Who: Vox, Henry, and later Violet and cameo by Chase What: Vox's thanksgiving power gets Henry landed in jail. When: Thanksgiving Day, late afternoon Where: A church and then a prison. Warnings: .... sacrilege. Nudity. Drugs present. Injury. Status: ongoing
The entire day of Thanksgiving had been set up to be so wonderful. Vox had run out after having a refreshing morning glass of tap water, which tasted like a wealth of rust and minerals, to pick up the food he'd ordered for the occasion from a local restaurant. He'd set his pre-order so far in advance and even though Violet couldn't partake he planned on spending the day with her and partaking in non-food festivities. She was what he was thankful for and their conversation in the hospital during his recovery had only solidified that.
Things just weren't happening the way he'd hoped. It seemed like he was far more clumsy than usual and at least twice his clumsiness had sent him in front of moving vehicles. He'd managed not to be hit by any of them or the bike that ran him off the sidewalk and into the road the second time, but it was still jarring. He had fears that he hadn't fully recovered from his surgery or that something had gone wrong, he was preparing an incident report in his head to store on the chip and upload to Father when he could sit down to a computer.
Of course he didn't think that things would escalate quite to the degree they did. It all started with a man grabbing him by the arm and dragging him into an alley as he went by, it happened so fast he barely had time to open his mouth to gasp. His first response was not to attack so he missed the vital first chance to react that someone like Violet might have taken. The man that dragged him into the alley looked ragged, bloody, and altogether a mess. He was breathing heavily and shoving something into Vox's hand, he barely had time in the whole exchange to wonder what was going on,
"What is this? Who are you?" He didn't have the ability to tell by handshake, not like Violet. More and more today he was lamenting his lack of her skills.
"Jus'take it guy, take it cause therr comin' after me." the alley man hissed through what sounded like newly broken teeth, not yet adjusted to. Vox was concerned, looking around, they?
"Who are they?" there was only slight emphasis on the 'they' in the question and there was no way he was going to get an answer, the alley man cursed and started to run.
Vox looked down the alley to see a crowd of guys running towards him and pointing vigorously, they were so spirited. He finally looked down at his hand that was still outstretched and what had been put in it. It was a bag full of white powder. His intimate knowledge with city wide crime clicked quickly enough that he didn't mistake it for powdered sugar.
oh no.
His legs moved before his mind caught up with the motion, he was busy thinking about escape routes and trying hard not to trip over his feet. He did skitter into traffic as a bullet ricocheted off a car which passed just behind him, his arms flew up and he ducked his head even though he knew it wouldn't harm him to be hit in it. Human reflex.
Getting across the road wasn't easy but it was a start, on the other side of it he ran right into a cop who looked down at the bag of cocaine in his hand that he now had a death grip on despite his strong assumption that he should drop the bag. It was like his hand just wouldn't cooperate with his thoughts. The cop registered recognition slowly and Vox pushed past him to continue down another alley. They were all gaining on him now, the cop was calling in for backup and Vox couldn't work wirelessly so intercepting calls would be impossible.
He came across a door down the alley way and threw it open, thankful that it wasn't locked, bursting into the quiet and large room of whatever building this was. First glance told him this was a religious center, he didn't know much of religion and he'd never been in a church before.
Panic was still coursing through him as he spotted someone in the pews, the man from the cafe!! What was his name.. it was...it was.... he ran right up to him with his hands outstretched and a desperate pleading look on his face, "HENRY! I require your assistance!" despite his proper phrasing (a fear response, really) his tone was filled with dread and panic.
The door burst open behind him as one of the criminal gunmen shot into the church, the bullet went straight for the back of Vox's head, hitting its mark and falling to the floor. His head was pushed forward by the pressure and the metal there might be scuffed or dented, the flesh was torn for certain and blood did flow, but he was altogether nonplussed, stunned in place.