Rebecca Costa-Brown
August 28, 1986

It was one of the best few months I had in this hospital, having a new visitor who is really unique in his own weird way added in the factor may had. Roman as he lamentedly called his destined yet understandable nickname had been a breath of fresh air compared to those who check on me, from my friends, family, to my doctors. Though our first meeting was a sudden weird happenstance, he truly took in his promise seriously and kept on coming back, much to the chagrin of my usual visitors who met and interacted with him almost instantly accepted his presence or his parents, who apparently and actually owned the hospital much to my shock.

Though the dressing down he received for running away from an important business meeting with 'businessmen as shady as Dad' was hilarious. His mother caught him trying to get out of my room. And by 'caught', I mean he almost crashed right into her when he ran out the door. Apparently, she'd been looking for him for hours and by the sweat and heavy breathing, she'd been everywhere searching for him.

I'm a bit glad that he only got away lightly, his mother and by extension his father who arrived later on sympathizing with my plight, me being his actual first friend in a similar age range given he is apparently a medical genius and had been skipping grades made them agree on visitation as much as available and adequate 'to a sharp witted young lady like me'. And he did, and was always his goofy and nerdy way he talked about things, from his nigh obsession to the Japanese idol industry, ranting about the super powered people cropping around that by his confession of 'lost puppy firebirds and out of depth people' means he met some. Becoming fast friends as hours turned to days, days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and I learn more and more of my usual fluffy visitor.

There were moments, bouts of jealousy and anger, to him for many reasons ranging from the smallest things to things I had buried that made me lash to him. But Roman, the stupid idiot he is, merely took in all my barbed words with a gentle, understanding smile, he would always stir the conversation elsewhere, act like an idiot with such exaggeration or trade words with me with absurd clarity, logic and laced with his usual goofy humor that I tend to get tongue tied or tired out of his attitude. There were moments also, where he leaves outside the country to visit some institutions with his parents or associates for study and business related things like going to London, Canada or Australia, making things a bit lonely, still his letters and messages is a fun thing to read because how he mix well formal and informal ways in his writing that made it engaging to read.

Once, I asked him once bluntly why his different approach is strangely more effective than even what the doctors and my nurses say, he just looked at me at that time with a strange twinkle in his eyes, sighed and then looked outside through the window with a lost look, like he was looking at something he can only see.

"People, no," I remember him shaking his head with a bittersweet smile at that time. "Humans are emotional beings, while not all of us think of it or even act on it, we tend to place ourselves to others shoes. We compare the differences, we compare the things we have and what we lack to other people. I think I did my best that I am helping you by not reminding you of what you lost, the missed opportunities that you can take back if you get cured but try to let you enjoy the fullness of life in this planet to the best of my ability and not hate your lot in life."

That was the first time I truly saw him look serious, even when he was lamenting about the medical technology and practices, he had never been so serious and... wise. I think that was the first time I truly became attracted to him not for being someone tolerating someone dying like me, but just genuinely entertaining me, without the suffering, the fake smiles the people who feared the inevitable and... for the first time I prayed ever since I am consigned in the hospital bed. I had thought due to my cancer, all that pain that any form of higher power was not real or they were just some cruel things looking down at people with cruel entertained smiles.

I did, repeatedly as I felt each passing days pass by with him, always staying by my bedside genuinely being there making me enjoy each day, that each moment is all worth it and fear coursed in me as I grow weaker my voice becoming much harder to use, then fear grow as each medication, each treatment slowly don't affect me... my condition worsens. Always in my mind I prayed and the curses came, as I begged, demanded that I don't want it to be over, that I want to live, never letting it out of my mouth or my face each time anyone is in my room or even when alone.

I practiced breathing exercises as he suggested, always trying to extend my life for even the most precious seconds I did everything I can do with my weakening mind and body. Even as I prayed, cursed, loathed the parasite that latched on him who is just so sharing with his care... I did not know how, when and why. He just noticed me loathing myself, and I thought he was going to leave me to death when the idiot comforted me instead.

"Silly Becca," Roman tsked at me at the chair near my bed, he never had touched me and by extension my family as he realized quickly any contact brought me pain and 'controlled them with his evil mastermind powers' to not touch me unless necessary. "Don't ever give yourself some pain or to the hate, hate leads to the Dark Side."

