Fai was just a human, Weak, he stood no chance against other mutants .
That was what Sarah kept telling herself.
The last time he had faced danger alone, he had barely made it out alive. Four mutated humans had nearly killed him. If she and Johnson hadn't intervened when they did, he would have died.
That memory was still fresh in her mind,for her, it was reason enough to avoid unnecessary fights,enough to stay hidden, enough not to attack.
Yet now…
There he was, running straight toward danger.
The same person she was meant to protect.
The same person who had always stayed behind her.The same person who had never once looked confident in a fight.
And now, he was the one initiating it,Sarah's mind was in chaos,She didn't even know how to process what she was seeing.
Was this bravery? Or was it foolishness?Was he finally trying to be strong?Or was he throwing his life away?
On Johnson's side, however, his thoughts were completely different.Unlike Sarah, he felt relieved glad, even,for him, Fai's sudden action had a clear meaning.He thought Fai had noticed.Noticed that he still didn't have enough coins.
Noticed that he was too injured to fight properly,noticed that in his current state, earning coins on his own would be almost impossible,so in Johnson's mind, there was only one explanation.
Fai was fighting for him.
He was trying to help him reach five coins,he was risking himself for his teammate,that thought alone warmed Johnson's heart,it made him feel grateful,it made him feel guilty,and it made him respect Fai even more.
What Johnson didn't know…Fai had an entirely different reason.
Sarah, watching Fai run farther and farther away, felt her chest tighten,anger , fear and frustration grew inside her .
"Now that he's taken the initiative," she said sharply, "it means we have to join."
Her voice trembled with irritation.As she spoke, she stood up abruptly, ready to rush forward.She couldn't just stand there.She wouldn't.Not while Fai was risking his life.
Just then as she was about to move forward, suddenly—
Someone grabbed her hand,she froze,It was Johnson,He was holding her wrist firmly, stopping her from moving.
"What are you doing?" she asked.Her voice was filled with anger and confusion.
"We—I… I have to help him," she said quickly, correcting herself mid-sentence. "He won't make it out on his own."she explained
But Johnson didn't let go,Instead, he looked at her calmly."Are you sure?" he asked, then he turned towards the fight that was about to begin ahead . "I think he'll do just fine." he said again calmly .
Sarah stared at him."What do you mean?" she asked.Now, only confusion remained in her voice.She turned her head back toward Fai.He hadn't reached his opponents yet.But they had noticed him.All three of them had stopped talking.They were turning toward him.Their bodies shifted.Their stances lowered.They were preparing for battle.
"He's human," Sarah said urgently. "He doesn't stand a chance against them. It's obvious they're mutants."
Her voice grew firmer.
"And we both know what happened the last time he faced mutants alone."
She was making a clear point,a logical point, she was painting reality for Johnson to see .
Johnson was silent for a moment.Then he spoke."For someone who went to the same school with Fai," he said, "you don't seem to know much about him do you ? "
Sarah looked at him sharply.Her eyes said only one thing.Pardon?
"What do you mean by that?" her expression demanded.
Johnson hesitated.Then he sighed.
"Well… it's not like I know him that well either," he admitted. "But if there's one thing I'm certain of …"
He looked toward Fai.
"…he wouldn't run into a fight he wasn't sure he could win."
Sarah frowned, "Really?" she mustered , realization trucking her , she hadn't seen it that way , up till now her perspective of Fai had been clothed with the memory of the weak version of him from back in school . Her protective temper shadowing her reasoning.
But what Johnson said made sense , he was right , Fai might be weak ,yes , but he wasn't stupid, he knew his strength, and he knew his limits , he wouldn't just run into a fight he couldn't win . That was certain , although it was hard to believe , maybe this was one of the moments where he could win .
But still, against three mutants.... How would he even pull that off ?
Sarah then glanced back at Johnson's arm still holding her ,and then back at his face.The meaning was obvious.Johnson followed her gaze.He immediately understood.He quickly released her hand .
"All I'm saying is," he continued, "it might not seem like it, but Fai isn't weak. Not by any means."
He paused."If you can't trust me…then at least trust him."
"plus if things go wrong," he added, "we're still here. We can join in anytime."
Sarah hesitated , for a moment She didn't want to agree.Every instinct in her screamed that this was wrong.
But…Johnson wasn't entirely wrong, she could trust Fai , reluctantly, she nodded.She stayed where she was.
Doing so ,she realized something.
She didn't really know Fai.Not truly.
All she remembered was the weak boy from high school.The one constantly bullied by Keal's group.The one who never fought back.
The one who always kept his head down.
That was her image of him.Nothing more.Nothing less.
Well Apart from that…She also knew he had no parents.No family.No support.These thoughts struck her deeply.It made her uncomfortable.
It made her rethink everything.
What if he wasn't weak?
What if he had simply been enduring?
What if all those hardships had shaped him into something stronger than she imagined?
Maybe…Just maybe…She had been underestimating him all this time.
******.
I made this chapter longer , hope it's makes up for the other inactive days .
Like I said , I will be starting my medical training this month , so it would be hard for me to write, due to time shrinkage. But I'll try my best to find time and write.
Thanks for the support guys , and thanks for the votes , it keeps me motivated.