Luke stood outside the danger room, waiting patiently for his helper to arrive. Instead of going up to get her himself he had made a point earlier in the day of asking one of the younger kids to deliver a special gift to the Doc Prof that he could then give to Sara. If her sight was back already then she wouldn't need the gift but if her sight wasn't back... well she'd have to learn how to use a handicap cane at some point.

Since he wasn't planning on actually doing any physical combat Luke was dressed rather casually in sneakers, jeans, and a pull over sweat-shirt. He had slept well the previous night/morning and was now ready to get back down to business. Sara would obviously be uncomfortable around most people for at least a little while which meant that their both being night owls would deffinately work to their advantage. As he stood waiting for Sara to arrive Luke was still trying to decide exactly what kind of program he should use. Would a normal target set up be enough or would it have to be something more intense to be able to trigger the power that had been so elusive for him thus far?

"No way to know until we get in there and do it I guess." Luke muttered to himself, "Hopefully Sara's in rare form."

When Sara woke up, she immediately ditched the paper gown she’d been in, since she first arrived. Almost all her cloths had been able to be salvaged, so she was able to put on her own pants and underwear, once she discovered them folded on the chair next to the bed. There was a running braw, that was the type most ladies used as tops in the summer, that fit over her fur jut right. However her white top, she’d been wearing when she was shot, was wrecked. As a replacement, Sara had been handed a zip up hoody, she left half way un zipped.

Currently, Sara sat sideways with her feet dangling off of the side of the infirmary cot. Her tail dangled off of the other side, and her head faced the wall directly a head of her, though, no, she couldn’t see it. Not yet. But she could still used every one of her other senses. At the moment, she was using two. Her sense of smell and her sense of touch. Between her paw like hands she held something that had been handled by Luke. She was running her hand down it’s long side, and she felt where the object was meant to collapse. Sara didn’t know how to accept this gift.

It was a cane. A freakin’ cane. Sara knew Luke was trying to help but the gift made it hard to believe Luke’s words, of encouragement.

A 11 year old girl stood at the foot of Sara’s bed. Unbeknown by Sara, the girl also had a tail and her ears were slightly pointed, with a rosy color of light pink to her skin, that made a deep contrast with her short cut black hair and bangs that were cut so there was a corner coming down in the middle of her forehead. So her face sort of made a heart shape. The girl watched Sara’s tail intently, waiting for farther directions.

Doc Prof was mingling in the corner. Sometime while Sara was sleeping, he had snuck around her infirmary room, and cleaned up her mess. At the moment, he was reciting a few tests that he could run for Sara, to see what was going on, but most of what he said, meant nothing to her. If her sight was going to come back, her body would do all the work, but if it didn’t come back, she knew there was nothing that could be done. After all, she was a healer. She shouldn’t have even needed Doc Prof’s help.

“So what’s your name?” Sara said, purposefully interrupting doc Prof, to talk to the girl that had given her the cane.

The young girl’s skin darkened so that it was almost purple and smoke, that smelled like vanilla rose incense, emitted from her ears. “It’s Vanessa, Miss Sara, but most call me Vale.”

“Vale then. The man who asked you to deliver this,” Sara lifted the cane. “I’m supposed to meet him at the danger room. Will you help me find it? I don’t exactly know my way around here.”

Doc Prof made a sound of dismay in the corner, that Sara completely ignored. Doc Prof still believed more rest was what Sara needed, not being moved around. Vale nodded, with a grin, while Sara waited to hear her answer. “Yes ma’am, Miss Sara.”

.. .. .. .. ..

Sara’s second experience, trying to walk without seeing, was better than her first experience. Thanks to Vanessa (AKA Vale) she didn’t run into anything, or knock thing over. Stairs were interesting to conquer but with her leading eye mutant at her elbow, they weren’t impossible. However going down the stairs would probably be easier if Sara put the cane down in front of her, and checked each step, rather than stubbornly holding the long cane under, the crook of, her arm.

