Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 5

"Well, I suppose that's good," Ari sighed.

Heidi stood up, walking back over to Tom and Ari, with Benji following in tow. "Oi, Tombo, I s'pose you heard everything, but apparently we got ourselves a tagalong."

"I noticed," Tom replied succinctly, extending a hand for Benji to shake. "I'm Tom."

Benji shook Tom's hand hesitantly. He was even shorter than Heidi, so just Tom's size was rather intimidating, let alone the Flow coming off him. "I'm Benji..."

Tom idly wondered if Heidi had noticed the hesitation.

"Nice to meet you," he replied.

"Go pack your things quick and say bye to Seth and Tracy," Heidi smiled, pushing Benji off.

"O-Okay! Bye, Tom!" Benji called over his shoulder as he ran off.

Once he was gone, Heidi let out a sigh. "I really wish he didn't want to come along..."

"Maybe it'll be for the best," Tom replied optimistically.

"Getting him involved with all this Acer shit is for the best?" Heidi raised an eyebrow at Tom.

Ari had backed away, perching on a nearby building.

"Staying here'll leave him missing you, wishing you could have stayed. Coming with gives him quality time with his long-lost big sister. The village isn't that bad a place, plus he'll have Simon and Elena for company," Tom replied calmly.

Heidi nodded reluctantly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I s'pose you're right..."

"And don't worry, I'll take care of Nathan," Tom replied easygoingly.

"That'd be much appreciated, though I wonder where he got off to. Bastard probably ditched us in the middle of the wasteland..." Heidi sighed exasperatedly.

"Nah, I can feel him around here. Adult Flow lets me feel a lot bigger distances through the earth," Tom replied, not wanting to use the word 'see'.

"Show off," Heidi grumbled in faux annoyance, crossing her arms.

"I have to make it up somehow," Tom replied, sticking his tongue out childishly to let Heidi know he wasn't annoyed.

"Still a show off," Heidi retorted rather lamely. Lucky for her, this was around the time Benji came running back, a bag slung over his shoulder.

"All ready to go?" Tom asked, wondering if he'd have to make another hold in the wall.

Benji nodded, not really realizing that Tom was blind. "Yeah, we're ready," Heidi said quickly.

Ari jumped down from the building, gesturing for the small group to follow her. "C'mon, you can just go out the main gates. I'll let y' out."

"Cheers," Tom replied politely, following her towards the exit. He remembered something as they walked.

"Want me to make an edit to your gravestone?" he murmured to Heidi.

Heidi stiffened slightly at that. "Y-Yeah," she responded, biting her lip.

"No problem," Tom replied, a small orb of green light from his Flow appearing in his hand, before vanishing when he was done.

"I owe you one," Heidi murmured back as they neared the gates.

"Fuhgeddaboutit," Tom replied in a surprisingly good gangster accent.

Heidi made an odd noise half way between a choke and a snort. "Th' hell was that?" she asked, laughing.

"An attempt at being gangster," Tom replied, his straight face noticeably struggling to hold back a laugh.

"Yeah, I noticed. But that was 'outta nowhere!" Heidi laughed.

Noticing the laughter, Benji snapped out of his daze and peered confusedly at the two.

Ari didn't even turn around, rolling her eyes as she held back a grin.