Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 2

Someone was going to try and hurt Simon? "Damn it all to hell!" Heidi snarled, her spear wrapping around her arm, her pocket knife back in her pocket as she kicked another tree. With Simon potentially in danger, there was no way she could possibly leave. Benji...she supposed he'd have to wait a bit longer. "Start talking, what do you want from me?"

"I need you to leave with me." Nathan said, already guessing her next answer. But still he continued to try and urge calmness with telepathy. I need to find an adult Empath. "No attacks will occur yet, as I've managed to keep them away from getting to close to the area that contains my mountain, the forest and the village."

He surveyed the woman carefully before folding his arms. "Before that you need to speak to Erika about letting Eithne and the others into your village, as they can offer another line of protection for your friends and Simon. Not to mention Eithne knows Simon and would protect him with his life." The telepathy continued as he tried to make Heidi become calm.

"Then we're going to go investigate the mysterious Big Five from the Acer tournament. I'll fill you in on everything I know whilst we're on the road."

"Let the Illuminati into the village? No way in hell. That bastard, Elliot, he killed Paul! They're a band of no-good murders. Eithne included," Heidi retorted, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn't kicking trees anymore, at least. "Plus, if I leave with you, that's betraying Tom. He just got here, found me and Eithne. 'Cept Eithne's an ass, and now you want me to leave with you, the bastard who's been fucking with his head for the past five years?"

"He didn't kill Paul." Nathan responded knowingly. And the only blood on Eithne's hands is that of the the big five when he was helping me." He thought over the plan before sighing. A three person team would be beneficial. Support, attack and defence... it worked in the tournament.

"You can bring Tom as well if you want... he's part of the reason I'm going off on this journey. If I absorb Empathy from someone then I'll be able to use the Telepathy I got from Delmer to remove Tom's trigger."

"He said he did..." Heidi muttered, before sighing. "If you can convince Tom, then fine, I'll come. But only because I think you're fucking with my head, and Tom's judgement is better than mine." She wanted to get rid of Tom's trigger, too...

"We're going to have to go somewhere else then, we can't get caught by Erika and the others." Nathan suggested. "I want people to think I'm missing in action for now." He frowned. "Do you have anyway to get hold of Tom without the others delaying you?"

Heidi looked down at the ground, wondering how far his earth-sensing extended. "We're kinda far away from him, but he might sense a message in the ground... Plus, I still have to kill Joey."

"You can't kill Joey yet, you're not strong enough. But by the time we come back you'll be closer to the strength levels of Tom, me and Joey." Nathan said as he held out a hand. "Now we're going to have to speed out of the forest. And then we'll get Tom's attention."

Heidi scowled, looking at Nathan's hand. "Yeah, I think I'll just run. Where do you plan on meeting up?"

Nathan hid a smirk before shrugging. "Outside the forest. Head directly east. Don't take too long." And with a blur of speed he was gone.

Heidi groaned when Nathan blurred away. East? He'd said east, right? Which way was that again? Her sense of direction sucked. Letting out a sigh, she headed towards the outside of the forest.

Joey continued through the forest, heading towards Heidi.

Kira bit her lip as she felt one of the unidentified beings speed away. She pulled at Luke's shirt, trying to get his attention.

Damnit Nathan, what are you doing? Joey thought as he sped through the forest, heading towards Heidi. Damnit...Heidi can easily be manipulated like this...this is bad.

Too bad for Joey, Heidi had superior speed, even if she had no idea where she was going. The sun rises in the east, right...? So, the sunrise is over...there. she mused, pausing for only a short moment to gain her bearings and to mask her Flow, before heading east.

Luke had been standing over Kira protectively, trying to keep track of the beings in the forest. When she tugged his shirt he looked at her concernedly.

"Are you alright?" he said, forcing himself to keep calm and reassure Kira.

------

Tom, meanwhile, seeing that Kira was uncomfortable with him being in her forest, turned and began to walk out, keeping track of Heidi mentally. Who had she been talking to?"

"N-Nathan..." Kira mumbled quietly, so only Luke could hear as she kept her eyes trained on the ground. "A-A person...i-in the forest u-used Super Sp-Speed..."

Joey sighed as Heidi began to mask her Flow. "Of course..."

"Sonuva-" Luke began, before stopping. He had to protect Kira. Nathan was secondary to her health. What the hell was he doing there, anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be AWOL?

Heidi continued running east, wondering where the hell Nathan had planned to meet up, and how they would contact Tom. It'd better not be the trigger...

---

Kira let out a small whimper, wondering if Nathan was hunting them down again. This time, Paul wouldn't be around to protect them...

"It's alright," Luke soothed, putting his own fears aside. "We're gonna be fine, Kira. Trust me."

"A...c-can I h-have a hug...?" Kira asked quietly. She was trying to be brave, so Luke didn't have to come to her rescue... She wanted him to think she'd grown up a little in the last five years, but she hadn't and she was no actress.

"'Course you can," Luke replied, hugging her slightly awkwardly. He felt a twinge of pain as he did, but he ignored it. It was nothing new.

A person ran smack dab into Heidi. "Oof!" Both of them landed on the forest floor, it was Erika.

Joey sighed, before masking his Flow, and rushing off in Erika's direction. ...Time to regroup.