Finally the girl turned the last corner, Sara in tow, and there they were. “Here’s Mr. Jacobs, Miss Sara.” Vanessa said brightly as they came to a stop. “Is there anything else?” The 11 year old stood straight. Her attention went from Sara, to Luke, to Sara’s tail, then back to Luke.

The blind man stood easily as he watched Sara come closer with a young kid helping her along the passageway. He had purposefully kept his sonar down to an extremely low power so that even though he could 'see' some distance away he couldn't make out many details. Hopefully his feline friend would appreciate the effort before she god angry at him because of his gift.

"Thank you very much for your help Vanessa." Luke said softly as he gave the youngster a nice smile, "I think we can probably take it from here."

For the next few moments the blind man remained silent, simply smiling after the young mutant until she dissapeared around a corner. "You'd be amazed how well those cane's work in a fight." He spoke up, keeping his voice light as he turned his attention back to Sara. There was really no telling how she would react and he could feel his muscles tensing ever so slightly just to be on the safe side. It was quite possible that she'd try taking a swing at him either with her hand or with the cane just to try to make a point and though she probably deserved a chance he didn't want to have to explain any strange bruises to Raina. "It's firm enough to do the damage but flexible enough to deliver a slight whippy spring to it."

Slowly backing away towards the doorway, Luke keyed the panel that caused the door into the danger room to open up. "So, are you ready to check out the danger room?"

Vanessa grinned broadly. She took two steps back from Sara, gave the two blind mutants a bow. “Yes Sir.” Then turned and ran off down the hall way.

Sara turned her head and her ear flicked in the direction of down the hall, as Vanessa pushed the door open for the stairs, then disappeared from where Sara could hear her, and the low buzz from Luke’s sonar was all she could make out. Even over lights. From the sonar’s volume, Sara could tell Luke was keeping it low for her, but it still made the fur on the back of her neck want to stand up. “As you can see, Doc Prof provided me with a new shirt, but he neglected my request for new ear muffs.”

"You'd be amazed how well those cane's work in a fight. It's firm enough to do the damage but flexible enough to deliver a slight whippy spring to it."

Really… Sara moved the cane out from the crook of her arm and weighed it in her hands. Nice. Luke handed her a weapon, helped her, and insulted her all in the same gesture. “That’s all fine and dandy but you are aware I need to see a target to hit it, Right? Not unless I develop a sonar like you, and I think that would be painful for me.”

Yes Sara felt like smacking Luke. Just once. But there was the not seeing. Then the fact that she knew she probably owed her life to him after last night. Plus Sam had once told her that fighting was for inside the danger room. A room that they were about to enter anyways.

"So, are you ready to check out the danger room?"

She moved the cane so that it was vertical. Held between her two hands and the tip was between her toes. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Luke tapped out the number code to open the electronic doors and Sara liked to think she knew the pattern he tapped out, based on sound. She doubted she would pass if the numbers were made into a test, but that wasn’t the point to what she wanted to think.

The tips of her fingers reached out to the wall, then slid across to the door as she started to walk, slowly, in. “This is it?”

As Luke led the way into the danger room he just had to smile. As Sara spoke it would be obvious from the echoes that this was just one large empty room. Except for stairs off in the far corner that led up to the control room there was absolutely nothing. Bare floors, bare walls, and bare ceiling.

"This is it." Luke responded with a slight grin as the door slid closed behind Sara once she and her tail had fully entered the room, "I know it doesn't look like much but it's amazing just how much you can do here."

Pausing a moment in thought, Luke tried to decide how he could best demonstrate the room's power. Finally, unable to think of anything more spectacular, he went to one of his old standbys.

"Computer... activate simulation setting jacobs357." He ordered. Without the slightest delay the room suddenly changed. The floor beneath their feet dissapeared to be replaced by a grassy meadow. The walls around them dissapeared, replaced by the view of a forest to their north, mountains far to the south, and open meadow to the east and west. The ceiling was gone leaving behind a blue cloudless sky with various birds wheeling through it. Of course, neither of the people currently in the room could fully appreciate what had happened but they could both hear and feel the difference in where they were.

