***WARNING*** This story contains mature themes and elements (Profanity, Violence, Drug Use, etc.)

      Sara’s little-used healing abilities were getting the workout of her life. After Venom’s assault on the school, the infirmary was filled far beyond capacity with her wounded classmates. Most of the injuries were simple cuts and bruises, easily rectified by even Sara’s fledgling powers.

      Angelo, however, was a different story. He tried to use his distended skin to wrap up Venom and curb his assault. The black symbiote easily ripped through Angelo’s skin, tearing it to shreds. Now, young mister Espinosa lay in the critical car bed of the infirmary with fist sized gaps in his epidermis where Venom ripped it.

      Sara managed to stop the bleeding via medical means, but she simply could not mend his torn flesh. She had been working on helping Angelo for three hours when Emma spoke in her mind.

      <<Sara, I commend your efforts; however, tiring yourself will only make the situation worse. You’ve stabilized Angelo and he will survive the night. The best thing for him and you is to get some rest; I’ll call Dr. McCoy in the morning and get him to assist you.>>

      Sara communicated her acknowledgment to Emma and decided to turn in for the night. As Sara entered the room she shared with Paige she noticed a note on her bed.

Sara,

Jamal called, since it was very long-distance, and I didn’t know when you’d be back he just left a message. He said “check your e-mail”. I’m gonna be in Jono’s room making sure he’s feeling OK so don’t wait up.

Paige

Sara sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. She navigated her way through the various animal icons on her desktop and logged on to the Xavier’s School network. After entering her username and password, her in-box opened to reveal a single message. No surprise it was from Jamal.

hey sara,

 hows everything over there? hope its all cool. japan is great! its even better then i remember it! oh if you and emma are still worried about me, dont. i already confronted tetsuo and im still breathing. my plane leaves for back there in 2 days so i’ll see you in about 3 ½ days. can’t wait to see you again.

love,

jamal

********************

   Jamal logged off of the Xavier’s School e-mail server and  handed Mika her laptop. The two were waiting in the emergency room of the hospital Tetuso had been rushed to after his fight with Jamal.

Jamal had just finished emailing three people back at the school, Sara, Monet, and Emma. All three of them were worried about his safety while he was away. Even though Emma had lowered the intensity of his psychic rapport with his half-sister Monet, and Sara agreed not to use their rapport while he was away; Jamal still felt the nagging sense of fear for him that dwelled in their souls. His e-mails were just a way to alleviate some of it.

Mika placed her laptop back into her backpack and nervously twiddled her thumbs. She was ashamed of herself for looking over Jamal’s shoulder while he wrote his e-mails but she had a few burning questions that needed soothing answers.

“Jamal, you told me about your half-sister Monet, but who are Emma and Sara? Girlfriends?” Mika pretended not to be nervous as she awaited Jamal’s answer.

“Emma? Naw, she’s my headmistress, one of the teachers. But she’s really cool though.”

Mika sighed in relief as Emma was eliminated as her competition. However, Sara was mysteriously ignored. Just as she was about to ask about Sara, Aoi came out into the waiting area to get the two.

“The doctors said his hand can’t be re-attached. He’ll need a prosthetic.”

Mika hugged her mother tightly, “You seem to be taking this well.”

Aoi hugged her daughter back, “Your brother chose his own path and he will have to live with that decision. Not us. Your brother paid for his ignorance, hatred and pride.”

Aoi slowly let go of Mika and spoke to Jamal

“Don’t worry that we feel any different about you after today Jamal. We know that this wasn’t your fault. You should be proud!” Aoi held Jamal’s hands in hers as she spoke.

“So many of us spend our entire lives trying to confront our demons, or running from them, You have faced and defeated yours! You have done what men three times your age still wish to do. Your entire life is ahead of you and already you have the skill and will to make of your fate what you will. You now know that you have the ability to face whatever is in your path.

“Also Jamal, know that we will always love you, Akira, Mika and myself. Mutant or not, you are still the same Jamal that came to us as a young child and lives in our hearts to this day.”

The two hugged tightly and cried into each other's shoulders.

Akira slowly walked behind his cane and spoke, “Now Aoi, we mustn’t make the boy cry.”

Jamal released Aoi and wiped his tears away before facing and deeply bowing to Akira. Akira grabbed Jamal mid-bow and embraced him tightly while sobbing himself.

“You made me proud today son, you gave a dying man reason to smile.”

********************

      “You know Sean, as much as I’m over here, I really should be billing you people by the hour.”

      Sean helped Henry McCoy with his bags and led the way up the stairs of the foyer to the infirmary.

      “All joking aside Hank, thanks for coming out on such short notice. This Venom character was slightly more than we could handle and we appreciate all of the help you can offer.”

      Henry entered the infirmary’s intensive care room and the pungent, yet familiar scent of antiseptic hung heavy in the air. He announced himself and pulled back Angelo’s privacy curtain to survey the damage done by Venom’s rampage.

      In the past, Henry McCoy had fought interstellar warriors on the surface of the moon, faced entire swarms of titanic titanium tyrants, and even met fellow mutants from futures that might never occur. But the sight of Angelo lying on a bed with his ripped and torn skin surrounding him still caused him to gasp.

      Angelo was hooked up to various monitoring devices, all of which beeped in positive reassurance. The consistent electronic pulsing put Hank’s mind at ease. At the very least Angelo was stable.

      Hank looked over the chart Sean handed him. He was amazed at the detail and accuracy of the paperwork.

