Re: Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 2

[Book the Hero]

Joey sighed as well. "But like always, she refuses to listen..."

[Stabberz]

Nathan frowned and folded his arms as he waited for Heidi.

[quackers are yummylicious]

OOC: Stabby, Heidi's running east, you never said where exactly they were meeting, just a few minutes east, so I have no idea what you want. DX

[Stabberz]

OOC: Umm... have her see him stood in the distance, leaning against a boulder?

[MrMissMrs Random]

"Give her time." Erika responded to Joey.

[Book the Hero]

"Honestly...I'm worried about what will happen in that time." Joey said, before sighing. "...We should head back."

[MrMissMrs Random]

Erika nodded, but looked over her shoulder. I thought all of this would be over after that stupid Game... but it seems like its only just beginning.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Heidi let out a sigh upon seeing Nathan, slowing to a walk. She stopped about ten feet away from him, still rather wary. "'Kay, now what?"

[Big Uri]

Tom, as he so often did when he was alone, slipped almost accidentally into introspection. He took stock of how much Shima intruded on his thoughts, and, that done, went back to salvaging memories. He went back to the tower first, back to where he had a place to start. The five year interlude between then and now was merely a clutter of muffled sounds and dim, groggy memories, the rest just events filter-fed to him by Shima.

The first thing, as always, were the sounds of battle. There were no war cries on that field, no glory or melodrama about it. Just the grim and brutal reality of child armies killing each other with forces they never should have been allowed to use. Tom felt like he was back there again, moving entire sections of armies away if they got too injured on his side, or too successful on his enemy's. He felt the big guns come into play, Nathan and Eithne, tearing through the weaker contestants. Shima would be keeping Oliver near him for the adults, with Nathan and Eithne wrecking balls to tear holes in the opposition.

Tom made a decision, and moved them to the opposite side of the tower, moving himself to meet them. He didn't want anyone else to meet them there, just the three. Shima's Power Trio, he dimly remembered. This was as far as he usually got, but maybe it was Nathan's recent appearance, or Shima still recovering from the morning, that allowed Tom to delve deeper.

He hadn't wasted time with words. They were unnecessary. He couldn't afford to be anything but efficient here. He was outnumbered, maybe even outmatched. He made te first move, unusual for him, and it was easily countered. He couldn't remember by who. Nathan took up the challenge, letting Eithne sit out indecisively. Tom thought then that it must have been him who used the trigger, but continued in his reminiscing.

Nathan had gotten stronger, probably from Shima, and Tom had briefly thought he was out of his depth, but then, Nathan had never beaten Tom before. Eithne had, once, but that was because he had exploited Tom's weakness, one he had taken care to remove since. It became a much more even fight, Tom exerting his almost unmatched raw force, and Nathan retaliating with every trick he had. The memory got distant again, and Tom raged for control.

[Stabberz]

"Now we wait." Nathan said calmly as he began to glow with his flow. His flow was mainly silver in colour but it was tainted in different places by nine different other colours. Black being the most prominent. With out a movement he directed all of the flow into the boulder and then into the ground cracking the earth deeply and completely destroying the boulder. If that didn't get Tom's attention than nothing would.

[Big Uri]

"Son of a bitch," Tom swore explosively, a rare outburst from the large man, slamming a giant fist into nearby rock, smashing it. He had been so close before he was drawn away. His own Flow unveiled itself almost in response to Nathan's, a dark olive green. But there was only a slight hint of the monstrous power revealed before Tom vanished underground, speeding towards Nathan.

"What?" Tom asked flatly, his face a mask as he stepped out from a canyon wall near the two.

[Stabberz]

"Fancy coming on a roadtrip?" Nathan asked casually. "With me and the Blood Manipulator here?"

[quackers are yummylicious]

Heidi moved towards Tom, a frown hinting at the edges of her mouth. "Calm down, Tombo," she told him, crossing her arms.

[Big Uri]

"Being smart aside, some details would be nice," Tom replied evenly, wondering what Heidi was doing there. He nodded as she came closer.

"I was so close," he murmured as if it was a fair explanation.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Heidi sighed, and although she didn't quite understand what Tom was talking about, she patted him on the arm anyway. "I'm not going on Nathan's road trip if you're not," she shrugged.

[Stabberz]

"I'll explain it in list format." Nathan responded. He probably came off as patronising. Not that he meant to be. "First goal. Help Heidi control her flow. Second goal. Ensure Simon's long term protection. Third goal. Investigate the big five. Fourth goal. Find an adult with Empathy so that I can control the Telepathy I got off of Delmer. Fifth goal. Remove your trigger."

He folded his arms. "I don't care what order they get done as long as they're all done. Any other information you'll get after we set off as it's information that only, Shima and the Big Five knew."

[Big Uri]

Three of those goals he cared about. Though his interests in this were decidedly gained by the possibility of getting the trigger out. On the other hand, if Nathan had put it there, this could just be a trick. Tom's natural skepticism made him distrustful of most people he met. If the Storm had never happened, he might have made a great spy. Provided he left Ireland, of course.

"Fine. I'm in. I don't care about your Empathy, though, the more you stay out of our heads the better."

[Stabberz]

"If you want your trigger removed, then you need to start caring about my Empathy." Was Nathan's retort. He frowned and stuck his hands in his pockets.

[quackers are yummylicious]

"Guess that means I'm in, too," Heidi sighed, looking up towards the sky. Benji would have to wait a little longer, again...

[Big Uri]

"Yeah, yeah," Tom replied, indicating disbelief as to thinking Nathan could erase the trigger. He patted Heidi on the shoulder comfortingly, returning her usual gesture towards him.

[quackers are yummylicious]

"When do you want to get moving? I need to go back to the village and finish some things..." Heidi trailed off, crossing her arms. What was she going to tell Simon...?

[Stabberz]

"Ideally, now." Nathan answered before sighing. "But I understand that you have to sort Simon out. So in two hours when it gets fully dark."

He glanced at Tom before folding his arms. "We'll meet here."

[quackers are yummylicious]

"Later, then," Heidi grunted, turning on her heels and walking back towards the village. She had pulled out her pocket knife, flipping it as she tried to decide who she was going to trust with Simon's safety. Ade wasn't good with kids, Erika...she was mad at her, so that was a last resort, and she wasn't sure if Eithne could be trusted anymore. And that was the extent of people that she liked slash liked her. Dammit.

[Big Uri]

Tom sat down, not really having anyone to say goodbye to, except for maybe Simon. However, he decided that he should let Simon and Heidi have their moment. Other than that, there was Eithne, he supposed, but he didn't really trust him any more. Not if he was the one who had pulled the trigger. If Nathan had wanted to use the trigger, he could've done it many times before. Maybe he was genuine, Tom reflected.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Once Heidi got to the village, she headed back to her and Simon's house, picking up the bag she'd already packed. Not seeing Simon in the house, she slung the bag over her shoulder, walking around the village. "Simon! Oi, kiddo, where'd y' run off to?" she called out as she walked around.

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