"This room can take you anywhere in any weather condition." Luke spoke up as he turned back around to face his feline friend, "Whatever kind of training may help us in future missions can be simulated in this 'dangerous room' as you call it. Impressed yet?"

Yup… Echoes… A big room with big Echoes… Never again would Sara wonder about the dangerous room for it had great and wonderful echoes. That was not a bid deal to her. She’d been in caves before, Big rooms in big caves. Ad the echoes weren’t nearly as interesting as the sound of a hammer in your hand, echoing off of the side of a barn half a mile away. That one sounded like a double drum. Sara’s ears just swiveled back and forth.

"Computer... activate simulation setting jacobs357."

The floor felt like if fell away from her feet, or like something came through the floor to her feet. Sara was slightly confused at the feeling of grass springing up. She crouched to run one hand along the floor admiring the way the shift had felt. “Too bad the smells not right.”

"Whatever kind of training may help us in future missions can be simulated in this 'dangerous room' as you call it. Impressed yet?"

“By the room yes.” Sara commented. Her ears flicked back and forth again following the sounds of the artificial birds above. “But this room means you can only train for situations you can dream up, if I understand things correctly. I hope your imaginations are as impressive.”

Sara stood back up, and the tip of her tail only gave a small twitch to counter her balance. “So about those sound blasts. Is there anything you find more effective for triggering those?” Not that Sara would really be able to see it. “Just out of curiosity.” Sara said as she started to explore a little more. She slid her feet across the grass one way, Then another, trying to find out exactly how much room she had around her.

"Well maybe you can get together with Sam and talk about setting up the computer to better mimic smells." Luke said with a slight grin at the feline's off hand comment, "Since most of us don't have an ehanced sense of smell you're probably one of the few to key in on that but I'd bet everyone would appreciate any help you could give in making the programs more accurate."

As Sara rose back to her feet Luke began some basic stretching exercises. He wasn't planning on doing anything extremely physical but he had learned that around this particular friend most anything could happen. One moment they could be chatting like best friends and the next they could be fighting like cats and dogs. Really there was no way to predict it and no way to have any sort of guarantee.

"I've tried a few of different training exercises," Luke replied as he focused on stretching out first his calves and then on to his thighs, "ranging from wild animals to shadowy creatures that were murdering innocent civilians. Thus far I've only been able to access the power either when myself or an innocent victim was about to 'die'."

As Luke moved back into a normal standing position he gave a slight shrug, not even thinking about the fact Sara would be unable to see the movement, "Heightened emotion has been the only thing that triggers it. When Raina and I were in Paris the power manifested when some punks attacked us and I actually began to feel helpless. I used the power two, no, three times there. Since then I've duplicated that result only, uh, once."

The more Luke went on, the more Sara was realizing that this session wasn’t just going to be tough on him. It was going to be tough on her. Raina still hadn’t told her what exactly happened in Paris, and based on what Luke was saying it actually was getting bad back then.

Why hadn’t Raina said anything to Sara yet, that told her what happened? Was Sara really that far detached from people when she thought her social life had been growing? She should have that shopping trip with Raina by now. Especially now that she may not be able to appreciate her possible purchases as much.

“You’re right. Sense of smell does mean little to most people who would use this room.” Sara replied trying to take her mind off of what ever happened. Wishing she’d been there.

“So wild animals. Anything like me?” Sara joked. This was probably one of the last jokes before her and Luke got pissed at each other. From what Luke had said, to help him she was going to have to make him angry, or scared. Or something other than this happy go lucky mask that Sara felt was up, because of her current situation.

