Chương 166: 79 - ASSIMILATION

Thunder cracked in the middle of the Looter's paradise, indicating the return of the Redeemer. It was one of those things that became normal in the new world: thunder without a storm. And so people hardly looked up from what they were doing, including those inside the room he appeared. David didn't look up from the desk in the loot room until T'balt noticed him checking their inventory.

"Any success today, Mr. Ferrier?" His English had gotten much better over the years. While his Western European accent was still there, his speech sounded a lot less cavemany.

"No, nothing today," T'balt responded.

"Allow me," David signaled for him to turn around and removed the Wanderer from T'balt's neck, carefully placing it back on its pedestal in the loot closet.

"Thanks."

"Wouldn't want you dropping it into the ocean again, now would we? It was a pain to build the fishman an underwater house as payment for the first time and a bigger one to give him unlimited free meals for the second," the tall man pointed out.

"In my defense, the second one wasn't my fault. I keep telling Tyene not to come in here when she's been drinking." T'balt defended himself, but David flexed his eyebrows, indicating that he was just ribbing him.

"What were you doing with the Loot Thief anyway?" T'balt asked.

"Had to do a few firings today. People get used to loot powers, but is still a privilege. Not a right."

"Copy that. You need anything? Cuz otherwise I think I'm heading home for today."

"I'm good. But Lila is putting on a youth choir concert in the square tomorrow evening. Would be good if one of the Redeemers should attend."

"I'll make time. See you, David." T'balt took a long, non-speed-enhanced walk back to his house. When he arrived, he had a few guests that he wasn't expecting. The first was a young, dark-haired girl with a wide smile and big eyes. This one wasn't his own, but it was another girl that used to call him "Papa." And she jumped into his arms with twice the enthusiasm that T'tania did.

"Genya, what are you doing here?" he asked, putting her down. She was still a thin girl with that thinness having reached her face, which was starting to show the first bumps of puberty.

"I came to see you and big brother Acelin. I missed you all so much that I might've died if I didn't come with," she said. Then, with giddy excitement, she ran over to hook himself inside Acelin's arms, who already looked half annoyed.

"I told you, Genya. You're too old to be clinging onto me like a lost puppy and calling me big brother," he said. T'tania, in a small white dress, waddled over to claim his other arm.

"That's right, because he was my big brother first. You can't have him."

"First?" Genya pouted.

"Well, I called him big brother before you were even born." She stuck her tongue out. T'tania frowned, eyes reddening with thought.

"Well, the accumulated time he's spent with me is greater. So you lose." Genya bent over, smiling at T'tania's smugness.

"It's okay, Titi. We're all one big family under God's roof. We can be both of our brothers." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. T'tania's eyes reddened again as she tried to work out what those words meant while Acelin stood between the two girls, looking like he'd want to be anywhere else. Genya had grown to be a sweet girl and a devout christian. It made sense given who she was raised by and the other of T'balt's two surprise guests.

Arthur Kilgrove was planted on the couch, having a friendly conversation with Ellie, catching up after a few months of separation.

"Good to see you, Arthur." T'balt hugged his old friend and sat on the couch next to his wife.

"You're finally starting to look as old as you act."

"T'balt." Ellie punched him in the arm, but Arthur just started laughing. His greying hair was starting to shine silver, and the creases on his face had grown a little deeper, but he was never one to fear his age. To him, they were all going to the same two places in the end.

"Well, I wish I would've known you were coming." T'balt said.

"I could've saved you the trip."

"No, no. Genya and I could protect ourselves, and honestly, not much relaxes me more than a long drive in a Corlander truck. I've been planning to visit for a while now to check up on Ellie and little T'tania." He nuzzled the girl's chin when she walked over at the sound of her own name. She grinned at the abbot and went to play with a Rubik's Cube on the rug.

"So how've things been at the church?"

"Actually, T'balt," Ellie subtly massaged his shoulder.

"There was something about that I wanted to talk with you about… they've finally gotten to the point where they're running low on resources. So I thought it'd be natural to have everyone there move into Graceland."

"I'd never want to be a burden," Arthur said.

"We have so many people now, and you've already helped us so much. I'd understand if you—""Don't even think about any of that, Arthur," T'balt cut him off.

"Graceland would love to have you all." A few days over two hundred people- families, looters, and believers walked over Graceland's newest land bridge. T'balt, Ellie, and of course T'tania, on her back, were there to usher them all in. There were plenty of faces that T'balt hadn't seen in a while that were starting to make him a little nostalgic for simpler times at the church. Though not all of them sparked good memories. Like Vikram Kapps.

Though the guy now had taken the dye out of his hair and looked decently respectable compared to the graffiti-covered lunatic he was in previous iterations. It made T'balt wonder about how things could change. How if he had done something differently, all these people would've been killed thanks to him and Acelin. How because of what he went through, that kid was now a part of his family and not terrorizing these people. And for a moment he allowed himself to feel some pride for that.

It was like for the first time, he felt like the choices he made were the right ones. But among the new arrivals were Cannon's old wrestling buddies. The burly men that he'd left behind on a greater journey. One of them in particular made a great effort to find T'balt out of the crowd. It was the youngest, still at least T'balt's age.

"Would it be alright if I went to see him?" The man asked. T'balt remembered Cannon talking about this one. His name was Jordi, a young man he had once taken under his wing to get him off the street. T'balt remembered, by the way Cannon spoke, how much pride he took in getting Jordi on a better path than the crime-filled one he was on before. So he agreed, taking Jordi to Cannon's hospital room.

They stared at his unconscious body as it was laid in the bed, breathing tubes sticking out of his mouth just to give his broken chest less work to do. There was a plastic cloth covering the wound.

"Is he in any pain?" Jordi asked. T'balt shook his head.

"The doctors recommended we use a hypnosis loot on him. So he shouldn't be feeling anything. In fact, he should be having the best dreams he's ever had in his life." Jordi's face didn't look reassured.

"It was the best we could do."

"Yeah, but it don't feel right. If he just has to be this way forever… what's the point?" T'balt stayed quiet, listening to the beeps of the machines and the breathing of the tubes. Jordi then turned to him with a look of certainty.

"The Cannon I knew wouldn't want the rest of his life to be just a dream. He'd hate the way he looked right now… I mean, all of his muscles are gone. And I don't—""I know what you're getting at," T'balt said solemnly.

"You wanna set him free." Jordi chewed his lip, feeling the weight of the words but not being able to say them himself. After a moment, he nodded with a tear fighting for release. T'balt swallowed.

"Give me a while longer. Just to make sure there's nothing else I can do for him. Is that alright?"

"Only if you're sure he's not hurtin in there." The Redeemer nodded and left Jordi there, who stayed with Cannon for the rest of the night.