Needless to say, even if Vincent was uncomfortable with flying, I didn’t give a shit. And so our long day began.
Traveling around in the early morning with Vincent, wearing the robe I’d given him over his bloodied clothes, we made our way to a few small shops that had just opened for business and were able to quickly acquire a couple of new outfits for Vincent before heading to the train station.
However, when we arrived at Piccadilly Station, that was when we hit our first hiccup of the day.
Standing outside the multiplatform station were dozens and dozens of police officers, each one checking any potential passenger’s identity.
’What’s this now? Did they automatically assume that whoever pulled off the heist and set the fires would be trying to leave the area by way of Train through Manchester….’ Narrowing my eyes, I pulled Vincent by the sleeve, allowing us to duck into an alley free of prying eyes.
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Holding up my right hand, I tapped my palm with two fingers to get the man’s attention before pointing at my temple and speaking with Telepathy.
’They are searching for the culprit of the fires and heists I pulled; while it may be annoying, the fact still stands that you are no longer Harlow; no, that person is now considered dead.’ I said through the transmission, making Vincent nod his head in understanding.
’I will get us through, but don’t react to my words and play along; this will be your first test; show me your acting skills, also…I suppose I can’t continue wearing these then…’ Wearing a slight frown, I reached up and removed both my hoodie and mask, revealing my face to Vincent for the first time and causing his eyebrows to rise upon realizing that I was only a child.
However, a quick scan through his thoughts told me that wasn’t truly the case; instead, he was surprised that I had taken on the image of a human child, which I found kind of hilarious.
It seemed in his mind that he had pictured me being a short, grotesque creature who wasn’t young but only of short stature. In fact, he was quite pleased with how easily I could blend into society by acting like a young child.
’Milord, I am honored that you have shown me your human visage; I will follow as you command.’ Bowing slightly, Vincent cleared up any potential misunderstandings, making me roll my eyes and fight back the urge to sucker punch him in the jaw.
’I can’t be walking around in my natural state, and it would draw too much attention; things are easier this way; regardless, you will play the role of my family buttler, escorting me back to my family residence in London.’
’And before you ask, although I could use my powers to clear a path for us, during the day, my strength is significantly weakened, and I will need to reserve my Magic for dire situations.’ Making up some bullshit on the spot, I spewed out the first thing that came to mind, earning me another look of understanding from the man.
Getting our story plot straightened between us, I quickly changed into the same formal outfit I had worn to the airport a couple of days earlier and walked out of the alley with Vincent walking beside me and holding my hand as if I were a young child who needed to be constantly monitored.
Getting into one of the many lines, I kept my perception extended fully as something seemed off about the whole situation, as the authorities shouldn’t have been able to connect any dots and create a blockade this quickly…there had to be someone intervening. But as the line grew shorter and our time to speak to the police was coming closer, I still hadn’t picked up on any nearby particle sources, causing me to second guess myself.
’No, I can’t drop my guard; doing so is the kind of thing that ends up with plans falling through and people dying. There is more going on than meets the eye. Is it an older returner who is in a position of power…’ I thought while watching the family of four ahead of us hand their documents over to the two police officers in charge of our line.
’Unless….unless there is a returner who is on a similar course as me, hunting down serial killers and using them to push the Descent timeline in their favor…but even then, they would need to have worked themselves into a high position of governmental power to mobilize such a force to create a blockade.’ With my mind firing on all cylinders, I noticed one of the two police officers handing over the documents to the father of the family and waving Vincent and me over next.
"Name, identification documents, and reason for coming to Piccadilly Station today." The police officer stated in a clear and bored tone toward Vincent since I was only a child.
"Of course, sir, here are both mine and the young master’s papers; we are returning home to London after a short trip. I hope you don’t mind that I only have a passport for the young master, as he is too young for a driver’s license."
"Oh ho, a young master is it?"
"yes, Sir, that is what all my family’s staff call me, although I find it to be quite stuffy.." puffing out my cheeks and speaking with a perfect British accent, I acted the part of a young child with ease.
"Haha, what a polite lad; I can’t say I can relate, though, my family was steel workers; anyway, your paperwork checks out. Remember to stay on your best behavior, Young Calvin, and listen to your butler, Mr. Lovecraft, so as to not cause any trouble on the train." With a small chuckle, the police officer patted my head before handing our papers back to Vincent.
"I will, mister police officer. Have a good day, and thank you for your service." With a small hop and a cheerful smile, I walked away from the blockade with Vincent, and once we were at a safe enough distance, I immediately dropped both my façade and Vincent’s hand before reaching up to brush off the top of my head where I had received headpats.