Sara had grown tired of the pity parties Luke gave himself because he didn’t think he was worth as much as he was. Because if Luke didn’t think he was worth anything, then Sara couldn’t be worth much in her current condition either and Sara had to believe that she could do things on her own again. Sara couldn’t stand herself if she couldn’t be independent so if she had to prove anything to herself, it was to prove to Luke that he wasn’t worthless.

Her lips pressed together and her mind started shifting to the more vindictive side. The side she had back at the test house. Back at his apartment with Raina. Luke I’m sorry. Sara told Luke in her head, though the word wouldn’t be said out loud. I’m going to repay you for helping me, and if I do things right, we might not look at each other the same way again and saying things out loud will only make what I am going to do, harder to accomplish. Sara’s left hand tightened around the cane Luke had given her.

“Well that’s stupid, isn’t it.” Sara commented. Acting as she really believed what she was saying.

Luke purposefully ignored Sara's question about whether any of the animals had been like her. Honestly, at least one or two had been a little bit alike her though deffinately not exact. What could he say? Big cats were one of the most feared set of animals so it just made sense that he would face something like that. It wasn't because he actually had any motives or desire to attack Sara. Did it?

"What's stupid?" He asked as he straightened back up and turned to face the feline, "The fact I haven't been able to access the ability? From what I understand that's normal. Haven't you ever had a new mutation show up?"

He had heard from so many people about their various power growths and mutations that he was almost beginning to think it was a standard. Didn't everyone get this sort of change at some point in their life? Heck, even Raina had gone through a power growth although hers did have some serious draw backs.

As he watched Sara with his low powered sonar he really had no idea that she was already beginning to put on her game face. He should have realized it but at the same time he was still trying to walk on egg shells so that he wouldn't hurt her by saying something about her new blindness. He had been born blind and thus had years to learn how to cope before his sonar manifested itself but even now he could still remember as a child, wishing he could 'see' what everyone said was so beautiful or so neat. Sight was a sense that many people took for granted and it was quite posible that Sara had been one of them.

"Until this manifested I thought I was the only one left out. Most everyone I've talked to has had their powers grown in some way or another."

Oh Luke didn’t know it but he hit yet another sore spot with Sara. Two actually. “My mutation has never been something I’ve had the choice of controlling.” Sara didn’t have to act there, to pull off the stress in her voice. She blamed the way she was for her past. But at least at the beginning of her past, she looked human. She could still draw her face. Her first face. Or at least she could when she could see. “When this happened, I was 12.” Sara opened her hand and brought it up like she was going to touch her face, then stopped. Her hand just ort of hovered. Them moved in a fast circle in front of her eyes that knew her own padded hand was inches away. “ All I had to learn was to keep my feet from tripping on my tail.” Sara still didn’t know if her mutation was even natural, or if it had been induced. If someone purposefully deformed her, along with all the other things they did to her.

Yes Sara had been there when Raina’s mutation had first manifested, but this wasn’t about her, or Raina. It was about this Luke. He would have to learn how to feel this power much like Sara was going to have to learn how to get around without sight. They were both going to knock a lot of thing over, but one of them was going to try to do it purposefully.

“To be honest, I don’t see a difference.” Sara said pouring in a controlled amount of attitude from the emotions she let Luke effect so that she seemed callus, rather than angry or sad. These were feelings that went with the current subject, Sara was used to hiding. It worked well in telling things that weren’t true. “Doesn’t it work like simply moving a hand, or an extra appendage? I’ve seen Sam be quite dexterous with new ice abilities. Didn’t he call that last one winter wonder lands? Useful, wasn’t it.” That night was a bad night. Sara remembered Luke’s attitude then, mixed with hers, and she hoped her starting to push that memory, would bring back some thought. The way he said he was helpless, even though he wanted to kick some tail and keep fighting. “If Sam wasn’t there, I don’t think we would have been able to interrogate those men… I still wonder if that house was all you.”

To say that Luke was surprised by Sara's attitude would have been an understatement. It was like she didn't even care about what kind of problem he might be dealing with. You would think after all the help and support he had shown her with her blindness she could at least give him a little bit of the same treatment.

