Realistic or Modern The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread [ENDED]

[Pyroclast]

Old Distillery
~ Undisclosed, London ~

Jane Porter​

The stench of petrol was inescapable. Klaus instructed Jane and Arabella to take deep breaths while he and Spencer found a way into the building that didn’t involve triggering the trapped door, but even though help had arrived, Jane was finding it harder and harder to calm down. Taking deep breaths was almost impossible when the air tasted like poison. It would catch in her throat and bring her close to vomiting. Her stomach hurt from all the horror she had faced, her uncontrollable crying, the petrol that had washed down her throat.

When Klaus and Spencer disappeared, Jane seized up into a full blown panic attack, terrified that they would never come back. She had no idea how far her kidnappers had gone, whether they had driven off or were still lying in wait. Maybe she and Arabella were simply bait, and they were trying to draw Spencer and Syd and whoever else they could into their trap. And if that were the case, then they would have noticed by now that their real targets had arrived…

“Wait!” she called out, her sobs echoing against the metal machinery. “Come back!” Fear overrode all logic; she just couldn’t bear for her and Arabella to be left alone again. The smashing of glass made her scream and she watched, like a deer in headlights, as Klaus dropped down into the room from a high up window. He signalled at her to be quiet, and somehow her crying died down. The man approached them cautiously, and the way his eyes scanned the floor made her nervous. She guessed that the door was trapped because she had seen the kidnappers tamper with it, but it hadn’t occurred to her that there may be more traps set up around the room. He asked if they were injured or bleeding. Maybe she was hurt, but she didn’t remember. She was still in shock. “I don’t think so,” she whispered, her lips trembling as tears continued to flow from her eyes. Jane had spent enough time around Klaus in Germany to know he was a good man - no matter how suspicious her father could be of him. His eyes were kind, and his accent a comfort to her. When he told her they were going to get out of the building as quickly as possible, she bit down on her lip and nodded.

Spencer then jumped down into the room, too. She still didn’t feel completely safe, knowing that the kidnappers could still be lurking somewhere, ready to jump out at any moment, but the hope inside her was growing. Jane anchored her gaze to the two men, afraid to look away from them in case they disappeared again. They proceeded to untie both her and Arabella, and Jane instantly hugged herself, relieving her arms of the ache from being bound to a distiller. A fresh wave of emotion came over her when she heard Spencer tell them they were safe now. From the shock and all the crying she had done, she was almost dizzy enough to fall when Spencer stood her up. She was shaking like a leaf and clutched onto Spencer’s arm as he led her over to the other side of the room. She was so consumed by the trauma of everything that she didn’t question why he was taking her there. After draping his jacket around her shoulders, he left her to wait there with Arabella and Klaus, the latter of whom Jane had to cling to in order to keep her knees from buckling.

As soon as she realised he was approaching the door, she began to panic again. “DON’T!” she cried. “Don’t open it, don’t touch it!” She hid herself behind Klaus, terrified that the fire was about to ignite. If it did, she knew it would find her in seconds and eat her alive. But when, after several seconds, nothing happened, Jane peered out from behind Klaus to see what was going on. Spencer was dismantling the trap, and before she could even see what it was, he had thrown it away. He asked Klaus what he thought about going through the door, if he still thought it was safer - and even possible - to try and go through the window.

Jane followed the light from Spencer’s torch up to the window. She had climbed through plenty of windows before, following Jeanie on some daring adventure, and had always been afraid of falling from a height. This one was high off the ground and surrounded by shards of broken glass. How they would all land safely on the other side was another question. She found herself shaking her head. Both options were full of uncertainties; both seemed dangerous. On the one hand, how did they know the door didn’t have more traps on the other side? On the other, how would they climb out of the window without falling?

“Is the door safe?” Jane asked through chattering teeth. “Is it still trapped?”

Interactions
Bellz Klaus
Misty Gray Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Arabella

 

[neverbackdown]

Hard Rock Cafe
~ Piccadilly Circus, London ~

Cassandra Stewart
​

As Liam talked about his family, a smile played on Cassie's lips as she nodded along to show she was listening. Whilst she already knew Liam prior to this date, she also knew that the way a man talked about his family was an important insight into his very mindset and being and thankfully he seemed to be ticking all the boxes.

"Oh Im sure I would love your mam, I've only heard great things about her" A gentle smile played on her lips as she spoke silently reiterating in her head the points she wanted to make, having not wanted to interrupt Liam as he was speaking "Yes Callum is a cutie, although he'd kill me for saying that and chaos i can definitely handle, I do work in a creche after all and some of them well..." the note of a laugh etched in her tone as she spoke but she shook her head slightly realising she was going off topic, besides Liam's family was more important than her job right now, even if she did love all the kids she minded.

