Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 12

Nathan could do nothing but stand up. He looked at Etihne to check him over before looking around at everyone.

"Everyone into the Acer Village." He croaked. "Elliot, Carly go help Tom find anyone in the wreckage."

Slowly and sorely he turned to look around at everything before opening mental links with Erika, Paul, Joey, Heidi, Tom, Luke, Zackary and Kira. One hour meet by the forest, we need to talk.

He moved over to Eithne and through the use of ice managed to transport his blood into Eithne's system. He himself was only still barely recovered.

They had a week.

"Nasty cut across forehead and arms, I can't tell if she's still breathing from here." Jayden answered.

"Shit, taking her to Nathan," Tom replied, his usually quiet voice filled with alarm. Their surroundings blurred, and Jayden and Tom appeared beside Nathan, Tom holding the badly hurt girl in his arms.

"Heal her."

Nathan's eyes widened when he saw Victoria. Nathan had been responsible for introducing her to the Illuminati. Now because of him she was...

He hastily took her from Tom's arms and laid her down in front of him. He hadn't wanted to reveal this but things had just gotten real.

After laying a palm on Victoria's head he began to exert flow on an intense but controlled level and pour it into her. Slowly but surely she would begin to heal. Anyone from the Acer Tournament would be able recognise the feel and image of the flow.

It was Shepard's flow, but Nathan made to offer no explanation. Instead he focused on healing her.

Erika's eyes widened as she watched the process. Oh, no. Nathan...

Erika shook her head, leaving. She would meet the others in the forest later. Right now she had some things to deal with. She headed back to Heidi's house, hoping Elena would still be there.

---

Simon was just outside, trying to coax Elena out. "It's okay, It's over..."

Heidi sighed, hearing Nathan in her head. "...I'm gonna go tell the kids to start packing, and then see what I can do in terms of healing. I'll talk to you later, okay, Paul?" she smiled at him, pecking him on the cheek before running back to her house. Hopefully the kids had the sense to stay inside.

---

Kira stopped crying rather abruptly, hearing Nathan's voice in her head. He was okay? She vaguely wondered if this was a trick, before shrugging it off. It wasn't like this day could get any worse.

She pulled herself to her feet, reluctantly braiding her hair and decided to spend her time pulling herself together.

Once the healing process had stopped Nathan stood up looking even more drained. Seeing some Illuminati still gathered he scowled. "Acer Village. Now!" He spat. "Jayden, take Victoria she should wake up soon."

He glanced at the others who were still gathered; Zackary, Tom, Luke, Erika and the half conscious Eithne. "By the forest in one hour. Make sure Joey, Paul and Heidi are there." he said before using what remained of his strength to Super Speed himself away from them all, he had some thinking to do.

Elena quietly whimpered, slowly coming out from underneath the bed and hugging Simon.

"It'll be okay..." Simon mumbled.

---

Erika met Heidi at the front of her house. "Are the kids alright?"

Paul blushed slightly and with a nod, headed out to a certain camp he noticed hadn't been touched.

Heidi shrugged, opening the door. "You guys okay..?" she called out softly.

Elena shuddered next to Simon, hugging him tightly.

"We're fine!" Simon called.

Erika sighed in relief. Thank you...

She walked inside after Heidi. "Elena?"

Elena shuddered, letting out a sob.

Heidi sighed, smiling weakly at Simon, before heading upstairs to find Benji.

Erika walked over to where Simon was holding Elena. "Elena, it's alright..."

Elena blinked back her tears to look up at Erika, before tackling her in a hug. "I missed you so much! I thought I was...was going to forget you, too!" she wailed, continuing to cry. "I wanna go home, Mama, I wanna go home and everyone should just leave us alone!"

"Shh... shh, it's okay, Sweetie. It's okay..." Erika hugged the girl tightly. "I'm missed you too, I missed you more than I can ever say."

Simon walked a little ways off to give the two privacy.

Paul blinked, looking at the shaken but standing camp. "Well jeez, someone wanna tell me how you guys didn't come crashing down?"

A grizzled man with many scars and a beard stepped forward. "Shield generator on the walker managed to hold out somehow," the man said, motioning to the walker.

"Damn, that thing still works? I thought the last one blew out at the canyon battle?" Paul ran a hand through his hair.

"Daimon managed to get it working again," Kendra hopped down from the main turret, "What's going on?"

"The reason our guys left is headed this way," Paul said, and raised an eyebrow at the large crates, "What's in the crates?"

"...food," the man lied, holding a poker face.

"Guns?" Paul grinned. "And ammo," the man sighed.

"Good, what do you have?" Paul grinned, walking over to them, running a hand over the wooden crate.

"A dozen XR4s, three old style long rifles, half a dozen MP5s, a mortar set with ten rounds, twenty rounds for the big turret on the mech, and six belts for the two MG9 turrets," the man listed off.

"Not much to work with," Paul frowned.

"Not much indeed," Kendra agreed, "Besides, without shields, how are we supposed to fight Flow? The most useful Flow we got is Mary-Anne over there with her crystal Flow."

Paul shook his head. "I'll think of something."

"That's not very reassuring, the man frowned, a few other people agreeing with him.

"Yeah, but he always thinks of something," Kendra pointed out.

"Can I sleep with you tonight...?" Elena asked hesitantly, rubbing her eyes.

"Nathan...she isn't breathing..." Jayden said.

"Of course you can." Erika replied soothingly.

Nathan felt something fall in his stomach. "No..." He began to try and administer CPR whilst using his healing flow. They couldn't lose her.

Eithne groaned, pulling himself up into a sitting position, feeling surprisingly alright given how beat up he'd been - apart from feeling like a truck had hit him - again. That was not fun. He thought, flexing his right hand. "English," he murmured.

Turning his head, he saw said man administering CPR. "Shock her, you fuckwit. Use your lightning like a defibrillator!" He barked, trying to force himself to stand.

Jayden just stood back, unsure of what to do. Nothing he knew of would work...

Nathan grimaced and placed a finger to Victoria's chest. With a pray to any god that may exist he sent a mid level shock into her system before beginning to count the seconds.

Elena nodded slightly, burying her head into Erika's shoulder.

Heidi came stomping down the stairs, half-dragging Benji by the collar of his shirt. "Alright kiddos, start packing your bags, because we're going on a road trip. Erika, you too. Can't exactly be expected to hold your own with the baby. I'll talk to Amelia later, too..." she trailed off in thought, before shaking her head and getting back on track. "The village I used to live in has a pretty damn good defense, and they should be pretty welcoming. Plus, they don't have any ties with Acer besides me, so you all should be safe there."

Benji's face seemed to light up at the news. He was going home!