"Yeah... winter wonderland was really useful." Luke said, his voice evening out as his face hardened every so slightly, "What would we have done without good old Sam."

And then, out of the blue, Sara attacked him again. It was a blow that came out of nowhere and if the confrontation had been physical instead of verbal Luke would have been stumbling backward.

"You still think that was me?!" Luke asked with an obvious edge to his voice as the volume increased ever so slightly, "What in the world does it take to get through to you?"

How could she still think that he had been the cause of that nightmare? Sure, he might not consider Sara one of his best friends but he sure as hell didn't want to get her killed. And there was no way he could ever be petty enough to set up some fake situation to try and come out as a hero.

"I know what this is." Luke said, his voice cold as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You're just not ready to deal with being blind so you figure you'll strike out at anyone close. Maybe if you drive your friends away then you can focus on feeling sorry for yourself."

Really, Luke should have been able to figure out that Sara was just trying to get him worked up to trigger his latest power manifestation but he was to wrapped up in the moment. All he really knew was that someone he considered a friend was beginning to attack him for no reason all over again. How was he supposed to react that that?!

"Yeah... winter wonderland was really useful. What would we have done without good old Sam."

The corner of Sara’s mouth twitched. She kept it from curving up into a smile because she felt his sonar buzz a different toon. What Luke, and his sonar was telling Sara was that she was headed on the right track, just before she pushed him harder.

"You still think that was me?!"

Sara stood firmly with the cane held tight, between her hands. Vertical. She wasn’t sure anymore what she really believed, but she knew what she wanted to believe, and she knew what she chose to make Luke think she believed. She was sticking to her guns on that because it was what she knew would help Luke. Because if she could help Luke, maybe she wasn’t so far from being what Luke thought of himself.

"What in the world does it take to get through to you?"

“I don’t know.” Sara breathed out, evenly. She didn’t have to lie or guess there.

"I know what this is."

Sara faced a different direction from Luke, but her eye brow still rose. Oh did he. Had she chosen subjects that were too obvious?

"You're just not ready to deal with being blind so you figure you'll strike out at anyone close. Maybe if you drive your friends away then you can focus on feeling sorry for yourself."

“Ding, ding, ding, ding!” Sara let her voice rise with the actual frustration so that it echoed in the fake surroundings. And a family of fake birds chirped up with her. Sara was hitting nerves and Luke hit yet another. “You would know, wouldn’t you. What it’s like. What a shock.” Ok maybe not a shock seeing as Luke was blind since birth. Sara worked t recover, quickly. “I’ll never be ready to deal with being blind! Not that you know what this is like.” Sara paused for a moment knowing full well once these things were out they couldn’t be She resteadied her nerve and lowered her voice so that it was steady and callous, again. “It’s not like you can miss what you never had.”

Lies

Following where Luke’s voice was coming from, Sara started walking in back in his general direction. Slow steady calculating steps. “You tell me exactly how worthless you feel next to every one else, and yet you’re still here. Is it that you like making every one else look GOOD!” On that last low word Sara Swong the cam up in a half circle motion so that it might strike in the general side. Of Luke. Though what part of Luke’s side Sara wasn’t sure. She was only aware that Luke was with in cane’s reach by the sounds f his sonar, breaths, and heart beat.

Luke felt like he had just been slapped in the face and without realizing it he took one step back from the sheer shock of the moment. Sara actually believed you couldn't miss what you never had? She really thought that just because he'd been born blind he couldn't appreciate the devastating loss it must be for someone else?

"You're right Sara." Luke snapped back angrily, "How could I miss something when I've never had the opportunity to see my mother's face? How could miss the fact that I never got to see the beauty of a sunrise or sunset? And of course, how could I miss out on the fact that I have and never will be able to see the face of the woman that I love?! How stupid of me!"

