirus have done something so horrible to someone she cared about?! She saw him tense, she tensed as well. Her snakes rose as she jaw clenched and she prepared to unleash her fury on the man she loved.

"Y-Y-Y You're leeeaaaaveing m-m-mEEEEE Aren't yoouuuuu! Wh-wh- I CAN CHAAAAAANGE!"

... and then all of the anger rushed right back out of her, replaced by a sudden and overwhelming confusion. Leaving him? What on earth was he talking abou--

"WHAAAIIII!!!?! DOES HE LOVE YOU AS MUCH AS I DO?!"

The Greek yelped, tripped and landed on her rear, and started backpedaling away from him as he knee-shuffled toward her. "Wh-what?" She honestly hadn't the faintest idea what he was yelling about. Was... was he crying?

"Saphi-"

He sprang back to his feet suddenly, pointing a demanding finger at Matt, and she was stuck frozen on the floor. He was blabbering on in a most confusing manner, and she wasn't following. When he started wailing again, she reacted the only way she felt could possibly help the situation.


... she started crying too.

Huge, chest-heaving sobs amid a virtual waterfall of tears, and she couldn't stop herself. There wasn't any anger left to push her onward, and the adrenaline coursing through her was making her shake and jerk. The Greek slapped her hands over her glasses, wailing into her knees uncontrollably.

It all happened so fast. Sudden, and oh so unexpected. Mat had prepared himself for the inevitable strike. The blow that would come the moment Saphirus had an opening. Except...this wasn't what he was expecting. A punch? Yes. One of those crushing sledgehammer punches this guy was capable of? Most definitely yes.

But not this. Not the crying, and the weeping.

Andrea, for her part, seemed as confused as he was. For a moment, Mat was sure she was going to let the other man have it. Had he not preempted her with his wailing, she probably would have. Mat could only stare dumbfounded. And yet...he didn't buy it. He tensed as the man shuffled towards Andrea, his hand edging towards his blade.

>>>"YOU! You... You... look familiar... Oh... Sh- Wait you're leaving me for him?!"

It seemed the penny had dropped.

Then, the weeping. Like the synchronized fountains he had seen outside some casino, first the man, then Andrea, after falling to the floor. He stared from one, to the other, to the first, to the second, to Andrea, to Saphirus...

Clearing his throat, Mat moved his hands away from his pocket, into plain view. Saph was near Andea now, but that also meant he was within striking range. Mat took a deep breath, rubbing his hand down his face. Then he gave himself a tiny slap, to make sure he was actually awake.

"Um...right. Now that we've got that out the way...can we, maybe...I dunno...

He winced as his eyelid began to twitch, and smooshed the heel of his hand into it. He felt a series of tics run down his spine. His mind was heavy, confused. How could the sleepless hobo be the only one with a grain of sense here?

"Look... I haven't slept, in like...four days. So can we talk about this? Like adults? Before we have another... His gaze fell upon the man in tights, and he felt his glare harden, his jaw clench.

"Misunderstanding."