      “Sean, where is the person who wrote up this report? I assume it is the same young lady who has assisted me in the past. Sara, I believe her name was?”

      Sean took a sip of his black coffee and answered, “Aye, sure’n yure right. Sara is indeed the young lady who wrote up that chart.”

      “Is there anyway you could get her for me? Her knowledge and assistance would be more than helpful.”

      “Aye the lass truly has a knack for this work and I dinnae doubt that she’d be more than helpful; however she’s been on her feet all day and I think she could use the rest.”

      Hank concurred. A clear, rested mind was better than a clouded tired one. He tied his lab coat tight, put on his specially fitted gloves and began to work on Angelo to the best of his ability.

   ********************

      Jamal’s plane arrived at the airport earlier than expected, so he had about an hour to sit around and wait for Emma to pick him up. As he sat in the waiting area chairs of Terminal C, Jamal reflected on the events that had transpired over the final days of his trip. The last few days had been stressful on him. His final hours in Japan had been spent with Mika. He still loved her, he knew that now. But at the same time he knew that he loved Sara more than ever.

He and Mika spent his final night in Japan in bed together, with their clothes on. They lay in bed spooning, holding each other and talking. They mostly talked about what would happen to their relationship once he left for America. Mika wanted him to stay with her, hoping against hope that he might actually remain in Japan. He knew he couldn’t however. He was starting a new life in America, with the other young mutants.

His love for Mika and Sara tore his heart to ribbons. He wanted both but knew he couldn’t have them. He didn't know if it was greed or indecisiveness that convinced him that he wanted, no, needed both of these women in his life.

His final words to Mika were: ”I love you, I know that now. I will always love you, and I’ll see you again soon. Until then, carry my love with you.”

With those words he embraced Mika and kissed her as passionately as he had ever kissed anyone. When the two finally released each other, Jamal walked onto the waiting plane.

That was nearly 3 days ago and he still couldn’t get her feel, her touch, her scent out of his mind. He had no idea how he’d react once he saw Sara again, but he knew he didn't have much time to worry about that anymore.

Emma’s euphoria was boundless, Jamal smiled to himself as he felt Emma’s thoughts as far away as the parking garage. He also felt that she was not alone, in fact he had an entire “welcome back” committee assembled for his return. Chris, Monet, Everett and, of course, Sara.

Jamal stood up once he felt his guests were close enough to his terminal to see him. Sara was the first to come bounding down the airport’s wide hallway with her arms spread. Any awkwardness Jamal might have felt at seeing Sara again dissolved the moment they embraced.

In between kisses, Sara managed to get out, “God, Jamal I missed you so much!”

Jamal was completely lost in the moment and for an instant he forgot about Japan and Mika and everything in the universe except Sara and how much he loved her.

Eventually the others joined the lovebirds and everyone mobbed Jamal and all started talking at once. For the consummate loner, to be the center of attention was a bit unnerving, but thoroughly appreciated.   

********************

Jamal unpacked his bags in his room, it felt rather empty with his roommate, Angelo, in the intensive care unit. As Jamal slowly put his clothes into his closet and drawers he felt a familiar presence ooze into the room. Even before his visitor announced himself, Jamal knew who it was.

“Legionnaire, I was beginning to think you stopped caring about me.”         

      Legionnaire, impeccably dressed in casual Louis XIV garb, swung his legs down from the desk he was sitting on behind Jamal. His long snow-white hair framed his face smooth and hard as marble. The two directly opposed each other and made any attempt to determine his age by physical characteristics an exercise in futility.

      “My dear boy, I could never stop caring for you or your progress. Or for the progress of your half-brother Chris for that matter,” he slowly, carefully approached Jamal; as if trying not to frighten off a sparrow.

      Jamal was beyond fear of Legionnaire at this point. Rather, all he felt was annoyance at his supposed father’s childish games.

      “Is this all you’re gonna do? Appear out of nowhere and try to scare me? You’d think with your powers you’d have better things to do than play hide-and-seek.”

      Legionnaire smiled like the lion seeing a lone gazelle on the open plains of the Serengheti.

      “So son, you tire of our current pace? Well by all means don't let be bore you. If you’re ready to take it to the next level, I’m more than glad to oblige"

      With that ominous bit of dialogue, Legionnaire was gone. Not a bang or a whimper, he just vanished. Jamal realized that provoking Legionnaire was not the best thing he could've done.

********************

      Chris sat in his room and emptied all of the spray cans he and Angelo boosted before Venom attacked. It looked like the graffiti attacks they planed would have to wait until Ange healed. Chris meticulously set-up the bounty on his closet's top shelf and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around to see his visitor, he was surprised to see his roommate, Paul.

      "Hey Paul, how's it going man? I haven't seen you in a while. I mean I know this is your room and all too but you've been spending a lot of time in the science lab recently."

      Paul shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah well, I finished the research I was doing." Since Chris was unconscious when the symbiote took over his body, Paul saw no reason to tell him about his "extra" ability. Besides, he had something else on his mind"

      "Actually Chris, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm usually a shy kinda guy, but there's this girl I'm really interested in and I was wondering if you could help me try an woo her."

      Paul's honesty was heartbreaking, Chris had to help the poor guy.

      "Never fails. Whenever their love life needs some maintenance, everybody comes to the answer man!" Chris smiled and placed his arm around Paul. "Your first tip bro, don’t ever use the word 'woo' again."