I nearly threw the bat shaped styrofoam at his words beside my bed. I don't even want to think why I even had to ask for one.

"Seriously," the idiot said after comically trying to hide behind his chair. "I'm just saying that you really should not beat yourself. Helping you be a happy is a team effort you know."

Left unsaid that we both know my condition is worsening, even his genius cannot help me in getting me the necessary cure for my cancer when a lot of people that is as smart as him haven't. I think... that is why I accepted the offer, even if it would put more responsibilities on my shoulder even with my estimate. The sheer selfishness of my intent might bring me guilt but...

Evening

I heard the door close shut, my hospital room getting much colder as my mother left. I briefly shuddered as I opened my tired eyes, and blankly look up at the ceiling. It pains me greatly, with each words my mother said, the words hidden between her tears, her encouraging words blatantly that my condition is worsening and she's barely holding herself.

I'm not brave mother, I'm not strong, I'm just a little girl wishing deeply for the pain to go away, screaming, raving in her head. Praying and cursing to the 'gods' above for them to go away, everything to go away. I did not want to get cancer, I did not want to become the tethering line or a crumbling pillar support my family and my friends see me as I give them a brave face, fearing that a single slip, a single tear would destroy every vain hope they would have...

I just want to hope, even in a small part, that Romani would barge in right now, haggard yet triumphant holding the literal cure an-

A cold chill crawled up my arm as I felt my thoughts temporarily blank, my sense of touch numbed as I felt the pinpricks of pain lower in intensity that my pain tolerance barely registered them as a tickle. Then the clarity, absolute clarity of my sight, my hearing and my thoughts made me confused for a second before reality reasserted in my perspective as I adjusted in the jumbled mess of the sharp sensations I felt for what seems to be ages ago. The room I see is brighter and with much sharp clarity than I ever remembered, my thoughts, not as clouded or heavy feels active as any stress nor tiredness crippling my mind.

Thoughts, memories, images felt sharp as I my mind raced. Is this some sort of miracle? Did I gain powers like what Roman talked about? Or did some powerful entity finally listened to my prayers?

Did I die? Am I dying? I do-

"Are you fully cognizant and is the clarity alongside your sense of judgement in one hundred percent operation, Rebecca Costa-Brown?" A voice interrupted my (fear)wonder as it brought my thoughts back in the present. It seems even with my newfound clarity, my awareness around me did not get affected... by whatever this is.

Dragging my gaze in the corner of my room, I saw a black woman approaching me crisply in a doctor's apparel, 'no name tag' I noted, the clack of her heels echoing at the... ringing room? I blinked for a second if I had misheard and yes... there is a constant ringing in the room and I think a general haze in the air floating in random interval. I nodded briefly, afraid of what seems to be... supervillains? Yes, supervillains... that uses children.

Fear gripped me as I saw two children appear behind her, a teenager girl, pale skin and dark hair wearing knee-high socks, a black pleated skirt and white dress shirt. Her placid gaze felt unnerving to me, the same about a boy, younger than us in a robe like clothing, like he took down a curtain and draped it professionally around him, a hand opened gently in my direction, closed eyes, calm concentrated face and a... strange goat like horn growing and glowing in a reddish tint in the left side of his head. W-where they brainwashed or something like the stories Roman said?

"Please," the doctor(villain?) talked calmly. "There is nothing to fear here Rebecca, we just want to talk."

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered briefly, my heart pounding in my chest as my enhanced hearing feels the rumbling in my chest. T-their too close... The woman closed her eyes, breathed out, the boy who have a palm directed to me opened his red eyes bringing a chill to me. The girl in the other side shadowing the doctor shifted her posture briefly that made me suck my breath unconsciously, and the air... the air briefly shifted nearby them... forming a smiling face. Opening her eyes, the black woman pulled out a file in her coat and placed it in my bed.

"I want to give an offer, an offer to cure your cancer, and become more."

A/N: RL been a bitch and with my neurosis, I had a hard time trying to make this work lol. Anyways, yeap to those who read Worm people would notice such a blatant divergent.

As always reviews sustains me so feel free to put in some commentary, I can take it *puff's chest*, probably!