"Emery sounds like she'd get on very well with my Mam" amusement was clear in her tone as she spoke before a more sincere smile graced her lips "I can't wait to meet them all" while her tone was easy, it was evident that there was some nerves present in her comment, afraid she had gone too forward or too expectant but Liam's final comment about the date settled her instantly knowing he was feeling the same way.

Sensing the nerves that he was feeling, granted cause she had them herself, Cassie reached across the table and took Liam's hands in her own as she looked straight into his eyes "Stop putting yourself down, this date is definitely a success" sincerity and confidence played in her tone as she spoke "but we know each other long enough to not be this nervous" she laughed, mostly at how her own voice had taken a nervous wobble in that sentence. "how do we stop the nerves" she mused with a thoughtful expression, biting her lip gently, Cassie went into a deep thought but jumped out of it when she realised she was still holding Liam's hand. Obviously feeling a nervous and shocked reaction to that realisation, Cassie released his hands with somewhat of a jump before shaking her head "see" she commented drawing attention towards her own nervous knee-jerk reactions.

"How about a drink? or a shot?" she suggested "after all we did get a taxi" she added as she playfully raised her eyebrows. Whilst Cassie wasn't that big of a drinker, she knew sometimes an occasion called for it and it seemed like this was one such situation purely just to calm the nerves.

****
Int;-
Misty Gray (The cutie that is Liam)

 

[Misty Gray]

Hard Rock Cafe
~ Piccadilly Circus, London ~

Liam Callahan​

Liam couldn't help but smirk at Cassie's comments about Callum. He knew his nephew was hard work at times and certainly liked to push people's limits, but for the most part the kid always had his family's back. Be it the Callahan or the King part of his family.

"You know? You're probably right," he agreed with the suggestion Emery and Sarah would get along. "Let's make sure never to be stuck in the same room as both them," he joked.

When Cassie reached across to hold his hands and told him not to put himself down, he quietly nodded in understanding. As a kid, he'd been quiet and introverted. Although there had been times he'd successfully stuck up for himself and for Michael, he'd never been popular. Between being mocked for his religion and overlooked by many, Liam had grown to be self-critical in some aspects and certainly didn't have a big ego where his popularity with women was concerned.

Hearing Cassie say the date was a success, he smiled back at her. "I-" he began to try answer how they could stop their nerves. Instead, his attention was drawn to their hands as Cassie let go, seemingly caught off-guard by her own actions. "Hmmm. The fact we held hands that long suggests we were both cool with that," he reasoned, a warm smile growing on his face.

"Another drink is good with me," he agreed. As he tried to catch the attention of one of the waiting staff, he because aware of how the latest song to start playing seemed even louder than the ones before. Having already struggled to hear each other with their soft tones of voices, Liam took the plunge and moved to sit next to her in the booth.

"What are you having to drink next?" he asked her, now able to hear her better as they were sat closer together. As he looked at Cassie, he couldn't help but wonder why it had taken him so long to ask her out on a date. They'd hung out together plenty of times before, but as they now sat together, all he wanted to do was put his arm around her and kiss her.

neverbackdown (Cassie)

 

[Misty Gray]

St Thomas' Hospital
~ Lambeth, London ~

Spencer King​

After managing to help Jane and Arabella out of the building through the window, Spencer and Klaus led them into the back of the car. Without sticking around any longer than they needed to, Spencer was soon in the driver's seat. After starting the engine, he didn't hesitate to put his foot down to get them all to the hospital. Whilst he was desperate to see Shona, he knew he wasn't the only person in the car who needed to be reunited with loved ones at the hospital.

Spencer wasn't sure if he'd parked in a spot he was supposed to at the hospital, but paying of a parking fine was too far down his list of priorities to even enter the front of his mind. With Klaus helping the girls find their Porter loved ones, Spencer was straight to the reception desk demanding to know where Shona was.

Before he could get impatient with the hospital receptionist, Logan sighted him and pulled him to once side to inform him she was currently undergoing emergency surgery. After being led into the nearest waiting area, Spencer paced the room, feeling too irate to sit down with Logan. Having followed some of the injured parties from the club to the hospital, Logan had already been waiting around in A&E before seeing Shona and others rushed there from the paper mill. By this point, the younger man had reined in his own anxiety and accepted it was a waiting game.

Spencer had called Bruce to update him on the situation and also had a call with Kerry to check the kids were all okay during their sleepover. After that, he returned to the waiting room, spending the next few hours split between sitting down anxiously and getting up to demand updates from the medical staff. It was only because of Logan forcing drinks of coffee or water into his hand that Spencer drank anything during the wait.

As soon as the consultant had informed him Shona was out of surgery, Spencer didn't hesitate to rush to her bedside. After been made to wait outside the room whilst the doctor and nurses carried out some assessments, he was eventually allowed to see her.