It was more than just a cheep shot... it was a cheep shot that focused on probably Luke's biggest insecurity. Especially when it came to the subject of Raina. Even though they had both declared their love to each other there was always that fear that she would find someone better suited for her. Someone that could truly appreciate her beauty and perhaps even had a mutation that allowed them to enjoy the water like the beautiful mermaid did. Someone that could take her to a movie theater and enjoy the movie with her or someone that could just snap a photograph and then enjoy the beauty of the picture along with Raina.

Luke was so lost in thought that he practically missed the last words that Sara flung at his face and he almost missed the cane that suddenly whipped up in his direction. Reacting quickly but not quite fast enough, Luke brought up his left arm while ducking his head. Deflecting the cane off of his arm it still manage to jerk upward and slap across the top of his head. Going completely into the moment Luke dropped low, one leg lashing out in a sweep as he tried to take the blind kitty cat down to the ground.

"Don't ever pretend to understand me!" Luke lashed out verbally as he sprang back up into a standing position, "You haven't been able to fit in with people since you were twelve, boo hoo! At least you could still see the beauty of life around you so why don't you just shut the hell up and focus on trying to live!"

If Sara didn’t think Luke would see the expression on her face, through his sonar, She’d smile. Not because she was hurting him, but he was getting worked up. Hopefully when the blast came, he wouldn’t be so worked up that she couldn’t get him to think about how the blast came about.

The strike she made with the cane vibrated up the shaft to her hands and she didn’t really know she smacked Luke on the head with it. It wasn’t a hit she intended on being hard, but it did the trick to drill into Luke’s emotions even more. And he was retaliating. Sara sensed some sort of attack, but could do nothing as her legs, and cane where knocked out from under her and she fell sideways onto her hip and elbow. Grass was definitely a good choice to have in the danger room right now. The fake ground had some give to it. Falling still hurt, but not as much as it would on the metal floor.

“Oh I’ve lived through quite a lot. Remember, I just successfully lived through being shot in the head.” Sara pushed herself back on the ground as Luke had finished, so that she was supported by her elbows. Her legs curled towards her chest as she slid the cane across the ground till it bumped Luke’s feet. Then she aimed both legs to kick out with her toes curled back to avoid snagging Luke with her claws. With Luke’s height, she was trying to aim for his mid section but with out being able to see, Sara wasn’t sure.

“How about this thought. Did your mother tell you that you were blind, or did she think you wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Did she try to explain color to you, thinking you wouldn’t notice, or did the kids on the play ground?”

Even though Luke was wrapped up in the verbal and physical sparring that was going on between himself and the kitty a part of his brain idly noted that she was apparently beginning to learn to use the cane. The light touch of the cane against his foot was proof of that. Automatically he began to move away from the tap but it was the wrong choice. As he began to move away, Sara's legs shot out, one hitting his hip while the other slammed directly into his groin.

The pain was instentaneous and without a sound Luke fell to the ground, rolling away from Sara before coming up to one knee as he tried to overcome the pain that was lancing through his body.

“How about this thought. Did your mother tell you that you were blind, or did she think you wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Did she try to explain color to you, thinking you wouldn’t notice, or did the kids on the play ground?”

All he wanted to do was punch Sara in the note but he was to far away. Not only was she causing him physical pain but she was ripping open old emotional scars that he had ignored for years. Luke had never had the opportunity to know his mother and since he couldn't see pictures he had no idea what she might ahve looked like. He didn't even know whether she was still alive or not!

"Bitch!" Luke hissed as his sonar narrowed down to a tight beam that focused directly on Sara's chest, "Leave my mother out of this!" He yelled his voice increasing in volume to punctuate the very last word and that was when it happened. Like a dam bursting open, Luke's sonar changed frequency completely and became a sonic blast that would send anything in its path flying backward. While not as powerful as the 'laser' sound beam Luke had produced twice before it was exactly like the blast that had led to the death of one man back in Paris.

"My mother left right after I was born so don't EVER mention her!" Luke growed as he slowly got to his feet, not truly realizing that he had accessed his power yet again.