Seeing her leg in the cast along with the bruising and cuts on her, Spencer had to suck in a deep breath to contain his emotions. Whilst he was glad to have been there for Jane and Arabella, it pained him that he couldn't have been there for his wife when she needed him the most. He sat down in the chair at her bedside and reached across to grip her hand in his. After a moment of silence amongst the beeping of the various monitors, he eventually spoke up. "Shona, love. I'm here. Can you hear me?" he asked as he leaned forward to get a closer look at her face. He knew she was still coming around from the anaesthetic so tried to be patient with her.

Pyroclast (Shona)
Mentioned: Bellz

 

[Bellz]

St Thomas' Hospital
~ Lambeth, London ~
Collin McCarthy
Blake Harper​

~ 1 Hour Before ~

Collin's hand was suffering from second-degree burns that were beyond anything he could fully describe. The pain was excruciating, and although he had also inhaled smoke, he had fared better than the others. His hand was treated and wrapped from his fingers to his elbow, covering the entire burn. He was advised to avoid using it, to keep movement to a minimum, and to ensure the wrapping stayed dry. The blisters, which were both large and painful, would eventually burst on their own. The main concern was preventing infection with antibiotics. As the doctor explained his treatment plan, Collin's mind was consumed by thoughts of Syd, Shona, and Jeanie. He couldn't stop dwelling on how narrowly they had all escaped with their lives and the long-term impact this ordeal would have on them, including himself.

In the stillness of the room, Collin finally let himself break down, tears streaming uncontrollably. His shoulders shook violently with each silent sob until the barely audible creak of the door caught his attention. He looked up abruptly, feeling lightheaded, and saw Jeanie standing there. The sight of her stopped his tears instantly.

"H-Hey," she whispered, glancing nervously back toward the door as if she were intruding. Collin noticed blood seeping from her arm, which was not in a sling but had clearly been connected to an IV drip.

"I came to…" she said, her voice breathless and raw. Collin moved to get out of bed to offer her a seat, but she waved him off. "I came to make sure you were still standing."

Their eyes locked, but Collin couldn't read the emotion in hers. He cleared his throat, his voice rough. "I’m… I’ve been better."

Jeanie nodded in understanding. "They at least give you something for the pain?" she asked, her concern evident despite the roughness of her voice.

Collin nodded. "Yeah."

"Good," Jeanie replied, her gaze shifting back to the door. "You call your mam and dad?"

He nodded again. "Yeah." "Good," she said, her eyes softening as she looked at him once more.

Jeanie glanced at the door again, her leg bouncing anxiously. "I should go before I get caught," she whispered. Collin shifted on his bed, his voice urgent yet subdued due to the smoke damage. "Jeanie, wait."

Her head snapped back to him. "How is your dad?" he asked quickly. "And Shona?"

Jeanie's eyes darkened with concern. "I’m… not sure. I’m trying to make my rounds. I’ll visit her first, then my dad. But neither of them looked good, did they?" She asked, her right eye twitching slightly. Collin could see that she was feeling as unsettled as he was about their situation. While he had lost his father long ago without ever really knowing him, Jeanie's worry about her own father was palpable. Despite the complexities of her relationship with Syd, she clearly didn't expect this to be the end.
"I-I didn’t mean to upset you," Collin said softly.

"I’ll be back when I can," Jeanie replied. She left without another word.

***​

Blake and Adam had rushed to the event the moment they received the call from Roxie that Collin had been taken. The wait for information was excruciating, and trying to get updates from the agents who seemed to be idly waiting was maddening. When Collin finally called Blake’s cell phone, she quickly passed the information on to the rest. Roxie requested a ride to the A&E, and Blake and Adam were more than willing to provide it.

Upon arrival, they split up with the promise to reunite once things had settled. Blake, impatient and frantic, demanded to know which room her son was in. Her persistence paid off, and she nearly burst through the door with Adam following closely behind.

"Collin!" Blake cried out, rushing to him and enveloping him in a crushing hug. "Oh my baby, I’m so—" Her voice faltered as she pressed kiss after kiss to his forehead, holding him so tightly that he could barely breathe. But he hugged her back just as tightly, with one arm. Though he thought he had exhausted his tears, they began to well up again as his mother clung to him.

"I thought the worst," Blake said, her voice choked with emotion as she finally released him and took in his condition. "We both did." She glanced from Adam to Collin's burned arm, her hands flying to her face.

Collin shook his head, trying to reassure her. "Mam, I’m fine, I promise. It’s just a burn. I... I came out of this..." He looked at both of his parents, his eyes brimming with tears. "Syd... saved my life. We were trapped in that building, and he found a way for us to escape. But he... he was burned and passed out."

He looked to Adam, "What if he dies because of me? I'm not worth that price..."
with: Adam Misty Gray
mentions: Man who is NOT DYING also the Woman who is NOT DYING Pyroclast